Ward Wimbish (left), director of economic development for the city of West Memphis, and Rene Tabouret, president of Sediver, sign a sales agreement at West Memphis City Hall on Monday. (Special to The Commercial Appeal)
SHARE This 2013 photo shows a wind turbine farm near Glenrock, Wyoming, similar to the planned Oklahoma wind turbine farm that would deliver energy to the TVA, connecting north of Memphis at Millington. (AP Photo/Matt Young, File) By Thomas Bailey Jr. of The Commercial Appeal Paris-based executive Rene Tabouret noticed during the first U.S. presidential debate last week that key topics included clean energy, the need to invest in large infrastructure projects and creation of American jobs. All those boxes are checked directly or indirectly by the plant his French company, Sediver, has nearly completed in West Memphis. "I was smiling'' during the debate, he said. The 130,000-square-foot facility will be completed by year's end, training of the 70-plus workers will occur early next year and production should start in March, said Tabouret, chief executive of Sediver (pronounced said-eh-vair). The plant being built by Montgomery Martin Contractors of Memphis will have the yearly capacity to manufacture up to 2.3 million glass insulators used to insulate electric power lines. Sediver has been selling insulators to U.S. utilities for about 60 years, but has not made any in the U.S. since Sediver pulled out of Charlotte, North Carolina, in 2001. Since then, the firm has been selling insulators made in China or Europe to its 100-plus U.S. customers. (Drone flyover video taken Aug. 5. Video courtesy: Montgomery Martin Contractors) But seeing a growing U.S. demand for the type of insulator it makes and projecting that manufacturing overseas will become more expensive, Sediver several years ago started looking for a place to return production to the U.S. That's when Houston-based Clean Line Energy made Sediver an offer it did not refuse: Build the plant in Arkansas and Sediver would become the preferred provider of insulators for Clean Line's planned 720-mile Plains & Eastern Clean Line. Put another way, Sediver could sell up to 650,000 glass insulators just for the one construction project to transmit wind-powered electricity from the Oklahoma Panhandle to a spot near Millington. That's where the line would tie into the TVA grid. "Clean Line has been absolutely essential in our decision to move to West Memphis,'' Tabouret said. Still, some might feel that Sediver has stepped out on the limb of faith. Plains & Eastern Clean Line, the largest clean-energy project in the U.S., did receive approval in March from the U.S. Department of Energy. But Clean Line has yet to nail down the commitments it needs from utilities to purchase the 4,000 megawatts of wind power that a 2,000-turbine wind farm out West would produce. That's enough electricity to power more than 1 million homes a year. "The next big steps will be the commercial commitment for use of the line and to buy power transmitted over the line,'' said Mario Hurtado, Clean Line Energy's executive vice president of development. "That takes time and it's something several large utilities in the region are looking at and studying.'' TVA also is still studying the safest, most reliable way to connect the proposed line with its grid at a $250 million substation Clean Line plans to build next to TVA's Shelby Substation near Millington. TVA is not only a potential customer, but its transmission grid would be used to deliver Clean Line's wind-driven power to other utilities. When Clean Line and Sediver announced plans for Sediver's West Memphis plant in June 2015, Clean Line said construction of the transmission line could start in 2016. Now, Hurtado says, "If things go on the schedule we want, we could be starting construction toward the end of 2017 and have the project online in mid-2020.'' If it's a limb of faith, Tabouret is a believer. Sediver's plant in West Memphis will sell insulators no matter what happens with the Plains & Eastern Clean Line. And Sediver liked West Memphis for other reasons, including the Memphis area's logistics advantages of highways, rail, air and Mississippi River as well as the local training resources to provide qualified workersr. "Yes, we believe this project will go through,'' Tabouret said. "This has been a very large process. Building such a large infrastructure... takes years and years and years. The fact that the Department of Energy gave its approval early this year is a very significant and big milestone for the Plains & Eastern.'' Meanwhile, Clean Line has begun its pre-construction work. Its land agents are spread across Oklahoma, Arkansas and Tennessee negotiating with landowners for easements. The swath -- 720 miles long and 150 to 200 feet wide -- encompasses more than 15,000 acres. (Video courtesy: Sediver) September 6, 2016 - Holding a bag of marijuana brought by MPD, Memphis City Councilman Martavius Jones asks Memphis Police Director Michael Rallings about the amount of pot it contains during a City Council committee meeting where Rallings tried to demonstrate what small-scale means in real terms regarding marijuana. Rallings opposes a City Council proposal to loosen penalties for small-scale marijuana possession. (Jim Weber/The Commercial Appeal) I have never inhaled. Marijuana, that is. I've touched the stuff, but I've never tried it. Ask my college freshmen roommates, who made it their mission to get me to step as Brewer and Shipley put it in their 1971 hit song one toke over the line. They failed. And we were at Kent State University, where Brewer met Shipley. Sweet Jesus. Even if the Memphis City Council votes Tuesday to decriminalize possession of small amounts of it, I still don't plan to try it. Voluntarily inhaling smoke has always seemed like a stupid idea to me. I've never even taken a drag on a cigarette. But I'm glad Council member Berlin Boyd and other elected officials are seeking to make possession of small amounts of marijuana a civil infraction, not a criminal offense. It's way past time to decriminalize adult use of one of history's oldest cultivated crops, not just in Memphis and Nashville but all across Tennessee. Twenty-one states already have, including Mississippi. A dozen other states will vote on it next month, including Arkansas. To quote Bob Dylan, who introduced the Beatles to marijuana, "The times they are a changin'.'" In my day, using marijuana wasn't just illegal. It was frowned up, even by alcoholics with liver disease and lifelong cigarette smokers with emphysema and lung cancer. Marijuana isn't harmless. Like alcohol, marijuana can impair coordination, reason and judgment, lower inhibitions, and interfere with brain development, especially in minors. But users can't fatally overdose on pot. Alcohol is more likely to interact badly with other drugs. Medical studies have shown that marijuana is no more likely than PBR or Percocet to be a "gateway drug." And yet the federal government, in its infinite wisdom, still considers marijuana to be more addictive and destructive than cocaine or methamphetamine. More addictive and destructive than oxycodone and hydrocodone, the most prescribed opioids, which are being used and abused at epidemic levels. More addictive and destructive than noncontrolled substances such as tobacco (480,000 related deaths a year), and alcohol (88,000 related deaths a year). "Marijuana, on the other hand, kills almost no one," Dr. Aaron E. Carroll, professor of pediatrics at Indiana University School of Medicine, wrote last year in The New York Times. "The number of deaths attributed to marijuana use is pretty much zero." He cited a study by the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence that reported "alcohol use is a factor in 40 percent of all violent crimes in the United States." "Although there are studies that can link marijuana to crime, it's almost all centered on its illegal distribution," Carroll wrote. "People who are high are not committing violence." They are being arrested at a ridiculous rate, especially people of color who step one toke over the line. African-Americans are four times more likely to be arrested on suspicion of marijuana possession than white Americans and up to 10 times more likely in many urban counties. That includes Shelby, where African-Americans represent about 52 percent of the population and 90 percent of all arrests for marijuana possession. It's not surprising. Marijuana laws have always been enacted and enforced for racial reasons. The first anti-marijuana laws were directed at Mexican migrants in the 1910s and 1920s. Marijuana paranoia peaked in the post-Prohibition 1930s. That's when Harry Anslinger became the first commissioner of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics. Anslinger, a Prohibition agent, needed a new job and cause. In 1937, he persuaded Congress to criminalize marijuana nationwide. "The primary reason to outlaw marijuana is its effect on the degenerate races," Anslinger said. "There are 100,000 total marijuana smokers in the U.S., and most are Negroes, Hispanics, Filipinos, and entertainers," Anslinger said. "Their satanic music, jazz, and swing, result from marijuana use. This marijuana causes white women to seek sexual relations with Negroes, entertainers, and any others." Anti-reefer madness didn't ebb much. When President Nixon declared war on drugs in 1971, at the height of the Black Power and anti-war movements, he and Congress made marijuana Public Enemy No. 1. "If the cannabis epidemic continues to spread," Sen. James Eastland of Mississippi warned his colleagues in 1974, "we may find ourselves saddled with a large population of semi-zombies of young people acutely afflicted by the amotivational syndrome." As chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Eastland kept marijuana listed, along with heroin and LSD, as a Schedule 1 controlled substance in America. Even after a commission appointed by Nixon unanimously recommended decriminalizing the possession and distribution of marijuana for personal use. "Neither the marijuana user nor the drug itself can be said to constitute a danger to public safety," declared the 1972 Shafer Commission. Eastland, who opposed integration and civil rights legislation, had to give up his daily Scotch and cigar when his health declined. We need to give up our illusions about marijuana, as Bennie Cobb, retired captain in the Shelby County Sheriff's Department, said Thursday at a forum on decriminalization. "It makes no sense to keep arresting and incarcerating people for small amounts of marijuana," he said. "It's time we find other ways to enforce victimless, nonviolent crimes." High time. 1972 Federal Report Findings of the 1972 National Commission on Marijuana and Drug Abuse include: No significant physical, biochemical, or mental abnormalities could be attributed solely to their marijuana smoking. Young people who choose to experiment with marijuana are fundamentally the same people, socially and psychologically, as those who use alcohol and tobacco. No verification is found of a causal relationship between marijuana use and subsequent heroin use. The weight of the evidence is that marijuana does not cause violent or aggressive behavior; if anything marijuana serves to inhibit the expression of such behavior. Marijuana is not generally viewed by participants in the criminal justice community as a major contributing influence in the commission of delinquent or criminal acts. Neither the marijuana user nor the drug itself can be said to constitute a danger to public safety. Marijuanas relative potential for harm to the vast majority of individual users and its actual impact on society does not justify a social policy designed to seek out and firmly punish those who use it. Germantown Police SHARE By Clay Bailey of The Commercial Appeal Two road rage incidents in Germantown on Thursday morning involved a pair of people one of them a Germantown reserve police officer who displayed guns during the disputes, victims told police. Both cases remained under investigation Friday, and authorities did not release any identities of the suspects since no charges had been filed against either person. In one case, detectives were still trying to confirm the driver's identity. But Germantown Deputy Police Chief Rodney Bright confirmed the other person with a gun in the separate incidents is a Germantown reserve officer. Bright said the reserve officer has been removed from any assignments or events until detectives complete their investigation. Police reports of the incidents redacted any identifying information regarding suspects in the two cases. The first episode occurred about 6:30 a.m. Thursday near Germantown Road and Farmington. A north Shelby County woman said a female driver in a black Honda Civic "pulled a gun on her" when the victim was headed south on Germantown Road, according to the offense report. The victim said a teenager with a small ponytail was a passenger in the car. Police responding to the scene were unable to locate the suspect's car. The second incident was in a parking lot in the 2100 block of West Street shortly before noon. The 58-year-old victim was looking for a place to park when a white SUV backed out in front of him. The man honked at the driver, leading to a verbal exchange. The victim said the driver of the white SUV, later identified as the Germantown reserve officer, began threatening him. The victim noticed the suspect put his hand on a gun on the center console while the victim was near the SUV. "Why do you have a gun out?" the victim reported asking the driver. The victim said the reserve officer picked up the gun "without pointing it at him," the report states. "If you come any closer, I have the right to use this," the victim reported the SUV occupant said. The victim said he backed away with his hands up, and the other car left the scene. September 7, 2016- A cyclist crosses the Walnut Grove as rush hour traffic backs up on Walnut Grove at Farm Road. (Nikki Boertman/The Commercial Appeal) SHARE By Tom Charlier of The Commercial Appeal Hoping to unclog traffic at one of the areas most congested intersections, Memphis crews will begin work in the next several days to lengthen a turn lane and acceleration lane at Walnut Grove and Farm roads in Shelby Farms. The project, expected to take about four weeks to complete, will extend the eastbound left-turn lane from Walnut Grove to Farm Road from 300 to 1,000 feet, said City Engineer Manny Belen. The westbound acceleration lane on Walnut Grove from Farm Road also will be extended to 1,000 feet. The intersection adjacent to Shelby Farms Park is the source of daily rush-hour traffic jams. The problem has become even more acute during the past two years as additional motorists began using Walnut Grove as an east-west commuting route to avoid the $109.3 million construction project at the Interstate 40-240 interchange in East Memphis. The project should alleviate some of the congestion that results from inadequate space in the lanes for vehicles turning at the traffic signal at the intersection, Belen said. During the evening commute, cars and trucks often are backed up into the through lanes on eastbound Walnut Grove because the left-turn late is too short, he said. And during morning rush hour, the short acceleration lane onto Walnut Grove stacks up traffic on Farm Road. "This is definitely short-term relief," Belen said of the project. The improvements are separate from a much larger and longer-term project designed to whisk traffic along a north-south route on the west side of Shelby Farms. The proposed $35.9 million Shelby Farms Parkway features an interchange just east of the Wolf River bridge and a landscaped four-lane divided roadway connecting Walnut Grove with Mullins Station and Whitten roads. Sometime around the end of the year, the Federal Highway Administration is expected to issue a final decision on the project, which has drawn opposition from some environmentalists. Belen said city crews will try do most of the intersection-improvement work between the morning and evening peak traffic hours in an effort to minimize disruptions. But he cautioned that some motorists still are likely to be inconvenienced. "There's really no good time to do it," he said. Dennis Lynch, transportation chair for the Tennessee Chapter of the Sierra Club, applauded the project to lengthen the lanes at the intersection. "We have suggested that to the city for a couple of years," he said. The Sierra Club favors modest improvements such as lane-lengthening as an alternative to the Shelby Farms Parkway project, which it calls environmentally damaging and unnecessary. The group has recommended other short-term changes, as well. Lynch said no decision should be made on the parkway project until improvements have been completed at the intersection and the construction at I-40/240 is finished. By then, officials should be able to determine whether the parkway is needed, he said. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton speaks during a campaign stop in Coral Springs, Fla., Friday, Sept. 30, 2016. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) SHARE By Michael Collins of The Commercial Appeal WASHINGTON Hillary Clinton's path to the White House doesn't run through Tennessee, where she's trailing Republican Donald Trump by double digits in most polls. But Clinton and her husband, former President Bill Clinton, have ties to the Volunteer State dating to their days as first lady and governor of neighboring Arkansas. Those ties stretch through their White House years, when Tennessean Al Gore served as Bill Clinton's vice president. Those Tennessee connections likely would keep the state on Hillary Clinton's radar and could produce tangible benefits for Tennesseans if she's elected president, said Rep. Steve Cohen, a Memphis Democrat and Clinton ally. "I have no question that through their familiarity with Memphis and the history of Memphis that we would benefit from her presidency," Cohen said. One of the first things Clinton will have to do if elected is put together a Cabinet and staff. A number of Tennesseans could be in line for jobs in her administration, said Kent Syler, a political scientist at Middle Tennessee State University. Former Gov. Phil Bredesen, former congressman Harold Ford Jr., former congressman Bart Gordon, former Nashville Mayor Karl Dean and Democratic fundraisers William Freeman and Charles Robert Bone, both of Nashville, have all been mentioned as possible candidates for positions in a Clinton administration. In addition, Clinton could potentially tap the mayors of Tennessee's four largest cities Megan Barry of Nashville, Madeline Rogero of Knoxville, Jim Strickland of Memphis and Andy Berke of Chattanooga. "Someone like Megan Barry might have a good deal of cache, as a progressive woman mayor of a larger U.S. city," said Bruce Oppenheimer, a Vanderbilt University political scientist who studies elections. Jackson attorney and businessman Mike McWherter, the son of former Gov. Ned McWherter, also could be in line for a position under Clinton. Bill Clinton was especially close to Ned McWherter and spoke at his funeral in 2011, recalling that the former governor was the first person to suggest that he and Gore team up. "Certainly, Mike McWherter would be someone I would expect Hillary Clinton to consider," Syler said. Regardless of who would land a job in her administration, Tennessee and the other 49 states are all on Clinton's mind, said Mary Mancini, chairwoman of the Tennessee Democratic Party. "She has been here three times since she announced for president," Mancini said. "There's a state director here for the Hillary Clinton campaign who has been in touch with Democratic leaders across the state. They are already talking about the infrastructure that will remain that they can build on after Hillary Clinton wins the presidency." Clinton "knows the importance of the state party," Mancini said. "She knows the importance of having some impact on the state legislatures. And so the infrastructure she is putting in place now will continue and be built upon when she gets to the White House." Because Tennessee is such a solidly Republican state, the state's role in a Clinton administration would probably be minimal, and Clinton would see little political advantage in sending significant federal resources to the state, said Marcus Pohlmann, a political scientist at Rhodes College in Memphis. Memphis, however, could possibly reap some benefits by receiving priority for federal funding and other programs since it's strongly Democratic, Pohlmann said. Hillary and Bill Clinton have both spent a lot of time in the city and have many political friends there, Cohen said. Bill Clinton has been a long-time advocate of the Mississippi Delta region, Cohen said. As president, he signed the law creating the Delta Regional Authority, a federal-state partnership that works to improve the quality of life in parts of Tennessee and seven other states. That commitment to the region and its people would continue with Hillary Clinton in the White House, Cohen said. Cohen said he could envision a Clinton administration giving Memphis priority for various grants and programs, including the federal "Promise Zone" designation the city has been seeking for several years. The city was a finalist this year for the program, which makes federal resources available to economically distressed areas. If Clinton is elected, "I think we'll get that," Cohen said. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks at a rally, Friday, Sept. 30, 2016, in Novi, Mich. (AP Photo/John Locher) SHARE By Michael Collins of The Commercial Appeal WASHINGTON Reliably red Tennessee may not be getting as much love from GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump as important swing states like Ohio, Florida and North Carolina, but if Trump is elected, the Volunteer State could end up wielding considerable influence in his administration and on the national stage. "The likelihood is there will be a number of Tennesseans who will play a role in a Trump administration," said John Ryder, a Memphis attorney who serves as general counsel for the Republican National Committee. Several Tennesseans could be in line for jobs in a Trump administration most notably, Sen. Bob Corker, whose name is often floated as a possible secretary of State or Commerce secretary. Other Tennesseans sometimes mentioned for possible jobs under Trump include Gov. Bill Haslam, Rep. Marsha Blackburn, Rep. Diane Black and Bill Hagerty, a former Haslam aide who is working on Trump's transition team. In Congress, the state's stock probably would rise if the GOP maintains its House and Senate majorities. A few months ago, Democrats seemed poised to retake the Senate, but that seems less likely now. Corker chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, a high-profile position that puts him at the center of national and international issues. The state's senior senator, Lamar Alexander, chairs the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, which has jurisdiction over a broad range of issues. Assuming Corker isn't interested in a job with a Trump administration, both he and Alexander would retain their chairmanships, as long as the GOP holds onto its Senate majority. Both posts already bestow considerable gravitas. The two senators would wield even more influence and power with a Republican in the White House because they would be in a position to move Trump's agenda through Congress. Earlier this year, Corker was on Trump's list of possible vice presidential running mates. Corker met twice with Trump and joined him at a campaign rally in North Carolina in July but eventually took himself out of the running for vice president. Even so, Trump has expressed admiration for Corker, calling him "a great friend of mine, somebody respected by everybody." His comments have fueled speculation he would tap Corker for a Cabinet position. Just as he has done in the past, Corker recently deflected questions about whether he would be interested in joining a Trump administration. "It is too early to discuss hypotheticals," the Chattanooga Republican said in a statement released by his office. "I am honored Tennesseans have given me the privilege of serving them in the Senate, and I relish my role as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee," he said. "Beyond that, if asked to serve in an administration, I would likely take the advice of the late (Sen.) Howard Baker, who always said that if a president asks an individual to serve, that person should seek to fully understand what the relationship and job would look like and take it under consideration." While Alexander has expressed no interest in working for Trump, he could be an asset for a Republican president, said Ryan Haynes, chairman of the Tennessee Republican Party. Alexander, a Maryville Republican, is respected by Senate Republicans and Democrats and could potentially become a liaison between the White House and senators on various issues such as health-care reform, Haynes said. "He has positioned himself in the Senate as a deal-maker," Haynes said. "It takes a whole team (to pass legislation), and he would be a critical part of that by continuing to serve in the United States Senate." In the House, Blackburn is a rising star in GOP leadership and a vocal Trump surrogate. A champion of limited government, the anti-abortion movement and small business, the Brentwood Republican was given a speaking role at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland in July. "She's active on the national level and would be a good candidate for an administration position," said Kent Syler, a political scientist at Middle Tennessee State University. Giving her a high-profile job in his administration could possibly help Trump mend his troubled relationship with a key demographic group: college-educated women. Blackburn's office did not respond to questions about whether she'd be interested in working in a Trump administration. The Commercial Appeal files J.O. Patterson is sworn in as interim Mayor of Memphis on Oct. 1, 1982, becoming the first black to occupy the city's highest office. He was sworn in after Mayor Wyeth Chandler (not shown) stepped down to become a Circuit Court Judge. Mayor Patterson is being sworn in by Criminal Court Judge H.T. Lockard (Left). He was flanked by his father, Bishop J.O. Patterson (not shown), head of the Church of God in Christ and Bishop Carroll T. Dozier (not shown) of the Catholic Diocese of Memphis. SHARE Oct. 1 25 years ago: 1991 MOSCOW About 400,000 people jammed an airfield Saturday to see AC-DC, the Black Crowes and Metallica play at the Soviet Union's biggest Western rock concert. The free concert sponsored by Time Warner Inc., was touted as a gift to Russian youth for their resistance to last month's coup. Thousands of youths protested the hard-line Aug. 18-21 coup, demonstrating and building barricades at the Russian parliament building, headquarters of the resistance led by Russian President Boris Yeltsin. 50 years ago: 1966 Memphians impressed by the spirit of a fix-up campaign in Douglass Park yesterday began offering money and materials to help. "I think it's just wonderful the way these people are trying to help themselves," said Mrs. Louis G. Ost of 4474 Dunn Road. The efforts of citizens in Douglass Park, a Negro community in Northeast Memphis, to fight community blight were outlined in a series of articles in The Commercial Appeal. 75 years ago: 1941 The Broadcaster, Whitehaven High School student newspaper, has announced its new staff, with Peggy Jones as editor-in-chief and Kenneth Canestrari as business manager. 100 years ago: 1916 Rabbi Henry R. Gold, who came to this city yesterday from New York, may stay here indefinitely to take charge of the Baron Hirsch Synagogue, according to A. Simon, chairman of a welcoming committee for Dr. Gold. 125 years ago: 1891 Another large enterprise is seeking this city and eager to be a part of Memphis. The famous Anheuser-Busch Brewing Association, one of the most renowned brewing companies of the world, will open a branch establishment in Memphis. SHARE Rafael Grossman By Rafael Grossman, Special to Viewpoint Sunday night, Jews will observe the first day of Rosh Hashana and celebrate the beginning of the Jewish High Holy Days. Ten days later we will observe Yom Kippur. On both holidays, synagogues will be filled to capacity. The Torah teaches that the quintessential Biblical commandment is the preservation of life. "God saw everything He had made and behold, it was very good." (Genesis 1:31). Specifically, this pertains to human life. The Talmud, the Oral Torah that explains what the commandments mean and how to apply them, says, "he must preserve himself in a state of health." The Talmud includes many rules of hygiene and even cautions against making one's home in a community where there is no competent physician (Sanhedrin 17b). The greatest of the post-biblical rabbis, Maimonides, a physician who lived in the 12th century, taught that "the preservation and the health of the body is one of the Godly ways." The rabbis of the Talmud declared that death was ordained only after Adam's sin (Genesis 2) when he and Eve ate from the forbidden fruit. The rabbis ruled that death is the price paid for transgression. And yet Maimonides, the foremost authority in Jewish law, taught that death does not have to be a punishment. He said that medicine is the practice of a sacred principle in Judaism, the preservation of human life, and that death can remediated and overcome. Throughout the long history of Judaism, our literature points toward this most significant aspect of our faith, the belief in the day when death will be obliterated forever. Although many religions look toward death as a transcendent state, greater than life itself, Judaism teaches that life rises above all and, in contemporary times, has strongly encouraged and applauded the extension of life, and sees modern medicine as a divine gift. The Rosh Hashana liturgy reflects the Jewish belief of eternal life and our desire and hope for a year of life ahead of us. Maimonides taught that humans are "mandated to perpetuate life," and thus, ultimately, obliterate death. We are far from obliterating death, but Judaism maintains that the primary purpose of existence is to propagate life. A first step in accomplishing this would be to end war and human enmity. And a second step would be to continue to raise the life span of humans. A simple study of obituaries in the newspaper shows that the length of life has been extended immensely over the past decades, and as medicine evolves, it will continue to raise the human life span to a point that we would never imagine today. Many religions seek to sanctify death as a means for humans to face God. Judaism's foremost prayer at the conclusion of Yom Kippur calls for life and the ultimate eternity of humans. It would seem absurd that man could evolve as an eternal being, and yet, the aspiration for eternal life has accomplished much. That modern medicine has sustained life in many different ways is proof of this. We conclude the High Holy Days after sunset on Yom Kippur, the day of Atonement, as we call out, "Make this year, one of life." In many synagogues the biblical passage is also read, "God saw everything he had made and behold, it was very good" (Genesis: 1:31). Thus, life is the essence of our prayers on Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, and it is my fondest hope that all God's children will have a year of life. Rabbi Rafael Grossman is senior Rabbi Emeritus of the Baron Hirsch Synagogue in Memphis and a past president of the Rabbinical Council of America. SHARE Lora Jobe By Lora Jobe, Special to Viewpoint The new school year is now well underway, and partners from around the community are doing their part to ensure student success by providing school supplies, organizing immunization fairs, orchestrating attendance campaigns and so much more. There still is plenty of work left to be done, however, and our students still are in need of continued support. School attendance is one of the best predictors of student achievement, and chronic absenteeism in Shelby County continues to be a barrier to academic success. Chronic absenteeism, missing as little as two days of school a month, can cause students to fall behind academically and be less likely to graduate than their peers. With that in mind, in early 2015, PeopleFirst Partnership and Operation: Safe Community worked to develop a plan to improve attendance by creating the Attendance and Truancy Task Force, co-chaired by Shelby County Schools Superintendent Dorsey Hopson and Shelby County District Attorney General Amy Weirich. The task force went on to identify and address potential barriers to regular school attendance. One such barrier that became an increasing area of focus was that of chronic health conditions including asthma, mental health (including bullying and safety), untreated dental cavities and vision impairment. Last year, Memphis was named the asthma capital of the U.S. Nationally, asthma prevalence in African-American and Latino children is higher than in their Caucasian peers. Untreated dental cavities are nearly twice as prevalent in children of color and the percentage of children 5-19 years old with untreated tooth decay is twice as high for those from low-income families. These problems still persist. This year, PeopleFirst Partnership, along with Latino Memphis, NAACP Memphis and the Shelby County Health Department, were awarded a grant to take a deeper look at how chronic health conditions affect school attendance specifically in children of color. To better understand the health issues affecting our children, PeopleFirst Partnership, along with other community stakeholders, will host the Health Issues and Chronic Absenteeism Summit Wednesday at the University of Memphis. The summit will bring together community organizers, elected officials, educators, health care professionals and more to help identify common issues and discuss potential solutions. Chronic illness leads to chronic absence, which leads to decreased student achievement. As a community, we must continue to search for solutions so that all students in Memphis and Shelby County receive the high-quality education they deserve. Lora Jobe is executive director of PeopleFirst Partnership, a collaboration of business, government, academic and civic leaders dedicated to strengthening Memphis and Shelby County's cradle-to-career pipeline. SHARE By Eric Zorn Even if Libertarian Party presidential candidate Gary Johnson had better than a Creamsicle's chance in Death Valley of winning this November which he doesn't I wouldn't vote for him. Sure, I get why some millennials and liberals are drawn to him. He's a pot-promoting, pro-gay, abortion-rights backer and foe of capital punishment who wants government out of your personal business and the U.S. out of most foreign entanglements. His unaffected style strikes a refreshing contrast with conventional politicians, even if he doesn't know from Aleppo and can't name even one living foreign leader he admires. But they seem to forget there's a reason Johnson was a Republican as late as 2012. And they seem not to know that a vote for Johnson is also a vote for an array of conservative, free-market, small-government positions that are anathema to most progressives. He supports the U.S. Supreme Court's Citizens United decision that more or less obliterated laws that attempted to tamp down the influence of big money on our elections. He opposes nearly all forms of gun control, allowing only that "we should be open to a discussion on keeping guns out of the hands of the mentally ill." He advocates repealing the Affordable Care Act approved under President Barack Obama and the Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit approved under President George W. Bush. His belief is that deregulated competition among insurance companies, hospitals and other health providers will work its salutary magic for those who are now or will be left uninsured. He supports free trade, though that position doesn't appear among the 14 topics listed on the issues page of his campaign website. Indeed "trade" like the words "gun" and "race" and "poverty" isn't among the roughly 4,300 words used to outline his platform. He favors privatizing K-12 education through voucher programs, privatizing prisons and partially privatizing the Veterans Administration. He backs turning Medicare and Medicaid into leaner, exclusively state-administered programs even though he allowed in an interview with the Los Angeles Times this year that some states would likely be "horrible failures." He's proposed increasing the Social Security retirement age to as high as 72, subjecting benefits to means testing and at least partially privatizing the program. He opposes cap-and-trade measures to reduce carbon emissions and believes, in that charmingly utopian way of ideological enthusiasts, that if we allow "the market to function unimpeded, consumers, innovators and personal choices will do more to bring about environmental protection and restoration than will government regulations." He favors abolishing the minimum wage. He is against "net neutrality," the principle favored by progressives and small web entrepreneurs that internet service providers should not be allowed to favor certain legal websites over others by, for instance, giving them superior signal access to consumers. He exhibits an indecisive weary indifference to climate change: "Is the climate changing? Probably so," says his website. "Is man contributing to that change? Probably so. But the critical question is whether the politicians' efforts to regulate, tax and manipulate the private sector are cost-effective or effective at all." Johnson has said he wants to get rid of all federal corporate, income, inheritance and capital gains taxes and replace the lost revenue with a 28 percent federal consumption tax think of it as a sales tax on steroids that you'd pay on top of state and local taxes. Even with the provision of monthly supplement checks to cover the tax on basic poverty-level expenditures, this radical shift would, like most Republican tax plans, almost certainly be a boon to the rich and place added burdens on low- and middle-income earners. Further, "Governor Johnson has pledged that his first major act as President will be to submit to Congress a truly balanced budget," says his website. "No gimmicks, no imaginary cuts in the distant future. Real reductions to bring spending in line with revenues, without tax increases." He may not really mean it. In May, the National Review reported that when Johnson became governor of New Mexico in 1995, he inherited a debt of $1.8 billion. When he left eight years later, the debt stood at $4.6 billion. Either way, most of us support the general idea of government spending within its means. But even ardent deficit hawks know that the sudden and dramatic cuts necessary to balance the federal budget in one year with no tax increases would slash many valued programs, create significant new unemployment and perhaps plunge us into another recession. I understand that my principled fiscally conservative and libertarian friends nod with approval at many of the items on the above menu, however unlikely they would be to pass through Congress in the far more unlikely event Johnson were elected. They are features of his candidacy, not bugs. What I don't understand is why he's garnering his strongest support among young voters who tend to be the most liberal 29 percent of those ages 18-34 backed Johnson in a mid-September Quinnipiac University poll as though he's some next-gen Bernie Sanders in running shoes or a nonkooky version of Green Party nominee Jill Stein. If they understand what they're endorsing when they cast their lot with Gary Johnson, that's fine. If they don't, that's scary. Eric Zorn is a columnist for the Chicago Tribune. SHARE By Ramesh Ponnuru Eric Trump thinks his father showed "a lot of courage" during the debate by not bringing up Bill Clinton's sex scandals: "I mean, he really took the high ground where he had the opportunity to go very, very low. And I'm proud of him for doing that." Donald Trump praised himself for his restraint, which he attributed to his respect for the Clintons' daughter, Chelsea. Whatever one thinks of this standard of virtue, it is one that Trump's allies are not meeting. Top Trump supporter Rudolph Giuliani said Hillary Clinton is "too stupid to be president" because she believed her husband when he denied having an affair with Monica Lewinsky. Perhaps it is unsurprising that Giuliani, who famously used a press conference to announce he was leaving his wife for his mistress, believes that a man's adultery reflects poorly on his wife. As it happens, I doubt Hillary Clinton was as shocked by her husband's affair with Monica Lewinsky as the Clintons' official line would have it. Everyone remembers that when the story broke, Hillary Clinton did an interview with Matt Lauer in which she blamed the allegation of an affair on a "vast right-wing conspiracy." In the same interview, Lauer asked her if her husband would have to resign if he "had an adulterous liaison in the White House and lied to cover it up." Her answer: "Well, I think that if all that were proven true, I think that would be a very serious offense. That is not going to be proven true." If she were really convinced of her husband's innocence, would she really have used the phrase "proven true" twice? Kate Andersen Brower's book "The Residence" reported that members of the White House staff said that "Hillary knew about Lewinsky long before it came out, and that what really upset her was not the affair itself but its discovery and the media feeding frenzy that followed." And it wouldn't have been the first time she had tried to mislead the public about her husband. According to Carl Bernstein's biography of her, she was in charge of the campaign to discredit Gennifer Flowers for talking about her affair with Bill. Trump aide David Bossie says Hillary Clinton was an "enabler" for her husband's sometimes predatory sexual affairs. That might be taking the low road, according to Eric Trump. But Bossie's description seems reasonable to me. And while Clinton's conduct during her husband's scandals should not be a top issue in this campaign, it is certainly fair game. It would also, very likely, be a dead end for the Trump campaign. Voters didn't turn against Bill Clinton himself during the Lewinsky scandal, at least politically. They reacted with sympathy for Hillary Clinton. The passage of time does not seem likely to make the issue more potent. Nor does the identity of the people who are currently raising, and passive-aggressively raising, the issue. Donald Trump and Rudy Giuliani will only get hit with a boomerang if they talk about marital fidelity. Trump's credibility on the issue is further weakened because, when he wasn't running for president against a Clinton, he called the Lewinsky scandal "totally unimportant." The notion that Trump deserves credit for his forbearance presupposes that bringing up the sex scandals would help him: He has heavy ammunition but is refusing to use it. What he really has is a pop gun. Ramesh Ponnuru is a Bloomberg View columnist. He is a senior editor of National Review. ConservativeHomes full conference programme can be found here, but we would like to draw your attention to three events in particular. We have a joint event with Policy Exchange called The Governments social reform agenda: what it will mean in practice, at which Philip Collins of the Times, Nick Bosanquet of Reform, and I will be speaking. It will take place on Tuesday October 4 from 15.30-16.30 in the Policy Exchange Marquee, which is inside the secure zone. Gavin Barwell, now the Housing Minister, will be talking about his book How to win a marginal seat (and indeed about how to win such a seat more broadly) on Monday October 3 from 8.00 9.30 in the ConservativeHome Marquee, which is also inside the secure zone. And Iain Dale, LBC presenter and our columnist, will interview David Davis live on Tuesday 4 from 12.45 until 14.00 in Hall One of the International Conference Centre. This is one of the very few conference events that the Brexit Secretary will be undertaking other than his main speech itself. For those readers with a special interest in Brexit, Liam Fox will be speaking at our joint fringe event with Britain in a Changing Europe later on the same day from 16.15-17.15 in the ConHome Marquee. The Great Debate already seems weeks ago. I watched every minute of it with my wife and daughter and a glass of good wine. I've found it's the heart-healthiest way to watch a presidential debate, because you can't scream like hell and wave your arms around with a glass of wine in your hand. We all know that Trump did well in the first 20 minutes of Monday's debate because he stayed on message. We also know he lost the debate and missed a dozen opportunities to hit Hillary. Donald's main problem was the same one I talked about weeks ago -- he doesn't know when it's time to just shut up. What's worse, as he proved over and over again, he still hasn't learned how to pivot like a politician. One of Trump's most appealing traits is that he's not a professional politician who's had decades to practice the low art of lying and speaking in legalese -- like Hillary. But all successful politicians, good and bad, have to know how to pivot. When a reporter asks how your health is, you say, "Great. I'm feeling almost as good as I did last week when I heard the FBI director say Hillary Clinton was careless with her classified emails." When Lester Holt asked Trump the Obama birth certificate question -- which everyone in North America knew was coming -- Donald should have said something like: "Glad you asked, Lester. That issue's settled. President Obama is like Bruce Springsteen. He was born in the USA. Now let's talk about something that actually matters to voters -- like Secretary Clinton's deleted emails or her long list of failures in the Middle East." Instead, when Trump got the birther question, he flew into his narcissist mode. He sounded petty and stupid and everyone watching the split-screen knew it. It got even worse when Hillary and her team sprang their well-planned surprise and brought up the ugly things Trump supposedly said 20 years ago to or about Miss Universe Alicia Machado. It was a great debate stunt. Trump had no way of seeing it coming. But as usual, he didn't have the sense to just shut up. He took the bait and now all this week the former Venezuelan beauty queen has been on the front pages instead of Trump or Hillary's emails. Millions of women, especially the ones in the news media, are now outraged at Trump for publicly "weight-shaming" Machado. They don't care that Machado broke her contract with the Miss Universe pageant or that Trump apparently saved her from being fired for her weight gain and helped her slim down. The liberal media will never let the real story or the facts get in the way of their pet narrative that Trump is a sexist pig. Ms. Machado is their innocent victim of the week. And the media will believe her version of the story even if Sean Hannity digs up a video of her machine-gunning a bank teller in Caracas or going out on a date with Bill Clinton. With or without Machado, everyone -- including by now, I hope, Trump -- knows Hillary Clinton kicked his butt. He won the first 25 minutes of the debate, but Hillary won the rest. When Trump was on message, he was good. But when he went into the weeds he fell apart and missed a dozen chances to pivot. Worst of all, it was clear to 85 million people that she was prepared and presidential. He was neither. Trump has two more chances to prove he's not as awful, incompetent and stupid as he was Monday. Maybe he can learn a lot from his mistakes. Let's hope so, because he made too many of them to count. My father recovered from his first debate against Mondale in 1984. Obama did the same against Romney in 2012. Trump can do the same thing. But like my mother always said to me, "Michael, you'll never learn anything with your mouth open." It's time for the Donald to shut up and start listening. 1. U.S. acceptance of coexistence as the only alternative to atomic war. 2. U.S. willingness to capitulate in preference to engaging in atomic war. 3. Develop the illusion that total disarmament of the United States would be a demonstration of moral strength. 4. Permit free trade between all nations regardless of Communist affiliation and regardless of whether or not items could be used for war. 5. Extension of long-term loans to Russia and Soviet satellites. 6. Provide American aid to all nations regardless of Communist domination. 7. Grant recognition of Red China. Admission of Red China to the U.N. 8. Set up East and West Germany as separate states in spite of Khrushchev's promise in 1955 to settle the German question by free elections under supervision of the U.N. 9. Prolong the conferences to ban atomic tests because the United States has agreed to suspend tests as long as negotiations are in progress. 10. Allow all Soviet satellites individual representation in the U.N. 11. Promote the U.N. as the only hope for mankind. If its charter is rewritten, demand that it be set up as a one-world government with its own independent armed forces. (Some Communist leaders believe the world can be taken over as easily by the U.N. as by Moscow. Sometimes these two centers compete with each other as they are now doing in the Congo.) 12. Resist any attempt to outlaw the Communist Party. 13. Do away with all loyalty oaths. 14. Continue giving Russia access to the U.S. Patent Office. 15. Capture one or both of the political parties in the United States. 16. Use technical decisions of the courts to weaken basic American institutions by claiming their activities violate civil rights. 17. Get control of the schools. Use them as transmission belts for socialism and current Communist propaganda. Soften the curriculum. Get control of teachers' associations. Put the party line in textbooks. 18. Gain control of all student newspapers. 19. Use student riots to foment public protests against programs or organizations which are under Communist attack. 20. Infiltrate the press. Get control of book-review assignments, editorial writing, policymaking positions. 21. Gain control of key positions in radio, TV, and motion pictures. 22. Continue discrediting American culture by degrading all forms of artistic expression. An American Communist cell was told to "eliminate all good sculpture from parks and buildings, substitute shapeless, awkward and meaningless forms." 23. Control art critics and directors of art museums. "Our plan is to promote ugliness, repulsive, meaningless art." 24. Eliminate all laws governing obscenity by calling them "censorship" and a violation of free speech and free press. 25. Break down cultural standards of morality by promoting pornography and obscenity in books, magazines, motion pictures, radio, and TV. 26. Present homosexuality, degeneracy and promiscuity as "normal, natural, healthy." 27. Infiltrate the churches and replace revealed religion with "social" religion. Discredit the Bible and emphasize the need for intellectual maturity which does not need a "religious crutch." 28. Eliminate prayer or any phase of religious expression in the schools on the ground that it violates the principle of "separation of church and state." 29. Discredit the American Constitution by calling it inadequate, old-fashioned, out of step with modern needs, a hindrance to cooperation between nations on a worldwide basis. 30. Discredit the American Founding Fathers. Present them as selfish aristocrats who had no concern for the "common man." 31. Belittle all forms of American culture and discourage the teaching of American history on the ground that it was only a minor part of the "big picture." Give more emphasis to Russian history since the Communists took over. 32. Support any socialist movement to give centralized control over any part of the culture--education, social agencies, welfare programs, mental health clinics, etc. 33. Eliminate all laws or procedures which interfere with the operation of the Communist apparatus. 34. Eliminate the House Committee on Un-American Activities. 35. Discredit and eventually dismantle the FBI. 36. Infiltrate and gain control of more unions. 37. Infiltrate and gain control of big business. 38. Transfer some of the powers of arrest from the police to social agencies. Treat all behavioral problems as psychiatric disorders which no one but psychiatrists can understand. 39. Dominate the psychiatric profession and use mental health laws as a means of gaining coercive control over those who oppose Communist goals. 40. Discredit the family as an institution. Encourage promiscuity and easy divorce. 41. Emphasize the need to raise children away from the negative influence of parents. Attribute prejudices, mental blocks and retarding of children to suppressive influence of parents. 42. Create the impression that violence and insurrection are legitimate aspects of the American tradition; that students and special-interest groups should rise up and use united force to solve economic, political or social problems. 43. Overthrow all colonial governments before native populations are ready for self-government. 44. Internationalize the Panama Canal. 45. Repeal the Connally reservation so the United States cannot prevent the World Court from seizing jurisdiction over nations and individuals alike. Sussex News Story Saved You can find this story in My Bookmarks. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. We all know about the dire circumstances faced by Christians in the Islamic world. Even the White House has finally called whats happening to Christians in Iraq and Syria genocide. But theres another place where religious freedom is under assault: Russia. This is a surprise to some. After all, post-Soviet Russia takes pride in its Christian heritage. Its president, Vladimir Putin, has positioned himself as a champion of Russian Orthodoxy. His stance on traditional marriage and opposition to homosexual activists has won him praise and admiration from many conservative Christians. But just ask Donald Ossewaarde if he thinks that Putin and Putins Russia are champions of religious freedom. Ossewaarde, a Baptist missionary from the United States, was one of the first people to run afoul of the recently passed Yarovaya Law. The Yarovaya Law, which purports to be a counter-terrorism and public safety measure, prohibits religious gatherings in unregistered places, restricts promoting religion on the internet, and makes it easier for Russian officials to deny entry into and departure from the country. And since the Yarovaya Law places severe restrictions on evangelization (or proselytizing as the Russian government sees it), its not hard to see how a Baptist missionary might get into trouble. The law defines missionary work as the activity of a religious association, aimed at disseminating information about its beliefs among people who are not participants (members, followers) in that religious association, with the purpose of involving these people as participants (members, followers). Activity that falls under this definition may only be performed without hindrance at [designated] churches and other religious sites . . . [and it is] expressly forbidden to perform missionary activities in private residences. Ossewaarde was arrested for holding a Bible study in his home and for posting public notices announcing his Bible study. He was fined 40,000 rubles, roughly $625. And his Russian court-appointed lawyer warned him to accept the fine and leave Moscow. Ossewaarde, however, is appealing his conviction. Other groups such as Seventh-day Adventists, Mormons, and especially Pentecostals are rightly nervous about what happens next. A leader of Russias Pentecostal Union told Forum 18, a Christian Human Rights group based in Oslo, that the local police officer came to a home where a group of Pentecostals meet each Sunday . . . [and] with a contented expression he told them: Now they're adopting the law, I'll drive you all out of here. Thus the law threatens to be yet another chapter in the century-old story of the persecution of Russian Pentecostals. It should be clear that the law has little, if anything, to do with defending Christianity and everything to do with Russian nationalism. As author David Aikman told Christianity Today, The Russian Orthodox church is part of a bulwark of Russian nationalism stirred up by Vladimir Putin . . . Everything that undermines that action is a real threat, whether thats evangelical Protestant missionaries or anything else. Thing is, Islamists and Hindu nationalists also view uncooperative Christians as a threat to their idea of a good society. And while, thankfully, Russia isnt using violenceat least not yetthe violation of religious freedom is just as real. So, we should make our concern and displeasure clear to the State Department, the White House, and to our elected officials. And if we cant bring ourselves to do so, we should at least have the decency to dispense with the man-crushes on Vladimir Putin. BreakPoint is a Christian worldview ministry that seeks to build and resource a movement of Christians committed to living and defending Christian worldview in all areas of life. Begun by Chuck Colson in 1991 as a daily radio broadcast, BreakPoint provides a Christian perspective on todays news and trends via radio, interactive media, and print. Today BreakPoint commentaries, co-hosted by Eric Metaxas and John Stonestreet, air daily on more than 1,200 outlets with an estimated weekly listening audience of eight million people. Feel free to contact us at BreakPoint.org where you can read and search answers to common questions. Eric Metaxas is a co-host of BreakPoint Radio and a best-selling author whose biographies, children's books, and popular apologetics have been translated into more than a dozen languages. Publication date: September 30, 2016 Why You Need Skype for Business for Your Business Share Tweet By Stefania Viscusi Assignment Desk, Content Management By Stefania ViscusiAssignment Desk, Content Management Businesses across the globe regardless of size are challenged with cutting costs and improving efficiency. The goal today is to work smarter, not harder. To achieve that, businesses are turning to collaboration technologies. Having tools like video conferencing, IM and phone systems have helped to cut costs associated with travel and other long distance calling fees. As technology advances, these solutions are being adopted more and more. Now that Skype (News - Alert) for Business has made its way on to the scene, most businesses have moved away from their old ways of conducting business with clients and partners and have taken on a whole new meaning for productivity and cost savings. What so many like about Skype for Business is that it offers call clarity and is convenient. It already works with the products most businesses have in place and that kind of integration can go lengths to saving time and upping efficiency. Another key aspect is security. With enterprise-grade security, businesses can worry less about losing important data or having security holes. Conferencing provider Revolabs (News - Alert) will be taking part in an upcoming industry event and Alan MacLeod, Revolabs' vice president of product, will present during a session titled, Can You Hear Me Now In Every Room? How to Go Beyond Infrastructure to Build a Great Skype for Business User Experience, which will offer advice on how to fix real-world implementation issues for meeting spaces and how factors such as room size and shape play an important factor. Skype for Business is redefining how customers and users are communicating, but there are a lot of variables and considerations beyond just buying hardware and software that go into creating an excellent user experience, MacLeod said. My goal is to arm communications decision makers at these events with measurable tools and best practices to create the most productive collaboration environment for any enterprise. Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. Article comments powered by Disqus Edited by Alicia Young It sounds like a Hollywood script. Thousands of employees at a major financial institution create false accounts in their customers' names and shuttle money around temporarily to cover their tracks, all to gain larger bonuses and meet sales goals. These employees even go so far as to create fake PINs and contact information for these unauthorized accounts. Meanwhile, after the scam is discovered, the boss retires with a $125 million golden parachute and the CEO defends the bank, blaming employees. Unfortunately, we do not need Hollywood to think up this scenario. It was recently revealed that employees at Wells Fargo created over 2 million unauthorized credit card accounts and bank deposit/debit card accounts. Carrie Tolstedt, the head of Wells Fargo's community banking group, retired in July with a compensation package reported to be as high as $125 million. The March proxy statement praised Tolstedt for record deposit levels and success in increasing the online and mobile banking. Now we know why and how. Since the scandal came to light, the Wells Fargo board of directors has announced that Tolstedt will forfeit $19 million in unvested equity awards, while CEO and Chairman John Stumpf will forfeit $41 million roughly a quarter of the total compensation he received from the bank over the past 35 years. This is one of the biggest penalties ever issued to executives of a financial institution in the US. Neither Tolstedt nor Stumpf will receive a 2016 bonus, and Stumpf will forgo his salary while the board conducts an independent investigation into these sales practices. Why would fraud be perpetrated on such a large scale? The primary culprit is "cross-selling," the practice of selling multiple banking products to existing customers, and the pressure that managers and employees felt to reach unrealistic sales goals. For example, the "Gr-eight" program pushed to increase the average number of Wells Fargo financial products that each customer held from six to eight a daunting number, especially if your bonuses and potentially keeping your job depend on it. How many people do you know that hold eight financial products with any one financial institution? Approximately 5,300 Wells Fargo workers lost their jobs as a result of the scam, with 10% of those let go being at branch manager rank or higher. Aside from restitution to customers, Wells Fargo was also ordered to pay fines of $180 million $100 million to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), $35 million to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, and $50 million to Los Angeles City and County. Meanwhile, a class action lawsuit has been filed in Utah by Wells Fargo customers, and both Congress and the Justice Department plan to launch investigations. Wells Fargo and their investors have suffered financial damage from the market as well. Around $15 billion in market value had been erased within three days far more consequential than the fine. In addition, California, the bank's home state, suspended Wells Fargo's "most highly profitable business relationships" with the state for at least a year, including the lucrative business of underwriting certain municipal bonds. Wells Fargo had maintained a reasonably solid image among big banks, but this episode tarnishes it considerably not to mention handing bank regulating advocates a huge boost going into election season. Republicans attempting to dismantle Dodd-Frank and the CFPB are likely to have an even larger hill to climb in enacting deregulation. Fortunately, damage to consumers appears to be limited. Wells Fargo has already refunded affected customers to the tune of $2.6 million, with an average refund of approximately $25. However, if you are a Wells Fargo customer, it is best to verify that any fraudulent account opened in your name has been closed and that there are no lingering fees or after-effects. Check with your nearest Wells Fargo branch, but verify by reviewing your credit report using Credit Manager by MoneyTips to see without charge if an unauthorized account was ever opened in your name and if it was, whether it is still active. Look for any erroneous late charges that may have damaged your credit score, and whether any past rejections could be traced to that damage. Address any unauthorized accounts that are still open immediately, and use these as evidence in case you must resolve any further conflicts with Wells Fargo and the credit bureaus. Someday Hollywood probably will make a movie about the Wells Fargo scandal. Hopefully there will be more heroes to root for in the Hollywood version perhaps Ben Affleck at the CFPB? If you would like to monitor your credit to prevent identity theft and see your credit reports and scores, check out our credit monitoring service. Erin Lubin / Special to The Chronicle NEW HAVEN The Connecticut Urban Forest Council is organizing a conference, How is the Forest and the Trees along Your Street Being Challenged by Environmental Change. The conference take place on Wednesday, Oct. 26 for a day of learning and networking with people who care about trees, forests, and their future -- arborists, forest practitioners, landscape architects, land trusts, municipal tree wardens, state and federal officials, forest landowners, tree commissioners, and others interested in trees. WASHINGTON Congressional leaders may be suffering a major case of buyers remorse after overriding President Barack Obamas veto of the 9/11-lawsuit legislation. But Connecticut lawmakers insist theyre having no second thoughts. I have no remorse whatsoever, said U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., who stood alongside 9/11 victims family members in news conferences before and after the override. In fact, Im prepared to battle any attempt to restrict or cut back on efforts to hold governments accountable when they aid and abet terrorism. Fear of reprisals or retaliation should never cause us to compromise our sense of justice or ideals. By overwhelming majorities of both parties, the House and Senate approved the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act JASTA only to have Obama veto it last week. On Wednesday, the House and Senate overrode the presidents veto. JASTA would permit lawsuits in U.S. courts against Saudi Arabia or any foreign government accused of complicity in acts of terrorism against Americans. Foreign governments have long enjoyed broad protections from lawsuits by Americans. Family members of 9/11 victims had argued the law prevented them from going to court to find out the extent of Saudi participation in helping the 9/11 hijackers carry out the devastating attacks. The issue has long resonated in Connecticut, since more than 160 of the 9/11 victims had connections to the state. Many of them commuted to the World Trade Center from Fairfield County. Obama called the veto override a mistake and a political vote. This is the single most embarrassing thing that the U.S. Senate has done in decades, Obama spokesman Josh Earnest, said. The administration argued JASTA would complicate relations with a strategic Middle Eastern ally, Saudi Arabia, and possibly open up the U.S. and its military forces to retaliatory lawsuits for drone strikes and other actions overseas. Senate Majority Mitch McConnell and House Speaker Paul Ryan subsequently fed the buyers-remorse story line by saying perhaps the legislation had to be tweaked to prevent the fallout feared by Obama. But Connecticuts congressional delegation was not joining in the chorus of regrets about the veto. U.S. Rep. Elizabeth Esty, D-Conn., does not believe potential diplomatic headaches outweigh the rights of families, said her spokesman, Craig Frucht. Rep. Esty voted for JASTA for a simple reason: foreign governments that harbor and subsidize terrorists should be held accountable for their actions, he said. She is absolutely willing to work with the administration to address their concerns while preserving the ability of 9/11 families to seek justice. Laura Maloney, spokesman for U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., who is a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said the senators post-veto statement still stands. I voted to override the presidents veto because the families of those killed on September 11th deserve the chance to argue their case in a court of law, said Murphy. This bill fixes an unjustifiable loophole in the law that kept families in Connecticut out of court. I hope that the Saudis had nothing to do with the horrific terrorist attacks, but the families should be able to have their day in court. U.S. Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., too, reiterated his post-veto statement. My constituents still feel the pain of so many lost on September 11th. They deserve to pursue justice on behalf of their lost loved ones, no matter where that pursuit leads, he said. Part of the bill allows the State Department to stay any action if the U.S. government is engaged in good-faith discussions with another country about claims, which will keep the process working more coherently. Blumenthal joined Esty in expressing openness to listening to White House concerns over JASTA, as long as none of the changes compromise the rights of the 9/11 families. Any proposed changes in this law should go through the same process that JASTA went through hearings in the House and Senate, the normal order of business, Blumenthal said. We need full scrutiny, rather than simply passing it on the fly. dan@hearstdc.com Prosser, defense propel Berlin past Penns Manor in Appalachian Bowl Berlin Brothersvalley made it 2 wins in a row for the WestPAC in the Appalachian Bowl with convincing victory over Penns Manor at Windber Stadium. Theresa May was last night told by a string of Tory ex-Cabinet ministers to implement a 'short and simple' Brexit which takes less than two years. A blueprint, published by the Centre for Social Justice and the Legatum Institute, was given to the PM by the ex-ministers including Iain Duncan Smith. He writes: 'Brexit means Brexit' was the first statement of substance uttered by our new Prime Minister as she took office. Those three simple words ended speculation that somehow the British people didn't know what they had voted for and that they would need to be asked again in a second referendum. A blueprint, published by the Centre for Social Justice and the Legatum Institute, was given to the PM by the ex-ministers including Iain Duncan Smith However, in its place, in the 100 days since the decision to leave the EU, speculation has turned instead to how that process of departure will work. This has been reduced to the unbalanced question of will that mean a 'hard' Brexit or a 'soft' Brexit? Unbalanced, because 'hard' in this context is used as a pejorative term. It supposes that exiting the EU as quickly as possible is nastier than slowing the process down while engaging in the most complex negotiations. In reality, there is no such choice. Controlling migration cannot be negotiated away and, as the EU has made clear, that means we won't be able to remain in the single market. Yet what some keep getting wrong is that you don't need to be in the single market to access it. Lots of countries access the single market. We want free trade, not just with the EU but also as soon as possible with other countries around the world. Clearly a free trade arrangement will benefit the EU. After all it sells some 70billion more to us than we do to them, and tariff barriers are clearly not in their interests. As a German businessman said to me a couple of weeks ago, the UK is in a strong position after the dust of political rhetoric has settled. Access to our markets and particularly the global position of the City of London are vital to the collective interests of the EU, mired as it is in low growth and high unemployment. Prime Minister Theresa May has devised a cunning plan for Tory Conference which starts at Birmingham this weekend. She will make her contribution on Brexit tomorrow, rather than waiting for the traditional leaders slot on Wednesday. She will make a speech, along with two of the so-called Three Brexiteers: Boris Johnson and David Davis. Thereafter, Mrs May hopes to concentrate on the other themes she hopes will define her premiership, such as social mobility and grammar schools. Demand: Brexit supporters outside Parliament in early September I have bad news for Mrs May. Her cunning plan to banish all discussion of the EU as the week goes on is certainly doomed to fail. The only subject that counts for a damn at Birmingham next week is Brexit. When will Britain invoke Article 50? When will we quit the EU altogether? What is the role of Parliament? On what terms will we quit? For the three months following the referendum in June, our politicians have in effect been fighting a phoney war. All important decisions have been delayed by the summer holidays and the Tory leadership convulsions. As from tomorrow, all that changes and the Brexit debate starts in earnest. Mrs May should be in no doubt that Britains departure from the EU is the issue and the only issue which will determine the success of her premiership. In Birmingham, Mrs May needs to set out her vision of how Brexit will wor theresa May will be remembered as a truly distinguished prime minister if she can navigate Britains way out of the European Union successfully. If she fails to do so, then she will be remembered at best as barely a footnote in history. Nothing else counts; certainly not whether Mrs May succeeds in setting up a handful of grammar schools in deprived inner-city areas. So far, the prime minister has given away nothing of her thinking and whenever one of the Three Brexiteers has made any comments on the subject, she has slapped him down. To begin with, this silence looked like wisdom, but soon it will start to look like weakness and if it goes on much longer it will look like the prime minister risks losing control of events. In Birmingham, Mrs May needs to set out her vision of how Brexit will work. The first question is timing: when will we invoke Article 50 and formally trigger the process of leaving the EU? Downing Street told Boris Johnson to put a sock in it when he predicted that this would happen at the start of next year. In truth, any later date would be unfeasible, as the process of unravelling our membership takes up to two years, meaning the issue would not be resolved in time for the next general election, which is scheduled for 2020. More important than timing, however, are the terms by which Britain will leave the EU. The Remain camp (including George Osborne and Kenneth Clarke) are pushing for what they call soft Brexit, a phrase which sounds altogether reasonable and unthreatening. It envisages Britain remaining in the European single market, still subject to the European Court of Justice and, crucially, to the free movement of people. They contrast this outcome with what they have chosen to call hard Brexit, which would see Britain remove herself from the single market. Thereafter, we could either negotiate our own trade deals, or operate instead under the standard (and none too punitive) tariffs of the World Trade Organisation. The problem with so-called soft Brexit is that we would remain under European Union jurisdiction, and would not be able to control our borders any more than we can at present as a fully signed-up member of the EU. Now that is emphatically not the solution the British people voted for on June 23. In practice, it is membership of the European Union by another name. We would be forced to endure all of the burdens of EU rules and regulations, but without any say in how they were set. I prefer another term to define our future relationship with Europe; clean Brexit, which sounds far less extreme than hard Brexit, even if the result is basically the same. It means we would continue to have good relations and to trade with Europe, but as an independent nation. That is a possible outcome if Mrs May provides the leadership to make it happen. The longer she delays, the more she strengthens the hand of the soft Brexiteers, particularly those in control of business and industry, who will use the continuing uncertainty as an excuse to delay investment and therefore damage our job market and national output. This will weaken her at home and abroad; perhaps fatally. Mrs May must act now. The British political class is finding it very hard to come to terms with the referendum result. On his trip to Turkey last week, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson vowed to help Turkey join the European Union. As one of the most important spokesmen for the Leave Campaign, surely it was obvious to Mr Johnson that Turkeys relations with the European Union are no longer anything to do with Britain. But apparently not. Likewise, Defence Secretary Michael Fallon took it upon himself to declare that he would block plans for a common European Army. Once again, the European Union is at liberty to do whatever it wants, and Britain has no say in the matter at all. Surely this point is obvious even to an individual of Mr Fallons limited intellectual ability. On his trip to Turkey last week, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson (pictured with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu) vowed to help Turkey join the European Union Dave MUST turn up to conference I very much hope that advance reports are wrong, and that David Cameron will attend the Conservative Party Conference this week. Failure to show up would, after all, break with all precedent and tradition. Maggie Thatcher bravely attended the first conference after her defenestration. She received a tumultuous reception and, despite her recent humiliation, signalled she would do everything she could to help her successor John Major win an election the following year. I very much hope that advance reports are wrong, and that David Cameron will attend the Conservative Party Conference this week Thirteen years ago, Iain Duncan Smith was brutally evicted in favour of Michael Howard. I have no doubt that Mr Duncan Smith would have much preferred to stay at home in the wake of this gross public humiliation. Nevertheless, the former Army officer attended conference to demonstrate his support for the man who had taken his job. Unlike IDS and Maggie, David Cameron was not evicted as leader. He left of his own accord. Therefore, he surely needs to travel to Birmingham next week to thank Conservative Party activists for the support they gave him as leader for nearly 11 years and to throw his weight behind Theresa May. It is not about personal preference. It is about putting public duty first; the mantra which has guided every leader of the Tory Party until very recent times. David Cameron has already behaved badly by stepping down as an MP within weeks of leaving the highest office. That is how his hero Tony Blair behaved. It is no surprise that Mr Blair has boycotted Labour conferences since stepping down as prime minister. Mr Cameron should not follow suit. Is Sir Cover-Up getting his comeuppance at last? For the past ten years, Cabinet Secretary Jeremy Heywood, aka Sir Cover-up, has been the most powerful figure in the British government For the past ten years, Cabinet Secretary Jeremy Heywood, aka Sir Cover-up, has been the most powerful figure in the British government. No more. The accession of Theresa May as Prime Minister has seen a significant contraction in his powers. One ally of the PM says: Mrs May takes the view that he should perform the job of Secretary to the Cabinet and Head of the Home Civil Service. She believes that he should give up the role of personal Prime Ministers flunkey. She has no need of the emotional crutch that David Cameron, Tony Blair and Gordon Brown all relied on. Sir Jeremy is being excluded from meetings where he previously would naturally have had access. Channel 4 presenter Cathy Newman speaks about her trauma from having an abortion and how the pressure on women is getting worse ahead of new Dispatches Undercover programme Most women think long and hard before having an abortion. I know, because a decade ago I had one myself. It was one of the most traumatic decisions Ive ever had to make. My husband and I had one little girl already, and we were desperate to give her a sibling. Wed already been through the emotional upset of a miscarriage, so when I got pregnant again we were both nervously hoping for the best. Sadly, though, when we went for a scan at 13 weeks, we were told the baby had an extremely rare condition which meant it was highly likely to die before birth, or during labour. If it had survived, we were informed it would most probably be paralysed, deaf, blind and unable to speak. All these years later, I can remember the desolation we both felt and the conviction we shared that the kindest course of action was to terminate the pregnancy. We informed the hospital, but were distraught to learn that wed have to wait two weeks for the operation. British law requires two doctors to sign a certificate permitting an abortion. Hospital staff told us a surprising number of doctors were reluctant to do so. When I pressed them on why, they told me it was partly because some were reluctant to expose themselves to the wrath of a growing anti-abortion movement. Hence the delay. In the end, we did manage to secure the termination with only a weeks wait. But it was the longest seven days of our lives, as we wrestled with the emotional turmoil of what had happened. Even as I was waiting for the anaesthetic to take effect outside the operating theatre, the consultant compounded my sense of loss and guilt by offering me advice on contraception, in the mistaken belief that I was a teenage mum and this was an unwanted pregnancy, despite my medical notes making very clear my circumstances. A kindly nurse made him apologise the minute I came to after the operation. So yes, I found having an abortion hugely upsetting. And I can only imagine how much more difficult it would have been if Id had to run the gauntlet of protesters, questioning my decision, issuing me with misleading advice about the medical risks of terminating, showing me gruesome pictures of aborted foetuses, or comparing abortion to the Holocaust. Because this is what many women are forced to endure, as we found while making the Channel 4 Dispatches investigation. I confronted one of the protesters, a woman named Justyna, who is paid by the Good Counsel Network and who stands outside an abortion clinic in South-West London day in, day out. I asked her why she was giving misleading medical advice to women. Two women she urged to continue with their pregnancies had been advised by doctors to abort because their own lives were potentially at risk. Justyna told me that doctors arent always right. Anti-abortion activists hand plastic foetuses to women outside clinic But when I asked her about her work for the GCN, she accused me of harassing her this from someone accused of harassing women at their most vulnerable. It really was the most grotesque of ironies. How can this happen in a nation where, for good reasons, we have the right to choose how we control our own reproductive systems? In several countries around the world, abortion in any circumstances is illegal. In parts of America, womens reproductive rights are being dramatically curtailed. Now the same campaigners who have had such success curbing those freedoms across the Atlantic are bringing their tactics over here. And a man who has said women who have abortions should be punished is closing in on the US presidency. If I found it agonising getting an abortion a decade ago, my heart goes out to the women today, here and around the world, whose basic rights are being violated. Rhianna Buchanan spent much of her childhood learning how to drive. But unlike other teenagers who were simply desperate to get their license, Miss Buchanan would test her limits on all-terrain vehicles, motorbikes and quad bikes in the country. The Brisbane resident told Daily Mail Australia the deal with her parents was if she could start it, she could ride it, and as a little girl she spent much of her time trying to kick start her dads motorbike. Scroll down for video Adrenaline junkie: Brisbane's Rhianna Buchanan drives monster trucks and is a talented stunt rider Need for speed: She grew up in the country and spent her youth learning how to drive all-terrain vehicles, motorbikes and quad bikes I loved being able to try and ride dads bike, she said. Motorsports is something I have always been involved in, both my parents used to race cars and race bikes. Ive been lucky through my lifetime to be encouraged to give everything a go, so I did ballet from a young age but I also started riding bikes at a young age. Theres girly girls and tomboys, and I have always been both.' Best of both worlds: Miss Buchanan said she was a both a tomboy and a girly-girl, and when she wasn't doing motorsports she did ballet Famous faces: The talented rider has worked as a stunt double in The Wolverine and for Hollywood actress Scarlett Johansson in her upcoming movie Her talent in motorsports has seen the 29-year-old go on to work as a stunt rider in The Wolverine starring Hugh Jackman and as a stunt double for Hollywood actress Scarlett Johansson in her yet to be released blockbuster. Most recently, she was approached by the US motorsport event Monster Jam to host their Australian tours. They went on to invite the rising star to join them as a driver, making Miss Buchanan the first Australian, male or female, to take part in the show. Tricks of the trade: She travelled to the US on a scholarship to attend Monster Jam University, where she was mentored by 11-time Monster Jam World Final Champion Tom Meents But first, she had to learn how to drive the monster trucks. I got a scholarship to go to Monster Jam University, she said. Monster Jam have their own facility set up in Paxton, Illinois and I spent a week with one of the legends of the sport Tom Meents - hes the 11-time Monster Jam World Final Champion. Miss Buchanan said learning to drive the 5,500 kilogram four-by-four metre truck was actually quite easy. They really are monsters: The trucks are 5,500 kilograms, four metres wide and four metres high Whole lot of horsepower: They can go from 1 to 100 [km h] in three seconds, which is on par with a Ferrari, Miss Buchanan said The truck is operated using two sets of controls that steer the front and rear wheels separately. Miss Buchanan said one of the biggest challenges was following her own motto: Try not to let your enthusiasm exceed your ability. They can go from 1 to 100 [km h] in three seconds, which is on par with a Ferrari, she continued. Youve got a whole lot of horsepower there, also we get to learn how to jump our monster trucks. Our jump was 55 feet, so about 20 metres, and that was our learning jump. What they do in the stadium is a 50 metre jump in one go. Great heights: She learned to do 20 metres jumps in the truck but said at the stadium they do 50 metre jumps Monster jam will be coming to a different city in Australia each weekend in October, but Miss Buchanan said she would not start performing in the trucks until next year. With any luck by half way through next year I will be competing somewhere in the world and then bringing that to Australia and making Aussie girls proud, she said. Monster Jam aside, Ms Buchanan has worked as a stunt double in a number of Hollywood blockbusters. Gaining speed: In The Wolverine Miss Buchanan worked as a double for the female lead Rila Fukushima riding a Ducati and driving an Audi R8 Humble: Everyone I have dealt with so far has been so humble and down to earth theyre amazing to work with, Hugh and Scarlett included,' she said of her time working in films In The Wolverine she worked as a double for the female lead Rila Fukushima riding a Ducati and driving an Audi R8. Everyone looking at the movie and film industry from the outside thinks it seems so glamorous, but its really a tough job with long hours, she said. Miss Buchanan would repeat her stunt over and over for the cameras, and had to make sure she got it right each time. Despite the hard work, she had nothing but praise for the people in the industry. Everyone I have dealt with so far has been so humble and down to earth theyre amazing to work with, Hugh and Scarlett included. Empowering message: I dont feel like women should ever be told what they can and cant do, she said Despite working in what is predominately a male dominated industry, Miss Buchanan said she never felt any pressure to prove herself. She is one of 10 female drivers in Monster Jam, and described the show as being family orientated and supportive. I dont feel like women should ever be told what they can and cant do, she said. She said she enjoyed being able to show girls that they can succeed in male dominated industries. I would love to be considered a role model to other girls,' she said. They have also set up a foundation for undiagnosed, rare diseases A six-year-old girl is defying all of the odds despite being one of just a handful of people in the world to live with a genetic condition that produces an almost identical effect to being born with Zika Virus. Tea Lake, from Perth, Western Australia, has the only known case of microcephaly-capillary malformation syndrome (M-CM) in Australia; a condition characterised by port-wine stain birthmarks and a smaller-than-average head. However, despite being both non-verbal and having to be tube-fed, the six-year-old continues to surprise doctors with her capabilities. One of few: A six-year-old girl, from Perth (pictured), is defying all of the odds despite being one of just a handful of people in the world to live with a genetic condition akin to Zika Virus Unlucky: Tea Lake has the only known case of microcephaly-capillary malformation syndrome (M-CM) in Australia; characterised by wine stain birthmarks and a smaller-than-average head Defying the odds: However, despite being both non-verbal and having to be tube-fed, the six-year-old continues to surprise doctors and her family (pictured) with her capabilities WHAT IS M-CM? * Microcephaly-capillary malformation syndrome is an inherited disorder. * It is characterised by an abnormally small head size (microcephaly) and abnormalities of small blood vessels in the skin called cappillaries (capillary malformations). * In people with M-CM, microcephaly begins before birth and is associated with an unusually small brain and multiple brain abnormalities. * Most affected individuals do not develop skills beyond those of a one or two-month-old infant. * Other signs and symptoms of M-CM include abnormal movements, feeding difficulties, slow growth, and short stature. Advertisement Her mum, Giulia Lake, 33, said: 'We want to fit as much experience and love into Tea's life as possible. 'Her life is very fragile and all it would take for us to lose her is simply catching the flu virus.' When Giulia Lake was first pregnant with little Tea, doctors noted that her child's head was smaller than average. However, because of the rarity of the M-CM condition - which had only been in medical journals for 20 years at the time - it took doctors some 18 months to diagnose Tea's condition. Up until then, medical professionals assumed that the six-year-old had cerebral palsy. But, after spotting some research from the US, a dermatologist had her blood tested to confirm M-CM. Unusual: When Giulia Lake was first pregnant with little Tea, doctors noted that her child's head was smaller than average - it took the doctors 18 months to diagnose the condition Confused: Medical professionals assumed that the six-year-old had cerebral palsy - but, after spotting research from the US, a dermatologist had her blood tested to confirm M-CM Enjoyment: Despite all of the setbacks, the six-year-old's family are encouraging her to have as many experiences as possible - she loves music and books especially Tea is a very happy, very cheeky little girl who makes friends easily, but at the start it's scary and sad and upsetting 'Tea is a very happy, very cheeky little girl who makes friends easily, but at the start it's scary and sad and upsetting,' her mother said. 'You have preconceived views of what will happen when you have kids. When you find out you're going to have a girl, you think of her first ballet lessons. 'Those ballet lessons turned into hydrotherapy lessons. But now it's all normal for us.' New normal: Her mother, Giulia Lake (pictured), said that at the beginning it was all quite sad and scary, but she said that for the family they have got used to it Growing: Her parents, Giulia and Danny Lake, 35, have also seen her personality develop more and more as she gets older The experiences the little girl has fitted into her life so far are varied and myriad. As well as music ('especially the rock'n'roll bagpipe CD her grandma bought for her'), Ms Lake said her daughter also likes stories, though not necessarily the scary bits: 'I read to her every night. Her favourite book right now is Roald Dahl's James and the Giant Peach. We still aren't completely aware of what she's trying to communicate with us, but we're working on it.' There's a connection that no one can understand but them, and it's beautiful Her parents, Giulia and Danny Lake, 35, have also seen her personality develop more and more as she gets older. Even though they have been told that they will 'likely outlive her' and doctors have warned the couple that any future children stand a 25 per cent chance of having the same condition, her mum and dad have enrolled Tea in a special needs school, where she has developed new ways of communicating. 'It's nice for her to go somewhere where she's not the different one. There's a connection that no one can understand but them, and it's beautiful,' Ms Lake said. Change: Nearly three years ago, Tea's family established the Tea Lake and The Rare Disease Association Inc, which provides support for children with rare and undiagnosed diseases Uncertain future: And while the family say that 'it's not a life you want for your child', they say 'we truly believe that Tea will decide when she's had enough Nearly three years ago, Tea's family established the Tea Lake and The Rare Disease Association Inc, which provides support for children with rare and undiagnosed diseases. 'In WA, you need to have a specific diagnosis to be able to access funding. Kids with no diagnosis can fall through the cracks and they miss out on services, so that's where we come in. 'Kids that have high medical needs are the ones that need the funding the most. Tea missed out on a type of funding for a year because she didn't fit all of the boxes that needed to be ticked. 'Fortunately, now we're never wanting of anything.' And while the family say that 'it's not a life you want for your child', adding that the oldest person they know with the same condition is eight, they say: 'We truly believe that Tea will decide when she's had enough. 'We figure that whether we are positive or negative, the outcome will be the same. When most people visit fortune tellers for guidance they take their advice with a pinch of salt. But not Lisa Manso, who was due to get married just three weeks before her reading. The 28-year-old, from Hyde in Cheshire, cancelled her 6,000 wedding after the psychic told her it wasn't written in the stars. Lisa Manso, from Cheshire, couldn't remain in her relationship after a psychic's words - that fate had other plans for her - kept ringing in her ears The model explains: 'Everything was booked - the venue, the caterers. I'd even picked out the perfect white dress. 'But I couldn't get her words of warning out of my mind and in the end I plucked up the courage to cancel it.' Lisa was just 13 when she met groom-not-to-be, Michael. She says: 'He was a friend of the family and my first love. We were together for seven months which is a serious amount of time for young kids. 'But he moved away with his family and we completely lost touch. 'So when Michael walked back into my life eight years later at a local gathering, I took it as a sign that we were meant to be.' A lot had happened in the time they'd spent apart. Lisa was now a single mum to three children Leah, now 11, Jade, 10, and son Ashley, eight, but despite big changes in her life the couple rekindled their romance. She says: 'I told Michael it was fate, that it was our destiny to be together. We just needed a couple of tries. 'I was a big believer in that sort of thing and often visited psychics for advice. The way I saw it, fate had given me a second chance with my best friend and I wasn't about to mess up this opportunity after already losing him once.' The model says her ex, who she first met when she was 13 was heartbroken. She went on to 'trash' her dress in a wedding shoot in Glossop The romance blossomed and in December 2010, the 34-year-old labourer proposed to Lisa. She says: 'We were in bed when Michael told me that he wanted me to be with him forever and asked me to marry him. I felt like I had been winded! I said yes. I was so happy. 'I felt so lucky to have found Michael again that I wanted our wedding to be a huge celebration. I booked a five-star hotel then I went dress shopping and picked out a beautiful white gown with a bow on the side and layers of silk and chiffon.' No expense was spared and by the time the couple had finished making arrangements, they'd forked out 6,000 on their special day, splashing 800 on the wedding dress alone. But even with all the wheels set in motion, Lisa felt that there was something missing. She explains: 'A month before the wedding, I was at my friend Kathryn's house talking about seating plans when I told her I would like to have one last psychic reading as a single woman. I wanted to make sure I was doing the right thing.' Lisa and her ex Michael had planned a lavish wedding at a five star hotel but she says even though the wheels were in motion she 'felt like something was missing' Her friend recommended the psychic Mrs Rae and Lisa promptly booked an appointment. Lisa says: 'On the day, I took off my engagement ring and slipped it into my pocket. I didn't want to give Mrs Rae any hints about my upcoming nuptials. 'I was really nervous when I settled on her sofa. I was terrified of what she might say as she looked at my palm and then she brought out her tarot cards.' Lisa sat eagerly waiting for a verdict when Mrs Rae suddenly dropped a bombshell. She announced that the wedding wouldn't go ahead. She says. 'My jaw dropped. I was stunned. I hadn't said a word about getting married. Mrs Rae must have seen the shock on my face because she told me it wasn't a bad thing, that fate had other plans for me and that my real wedding would be small and intimate. 'I went home feeling disappointed and tried to put the reading out of my mind but I couldn't. Now that the seed had been planted it started to grow.' Trashing her dress was a light-hearted move for Lisa to help move on from the break-up The more Lisa thought about the reading, the more she worried that she had been swept along on a tide of dresses and bouquets. She started having serious second thoughts. Lisa continues: 'Michael and I had been arguing a lot recently, our flat was falling apart and I was stuck in a dead end job as a supervisor for a cleaning company. 'This wasn't what I wanted from my life. I saw bigger and better things for myself.' With the psychic's words still ringing in her ears, Lisa found the courage to delay the wedding. She explains: 'Michael was heartbroken when I told him I wanted to cancel our big day. But when I explained that I took marriage seriously and only wanted to do it once, he accepted it and we called off our plans. 'We stayed together but I couldn't shake what Mrs Rae had told me that day, that fate had other plans for me. 'Michael and I lasted another four months before we split for good. It was never a case of timing, I just couldn't go through with it. Not after that psychic reading. 'It was the right decision. I had to follow my heart - and the stars.' In a light-hearted move, Lisa even trashed her treasured wedding dress as part of a modelling job a in October 2015 at Longdendale Trail in Glossop. She says: 'It was gathering dust in my closet so I told the photographer I could bring it along to the shoot and he thought it was a good idea. Lisa met her new love Paul, 50, a film director from London, at a 'law of attraction' event and says that the universe brought them together 'I had so much fun wrecking it in the woods. The photographer had me up trees and trailing the dress through mud in my wellies. The pictures were great. At least it got used for something!' With one important life decision dealt with, Lisa was so impressed with her psychic's insight that she booked another meeting to find out more. She says: 'I certainly needed some guidance at this point. There was no doubt that I had made the right choice but I felt like I was at a junction and needed some direction. Who better to ask than Mrs Rae? 'Thankfully she had some great news about my love life. I was told that the man I was meant to be with for the rest of my life would be warm and caring. 'She also explained to me that she had very strong, happy feelings about the man that I would eventually marry. 'To know that he's out there and that we won't miss each other gives me great comfort.' Lisa returned to the psychic after meeting new love Paul and Mrs Rae confirmed that 'she was with the man she was meant to be with for the rest of her life' But fate hasn't forgotten Lisa, who is now head-over-heels with Paul Lane, 50, a film director from London. She met him through her belief in law of attraction, a thought philosophy that focuses on the belief that you can do anything you set your mind to. She says: 'When you practice law of attraction you send out signals to the universe and they send you who you want. The universe sent me Paul! 'We met at a tutorial in London in June this year and made it official last month. We have so much in common. We understand each other and bring a lot to each others' lives. After getting swept up in her wedding plans - and later deliberately ruining her gown in a shoot - Lisa says she's taking every day with Paul as it comes 'This is the happiest I've been in a long time and I really believe that he might be the man Mrs Rae saw me settling down with. But we'll just have to wait and see.' Now Lisa is planning to take her time with Paul, knowing that, no matter what, love is written in the stars for her. She adds: 'I'm so glad I listened to my psychic's advice. It may have cost me 6,000 but I'm convinced I'd be divorced by now if I'd gone through with the wedding. 'Who knows how much that might have cost me, emotionally and financially. 'I am having a wonderful time with Paul right now, and as far as I'm concerned, we're star-crossed lovers. As far as she is concerned, at least, the past few years have been tough for Danielle Ames. After all, she cares for two boisterous teenagers, an infirm grandmother and her own sick mum. And the small business that she runs with her partner, a picture-framing shop on the edge of North London, is struggling. If that seems hard, however, on Thursday her life grew unimaginably worse because thats when the 41-year-old became a national byword for indolent greed. Danielle Ames, 41, was cut out of her father's 1million will. A judge dismissed her claim for a 300,000 share and told her that she should get a full-time job A judge roundly dismissed her claim for a 300,000 share of her late fathers will and told her that, rather than moaning, she should get a full-time job. Her poverty was, he said, a lifestyle choice. It was a devastating verdict. It means she will get no share of her father Michaels estate, and faces a huge legal bill and financial ruin. Her fathers 1million legacy, including a smart house in Hertfordshire and a share in a successful glazing business, will instead go to Elaine Ames, his second wife and partner of 30 years, who, said the judge, needs it for her retirement. No wonder Danielle seems close to tears when she agrees to meet in the tiny, barely stocked framing shop. As she knows all too clearly, she has quite a reputation to live down. Danielle is pictured with her father Michael, who died suddenly in 2013 In an excoriating ruling, Judge David Halpern accused her of gilding the lily when she told the court her father had promised to leave her the family business. He said she had exaggerated the strength of her relationship with her father and had no moral claim on his money. I conclude that her lack of employment is a lifestyle choice, he told Central London County Court. That alone is sufficient to defeat her claim. It was a comprehensive defeat and a hurtful one, rubbing salt into a painful family wound which, in Danielles view, is the real story. Today she is determined to have her say and, despite the risk of further criticism, hits back with an angry denunciation of the judge. She believes not only that he got it wrong, but that his comments show him to be woefully out of touch with the lives she and millions like her lead, struggling through hours of domestic drudgery and full-time parenthood to make ends meet. Mr Ames' entire estate has been left to Danielle's stepmother Elaine (pictured outside court) Rather than having no job, as the judge claimed, she insists she has a least three. I just burst into tears when I read the comments, she says. He pretty much called me a liar. The picture hes presented of me is so not the reality and he failed to see that my stepmother was being greedy and selfish. Whats wrong, she asks, with seeking some share of her fathers fortune? Especially when it was built on a business originally set up by her maternal grandfather. And when Danielle points out that it is she not her 63-year-old stepmother who has to care for her fathers elderly mother, she certainly seems to have a point. She lives with her partner and their two teenagers, Daneka, 13, and Levi, 19, in a small house in Enfield, North London, crammed with the paraphernalia of family life. She says they survive on an income of 800 a month, plus family credits. Is she a shirker, an unemployed chancer trying to get a free slice of a deserving widows legacy? She insists the opposite is true, and she spends her days shopping, cleaning, cooking and helping relatives not to mention working in the shop whenever her partner has to step away. The judge acted as if Im sitting at home on my bottom, she said. But he has no idea. As well as bringing up two children, I am the main carer for my fathers housebound 87-year-old mother and my own mother. Im always at the beck and call of someone. It is a sad day when being a stay-at-home parent and carer for the family is looked down upon. I am actually taking some of the burden off the state because I dont believe in living off benefits. I dont even claim benefits as a full-time carer because I think its my duty to look after my relatives. Besides, my pride wouldnt let me. Its not the way my parents brought me up they were always happy to help, but I had to do something to earn it. The estate includes Mr Ames' 650,000 home in Woollens Brook, Hoddesdon Im not someone who can waste time. I did all the paperwork for my dads shop from 2003, when I had my second child, until the day he died of a heart attack. Danielle was a small child when her parents marriage fell apart through her fathers philandering. Still, he remained a constant in her life, helping with homework, paying for driving lessons and kitting her out for college when she left school to do a beauty course. As his businesses thrived he continued to be generous. He even helped set her up in a picture-framing business in the 1990s. But when she gave birth to her daughter prematurely in 2003, Danielle says her father persuaded her to stop working, leaving her partner to run the business while she became a full-time mother. Mother-of-two Danielle (pictured outside court) says she is the main carer for her fathers housebound 87-year-old mother, as well as her own mother Dad paid me to help with his paperwork and later on he found this shop for us to rent, but it doesnt make enough for one salary, let alone two. I help out when I can, but it has been hard since dad died. He was old school. His philosophy was that he didnt mind helping me and the children, as long as he saw us helping ourselves. She claims he had often told her, his only child, that she would be generously looked after in his will, telling her: One day all this will be yours meaning his successful glazing business. That is what she had expected after her father died suddenly in 2013, aged 63. Instead, she was shocked to find that the entire estate had been left to her stepmother. Hurt and perplexed, she launched a legal challenge to the will. I went to court because it didnt seem fair that everything my father had built up should go to Elaines family. Her children and grandchild will inherit what essentially began with my mothers family, while my children have nothing at all. How can that be considered right? The estate includes the 650,000 home in Woollens Brook, Hoddesdon, where Elaine lives, and a valuable stake in the shop in Enfield from which the glazing business Hond and Langer trades. For her part, Elaine told the judge her husband would have been incandescent with rage had he lived to see Danielle trying to claim a share of his money. She insisted he had deliberately left his daughter nothing, as he believed grown-up children should look after themselves. Danielle said: All my son has as a keepsake of his granddad is his uniform from the shop and my daughter Daneka kept his chewing gum tin. Elaine has held on to everything, including sentimental heirlooms from our side of the family. Yet it was Elaines evidence that clearly impressed the judge who ruled it was her husbands right to bequeath his money as he wished. Does Danielle agree? Absolutely, she says. And yet, there remains a niggling feeling in my mind that he might have left another a will in his safe at the shop. I saw him very often because his shop was close to mine and he came for lunch with the children most Saturday afternoons after closing up. There remains a niggling feeling in my mind that he might have left another will. Its hard for me to accept that he would have wanted to see his step family inherit everything So its hard for me to accept that he would have wanted to see his step family inherit everything. It just does not seem like the way my dad would leave his financial affairs. His mistress at the time also said that he told her he had made another will. Danielle acknowledges she was never particularly close to her stepmother. I had nothing against her at first because she was kind to my children, but in my view she became very nasty after he died. I never wanted to go to court. I had hoped to settle with Elaine. Its not that I wanted half or anything near like that. I just wanted something for my children. I dont know where the 300,000 claim as reasonable provision came from, but I guess it was my lawyers. We had a joint settlement meeting last December where Elaine offered me 50,000 on her death but my barrister declined that. We also put in an offer just before trial asking for 50,000, but she refused. She clearly didnt want to give me anything not even family heirlooms which should be passed on to my children. I had to beg her to see his body before the cremation and she only grudgingly relented on the day before the funeral. Clearly there is a wealth of anger on both sides. Danielles 70-year-old mother Charlene who divorced Michael in the 1970s hovers about clucking and fussing as we speak. Her anger, too, is palpable. She describes the judgment as a travesty and says her daughter is neither lazy nor a scrounger. She went back to work within weeks of giving birth to both her children. It broke my heart to read news reports suggesting that she should get a job. When I divorced my husband he told me that our daughter would get everything. Especially as the business was started by my father in 1937. Michael and I kept in touch over the years and he always promised that Danielle would be provided for if anything happened to him. Im disgusted that the business started by my parents has gone to someone elses family. For now, Danielle is resigned to the fact that she must move on and make the best of things. She has a substantial legal bill hanging over her as things stand, she must pay Elaines 35,000 costs. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were drawn into a furious row last night after they wore traditional scarves trimmed with the fur of endangered sea otters. The Royal couple were presented with the decorative scarves as they visited a remote island in British Columbia during the final full day of their Canadian tour. But the decision to accept the gifts from their hosts, the indigenous Haida community, drew fierce criticism from the charity People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were drawn into a furious row after they wore traditional scarves trimmed with the fur of endangered sea otters The scarves were given to the couple as a gift from the local community A spokesman said: Sea otters have been hunted and butchered for their fur so aggressively that they are endangered. Along with most members of the British public who abhor the cruelty of the fur trade, we wish the Royal couple had used diplomacy to make a statement against this unacceptable slaughter instead of accepting scarves made from animals. Known as ravens tails, the scarves are said to be a sign of great respect and are only worn by matriarchs and chiefs. Some critics suggested that the couple should have politely declined the gifts. Buckingham Palace refused to say last night whether the Royal couple or their staff were given advance notice of the gifts, with a spokesman saying simply: The Duke and Duchess received a warm, traditional welcome from the Haida people. The woven raven's tail scarves are a sign of wealth and rank among the Haida people The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge sported scarves trimmed with sea otter fur on their visit today A spokesman for the Animal Welfare Party said: To many, Kate and William are trendsetters and we would suggest that this is a missed opportunity to show leadership on an important environmental and welfare issue. Politely declining to wear the gifts, after explaining why, would have been more appropriate. On Twitter, reaction was mixed, with one person saying that Canada didnt need the Royals if they were going to wear fur. But a supporter said: They are lovely gifts from people who live from the bounty of the sea. At their peak there were more than a million sea otters, but they were shot or clubbed to death for their fur, and worldwide numbers plummeted to around 2,000 in the early 1900s. Today, there are estimated to be just over 100,000 in the coastal waters off the northern Pacific. They are protected by law, with only ethnic natives allowed to hunt them for food or handicrafts. The otters are usually shot in the head from a boat. The row has cast a shadow over an otherwise successful Canadian tour, with the adorable antics of Kates cuties Prince George and Princess Charlotte winning hearts. Sea otter fur is worn only by matriarchs, Chiefs and their wives or persons of great standing in the community But The Mail on Sunday can reveal that the eight-day trip, which came to an end yesterday, will be the youngsters last overseas tour for some time. Sources close to the Cambridges say their decision to bring their children with them was a one-off, and that George, three, and Charlotte, 17 months, are unlikely to accompany their parents on another official overseas tour for several years. Canada worked in terms of bringing the children, but it wouldnt be practical to take them away on every tour, an aide revealed. Another source said: William and Kate are keen to keep the children in a regular routine at home. Prince George starts school next year and so they knew this was really the only chance they would get to bring the children until they are much older. The children have been deliberately kept out of the public glare during the tour, with their only official engagement being a childrens party on Thursday at Government House in Victoria. Just because they are in another country doesnt mean the usual rules dont apply, says a source. William and Kate keep their children out of the spotlight and will continue to do so while they are young wherever they are. At The Mail on Sunday we take great pride in the quality of our journalism. All our journalists are required to observe the Editors Code of Practice and The Mail on Sunday is a member of the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), the new regulatory body for the Press set up in response to the Leveson Inquiry. We aim to correct any errors as promptly as possible. An article on 13 April 2014 about chef Albert Rouxs divorce included a picture said to have been of Nataliya Lusyshyna who was mentioned in connection with the proceedings. In fact the picture was of a different woman of the same name. This Nataliya Lutsyshyna was unconnected and we apologise to her for the error. To report an inaccuracy, please email corrections@mailonline.co.uk To make a formal complaint under IPSO rules please go to www.mailonline.co.uk/readerseditor where you will find an easy-to-use complaints form. 'I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti, is one of Hannibal Lecters more memorable quotes, though his idea of a food and wine pairing isnt likely to make many peoples dinner party wish list. But Hannibal does have a good nose for great wine, as Chianti is a red that can pair with a massive range of dishes, especially Italian tomato sauces thanks to its natural acidity. It also works with a roast and with cured meats, and with burgers it is sheer brilliance. But how can you pick the perfect bottle? The first thing you need to know is that the grape variety behind the region of Chianti is Sangiovese according to legend, The Blood Of Jove. The most widely planted grape in Italy, this red can produce masterpieces of violet scent and immaculate structure, perfectly balanced with a streak of commanding acidity. But it can also yield mean, reedy, tart reds that are as pleasing as a night in Dr Lecters internment cell. Look for Chianti Classico on the label. This is the historic centre of production, where many top examples are found. The very best bottles will also be called Riserva, requiring two years of ageing. Chianti Classico Gran Selezione is a relatively new category, requiring all the grapes to be estate-grown and the wine aged for 30 months. These will all contain at least 80 per cent Sangiovese. Chianti Rufina is another reliable sub-zone, but Ive found most success with picking the triple lock of Chianti Classico, from a good producer (Fontodi is one the best) and a good vintage (try 2010 or 2013). On restaurant wine lists, Chianti Classico is good value a big name whose pedigree hasnt caught up with its price tag. I have in front of me the writings of two Muslim women on gender equality: Syeda Saiyidain Hameed and Farah Faiz. Hameed, a socialite of Delhi who has refused to comprehend the questions of equality, has wasted her life in the corridors of power defending Islam, not Muslim womens liberty. Faiz, an advocate and a rare mind among Muslim women, is the daughter of a hafiz, someone who memorises the Quran. Muslim women in India are still in search of their real identity Faiz is respondent number two in the Supreme Court hearing the case, Muslim Womens Quest for Equality vs Jamiat Ulema-i- Hind and others. Intellectuals Hameed was the member of the National Commission for Women and the Planning Commission, now Niti Aayog. On September 16, she wrote that in 1998 she met Abul Hasan Ali Nadvi, then president of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), to formulate a policy. She presented her argument about rights of women in Islam and wrote a road map for reforms based on injunctions of Islam. It is objectionable that a member of the National Commission for Women sought a clerics advice. We are living in the age of Indian Constitution, not in the era of Aurangzeb. Numerous Indian Muslim intellectuals like Hameed are sleepwalking with Islamic clerics. Hameed says the Quran devotes 'an entire' chapter to gender rights and 'we Muslims want that perspective to be propagated.' Due to them, India remains a Shariah-compliant state in matters of Muslim marriage, divorce, inheritance, madarsas, waqf and other issues. Such Muslims, nursed in the continuing Khilafat politics of the Congress, have thrived in power at the cost of ordinary Muslim women. Hameed says the Quran devotes an entire chapter to gender rights and we Muslims want that perspective to be propagated. No, we Muslims dont want that perspective. In the current era, Muslim womens liberty cannot be subject to the Quran. Hameed, in her words: spent 20 years explicating the Quranic text and argues, disturbingly, that there was no need for Shayara Bano of Uttarakhand to challenge triple talaq, polygamy and other issues. She says that Islam 1,500 years ago gave dignity and status to women. This is incorrect. Perspective Like many Islamists masquerading as liberals, Hameed cares for the Qurans perspective, not the perspective of the affected Muslim women, not even for the perspective of the Indian Constitution which guarantees a fundamental right to equality to citizens under Article 14 and a fundamental right against discrimination under Article 15. It is the perspective of Shayara Bano, not that of the Quran, that must prevail. Islam, like other religions, curtails womens liberties and cannot be a benchmark for a policy recommendation. In this context, Farah Faiz becomes relevant. In her submission, she has urged the Supreme Court to ban the AIMPLB and the Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan (BMMA) to save Indian Muslims from fundamentalists whose ideology (is) similar to Hafiz Muhammad Saeed of Jamaat-ud-Dawa. Courageously, Faiz advocates change in madarsa education and notes that BMMA is a dummy of AIMPLB - both being Shariah-compliant organisations. The Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan appears liberal to non-Muslim journalists because it is led by women. It works within the framework of Islamic Shariah, not the Constitution. Like AIMPLB, the BMMA trains Islamic judges and run Shariah courts, creating a parallel judicial system in India. This cannot be allowed to continue. India must have one Constitution, and only those judges and courts that work under it. Rights Critics can argue that the Constitution guarantees a fundamental right to religion under Article 25. However, among all the fundamental rights, the right to religion is the most inferior right. Sub-clause 25(1) makes it subject to public order, morality and health and to the other provisions and sub-clause 25(2) states: Nothing in this article shall affect the operation of any existing law or prevent the State from making any law. Therefore, the right to equality overrides it. While Sir Syed formulated the case for change in a pre-democracy age, Farah Faiz (and Hamid Dalwai before her) makes the case for Islamic reform for the era of democracy. Faiz argues that the Constitution is the new criterion for womens freedom. India is a democratic country and its beauty lies in its democracy, she says and explains: The Constitution of India provides a dignified status to all its countrymen without any discrimination on the basis of caste, creed, sex, religion and place. In this free country, authentic thinkers like Farah Faiz should be members of the Niti Aayog while the counterfeit liberals like Hameed should be teaching in Darul Uloom Deoband. The prime accused in the infamous Park Street gang rape case, Kader Khan, was arrested on Thursday night from Greater Noida by a special team of the Kolkata Police. Khan was allegedly one of the five accused in the gang rape of Suzette Jordan in February 2012. With Kaders arrest, some startling facts have come to light about how he used to connect with his friends even while on the run. Kader connected with his partners and relatives through social media and over phone from undisclosed locations using third-party numbers. Kolkata Police sources claim that the key accused would connect with his partners in crime - Sumit Bajaj, Ruman Khan and Naseer Khan, who are now behind the bars serving 10-year jail term - using social media platforms by means of various accounts of his relatives and friends for the past four years. Kader was also in touch with his relatives over phone from various undisclosed locations and made phone calls using some third party numbers, police sources said. We got specific input after tracking the social networking activities of his jailed friends and other close family members and zeroed in on Kader. We were keeping a close tab on the activities of all the people who were close to him and had prepared a list. It helped us to catch him eventually, a senior Kolkata Police official said on Friday. Kader and his accomplice Ali Khan were arrested from a house in Greater Noida area late Thursday night where he was living as a paying guest under a fake name. The operation was carried out by a special team of the Kolkata Police in cooperation with their Delhi counterparts. Kader was taken to Kolkata on Friday and would be produced at a local court there on Saturday. We got the lead after tracking all the phone calls and other modes of communication. There was no seizure during the arrest as he was not carrying any phone or identity proof with him. There was no money with Kader during the time of arrest, Kolkata Police deputy commissioner (south division) Murlidhar Sharma told Mail Today. It was also learnt that Kader used to get money using third party channels - sometime through his relatives and friends. He never carried out any direct monetary transaction. So it was not possible for the police to track the money trail as well. Late Suzette Jordan was a fierce women's right activist who was raped in Kolkata in 2012 Sources said Kader took help from his former friend, who is also a Tollywood actress, to get help in various ways. Who was Suzette Jordan? Suzette Jordan was a prominent women's-rights activist and anti-rape campaigner from Kolkata, India who brought changes in the legal system and outlook of citizens towards rape victims. She herself was a survivor of a gang rape in Park Street, Kolkata. According to Indian legal system she was referred to as 'Park Street Rape victim' by the media, but she publicly revealed her identity as a survivor of gang rape in 2013. Suzette emerged as a face of fearless survivor who fiercely protested the spate of ongoing rapes and murders of women, and also encouraged other survivors to speak out and seek legal help. On 10 December 2015, the city sessions court, found all five of the accused guilty. She had two daughters, and died at the age of 40, of meningoencephalitis. Advertisement The actress is said to be very closely connected with the ruling Trinamool Congress leaders in Bengal. While on the run, Kader allegedly travelled across various places in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Delhi. Sources said he used to frequently change his locations and keep coming to his Greater Noida PG accommodation in due intervals. Not just Kader, it was earlier noticed by the police that the other Park Street gang rape accused, who are in the jail, were regular users of the Facebook and other social media sites. They allegedly posted their photographs from the prison cells in West Bengal and also used to chat and comment on pictures. After the matter got reported, the state jail authorities carried out a search drive in 2014, and seized cell phones from the three under trials. Days after senior bureaucrat B K Bansal and his son committed suicide alleging torture and humiliation by the CBI, the Delhi Police are facing criticism for not registering an FIR. Various police officials who had earlier investigated similar cases are claiming that an FIR should always been registered. Earlier, in similar cases Delhi Police immediately filed a case against the person whose name was mentioned by the deceased who committed suicide. Corporate affairs director general BK Bansal and his son allegedly committed suicide in East Delhi However, Delhi Police is tight-lipped, even though some officials claim that they may seek the inquiry report from CBI to file a case. According to sources, if the CBIs report found the five officers to be guilty of harassment and torture, Delhi Police will file a case. It is necessary to wait for the result of inquiry that the CBI has ordered. Only after that Delhi Police will decide on registering a case. Whenever any such allegation is made against any government officer, the inquiry report is important, a senior Delhi Police official said. Bansal's wife had committed suicide because she was allegedly harassed by the CBI However, there have been instances when action was taken against an officer whose name was mentioned in the suicide note. Earlier, ex-SHO Dinesh Kumar was sacked from his office for allegedly torturing a woman. Delhi Police also conducted an internal inquiry that found Kumar to be guilty. Inspector Kumar was posted in Vijay Vihar police station. According to the police, Dinesh had picked up a man with criminal antecedents. The detainee, Ram Niwas, claimed he and his wife were brutally beaten up. Shortly after this incident, his wife committed suicide. She wrote a suicide note accusing the SHO of torture. On basis of her suicide note, an FIR of abetment to suicide was filed. Inspector Kumar was arrested on charges under section 306 IPC. Similarly, in the Geetika Sharma suicide case, Delhi Police registered a case against the then Haryana minister Gopal Kanda as Geetika had mentioned his name in her suicide note. According to the suicide notes of Bansal and Yogesh (pictured), they were tortured mentally and physically, eventually forcing the family to commit suicide The Indian judiciary pronounced two separate orders, one of them from the Supreme Court, on Friday bringing cheers to alcohol drinkers. In the first case, dealing a blow to Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, the Patna High Court struck down Bihars much-hyped prohibition law terming it illegal and unconstitutional. Hearing a petition of Hotels and Bar Associations, a divisional bench of Chief Justice Iqbal Ahmed Ansari and Justice Navniti Prasad Singh, said the Bihar Excise (Amendment) Act, 2016, passed in March was ultra vires the Constitution. The amended liquor legislation, after passage from both houses of the Bihar legislature, was approved by the state Cabinet. The Court quashed the notification of the state govt issued on April 5, imposing complete prohibition in Bihar. The opposition termed the new liquor law passed in August as draconian. From April till August, almost 12,000 persons have been sent to jail for violating liquor law. The Nitish Kumar-led grand secular alliance government had first banned the manufacture, trade, sale, consumption of country-made liquor since April 1, but later imposed a blanket ban on all types of liquor including foreign liquor in the state. The court quashed the April 5 notification of the state government which had completely banned trade, manufacture and consumption of alcohol, Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) as well spiced and domestic liquor. The opposition termed the new liquor law passed in August as draconian. From April till August, almost 12,000 persons have been sent to jail for violating liquor law. The state government after the verdict is now mulling legal options before it. Legal options are open to us. We can also move the Supreme Court if need be, after seeing the detailed judgment, said Rajiv Ranjan, JDU Spokesperson. In moderation In the second case, the Supreme Court refused to entertain a plea of a BJP leader and Delhi-based lawyer Ashwani Upadhaya seeking a countrywide liquor ban saying these were policy matters in which a court could not interfere. A bench of Justices AK Sikri and NV Ramana even went on say that there are reports which say minimal consumption... up to some limit is good for the heart.. like red wine. The Nitish Kumar-led grand secular alliance government had first banned the manufacture, trade, sale, consumption of country-made liquor since April 1 (Picture for representation only) Upadhyaya countered it saying there is also another report that claims that even consumption of a small quantity adversely affects nearly 20 body organs and causes several diseases. But the court was not convinced. In his petition, the BJP leader said the use of alcohol should be restricted to medical purposes and sale of liquor, intoxicating drinks and drugs must be prohibited completely or allowed with strict conditions. Upadhyaya also said that liquor is the root cause of most road accidents, road rages, crime against women, domestic violence, rape and murder and many other social evils. Upadhyaya wanted total prohibition in spirit of the Article 47 read with the Article 21 of the Constitution. He echoed concerns related to alcohol abuse and its ramifications on public health and safety. Supreme Court sends Shahabuddin back to jail By Harish V Nair Gangster turned controversial RJD leader Mohd Shahabuddin is back in prison 20 days after his release, as the Supreme Court on Friday set aside the Patna High Court order granting him bail in a murder case. The discretion to release must be applied in judicious manner and not as a matter of course, ruled a bench of justice P C Ghosh and justice Amitava Roy allowing plea filed by activist lawyer Prashant Bhushan and Bihar government challenging the bail. The order passed by the High Court granting bail to the respondent- accused (Shahabuddin) is set aside and the state is directed to take all consequential steps, inter alia, for taking him to custody forthwith, said the bench. Securitymen outside court after RJD former MP Shahabuddin surrendered in court in Siwan Bhushan represented Chandrakeshwar Prasad of Siwan, whose three sons were murdered allegedly at the behest of Shahabuddin, and the Bihar government. The Abu Dhabi airport officials seems to be clueless on dealing with passengers from LGBT community. Abhina Aher a transgender, and an LGBT rights activist from India faced an awkward situation at the Abu Dhabi airport. The female officials at the airport were not ready to frisk Aher, who was not comfortable with men frisking her. Aher was travelling to India early Friday morning when she faced uncomfortable questions from the Abu Dhabi airport This led an embarrassing situation where Aher felt 'helpless, humiliated and harassed'. Aher was travelling to India early Friday morning when she faced uncomfortable questions from the Abu Dhabi airport officials who were seemingly perplexed by her transgender status. Aher claims that the officials asked her 'embarrassing' questions in front of other passengers, as they decided whether a female or a male official should frisk her. The spokesperson for UAE embassy in India called the incident as 'unfortunate'. The spokesperson for UAE embassy in India called the incident as 'unfortunate'. (File image of a man being frisked) However, no formal statement was received from the embassy despite assurance given by their officials. Aher was travelling to India from Kenya via Abu Dhabi airport. During the security check the metallic detector beeped twice. The metal detector beeped twice because of the jewelry, I was wearing. I was asked to step forward for screening. They took my passport and the first thing they asked me what did T in the gender column meant. I told them it meant transgender, said Aher. Indian transgender Abhina Aher dances with others celebrating recent Supreme court judgment recognizing transgender rights in India, at Jantar Mantar on April 19, 2014 in New Delhi Aher's got into a humiliating situation as the officials openly asked if she was a man or a woman. I was embarrassed. I tried to tell them in their own language, but instead of being sensitive they started laughing. I told them I would cooperate with them in frisking provided they let a female officer carry out the procedure. To my dismay, the female officials refused after a man said I was a half man and a half woman. Aher was very scared and there was no one to contact, and her passport was taken away. The passengers were watching and the official was not ready to return my passport. Later, two male officers forcefully tried to enter the box and frisk me after the female officers refused. They were getting suspicious why I was not letting them touch my body because I insisted a woman should do that, she alleged. With time flying, Aher said that she gave up and wanted to return safely. When four Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists attacked the Indian Armys 12th Brigade in Jammu and Kashmirs Uri sector on September 18, as many as 19 Indian soldiers lost their lives. Sixteen of those personnel belonged to 6th battalion of the Bihar regiment while three were from the Dogra regiments 10th battalion. Late on Wednesday, when Indian soldiers conducted surgical strikes on terrorist launch pads in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, the troops included the crack Ghatak platoons of the same two battalions. Sixteen of those personnel belonged to 6th battalion of the Bihar regiment while three were from the Dogra regiments 10th battalion. (Picture for representation only) India publicly acknowledged the daring synchronized raid, in an indication of the Narendra Modi governments muscular approach to dealing with terror and other security threats while also signalling a massive departure from previous policies of strategic restraint. The veteran Ghatak platoons joined two para commando units for the attack on enemy territory. One of the rationales behind these men accompanying the Special Forces was to ensure a sense of retribution is achieved by them. The operational advantage of sending these well-trained troops from 6 Bihar and 10 Dogra was that they have a deeper sense of the terror across the Line of Control (LoC) and better acclimatisation as they have been deployed in the area for a while now. Indian army soldiers take up position on the perimeter of an airforce base in Pathankot on January 3, 2016, during an operation to 'sanitise' the base following an attack by gunmen Morale in a battalion always takes a hit when fellow soldiers are killed and there is a burning desire for vengeance. Therefore, these units were given an opportunity to strike back, said sources. Officials said the operation was aimed at stopping terrorists camping near the LoC from slipping into India and launching attacks. While the key role in the surgical strikes was carried out by the 4 and 9 battalions of the Special Forces, the Ghatak battalions were used in a flanking role. Morale True to its name, the Ghatak (which means deadly in Hindi) infantry platoon spearheads strikes ahead of a battalion. Every infantry battalion in the Indian Army has one such platoon and only the most physically fit and motivated soldiers make it to Ghatak. These soldiers are well-trained, well-armed and equipped to handle situations such as terror strikes, hostage crises and counter insurgency operations. They often act as shock troops and conduct assaults against enemy positions, often without support from the rest of the battalion. Their operational role is similar to the Scout Sniper Platoon of the US Marines (USMC) and the British Armys Patrols Platoon. They are often asked to carry out tasks such as special reconnaissance, raids on enemy artillery positions, airfields, supply dumps and tactical headquarters. They are also capable of directing artillery and air attacks on targets deep within enemy lines. A Ghatak platoon is usually 20- man strong, consisting of a commanding captain, two non-commissioned officers and some special teams like marksman and spotter pairs, light machine gunners, medic and radio operator. The remaining soldiers act as assault troopers. Training Most of them are moulded at the Commando Training Course in Belgaum, Karnataka. Often, other specialised training like heliborne assault, rock climbing, mountain warfare, demolitions, advanced weapons training, close quarter battle and infantry tactics are also provided. Members of the platoon are also sent to the High Altitude Warfare School in J&K and the Mizoram-based Counterinsurgency and Jungle Warfare School. It is mandatory for all infantry officers to pass the Commando Training Course. These units are equipped with the Tavor TAR-21, INSAS or a version of the AK-47 as their primary assault rifle. India and Pakistan trade fire at LoC By Mail Today Bureau A day after India carried out surgical strikes on the Line of Control, India and Pakistan continued to exchanged fire along the LoC as well as the International Border (IB) in the Jammu region for over 12 hours on Friday in fresh ceasefire violations by Pakistan. This is the fifth ceasefire violation in the last 48 hours Sources said places in Nowsheras Salal and Bab Khor areas saw exchange of fire since the morning, forcing local residents to flee from their houses. A similar ceasefire violation was reported from Akhnoors Pallanwala area where firing continued for an hour. Sources said that the pattern of firing by Pakistani army was anticipated and it was being responded. Sources said that the pattern of firing by Pakistani army was anticipated and it was being responded. The officials explained that it showed the frustration in the ranks of Pakistan army after taking a major hit by the Indian army troops, who breached the LoC and destroyed at least five launch pads of terrorists. Union home minister Rajnath Singh, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, union home secretary Rajiv Mehrishi and other top officers held a detailed review of preparations. The home minister on Friday assured that all attempts will be made to secure the release of our soldier who inadvertently crossed over to Pakistan on Thursday. All attempts are being made to secure his release, Rajnath told reporters after attending a meet to discuss internal security situation. Pakistan postpones SAARC summit Pakistan has postponed the SAARC Summit that was to be held next month after India along with four other member states of the regional grouping decided against attending the meet. Pakistan deplores Indias decision to impede the SAARC process by not attending the 19th SAARC Summit at Islamabad on 9-10 November 2016, the Pakistan Foreign Office said in a statement. It claimed that the spirit of the SAARC charter is violated when a member state casts the shadow of its bilateral problems on the multilateral forum for regional cooperation. Pakistan deplores Indias decision to impede the SAARC process by not attending the 19th SAARC Summit at Islamabad on 9-10 November 2016 (File picture) Meanwhile, perturbed by Indian surgical strikes inside Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, Islamabad has begun mobilising its troops and mechanised infantry along the Indian borders, intelligence inputs suggest. But India is also fully prepared, with matching-response mechanisms already activated to frustrate any Pakistani foolhardiness, top military sources said. Satellites, radar chains and technical-intelligence facilities are monitoring western borders and airspace 24x7, the sources told India Today. Officers in the military operations centre are constantly reviewing inputs, most senior security sources said. Techies from Noida are duping customers in the United States (US) on pretext of giving technical support by removing virus from their computers. This revelation came when a team of Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force raided an office in sector 63 of Noida from where a fake call centre was run to allegedly cheat insurance account holders of private firms. Six techies had launched a fake company which during the day targeted Indian customers by offering insurance bonus, while at night cheated people abroad by sending pop-up messages and then providing technical support by charging them in dollar. Police found the gang to have links with international gangs based in US "We found that this gang has links with international gangs based in the US. Popup calls enable a techie to send a message to computers saying that users computer is unsecured and to get disinfected they must call a technical assistance number, which is an internet call that landed at the call centre in Noida. As this practice is banned in the US, the international gang tied-up with the Indian techies to help them in duping people, UP STFs additional superintendent Triveni Singh said. Techies would change their name and accent to sound genuine. They would take their computer to a remote access and resolve issues of customers and charge anything between $ 50-100 per client, Singh explained. These pop-up calls are bought in bulk from international vendor by Indian call centers, at a low rate. Techies would change their name and accent to sound genuine and would charge anything between $ 50-100 per client (Picture for representation only) Even if they manage to trap one customer out of 100 clients targeted then they make enough money. Experts claim that such frauds have created panic in foreign countries. Even the Federal Trade Commission of US has found several international tech support scams for convincing people about fake pop-up advertisements. Police have also found that there is no check on such call centers that are operational in India. Employees do proper voice and accent training so that they cannot be caught. This is a case of impersonation and identity theft. We will write to NASSCOM, Data Security Council of India (DSCI) and Ministry of Corporate Affairs informing about it, Singh further explained. The food giant behind Soreen fruit bread and Ginsters pasties has paid its family owners an 18million dividend after profits at the group leapt last year. Leicestershire-based Samworth Brothers, which employs 8,500 people, made the payment after profit increased 27 per cent to 47million. The 120-year-old company has expanded rapidly in recent years with new factories, acquisition of other firms and by exporting products to Europe such as its Melton Mowbray pork pies. A walk in the park: TV ad has helped to popularise Ginsters pasties Sir David Samworth is life president of the fourth-generation family business which has become one of the biggest suppliers of chilled foods and ready meals to Britains supermarkets. Chief executive Alex Knight said: It was a year of continuing challenges in the grocery market but the company made good progress. We expect future headwinds, particularly raw material price rises due to increased global demand and some shortages. Sales at the company rose 8 per cent to 902million. A 30million capital investment grew the total over five years to 185million. Popular: Ginsters chicken and bacon pasty It came under fire earlier this year after renegotiating staff contracts by reducing benefits while offering higher overall pay. It is still in dispute with one worker but says almost all staff have agreed to the new terms. A London hedge fund has emerged as one of the big winners of the panic that engulfed Deutsche Bank last week making tens of millions of pounds as shares in Germanys biggest bank slumped. Marshall Wace, whose boss Paul Marshall is a former Liberal Democrat donor and philanthropist, has been betting on the banks shares falling since at least February. The $24billion (18.5billion) fund, based off Sloane Square in Chelsea, uses a computer-driven investment strategy that decides what to wager depending on the recommendations of investment banking analysts. In profit: Paul Marshall, left, and Ian Wace, right with his wife, fashion model Saffron Aldridge In February, it told German financial regulators it had taken a short position in Deutsche Bank, then worth 100million (86million). Since then Deutsche shares have slumped by a third, generating a profit for Marshall Wace of well over 20million. But Marshall Wace, co-founded by Ian Wace, has been increasing its short position ever since February including further gambles on the share price in the last few days making it the biggest short-seller of the banks shares, meaning that its profits from the recent slump in Deustche shares is likely to be even higher. Its total short position now amounts to the equivalent of about one per cent of Deutsches shares worth 150million (130million). Short-sellers borrow shares which they sell with the aim of buying them back later at a lower price. They were vilified during the last banking crisis, portrayed in the 2015 film The Big Short, but shorting is still regarded by most market professionals as a vital part of the market system. Marshalls son Winston is banjo player in pop group Mumford & Sons, and Marshall was one of the Red Knights proposing to buy Manchester United for 1billion in 2010. As well as chairing academy school provider ARK Schools, he chairs the board of trustees at Education Policy Institute, run by former Liberal Democrat Minister David Laws. Marshall Wace is far from alone in shorting Deutsche Bank shares. A large number of investment funds including those led by veteran financier George Soros have gambled on a slump at Deutsche Bank this year. By Friday the bank had managed to restore some calm to markets. Its Yorkshire-born boss John Cryan told colleagues: Our bank has become subject to speculation. Ongoing rumours are causing significant swings in our stock price. It is our task now to prevent distorted perception from further interrupting our daily business. Trust is the foundation of banking. Some forces in the markets are currently trying to damage this trust. Investors had become concerned about the bank because it may have to pay $14 billion to US regulators over the sale of sub-prime securities a decade ago. Reports late on Friday that a much lower fine would soon be agreed also boosted confidence. Shares in Deutsche Bank ended up at 11.57, having plumbed record lows of less than 10 earlier in the week. Even so the share price is far below 22 price in January. The cost to insure the banks bonds, known as Credit Default Swaps, has also soared in recent weeks and remains high by the standards of other major banks. Marshall Wace declined to comment on its Deutsche Bank bet. RISK INDICATORS A key risk indicator involves Credit Default Swaps, insurance policies that pay out if a company cannot meet its debts. Their price can rocket, as in 2008, portrayed in the hit movie The Big Short. They are priced as a percentage of the money at risk. To insure 100 worth of bonds with a CDS rate of 100 would cost 1 a year. Deutsche Banks CDS rate has leapt and, on Friday, stood at 240 higher than any other international major bank. Royal Bank of Scotlands CDS rate is 143, Barclays rate is 102. For the German Bank, the immediate storm had abated by this weekend. But it still faces a long struggle to regain full health. It has been struggling to turn in decent profits, which would otherwise enable it to replenish its capital, and critics point to huge derivatives positions which make an accurate assessment of its risks extremely complex. Deutsche had 223billion of liquid assets at the end of its second quarter. Analysts at investment bank Macquarie said Deutsches accounts showed that would last eight weeks if there was a severe stress including multiple rating notch downgrades and a severe market dislocation. Even then, it would be able to raise a further 50billion to meet short-term requirements. But while reports of Deutsche Banks imminent demise may have been exaggerated, the share price is still under huge pressure. Britain's ailing high streets have been stung by a botched review of the business rates system, experts have warned. They said struggling stores in less prosperous parts of the UK face delays in receiving much-needed tax cuts totalling billions of pounds. Following a long-awaited revaluation, new draft business rate lists were unveiled on Friday. They propose cuts in the local tax rate at more than 300 of 431 retail centres. Disappointment: Experts said that many retailers in Hull were expecting a fall in business rates of up to 60 per cent but it could be as little as 2 per cent in the first year But property consultants Colliers International said thousands of firms in the North of England and the Midlands who had been expecting an immediate benefit are likely to be disappointed. They said that a transitional scheme announced last week to gradually phase in the changes over the next five years would proceed at too slow a pace for many retailers. John Webber, head of ratings at Colliers, said the slow pace of the transition will result in retailers paying around 5billion more than expected over the next five years. It comes on top of a two-year delay in the rates review which has left struggling firms having to cope with higher than expected bills. Many shops have closed as a result. Webber said: The light at the end of the tunnel, which you thought was the revaluation, isnt quite the light of the train coming in the other direction. But, quite honestly, it may as well be if youre a business struggling to make ends meet. He said many retailers in Hull were expecting a fall in business rates of up to 60 per cent but it could be as little as 2 per cent in the first year. This will add up to a lot of money for a lot of people over time, said Webber. There are a lot of people in the North of England and the Midlands who have been stung and will not be in a great place when they realise this. Business rates: London retailers face huge rate rises due to the surge in property values He said the problem for London retailers is a different one: they face huge rate rises due to the surge in property values in the capital in recent years. Rent and rates specialists CVS said that the largest shops in Stockport in Cheshire, previously paying 500,000 a year, should be paying as little as 240,000. By contrast, Polo Ralph Lauren in Londons Bond Street faces a business rate rise from 2.2million to 3.9million, an 80 per cent increase, before supplements are applied. Monarch Airlines is confident it will secure fresh financing and so secure its crucial operating licence within the next 12 days. The airlines existing Air Travel Organisers Licence (ATOL) was due to expire at midnight on Friday after the company was forced to deny speculation that it was in financial trouble. But the group won an extension from the Civil Aviation Authority giving it until October 12 to meet the requirements. The licence guarantees holidaymakers booking with an ATOL-holding company protection if an airline goes bust. Confident: But in order to retain its licence, Monarch must show that it has enough funds to operate for a further three months It ensures they can continue their holidays if abroad and that they will not be left stranded. In order to retain its licence, Monarch must show that it has enough funds to operate for a further three months. It is thought finance could come from a source other than the existing owners with Chinas HNA Group, which owns Hainan Airlines, thought to be considering an investment. Monarch is 90 per cent owned by private equity firm Greybull Capital. Monarch has said it is trading well and expects to announce that it has made a 40 million profit at the end of its financial year this month. Smart idea: Tessa Cook and Saasha Celestial-One More than 120,000 items of food have been shared rather than binned since an app to tackle food waste launched this summer. Households are responsible for half of all food waste in the UK, binning more than 12.5billion of edible food a year, at a cost of 700 to the average family. Co-founder Tessa Cook, previously managing director of payday loans giant Wonga, said: Im a farmers daughter. I was bought up to understand how much work goes into producing all of this food. 'The inspiration for Olio came a year and a half ago when I was moving country and found myself with some good food I couldnt bring myself to throw away. I realised the problem was people who lived near me just didnt know it was available. I thought there was an app for everything, and was amazed to discover there wasnt one for sharing surplus food. She said her friend Saasha Celestial-One was bought up by hippies in Iowa and got it instantly. Olio, which is currently free to download, allows people and businesses to upload a photo of a food item and alert people nearby. Olio has partnered with Sainsburys to distribute unsold food too. Cook said: Its only in the past 50 years that weve retreated into our families, becoming a bit more divorced from our local community partly because of technology. Commuters in London should talk to one another more, according to one American in Britain who has launched a campaign to get people to chat to one another. Jonathan Dunne, originally from Colorado, is an NHS worker who came up with the idea after a work events day attracted very few people and he decided people should be friendlier to each other. The indicator that a commuter is happy to talk is a badge bearing the words 'Tube chat?' MailOnline sent two reporters to ride the rails and see how many people would talk to them, and how many would avoid them like the plague. Jonathan Dunne, an NHS worker originally from Colorado, started a one man campaign to get people talking on the tube Naomi Ackerman strikes up a conversation with Mary Coneely on the Victoria line on Friday afternoon Reporter Naomi Ackerman hopped on the Victoria line and struck up conversations with her fellow commuters, who were more than happy to oblige. Prem Patel, 24, approached her and asked about the badge. He said he likes talking to people on the Tube. City worker Mr Patel said: 'I enjoy talking to people on the Tube. I'm an open person. 'But London is not friendly enough yet, everyone quite closed, it is quite easy to ignore everyone - especially in crowds. 'But I think eventually people have to chat to each other.' On other trains, people were less keen to have a chat, our reporter discovered Maggy Clode told Naomi it was a good idea, but she could understand that people wouldn't want to chat during rush hour Mary Conneely, 59, was also thrilled about the idea of a Tube chat badge. She said: 'I think it's great. I'm from Yorkshire and I'm Irish so I love talking to people. 'Days are made better by small kindnesses so why not say hello to people? 'On the Tube the environment is alienating and loud, so maybe that puts people off. 'I'll talk to anyone if they want to. 'When there are delays I find people talk to each other more. 'But it shouldn't take a badge to make people talk to each other.' The badges were the idea of Jonathan Dunne, an American living in London who works for the NHS Prem Patel, a city worker, told Naomi he liked the idea of people being chattier on the tubes when they were going to work Maggy Clode, 69, had a mixed view. She likes talking to people on the Tube, but thinks if she had to commute daily in rush hour she would not be so keen. Ms Clode said: 'I think the badge is a great idea - I talk to people on the tube anyway. 'But then I don't use the tube every day as I'm retired. If I got on it every day I think I might hate talking to people. But for me it's good.' Meanwhile, reporter Rebecca Taylor tried out the Victoria line, Northern line, and Circle line as well as the Hammersmith and City and the District. No sooner had she boarded the Victoria line than someone asked about the badge - a young woman who was London born and bred, and think we need to talk to each other more. Off to a flying start, as straight away, someone wanted to speak about the badge and echoed Mr Dunne's view that people should talk more Less keen, but eventually happy to chat, this man was off on holiday and asked about where our reporter was from On the next tube, a pair of older men asked what the badge was, and agreed it would be nicer to speak on the tube. One was an American, on holiday in London before jetting off to Cologne, so perhaps not a true reflection of the capital. On the Hammersmith and City line, no one was keen to talk, and it was the same story on the District line. However, one woman did tell our reporter what she was reading - the Autobiography of a Yogi - and explain that she had just moved to London five days ago, from Singapore, to study. Another man off to Heathrow to go on holiday was happy to tell our reporter about his upcoming travels and ask where she was from and where she was traveling. Another American in Britain - this one on holiday, and open to discussing what he had been doing and where he was going next This student moved to London five days ago from Singapore and was reading 'The Autobiography of a Yogi' An awkward exchange of glances here, but this chap was more interested in his paper than a conversation A common sight, as two tube users stare intently at their phones instead of chatting to fellow passengers Many of those who struck up or maintained conversations were either visiting London or not from the capital originally, which may have affected their willingness to talk. But there were some people who happily chatted away, indicating that those who got angry on Twitter about the badges might not represent the whole. Equally, lots of people looked awkwardly at the badge, and then away as quickly as possible, staring intently into their phones. Mr Dunne handed out 500 badges on Wednesday and has been inundated with requests for more since the story took hold. Speaking outside Seven Sisters station in north London, where no one was seen wearing a badge, the man behind the project, Mr Dunne said: 'I had no response at all when I first tried handing these out - it wasn't that fun to do. 'Then yesterday morning I came back to the office and saw three tweets about it, went for a meeting, came back at lunchtime to loads of tweets - and since then my phone hasn't stopped ringing. 'The reaction was initially really negative but it's now really positive. 'I had 50,000 messages last night on Facebook, most asking for badges and where to get them. 'I've heard TfL are after me, but I've not seen anything yet.' Mr Dunne, 42, handed out the badges at Old Street station on Wednesday morning but said he did not really see reaction until Thursday midday when he had plenty of tweets and phone calls The American is currently working for the NHS and London University on a project. He came up with the idea after a bad work social. Mr Dunne explained: 'The idea started during the Olympics, in social thing at work. 'People were offered a half day off and no one showed up. 'And I was like people just need to be friendlier so thought I would start on the tube.' Speaking about the counter campaign to make sure people don't talk to anyone, he said the people behind it would not be successful and called it 'lame'. He added: 'If I were to do it again, maybe not go to Old Street. Advertisement A series of poignant photographs have been released by Barnardo's to mark Black History Month, showing the faces of some of the children they have helped. Portraits from the charity's archive show black children they have helped over the past 150 years. They include a photograph of John Lewis, who was rejected by his parents. At the age of 15, he was the first black child to be admitted to the Barnardos boys home in 1874. Barnardo's says it is 'honoring service users, volunteers, staff members and others from the Black community as part of Black History Month to celebrate their contributions to the charity over the last 150 years.' The charity adds that it is 'committed to promoting equality for BME children, staff and volunteers' and says 'BME groups need to be represented in all areas of the organisation.' Black History Month has been celebrated in October every year for the past 35 years in the UK. John Lewis (pictured left), who was born in east London to an English mother and a father from the West Indies, was the first black child to be helped by Barnardos. He was deserted by his father and rejected by his mother when she married another man. John's older sister let him stay with her when her husband was away but he was left homeless on the streets of London for most of the time from a very young age. In 1874, he was referred to Barnardos and admitted to the boys home at the age of 15. John was one of 13 siblings, only six of whom survived. The Peters siblings (right), from Liverpool, were admitted to Barnado's in 1882 after the charity was contacted by their desperate mother. John, Sarah and Elizabeth's father had left them, leaving their mother struggling to make ends meet. After a few months in a workhouse, the family was left homeless and all three siblings were admitted to Barnardos. Elizabeth was nine, Sarah eight and Jon was only six years old. Sadly, Sarah died at the age of ten after struggling with health issues Joseph Barnes (left) was born in Antigua in July 1867. His father died in a ship explosion and he assumed his mother was dead. Joseph made his way to England as a sailor on a ship called the Ettrickdale and took on various jobs to support himself when he arrived. However, he eventually struggled to find work and in 1886, at the age of 19, he went to Barnardos for help. He was admitted to the charity's Youth Labour House, where he worked in exchange for a home and food. In 1887 Joseph left the home and travelled to Canada and South Africa, where he worked as an attendant for a time. James Lindsey (right) grew up in Jamaica, where he lived with his father Alec. His mother died when James was young. Wanting to explore the world, James took on a job as a sailor, which took him to Hamburg, Germany. But after arriving in Germany, he decided he wanted to go home and went to England to make his way back home to Jamaica. He managed to pay for the journey to London by doing odd jobs but found himself out of work in London and on the streets. In November 1887, aged 16, James went to Barnardos for help. He was admitted into Barnardos care and agreed to stay at the Youth Labour Workhouse. In March 1888, James was able to Jamaica to reunite with his father. Dolly (left) and Frances Broadhurst (right) were born in Sierra Leone in 1887 and 1890. The girls lived with their mother, who left them with a group of elderly women described as grandmas while she went out to make a living. The grandmas kept the girls in dirty living conditions and left them vulnerable to abuse. Their Barnardos report stated that one of the grandmas had planned to use the girls for prostitution. To protect the sisters, their mother put them into the care of a friend who promised to take them to England. They were admitted to Barnardos in 1899, leaving a few years later after they found work in domestic service Fanny Jefferson (left) was born in London in 1882 to an English mother and a black father. When she was just four, her father, who worked for the Telephone Company, died after a pole fell on his head. Following his death, her mother struggled to take care of her children and contacted Barnardos. She tried to place all of her children into care, but only Fanny, who was deaf and described as fragile, was admitted in 1889. Fannys mother eventually found work as a dressmaker, which allowed her to look after Fannys brother and sister. Fanny left Barnardos care in 1900 at the age of 18 after finding a job in domestic service. Margaret Robinson (right) was admitted into Barnardos care in 1901 at the age of seven, after an application was made by the NSPCC. Her mother had turned to prostitution and was convicted several times for drunkenness, disorderly conduct and soliciting. In her Barnardos report, Margaret was described as thin and greatly neglected by her mother. She lived in the Barnardo's Girls Village in Essex for seven years before leaving to work as a maid at the age of 15 Michael Deon Wash (pictured) has been indicted on murder charges in the death of his seven-year-old daughter Kamaire The father of a seven-year-old girl who was found dead in Georgia's Lake Allatoona in June has been indicted on murder charges. Michael Deon Wash said he filed a missing persons report when he noticed his daughter Kamaire Wash had gone missing. Wash told police he thought Kamaire wandered away in her polka dot pajamas early that morning. He claimed to have searched for more than an hour before calling the authorities. After Georgia Bureau of Investigation recovered Kamaire's body from Lake Allatoona they conducted an autopsy on the girl's body and determined she was already dead when Wash called police. The GBI determined the child died of blunt force trauma. After police recovered Kamaire's (pictured) body from Lake Allatoona they conducted an autopsy on the girl's body and determined she was already dead when Wash called police Wash has also been indicted on child cruelty charges, according to the Atlanta Journal Constitution. Wash's girlfriend Lasherae Davis (pictured) was also charged with two counts of first-degree cruelty to children along with other infractions in Kamaire's death In addition to Wash, his live-in girlfriend Lasherae Davis was also charged with two counts of cruelty to children in the first degree, cruelty to children in the third degree, making false statements and concealing the death of another, the newspaper reported. Kashira Pettigrew, Kamaire's mother, said both Davis and Wash should be charged, however, at this time only Wash has been charged with murder. Wash was given the additional charge of murder on Thursday. 'She is just as responsible as a mother, as a woman,' Pettigrew said. Both Wash and Davis are in custody and are awaiting trial. Hillary Clinton's cough reappeared Friday morning. The Democratic presidential nominee choked up during a Florida speech on national service and had to pop a cough drop as she was approaching her big finish. 'We love you, Hillary!' an audience member shouted, giving her time to recompose herself. 'Thank you!!' Clinton replied. She coughed once more and cleared her throat three additional times before she fully recovered. At the end of her remarks, as she was headed for the exit, Breitbart News noted that Clinton had to reach out for her lead Secret Service agent's arm and steady herself for a moment before she descended down the steps. It was the second time this week Clinton lost the struggle to control her voice in public. Since developing pneumonia, she's had coughing fits several times and observers have noticed strangeness about her gaze. Scroll down for video Hillary Clinton's cough reappeared Friday morning. 'We love you, Hillary!' an audience member shouted, giving her time to recompose herself. 'Thank you!!' Clinton replied Clinton is seen left unwrapping a cough drop and, right, putting the sweet in her mouth Clinton pops the cough drop as she reaches the end of her speech in Florida on Friday Clinton covered her mouth briefly to cough as she spoke to reporters on board her plane Tuesday. It interrupted a claim of triumph in the debate, which many had been watching avidly for clues as to her true state of health. Clinton successfully lasted the full 95 minutes of the event - which over-ran by five minutes - and it was Trump's persistent sniffing which was widely noticed. Her health was not raised by Lester Holt, the debate moderator, and Trump also refrained from directly discussing it. At the end of her remarks, as she was headed for the exit, Clinton had to reach out for her lead Secret Service agent's arm Steady as we go... pic.twitter.com/F9kynAWOlO Charlie Spiering (@charliespiering) September 30, 2016 Instead he raised it after Holt asked him about a previous comment, that Clinton did not have 'the presidential look'. 'She doesn't have the look. She he doesn't have the stamina,' he said. 'You have so many different things you have to be able to do and I don't believe Hillary has the stamina.' Since developing pneumonia, she's had coughing fits several times and observers have noticed strangeness about her gaze. She's seen above in an ABC News video clip of her gaggle with reporters Thursday Clinton drew attention to her health the next morning and again on Friday at an event in Fort Pierce as she was overcome with coughing. 'When you listen to what's being said in this campaign, it can be discouraging right?' she was saying. 'Now I am well aware that candidates don't usually focus on national service in the final stretch of a hotly-fought presidential election. She added, 'Some might say, "Well, hey my gosh, you've only got 39 days to go, why aren't you just out there beating up your opponent and doing everything to get the vote out and all the rest of it? Well, I'll do that.' Interrupted by clapping and laughing, she paused briefly, before she continued. 'I've been thinking about this for a long time, and I did not want this campaign to end without talking about it because it means a lot to me. As Clinton delivered the line her voice grew hoarse. 'I'm trying to end the campaign talking about issues that are really close to my heart. And this is one of them,' she said, opening coughing and clearing her throat at the end. Returned: Clinton went 95 minutes without coughing on Monday night but it resurfaced in a brief conversation on Tuesday morning on her campaign plane Holding on: Clinton took a firm grip of the rail as she climbed the steps to her campaign's Boeing 737 at White Plains Airport, near her Chappaqua, NY, home Even after she unwrapped the throat lozenge and put it in her mouth she had trouble speaking. 'You know for me service is really all about fulling the instruction of my Methodist faith, and you can see,' she said, clearing her throat once more, 'part of the creed I like to follow behind me.' Some observers, including conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt, had suggested that one of the major elements of pressure on Clinton in Monday night was to avoid coughing. He had told MSNBC: 'She has so many things she can't do. She cannot cough, she cannot laugh with the distinctive Hillary laugh, she cannot shout like she did at her supporters last week and she cannot condescend.' At the debate Clinton pushed back on Trump's statement about her 'stamina.' She recited exploits as secretary of state: travels to 112 countries, negotiations on peace deals, cease-fires and imprisoned dissidents even the 11 hours she spent testifying before a congressional committee investigating the Benghazi situation. Once Trump can do all that, said Clinton, 'He can talk to me about stamina.' The health questions, however, are unlikely to go away. Clinton's collapse at the New York 9/11 memorial service led to her finally revealing a diagnosis of pneumonia, and that she had had surgery in January without it being disclosed. Her eye movements have also raised questions, with her two eyeballs moving in apparently different directions. There was no sign of that at the debate, or of any apparent vision problems, but she held the handrail of her plane gingerly on Tuesday morning. John Darwin, 66, is pictured with new wife Mercy May Avila, 43, at her market stall in Manila, the capital of the Philippines In a run-down shopping mall in Manila, the canoe conman who faked his own death gives his young wife a tender shoulder massage. John Darwin, 66, strokes his internet bride Mercy May Avila, 43, while helping out at her market stall in the Philippines capital. It is there that the notorious fraudster, who pretended to die at sea before fleeing to Panama and then coming back from the dead five years later, can be found selling cheap clothes and underwear to women commuters. But that is not the only comedown for the man who once had designs on being a millionaire. Home now is a 12,000 house he shares with his new wife and three stepchildren. The house is in Antipolo, a poverty- stricken suburb of Manila, where people beg for money, rubbish is piled up on the rat-infested streets and sanitation is poor. Many of the homes nearby can at best be described as shacks. Unusually in a marriage between a Filipina and a Western man, Mercy appears to be the main breadwinner. Yet somehow Darwin has apparently found sufficient funds to acquire a new 25,000 off-road car. Parked near his house, it is said to be his pride and joy. This could be of interest to officials trying to trace vast amounts from his 679,000 swindle. Details of Darwins modest lifestyle emerged in the week that the Daily Mail published extracts from a book by his former wife Anne, telling the full story of how she helped him fake his death in a canoe to cash in his life insurance. Darwin pretended to die at sea before fleeing to Panama and then coming back from the dead five years later. He met new wife Mercy online The former doctors receptionist revealed how, as part of the fraud, she lied to their two sons that their father had drowned off Seaton Carew, near Hartlepool, in 2002, near their home only for him to turn up in 2007, claiming to have amnesia. The pair were jailed for more than six years each and later divorced after 38 years of marriage. Mrs Darwin now works as a volunteer and lives in a village near York. After Darwins release from jail in 2011, the former maths teacher turned prison officer set about finding a new, younger lover. He met devout Catholic Mercy, full name Mercidita, online, almost certainly through an internet brides website, and made his first visit to the Philippines on January 1, 2015. A day later they were engaged and on February 25 they were married in a civil ceremony attended by four witnesses in Antipolo. She later wrote a gushing message on Facebook, saying: I love you so much sweetheart, your (sic) always my baby. Falling in love is easy, but staying in love is very special. Soon after marrying, Darwin and Mercy left her three children in the care of a babysitter at her family home in Antipolo to move into a dingy dormitory room in Guadalupe, another suburb of Manila. The notorious fraudster can be found selling cheap clothes and underwear to women commuters at the market stall He met devout Catholic Mercy, full name Mercidita, online, almost certainly through an internet brides website, and made his first visit to the Philippines in January 2015 A day later they were engaged and on February 25 they were married. She later wrote a gushing message on Facebook, saying: I love you so much sweetheart, your (sic) always my baby. Falling in love is easy, but staying in love is very special. According to landlady Daisy Lavapiez, 67, Darwin spent much of his time alone in the 40-a-week room. She told the Mail: John said he was a retired engineering teacher, but nothing else about his background. He said he and Mercy had just got married. Mercy said they met online. He spent much of his time online in their room. He would also help out at Mercys stall. He had a cough allergy, because of the fumes, and had to put a mask over his face as he walked down the street. The couple are now living in Antipolo again. Neighbour Rose Ann Espirito, 27, said: John spends most days sitting in the house and on his laptop. He is often bare chested. He is very reclusive, and sometimes will only go out once a week, to help Mercy at her stall. From my children, who play with his stepchildren, I know he is a strict disciplinarian especially when it comes to food. He insists everything is eaten at meal times and nothing is left over. He is very careful with money. He insists they only buy what they need. He now lives in a 12,000 house he shares with his new wife and three stepchildren When Darwin paddled out to sea to fake his death in 2002 he could never have imagined he would end up in such humble surroundings 7,000 miles from his home in Britain. It was only after he and Anne decided to make a new life for themselves in Panama in 2007 with Darwin flying out on a false passport that the truth caught up with them. Because of a change in immigration laws in Panama, he needed a letter from UK police stating he was a person of good character in order to be granted permanent residency status. This was impossible because he was using a bogus identity. So he chose to return to Britain and come back from the dead and his lies unravelled. Mr Darwin says that he returned to Britain in order to be reunited with his sons. But Darwin has apparently found sufficient funds to acquire a new 25,000 off-road car. Parked near his house, it is said to be his pride and joy For now, he seems safe in the Philippines. He has been granted a 12-month probationary residency until February, when his case will be reviewed. Mercy is protective of her husband. I am not sure if he wants to talk, she said, adding that Darwin is in good health and enjoying marriage. Is he happy in Manila? Yes, very happy. He likes everything about the Philippines. In her book, Anne Darwin makes a full, heartfelt apology for her actions. It remains to be seen if the canoe conman will ever follow her lead. A woman is suing a Brisbane hospital for $5 million after her partner died when he was given too much morphine. Michael Calder was just 33-years-old when he died in the Holy Spirit Northside Private Hospital in Brisbane's north on July 11, 2014. The Brisbane man left his partner Andrea Young, and the couple's three young sons behind. Michael Calder (pictured) was just 33-years-old when he died in the Holy Spirit Northside Private Hospital in Brisbane's north on July 11, 2014 Treated for viral meningitis after complaining of bad headaches, Mr Calder ultimately died from opiate toxicity - found with a potentially lethal level of morphine in his blood. Now two years on, his partner Andrea Young has filed a statement of claim in the Supreme Court seeking damages from the hospital and also treating doctor, Rodd Brockett, over Mr Calder's death. The damages are being sought to help provide for the three young boys, according to Ms Young's lawyer Margaret Brain. Andrea Young (pictured) filed a statement of claim in the Supreme Court seeking damages from the hospital to help provide her three young sons with the life Mr Calder would have wanted to give them 'Nothing will ever bring Michael back and no amount of money will make up for this family's loss, but this will help Andrea give their boys the opportunities Michael would have wanted to provide,' she said. 'He was a loving and involved parent and the size of this claim reflects his earning capacity and what he would have provided for his family.' Mr Calder was a successful real estate agent, who ran his own agency in Brisbane when he died in 2014. According to the statement of claim, both Dr Brockett and the hospital itself owed Mr Calder a duy of care, to protect him against 'foreseeable' risk of injury. The claim suggests there were a number of 'failures' on the hospital and doctor's part, including the excessive dose of opiates. Mr Calder also suffered from pre-existing conditions including obstructive sleep apnoea, which was considered important in the inquest into the father-of-three's death. Although now two years after his death, the Brisbane family's statement of claim comes just four weeks after Deputy State Coroner John Lock delivered findings of the inquest into Mr Calder's death. The Holy Spirit Northside Private Hospital (pictured) is based in Chermside, a suburb in Brisbane's north Mr Lock said there were missed opportunities to diagnose Mr Calder's deteriorating condition. But he said the Holy Spirit Northside Private Hospital had since made improvements and he had no further recommendations for the facility to implement. The New Zealand equivalent of Bear Grylls has felt the wrath of viewer backlash for the barbaric nature of killing an octopus with his teeth. The sensational video of a rugged survivalist known as the Kiwi Bushman, Josh James, demonstrating the gruesome technique of killing an octopus by biting it between the eyes has sent viewers into a frenzy. Racking up more than 130,000 views on Youtube in less than 48 hours viewers are divided on the nonchalant approach to needlessly killing an intelligent animal to people in awe of the bushman's ruthlessness. Josh James, known as the Kiwi Bushman, demonstrated how to kill an octopus by biting it between the eyes One viewer commented, 'Have some respect for intelligent life', with octopuses having recently been deemed 'smart' after research indicates they have personalities, play for pleasure, learn, store short-term memories and can solve solutions. Another viewer said, 'Are you stupid. Why did you do that? Killing for fun isn't good it's absurd.' However, the Kiwi Bushman isn't afraid of interacting with some of his critics, sinking his teeth into some of the Youtube commentators. Josh James Kiwi Bushman does not take any stick from viewer comments angry at his methods 'All life is intelligent, if you're a carnivore you need to eat intelligent creatures, it's a hard life,' Josh James Kiwi Bushman said in reply to the first response. 'Yes, I do have that effect on some of the pussies in the world,' the rugged bushman replied to an accusation he was 'stupid' and killing for fun. Some Youtube viewers were not impressed with the way he was killing an intelligent animal, but the 'Bushman' replied with a strong view on people who don't like his technique The stomach-churning video has some people admiring the New Zealand survivalist The video begins when Mr James holds up the mollusc he has just caught, as its tentacles flay wildly around. He then explains that they are 'really good eating' but you have to freeze them to get the optimal texture before cooking. 'To kill them, you bite them right between the eyes,' he said, before getting a good grip and chomping down into the octopus' head for about six seconds. Mr James then casually spits octopus flesh over the side of the boat before finishing his sentence with 'because that's where the brain is'. 'There you go, you see he was wiggling around before now he's dead as,' he added. Other videos from the popular outdoorsman include him hunting goats with a bow and arrow, catching eels with his bare hands and building a dinghy from scratch for just $8,000. He got a good grip on the mollusc before chomping down into its head for about six seconds Many officers prefer to be physically assaulted instead of being spat on Officers can be waiting for months to find out if they contracted a disease Police prepared a cabinet proposal to help put an end to the 'filthy assault' Offenders who spit at police officers can face up to 14 years behind bars People who spit at police officers can face up to 14 years in jail if a new regulation is passed to stop the 'particularly filthy form of assault'. In NSW, there were 1077 cases during which officers were subjected to bodily fluids while working in 205-16 - up 32 per cent since 2011, reported The Daily Telegraph. As a result officers have had no choice but wait for a few months for the test results which would reveal if they have contracted a disease. Scroll down for video People who spit at police officers can face up to 14 years in jail in a new cabinet proposal (stock photo) 'I know officers who have stopped being intimate with their partners or stopped trying for a baby while they waited,' president of The Police Association, Scott Weber, said. Mr Weber also noted that many officer would rather be physically attacked rather than be exposed to the offenders bodily fluids. A cabinet proposal which suggests mandatory testing for the offenders has already been prepared, Police Minister Troy Grant said. 'It puts an officer's life on hold while they anxiously await test results and can transmit serious diseases that can become a life sentence,' Mr Grant said. Earlier this year a young woman was sentenced to an 18-month good behaviour bond for spitting in the face of local administrator, Richard Pearson, during a council meeting Around 50 officers have also been bitten on the job and 20 have sustained needle-stick injuries every year. The request for tougher laws comes after a female cartoonist made headlines for spitting in the face of local administrator, Richard Pearson, during an Inner West Council meeting in Sydney in May. Dundee fighter was knocked out during his boxing match with Dale Evans The heartbroken partner of boxer Mike Towell has revealed that he had been suffering with migraines 'for weeks' in the lead up to the bout that killed him. Mike Towell, 25, was stretchered from the ring in the fifth round of his match with Dale Evans at St Andrews Sporting Club fight in Glasgow on Thursday night. Having suffered severe bleeding and swelling to the brain, the Dundee fighter was taken off of life support and died surrounded by members of his family. Towell's partner Chloe Ross paid tribute to the boxer on Facebook, and revealed the fighter had complained of migraines which he put down to stress ahead of the fight. Scroll down for video Chloe Ross, the heartbroken partner of boxer Mike Towell, has told how he 'fought right to the end' before dying from injuries he suffered in a bout Mike Towell, who had a son called Rocco with Chloe, was stretchered from the ring in the fifth round of his match with Dale Evans at St Andrews Sporting Club fight in Glasgow Towell's partner Chloe paid tribute to the boxer on Facebook, and revealed the fighter had been suffering from weeks of migraines in the lead up to the bout However a spokesman for St Andrews said that nobody in Towell's management team was aware of any headache problems. Ms Ross's post read: 'I'm absolutely heartbroken to say my annoying best friend passed away tonight very peacefully. Michael had severe bleeding and swelling to his brain. 'He had been complaining of headaches for the last few weeks but we put it down to migraines with the stress of his fight. 'It has been the longest 24 hours of our lives. My baby has lost his daddy. But he will be so so proud of his dad in what he achieved.' Ms Ross added: 'Once he was taken off of his life support he managed 12 hours, 12 whole rounds off his life support, he fought right to the end and he's done us all so proud. 'I'm so glad I got to spend 8 and a half years with the absolute plonker and still have the best thing ever happened to us. Rocco, a part of him with me forever, but deffo [sic] no boxing. He left doing the thing he's best at... there's only one.' Towell's boxing club St Andrews took to Twitter to pay tribute to their fighter, saying: Within the last hour Mike Towell passed away - he will always be in our hearts #RIPIronMike.' Towell, who had 11 wins and one draw from his 12 fights prior to taking on Evans, was knocked down by a left hook in the fifth after also hitting the canvas in the first following a brutal right hand Scottish boxer Mike Towell has died in hospital after being knocked out the Glasgow bout Former world champion Ricky Hatton has set up a JustGiving fundraiser page to raise 20,000 for Towell's family. On the page, which generated almost 7,000 within an hour, he wrote: 'Mike Towell lost his life doing either what he loved or looking after his family - or both. 'A young boy and partner are left behind let's make sure they are looked after.' Towell's opponent Dale Evans tweeted his support shortly after the Scot was taken to hospital, and is said to be 'devastated' following his death. Meanwhile, boxing promoter Eddie Hearn was among the sport's famous names to pay their respects online. Nick Blackwell, the boxer who was left in a coma following a fight with Chris Eubank Jr, also tweeted his condolences and changed his profile picture to that of Towell. Towell - who has a son named Rocco - was undefeated in his career prior to his fight with Evans, with 11 wins and one draw to his name. But he was knocked down in the fifth round after also hitting the canvas in the first following a brutal right hand, leading to a stoppage from the referee. He received oxygen in the ring before being stretchered out of the hall and to hospital. Nick Blackwell, the boxer who was left in a coma following a fight with Chris Eubank Jr, also tweeted his condolences and changed his profile picture to that of Towell Former world champion Ricky Hatton and promoter Eddie Hearn were among the sport's famous names to pay their respects online The fighter's manager Tommy Gilmour said Towell had suffered a 'serious injury' and was breathing via the use of a ventilator in hospital with his family by his bedside. The clash between Towell and Evans took place at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Glasgow and had been screened live on STV. Headway, the brain injury association, has also expressed its sadness following the death. Peter McCabe, chief executive of Headway, said: 'This was a young father in the prime of his life and our heartfelt thoughts go out to his family and friends at this difficult time. 'Sadly, this is not an isolated incident. It is another in a long line of boxing tragedies where lives have been lost or irreparably damage as a result of brain injury. Those in the ring, including Towell's opponent Dale Evans (far right), look on as Towell is tended to in the ring Dundee fighter Towell, 25, was taken from the ring on a stretcher in the fifth round of his welterweight title final eliminator with Dale Evans on Thursday night 'Only recently, fellow boxing Nick Blackwell was left in a coma following a bout with Chris Eubank Jnr. 'After that fight, we repeated our concerns that more young men and women are risking their lives by taking part in boxing.' He added: 'We said at the time, and many times previously, that as long as boxing is allowed to continue, more and more young lives will be damaged or lost as a result of opponents deliberately trying to cause neurological harm to each other. 'Tragically, the lessons have not been learned and this young family is paying the ultimate price. 'Quite rightly, the focus at this time should be on supporting the family. But the question remains: how many more lives have to be damaged or lost before this senseless sport is banned?' TIMELINE: SEVERE INJURIES AND DEATHS IN BRITISH BOXING Nick Blackwell (pictured) was put in an induced coma following his middleweight fight with Chris Eubank Jnr Featherweight Lynn James is recorded as the first British boxer to have died following a fight, in 1964, aged 21. Johnny Owen, 24, died in hospital in November 1980, more than a month after his bantamweight fight with Mexican Lupe Pintor left him unconscious. It was found that the Welsh-born boxer had an unusually delicate skull. Steve Watt, 27, the super welterweight fighter from Glasgow died in March 1986 following a fight with Rocky Kelly. It was found he had sustained brain damage over a long period of time. Michael Watson, 51, needed six brain operations after he was punched during a rematch against Chris Eubank in September 1991 at White Hart Lane. After hitting his head on the ropes, the middleweight fighter spent 40 days in a coma and several years in a wheelchair, ending his boxing career. Bradley Stone, 23, collapsed hours after a fight against Richie Wenton in London, in April 1994. The super bantamweight fighter was rushed to hospital where surgeons attempted to remove a huge blood clot on his brain, but could not save him. James Murray, 25, from Scotland, died two days after his bantamweight fight against Drew Docherty in October, 1995. He suffered a seizure in the ring after unknowingly sustaining a bleed to the brain. Nick Blackwell, 25, was put in an induced coma to drain a bleed on the brain caused by his fight with Chris Eubank Jnr in March 2016. The middleweight fighter collapsed after an abnormal swelling appeared over his left eye. Advertisement Towell's manager, Tommy Gilmour, said the world of boxing had lost both a top fighter and a 'very special man'. He said: 'He was Iron Mike to the end, he kept fighting till the last, and we have lost an exciting boxer but, more importantly, a very special man. 'I am devastated and all my thoughts are with Mike's mum Tracey, his partner Chloe and their little son Rocco. 'He was one of the greatest characters I have worked with, I came away from every phone call or chat we had smiling and shaking my head in bewilderment.' Iain Wilson, owner of St Andrew's Sporting Club, who was with Towell and his family following the fight, added: 'He wasn't just a fighter at our club, he was my friend and a special heart-and-soul guy. 'I was with the family through the night after the fight, they are heartbroken and everyone at the club shares their grief. 'We have lost one of our favourite sons and boxing has lost an explosive talent but the biggest loss of all is for the Towell family. We will rally round them now to do all we can.' The fighter's manager Tommy Gilmour said Towell had suffered a 'serious injury' and was breathing via the use of a ventilator in hospital with his family by his bedside before his death St Andrews Sporting Club tweeted Towell 'will always be in our hearts' while promoter Eddie Hearn said: 'Absolutely devastated by the passing of Mike Towell - all of our thoughts with his friends and family at this time.' George Groves posted on Twitter: 'Just heard the terrible news of Mike Towell. Thoughts are with his family' and Anthony Joshua said: 'Sad to hear the news about Mike Towell. Thoughts go out to his loved ones'. Evans has yet to comment on his opponent's death, but described Towell as a 'true warrior' in a statement issued after he was taken to hospital. The Welshman said: 'The ingredients were there for an entertaining fight and it was that, we are both punchers and so sadly for Mike he came out the wrong side. A 15-year-old boy has been accused of fatally stabbing his brother, 19, in the neck with a butcher knife on Wednesday. Denzel Dywan Williams was arrested after a verbal fight with Malik Kewsie Williams about their mother spanking another child at their home in Pensacola, Florida, turned violent, the News Journal reported. Malik died in the hospital, and Denzel is likely to be charged as an adult with second-degree murder, according to the State Attorney's Office. Denzel Dywan Williams, 15, (left) was arrested after he fatally stabbed his brother Malik Kewsie Williams, 19, (right) in the neck, police said The two brothers started fighting after their mother spanked another child for sneaking out of the house (pictured, their residence on North H Street) Police received reports of an armed disturbance and arrived at the 700 block of North H Street around 12.20pm on Wednesday. Their mother was spanking another child, who was being held down by Malik, according to an arrest report cited by the News Journal. Denzel became angry and started fighting with Malik before he ran into the kitchen, got a butcher knife, and stabbed his brother twice, police said. Malik was taken to the hospital, while Denzel was arrested at the scene after he struggled with the police, according to the News Journal. Denzel allegedly told the Pensacola Police Department the stabbing wasn't an accident, although he thought the stab wounds were not that deep, the arrest report stated. The 15-year-old will not be officially charged until he appears in court, although a date has not been set for his first appearance. Assistant State Attorney Greg Marcille said he expected a second-degree murder charge, which carries a maximum penalty of life in prison. Mrs May, who is 60 today, has ordered a full-scale review of business practices A huge shake-up of employment rights to ensure workers are not ripped off by bosses was announced last night by Theresa May. The Prime Minister said the self-employed and those on temporary and zero-hours contracts needed job security and proper protection. On the eve of the Tory conference, Mrs May set her sights on the political centre ground, reaching out to the blue-collar workers who voted for Margaret Thatcher in large numbers. Mrs May, who is 60 today, has ordered a full-scale review of business practices. In a clear sign of her determination to steal votes from Labour, it will be carried out by the former head of Tony Blair's policy unit, Matthew Taylor. A major focus will be on the 4.8million people who work for themselves, the 900,000 on zero-hours contracts and the 1.7million temporary workers who are missing out on parental rights, pensions, sick pay and holiday pay. She also wants to know whether modern employment practices are undermining the new 9-an-hour living wage, by leaving families too short of money to get by. The review yet another break with the era of David Cameron and George Osborne will also look at whether workers need better US-style union representation, fighting inside companies for benefits such as private health insurance. Mrs May said: 'We are building a new centre ground in British politics; improving the security and rights of ordinary working people is a key part of building a country and an economy that works for everyone, not just the privileged few. 'Flexibility and innovation are a vital part of what makes our economy strong, but it is essential that these virtues are combined with the right support and protections for workers. The UK has one of the strongest labour markets in the world with record numbers of people in work, and an unemployment rate almost half the EU average. On the eve of the Tory conference, Mrs May set her sights on the political centre ground 'That's a proud record, but if we are to build a country that works for everyone not just the privileged few we need to be certain that employment regulation and practices are keeping pace with changing world of work.' Greg Clark, the Business Secretary, likened the PM's mission to make Britain 'as fit as possible' to the situation when the Conservatives came to power in 1979. In an exclusive Daily Mail interview, he said her determination to overhaul the country had parallels with Baroness Thatcher. Mr Clark promised 'urgent' action to upgrade broadband, the energy sector, rail and airports. A decision on a new runway at Heathrow is expected within weeks after more than a decade of delay. Greg Clark, the Business Secretary, promised 'urgent' action to upgrade broadband, the energy sector, rail and airports Mr Clark told the Mail that, while many businesses gave 'fantastic' care to their employees, there was a need to restore the trust caused by recent scandals. He singled out banks for particular criticism. He added: 'We know we have got some of the best people in the world, literally world beaters when it comes to engineers and technologists. 'But we also have kids who leave school without good qualifications and if we are to make the most of the new world we have got to upgrade our system of skills training so that everyone is capable of participating. 'On infrastructure, we have got Crossrail about to open shortly but there are parts of our national infrastructure that are creaking. If we want to attract businesses and help them grow we need to make sure that all areas of infrastructure are modern and functioning. 'That includes digital and broadband and mobile coverage. If you are really going to earn your living with start-ups and growing businesses you have got to be absolutely confident that you are going to get broadband and mobile coverage. 'You cannot stand still. You need to go better and further. That sense of urgency and progress will be a theme of my speech, the Chancellor's speech and Theresa May's speech. We start from a much better position but there are things that we need to do to upgrade our infrastructure, our skills, our systems.' Seamus Nevin, of the Institute of Directors, said: 'It is important that the Government works to ensure our employment regulations and definitions are flexible, so that we protect workers and give them access to training and development, while still enabling innovation and enterprise to prosper.' Building a new centre ground Mr Clark confirmed that work has begun on making big businesses more accountable by putting employees on company boards. And he said ex-Conservative MP Archie Norman, the former boss of both Asda and ITV, is returning as the new non-executive head of the board which oversees the Business Department. Mr Clark also revealed that Downing Street had ordered a review of whether new 'national interest' powers are needed to stop foreign firms taking control of important British businesses. It comes amid mounting disquiet over a German and London Stock Exchange merger. This is the lesbian mother accused of abducting the daughter she raised with her wife and eloping with a man. Lauren Etchells has sparked an international hunt after fleeing from Canada to Britain with Marco van der Merwe. She and wife Tasha Brown are said to have asked him for help conceiving a second child after they had daughter Kaydance with an online sperm donor. The women split, but teacher Miss Etchells went on to have the baby with IT expert Mr van der Merwe and later declared that they were engaged. Lauren Etchells has sparked an international hunt after fleeing from Canada to Britain with Marco van der Merwe. She is pictured with Mr van der Merwe, daughter Kaydance and baby The 31-year-old has now fled Canada with her fiance and both children in defiance of a court order after allegedly lying to passport officials. As Interpol searched for the fugitive mother last night, Miss Brown spoke of her heartbreak, telling the Mail she had been erased from Kaydances life overnight. She added: I was such a fool. I was played by Lauren. I welcomed Marco into our life because I thought he was no threat to our marriage and it would help us have more children as we had always planned. The last time I saw my daughter I put her in her car seat, gave her cuddles and a kiss, and waved her away thinking I would be seeing her again in a few days. Miss Etchells was born in South Shields, Tyneside, but emigrated to Canada with her electrical engineer father Brian and mother Angela. She met Miss Brown online and after their first date in February 2008 they married in 2012. Miss Brown, 43, said the couple had always wanted children and agreed that her wife would carry them because she was younger. Kaydance was born in 2014 after they found a sperm donor online. But when they came to try for a second child, the original donor no longer wanted to help because he had a new girlfriend who was uncomfortable with the idea. She and wife Tasha Brown are said to have asked him for help conceiving a second child after they had daughter Kaydance with an online sperm donor. Pictured is Miss Etchells with Tasha Brown (right) and newborn daughter Kaydance Things went downhill when they are said to have invited Mr van der Merwe, an old school friend of Miss Etchells, to be a sperm donor and he stayed with them during the summer of 2015. There started to be this weirdness, said Miss Brown. Lauren started being short with me and Marco was carrying Kaydance around and not acknowledging me as the mother. I knew something wasnt right. Soon afterwards we separated. I was shocked and crushed. Months later, as the couple attended a parenting after separation class, Miss Etchells broke the news that she was engaged to Mr van der Merwe and was expecting his child. Miss Brown said: That was my baby. That was the whole reason Marco was there. She added: Im not a man-hating lesbian. I wanted the best for Kaydance. But I was still her mother too. She saw the new baby, a boy called Marcus, soon after he was born. It was a shock to see him, she said. What my life was supposed to be flashed in front of me. Everything that I thought I knew had been snatched away. To complicate matters, Miss Brown had previously allowed to have her name temporarily removed from Kaydances birth certificate after the women made plans to teach in Qatar, where homosexuality is illegal. Fearing Miss Etchells might run away with the child after their split, she obtained a court order in April preventing her and Kaydance leaving Canada. Miss Etchells was ordered to surrender her British and Canadian passports. But the mother is said to have applied secretly for a new passport in defiance of the court order. A neighbour of the family later told her that theyd travelled to see relatives in the UK. A warrant has been issued for the arrest of Miss Etchells in Canada, and the police have alerted Interpol. Canadian policeman Sergeant Jereme Leslie said: Lauren is causing Kaydance no end of psychological damage, including being able to form any sort of trusting long-term relationship. Last night, Mr van der Merwe denied he had agreed to be a sperm donor. He said he had no idea where Miss Etchells was and had no contact with her after she broke off communication with him. He said she told him she was able to travel when they boarded the flight to the UK together. Until recently both were key players on the world stage, trying to tackle the problems of the Middle East and Libya. But yesterday former prime ministers Tony Blair and David Cameron were relegated to the back rows as international leaders gathered in Jerusalem for the funeral of Israeli statesman Shimon Peres. Also present was the Prince of Wales, wearing a custom velvet yarmulke. The traditional Jewish cap was embroidered with the feathers of his heraldic badge. Former prime ministers Tony Blair and David Cameron were relegated to the back rows as international leaders gathered in Jerusalem Also present at the funeral was the Prince of Wales, wearing a custom velvet yarmulke Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas, visiting Israel for the first time in six years to pay his respects, was seated in the front row of mourners. He greeted Israeli officials before comforting members of Mr Peress family, and his representative said he had wanted to attend to send a message that Palestinians still believe in peace in the region. Mr Peres, Israels ninth president, died early on Wednesday of complications after a stroke. He was 93. Other dignitaries at the funeral included American, French and German presidents Barack Obama, Francois Hollande and Joachim Gauck. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (centre) sits alongside European Council President Donald Tusk (left) Zvia, Chemi and Yoni, the children of former Israeli premier Shimon Peres walk behing the coffin of their father carried by members of the parliamentary guards It is believed the funeral was Jerusalems biggest security operation for at least two decades, with 8,000 police and soldiers on duty for the occasion. Mr Blair quit as Middle East peace envoy last year with no sign of an end to conflict in the region. Builders from Poland and the rest of the EU will still be welcome in Britain post-Brexit, a Cabinet minister declared last night. Sajid Javid said any immigration system for EU workers would ensure the building sector has got whatever it needs. The Communities Secretary wants an extra million homes to be built by 2020. His comments suggest that, while Polish builders may lose the right to enter the UK freely, they would be granted a visa if there was a skills shortage. On the eve of the Tory conference, Mr Javid said tackling the housing crisis was his number-one priority. There are nearly 250,000 overseas workers in the construction industry, including more than 30,000 from Poland and nearly 25,000 from Romania. Ministers expect that those EU workers already in Britain will be permitted to stay after Brexit negotiations are finished. Builders from Poland and the rest of the EU are set to be protected with any immigration system that is introduced post-Brexit according to Cabinet minister Sajid Javid However, new arrivals are expected to be told to apply for a work permit, and come only if they have a job. Mr Javid told the Financial Times he could not predict what the future might look like in terms of work visas and foreign workers. But he said: Wherever we end up, the Government is determined to get a good deal for Britain. Whether its construction or any other sector, we dont want to make it any more difficult for those industries than it is. Ministers have already said bankers from the EU will be welcome in the UK after Brexit. Chancellor Philip Hammond said any post-Brexit controls would facilitate the movement of highly skilled people between financial institutions and businesses. Stressing his determination to boost housebuilding, Mr Javid said that he would be very tough on English councils that fail to allocate enough land for housing. Local authorities have been told to come up with a local plan by early next year, setting out how they will cope with population growth. But some areas including Tory shires are set to miss that deadline. Concern about free movement dominated the referendum campaign. The Leave camp warned the influx from the EU was driving down wages and putting huge pressure on schools, hospitals and roads. Mr Javid's (pictured) comments suggest that, while Polish builders may lose the right to enter the UK freely, they would be granted a visa if there was a skills shortage Tory MPs have told Theresa May that ending free movement must be a red line in her negotiations with Brussels. Earlier this week, the PM was forced to deny claims from allies of David Cameron that she was lily-livered on EU migration and had undermined his efforts for stricter controls. Friends of Mrs May revealed she wrote to Mr Cameron at least twice when he was PM to demand stricter border controls and a brake on EU immigration only to be ignored. Poland has overtaken India as the most common foreign country of birth for UK residents. But the man said people took his comment out of context and overreacted One student claimed the comment made women 'feel like a piece of trash' Boasting about the number of women he slept with, he sparked outrage University student boasts about sexual exploits while running for the union A university student from New Zealand has sparked outrage after boasting about the number of women he'd slept with while running for a place on the university student union. University of Waikato student Alex Winiata claimed his sexual exploits should be enough to guarantee him a top position in the union. Writing in the university's student magazine, Mr Winiata said he would have no problem getting the position if he had a vote for every woman he'd slept with. University of Waikato student Alex Winiata (pictured) claimed his sexual exploits should be enough to guarantee him a top position in the union 'If I had one vote for every girl on this campus I've shagged, I would get this role easily,' he said. The marketing student, who was also a residential assistant at a university college, made the comment in official student publication, Nexus Magazine. While Mr Winiata's comment was possibly intended as a joke, not everyone found it funny. 'If I had one vote for every girl on this campus I've shagged, I would get this role easily,' the student union candidate wrote Alex Winiata (pictured), who was a residential assistant at a university college, made the comment in official student publication, Nexus Magazine Fellow University of Waikato student Elaine Gyde told Stuff the comments were harmful to women. 'Imagine if you're a woman who [had] sex with this guy, and you read that, how that would make you feel,' Ms Gyde said. 'You'd feel like a piece of trash and kind of worthless to him because he'd prefer you were a vote rather than someone who had actually had sex with him.' While she acknowledged his comments could be 'passed off as banter' she said 'banter' was a thinly veiled cover for something much more sinister. 'Imagine if you're a woman who [had] sex with this guy, and you read that, how that would make you feel,' fellow university student Elaine Gyde (pictured) said 'Lads banter is harmful because it hides behind the defence of good faith and humour,' she said. In a comment posted to his Facebook wall, Mr Winiata addressed this controversial remark. 'I accept that a comment I have made recently was in bad taste. To this I apologise for the offence this has caused,' he said. But Mr Winiata said he meant no offence, claiming people took it 'out of context' and even overreacted. 'I meant no disrespect at all,' he said. 'I accept that a comment I have made recently was in bad taste. To this I apologise for the offence this has caused,' Mr Winiata wrote on his Facebook page 'Some people have taken this comment I made in a "student magazine" out of context and reacted disproportionately.' 'To you I am sincerely sorry, but like all kiwis I put my all into everything I do,' he said. Mr Winiata went on to urge people not to 'waste your time' reading comments which criticised him. Still running for a position on the student union, Mr Winiata (pictured) said he was 'loving life and won't let this get (him) down' 'Don't waste your time, it's just something that's been taken the wrong way,' he said. 'I don't want one person's opinion to portray how other people should think of me. Still running for a position on the student union, Mr Winiata said he was 'loving life and won't let this get (him) down'. She narrowly avoided it and ran away from them but was soon caught When she threatened them with a knife, an officer shot her with a taser Police were called to the scene and A standoff between a bikini-clad woman and police has ended with officers shooting her with a taser. The 26-year-old woman arrived at the Georges River National Park at Picnic Point, south west of Sydney, in her small black car. Witnesses Debbie and Colin Crawford woke to hear the woman screaming erratically and loud music from her car stereo, according to a report by Nine News. Scroll down for video A 26-year-old bikini clad woman has been tasered by police after a two-hour standoff with police at Georges River National Park '[She] was dancing, running up and down here. You know, having a great time, yelling,' Mrs Crawford said. In the footage, the woman can be seen pacing around her car, yelling and even doing crude dance moves on top of her vehicle. Police officers arrived at the scene and tried to calm her down as she yelled and threw objects at them. 'I'm trying to say I'm sorry,' she can be heard yelling to them. The scene became tense when she produced a knife and used it to threaten the police. Witnesses say the woman was behaving erratically, yelling and dancing to loud music from her car stereo. An officer shot her with a taser after she threatened them with a knife After narrowly avoiding being hit by the taser, she ran away from police. The woman was eventually caught and charged for holding a knife in public, assaulting police and possessing a prohibited drug The male officer warns the woman to put the knife down, however, she appears to disobey prompting him to shoot her with a taser. The video shows the woman flinching, narrowly avoided the hit, and running away from the officers. Mr Crawford said that he was not at all concerned with his and his wife's safety. The body of a four-year-old boy has been found and another child is rushed to hospital in a critical condition after a horrific house fire. The child was found by emergency services at a property on Dandenong, in Melbourne's south east just before 8am on Saturday Member's of the boys family woke to call 000 after hearing the mother scream, reported Herald Sun. Scroll down for video A boy4, has been killed and another is fighting to survive after a fire tears through a Melbourne home Another child was taken to the Royal Children's Hospital in a serious but stable condition. A further five people were transported to Dandenong Hospital in a stable condition. The deceased boys mother, grandmother, uncle and family friends are believed to have been in the property at the time the fire occurred. The property has since been cordoned as police investigate what caused the fire. Five fire trucks were needed to put out the blaze that erupted in a two-storey town house The fire is believed to have erupted onto the top floor of the townhouse just before 7:50am. Five fire trucks were needed to control the blaze. Police said the house was 'extensively damaged', and are yet to release details on whether the victims are related. A pedestrian has been killed after attempting to cross a busy motorway. The man, aged in his mid-twenties, was struck by a car on the northbound lanes of the Sunshine motorway, north of Brisbane. The incident happened at 4.30am on Saturday between the Maroochydore Road and Buderim Road exits. Scroll down for video A man has died while trying to cross the Sunshine motorway, north of Brisbane, at about 4.30am on Saturday morning Emergency services were called but the man was pronounced dead at the scene. Roads in the area have been reopened to traffic. The Forensic Crash Unit continues its investigations into the incident. Police are appealing for any witnesses to the crash to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. Emergency services were called to the scene but the man, in his mid-twenties, was pronounced dead at the scene Power went out for more than an hour and a half at Universal Studios in Orlando, forcing passengers to be evacuated from the Men in Black and Transformers rides. The Orlando Fire Department was called to assist with the evacuations. The fire department tweeted Friday: 'OFD responding to power outage at Universal. 2 rides impacted, Transformers & Men in Black. No reports of distress. Nine units on standby.' Power went out for more than an hour and a half at Universal Studios in Orlando, forcing passengers to be evacuated from the Men in Black and Transformers rides. The Transformers ride is pictured in a file image It later tweeted: 'OFD checking elevators for anyone who may be stuck. Routine rescue. Transformers ride evacuated & OFD rescuing 11 of those remaining on ride.' For the Men in Black attraction, seven people were rescued from an elevator, according to Click Orlando. Universal spokesman Tom Schroder said that the cause of the power outage Friday was still being investigated. There were no injuries. For the Men in Black attraction, seven people were rescued from an elevator (file) Schroder said guests coming to Universal Studios were diverted to its sister theme park next door, Islands of Adventure, which never lost power. He told the Orlando Sentinel: 'It was internal. It was something that happened on our site.' Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts and The Simpsons Ride were unaffected by the power outage, Click Orlando reported. Orlando Fire Department spokeswoman Ashley Papagni says there were no reports of ride passengers in distress. Some McDonald's customers like to stick to one favorite order - but others will go to great lengths to avoid fast-food ennui. These customers treat the traditional menu like a list of ingredients. They play around with it, stuffing sandwiches into burgers and pastries into McFlurries. Their best-known combinations have come to form a secret menu shared among those in the know. Some items are said to be so well known that some McDonald's employees might know them by name. Others might require a bit of explanation. The items listed below begin at a humble 210 calories (for a take on the grilled cheese) to 1,060 (for a burger with eight patties). The numbers come from McDonald's nutrition calculator, which makes it possible to tweak and combine regular menu items ingredient per ingredient. A McDonald's manager acknowledged the possibility to order secret menu items at McDonald's on Reddit. 'You can order from the "secret menu". Just like with any of our sandwiches, you can add, remove or change ingredients by special request. These are called "grill orders"(i.e. Big Mac no pickle),' the manager explained. 'Order one and the workers might not know it by name but if you explain what it is, and are willing to pay for all the ingredients, it's just another "grill order" that we can make up.' The Land, Sea And Air burger This burger combining beef, fish and chicken is one of 11 items compiled by The Sun. To make it, order a Big Mac, a Filet-O-Fish and a McChicken. Keep only one sandwich bun and stack the rest of the toppings together - including the beef, fish and chicken patties. Estimated calories: 920. The Land, Sea And Air burger (pictured) is one of the items on McDonald's secret menu. It consists of a Big Mac, a Filet-O-Fish and a McChicken combined with only one bun The grilled cheese McDonald's does not have this American classic on its regular menu. But getting one is deceptively simple: order a cheeseburger and remove the burger. Some customers like it as a vegetarian snack. Hack The Menu, a website that curates secret menus, recommends asking for the bun to be toasted when ordering a grilled cheese. Estimated calories: 210 with ketchup, 200 without. Customers have managed to obtain a grilled cheese (pictured) by ordering a cheeseburger and removing the burger. Some like it as a meat-free snack Apple Pie McFlurry The comforting taste of apple pie a la mode can be recreated beneath the Golden Arches. This ambitious creation combines a simple McFlurry with McDonald's apple pie. Customers can ask the employee to blend the pie in their ice cream - or simply order the two desserts and combine them on their own. The McFlurry can be ordered plain for the quintessential combination, but other customers seem to enjoy tweaking the recipe with an Oreo or M&M's McFlurry topped with various flavors of pie. Estimated calories: 600. The Apple Pie McFlurry (pictured) consists of a McDonald's apple pie blended into a McFlurry - two of McDonald's regular dessert items McCrepe Some ingenious customers have come up with their take on the French classic. This recipe, one of 11 related by BuzzFeed, requires a hotcake, found on the breakfast menu and sold by orders of three, and a yogurt and granola parfait, also from the breakfast menu. The hotcake gets stuffed with the yogurt parfait, and some customers also like to top their crepe with syrup and granola. Estimated calories: 256 for one crepe and one parfait. Combining a hotcake with a fruit and granola parfait will make a McCrepe, another secret menu item made up by McDonald's customers in need of a breakfast with a twist Hash Browns McMuffin This savory breakfast item combines a regular Sausage McMuffin with egg and one hash brown. Instead of being eaten on the side, the hash brown has to be put inside the sausage egg McMuffin, thus creating a whole new breakfast sandwich. Estimated calories: 620. The Hash Browns McMuffin (pictured) takes a regular McMuffin with egg and sausage and adds to it a has brown, which is usually served on the side Neapolitan shake Why pick between chocolate, strawberry and vanilla? Some customers chose to have all three and asked an employee to combine them into one single milkshake. The end result is said to taste like Neapolitan ice cream, which is believed to date back to the 19th century and to have come from Italian immigrants. Estimated calories: 520 for a small shake. Some customers came up with the Neapolitan shake (pictured), which combines vanilla, chocolate and strawberry flavors into a single shake The Mc10:35 This rare bird of a sandwich is best ordered at 10:35 am - when McDonald's breakfast time slot nears its end and the lunch time slot is just about to begin. To make a Mc10:35, two items are required: one from the breakfast menu and one from the all-day menu. Time your visit wisely and order an Egg McMuffin as well as a McDouble. Some elect to keep both sandwiches in full and stack the Egg McMuffin inside the McDouble. Others appear to keep only the muffin from the Egg McMuffin. Estimated calories: 680 calories if both sandwiches are eaten in full, 530 calories if only the muffin remains, 550 calories if only the burger bun remains. This sandwich, called the Mc10:35, straddles the border of breakfast and lunch. It involves an Egg McMuffin stugged inside a McDouble Monster Mac Simple to conceive, potentially hard to digest: this is a Big Mac with eight buns. Estimated calories: 1,060. The Monster Mac (pictured) is an extreme take on McDonald's Big Mac that includes eight beef patties - and contains an estimated 1,060 calories Big Mac sauce fries This simple hack consists in asking for an order of Big Mac sauce instead of ketchup or another traditional condiment. Estimated calories: 430 for a medium order of fries. Some customers thought about ordering their fries with Big Mac sauce on the side instead of a regular condiment like ketchup, creating the Big Mac sauce fries (pictured) Chicken McGriddle McDonald's offers its McGriddles with sausage; bacon, egg and cheese; or sausage, egg and cheese. But some dreamed of having theirs with chicken. So they came up with the Chicken McGriddle, made out of a McGriddle's griddle cakes with a McChicken patty. Estimated calories: 390. The Chicken McGriddle (pictured) takes McDonald's regular McGriddles sandwich and stuffs it with a chicken patty instead of usual toppings such as sausage, egg or cheese Root beer float Some customers say this can be obtained by asking for a scoop of ice cream in a glass of root beer. This can be done with other sodas if root beer is unavailable. Estimated calories: 390 for a medium soda. Some customers say it is possible to get a root beer float (pictured) at McDonald's - or another kind of ice cream float - by asking for a scoop of soft serve on top of the drink McGangBang This towering burger consists of a McChicken placed in its entirety inside a McDouble. Estimated calories: 750. A three-year-old girl was found dead after she drowned in a pond behind her home in suburban Orlando on Thursday. McKenna MacAteer was last seen playing with the family dog in the fenced backyard of her home in Deltona, Florida, on Thursday. When her father noticed she was missing he called the girl's mother, who promptly alerted the police, The Daytona Beach News-Journal reported on Thursday. 'She was in the backyard playing, but all the gates were closed,' her mom Rachel Jerkins told the dispatcher. McKenna MacAteer was last seen playing with the family dog in the fenced backyard of her home in Deltona, Florida, on Thursday 'He keeps trying to call for her and he doesn't know where she's at.' The Volusia County Sheriff's Office dispatched investigators to the family home at 3111 Dow Court. While the parents said that the backyard was completely fenced, the investigators found a gate that was open. It led to a pond that lay just beyond the patch of woods adjacent to the home. MacAteer had told investigators that he believed all the gates were locked. Investigators are now trying to determine how the gate was opened. When her father came home and noticed that she wasn't there, he called the girl's mother, who promptly alerted the police Her mom stayed on the phone with the 911 dispatcher for 19 minutes, during which she admitted to speeding in order to rush home to find her daughter. 'You got to stay calm while you're driving, OK?' the dispatcher said, trying to calm the panicked mother. MacAteer had noticed that the dog returned home soaking wet, which led him to suspect that his daughter did indeed wade toward the pond. When the deputies arrived, they descended on the pond and extricated the young girl's body. Efforts to resuscitate the girl failed and she was pronounced dead at 8pm. Amanda Flowers, a friend of Jerkins, began a GoFundMe page in McKenna Macateer's memory. 'McKenna was the light of so many people's lives,' Flowers wrote. 'She was the smartest, funniest, three year old you have ever met.' 'I am starting this account in McKenna's name to help out with any financial burdens that may arise from this horrible tragedy.' A father-of-five has been likened to Walter White in the US hit show Breaking Bad after he tried to smuggle $59.5 million of the drug ice into Australia upon finding out he had one year to live. Anthony John Scott, 44, from Flinders Park, in Adelaide, was told he had a fatal heart condition before he decided to smuggle the drugs from Indonesia. Scott was arrested on January 7 after he was found to be in possession of around 60kg of the drug from Indonesia, reported The Advertiser. Scroll down for video Father-of-five, Anthony John Scott, tried to smuggle $59.5 million of the drug ice into Australia after he was told he has a fatal heart condition He was also found with nine kilograms of cannabis with a reported street value of more than $56,200. Scott pleaded guilty to one count of importing a commercial quantity of a border control drug, importing a marketable quantity of a border-controlled drug and trafficking a large commercial quantity of a controlled drug The 44-year-old now faces life imprisonment and a maximum $1.35 million fine. But Scotts defence barrister claims he was distressed after receiving the news of his health condition and is asking for a non-parole period to be served in home detention. The 44-year-old hoped to make money with the drugs (pictured) to secure his family's future after his death Scott has been likened to Walter White (left and right) in the US hit show Breaking Bad who begins to deal with drugs after being diagnosed with terminal cancer to help his family The drugs were discovered following a joint investigation by Federal Police, the Indonesian National Narcotics Board, Australian Border Force and South Australian Police. The officers found the drugs in a shipment of stone products destined for Adelaide shortly before Christmas 2015. The drugs were stored inside the products within cardboard boxes. In the US hit show Breaking Bad the main character Walter White begins to deal with drugs after being diagnosed with terminal cancer. Scott will face sentencing in November. The 44-year-old now faces life imprisonment and a maximum $1.35 million fine Sons of jailed drug kingpin Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman were likely behind an armed attack on a military convoy on Friday, which left five soldiers dead and 10 wounded, a senior security official said. The attack took place in the early morning on the edge of the city of Culiacan in northern Sinaloa state, along Mexico's Pacific coast, the home base of the Sinaloa Cartel, whose former leader Guzman was recaptured in January. The convoy was transporting a detainee, Julio Ortiz, when it was ambushed by armed men hurling grenades which caused two of the convoy's vehicles to burst into flames, said General Alfonso Duarte, the regional defense ministry commander in charge of Sinaloa. Scroll down for video Workers transport burned vehicles from a crime scene after an ambush by members of an organized crime syndicate, under orders of the sons of Mexican drug lord Joaquin 'El Chapo' Police investigators stand over a body at the site where a military convoy was ambushed with grenades and high-powered guns, killing five soldiers in the city of Culiacan, Mexico Sons of El Chapo were likely behind the armed attack. Pictured here, El Chapo's sons, Alfredo Guzman and Ivan Archivaldo Guzman, however it is not known which of his four sons were involved in the attack Ready: 'El Chino Antrax' wearing full army gear with the caption: 'I'm also equipped for war' Audacious: The boastful tweets by Ivan included this picture of the inside of a Ferrari, complete with a pimped-up AK47 sitting between the driver's and passengers seat. More sports cars are in the background Dangerous: Joaquin Guzman also posted a personalised gold-plated, diamond encrusted gun on Twitter. Their extravagant lifestyle is fuelled by cartel kingpin's drug production and distribution operations Mexican drug trafficker Joaquin Guzman Loera aka 'el Chapo Guzman' was arrested in January after six months on the run following his escape through a tunnel in his jail cell Ortiz was arrested in El Chapo's hometown of Badiraguato in Sinaloa. Ortiz was allegedly involved in a conflict over control of drug crops pitting Aureliano Guzman, a brother of 'El Chapo', against Alfredo Beltran, a leader of the rival Beltran Leyva cartel. Ortiz was taken alive by the attackers, but it was unclear whether he was an ally or enemy of the armed men. 'We aren't sure (about the identity of the attackers), but it's very probable that they work for the sons of El Chapo,' Duarte told reporters in a joint news conference with Sinaloa Gov. Mario Lopez. The governor said that numerous armored trucks were behind the ambush. 'It was a cowardly attack since the soldiers, unfortunately, didn't have a chance to defend themselves,' said Lopez. President Enrique Pena Nieto promised to bring those responsible for the attack to justice in a post on his Twitter page. 'El Chapo' Guzman was re-captured earlier this year following his brazen escape from a maximum security prison in July of last year. He is currently in prison in Ciudad Juarez, a northern city on the U.S. border, awaiting extradition to the United States. The ambush was allegedly organized to rescue a high ranking cartel member who was being transported to a hospital. At least five soldiers died in the attack and eight were injured Posing: Alfredo cover his face with a cap from Harrods while he lies with a mountain lion in his possession Extravagant: Ivan Guzman, second in command and heir to his father's drugs empire, poses with a lion Party: Joaquin Guzman, aka 'El Chino Anthrax', blurred his own face out of this picture of his party Collection: The cartel's power is on show with the tweets, with third son Joaquin sharing an image of his weapon and a pair of sunglasses balanced on top. The caption says: 'Since I was a kid I'm crazy about guns' In the past, El Chapo's pampered children have taken to Twitter to boast of their fabulous wealth and lavish lifestyles - all paid for by the proceeds of organised crime. Outrageous images posted online by El Chapo's three sons and his daughter show off their gilded lives of fast cars, endless parties and wild animals that are kept as pets. A self-confessed playboy, El Chapo's eldest son, Ivan, likes nothing better than boasting about his gilded life of parties and violence on Twitter. In one picture he posted a picture of his red Ferrari with an AK-47 rifle resting next to the gear stick. In another the hooded narco's son - one of three boys belonging to El Chapo - crouches down in front of a silver Mercedes hugging a pet LION in the driveway. The party-boy recently wrote: 'I distract myself with women, but always on top of business', along with a picture of himself boarding a private jet. As much as he posts pictures, the acting boss is particularly vocal over Twitter, using it to affirm his authority over the Sinaloa cartel. 'I've got my hand on the wheel', he tells his followers, 'I can't give up the responsibility my father has given me and worked so hard for. The Guzman era continues to reign' Flash: Joaquin Guzman boasted he has 'style and character' when he posted a picture of his fancy supercar Insult: One image, posted from inside a private jet has the caption: 'Ok plebs, I'm leaving you behind' 'I want to make it very clear, there's no successor to my father, not just anyone can fill these shoes. He is still giving orders.' Jesus Alfredo Guzman, Ivan's only surviving full brother, also lives the good life at his father's expense. El Chapo's middle son has posted a series of pictures of his collection of pet lion cubs - with one of the cub resting on the boot of his red Bentley. Alfredo is the commander of a large armed faction of the cartel, and often posts pictures of his firearms and soldiers on the ground. A recent upload showed the Sinaloa cartel gunmen better equipped than the Mexican army, a photo which Alfredo captioned with 'for those who want to step onto my turf, I give them my army'. He also takes firearms into the cinema, a recent picture showing his 9mm personalised pistol alongside his popcorn, with the caption: 'I've got my toy with me in case anyone wants to make things exciting.' A recent upload showed the Sinaloa cartel gunmen better equipped than the Mexican army, a photo which Alfredo captioned with 'for those who want to step onto my turf, I give them my army'. He also takes firearms into the cinema, a recent picture showing his 9mm personalised pistol alongside his popcorn, with the caption: 'I've got my toy with me in case anyone wants to make things exciting.' But the extravagance isn't limited just to El Chapo's male heirs. His daughter Alejandrina Gisselle is also very active on social media through her @GisselleGuzman Twitter account, where she appears to support her father's criminal activities. The killing could have been the result of a brutal road-rage attack A woman who was killed in Adelaide's north could have been an innocent victim to a brutal road-rage attack, according to police. The 57-year-old grandmother of three was killed on Friday night, her 27-year-old daughter in-law was gagged and tied up in front of her three young children. The middle aged victim - originally from the Philippines - could have been followed home from work at 6pm by her attackers, the Adelaide Advertiser reports, but police are still unsure of the motive. The grandmother was seen talking to two men in her driveway, by the daughter-in-law, after she had traveled home from work in her white 2014 two door Fiat 500 sedan with custom plates - MYRNA. Scroll down for video Neighbours said they heard chilling screams for up to 10 minutes from the Valley View home The 57-year-old grandmother of three was killed on Friday night over a suspected road-rage incident, which resulted in a home invasion Police are looking for a white Holden tray-top 4WD ute, which was seen fleeing after the horrific attack. The children a boy, five, and two girls aged four and two were inside the home when their doting grandmother died. The murdered grandmother owned the newly renovated house and her family had lived with her for the last two years. Social media photos reveal they were close with the grandmother often in pictures with all three of the children. Police are treating the death as murder. The woman bound and gagged, 27, told police it was a home invasion involving two males 'We are treating this as a murder, a very deliberate, calculated and vicious attack on defenseless people in their home,' Major Crime Investigation Branch, Detective Superintendent Des Bray said. 'She was definitely followed home, for what duration we don't know. The other thing we don't know is if she did know those people ... or whether they were strangers and perhaps something has happened on the way home ... perhaps a road-rage incident happened.' Neighbours recall a chilling scream just before 10pm last night at a home in the eastern Adelaide suburb, Valley View, which prompted residents to call the police. Investigating neighbours found a mother-of-three, 27, bound and gagged in a nearby front yard and they removed the tape and remained with her until police arrived, according to Ninenews. Police discovered a dead woman, 57, inside the house and three young children on the premises, according to The Advertiser. Police combed the house for evidence on Saturday afternoon looking for clues to the motive behind the home invasion Police discovered a dead woman inside the house and three young children on the premises The mother of the three children was found bound in an adjacent yard after the home invasion The mother, found in an adjacent front yard, was assaulted and sustained minor injuries and was sent to Modbury Hospital, while police said her children who were inside during the suspected home invasion were unharmed. Superintendent Guy Buckley, from Holden Hill Local Service Area, said the assaulted woman claimed it was a home invasion involving two males. 'The woman is alleging that there was a home invasion with two caucasian males that left the scene in a white tradie-type vehicle,' he said. 'The occupants of the house are a married couple and the deceased person is the mother or grandmother of the husband.' The husband was notified of the incident from the police and it is unclear how the older woman died, but it was not from a knife. The tragic incident has so far puzzled police with no apparent links to why the alleged offenders would come to the house. The incident has so far puzzled police with no apparent links to why the alleged offenders picked this house in Valley View, Adelaide Described as a 'pretty quiet street', an anonymous neighbour said she heard chilling screams coming from the lady in the front yard and another neighbour said they were scared for the children. Another neighbour said he heard screams that lasted up to 10 minutes before emergency services arrived. The first male was described as being caucasian, 172cm tall, built, with yellow curly hair and was wearing a white t-shirt. The second male was also caucasian and was wearing a hoodie and dark coloured clothing. The 57-year-old woman owned the home and had lived their with her son, daughter in law and three grandchildren for three years. The home had recently been renovated. Police are looking for a white Holden ute and are asking anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. Polce are urging anyone that saw the grandmother's white 2014 two door Fiat 500 sedan (Pictured) after 6pm on Friday to contact police It remains unclear how the older woman died and police are still on the hunt for the alleged assailants A cassowary bird has been photographed sitting under a beach umbrella and blanket, set up by beach goers. The pictures, captured by Jennifer Rinaldo, show the endangered bird taking over the picnic site at Etty Bay beach, in far North Queensland. Two young mothers had set up the beach blanket and umbrella with their small children. An endangered cassowary has been pictured taking over the beach goers picnic site on Etty Bay beach in in far North Queensland Little did they know the cassowary was behind them. When the women noticed the big bird approaching, they quickly grabbed their kids and moved out of his way. The cassowary ended up taking over their set up, enjoying their picnic and the beautiful view. Cassowaries are an endangered species and should be respected and protected by locals and tourists. As Fabiola Bittar de Kroon lay bleeding to death at a Hoboken train station that had just been eviscerated by a commuter train that failed to stop, Rahman Perkins kept urging her to fight on until her last breath. 'I told her, "Just breathe, focus on your family, focus on your loved ones",'' he told NBC4 New York. 'I told her, "I'm here, I'm not going to leave you".' 'She fought. She really did her best,' said Perkins. De Kroon, a 34-year-old mother-of-one, was killed in the horrific train accident that left 112 people injured when it crashed at a 'high rate of speed' into the train terminal on Thursday morning. Scroll down for video Rahman Perkins (right), a 29-year-old college student from Rahway, New Jersey, was with Fabiola Bittar de Kroon (left) as she lay trapped under debris from the Hoboken train accident De Kroon was standing at the Hoboken terminal when the commuter train failed to stop and smashed into a wall and on to the platform Perkins (seen above amidst the wreckage) tried to save de Kroon, who was bleeding and experiencing difficulty breathing Perkins, 29-year-old a college student from nearby Rahway, New Jersey, was running late to class. He just so happened to pass by the station because it was a shortcut that enabled him to get to class quicker. In an amazing coincidence, the accident happened just as he walked by. Perkins ran into the columns of collapsing degree and mangled metal even as frightened commuters waiting on the platform were fleeing in panic. 'I was walking behind the station by the pier and everyone started running out, and I started running in, like an instant,' he said. 'I saw the train just hit the wall.' 'I just saw the train crash into everything. And I just started trying to help whoever I could,' he told ABC. Perkins, who was helping others hurt by the fallen debris and wreckage, heroically tried to save de Kroon. 'I was just moving people and picking up beams and metal, and I happened to see her feet on the ground,' Perkins told NBC 4 New York. 'It was just chaotic - I mean, really, it was dangerous everywhere,' he said. 'I knew she was in pain. I was like, "Miss, I'm not gonna leave you. I'm not gonna let you-- if you're gonna die, you're not gonna die by yourself right now. I'm here with you".' 'Miss, I'm not gonna leave you,' Perkins told de Kroon (seen above with her husband Daan). 'If you're gonna die, you're not gonna die by yourself right now. I'm here with you.' De Kroon's husband was out of town on business and their child was at daycare at the time of the horrific accident 'I could see she was in so much pain, I didn't want to pick her up and run anywhere because there was so much blood and I didn't know where it was coming from,' said Perkins. Knowing that there was little he could do for her, Perkins sought to comfort de Kroon during her last moments alive. 'I saw that beauty in her. I saw that peace,' he said. 'I want (de Kroon's family) to know she was that same person, she wasn't mangled, she wasn't all over the place, she was just there and unfortunately she didn't make it.' Hours later, Perkins wanted to check up on de Kroon's condition. When he was informed that she was taken to a nearby hospital, he went there and received the horrible news. De Kroon, a 2011 master's degree graduate from Florida International University's College of Business, had previously lived in Florida, but was a Brazil native. She'd temporarily paused her legal career, leaving the software company SAP in Brazil after her husband got a job with an international liquor company. Global software company SAP confirmed that de Kroon, a native of Brazil, previously worked there as a lawyer The mother had just dropped her toddler daughter off at daycare Thursday morning before rushing to the Hoboken Terminal. 'She was dropping off the daughter, I was closing up the stroller,' daycare director Karlos Magner recalled, CBS News reported. 'We had a good talk for like a minute. And she said she was in a rush.' Officials said de Kroon was standing on the platform at the time of the accident. De Kroon's husband was out of town on business and their child was at daycare at the time of the horrific accident. He is returning back to town. Global software company SAP confirmed that de Kroon, a native of Brazil, previously worked there as a lawyer in a statement to DailyMail.com. 'SAP is profoundly saddened and shaken by the news of today's train crash in New Jersey,' the company said. Tala Raassi was almost shot in the streets of Iran for wearing a mini-skirt to her sweet-16th birthday party. The Iranian-American woman managed to escape death that night, but endured five torturous nights in prison, and 40 court ordered lashings for her crime. Years later, Ms Raassi has opened up about the horrific experience, and how it motivated her to become a fashion designer and campaign for women's freedom of choice. Scroll down for video Tala Raassi (pictured) was almost shot in the streets of Iran for wearing a mini-skirt to her sweet-16th birthday party The Iranian-American fashion designer now campaigns for women's freedom of expression Although she was now a successful business woman, designing clothes for women across the world, Ms Raassi said she was unable to forget the sheer terror she felt in Tehran, the capital of Iran. Ms Raassi said it was 1998 when her birthday party was stormed by The Basijis, a militant group who considered itself a defender of Islam. When the militant group busted their way in to the house, Ms Raassi said her and two friends knew their lives were in danger, and decided to run. Ms Raassi has opened up about the horrific experience, and how it motivated her to become a fashion designer and campaign for women's freedom of choice Ms Raassi's birthday party was stormed by The Basijis (pictured), a militant group who considered itself a defender of Islam Fuelled by fear, Ms Raassi said the girls bolted down the street only steps ahead of the gun wielding Basij men. But Ms Raassi and her friends were unable to outrun them, and soon found themselves face to face with the group, staring down the barrel of rifles aimed directly at them. Ms Raassi had no choice but to surrender, she told The Australian. That night, the 16-year-old was told she was a disgrace and taken to one of the most notoriously dangerous prisons in the country, Vozara Prison. Together with friends from the party, Ms Raassi spent five torturous days and nights in the prison, locked in a 'bleak pit'. Ms Raassi bolted from the party and ran down the streets of Tehran (pictured) the capital city of Iran where she lived After days with no clue what was in store for them, Ms Raassi said they were lead from the prison to a courthouse for sentencing. The fashion designer said she was reprimanded for her 'wrongdoings' before hearing the word 'shalagh', which meant lashes. The boys were sentenced to 50 lashes, and the girls to 40. 'Some of the girls were in a state of shock, some of them bawled. We were all petrified,' she said. Wearing a mini-skirt was illegal in 1998, at the time Ms Raassi celebrated her 16th birthday, and still is illegal in Tehran (pictured) where she was raised Ordered to lie face down on a bed, Ms Raassi recalled the moment a whip, soaked in water for maximum effect, lashed across her back. Rendered silent from the pain, Ms Raassi said the punishment she endured was 'excruciating'. Now 18 years later, Ms Raassi said she wanted to use her experience for good. And with the message 'Fashion is Freedom', the American based designer wanted to empower women. However Hef's rep claims he is fine, adding his back problems over recent years have made it a bit more challenging for him to get around Hugh Hefner has spoken out on Twitter, after police went to the Playboy Mansion this week over rumors of the 90-year-old's death. Authorities showed up at the Holmby Hills residence around 10.30am Friday, LAPD Officer Mike Lopez told NBC Los Angeles. Lopez revealed: 'This obviously did not happen. Mr Hefner spoke with an officer at the West LA station and confirmed he's OK.' On Friday night, Hefner tweeted an image showing him with his 30-year-old wife Crystal, which was captioned: 'Tonight's Mansion movie is the classic western, "Shane."' Crystal Hefner retweeted the photo of the couple. In another Friday tweet, the Playboy founder said: 'I wish the tabloids had informed me a little earlier in the week that Im sick. I might have cancelled my weekend plans.' Scroll down for video On Friday, Hefner tweeted an image showing him with his 30-year-old wife Crystal Hefner posted this message on Twitter Friday. Police went to the Playboy Mansion Friday morning, after there were rumors of Hefner's death Cooper Hefner is defending his father's health after reports surfaced that Hugh Hefner, 90, is 'super sick' The 25-year-old Playboy chief creative officer took to Twitter to on Friday in an attempt to put the claims to rest According to TMZ, police went to the residence and spoke to staffers who said Hefner's health is the same. Hefner called police and told them he was alright, after a staffer informed him the police had shown up to see how he was doing, the report said. Hefner's son Cooper has also been defending his father's health. The 25-year-old Playboy chief creative officer took to Twitter on Friday in an attempt to put the claims to rest. 'Apparently my Dad is "super sick". Based on the fact that I see or chat with him nearly every day that's news to me ,' Cooper tweeted. He hashtagged the tweet with: '#tabloidbs.' Cooper followed up with a second tweet saying: 'Gotta love a stupid morning story you can enjoy over coffee.' Concerns were raised about Hefner's health amid rumors the Playboy founder makes visitors sign a confidentiality agreement. A source told Page Six, Hefner is unwell and its led to a dramatic weight loss, adding he now appears to weigh just a mere 90lbs. But in a bid to keep the 90-year-olds condition a secret, visitors reportedly have to sign a waiver if they want to visit. He looks like he is down to around 90 pounds and super sick, the source told Page Six. However, sources have raised concerns about the health of Hugh Hefner (above, in October last year with his wife Crystal) His people are really trying to keep this under wraps. You even have to sign a confidentiality agreement to go up to see him. But a representative for Hefner who hasnt been seen in public in months - told Page Six that he is fine, adding his back problems over recent years have made it a bit more challenging for him to get around. The spokesman added that Hefner is still enjoying his life and still very involved in the day-to-day activities of editing the magazine. DailyMail.com has contacted Hefners reps for comment. Hefner looked frail in a picture (above) with Playboy's 2016 Playmate of the Year Eugena Washington in May Hefner had shared a picture of himself dressed in purple silk pajamas at his Midsummer Nights Dream Party in August, but reportedly didn't attend. Instead, Cooper Hefner (pictured, center) hosted the party Hefner had shared a picture of himself dressed in purple silk pajamas at his Midsummer Nights Dream Party on Twitter in August. However, reports say he didnt attend and his son Cooper hosted it instead. The 90-year-old recently sold his Playboy Mansion for $100million and has not been spotted out in Los Angeles, according to Page Six. Last year, model Carla Howe said Hefner was too ill to attend his famously raucous parties. Hef is so frail, he goes everywhere with a group of nurses, she said. Hefners 30-year-old wife Crystal Hefner has been recently posting pictures of herself alone in Paris. Came back and asked: 'What should I tell her? How should I handle this' The little girl's father was in Pennsylvania when commuter train crashed Fabiola had dropped her off in the morning before catching the train Fabiola Bittar de Kroon (pictured with her husband and daughter) died in a train crash in Hoboken, New Jersey on Thursday The husband of the woman who died in a horrific commuter train crash in Hoboken had the heartbreaking task of telling their infant daughter. Adrianus de Kroon lost his wife Fabiola Bittar de Kroon, 34, in Thursday morning's wreck. He was in Pennsylvania when a train plowed through a barrier and into the New Jersey station. Fabiola had dropped off their 20-month-old daughter, Julia, at Hoboken's Smart Start Academy that morning. She was standing on the platform at the time of the crash. Adrianus, who traveled back from Pennsylvania, went to pick her up. He waited outside to ask the owner, Karlos Magner, how to tell the little girl that she had lost her mother. 'He said, "What should I tell her? How should I handle this?" ' Magner told the New York Times. Fabiola would drop off and pick up Julia every day at the center. The family had moved from Brazil, Fabiola's native country, to New Jersey in April. Fabiola might have been traveling to look for a new apartment for the family that day, according to news reports. On Thursday morning, Magner closed Julia's stroller with a goodbye to de Kroon. Everything was fine, he said. It was a typical day, with its usual stream of children and parents giving hugs and kisses on their way back out the door. Adrianus de Kroon, Fabiola's husband (pictured with her) was in Pennsylvania at the time of the crash. He came back and went to pick up their 20-month-old daughter Julia from daycare Fabiola (pictured with her husband) dropped off the little girl at Smart Start Academy in Hoboken on Thursday morning, as she did every day 'You just saw a smile on her face every time she came to pick up her daughter,' daycare director Maria Sharp told NBC New York, 'and that's what I keep seeing.' The crash, which happened around 8:45 am, injured more than 100 people. Fabiola died of her injuries. Julia could tell that 'something was off' and became restless when her mother didn't come to pick her up at the usual time, Magner said. When Adrianus asked for advice on how to tell the little girl, Magner was lost for words. 'I told him honestly: "I don't know. There's no book. Life, we're not trained. We don't know. So just stand strong," ' Magner told the New York Times. Magner told Adrianus that only parents can tell when the time is right to tell their child such devastating news. Fabiola, a 2011 master's degree graduate from Florida International University's College of Business, had previously lived in Florida. She'd temporarily paused her legal career, leaving the software company SAP in Brazil after her husband got a job with an international liquor company. Word of Fabiola's death made its way across states and continents and her former co-workers felt their lives pause for a moment. In Florida, anger and shock boiled in Cecilia Marques, a former co-worker at a company that specialized in travel to Brazil. Marques had a difficult time finding words to express her sadness for the woman she said was a 'great, talented, big and genuine heart.' A train plowed through a barrier and into the New Jersey station on Thursday morning, injuring more than 100 people (the scene is pictured). Fabiola died of her injuries Adrianus came back from Pennsylvania and went to pick up Julia from daycare. Pictured, passengers rush to safety after the crash on Thursday morning A Ridgewood, Queens, man was arrested for murder this week after allegedly stabbing his female roommate to death. Render Stetson-Shanahan repeatedly stabbed Carolyn Bush at approximately 11.50pm Wednesday in the Stanhope Street apartment before stabbing his own leg, police told WABC. He has allegedly admitted to drinking alcohol and smoking marijuana then stabbing Bush while she was on the telephone. Scroll down for video Render Stetson-Shanahan (left) is accused of repeatedly stabbing Carolyn Bush (right) at approximately 11.50pm Wednesday in the Stanhope Street apartment before stabbing his own leg Pictured is a Google View of the Stanhope Street apartment in Ridgewood, Queens Neighbor Jonathan Cruz told DNAInfo: 'I heard a high-pitched scream. He came out and was saying into the phone, "I don't think I'm gonna have a lease anymore." 'He hit a car with a knife in his hand. He saw me and said, "What's your name? I've never met you." I didn't reply, then he tried to lunge at me with the knife, but I blocked it.' Cruz told the website he made a 911 call while Stetston-Shanahan was walking around holding the knife. Bush, 26, was on a bedroom floor when she was located by authorities, who located a bloody Stetson-Shanahan, also 26, on a nearby street corner, the New York Post reported. Building manager Pat Castellar says Bush was a librarian and coffee shop worker Bush was pronounced dead at Wyckoff Hospital, while Stetson-Shanahan was taken to a different hospital and in stable condition, according to WABC. Authorities charged him with criminal mischief, criminal possession of a weapon, menacing and murder. Building manager Pat Castellar told DNAInfo: 'I have 60 apartments, and they were my best tenants, always paid the rent on time, no complaints. I'm in shock.' Castellar told the website Bush was a librarian and coffee shop worker. Bush was pronounced dead at Wyckoff Hospital, while Stetson-Shanahan was taken to a different hospital and in stable condition A website for Stetson-Shanahan says he 'is an artist, illustrator, and signmaker' A website for Stetson-Shanahan says he 'is an artist, illustrator, and signmaker'. His arraignment was held Friday, the New York Post reported. According to the newspaper, Assistant District Attorney Crystal Igneri said that Stetson-Shanahan had explained: 'I was upset. I drank a lot of beer, smoked weed at my brother's house... 'She was on the phone and I said, "Guess what?" then I stabbed her.' Igneri said Stetson-Shanahan was only in boxer briefs when he told police 'I stabbed myself and I stabbed my roommate' after he was arrested, per the Post's report. A young student who posted a shooting threat on social media that caused his school to be closed has turned himself in to police. A 14-year-old who had attended Hazen High School, about 15 miles from Seattle, shared a post on Instagram on Wednesday night where he threatened to shoot a specific student and perhaps others. 'Y'all mother f******* better not goto (sic) school tomorrow,' the message started, followed by a gun emoji, KIRO7 reports. A young student turned himself in to police after posting this threat on social media, causing his school to be closed 'I'm tired of being called a little white ***** yall (sic) never gonna (sic) forget my name.' He then identified one student as the 'first mother f***** I'm shooting'. Police said in a statement on Thursday night the boy was released to his parents after turning himself in, and that the post was allegedly a joke gone wrong. 'The investigation indicated that the threatening post was intended as a prank, and no actual act of violence was planned. The students motivation is unknown at this time,' a Renton Police statement read. A 14-year-old who studies at Hazen High School (pictured), about 15 miles from Seattle, shared a post on Instagram on Wednesday night where he threatened to shoot a specific student Renton Police said they believe the Instagram post was meant as a prank, and the boy has been released to his parents Hazen High School was closed on Thursday after officials were notified of the post on Wednesday night. The student was identified after officers spoke with other students, police said. The engineer who was operating the train that crashed into the Hoboken, New Jersey station on Thursday was not under the influence at the time of the accident. Conductor Thomas Gallagher, 48, underwent a blood test, which came back negative for drugs and alcohol, a law enforcement official told ABC. Authorities have already recovered one of the train's two black boxes as the National Transportation Safety Board tries to determine the cause of the crash that killed one and injured 114 others. Conductor Thomas Gallagher, 48, (pictured) who was operating the train that crashed in Hoboken, New Jersey, yesterday was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol Authorities have already recovered one of the train's two black boxes as the National Transportation Safety Board tries to determine the cause of the crash Fabiola Bittar de Kroon (left and right), a 34-year-old mother who was standing at station's platform, died from the debris, while 114 others were injured A witness at the scene said that he found Gallagher slumped over the controls of the train after it barreled through a station and crashed into a barrier around 8.45am. Gallagher, a married father-of-two who has been working for New Jersey Transit for 29 years, is cooperating with authorities after he was been released from the hospital. He has not yet been interviewed by federal investigators, although one official told ABC they have ruled out sabotage or foul play. Investigators will examine his performance and the condition of the train, track and signals, among other things. Meanwhile, authorities are sifting through the wreckage to determine what happened, although damage to the station poses a difficulty for investigators. They were unable to reach any of the passenger cars other than the one at the very end of the train on Friday. The NTSB will also be looking into whether a system designed to prevent accidents by overriding the engineer and automatically slowing or stopping trains that are going too fast could have helped if it had been installed. More than 100,000 people use New Jersey Transit to commute from New Jersey to New York City each day. Gallagher has not yet been interviewed by investigators, although one official told ABC they have ruled out sabotage or foul play The NTSB is hoping to determine how fast the train was going (pictured, passengers rushing to safety) Authorities are sifting through the wreckage, although damage to the station poses a difficulty for investigators, who are unable to reach most of the passenger cars Fabiola Bittar de Kroon, a 34-year-old mother who was standing at station's platform, died from the debris. De Kroon had recently moved to New Jersey from Brazil after her husband got a job with an international liquor company and he was away on a business trip at the time of the crash. She had just dropped her toddler daughter off at daycare before rushing to catch a train, according to daycare director Karlos Magner. 'She was dropping off the daughter, I was closing up the stroller,' he recalled. 'We had a good talk for like a minute. And she said she was in a rush.' In an interview with Brazilian outlet G1, Fabiola's mother says the family is arranging to fly to the U.S. so they can bring her body back to her home country. Shortly after, the NJ Transit train ran off the end of the track as it was pulling in around 8:45am, smashing through a concrete-and-steel bumper. As it ground to a halt in the waiting area, it knocked out pillars, collapsing a section of the roof. The NJ Transit train ran off the end of the track as it was pulling in around 8:45am, smashing through a concrete-and-steel bumper and knocking out pillars, causing the roof to collapse More than 100,000 people use New Jersey Transit to commute from New Jersey to New York City each day Ferrario continues to be the face of 'Drop The Plus' movement The 22-year-old from Melbourne foes not want to be called a 'plus size' Ferrario made headlines for writing 'I am a model.' on her abdomen Australian model who made headlines for asking fashion houses to stop labelling models 'plus size' continues to find herself fighting against being labelled by her size. Stefania Ferrario, from Melbourne, found herself taking a stance last year when she posted an image of herself with the statement 'I am a model.' written across her abdomen. The 23-year-old who is the front woman of #DropThePlus movement says those who claim certain models are 'plus size' imply they are 'bigger than normal,' reported Broadly. Scroll down for video Stefania Ferrario made headline last year after she posted an image of herself with the statement 'I am a model.' on her stomach The 23-year-old from Melbourne has since been at the forefront of the #DropThePlus movement The young model also noted that although some people in her industry might find the word empowering she believes it's the meaning expressed to the public that needs to be changed. 'I think certain labels do have a negative impact and it's easier to completely get rid of a word than to try to change its connotational meaning,' Ferrario said. It was words that referred to a person's size that saw Ferrario struggle with her weight at a young age. 'I've gone through periods were I was outside the norm I suffered through eating disorders. When I was 16 I was almost 20 kilos less than what I am now and I was still told that I was not slim enough that I needed to lose several kilos,' Ferrario said. She has been asking Fashion houses to stop using words that refer to a person's size including 'plus size' Ferrario acknowledges that some people might find the word empowering but says it is the connotations associated with the word that are difficult to stamp out But her past experience has since allowed the 23-year-old to stand at the forefront of the fight to find to stop labells within the fashion industry. 'I was convinced that there was only one type of beautiful and that was a very slim body type: tanned and beautiful,' Ferrario said. 'I was obsessed with having that body. If my weight fluctuated or went up, it would really get to me. My body changed, and I couldn't change that, so I had to start changing my mindset. Ferrario has spoken about struggling as a young teenager having suffered from eating disorders He said once UK leaves EU, immigration controls should protect economy Hammond said firms should realise it's not sustainable to anger customers The Chancellor Philip Hammond has hit out at big businesses for angering their customers by not addressing issues such as workers rights and executive pay. Mr Hammond defended the governments plan to include workers on company boards. Business needs to understand and I think business does understand in the wider context it isn t sustainable to have large household brand-name businesses angering their consumers, he told the Telegraph. The Chancellor Philip Hammond has hit out at big businesses for angering their customers by not addressing issues such as workers rights Mr Hammond explained that firms need to see how consumers view them and their 'image' as important. The Chancellor also spoke of a need to recognise the 'mood music' in the country after EU Referendum vote and referred to the impact of Donald Trump's presidential campaign in the US and said business should respond to such political movements in a sensible way. Mr Hammond said that once Britain has left the EU, it must ensure that the new immigration controls do not lead to a suffering economy and that the government will not shut out highly skilled workers. [Voters] will expect us to negotiate a solution which delivers the key elements of leaving the European Union regaining our sovereignty, getting control over our borders but they will expect us to do all of that in a way that allows the UK economy to go on growing. We should be looking for a good Brexit not a hard Brexit or a soft Brexit, he said. It also emerged that some disability benefits claimants will no longer have to undergo repeated assessments to prove they cannot work, under new proposals. Pensions Secretary Damian Green said assessments for up to 100,000 of the most vulnerable are to be abolished Currently, vulnerable claimants suffering from a variety of illnesses and ailments may be tested as frequently as every six months. But in an interview with The Times, Damian Green, the new work and pensions secretary, said the assessments for up to 100,000 of the most vulnerable including those suffering from dementia, Parkinsons and MS are to be abolished. Officials will decide on a case-by-case basis whether tests are necessary, he said. But his admission that many assessments are to be scrapped will please thousands who have undergone demeaning tests despite suffering from debilitating, long-term illness. What we will be doing is stopping reassessing benefits for those who have long-term sickness, those who have severe health conditions that require help and that are not going to get any better, he told the newspaper. His face wet with tears, a rescue worker clutched 30-day-old baby Maartouk to his chest as she wailed in distress, her yellow baby grow covered in dust from the attack that almost killed her. However, he was unaware that he would be the only person connected to the story crying, and he is hoping that the raw emotion shown by BBC presenter Kate Silverton as she broadcast the story will help highlight the severity of their situation. Told that Silverton had cried after presenting the video of him saving baby Maartouk, Abu Kifah told MailOnline that anything that helped to convey what was happening in in Syria was helpful. 'It is normal to cry at this and if it helps the west understand the voice of the Syrian people that is a good thing,' he said. He was praised as a hero after rescuing the baby from a suspected Russian warplane attack that left her trapped under rubble for two hours in the northern city of Idleb. 'I was happy last night it was very emotional because we saved three people: the mother and her two baby girls', he added. 'It is not the first time that we have saved people, but when it is kids, it is very sensitive and affects us a lot, so what can you imagine about that baby? It is normal to feel happy for her.' Saved: Syrian White helmet volunteer Abu Kifah and his colleagues were able rescue a 30-day-old baby from under the rubble in the city of Idlib on Thursday Heartbreaking: After recovering the baby girl, Abu Kifah burst into tears and held her tight to his chest while he got into an ambulance and took her to one of the makeshift hospitals in Idlib Although the 22-year-old is childless, he said that he felt like, 'I was her father and she was my real daughter.' The volunteer with the Syria Civil Defense team was filmed sobbing helplessly as he rushed the baby girl to hospital in an ambulance, crying, 'Oh Lord, oh God.' He clutched baby Maartouk to his chest, her tiny fists waving, as a medic put iodine and a white bandage over her forehead. Later footage showed the month-old child being placed on a black hospital bed before receiving further medical attention. MailOnline understands she is doing well. 'I always hide my feelings, but yesterday I failed', Abu Kifah told MailOnline. 'I am a strong and serious man, but the situation yesterday was very powerful, and even now I cry when I watch the video again. All people who watched it also cried, and this video is only one per cent of what is happening to us.' Inhumane: The tiny baby girl wailed after she suffered cuts and bruises to her face but survived being crushed under rubble Indiscriminate bombing: Abu Kifah is seen holding the baby girl to his chest and weeping Thousands of children have been killed in the five-year long Syrian conflict, while two million are out of school. Abu Kifah saved baby Maartouk from a blistering attack in which at least six people died, although some sources put the death toll as high as 21. Her mother and two-year-old sister were also rescued from under the crumpled buildings and were hospitalised. Her father is not thought to have been badly hurt. Footage from the scene showed bloodied bodies being pulled away on stretchers, and another baby being carried to safety. Since 2013 Abu Kifar has been a volunteer in the Syria Civil Defense group, also known as the White Helmets, after the headgear that protects them from falling masonry. Frantic: Syrian men carry injured people amid the rubble of destroyed buildings following an air strike on the rebel-held northwestern city of Idlib on Thursday Innocent: Wounded Syrian children await to receive treatment at a hospital following the air strike on the rebel-held northwestern city of Idlib on Thursday With the help of UK government funding, they have saved more than 60,000 lives and have been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. They rush towards the scenes of attacks blamed on Syrian or Russian aircraft, which drop barrel bombs and missiles onto civilian areas, hospitals and market places. But the work is highly dangerous. Syrian regime aircraft are accused of 'double-tap air strikes', meaning they circle round to bomb the same location twice, killing the emergency response teams who rushed to the victims of the initial attack. More than 145 White Helmets have been killed while working since 2013. A growing number of their offices have also been damaged or destroyed in apparently targeted attacks by Assad regime forces. Abu Kifar said that moments like the rescue of Maartouk motivated the teams to continue their work, despite the grave dangers they face. 'When we saved her [Maartouk] after more than two hours, we were happy, and that leads us and push us to continue our job despite the risk, because we save people.' The footage proved too much for BBC newsreader Kate Silverton, who cried live on air after watching the clip. Emotional: BBC presenter Kate Silverton broke down in tears as she reported the story She later tweeted: 'To all of you sending thoughts - thank you - no words really - my job to be inscrutable & impartial but I am also human' She continued reporting the next story but tears could be seen running down her cheeks. Speaking about the display of emotion, Silverton later tweeted: 'To all of you sending thoughts - thank you - no words really - my job to be inscrutable & impartial but I am also human.' One viewer tweeted: '[D]emonstrating utmost poise & professionalism following an extremely distressing piece on Syria. Kudos, Kate.' At least 11 civilians, including seven children, died during attacks on Idlib, nearby Jarjanaz and central Hama province on Thursday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. An agonising 365 days have now passed since Russia began its 'barbarous' and relentless bombing campaign on Syria in support of President Bashar al-Assad. Putin's bombs have killed more than 3,800 civilians in this time, a monitoring group said on Friday as international outcry mounted. A baby receives medical treatment at a field hospital after Syrian regime carried out airstrikes A Syrian man receives treatment another regime hospital after attacks by the Assad regime in Damascus Regime and Russian aircraft have carried out a barrage of strikes across the country since the Syrian government announced an offensive last week 'Bombs are raining from Syria-led coalition planes and the whole of east Aleppo has become a giant kill box,' Doctors Without Borders (MSF) director of operations Xisco Villalonga said on Friday. The aid charity appealed to the Syrian government and its Russian ally to stop bombing rebel-held eastern Aleppo, warning they were provoking a 'bloodbath' among civilians in the city. 'The Syrian government must stop the indiscriminate bombing, and Russia as an indispensable political and military ally of Syria has the responsibility to exert the pressure to stop this,' he said. The United Nations has warned that a humanitarian catastrophe is unfolding in Aleppo unlike any witnessed so far in Syria's brutal five-year war, which has claimed more than 300,000 lives. Another young victim of the brutal warfare, which has so far claimed more than 300,000 lives Bloodbath: An injured Syrian man receives treatment after the air strike on Idlib. Numerous doctors and nurses and medical facilities have been hit or targeted in recent weeks Rescuers from the Syrian Red Crescent and the White Helmets struggle to free civilians trapped under the rubble in Idlib on Thursday According to the UN, only around 35 doctors remain in eastern Aleppo, where an estimated 250,000 people have been under siege by government forces since early September. The MSF statement cited numbers from the east Aleppo health directorate, showing that from September 21 to 26, the few hospitals still functioning in the rebel-held part of the city received some 278 dead bodies, including at least 96 children. More than 822 wounded were also taken in, including at least 221 children, it said. 'All intensive care units are full. Patients have to wait for others to die so they can be moved to an available bed in intensive care,' Abu Waseem, manager of an MSF-supported trauma hospital in east Aleppo, warned in the statement. 'We only have three operating theatres and yesterday alone we had to do more than 20 major abdominal surgeries,' he said, pointing out that 'hospital staff is working up to 20 hours a day. They cannot just go home and let people die.' MSF said it had last been able to deliver medical supplies to east Aleppo in August, and warned that the huge number of wounded was rapidly depleting the stocks in the remaining hospitals. Syrian men search for people under the rubble of destroyed buildings after at least five air strikes hit various areas in the city of Idlib on Thursday Crying out for help: A Syrian boy awaits treatment at a make-shift hospital following air strikes on rebel-held eastern areas of Aleppo on September 24 'Now, with a complete siege on the city, attacks on humanitarian convoys and intensive bombing, we are powerless,' Villalonga said, warning that 'if this intensity of bombing continues, there may not be a single hospital standing in a few days.' He demanded that the bombing stop, and that the sick and wounded be evacuated from the city. 'Anything short of this is confirmation of what many are dreading, that the world has abandoned the people of Aleppo to a violent, agonising death,' he said. Fighting in Syria's besieged eastern Aleppo has killed 338 people in the past few weeks, including 106 children, and 846 have been wounded, including 261 children, a World Health Organization official said on Friday. 'We are asking for four things: stop the killing, stop attacks on health care, let the sick and wounded out and let the aid in,' Rick Brennan, WHO's head of emergency risk management and humanitarian response, told a U.N. briefing in Geneva. 'The situation really is unfathomable.' Assad's regime and its key backer Russia are under growing pressure from world governments to halt a new offensive pounding rebel-held areas of Aleppo. A Syrian man carries a baby after removing him from the rubble of a destroyed building following a reported air strike in the Qatarji neighbourhood of Aleppo A Syrian man carries his son to a field hospital after the Syrian and Russian army carried out an airstrike on Merce town in Aleppo Children play with water from a burst water pipe at a site hit by an air strike in Aleppo's rebel-controlled al-Mashad neighbourhood on Friday More than 100,000 children remain trapped in east Aleppo AS THE WORLD WATCHES IN HORROR, RUSSIA BEEFS UP ITS AIRFORCE IN SYRIA Russia has reinforced its air base in Syria with several bombers and is ready to send ground attack aircraft as it intensifies support for Syrian government troops after the collapse of a ceasefire plan, Russia's Izvestia daily reported on Friday. A group of Su-24 and Su-34 frontline bombers have already arrived at the Hmeymim base, Izvestia wrote, quoting an unnamed military official. 'If need be, the air force group will be (further) built up within two to three days,' he said. 'Su-25 ground attack fighters designated to be sent to Hmeymim have already been selected in their units and their crews are on a stand-by, awaiting orders from their commanders.' U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Thursday said there is no point pursuing further negotiations with Russia over Syria, leaving Washington without a backup plan and scrambling to develop new options to stop the mounting carnage. As the U.S.-Russian ceasefire plan for Syria fell through, U.S. officials have told Reuters that President Barack Obama's administration had begun considering tougher responses - including military options - to the Russian-backed Syrian government's assault on Aleppo, the country's largest city. However, Russia said it would press ahead with the air war in support of the regime, warning that Washington's refusal to work with Moscow on a settlement would be a 'gift to terrorists.' 'If Washington's threats to halt cooperation become concrete decisions, then there is no longer any doubt that the rebels are under the White House's protection and in the streets, terrorists will celebrate,' Russian foreign ministry spokesman Maria Zakharova said. Russia and the United States have traded blame for last week's collapse of a ceasefire deal that would have marked the first step in a new effort to end the war that has killed 300,000 people since 2011. An estimated 10,000 Syrian-led ground troops have amassed east of Aleppo on Friday, CNN reports, in what is believed to be preparation for a final ground assault on rebel-held areas. Advertisement Russian and Syrian war planes have been accused of using incendiary devices on civilians More than 9,300 people have been killed in the Russian raids since September 30, 2015, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The toll includes more than 2,700 jihadists from the Islamic State group and around 2,800 fighters from various rebel factions, the British-based monitor said. At least 20,000 civilians have been wounded in the Russian raids, it said. The Observatory -- which relies on a network of sources inside Syria for its information -- says it determines what planes carried out raids according to their type, location, flight patterns and the munitions involved. Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman said the death toll from Russian strikes could be even higher given the number of people killed by unidentified warplanes. Moscow said on Thursday that it would press on with its bombing campaign in Syria, ignoring a threat by Washington to suspend its engagement over the conflict following escalating attacks on rebel-held parts of Aleppo. Syrians react as the bodies of children are pulled from the rubble of a budling following government forces air strikes in the rebel held neighbourhood of Al-Shaar in Aleppo on September 27, 2016 A Syrian man walks past a bus set ablaze following a reported air strike in the rebel-held Salaheddin district of Aleppo Regime and Russian aircraft have carried out a barrage of strikes on east Aleppo since the Syrian government announced an offensive last week to retake all of the divided city. The bombardment has been some of the worst in Syria's five-year civil war, and follows the failure of a short-lived ceasefire brokered by Russia and the United States. Moscow and Washington have traded blame for last week's collapse of the ceasefire deal that would have marked the first step in a new effort to end the war that has killed 300,000 people since 2011. US Secretary of State John Kerry admitted Thursday that months of diplomacy to end the war had hit a dead-end. People walk on the rubble of damaged buildings at a site hit overnight by an air strike in the rebel-held area of Seif al-Dawla neighbourhood of Aleppo on Friday Injured Sabah Sheikh Qasim, six, was taken to hospital after she was pulled out from the wreckage of a five-storey building hit by Assad regime forces' air strikes in Shaar town of Aleppo 'I think we are on the verge of suspending the discussion because, you know, it's irrational in the context of the kind of bombing taking place, to be sitting there, trying to take things seriously,' he said. US President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel condemned what they called 'barbarous' Russian and Syrian regime air strikes on Aleppo during a phone call, the White House said. UN aid chief Stephen O'Brien told the Security Council in New York that Aleppo is descending into a 'merciless abyss of a humanitarian catastrophe unlike any we have witnessed so far in Syria.' More than 100,000 children remain trapped in east Aleppo, he said. Two of the largest hospitals in the city's east were bombed on Wednesday in what UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon described as a war crime. Save the Children said that bunker-busting bombs meant it was too dangerous for children to return to even underground schools in Aleppo when classes resume this weekend. Advertisement From daisy duke short shorts to bikinis, revelers left little to the imagination at this weekend's Listen Out festival in Sydney. Party goers stormed the grounds at Centennial Park today for a day of debauchery in the sun at the annual music festival. Images posted online show punters embracing the good weather, some with nothing but a make-shift bra to ensure their modesty. Scroll down for video 'Camilla meets boogie' one festival goer posted to her Instagram account ahead of the day Now in its fourth year, the music festival is arguably as much about the fashion as it is the music. From jewel encrusted underwear to shoelaces worn as necklaces, festival goers are going for bold fashion choices. Two friends share a smile at Listen Out grounds at Sydney's Centennial Park From short shorts to shoelaces worn as necklaces, punters were bold with their fashion choices Expecting thousands, authorities prepared for the event's huge crowds. Police warned would-be troublemakers there would be 'nowhere to hide' if they did the wrong thing. 'Anyone bringing illicit drugs to the festivals can expect a swift police response,' Senior Constable Dylan Tate said. 'Let's go' one woman said alongside a photo of herself in a sheer bikini top It's not just about the music!: Listen Out is also a chance for fashionistas to show off their festival style Glitter for hair, make up and clothing! These sparkling Listen Out goers will have a hard time blending in with their shiny look 'Girls gone wild' one Instagram user captioned a photo taken on their way to the Centennial Park event The warning comes as 200 people wreaked havoc at the Perth based festival last weekend with 200 people attempting to jump the fence. A few people were caught by security and police, but many managed to make it into the festival successfully. 'Today is about a cute look for Listen Out dressed up as Lady Rainbow, so come say hi if you see me,' one punter wrote on her Instagram account Sydney punters continue to celebrate the festival today, with acts like RUFUS and A$AP Ferg lasting well into the night. The festival will make its way to Brisbane tomorrow, for its last leg of the Listen Out tour. This group of girls was keen to get to the event, donning their shades before even leaving the house Inked up and ready to dance: This festival goer is heading to new heights on a friends shoulders A great day to listen to music, hang out with friends and dress up in Sydney's Centennial Park Gershon Rawlings, 33, is suing the MoD for 200,000 claiming he got too cold on a military exercise in Wales A soldier born in Ghana is suing the Ministry of Defence for 200,000 claiming he got too cold on a military exercise in Wales. Gershon Rawlings, 33, has brought the negligence claim arguing his ethnicity made him more likely to suffer than other troops, the Sun reported. His lawyers claim he suffered numbness and tingling in his feet after being made to sleep outdoors in a waterproof poncho. In a writ filed at the High Court in London, Mr Rawlings says he was forced to remain out in very cold and wet conditions during the two-week exercise. The experience, in October 2013, left him with disadvantages which have limited his chance of getting another job, the writ claims. When Mr Rawlings complained at the time of the exercise his Royal Artillery sergeant told him other soldiers were also cold and he should man up, it is alleged. The case comes just months after Abdoulie Bojang, who was born in the Gambia, launched a claim against the MoD after suffering cold injuries in Banff, Canada, where temperatures dip to minus 22F (minus 30C). Mr Rawlings, who is now studying at university, says that during his exercise in Sennybridge, mid-Wales, he was not given sufficient hot food and drinks on a regular basis to ward off the cold. The legal action claims the Army provided him with waterproof boots and standard issue gloves which did not allow for his particular vulnerabilities. The writ prepared for the claim says he was diagnosed with non-freezing cold injuries, or NFCIs, and placed on restricted duties. The MoD admits Mr Rawlings developed NFCIs but says he must prove how serious they are, and how they have damaged his prospects. But despite his diagnosis he was still required to parade, required to work in open, cold garages, and carry out guard duties in the open air. Mr Rawlings (pictured, fourth from left) says that during his exercise in Sennybridge, mid-Wales, he was not given sufficient hot food and drinks on a regular basis to ward off the cold Mr Rawlings legal team claims the Armys failings have left their client disadvantaged over future jobs and ended his military career. Photographs posted on Facebook of the ex-soldier wearing fatigues attracted a comment from a friend which read: Strong man in war front. Mr Rawlings said: Everything is with the lawyers. I have an anxiety issue so cant speak to you. According to figures released at the time of Mr Bojangs claim earlier this year, at least 450 Commonwealth soldiers have suffered cold injuries in the past decade. A NFCI comes about when the core temperature of the body remains below its natural level for a long period of time. At that point the blood vessels constrict, reducing blood flow and the supply of oxygen to the hands and feet. This is harmful even though body tissue does not freeze. Traffic standstill as people dash to grab the birds out of their containers Socialist-run South American country is in the grip of a severe food crisis A shocking video lays bare the severe food crisis confronting Venezuela. Food shortages in the South American country has meant people have resorted to desperate attempts to source their next meal. In disturbing footage, a huge crowd of people can be seen stopping a lorry on the motorway to snatch live chickens from their crates inside. This disturbing footage shows a huge crowd of people stopping a lorry on the motorway to snatch live chickens from their crates inside Traffic comes to a standstill as dozens of hungry people sprint over to the truck to grab the birds out of their containers. The incident has been held up as yet another example of the country's economic crisis, where looting has become commonplace. It happened in the northern city of Tocuyito, T13 reported. There have been calls for President Nicolas Maduro, a socialist, to step down because of the shortages. Earlier this month he was chased through the streets of Caracas after hoards of angry protesters banging pots and pans shouted 'we are hungry, we are hungry.' The opposition governor of Venezuela's second-largest state, Henrique Capriles, declared an food emergency last month, blaming the socialists' 'misguided' policies. 'We are declaring a food emergency in our state,' said Capriles, the governor of Miranda state, who is leading a campaign to remove President Nicolas Maduro from office in a recall referendum. President Nicolas Maduro (centre) has faced calls to step down. He is seen here meeting US Secretary of State John Kerry (left) and Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos (right) Capriles and his center-right opposition coalition, the Democratic Unity Roundtable (MUD), blame the leftist president for an economic crisis that is causing severe shortages of food and medicine in Venezuela. Oil-rich Venezuela has veered into crisis as crude prices have collapsed since mid-2014, threatening Maduro and 17 years of socialist rule. Peadophile TV presenter Jimmy Savile was caught groping a teenage girl by cameras filming a Louis Theroux interview. Sickening pictures show arch-pervert Savile rubbing himself on the teen and touching her bottom in front of her mother, who he is believed to have known, at the Flying Pizza restaurant in Leeds in 2001. Footage of the assault will be aired for the first time on BBC2 on Sunday, during Theroux's documentary Louis Theroux: Savile. Scroll down for video This sickening picture shows arch-paedophile TV presenter Jimmy Savile groping a teenage girl at a pizza restaurant in Leeds, in 2000 Theroux interviewed Savile for his acclaimed documentary 'When Louis met Jimmy...' which went on to win a BAFTA in 2002. The pair remained on good terms after the film and the disturbing new images was captured when Theroux went to visit he disgraced broadcaster while gathering footage. The filmmaker recently found the clip, which shows Savile wearing a vest-top and with his hair in a ponytail, while searching through his video archive for his new documentary. After Savile's death in 2011, aged 84, it emerged that the broadcaster and long-time charity campaigner had sexually abused hundreds of women and children. He molested victims as young as five at NHS hospitals during decades of unrestricted access and as many as 72 victims while working at the BBC. His earliest victim at the BBC was assaulted in 1959 and his latest in 2006, while working on Top of the Pops. In his 2000 documentary, Theroux questions Savile over rumours that he was sexually interested in children. Louis Theroux first interviewed Savile for his 2000 documentary 'When Louis met Jimmy', a shocking list of sexual offences were revealed after the presenter's death in 2011 During a chilling exchange Savile says: 'We live in a very funny world. 'And it's easier for me, as a single man, to say 'I don't like children', because that puts a lot of salacious tabloid people off the hunt. Theroux asks: 'Is that basically so the tabloids don't pursue this whole is he or isn't he a paedophile line?' Savile replies: 'Oh, aye. 'How do they know whether I am not? How does anybody know whether I am? Nobody knows whether I am or not. I know I'm not That's my policy and it's worked a dream.' It has since been revealed that Theroux tried to report sexual abuse carried out by Savile after making the film, but it was not followed up. The filmmaker claims he reported the presenter in 2001, after a woman came forward and told him she'd been one of his girlfriends, along with others, when she was 15, but a BBC producer did not talk to police. In a chilling moment in When Louis met Jimmy, the filmmaker questions Savile over the rumours that he was sexually interested in children (pictured) In his eagerly anticipated new film, Theroux meets with Savile's victims and discusses the effect the abuse had on their lives as well as the impact of his documentary. The filmmaker has since spoken of his guilt about not doing more to expose Savile. In a revealing piece on the BBC website, he said that, like it was suggested by Savile's victims, he had been 'hoodwinked' by the paedophile. He wrote: 'At the time [of the 2000 documentary], I'd done my best to be tough with him. I knew he was weird and, with all his mannerisms, rather irritating - I had no interest in making a soft piece about Jimmy the Charity Fundraiser. 'The dark rumours - of sexual deviance, of being unemotional, of having a morbid interest in corpses - were one of the reasons I'd taken him on as a subject. Diners in a plush London restaurant were stunned when a rodent - believed to be a live rat - fell from the ceiling onto a woman's head. The three-inch long pest was killed by the fall and was quickly rushed away by staff. The drama unfolded at Smiths of Smithfield, where a witness reported a 'commotion' among horrified customers. The rodent reportedly fell from the ceiling at Smiths of Smithfield in central London The Sun reports that the restaurant offered the unfortunate diner's table of 24 a 450 discount. And city worker Paul Stubbs, who was in the restaurant at the time, told the newspaper: 'All of a sudden there was a commotion and what looked like a rat fell from the ceiling. 'It hit somebodys head and ended up on the table. 'We were disgusted. It was only a baby but still about three inches long. It had obviously fallen from a nest in the open vents. 'People were pretty horrified. Everybody stayed to finish, though I wouldnt go back.' Chiefs at the restaurant has described the rodent fall as an 'isolated incident' and said the affected customer accepted 'reasonable compensation' Staff at the restaurant reportedly told customers that the creature that fell was a mouse. The Mail Online has contacted the restaurant, which hosts weddings on its top floor, for a comment. A spokesman from Smiths told The Sun that it was an 'isolated incident'. He said: 'At Smiths we pride ourselves on our hygiene and food safety management. 'We have investigated the matter fully and this is an isolated incident and we confirm that there is no risk to our customers.' The restaurant spokesman added that the customers were offered, and accepted, 'reasonable compensation'. The restaurant - which has a 3.5 star rating on TripAdvisor - is a four-floor venue in a Grade II listed building in Smithfield Market - the capital's only working meat market. Its website boasts of the impressive building, featuring open spaces, blasted brickwork and big windows. It also states that it is on the site where William Wallace - the Scottish knight who fought for independence and was the inspiration for the film Braveheart - was hung, drawn and quartered. A 9oz South Devon Fillet steak, butchered and cut in house, costs 38 on the top floor restaurant, while a veal sirloin with tomatoes, leeks, girolles and quails eggs cost 28.50. Were you in the restaurant when this happened? Contact the Mail Online by calling 020 36153710 or email david.burke@mailonline.co.uk Fighter jets with a top speed of 1,190mph took off and landed on a motorway during a military training exercise. The road, in Lusi, southern Finland, had been cleared so pilots could practice using public roads. This is in case conventional runways are destroyed by enemy action in the first stages of a conflict. Fighter jets with a top speed of 1,190mph took off and landed on a motorway during a military training exercise The usual flow of vehicles on Highway 5, which runs 560 miles form Lusi to Sodankyla in the north, was replaced by the thunderous noise of the F/A-18 fighters The usual flow of vehicles on Highway 5, which runs 560 miles from Lusi to Sodankyla in the north, was replaced by the thunderous noise of the F/A-18 fighters. European countries developed the concept of roadway landing strips during the Cold War amid fears of a nuclear conflict. Finland's fleet of F/A-18 fighters were introduced on January 7, 1983 and cost between 18million and 37million. They will be phased out by 2025, but Helsinki is lining up replacements with US aerospace firm Boeing. The exercises, which took place from September 23 to 30, also included the BAE Systems Hawk, a single-engined aircraft used for training purposes. The Finnish Air Force has 24 Hawks, some of which are part of the Midnight Hawks Aerial Display Team, which performs at airshows. The road, in Lusi, southern Finland, had been cleared so pilots could practice using public roads European countries developed the concept of roadway landing strips during the Cold War amid fears of a nuclear conflict A man has been hospitalised after he was shot in the leg near an abattoir. The unidentified 39-year-old was found with the gunshot wound in Robinson Road, Carrum Downs south east of Melbourne on Saturday afternoon. Police are investigating the incident, which occurred near meat processing business, Gathercole Abattoir. An unidentified 39-year-old man was found with a gunshot wound in Robinson Road, Carrum Downs south east of Melbourne on Saturday afternoon Police are investigating the incident, which occurred near meat processing business, Gathercole Abattoir (pictured) Footage from 7News shows armed officers investigating the established crime scene. It is unknown whether the man was shot at the Robinson Road scene or elsewhere. The Cranbourne man was taken to Dandenong Hospital with non-life threatening injuries and remains in a stable condition. Victoria Police have confirmed to Daily Mail Australia that they have no new leads with the investigation and are urging anyone with information to come forward. Victoria Police are urging anyone with information to come forward Residents of a small community are furious over decision to allow over 100 Syrian refugees to move into empty rooms of an aged-care facility. It's not known when refugees will arrive to the Melbourne suburb of Eltham, but the proposal to move them into the St Vincent's Health Australia (SVHA) facility has already caused a massive rift in the town. Groups against the idea argue the facilities should be prioritised for local residents, while those in support have put together a book of welcome messages from the community. Groups have protested against the idea, arguing the facilities should be prioritised for local residents Sandy Pike's 87-year-old mother lives at the facility in the centre of the debate, she told 7 News that she's worried about Syrian refugees moving in. 'No one seems to care about the residents and that's what it's all about,' Ms Pike said. She spoke at a protest rally in Eltham, where many other residents voiced their concerns over the move. 'Our elderly care system is for our elderly, not for Muslims,' one protester said. A few suburbs away at the same time, a gathering more welcoming to the arrival of the Syrian refugees was meeting. 'We had about 110 people here,' Gillian Essex from the Welcome to Eltham group told 7 News. The group says they've received a lot of positive reaction in regards to the arrival of the Syrian refugees. 'We put together a book of welcome messages from the community, fellow Welcome to Eltham member Nina Kelbora said. 'We've had close to 700 messages sent in in 6 weeks.' The Welcome to Eltham group had 110 people at their gathering where they made a giant welcome signs out of attendees Sandy Pike says she was worried about Syrian refugees moving in and believes no one cares about the residents already living there SVHA is working with CatholicCare on the project where 60 units at the the St Vincent's Health Australia facility (pictured) would be made available for up to three years Vulnerable women and children will be prioritised when the refugees come to to Eltham, but their arrival date is unknown. 'We don't (have a time frame) because it's really dependent on the arrival of the refugees in Australia and the other is the finalisation of the planning permit,' SVHA mission group leader Jack de Groot told the Herald Sun. SVHA is working with CatholicCare on the project where 60 units could be made available to over 100 refugees for up to three years. Parts of New South Wales are being evacuated as flood waters continue to rise, with emergency warnings remaining in place for South Australia and vineyards in WA's wine region being lashed by hail storms. Residents in Condoblin in NSW's central west have been advised to evacuate in the next 24 hours, as 7 News reported the Lachlan River is expected to peak at 7.2 metres on Wednesday. The NSW State Emergency Service has also advised residents in Wagga Wagga to evacuate in the next 12 hours. Scroll down for video Parts of New South Wales are being evacuated as flood waters continue to rise (pictured), with residents in low lying areas of Condoblin advised to evacuate in the next 24 hours, and residents in Wagga Wagga advised to leave in the next 12 hours Floodwaters have also engulfed the town of Forbes and more heavy rain is forecast in the state for the next few days. This image shows the difference in water levels in Deniliquin near the Victorian border, one year ago compared to now Floodwaters have engulfed the town of Forbes and more heavy rain is forecast in NSW in the next few days Floodwaters have also engulfed the town of Forbes and more heavy rain is forecast in the state for the next few days. Emergency warnings remain in place for Port Wakefield north of Adelaide after the Gawler and Wakefield Rivers burst their banks. The warning was downgraded on Saturday night but residents have been warned to expect a small increase in water levels overnight and road closures and diversions remain in place. Earlier on Saturday, Premier Jay Weatherilll said about 20 structures around the town of Balaclava had been impacted, but authorities weren't sure if they were houses. Homes have also been flooded at Old Noarlunga. The deep low pressure system which caused the havoc has moved away from Adelaide and while flooding is stabilising around the Angas and Bremer catchments, the SES is advising people to remain vigilant. It comes as wild weather is lashing parts of Western Australia, with 9,000 homes still without power in Perth and the state's south west. A severe weather warning has been issued for the Great Southern, southwest of a line from Albany to Ravensthorpe to Israelite Bay, including Esperance and surrounding areas. A deep low pressure system south of Hopetoun is moving east and an associated strong cold front is moving east along the western Eucla coast. Emergency warnings are still in place for Port Wakefield, north of Adelaide, in South Australia after the Wakefield and Gawler rivers burst their banks. Pictured is a vineyard underwater after flooding in the Barossa Valley Wild weather has also lashed Western Australia with more than 9,000 homes without power in Perth and the state's south west. Chardonnay vines in Margaret River were also lashed by hail storms (pictured) The hail affected numerous wineries in the Margaret River area, with one person commenting on this photo: 'Unbelievably, this is Margaret River in October' Winds of more than 90km/h shown smashing into Adelaide on this map, with even worse hitting Kangaroo Island A storm approaches as a man carries his son while walking in a park overlooking the central business district of Sydney on Thursday. The storm will soon spread to NSW The system is likely to cause widespread and damaging winds of up to 100km/h. In NSW are severe winds warnings were issued earlier in the week for the Central Tablelands, Hunter, Mid-North Coast and Northern Tablelands. Flood warnings were put in place for Newcastle, Maitland, Armidale, Tenterfield, Bathurst and Katoomba and along the Lachlan, Macquarie, Bogan and Murrumbidgee river systems. The New South Wales State Emergency Service has warned of widespread rain set to impact the state These areas include flood-beleaguered towns in central NSW that are being told to prepare for potential flash flooding. At least 50,000 sandbags have been transported into the towns from Maitland in the Hunter Valley and extra crews have been brought in from around the state. About 100 properties remain subject to an evacuation order while sittings at courthouses in Forbes, Condobolin and Lake Cargelligo have been cancelled for next week. This map shows the huge low-pressure system that is forecast to hit NSW next There wore more than nine metre swells across the SA coast, as shown on this map Forbes, in central west New South Wales, which is expected to be inundated with more water and flooding The town has already experienced this week the worst flooding in 25 years Other parts of the state had their weather warnings cancelled and most of Victoria is also set to escape the worst of the storm as it moves east. Melbourne recorded just 1.8 millimetres of rain on Thursday, though some part of northern Victoria had up to 20 millimetres and 87km/h winds. The Great Ocean Road was still at risk of landslides and there had been some over the course of the day. Melbourne and Sydney are still likely to have some rain, but it will be minimal and far less than expected earlier in the week. Flooding in Condobolin, New South Wales, where a road is completely submerged - and the area is expected to receive yet more rain Flooding covers paddocks at Condobolin, New South Wales after heavy rain earlier this week Adelaide was on Thursday devastated by winds of up to 140km/h, the highest ever recorded in its history, as torrential rain poured down across SA. The second wave of the massive storm caused dams to burst, huge tides to engulf beachside houses and cover beaches in foam, while falling trees crashed through roofs and flooded houses. The SA Government declared a state of emergency after a cabinet meeting on Thursday evening, giving the Energy Market Operator control of the state's energy supply. Adelaide is being battered by winds of up to 140km/h, the highest ever recorded in its history, as torrential rain pours down across South Australia A trampoline flung onto power lines in Adelaide by the record 140km/h winds Heavy rain caused widespread flooding, from the Patawalonga River in Adelaide, through to the Barossa and Clare valleys, which copped 54mm of rain. About 30,000 homes in Adelaide are still without power, either from Wednesday's blackout or from new storm damage. The SES has responded to more than 1,000 calls for help in the past 36 hours, and was at risk of being 'stretched beyond capacity'. Houses were seen on video being flooded by huge tides rushing hundreds of metres onto shore in Port Broughton, SA The record winds have sent the surf straight for nearby houses along the coast Dozens of SES volunteers who were due to fly into Adelaide to help had to turn back half way because the weather was too severe. SA emergency services have no requested help from any other states as they were expected to have their own severe weather to deal with. Trees were uprooted and crashed through roofs in the outskirts of the city, trashing living rooms as the rain poured in. Big tides slam into properties along the coast of SA The beach is nowhere to be seen Huge waves smash into a jetty off South Australia Rain and rough surf lashes a boat-shaped children's playground off St Kilda, SA A tree was uprooted and fell on a house in Adelaide Trees toppled by high winds near Melrose in South Australia on Wednesday Uprooted tree on the University of SA campus Surfers take advantage of the wild conditions on a beach in Adelaide on Thursday Surfers prepare to jump off a jetty in Adelaide in wild waves Waves crash into Brighton Jetty in Adelaide before the storm hits on Thursday Another 6,000 homes in the Adelaide Hills have so far lost power in the second wave of the storm plus another 3,000 in Mt Barker. 70,000 are still without power outside Adelaide. Water levels rose to 4.4 metres at high tide in Port Pirie on Thursday evening and the tides have only just begun to decrease. The small town of Sevenhill is under threat of flooding from a dam that is in danger of bursting from the heavy rain bucketing down across the state. Another dam burst In the Barossa Valley, prompting an emergency flood warning for the town of Greenock. A flooded bus in Adelaide Wild surf at Southport, SA on Thursday afternoon Foam covers a beach like snow in South Australia Foam covers a kiosk on Henley Beach, SA, after massive tides and strong winds The SA Government is offering an emergency relief grant of up to $700 per household for those who have suffered loss or injury as a result of an extended power outage. Storm surges and huge waves also inundated some communities along the Spencer and St Vincent gulf coasts with the worst centres affected including Port Pirie, Port Broughton and Moonta. Houses were seen on video being flooded by huge tides rushing hundreds of metres onto shore in Port Broughton, SA, while tides left foam covering beachside businesses in Henley Beach and Port Noarlunga. Waves crash into rocks by the car park of O'Sullivan Beach in Adelaide There were swells of nine metres across much of the SA coast A fence is battered by waves as the beach disappears under huge tides Port Broughton resident Kylie Thomas said several people had evacuated after high tide flooded houses and shacks on the Yorke Peninsula. 'The water was coming pretty much straight into the beachside door right down the side of the house and then into the carport,' she told the ABC. 'It was just flowing like a river. The waves were just crashing up against the house, like the front verandah was just a beach so it was pretty horrible to see that.' The Adelaide Symphony Orchestra has also its 2017 launch. South Australians pulled together to get through the storm with no reports of looting, no reported violence during the power outage and many people taking to social media to share how they were getting by. Moana Beach in Adelaide covered in a thick layer of foam from earlier huge tides Water completely overruns the sand at Moana Beach Surf floods into the car park at Moana Beach in Adelaide Torrens Weir close to capacity Trees knocked over by record winds in Adelaide A river bursts its banks Patawalonga at Glenelg North, SA Premier Jay Weatherill said there had been an 'overwhelming sense of community spirit' while Treasurer Tom Koutsantonis said: 'I was quite proud of the way we conducted ourselves we just got on with it.' One man even offered on social media to use his chainsaw and 4WD to help anyone badly affected by the storm, or even just give them a lift to the shops. The ferocious mega-storm caused catastrophic damage to parts of South Australia on Wednesday and about 75,000 people are still without power after the wild weather caused a state-wide power outage. Foam from huge tides covers a beach in Port Noarlunga Foam streams across a car's windscreen near a beach in Adelaide Foam covers Moana Beach on Thursday night The storm in SA as seen from the air Storms temporarily slowed in South Australia and power was being returned to homes on Thursday but the foul weather was set to return with renewed ferocity. The Bureau of Meteorology said the storms would intensify again on Thursday afternoon, bringing more rain and destructive winds in some areas. 'We remain in the middle of this event and there is a significant way to go,' Premier Jay Weatherill told reporters in Adelaide. A family in on of the many Adelaide suburbs still without power cooks its dinner on its heater for the second night in a row Empty shelves in the refrigerated section of a Coles supermarket in Adelaide on Thursday after a state-wide power blackout One man even offered on social media to use his chainsaw and 4WD to help anyone badly affected by the storm, or even just give them a lift to the shops Power is being restored to about 90 per cent of the state's properties but Mr Weatherill warned some households, particularly in northern areas, could remain without power for at least a couple of days. He described the storm as 'catastrophic' and said it had involved weather events not seen before in SA. 'Such as twin tornadoes, which ripped through the northern parts of our state,' he said. Transmission towers carrying power lines, toppled by high winds near Melrose in South Australia A grey haze sets in over the suburbs of Adelaide as the massive deluge hit before midday on Wednesday Drenching rain and potentially storm-force winds are expected to lash large parts of South Australia on both Wednesday and Thursday (Pictured: Port Augusta Power Station) 'We are expecting some severe weather overnight and through to Thursday so we are certainly expecting a really busy next 48 hours,' Mr Carr said after receiving a large number of calls about fallen trees A large tree in the backyard of a home in Myrtle Bank, a suburb in Adelaide's south east, has fallen on an elderly woman's house after it was struck by lightening in the storm just before 1pm At the height of the drama on Wednesday super cell storms with destructive winds and tornadoes ripped more than 20 transmission towers in SA's north out of the ground, bringing down three major transmission lines. Lightning also damaged energy infrastructure, with 80,000 strikes hitting the state over a short period. It caused a state-wide blackout that plunged SA into darkness. The ongoing power supply problems have sparked calls for an independent inquiry with Senator Nick Xenophon urging the Australian Energy Market Commission to carry out a robust analysis. The South Australian Opposition has also called for an immediate investigation. 'The situation that occurred yesterday was totally unacceptable and we need to ensure it does not happen again,' Opposition Leader Steven Marshall said. Hundreds of travellers who were planning to fly from Adelaide Airport on Wednesday were left stranded following outage South Australia has been drenched by heavy rains which caused flash flooding across the state, while gale force winds caused damage to homes, bus stops and cars when trees were uprooted in the storm The Bureau of Meteorology has warned of more wild weather to hit the state as floodwater surges down the River Torrens Police directing traffic around the CBD in Adelaide following a statewide blackout, causing chaos on Wednesday night Federal Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg will bring the state and territory energy ministers together within weeks to discuss ways of avoiding the cascading effect of power blackouts and how to better manage the shift to renewable energy. Mr Weatherill said the state's power system was designed to shut itself down when such heavy damage was sustained, which protected it from further damage. He said the return of power had been efficient in such extreme circumstances, comparing it to a city-wide blackout in New York in 2003 that lasted much longer. OCTOBER LONG WEEKEND NATIONAL WEATHER FORECAST Sydney Melbourne Adelaide Brisbane Darwin Perth Hobart Thursday Min : 14 Max : 19 Cloudy with rain Min : 12 Max : 15 Rain Min : 8 Max : 13 Heavy showers, windy Min : 17 Max : 23 Possible storm Min : 26 Max : 34 Possible storm Min : 5 Max : 19 Sunny Min : 9 Max : 17 Rain Friday Min : 11 Max : 18 Wind easing, cloudy Min : 8 Max : 15 Showers increasing Min : 9 Max : 15 Showers easing Min : 14 Max : 24 Sunny Min : 26 Max : 33 Possible storm Min : 9 Max : 19 Showers Min : 9 Max : 17 Rain clearing Saturday Min : 13 Max : 22 Partly cloudy Min : 10 Max : 18 Morning showers Min : 7 Max : 22 Partly cloudy Min : 12 Max : 27 Sunny Min : 26 Max : 33 Possible storm Min : 12 Max : 18 Showers, windy Min : 8 Max : 18 Possible showers Sunday Min : 12 Max : 27 Sunny Min : 13 Max : 23 Late showers, windy Min : 13 Max : 23 Showers developing Min : 12 Max : 28 Sunny Min : 26 Max : 33 Possible storm Min : 10 Max : 18 Showers Min : 8 Max : 19 Late shower Monday Min : 17 Max : 28 Possible shower Min : 13 Max : 18 Showers Min : 10 Max : 16 Showers Min : 18 Max : 27 Showers Min : 26 Max : 33 Possible storm Min : 12 Max : 20 Showers Min : 10 Max : 17 Showers Site unearthed after a nurse found a chisel while using her metal detector Other items found at site in Lancashire included weaponry and jewellery Complete thistle deliberately placed into the hollow end of an axe handle A complete pressed flower (pictured) that has survived 3,000 years is among finds within an Late Bronze Age hoard A 3,000-year-old pressed flower is among finds within an 'absolutely jaw-dropping' Late Bronze Age hoard unearthed In Lancashire. The thistle appears to have been deliberately placed into the hollow end of an axe handle and buried with various objects, including weaponry and jewellery, many in virtually pristine condition. Other such handles in the hoard had been filled with hazel nuts. Dr Ben Roberts, a lecturer at Durham University and the British Museum's former curator for European Bronze Age collections, described the flower as 'unique' for such a votive offering: 'I got in touch with colleagues last night and so far no parallels.' The hoard includes spearheads with blades still sharp, axes, bracelets, arm rings, a chisel and ornaments, which may have been part of a horse harness. They were part of a ritual offering in which artefacts were placed in wet and waterlogged sites - rivers, streams and bogs - by people who lived within farming communities. Other hoards are generally made up of one or two different types of objects. This one is notable for its variety. Dr Roberts said: 'We always think that votive offerings are all about metal. What this highlights is that there would have been other things placed with the metal. 'It could have been food, clothing all sorts of things made of wood that wouldn't have survived.' Flowers have been found in earlier graves but, by this period in history, people were cremated. This hoard is not linked to a burial. Roberts said that, apart from the flower, comparable hoards have been found in Ireland and Scotland, reflecting 'interconnections' between communities across the Irish Sea and into Scotland. Dr Ben Roberts, the British Museum's former curator for European Bronze Age collections, described the flower as 'unique' for such a votive offering Earlier this year, a significant Early Bronze Age burial site was discovered near Morecambe Bay after Matthew Hepworth, a nurse, unearthed a Bronze Age chisel using a metal detector. It was particularly significant as most Bronze Age burial sites have not survived due to ploughing or historical looting. Brendon Wilkins, archaeologist and the project's director, said that, while excavating that site in July, they learned that the votive hoard had been found by another metal detectorist about seven miles away. The timing could not have been better, he said. Archaeologists were already in the field 'right at the same time [that] an absolutely jaw-dropping hoard came to light'. Earlier this year, a significant Early Bronze Age burial site was discovered near Morecambe Bay after Matthew Hepworth, a nurse, unearthed a Bronze Age chisel using a metal detector He added: 'These sites are starting to come together filling a big black hole in our knowledge.' He described the thistle as a 'tremendous' find and the variety of other objects as 'significant'. Part of the funding of the Morecambe Bay excavation was through a crowdfunding project, DigVentures, a social enterprise founded by three archaeologists including Wilkins in response to the severe cuts in local authority and university-funded research archaeology. Archaeologists from DigVentures, Durham University and the Portable Antiquities Scheme describe the votive hoard as 'spectacular and significant'. The hoard includes spearheads with blades still sharp, axes, bracelets, arm rings, a chisel and ornaments, which may have been part of a horse harness Stuart Noon, project co-director and Portable Antiquities Scheme Finds Liaison Officer for Cumbria and Lancashire, said: 'The Bronze Age in this region is poorly understood and under-researched compared to other parts of the UK. 'The evidence from these two sites is actually beginning to write the story of life and death in this area during the prehistoric period.' David Cameron's former aides were shuffled out of Downing Street so quickly, they did not have time to collect their coats and bicycles, according to an insider at number 10. New Prime Minister Theresa May is said to have imposed a stricter rule at Whitehall and her first move was to rid the central office of the aides the former Prime Minister had relied upon. According to the Times, Mrs May has banned 'chillaxing' and sofa government, and insists that all meetings are held around a table. Theresa May is applauded by civil servants as she walks through Downing Street after becoming Prime Minister A Downing Street insider told the paper: 'There is an emphasis on proper process. 'We are encouraged to do green papers followed by white papers, followed by legislation. 'There is an orderliness, a lack of breathlessness about the way she runs things.' The second female Prime Minister, who is now the oldest since Margaret Thatcher as she turns 60 day, is said to have had agendas for every meeting until Christmas drawn up already. Her hard working reputation will not falter on her birthday, as she will be preparing to lead her first Conservative Party conference as leader and Prime Minister. She is said to regularly work until 2am. In July the Daily Mail reported that Mrs May was moving away from the sofa style of government first brought in by Tony Blair, having ordered tables to replace the comfortable seating. Mr Cameron was accused by his critics of continuing the practice. Like Mr Blair, he surrounded himself with contemporaries from his days at Eton and Oxford, such as chief of staff Ed Llewellyn and university pal Lord Feldman, who was Tory party chairman. Insiders said that meetings would often consist of a group of aides perched on the armrests of the No10 settees. At the time, one aide said: This is about doing the business of government properly. In another break with the Cameron years, an extra table added to the end of the historic Cabinet table has been removed, meaning junior ministers are no longer invited. Last week the Daily Mail reported that Mrs May was fighting back against attempts by allies of David Cameron to make her look soft on immigration. Left, the Camerons leave Number 10 as David Cameron stepped down as Prime Minister following a shock Brexit result. Right, Theresa May enters Number 10 as the new Prime Minister with husband Philip When Mrs May became Prime Minister, she vowed to bring in 'strong leadership' and from its early stages, her leadership was markedly different to her predecessor. When she became Prime Minister, she said: 'During this campaign my case has been based on three things. 'First, the need for strong, proven leadership, to steer us through what will be difficult and uncertain economic and political times, the need to negotiate the best deal for Britain in leaving the EU and to forge a new role for ourselves in the world.' She very quickly became known for her old-style politics, rarely conducting media interviews and said to despise 'soundbite' politics. One of her first interviews as Prime Minister was by her local Windsor, Maidenhead and Ascot magazine, in which she confessed to hating her nose, and said she hated snakes, joking that some may wonder why she was in politics. Hills so the men could have medical help The men were on a party bus when they suffered a 'bad reaction' Two men are in hospital after a suspected drug overdose on the way to a music festival in Sydney, as police reveal more than 100 revelers were charged with drug offences. Police charged 116 people with possession of illegal drugs and 13 people with drug supply offences. Five people were charged with dealing in the proceeds of crime and six people were charged with assault - three of those against police. Scroll down for video Two men have been taken to hospital in a serious condition after having a suspected drug overdose on a party bus in Sydney The bus was on the way to the 'Listen Out' festival (other unrelated revelers at festival pictured) 'Most of the festival goers were able to enjoy the featured acts safely and without the dangerous effects of illicit substances or anti-social behaviour,' Superintendent McCarthy said. 'The safety and wellbeing of revellers is the number one priority of police when we conduct these operations at music festivals. 'People need to realise that high-visibility police operations are par for the course at major music festivals. If you bring illicit drugs to these events, chances are you will be caught. 'The organisers put together a well-run event and we will continue to work with them in the future to help ensure music-lovers can attend in a safe, drug-free environment,' she said. Three people were taken to hospital with suspected drug-related issues; and 116 people were treated at the festival by paramedics. The two men who became ill on the way to the festival were in their 20s. The festival is being held in Centennial Parklands in Sydney's eastern suburbs The incident occurred on a party bus which had to stop in Seven Hills to let the sick men off (other revelers on a different bus pictured) The party bus the men were travelling on was forced to pull over near Seven Hills on the M2 highway when they had a 'bad reaction' to an unknown substance just before 3pm, Nine News reports. The men were pulled from the bus by emergency crew and taken to Westmead Hospital in a serious condition. When police arrived the bus had already left the scene. They were on their way to the 'Listen Out Festival' in Centennial Park in the city's east when they became ill. Sydney is the second last stop for the festival, acts will back up to play in Brisbane tomorrow (other revelers at festival pictured) By 4.30 om police had charged laid 36 drug possession charges and three drug supply charges. Earlier police warned would-be troublemakers there would be 'nowhere to hide' if they did the wrong thing. 'Anyone bringing illicit drugs to the festivals can expect a swift police response,' Senior Constable Dylan Tate said. The warning comes as 200 people wreaked havoc at the Perth based festival last weekend with 200 people attempting to jump the fence. Police warned revelers not to use drugs at the festival and said there would be 'nowhere to hide' (other revelers at festival pictured) A few people were caught by security and police, but many managed to make it into the festival successfully. Sydney punters continue to celebrate the festival today, with acts like RUFUS and A$AP Ferg lasting well into the night. The festival will make its way to Brisbane tomorrow, for its last leg of the Listen Out tour. British taxpayers forked out 285 million for an unusable airport in the South Atlantic - despite officials being warned more than a decade ago that it would be dangerous to build a runway there. The airport in St Helena was supposed to open in May, but commercial flights are indefinitely on hold because of deadly winds. It is claimed that the Department for International Development (DfID), which approved the project, ignored a report by consultants a decade ago revealing serious concerns about the cliffside airport on the remote island. Scroll down for video Commercial flights have been put on hold at the airport in St Helena because of safety concerns, which were reported to the government more than a decade ago The grand opening, meant to be attended by Prince Edward, was abandoned after safety tests showed commercial planes could not land because the wind near the runway was too unpredictable. When the blunder came to light earlier this year, a peer branded it 'the worst foreign aid project in living memory'. For the island's 4,100 residents, the airport, funded by the British aid budget, would mean flights to the African mainland would take just hours instead of four days or more by sea. It currently takes four days to travel to Cape Town by sea from St Helena, and the UK will continue to pay 6million a year to keep a boat service running But UK taxpayers face having to pay 6 million a year to maintain a boat service between St Helena and Cape Town until the airport opens. And The Times reports that a single flight test in 2006, which lasted for an hour, was used as evidence to show planes would not face dangerous wind conditions. That was despite a feasibility study by consultancy company Atkins more than 10 years ago which raised serious doubts. Instead, the paper reports, readings on wind conditions on the runway were not collected until February - because meteorological equipment was put in the wrong place. The airport was supposed to open in May, with the island's government believing the tourist trade would make it self-sufficient And to compound the blunder, the equipment was not properly calibrated. A source at the Department for International Development (DfID) admitted that some of the information leading up to the decision was 'deficient', with the repercussions visible today. A DFID spokesperson said: 'The Secretary of State has been made aware of the existing challenges faced by St Helena Airport that have delayed the start of regular air services. 'She has appointed an external expert to review the evidence and the department will establish an independent panel to find a solution. 'DFID has a duty to the British taxpayer to ensure value for money as we meet our international obligations to the people of St Helena and the new Secretary of State will demand fresh thinking to make this happen.' Among the options being looked at to tackle the dilemma is blowing up a mountain top popular with trekkers. Blowing the top off a mountain which is popular with trekkers is one option being considered in order to get the airport open Officials are considering destroying part of the King and Queen rocks to the north of the runway to reduce strong winds. But with St Helena hoping to become a popular tourist destination as transport links improve, blowing up a beauty spot would be controversial. The Mail on Sunday revealed earlier this year that UK taxpayers are also underwriting losses of Comair, a franchise of British Airways that won the contract for services to and from South Africa, while the airport is out of action. The UK government is underwriting the losses of British Airways franchise Comair while the airport is out of action To attract bidders, DfID had to cover the risk that demand was less than expected for the first three years of the service's operation. The potential liability is up to 1.9 million a year, or 5.7 million in total. The project was approved by former Development Secretary Andrew Mitchell In April a Comair test pilot reported that, on three successive approaches, he encountered significant turbulence, causing a loss of speed and triggering a cockpit alarm. Meanwhile, the lack of the expected tourists has left islanders who invested in hotels and attraction facing ruin. Lord Foulkes of Cumnock demanded in June that Ministers make an urgent statement to Parliament to explain the soaring costs. The peer, himself a former Development Minister, said: 'It is total incompetence, it is unacceptable and a scandal. I have never known anything as bad as this. The total cost could be getting on for 1 billion. It is the worst foreign aid project in living memory.' A man and woman murder and causing death of, or serious physical harm to a child when a baby died after being found unresponsive on a bus. Rosalin Baker, 25 and Jeffrey Wiltshire, 52, were charged after the three-month-old girl was found unresponsive and with a head injury on a bus in Stratford, east London on Wednesday morning. Metropolitan Police officers were called by paramedics after the three-month-old girl was found on the bus at 10.20am in Stratford, East London. Following the discovery at the junction of High Street and Carpenters Road, the child was taken to hospital where she was pronounced dead. Location: Police were called by paramedics after the girl was found on the bus at yesterday at the junction of High Street and Carpenters Road in Stratford, East London (file picture) Baker was arrested at an east London hospital, where the baby was pronounced dead. Wiltshire was arrested later on Wednesday at an address in east London. The pair were charged with murder and causing death of, or serious physical harm to a child. They also charged with neglect of a child. A post-mortem examination at St Thomas' Hospital on Friday established the cause of death as head injury. Baker and Wiltshire, of East Ham, east London, appeared in custody at Thames Magistrates' Court today and were remanded into custody to appear at the Old Bailey on Tuesday. Detective Chief Inspector Gary Holmes said: 'The death of any child is tragic and we would appeal for anyone with information to please come forward as soon as possible to help with our inquiries.' The ashes of the two sisters found dead at a luxury resort in The Seychelles were handed over to their family on Saturday after a private cremation. A private ceremony for Robin and Annie Korkki was held on the same day the autopsy results into their sudden death were revealed by police. A police spokesman confirmed to Dailymail.com that the ashes of the two women were returned to their mother Susan and brother Mike at their island hotel. They were the only people present at the cremation on Friday having traveled to the Indian Ocean island from their home in the US to seek answers over the pair's sudden death. A source at the crematorium in the town of Victoria said: 'It was very private. There were no other mourners apart from the immediate family.' Scroll down for video The ashes of sisters Robin (right) and Annie Korkki (left), who were found dead at a luxury resort in The Seychelles, were handed over to their family on Saturday following a private cremation The sisters were discovered in their villa at the Maia Luxury Resort and Spa on Thursday 22 September. They were on a lengthy trip to Africa before they went to the Seychelles The family members are preparing to fly back to their hometown of Minnesota where a memorial service for the sisters will be held at a later date. Shocked friends and family members are now awaiting the results of toxicology tests being carried at a laboratory on the island of Mauritius. The tests will determine what exactly caused the sisters, who were on a month long vacation, to suddenly die lying side by side on their bed at the Maia Luxury Resort and Spa. An autopsy carried out at the Victoria Hospital on the island of Mahe revealed Robin, 43, died from acute pulmonary edema. Her 37-year-old sister died from the same condition as well as cerebral edema, which sees fluid build up on the brain. Pulmonary edema is defined as a build up of fluid in the lungs and is usually caused by heart failure. The sisters' (pictured) mother Susan and brother Mike were the only people present at the cremation on Friday having traveled to the Indian Ocean island from Minnesota to seek answers over the pair's sudden death The family members are preparing to fly back to their hometown of Minnesota where a memorial service for the sisters (pictured) will be held at a later date The sisters pictured in a September 19 photo while on vacation in Seychelles. They had been vacationing on the tropical island since September 15 and were due to leave on the 22nd but extended their stay at the resort until the 24th Medical experts said pulmonary edema can be brought on by many conditions but a drug overdose was the most common cause. Dr. Patrick Lank, a Northwestern Medicine assistant professor of emergency medicine in Chicago, told Associated Press: 'One of the more common things we see in the emergency department. 'Alcohol would be a really common one. Also, cocaine, heroin and other opioids, or MDMA, which also is known as ecstasy or molly.' He added: 'Two people at the same time is odd. An autopsy carried out at the Victoria Hospital (pictured) revealed Robin died from acute pulmonary edema. Annie died from the same condition as well as cerebral edema, which sees fluid build up on the brain Victoria Hospital Morgue where the women where taken after their deaths is shown above. It is located in the Seychelle's capital city of Victoria A private cremation ceremony for Robin and Annie Korkki was held on Friday. Coffin makers are pictured next to coffins not belonging to the women at the cremation parlor where their bodies were taken for cremation Shocked friends and family members are now awaiting the results of toxicology tests being carried at a laboratory on the island of Mauritius. The Victoria Police Station where the investigation into the Korkki sisters' deaths is shown above 'It suggests more of a toxicologic or environmental cause, or a potential infection if they're traveling together.' And Baltimore-based medical examiner David Fowler of the College of American Pathologists said brain swelling and fluid-filled lungs 'are the hallmarks of a drug intoxication until proven otherwise.' Police on the island said they removed several medications from the Korkki's room so they could be examined. Police moved in on the Maia resort after the discovery of the two bodies last week The $1,800-a-night villa where the sisters' bodies were found remains closed off more than a week after the discovery The resort is on Mahe Island, one of the Seychelles archipelago, shown above The Maia Luxury Resort and Spa is a twelve-acre property on the secluded Anse Louis located on the island of Mahe featuring 30 luxury suites for guests The sisters were staying at the at the Maia Luxury Resort in the Seychelles off the coast of Africa (shown above on a map) Seychelles Police spokesman Jean Toussaint told Dailymail.com no illegal substances were found in the room. He said the prescription medication had been sent to a forensic laboratory for testing. Both women were fully clothed when found by a member of staff at the resort on September 22. A personal butler assigned to the women became concerned when there was no answer from their $1,800-a-night villa overlooking the azure waters of the Indian Ocean. A doctor called to the resort from a nearby medical clinic examined the pair and pronounced them dead. Robin Korkki, 37, enjoys a glass of wine on vacation before her tragic death In this September 17 photo from their vacation showing Annie, she commented on the photo, calling the trip 'indescribable' Annie is pictured jumping on the beach during their holiday in this September 19 photo Police said the autopsy did not show any signs of physical harm and there had been no forced entry into the villa. Until the results of the autopsy were revealed the deaths of the adventure loving Korkki sister had appeared to be a mystery. Both Robin and Annie had appeared happy and healthy in a series of photographs posted to social media during their stay in the Seychelles. Staff at the luxury resort said the pair had to be helped to their villa after drinking for most of the day. They were last seen around 7.25pm on September 22. The door to the villa had been locked from the inside. An itinerary found at the sister's hotel room showed the pair were touring Africa and had already spent time in Kenya, Tanzania and Zanzibar. The sisters appeared to travel quite often, as they are pictured above on a sailboat with two unidentified people They also didn't shy away from sharing snaps of their beverages of choice, which was often bottles of beer In one snap, Annie pretends to hold a sign that says 'We want beer' featured in a life-size photograph The women had been due to leave on September 22, the day their bodies were found, but extended their stay until the 24th. The Korkki sisters were originally from Minnesota. Anne Korkki worked as a senior administrative assistant for JPMorgan Chase in Denver, while Robin Korkki was based in Chicago where she worked as Head of FX and Metals at Allston Trading, according to their professional websites. The death of the two women stunned friends and family in Minnesota. US Embassy officials from Mauritius have been helping the family who traveled to The Seychelles. In a statement issued via the embassy, the Korkki family said: 'It is with deep regret and profound sadness that the Korkki Family acknowledges the passing of both Robin and Ann Korkki on September 22, 2016 in the Seychelles. Annie, seen wearing a shirt donning the phrase, 'F*** yeah!' and another advertising for an artisian village in Colorado, is the younger of the two sisters Robin, pictured on a plane holding towels before heading off on their Africa adventures, lived in Chicago The family has full confidence in the Seychelles police, their procedures, and their investigatory team. 'The family is very grateful to the United States Embassy team who went above and beyond to guide and support them during this family tragedy. 'The Seychellois have been extraordinarily kind, generous and accommodating which has been most appreciated. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have drawn criticism from a leading animal charity after they wore scarves trimmed with otter fur during a visit to a remote island while on their Canadian tour. Prince William and Kate Middleton were given scarves trimmed with sea otter fur on the seventh day of their royal tour in Canada by the local First Nations Haida Community as a sign of welcome and respect. But the decision to accept the gifts has been criticised by the People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) charity, as well as British political party, the Animal Rights Party. The Duke of Cambridge, and Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, are greeted by Haida First Nation chiefs in Haida Gwaii Prince William and Kate wore the scarves throughout a visit to the Heritage Centre and Museum on the seventh day of their tour A spokesman for Peta UK said: 'Sea otters have been hunted and butchered for their fur so aggressively that they are endangered. 'Along with most members of the British public who abhor the cruelty of the fur trade, we wish the Royal couple had used diplomacy to make a statement against this unacceptable slaughter instead of accepting scarves made from animals who did not want to die.' Peta said the royal couple should have used diplomacy to make a statement against the slaughter of animals On Twitter, reaction was mixed, with one commenting that Canada didn't need the royals if they were going to wear fur But others said the scarves were a lovely gift and some people 'are never happy when they see fur' Judith Adamick seemed shocked by the scarves, asking 'are they wearing animal fur???' A spokesman for the Animal Welfare Party said: 'To many Kate and William are trendsetters and we would suggest that this is a missed opportunity to show leadership on an important environmental and welfare issue. 'Politely declining to wear the gifts, after explaining why, would have been more appropriate.' The woven raven's tail scarves are a sign of wealth and rank among the Haida people, who in times gone by had to travel by canoe to trade for the wool on the mainland. There was also some anger on Twitter although many supported the Royals decision to accept the gifts. The Animal Welfare Party of the UK also told the MailOnline that Wills and Kate could have declined the gifts with a simple explanation Denise Ross told Mail Online that the fur was sea otter and it was only worn by people of great standing within a community One tweeted: 'This is what royals do? Ya, Canada doesn't need them.' Another appeared shocked when tweeting a picture and asking: 'Are they wearing animal fur???' But many said it was right for the couple to accept the scarves. One of the supporters said: 'They are lovely gifts from people who live from the bounty of the sea.' Earlier this week, local resident Denise Ross told MailOnline that the fur was sea otter, which was worn only by matriarchs, Chiefs and their wives or persons of great standing in the community. Ms Ross told the MailOnline that it was wonderful the Royal couple visited and received the gifts Sea otters were once aggressively hunted and there were only 1,000 to 2,000 left in the world. Pictured, Kate Middleton wears her scarf trimmed with sea otter fur, received as a gift The Royal couple were visiting a heritage centre on the island of Haida Gwaii in British Columbia as they come to the end of their tour She said the fur would most likely have been brought in from Alaska or Bella Bella, with whom the Haida people had a trading agreement: 'A long time ago there were many sea otters here but they were hunted and traded to extinction. 'But they are very plentiful in other areas of the country and most likely the fur would have been brought in from Alaska or Bella Bella, as we having a long-standing trading agreement with the Heiltsuk people,' she said. 'The Raven's Tail scarves are a sign of great respect and are only worn by matriarchs and Chiefs. 'It is wonderful that William and Kate have come to visit us here and very normal that they would be given these scarves.' Sea otters are the second smallest marine mammals and unlike others, they do not have a layer of blubber to help them keep warm. Sea otters have the densest fur in the animal kingdom, ranging from 250,000 to a million hairs per square inch, which insulates them. Sea otters are the second smallest marine mammals and have the densest fur ranging from 250,000 to a million hairs per square inch Sea otters are a keystone species, meaning their role in their environment has a greater effect than other species. As predators, sea otters are critical to maintaining the balance of the near-shore kelp ecosystems. Without sea otters, the undersea animals they prey on would devour the kelp forests off the coast that provide cover and food for many other marine animals. Sea otters eat urchins, abalone, mussels, clams, crabs, snails and about 40 other marine species and need to eat approximately 25 per cent of their weight in food each day to support their high metabolism. Historically, sea otters numbered between several hundred thousand to more than a million. But due to the fur trade, worldwide numbers plummeted down to a total of 1,000-2,000 in the early 1900s. Today, there are estimated to be just over 106,000 worldwide and according to National Geographic, they are protected by law. A staunch anti-vaxxer who admits feeling 'superior' to her friends for her beliefs changed her stance when all three of her young children were struck with a virus. Kristen OMeara from Chicago had decided against immunizing her three daughters after going out of her way to research how it could harm them. The 40-year-old however changed her mind when her children, who were aged five and two at the time, contracted rotavirus, an illness which causes severe diarrhea, last year. Vaccines to fight the virus are given to babies at two and four-months-old in the US. Scroll down for video Kristen O'Meara changed her anti-vaxxer stance after her daughters Natasha (left), Aine and Lena (centre and right) became struck with rotavirus in March 2015 In a candid article for The New York Post, O'Meara said she felt 'overwhelmed' with guilt when her children were hit by the vaccine-preventable virus. 'The guilt was overwhelming. At that moment, as my husband, Frank, now 40, and I battled the horrible illness ourselves, I began to doubt the anti-vaccine stance I shared with many of my highly educated friends,' she said. O'Meara decided not to vaccinate the couple's oldest daughter Natasha when she was born in 2010 after 'scaring herself' with journals and reports which claimed it could lead to ADHD, autism and allergies. She took the same decision in 2012 after the birth of her twin daughters, Aine and Lena. As the anti-vaxxer stance grew in popularity, O'Meara, who is a teacher, was swept up in its sudden trendiness. 'I got absorbed in the anti-vax culture and secretly thought of myself as being superior to others,' she wrote. 'Parents who vaccinated didnt have my special investigative skills. As far as I was concerned, they didnt stop to question and were just sheep following the herd.' The mother-of-three even dishonestly claimed in a letter to her daughters' nursery that she had not vaccinated them for religious reasons. The nursery had decided not to accept children who were not inoculated to avoid the spread of illness in classes. When the whole family, including O'Meara and her husband, were struck with rotavirus, she changed pediatrician and had them put on an intense course of catch-up vaccines. The 40-year-old teacher said she felt 'guilty' for not having her children vaccinated as babies O'Meara confessed she felt 'superior' to friends who had chosen to vaccinate their own children before her family was struck by illness The woman's husband Frank (above with his daughters) was also struck by the virus She chose to share her story to deter others from adopting the anti-vaxxer point of view. 'If I can make even one anti-vaxxer think twice, speaking out will have been worth it,' she said. In an interview with Good Morning America, she conceded: 'I put my kids at risk. WHAT IS ROTAVIRUS? Rotavirus causes severe diarrhea among babies, children and adults. Vaccines to fight the virus are given at two and four months-old in the US. The most dangerous symptom of the virus is dehydration caused by excessive diarrhea. If untreated, it can become deadly. Children and adults can still contract the virus if they have been vaccinated but its symptoms will appear in a milder form. Advertisement 'I wish that I had taken more time to research both sides. 'It was awful and it didn't have to happen because I could have had them vaccinated. I felt guilty.' Parents of young children fighting preventable conditions such as whooping cough have shared photographs and videos of their babies' plight previously in a bid to convince others to vaccinate their own families. An Australian mother's video of her five-week-old daughter struggling for breath was shared by millions last month. She was met by the fury of anti-vaxxers the world over, with many insisting they did more harm than good. Celebrity mothers, including Clueless's Alicia Silverstone, have joined the wave of parents condemning them. Advertisement These stunning images from southern Ethiopia capture the moments members of the Suri tribe take part in a fighting ritual, at a time when their way of life is under threat. Warriors are seen taking part in the 'Donga', or stick fight, which has traditionally been a way men impress women and find a wife. They fight with little or no clothing, and the violent clashes sometimes result in death. The clashes are usually between two villages, with fighters taking it in turns to face each other one-to-one Large crowds gather to watch as the stick fighting takes place in southern Ethiopia Clashes between villages can often result in bloodshed, and sometimes even death Laws were passed by the Ethiopian government in 1994 banning stick fighting, but the tradition nevertheless lives on Battles usually take place between Suri villages, which can consist of between 40 and 2,500 people. They are usually held after the rains, and there are often 20 to 30 fighters on each side, with tribesmen taking it in turns to fight one-on-one. Referees enforce a code of conduct - it is against the rules to hit someone while they are on the floor. The fight has traditionally been seen as a way of impressing women and attracting a future wife The fierce fighting is traditionally seen as a way of attracting women, and is a combination of martial art, ritual and sport Stick fighting is a combination of martial art, ritual and sport. As well as providing an opportunity to attract a partner, the fights aim to get young men used to bloodshed - which leaders believe comes in handy if they clash with other tribes. The Suri tribe inhabit the Omo Valley near Kibbish, and have found themselves in dispute with the Ethiopian government - in 1994 laws were passed to ban stick fighting, but the tradition lives on. Human rights groups have warned that the Nilotic ethnic group is going to be heavily affected by the construction of a new dam, and industry around the Omo river. The tribe's way of life is under threat, with the tribe heavily reliant on the river Omo, and needing land on which to keep cattle Men from the Suri tribe wait to take part in the traditional stick fight, which usually sees 20 to 30 members of rival villages face each other The tribe depends on the river for its survival and way of life, and warnings have sounded that the Gibe III dam - the third largest hydroelectric plant in Africa - and cotton and sugar plantations and factories will force members to scatter. It is feared that loss of land and the ability to keep cattle will see globalisation force tribe members to give up their traditional way of life. Women from the tribe have large clay discs inserted into their bottom lips The discs are considered to be a sign of beauty, and the size can dictate the value of a dowry a father can command Female members of the tribe have distinctive clay discs inserted into holes in their bottom lip, which are considered signs of beauty. To have the discs inserted, their bottom two teeth are removed before the hole is cut. The larger the plate, the more cows the girl's father can demand in dowry when his daughter marries. An elderly woman from the tribe smokes a pipe in Ethiopia's southern Omo Valley region near Kibbish A 'non-toxic' products brand, co-founded by actress Jessica Alba, is to reformulate its laundry detergent and other cleaning products after promising to remove an ingredient that has created a huge controversy for the company. Honest Co., which is now five years old, sells a range of products including diapers, soap, lotion and cleaning products - all free from 'harsh chemicals'. But the Wall Street Journal, in a report published in March, said it tested Honest Co.'s detergent at two laboratories and found it had sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) - an ingredient it told customers it would never use. The detergent bottles for years had claimed the product is 'free of' SLS. Honest Co. - co-founded by Jessica Alba, pictured - had long denied claims its laundry detergent contained an ingredient it told customers it would never use At the time, the company strongly denied the claims stating its detergent did not contain SLS, but rather sodium coco sulfate, an ingredient it says is a 'gentler alternative.' It also said conducted 'rigorous testing' and accused the Journal of being both wrong and 'reckless.' Honest executives said in March the company had no plans to reformulate the detergent. Chemists interviewed by the Journal said sodium coco sulfate is a mixture of cleaning agents that includes a large amount of SLS. The company - valued at $1.7 billion also provided Wall Street Journal with a certificate stating there was no SLS in the product from its detergent manufacturer, Earth Friendly Products, according to the statement. A Wall Street Journal article claims that the Honest detergent (pictured) contains sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) There have been rumors that the company may go public or be sold to a bigger player But now it appears the company is finally backing down and is planning to roll out a new laundry detergent in 2017 that doesn't contain sodium coco sulfate. The company told The Wall Street Journal, Honest said it is making changes to multiple products, including dish soap, detergent and other cleaners, 'utilizing an advanced sugar-based surfactant technology to further improve the efficacy of our products.' The company said its research team 'consistently works to innovate across our entire product line while adhering to The Honest Company's uncompromising safety standards.' Replacing the laundry detergent with a new formula would remove any ambiguity over the SLS issue, which caused Honest to face backlash from some customers. The move comes at a crucial time for the company which is in discussions with several large companies about a potential sale or initial public offering, which could also be an option. The company has had talks with consumer-products giants including Unilever PLC,Procter & Gamble Co., Clorox Co. and Johnson & Johnson, according to the Jorunal. Honest currently generates roughly $300 million in annual sales, and was valued at $1.7 billion during a private funding round in August 2015. In Alba's 2013 book The Honest Life (pictured), Alba listed SLS as a 'toxin' that consumers should avoid This isn't the first time Honest is launching new versions of its products after facing scrutiny from consumers and the media. Honest Co. is also facing a class action lawsuit from customers who say the company's sunscreen failed to protect them, causing sun burns. That case is still pending and Honest Co. has said its products are safe. But all was not what it seemed as a replica of the monument had been built by the film studio Photos from filming show dramatic scenes in the making - as actor Mark Wahlberg ran across the plain The filmmakers of Transformers: The Last Knight Advertisement In a striking juxtaposition of old and new, Stonehenge became part of the Transformers film set today as helicopters soared and pyrotechnics lit up the sky above the famous slabs. But all was not as it seemed as a spectacular replica of the monument had been built by the film studio. Members of the public are only allowed within 10 yards of the neolithic monument, strictly kept from the 5,000-year-old slabs by a barrier around its perimeter, so it was just as well it was all for show. Scroll down for video In a striking juxtaposition of old and new, 'Stonehenge' became part of the Transformers film set today as helicopters soared and pyrotechnics lit up the sky above the famous slabs Explosive: Photos from the filming of Transformers: The Last Knight show the dramatic scenes in Wiltshire Photos from the filming of Transformers: The Last Knight show dramatic scenes in the making - as actor Mark Wahlberg was seen running across the grass at the site in Wiltshire The Transformers filmmakers blew up a replica of the ancient burial mounds in spectacular scenes Mark Wahlberg and veteran British Actor Anthony Hopkins were seen filming the dramatic scenes Photos from the set of Transformers: The Last Knight show dramatic scenes in the making - as actor Mark Wahlberg was seen running across the grass at the location in Wiltshire, where access roads to the actual site nearby had to be closed off for the filming. In one breathtaking scene, two helicopters narrowly avoided collision as they flew over Salisbury Plain. In another, veteran actor Anthony Hopkins was seen spreading his arms out as he was filmed staring at the awesome replica monument. But even though it was a model, the portrayal of Stonehenge being blown up was branded 'offensive' by one pagan leader, who claims to be a reincarnation of King Arthur. Arthur Uther Pendragon said he was 'totally against' the filming as it was against the 'spirit of our ancestors'. He told MailOnline: 'It is a living, working temple. Stonehenge should be about honouring the ancestors, not Transformers. The replica was so realistic it led many to claim the original structure had in fact been used by the filmmakers Arthur Uther Pendragon, a pagan leader who claims to be a reincarnation of King Arthur, said he was 'totally against' the filming He told MailOnline: 'It is a living, working temple. Stonehenge should be about honouring the ancestors, not Transformers 'These were the hunter gatherers who were there thousands of years ago. They werent people running about with toy guns. 'I think it is avaricious English Heritage making more money out of an ancient site. 'I just find it totally ridiculous that English Heritage are again making money out of Stonehenge, I am totally against it.' Mark Wahlberg and Veteran British Actor Anthony Hopkins film Explosive scenes for Transformers: Last Knight Helicopters soared above the fake ancient monument as cameras rolled, shooting the spectacular scenes Veteran British Actor Anthony Hopkins was seen next to a camera car as the pyrotechnics exploded In one breathtaking scene, two helicopters narrowly avoided collision as they flew over Salisbury Plain The film crew included scores of men and women who were all allowed to get very close to the fake stones An English Heritage spokesman said: 'We became a charity in 2015 and all of the income generated at Stonehenge goes towards the expenditure needed to maintain the monument itself, as well as contributing to the upkeep of over 400 other sites and monuments in its care, many of which are open free to the public. 'Commercial filming opportunities such as this offer an alternative and vital source of income for the charity and all money raised is invested back into preserving valuable historic sites such as Stonehenge for future enjoyment.' The Stonehenge scenes come after Transformers caused a stir when shooting at Blenheim Palace as producers decked Winston Churchill's birthplace in Nazi flags. The 2,000-acre estate was overrun with extras wearing SS uniform during filming of a Second World War scene as part of the hugely successful Transformers series. Critics have described the decision to hire out the property as highly insensitive and said the wartime leader would have been appalled. Actor Mark Wahlberg (right) was seen running across the plain in dramatic scenes during the filming in Wiltshire The helicopter flew low over the film's cast and crew while they shoot the next installment Transformers' actor Mark Wahlberg and number of his co-star were in full action mode as they ran from the waiting helicopter American star Mark appeared to carry a gun in his khaki boiler suit in front of the cameras The Boston native looked relaxed in between takes alongside his co-star Laura Haddock on set A camera car was used to capture scenes for Transformers: The Last Knight, released on 23 June 2017 With a stunning backdrop of the Salisbury plain in southern England, two helicopters whizzed past one another in vivid scenes Anthony Hopkins was seen spreading his arms out as he was filmed staring at the awesome replica monument This photograph shows two 50ft giant swastika flags hanging down from the top Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire People living near the estate at Woodstock in Oxfordshire complained about loud noise as explosions and fake gunshots were heard from the set during filming. Photographs showed tanks, military vehicles and sandbag barricades surrounding the vast courtyard in front of the palace. The plot is being kept under wraps but it is thought to be based on a successful Nazi plot to invade Britain. A German anti-aircraft gun and ammunition boxes emblazoned with the imperial eagle motif were also spotted on the site. While members of the public were still allowed to roam the grounds during the day, props and equipment bearing swastikas were put up at night. Transformers: The Last Knight, released on 23 June 2017, will see the return of star Mark Wahlberg as Cade Yeager, Josh Duhamel as Lieutenant Colonel Lennox, Tyrese Gibson as Robert Epps, Stanley Tucci as Joshua Joyce. But the images only show backs, hands and feet as identities are Advertisement A look behind the scenes of the squalid world of the arms trade paints a gritty picture of the very unglamorous business of war. Photographer, Nikita Teryoshin, gained access into a tight-knit arms fair called the MSPO in Kielce, a small town in Poland. Teryoshin joined businessmen, soldiers, politicians and civilians at the event where he captured the images of an unseen world for his ongoing photo series,Nothing Personal. A look behind the scenes of the squalid world of the arms trade paints a gritty picture of the very unglamorous business of war. Photographer, Nikita Teryoshin, gained access into a tight-knit arms fair called the MSPO in Kielce, a small town in Poland. Machine guns (pictured) were among several weapons on display Teryoshin joined businessmen (right), soldiers, politicians and civilians at the event where he captured startling images of an unseen world for his ongoing photo series, Nothing Personal. Machine guns as well as tankers were on display at the event Photos of planes were also captured as many show the types of missiles these aircraft can hold and shoot The MSPO is the biggest military trade fair in Eastern Europe that takes place annually. This year's 24th fair in September was the biggest in MSPO's history The MSPO is the biggest military trade fair in Eastern Europe that takes place annually. This year's 24th fair in September was the biggest in MSPO's history, according to website It's Nice That. Teryoshin told the site that while he was inside he had the chance to 'take a look behind the scenes at the goings-on of an industry and also find some remarkable motives' as she captured images that show the 'opposite side of war and destruction'. He said that the fair actually 'looked a bit like a huge playground for adults'. Some of his photos show tanks, aircraft, drones, machine guns along with several other heavy-duty weapons. He told the site that there were also 'many simulators for helicopters or boats with machine guns and hydraulic engines', adding that 'even the bazooka was plugged into a flatscreen for people to try out'. The images also show the large amounts of food and alcohol available to the individuals who attend Teryoshin said that there were also 'many simulators for helicopters (pictured) or boats with machine guns and hydraulic engines', adding that 'even the bazooka was plugged into a flatscreen for people to try out' Men and women gather around a display of four different types of missiles at the annual event that was held in Poland this year Teryoshin said that his biggest challenge was finding 'the right angle' to capture both the amount of alcohol and food, along with the weapons into one picture Some of Teryoshin's photos show tanks, drones, machine guns along with several other heavy-duty weapons. Pictured are several weapons that men and women alike were able to see while at the event The images also show the large amounts of food and alcohol available to the individuals who attended. Teryoshin told the site that his biggest challenge was finding 'the right angle' to capture both the amount of alcohol and food, along with the weapons into one picture. An important component of the fair is anonymity, which explains why his photos only show backs, hands and feet. Teryoshin's work can also be found as part of private collections in New York, Berlin, Madrid, St Petersburg and Dusseldorf, Germany. Several men and women were allowed to take a tour inside military tankers such as the one above, as experts spoke to them about the capabilities of the weapons People in attendance were also able to climb into the helicopters and planes on site as they were given overviews of the specifications of each weapon and machine Those in attendance enjoyed several glasses of wine and beer along with many hors d'oeuvres A woman is pictured kneeling as she takes a photo of missiles which appear to be a type of armament subsystem for an aircraft An important component of the fair is anonymity, which explains why his photos mainly show backs, hands and feet Toddler Ben Needham went missing while playing outside his grandparents home on the Greek island of Kos in 1991 Shortly before he vanished, Ben Needham was pictured wearing leather sandals and grinning on a moped. British officers deployed to the Greek island of Kos today presented a replica of the shoes the 21-month old had on his feet in the hope that they might help search teams looking for evidence of Ben. The sandals are made of light brown leather with a silver buckle and would fit a child aged between 18 and 24 months. Speaking at the scene, CSI expert Frank Harkness said of the significance of the tiny pair of shoes: 'It gives the searchers a better idea of what they are looking for.' South Yorkshire Police officers deployed to the island are combing an olive grove and land surrounding a farmhouse in the village of Iraklis in the hope of unearthing clues which could lead them to the missing boy. Mr Harkness told of how a local cobbler made a near identical pair of shoes to those bought by the Needham family, from Sheffield, South Yorkshire, more than 25 years ago on the island of Kos. British officers working alongside volunteers and Greek police are six days into their investigation on the island which could last several weeks. They will use the leather sandals to compare them to fragments of what appear to be remnants of a shoe found in the field in 2012. Mr Harkness, CSI forensic manager for Humberside and South Yorkshire, stressed they were 'similar' but not 'exactly the same'. He added: 'We are now going to do some work to see if we can size the debris against the sandals.' A local cobbler has made these replicas of the sandals that Ben was wearing on the day he vanished in an effort to help search teams looking for evidence The two will then be analysed by a footwear expert back in the UK. No trace of Ben's DNA was found on the sole or leather of the remnants found in 2012 but police confirmed that it was possible that it could still be the toddler's shoe. They will also help police when analysing any debris combed from the field. The female cobbler who does not want to be identified, became very upset as she created the sandals which she realised would have been almost identical to those Ben had on his feet. Despite the emotional task, the woman who has young children, was said to have been 'proud' to have been able to help investigators in their quest to find answers for Ben's family. Pictured, search teams work to excavate a building site close to where Ben vanished on Kos South Yorkshire Police officers are combing an olive grove and land surrounding a farmhouse in the village of Iraklis in the hope of unearthing clues Officers today moved across the site to the exact area where digger Konstantinos 'Dino' Barkas was working in 1991 when the boy disappeared while he was playing outside a house which was being renovated by his grandparents. Earlier this year, a new unidentified witness came forward and claimed Barkas, who died 18 months ago, had run down the child and buried his body. His family have strenuously denied the allegations. Officers relaunched the investigation and made a new appeal earlier this year following a 1million funding boost from the Home Office. It was shortly after the appeal that a new witness came forward. Ben's sister Leighanna Needham, 22, yesterday told of how she had spent her life hoping that her brother would one day come home. Speaking to ITV's Good Morning Britain, she added: None of us want to believe that they are going to find something there because thats 25 years of fighting and pain and hurt that could have been ended 25 years ago. An Australian man has died in Bangkok of a suspected prescription drug overdose following an argument with his younger boyfriend. Donald George Crawford, 54, was found by his Thai lover Phakhin Phutrakun, 35, in the condo they shared in northern Bangkok. Mr Crawford was found lying face-up on the floor next to his bed surrounded by scattered prescription tablets, according to Manager Online, a local news publication. Donald George Crawford, pictured, has been found dead in a Bangkok condo he shared with his boyfriend The 54-year-old Australian magician was found surrounded by prescription medication Mr Crawford spent much of his later life in Thailand, but previously called Melbourne home Mr Crawford's partner said he had come home to find the 54-year-old's body following a two day business trip. Police said Mr Crawford had been dead for at leas six hours when he was found. He also revealed to police he had argued with his partner the last time they saw each other. Mr Crawford who worked in computer systems in Thailand originally hailed from Melbourne, Australia. He was a magician for many years and warmly remembered by his friend Tim Ellis as a 'larger than life character'. Mr Crawford got his first start in the 'Young Musicians'. He was found by his Thai lover Phakhin Phutrakun, 35 who had been out of tow for two days Mr Crawford's passport was found with him and was used to identify him A Victorian gallery of 'incorrigible rogues' convicted of 'stealing cake' and 'loitering' over a century ago is up for auction. The stunning collection features scoundrels from between 1890 and the end of the First World War who were logged in a governor's ledger for their felonies. One outlaw was jailed for three months for stealing a duck, while another convict was locked up for two months for thieving a haddock at Nottingham Prison. A mugshot of Henry Warren, from Lambeth, whose height is given as five foot three inches Among Warren's offences were stealing cake, stealing money and housebreaking Matthew Glancy poses for the camera in records preserved from Nottingham Prison The 39-year-old was handed 16 months in prison for carrying out a confidence trick James Brady, a clerk from Nottingham, was imprisoned at the age of 45 years old Begging and larceny were among the offences committed by Brady for which he was jailed A photo of Nottingham Prison during the Victorian Era. Offences were recorded in the governor's ledger The antique book features mugshots as well as a record detailing who the lags were, where they were from and what crime they had committed. It is expected to fetch 250 at auction on October 13, alongside black and white pictures of the jail and nine cell keys in a hinged mahogany box made by a prisoner. James Sadler, auction manager at Lockdales in Ipswich, Suffolk, said: 'This is an incredible find which we got on a valuation day in the Midlands. 'Were it not for the young lad, a huge piece of prison history would have been lost. This a unique piece of social history. Thomas O'Brien , whose trade is given as dealer, was 63 years old when he was sent away He was fined 2 for 'gaming in a railway carriage' and sentenced to three months for stealing 4 Harry Brown, from Derby, is forced to pose for the camera as part of Nottingham Prison's booking procedure Brown's single recorded offence was assault, was occurred on October 12 in 1920 At the age of 35, William Parker was sent to prison. The record lists his eye colour as grey Other felons recorded in the book include someone jailed for three months for stealing a duck A box of keys once owned by the governor of Nottingham prison more than 100 years ago 'A large piece of British criminal history has been brought to light. I've never seen anything like it. And I will almost certainly not see the like again.' Other crimes logged include stealing a tin of peaches, being an 'incorrigible rogue', and 'stealing cake'. John Graham cannot help but smile while he is booked by guards at Nottingham Prison This rogues' gallery is now up for auction, along with a series of items making up a collection linked to the former prison A Tailor by the name of Joseph Jacobs is booked, with a 'mole on the side of the nose' listed under 'marks' Jacobs' crimes included breaking into a warehouse and loitering, and he was sentenced to more than a year Francis McNeal, from Govan in Scotland, is described as having a scar across his nose and cheek McNeal was booked for a host of offences from 1901 to 1920, many of them theft-related The prison was demolished in the early 1920s, but a young boy rescued the governor's old ledger as well as prison keys and a photo of the prison also up for auction. The items were discovered when they were brought to a valuation day held at Lockdales. Emanuel Jack Cohen is also listed under his alias Jack Cohen, in records up for auction One of the pages from a newly discovered ledger made by the governor of Nottingham prison more than 100 years ago Solomon Cohen, also listed under the name John Harris, was imprisoned at the age of 41 Cohen committed several offences for which he was jaield, including larceny and loitering Michael Charles Hollick, a sailor, was one of dozens of offenders to have his details taken This blood-spattered pavement is the gruesome scene after a man was stabbed 'multiple times' in north London in the early hours of the morning. The stabbing in Wood Green left a man in his 20s suffering from injuries which police describe as 'possibly life changing'. The grim image showing a pool of blood on the paving stones surrounded by medical equipment and a blood soaked trainer, among other items of clothing, was taken after police and paramedics were called at 3.20am. The horrific image was posted online by ambulance service staff who responded to the multiple stabbing No one has been arrested for the brutal attack, and the victim remains in hospital. A Metropolitan Police spokeswoman told the Mail Online: 'We were called at 3.20am to reports of a stabbing in Coberg Road in Wood Green. 'A man in his 20s was taken to hospital, where his condition is not life threatening. 'There have been no arrests.' It is being investigated by officers from Operation Trident, which investigates violent crime in the capital, and police have confirmed that the man was stabbed 'multiple times'. The image was posted on Twitter by London Ambulance Service's Joint Response Unit, which works alongside police. The unit tweeted: ' Another quick, life saving #collaborative response with @MPSHaringey to a patient stabbed. Taken to a Major Trauma Centre as a priority.' Police in the borough of Haringey confirmed officers were on the scene within three minutes of the call. More than a hundred people demonstrated at London's Heathrow Airport on Saturday, including dozens who took part in a 'die-in' at one terminal, The demonstration comes just weeks before the government is due to decide where to build a new runway. After a decade of reviews and U-turns, the government is expected to rule in mid-October on whether to build a third runway at Heathrow, Europe's busiest airport, or at its smaller London rival Gatwick. Scroll down for video. The floor at Heathrow Airport is lined with protesters who took part in a 'die-in' The demonstration comes just weeks before Prime Minister Theresa May's government is due to decide where to build a new runway One protester pictured on the ground with a banner reading 'Stay Grounded. No New Runways' The protesters turned up dressed in reds and on bikes, to make their point about pollution levels Expansion plans have been opposed by residents and some lawmakers at both locations. Protesters lay on the floor of Heathrow's Terminal 2, with many wearing white masks in a so-called die-in to highlight the impact of air travel on climate change and pollution levels. One woman wearing a mask lay next to a banner which read: 'Stay Grounded. No New Runways.' Others took part in a cycle ride nearby, wearing red T-shirts with the message: 'No 3rd runway', according to images posted on Twitter. Many of the group were holding banners or were dressed in hoodies emblazoned with messages A commuter tries to step over the human carpet as he makes his way to try and catch a flight Two more fliers try to negotiate the landscape and get to the terminal without standing on anyone Protesters lay on the floor of Heathrow's Terminal 2, with many wearing white masks to highlight the impact of air travel on climate change and pollution levels Heathrow has said it will comply with an extended ban on night flights and meet European air quality rules if the project gets the green light. It has also said it will meet 11 conditions set out by Britain's Airports Commission. These include a requirement on air quality which states that new flights will only be permitted if air quality does not breach EU limits. A Heathrow spokeswoman said the airport continued to operate as normal during the demonstration. Heathrow has said it will comply with an extended ban on night flights and meet European air quality rules if the project gets the green light It has also said it will meet 11 conditions set out by Britain's Airports Commission, including one on air quality levels Heathrow officials said the aiport continued to operate as normal during the demonstration. A spokesman said: 'The peaceful demonstration that took place Heathrow earlier today involved a small group of people, and the airport operated as normal throughout. 'Check-in and security were not affected. The action was part of a world-wide day of protest against aviation in general, which included protests at Gatwick as well. ''Heathrow expansion is not a choice between delivering for the economy and protecting the environment - we can do both. 'The Independent Committee on Climate Change has also shown that a 60% growth in passenger numbers in the United Kingdom can be achieved within the UKs Climate Change Targets.' A spokesman from Gatwick Airport added: 'There were a very small number of people - around fifteen, who were sat on the floor on the south terminal of arrivals. 'Some of them were holding placards saying "no third runway" but this is Heathrow's position, not Gatwicks as we are beginning to build a second runway. 'They were there for around an hour and a half but there was no disruption to passengers. 'They were a small group in a large space.' According to the spokesman they allowed the protesters to make their point and even gave them some food before the left peacefully. The event was organised by Fight The Power, with the man at the head of this group having a large flag attached to his bike Two Sydney sisters claim they heard desperate shouts from the Bali beach on the night Australian mother Sara Connor and her British boyfriend allegedly murdered a police officer The 45-year-old Byron Bay woman and her boyfriend David Taylor, 34, are accused of murdering Wayan Sudarsa on Kuta beach on August 17. Coleen Bowen and Kim Watson believe they heard a fight leading up to the death of the officer. 'I heard this screaming that woke me up. It made me jump to my feet. I opened my curtain, I was scared, I didn't want anyone to see me. I sat on the edge of my bed for a little while. I was shaking,' Ms Bowen told the Courier Mail. Scroll down for video Sara Connor (right) her boyfriend David Taylor (left) are accused of murdering Wayan Sudarsa on Kuta beach on August 17 Wayan Sudarsa (pictured) was found dead on Kuta beach in the early hours of August 17 The two sisters had arrived in Bali on August 16 where checked in to the Pullman Hotel. It was around 1 am in the morning when both sisters say they woke up to the sound of screams and voices 'that sounded Australian.' According to Ms Bowen a female voice was screaming: 'No, no, let him go' or something similar and 'no, no, no'. She also heard a male voice which was screaming: 'No, don't do that you f***ing c***'. The Sydneysider added that the tone of the voices was one of desperation 'like they were being attacked'. Sydney sisters Coleen Bowen (right) and Kim Watson (left) believe they heard a fight on the beach on the night the officer died A lengthy police brief has emerged, detailing how the pair allegedly murdered the policeman Ms Connor claims in her statement Mr Taylor (Pictured) killed the policeman after the officer allegedly attempted to steal her handbag The experience described by the sisters follows the emergence of a lengthy police brief, detailing how the couple allegedly murdered the policeman. In the report Ms Connor maintains her innocence and said Taylor had told her a policeman was peeping at them on the beach while they were intimate. The mother of two claims she didn't know the policeman was dead as she was told he was passed out. Ms Connor's Australian lawyer, Peter Strain, the Australian lawyer for Ms Connor, says the womens evidence matched up to what the Byron Bay woman said to Bali police during interrogations. In the report Ms Connor (left) maintains her innocence and said Mr Taylor (right) had told her a policeman was peeping at them on the beach while they were intimate Ms Bowen and Ms Watson had planned to contact police while in Bali, but decided to contact the Australian Federal Police once they were back home to avoid becoming entangled in the issue. The sister says at no point during their stayed at the Pullman Hotel did local police approach or question guests at the hotel about the incident. The prosecutors have seen the police brief and want some issues clarified before they decide the charges and bring the case to court. Police have two more weeks to conduct any further investigations to amend the report. Ms Connor asked to be moved to a more comfortable Bali jail cell because she is suffering from 'extreme stress'. The Byron Bay woman is said to be under extreme stress inside her Denpasar Police Station cell, where she has been locked up since her arrest on August 18. Ms Connor's statement claims she tried to restrain her boyfriend when he began to attack the policeman when he allegedly attempted to steal her handbag on the beach The funeral for New York City fire battalion chief Michael Fahy, who was killed by debris from a house explosion last week, was held Saturday A New York City fire battalion chief who was killed by debris in a house explosion on Tuesday was remembered during a funeral service on Saturday that was attended by thousands of firefighters, elected officials, friends and family. Michael Fahy was remembered as a hero and a dedicated family man during the memorial. Fahy's wife and two of their three young children spoke tenderly about him at the Roman Catholic Mass at the Annunciation Church, in Yonkers, that Cardinal Timothy Dolan helped officiate. Mayor Bill de Blasio and Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro also addressed the packed church. Retired FDNY Captain Stephen Damato described Fahy as 'a quiet guy' but said he was an excellent probationary firefighter. 'He knew what was happening. If you gave him an order, hed listen. 'He always had that smile on his face, and he always made coming to work a joy. To hear that he got hurt was a blow. Its like losing a son in a way. Mayor Bill de Blasio and Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro addressed the packed church during the service (pictured) At the service, Michael (pictured, center), the oldest of the three children, ages six, eight and 11 said: 'Dad, I could always count on you.' Through tears, his wife, Fiona (left), called him 'the love of her life' and told the mourners how the only thing he loved more than his work was his family 'You have this pain in your heart that just doesnt go away. This is a very, very sad time. 'Were broken and were distraught. But we celebrate because thats how we deal with these terrible situations,' retired FDNY Captain Stephen Damato said. Through tears, his wife, Fiona, called him 'the love of her life' and told the mourners how the only thing he loved more than his work was his family. 'New York knows what we've always known, that Mike Fahy was a hero. 'I'm nowhere near trying to make sense of any of this,' Fiona said. Michael, the oldest of the three children, ages six, eight and 11 said: 'Dad, I could always count on you.' 'I know you were proud of me, and I'm so proud of you.' Fiona and 11-year-old Michael stood together (left) as they spoke and remembered Fahy As his casket left the church for a firetruck, hundreds of firefighters stood outside in a silent salute for their fallen brother The casket was placed atop a firetruck and driven off as Fahy's fellow firefighters looked on As his casket left the church for a firetruck, hundreds of firefighters stood outside in a silent salute for their fallen brother. The casket was placed atop a firetruck and driven off as Fahy's fellow firefighters looked on. The 17-year fire department veteran died Tuesday morning. He was directing operations from the street when he was struck by debris when the house in the Bronx exploded. Authorities say a tampered gas main may be to blame. Fahy was directing operations from the street when he was struck by debris when the house in the Bronx exploded The 44-year-old Fahy, who was the son of a fire chief, was posthumously promoted on Thursday from battalion chief to deputy chief by the FDNY (Pictured, Fahy's body was saluted as it was transported from NewYork-Presbyterian Allen Hospital on Tuesday) They're looking into whether the building was used to grow marijuana. The 44-year-old Fahy, who was the son of a fire chief, was posthumously promoted on Thursday from battalion chief to deputy chief by the FDNY. He had a doctorate from New York Law School. Donald Trump has enlisted the help of his oldest daughter, Ivanka, in another attempt to appeal to women voters as she stars in a new campaign ad. 'The most important job any woman can have is being a mother, and it shouldn't mean taking a pay cut,' Ivanka Trump says when the ad begins. Ivanka, 34, who has three children and is an entrepreneur, says her father 'understands the needs of a modern workforce' and supports policies that 'allow women to support their families and further their careers'. Donald Trump has enlisted the help of his oldest daughter, Ivanka, in another attempt to appeal to women voters as she stars in a new campaign ad The ad starts off with Ivanka (pictured with her children) saying that the 'most important job any woman can have is being a mother' Ivanka, 34, who has three small children and is an entrepreneur, says her father 'understands the needs of a modern workforce' and supports policies that 'allow women to support their families and further their careers' The Republican presidential nominee noted Friday that his campaign hasn't spent much yet on television ads. He said he plans to put to good use the approximately $18 million he says he raised for his campaign and Republican partners on the day after Monday's debate. He said: 'We have some big plans for the final month.' And Ivanka's ad appearance is seemingly a huge part of those 'big plans'. The ad appears to tout Trump's recently announced proposals for childcare tax credits and paid maternity leave through unemployment insurance. 'My father will change outdated labor laws so that they support women and American families. 'He will provide tax credits for child care, paid maternity leave and dependent-care savings accounts,' she says while photos of her and her children are displayed. Donald Trump noted Friday that his campaign hasn't spent much yet on television ads. He said he plans to put to good use the approximately $18 million he says he raised for his campaign and Republican partners on the day after Monday's debate And Ivanka's ad appearance is seemingly a huge part of those 'big plans'. The ad also features families from diverse backgrounds The ad, which highlights working mothers, is a part of the campaign's $7.5 million buy for the coming week During the ad, Trump is seen embracing women and listening to what they have to say. He's also seen playing with his grandchildren. The ad, which shows diverse families and working mothers, is a part of the campaign's $7.5 million buy for the coming week, the Washington Post reported. It's scheduled to run on cable networks with large female audiences such as OWN, Lifetime and TLC. The ad will also run during Dancing with the Stars, Grey's Anatomy, The Voice and How to Get Away With Murder, a campaign official told the Post. Ivanka has been considered one of the GOP nominee's most effective advocates, which was reportedly proven when the ad was tested in a focus group. A source told the Post that the result was 'off the charts' and the ad is 'one of the top performers we've ever seen'. The ad comes as Trump risks damaging his already low standing with women following a week of sparring with a former Miss Universe winner who gained weight when Trump owned the pageant. Friday morning, Trump tweeted that former Miss Universe Alicia Machado, who is a Hillary Clinton supporter, was 'disgusting'. At one point in the footage, Trump is seen shaking hands with a businesswoman. The ad is scheduled to run on cable networks with large female audiences such as OWN, Lifetime and TLC During the ad, Trump is seen embracing women and listening to what they have to say The ad comes as Trump risks damaging his already low standing with women following a week of sparring with former Miss Universe winner, Alicia Machado, who gained weight when Trump owned the pageant. He's pictured with grandchildren Tristan (center) and Spencer He urged followers to check out her 'sex tape' apparently referring to footage from a Spanish reality show in 2005. But reportedly Trump made a cameo appearance in an explicit 2000 Playboy video, according to Buzzfeed. In a short clip posted on the site, Trump is seen pouring a bottle of champagne on a Playboy-branded limo on a New York street, surrounded by a gaggle of women. Clinton's traveling press secretary Nick Merrill, who has not seen the video, said: 'There's been a lot of talk about sex tapes today and in a strange turn of events only one adult film has emerged today and its star is Donald Trump.' Trump urged followers to check out Machado's 'sex tape' apparently referring to footage from a Spanish reality show in 2005. But reportedly Trump himself made a cameo appearance in an explicit 2000 Playboy video Democratic presidential nominee, Hillary Clinton, also had some things to say about Trump's comments toward the former Miss Universe. She said Trump's flurry of late-night tweets targeting Machado was 'unhinged, even for him' The Democratic presidential nominee also had some things to say about Trump's comments. Clinton said Trump's flurry of late-night tweets targeting Machado was 'unhinged, even for him'. At a rally Friday in Coral Springs, Florida, Clinton questioned what kind of person gets up at 3am to send angry tweets. Trump has been targeting Machado since Clinton, at Monday's debate, cited derogatory comments Trump had made about Machado after she gained weight. Clinton cited it as an example of his disrespect toward women. She says it underscores that Trump is 'temperamentally unfit to be commander-in-chief'. Trump also responded to those who criticized his tweets saying: ' For those few people knocking me for tweeting at three o'clock in the morning, at least you know I will be there, awake, to answer the call!' Vulnerable women suffering emotional trauma after an abortion have been referred by the NHS to an extremist pro-life group where they are fed the lie that termination can cause breast cancer. Patients are left distraught by the devastating claim made by advisers at the Good Counsel Network but which is dismissed by medical experts as untrue and damaging. Yet one of Britains biggest NHS mental health trusts, South West London and St Georges, has been recommending patients to the London-based groups via leaflets and its website for five years. Scroll down for video Undercover film exposes extreme 'pro life' boss lying to patients that abortion can trigger breast cancer: Clare McCullogh (pictured) said to reporter posing as patient that 'there are over 50 studies now from around the world showing an increased risk, and a large increased risk, in breast cancer after abortion' Despite its misleading advice, GCN was described until recently on the NHS website as a leading organisation in the field of mental health. GCN which was censured for misleading advertising under its former name pays some activists a salary to stand outside abortion clinics, forcing women to run a gauntlet of haranguing protesters as they enter and leave. Women are handed leaflets referring them to pregnancy crisis centres, where a mixture of lies and half-truths is peddled, aimed at making them change their mind about the procedure. The revelations will be exposed in an undercover investigation by Channel 4s Dispatches this week. THE PROGRAMME FOUND THAT: So-called pavement counsellors accost women outside clinics showing them lifesize plastic foetuses; Women whose lives could be at risk if they continue the pregnancy are told their doctors could be wrong; Patients considering abortion are handed a long list of possible physical and psychological complications, including alcohol and drug abuse. Advertisement Women are left feeling harassed, intimidated and deeply upset by the shock tactics. One of the most damaging lies employed by the anti-abortion groups is to suggest the operation can lead to breast cancer. GCN founder Clare McCullough told a reporter posing as a mother-to-be at her crisis pregnancy centre: There are over 50 studies now, from around the world, showing an increased risk, and a large increased risk, in breast cancer after abortion. As 'good counsellor' intimidates women at abortion clinic with life size model foetus: GCN's Justyna Pasek, picketing clinic with 'foetus' said 'I wanna ask you a favour if you could think or pray about it all those mothers who are inside their children [who] look like this' But that is simply not true, say medical experts. Consultant gynaecologist Dr Kate Guthrie said: There is no evidence that links abortion with an increase in breast cancer under any circumstances. Its very damaging, because if youre given incorrect information, you are making a choice based on error, not on truth. Theres no excuse whatsoever not to give people true information. Tactics meant to cause anxiety and concern Men and women employed by GCN are also accused of giving unqualified medical advice to women outside the clinics, along with the misleading propaganda leaflets. Polish-born Justyna Pasek, a former casino worker, is now paid to be a full-time pavement counsellor for GCN. She showed an undercover reporter a plastic model of a foetus outside a clinic in Twickenham, South-West London, urging her to pray for all these mothers who are inside and their children [who] look like this. Crusade: Justyna Paek with some of the models of unborn children that she shows to women going into the clinic Later she admitted telling a woman whose GP had advised her that to continue her pregnancy could put her life at risk, that the doctors could be mistaken. When confronted later by Dispatches reporter Cathy Newman, Ms Pasek insisted: Sometimes doctors can be wrong. In 2013, when it was called the Central London Womens Centre, GCN had two complaints against it upheld by the Advertising Standards Authority over its misleading internet advertising. A headline read: Considering abortion? For an immediate appointment call us. But it did not reveal itself as an anti-abortion organisation. MPs fear the introduction of aggressive American-style anti-abortion tactics could lead to violence. At least 11 people have been murdered at US abortion clinics since 1990, and there have been scores of bombings and arson attacks. Keir Starmer, the former head of the Crown Prosecution Service who is now Labour MP, believes that buffer zones outside abortion clinics might be necessary. He said: These are carefully constructed tactics that are intended to absolutely cause anxiety and concern. In America this has gone even further than weve seen in this country, and I think because of that we have to work on the basis that this conduct will escalate here. Separately, undercover investigators secretly filmed a London conference for pro-life extremists, run by pressure group Abort67. The group was set up by American lawyer Gregg Cunningham, a 69-year-old former Republican politician. He is also the director of a US organisation, The Genocide Awareness Project, which compares abortion to the Holocaust and has run a series of campaigns using graphic images of aborted foetuses on American college campuses. Now his Abort67 volunteers stand outside British clinics with similar lurid banners and film women coming in and out. Despite the likelihood of the women being emotionally vulnerable, the protesters walk alongside them, firing questions and trying to make them change their mind. Women leaving the centres face the same ordeal over again. Cunninghams stated aim is to deliberately shock women at abortion clinics, arguing that almost half the women who have terminations have undergone the procedure before. He says: Post-abortive women are, therefore, among the women most at risk of aborting. They are, consequently, the women we most want to upset. Because the problem is they werent upset enough after their first abortion and they go and do it again. Anti-abortion fanatics often wait outside clinics with leaflets and even models of unborn foetuses Filmed undercover at a conference in a London church, he says that abortion is genocide and child sacrifice, and cites a claim that a substantial proportion of those working in abortion clinics are witches or Satanists. Women who have undergone abortions also appear on the programme to tell how they were harassed or intimidated at British clinics by pro-lifers. One said that as she entered the premises there was someone actually standing blocking the door, so I couldnt enter. South West London and St Georges NHS Mental Health Trust admitted it published a leaflet in 2011, also posted online, that referred patients to GCN. But officials said the literature was part of a wide range of bereavement services and that it was not a clinical recommendation. In a statement, Clare McCullough of the GCN repeated the untrue claim that there was a possible increased risk of breast cancer following abortion. But she added: I categorically deny that I, or any of our staff and volunteers, have any intention of upsetting women. Meanwhile, Mr Cunningham of Abort67 compared his groups shock tactics with anti-slavery campaigners and denied that his staff members or volunteers had harassed anyone outside clinics, bizarrely describing their activities as consumer protection. He insisted it was plausible that Satanists and witches were working in British abortion clinics, and claimed: Pagans write books describing abortion as a sacred child sacrifice, so I dont think its a stretch at all to imagine that Satan worshippers are doing this work. Dispatches Undercover: Britains Abortion Extremists will be screened on Channel 4 at 11pm on Wednesday. No one should have to run this gauntlet: Channel 4 News presenter Cathy Newman on the pressure women face from the growing anti-abortion movement Channel 4 presenter Cathy Newman gives her view on the pressures women face from a growing anti-abortion movement ahead of Dispatches Undercover programme on Wednesday Most women think long and hard before having an abortion. I know, because a decade ago I had one myself. It was one of the most traumatic decisions Ive ever had to make. My husband and I had one little girl already, and we were desperate to give her a sibling. Wed already been through the emotional upset of a miscarriage, so when I got pregnant again we were both nervously hoping for the best. Sadly, though, when we went for a scan at 13 weeks, we were told the baby had an extremely rare condition which meant it was highly likely to die before birth, or during labour. If it had survived, we were informed it would most probably be paralysed, deaf, blind and unable to speak. All these years later, I can remember the desolation we both felt and the conviction we shared that the kindest course of action was to terminate the pregnancy. We informed the hospital, but were distraught to learn that wed have to wait two weeks for the operation. British law requires two doctors to sign a certificate permitting an abortion. Hospital staff told us a surprising number of doctors were reluctant to do so. When I pressed them on why, they told me it was partly because some were reluctant to expose themselves to the wrath of a growing anti-abortion movement. Hence the delay. In the end, we did manage to secure the termination with only a weeks wait. But it was the longest seven days of our lives, as we wrestled with the emotional turmoil of what had happened. Even as I was waiting for the anaesthetic to take effect outside the operating theatre, the consultant compounded my sense of loss and guilt by offering me advice on contraception, in the mistaken belief that I was a teenage mum and this was an unwanted pregnancy, despite my medical notes making very clear my circumstances. A kindly nurse made him apologise the minute I came to after the operation. So yes, I found having an abortion hugely upsetting. And I can only imagine how much more difficult it would have been if Id had to run the gauntlet of protesters, questioning my decision, issuing me with misleading advice about the medical risks of terminating, showing me gruesome pictures of aborted foetuses, or comparing abortion to the Holocaust. Because this is what many women are forced to endure, as we found while making the Channel 4 Dispatches investigation. Anti-abortion activists hand plastic foetuses to women outside clinic I confronted one of the protesters, a woman named Justyna, who is paid by the Good Counsel Network and who stands outside an abortion clinic in South-West London day in, day out. I asked her why she was giving misleading medical advice to women. Two women she urged to continue with their pregnancies had been advised by doctors to abort because their own lives were potentially at risk. Justyna told me that doctors arent always right. But when I asked her about her work for the GCN, she accused me of harassing her this from someone accused of harassing women at their most vulnerable. It really was the most grotesque of ironies. How can this happen in a nation where, for good reasons, we have the right to choose how we control our own reproductive systems? In several countries around the world, abortion in any circumstances is illegal. In parts of America, womens reproductive rights are being dramatically curtailed. Now the same campaigners who have had such success curbing those freedoms across the Atlantic are bringing their tactics over here. And a man who has said women who have abortions should be punished is closing in on the US presidency. Her friends handed out posters around the town and launched a social media Vancouver police say the body of Natsumi Kogawa, 30, was found in the Gabriola Mansion Vancouver police have confirmed one man has been charged after the body of missing Japanese student Natsumi Kogawa, 30, was found at a mansion in the city's West End. Kogawa's body was discovered at an historic downtown building known as the Gabriola Mansion. William Victor Schneider, 48, was arrested in Vernon, British Colombia. and remains in custody. Friends reported her disappearance on September 12, some five days after she went missing. A Facebook group was launched to spread the word and to try and generate a timeline of her last known movements. People even went to places in downtown Vancouver where Kogawa would spend her time and handed out missing posters to strangers in the hope of jogging their memories. Schneider has been previously charged with armed robbery, theft, possession of a controlled substance, breach of probation, break and enter, assault with a weapon and mischief Police were present in large numbers at the Gabriola Mansion after discovering a dead body there Wednesday night Her image appeared on screens at subway stations, and it was shared widely on social media. Surveillance pictures and video footage were also widely distributed which shows Schneider with Kogaw hours before her disappearance. In the images, the student can be seen speaking and gesturing to the man with a backpack. Kogawa was an experienced traveler. She had come to Canada to study English, and had plans to switch her tourist visa to a working holiday visa. Kogawa was seen talking to a mystery man with a backpack. William Victor Schneider has since been arrested and charged with indignity to a human body Kogawa, 30, was last heard from by friends on September 8, and had been the subject of a high-profile missing persons campaign. She had come to Vancouver to study English Schneider had been previously charged with a number of crimes including armed robbery, theft, possession of a controlled substance, breach of probation, breaking and entering and assault with a weapon. An autopsy is scheduled for Monday. The 17,000-square-foot Gabriola mansion was built by the Rogers family in 1901. It has been empty since the Macaroni Grill restaurant closed in the mid-2000s. Erik Lauzon, who lives across the street from mansion said there have been no problems at the house although a few squatters sometimes congregate in the back alley, 'but never on the grounds.' 'This doesn't change anything for me,' Lauzon said to the Vancouver Sun when asked if he now looks at his neighborhood a little differently. 'It's an isolated incident.' RCMP Sergeant Annie Linteau knows there are a lot of questions here still, but this is still an ongoing investigation. 'Our priority is to conduct a thorough investigation and we're not prepared to jeopardize that. All that I can say is that he was arrested by the Norther Okanagan RCMP.' 'It is a very dark time for me right now and the words I am writing right now cannot possibly convey my sadness,' wrote Jay Vergara, a friend who had spearheaded the social media campaign to spread word of Kogawa's disappearance. Advertisement It was all hands on deck in Canada today as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge took to the water for the culmination of their royal tour. Kate beamed as she took to the helm of the tall ship, the Pacific Grace, sailing it under the guidance of crew members around Victoria's picturesque harbour. On the last day of engagements, William and Kate also visited the Cridge Centre for the Family - one of Victoria's most well-known charitable institutions which provides a range of services, including childcare, youth outreach, and support for women who have experienced domestic violence. As they flew back to London tonight, the family thanked the people of Canada for the warmth and hospitality they had extended, with William adding: 'We feel very lucky to have been able to introduce George and Charlotte to Canada. This country will play a big part in the lives of our children and we have created such happy memories for our family during this visit.' Scroll down for video The captain of the ship: Kate was in her element as she enthusiastically steered the tall ship, the Pacific Grace The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge shared a tender moment as they took to the water for the culmination of their eight-day royal tour The couple were presented with personalised sports shirts for Prince George and Princess Charlotte by BC Governor Christy Clark Farewell: With a smile and a wave, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge today bade farewell to Canada alongside their children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte Wrapping up the royal visit, HRH The Duke of Cambridge said: 'Catherine and I are incredibly grateful to the people of Canada for the warmth and hospitality they have extended to our family over the last week. 'We have loved our time in British Columbia and Yukon and will never forget the beautiful places we have seen and the many people who have been kind enough to come to welcome us in person. 'We feel very lucky to have been able to introduce George and Charlotte to Canada. This country will play a big part in the lives of our children and we have created such happy memories for our family during this visit. 'Canada is a country of optimism, generosity and unrivalled natural beauty. I hope we have helped all Canadians celebrate what makes this country great. We will see you again soon.' After visiting the social care charity, Cridge Centre for the Family, in Victoria, The Duke and Duchess met with members of the public The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are wrapping up their Royal tour of Canada today, returning to Victoria The family arrived at Victoria Harbour Airport and took a float plane out of the city at 4pm local time As the family said their goodbyes, George, three, dressed in his familiar shorts and long socks, couldn't stop smiling and waving at the cheering well-wishers The Duchess of Cambridge looked chic courtesy of the British High Street - sporting a Zara jacket and jeans and a funky pair of 278 tartan heeled loafers by J Crew on the morning of her last day of engagements in Canada. At the start of the day, Kate turned up to the Cridge Centre for the Family - one of Victoria's most well-known charitable institutions - in the cream jacket and top, jeans and loafers with her hair pulled back in a sensible pony tail for the busy day ahead. The Centre provides a range of services, including childcare, youth outreach, and support for women who have experienced domestic violence. The Duke and Duchess met residents and beneficiaries of the Cridge Centre on the morning of the final day of their eight-day long tour of British Columbia. Among the people they met was 20-year-old Zola Auld who has Downs Syndrome. The centre in Victoria is the province's oldest not-for-profit society. The pair arrived just after 10am local time and were greeted and escorted by the Premier of BC Christy Clark, lieutenant Governor of BC Judith Guichon, Cridge Centre's CEO Shelley Morris and President Val Fuller. William joked about the fishing yesterday and the pre-caught fish Kate picked up. He told Mrs Clark when she greeted him at the Cridge centre: 'We didn't catch anything! It's typical whenever we go anywhere All the best laid plans go to pot. That salmon (pre caught) was the biggest fish I've seen! It was a great day.' Once inside the centre they walked through to an outside area where they met with a number of people young and old who have benefited from the centre's many schemes which include women's and family services, senior services, brain injury services and the young parent outreach programme. Kate could be seen animatedly chatting to the scores of well-wishers and children who had gathered to meet her A selfie with the Duchess: Delighted fans couldn't believe their luck when Kate stopped and took a selfie with them The couple were welcomed at the Cridge Centre for the Family in the morning, and listened intently as the Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia gave a speech Having been complemented on his impressive facial hair, Bosun Steve Atkinson, 25, said: 'Kate told me I was competing with her brother. [James Middleton] 'I told William it took me nine months to grow' Captain Kate: The Duchess of Cambridge giggled as she steered the huge ship around the harbour in Canada All aboard! The couple were shown the ropes by crew members of the ship, Pacific Grace, a wooden-hulled gaff-rigged schooner The Duchess of Cambridge fully embraced her stint on the sea and took the opportunity to steer the tall ship, Pacific Grace Ahoy there! Kate took the wheel and steered the ship under the guidance of crew members, who helped her Kate helped hoist the sail with some gusto, while William continued to heave the halyards with young people from Jacks charity Prince William fully embraced the day's activities, and was seen using all his might to hoist a sail on the ship The couple changed into waterproof jackets as they arrived to board the Pacific Grace ship in the afternoon Among the people they met was 20-year-old Zola Auld who has Downs Syndrome, and her mother Today's events wrap-up the hugely successful eight-day royal tour of Canada, which has seen both Kate and William - and Prince George and Princess Charlotte - visit a number of locations The pair arrived just after ten am local time and were greeted and escorted by the Premier of BC Christy Clark, lieutenant Governor of BC Judith Guichon, Cridge Centre's CEO Shelley Morris and President Val Fulle The pair were given sport shirts for their children while on a walkabout after visiting the social care charity Adorable young children looked absolutely overjoyed to meet the Duchess, who crouched down and interacted with them The Duchess of Cambridge on a walkabout in Victoria Inner Harbour in Victoria after sailing on the Pacific Grace The Duchess looked nervous as she steered the ship into the harbour, under the watchful guidance of William and the bosun Kate shook hands with the youngsters who had lined the streets to see her - and even took along their trikes and teddy bears The Duke of Cambridge met with some of the families who have benefitted from The Cridge Centre services Kate looked delighted as she was gifted flowers from young children who were evidently excited to be a part of the visit The Duchess was in high spirits after her action-packed day yesterday on the island of Haida Gwaii - which saw her enjoy a fishing trip, among other activities William took one line while Kate, in her cream Zara jacket and skinny black Zara jeans, worked the other line. Kate chatted with 20-year-old Zara Auld from Victoria and her mother Anne Auld. 'Kate asked me what I like to do and I told her cooking' said Zara. 'She asked me what and I said Italian like pizza and pasta and she said George loves that.' Mrs Auld said the centre has provided invaluable support to them as a family adding: 'It's been a dream come true meeting the Duchess.' Afterwards they went outside where a band was playing to unveil the Overcomer's Monument dedicated to people who have overcome difficult circumstances. Some 300 clients, residents and beneficiaries of the programme had gathered to greet the couple and watch the unveiling. On a walkabout in the harbour, Kate happily stopped to take photos and shake hands with the locals clambering to see her As they disembarked the Pacific Grace, Kate and William prepared to say farewell to Canada after a their enjoyable eight-day tour The Duke of Cambridge took the time to stop and greet fans, who arrived waving their Union Jack flags in his honour As tall ship Pacific Grace hove into view, it was all hands to deck as Wills and Kate heaved on the halyards and chatted to crew members The Duchess of Cambridge looked chic today courtesy of the British High Street - sporting a Zara jacket and jeans on her last day of engagements in Canada The Duchess put on another chic sartorial display in her simple outfit, tying her hair back into a ponytail in readiness for the day ahead Kate, as ever, got fully involved in the day's activities, happily meeting the crowd, shaking hands with children and chatting to guests Afterwards they went outside where a band was playing to unveil the Overcomer's Monument dedicated to people who have overcome difficult circumstances Kate chatted with 20-year-old Zara Auld from Victoria and her mother Anne Auld s at the Cridge Centre for the Family Aboard the magnificent ship, the Duke and Duchess went to the stern to hear more about the work carried out by the charity From the centre, the Duke and Duchess visited a local cafe where met with families that have been supported by the Kelty Mental Health Resource Centre, one of British Columbia's leading mental health charities. Kelty uses digital and community-based tools to take mental health services and information to families throughout the province. This focus on signposting and information provision chimes closely with the work that The Duke and Duchess are focusing on along with Prince Harry through their Heads Together campaign. They later enjoyed a sail on a tall ship around Victoria Harbour before flying out of the city with their children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte by float plane in order to catch their flight back to London The family are said to have thoroughly enjoyed their eight-day tour of western Canada, a trip which saw George and Charlotte undertake their first official engagement. Prince William inspected the sports jersey given to him by BC Governor Christy Clark at the Cridge Centre Kate was a picture of beauty and elegance in her crisp white Zara blazer paired with a matching top, pearl earrings and simple jewellery The family are said to have thoroughly enjoyed their eight-day tour of western Canada and clearly enjoyed every minute of their visit From its official Twitter account, Kensington Palace tweeted a similar picture, accompanied by the caption, 'What a lovely way to start the day!' William took one line while Kate, in her Zara jacket and skinny black Zara jeans, worked the other line Three hundred clients, residents and beneficiaries of the programme had gathered to greet the couple and watch the unveiling William and Kate joined members of the Sail and Life Training Society, at Victoria Inner Harbour in Victoria After speaking to young people about mental health issues in Canada, the Duchess changed into white pumps and a beige anorak And in the afternoon, the couple changed into more casual gear before they set sail for a trip around Victoria's picturesque harbour. Kate put on a 350 wax parka jacket by British brand Troy London, with white plimsoles while William sported a matching jacket. The couple then boarded a tall-ship operated by the Sail and Life Training Society, a charity that uses the power of sailing to give young people skills and direction in their lives. On board were a group of young people who are part of a national network of youth working to end stigma around mental health for their generation. The Duke and Duchess had the chance to talk to the youngsters about their work while actively taking part in helping to sail the tall ship before docking in the inner harbour. As tall ship Pacific Grace hove into view, Wills and Kate were heaving on the halyards. The Pacific Grave was flying Wills' Canadian royal standard, besides the Canadian and BC flags. Then Kate helped hoist the sail with some gusto, while William continued to heave the halyards with young people from Jacks charity. They all chanted to keep time pulling together and a massive cheer went up when the sails were fully hoisted. Then the Duke and Duchess went to the stern to hear more about the charity's work. All hands on deck: Kate put all her might into heaving on the halyards - or rigging - while crew members laughed and helped The Royal pair were introduced to the crew of a tall ship in Victoria, British Columbia on the last day of their Canadian tour William and Kate watched as the sails were raised for the short journey from Ogden Point and helped steer the ship back into Victoria harbour The Royals chatted to crew members aboard the Pacific Grace as they prepared to set sail around the harbour The Duke and Duchess taking part in helping to sail the tall ship before docking in the inner harbour They all chanted to keep time pulling together and a massive cheer went up when the sails were fully hoisted The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on the tall ship, Pacific Grace, before sailing with members of the Sail and Life Training Society The Duke and Duchess met residents and beneficiaries of the Cridge Centre this morning the final day of their eight-day long tour of British Columbia Prince William laughed his head off when he met a sailor with a magnificent 'full set' beard. 'That is the most amazing specimen I have ever seen' William told bosun Steve Atkinson. 'Seriously that is incredible, it must have taken you ages but you must be very proud. 'I'm very jealous.' Moments earlier Kate had met Steve and said: 'Wow! Whiskers!' Speaking afterwards, Bosun Steve Atkinson, 25, said: 'Kate told me I was competing with her brother. [James Middleton] 'I told William it took me nine months to grow.' William grew a full set when he was in the Royal Navy, as did his father Charles, grandfather Philip and Uncle Prince Andrew. Prince Harry currently sports a closely shaved beard although it's known the Queen is not keen on them and discourages servants from having them. Kate and William wore wax jackets to fend off a cold wind and a few drops of rain. They were greeted by Executive Director of SALTS Mr Loren Hagerty, founder Eric Windeler and Aboriginal Project manager Josh Hellyer. The couple were shown the ropes by crew members of the ship, a wooden-hulled gaff-rigged schooner. The ship is used for five and ten day voyages for up to forty youngsters get 13 to 25. William and Kate watched as the sails were raised for the short journey from Ogden Point and helped steer the ship back into Victoria harbour. The Duchess of Cambridge shook hands with crew members and thanked them before disembarking the ship After sailing with members of the Sail and Life Training Society, at Victoria Inner Harbour, the pair moved on to their next engagement Kate wore a 350 wax parka jacket by British brand Troy London, with white plimsoles while William sported a matching jacket Nearing the end of their tour, the Duke and Duchess finished sailing around the harbour on the impressive Pacific Grace The Royals sailed across the waters in Canada on the majestic Pacific Grace, wrapping up warm against the cold wind The ship's Bosun showed the pair around the spectacular ship, introducing them to crew members before they took to the helm William looked delighted as he was gifted a cuddly toy by delighted fans who had gathered around the harbour All hands on deck: The couple got stuck in, helping to lower the sail on the tall ship alongside youngsters The Duke shook hands with adoring members of the public, who took along their Canadian flags to mark the occasion Later in the afternoon, Kate dressed accordingly as the temperature cooled and put on a stylish beige trench-style anorak Tony Anderson, 52, from Victoria. captain of the Pacific Grace, said: 'The Duchess of Cambridge said early on her gap year she enjoyed sailing on a UK boat. We talked about the similarities between that programme and the Salts programme. 'We asked her to take the wheel as we came into harbour. She told William to take it but he said 'ladies first' 'We said she could hand over to William but she didn't want to hand it over. She was bossing it! 'They were right in there hoisting everything, hauling the sails. We'd heard they were both good sailors. They were both awesome. They loved Steve's beard. Maybe Will will grow one too.' Bearded Steve Atkinson, 25, from Victoria, said: 'The Duke said my beard was the most magnificent specimen he'd ever seen. 'The duchess was saying that both their brothers are competing on the beard-growing front. They asked how long I've been growing it (nine months) and they loved it. 'The duchess was hauling on the halyard on the fore sail, really giving it some. She stuck it out the whole time. She was tough! 'They had a lot of fun and interacted with everyone.' Eric Windeler, founder and exec director of Jacks-who founded the charity after the suicide of his son Jack at university, added: 'They asked a lot about Jacks and seemed genuinely really interested. 'I'd say they were quite well informed on mental health and lived the youth-focus approach that Jacks adopts. 'We lost Jack seven years ago. He represents the part of the population we can't reach. 'We found out later he'd disengaged at university, stopped going to classes. Initially we wanted to get involved and just help, with a youth focus a d peer-on-peer mentoring. 'This has been a great way to show the work we do.' As they made their preparations to leave, William said: 'Canada is a country of optimism, generosity and unrivalled natural beauty' Speaking after the trip, HRH The Duke of Cambridge said: 'Catherine and I are incredibly grateful to the people of Canada for the warmth and hospitality they have extended to our family over the last week' The Pacific Grace: 52-year-old Captain of the ship, Tony Anderson, said: 'We'd heard they were both good sailors. They were both awesome' ENDING THE STIGMA AROUND MENTAL HEALTH: DUKE AND DUCHESS MEET FAMILIES SUPPORTED BY MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCE CENTRE Earlier the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge continued their final day in Canada with a visit to the Breakwater Cafe in Victoria, where they met families that have been supported by the Kelty Mental Health Resource Centre. Kelty is one of British Columbia's leading mental health charities and uses digital and community-based tools to take mental health services and information to families throughout the province. William and Kate were greeted by Ms Leslie Arnold, the vice president of provincial child health, and Dr Jana Davidson, the vice-president medical affairs and psychiatrist in chief and Ms Sarah Bell, the executive director of child and youth mental. The couple then sat down and had tea at several tables to chat to youth ambassadors and families who have used Kelty's online resources. They met with Andrea Vukobrat, 25, a youth peer support worker for Kelty who started having panic attacks aged five and was diagnosed with an anxiety disorder at 18. She oversees Kelty's Mindcheck website which helps support young people with mental health issues. She told William and Kate: 'Being part of Kelty gave me knowledge I needed to support other young people that I could have used when I was struggling.' Kate said: 'I still think that initial stigma and taboo around mental health is what stops some young people talking to their parents. They don't want to burden their parents and that's the underlying issue which is hard to break through. 'We've heard so much about how early in their lives young children register trauma and how much later in their lives it comes out.' Listening to Andrea's story about how it took years for her anxiety and depression to be diagnosed, William said: 'So many people's natural reaction is to close down, talking things through is crucial.' Next they met with Jasmine Rakhra, 21. Jasmine, who is visually impaired, told William and Kate how she had suffered from depression as a small child but not told anyone how she was feeling until she was 10. 'I was afraid to say anything to my parents and I was in and out of hospital for a long time. But after I finally received some support, and discovered Kelty, I was able to connect with other people who were going through the same things as me. It really did save me.' William told her: 'Well, we're very glad you're still here. You're very brave and you should be very proud that you've shared your story.' He added: 'We all need to be a lot more open about all this stuff. The more we're talking about mental health, the more we're finding there are so many more services needed for people who are struggling.' Advertisement Kate looked as striking as ever as she turned deck-hand for the afternoon aboard the Pacific Grace ship The Duchess beamed as she arrived in Victoria, Canada, looking as chic as ever in a crisp white outfit and minimalist jewellery Crowds lined the streets to catch a glimpse of the couple as they arrived at the social care charity, Cridge Centre for the Family, in Victoria Families wait to meet the royal couple at the Cridge Centre for the Family on the final day of their Royal Tour Theresa May has arrived in Birmingham with her husband Philip May on the eve of her first Conservative Party Conference as Prime Minister. The annual Tory conference will begin tomorrow and conclude on Wednesday. Before the event got underway the nation's second female PM announced a huge shake-up of employment rights to ensure workers are not ripped off by bosses. Theresa May has arrived in Birmingham with her husband Philip May on the eve of her first Conservative Party Conference as Prime Minister The annual Tory conference will begin tomorrow and conclude on Wednesday Last night Mrs May said the self-employed and those on temporary and zero-hours contracts needed job security and proper protection. Mrs May, who is 60 today, has ordered a full-scale review of business practices. In a clear sign of her determination to steal votes from Labour, it will be carried out by the former head of Tony Blair's policy unit, Matthew Taylor. A major security operation costing more than 2.5 million has been put into place around the International Convention Centre in Birmingham and the adjacent Hyatt hotel to prepare for the Conservative Party Conference. Armed police were spotted patrolling the streets before the conference got underway. Last night Mrs May said the self-employed and those on temporary and zero-hours contracts needed job security and proper protection Mrs May, who is 60 today, has ordered a full-scale review of business practices Officers were also seen walking near the city's famous waterways as workmen installed extra security measures. Mrs May is expected to appear on the Andrew Marr show tomorrow morning before the conference is officially opened by Conservative Party chairman Patrick McLoughlin and the party's West Midlands mayoral candidate, Andy Street, at 2pm. Theresa May will speak to the conference on Wednesday. On the eve of the conference Greg Clark, the Business Secretary, likened the PM's mission to make Britain 'as fit as possible' to the situation when the Conservatives came to power in 1979. In an exclusive Daily Mail interview, he said her determination to overhaul the country had parallels with Baroness Thatcher. Mr Clark promised 'urgent' action to upgrade broadband, the energy sector, rail and airports. A decision on a new runway at Heathrow is expected within weeks after more than a decade of delay. A major security operation costing more than 2.5 million has been put into place around the International Convention Centre in Birmingham Police were spotted patrolling the streets before the conference got underway Advertisement Work has begun to remove the 50ft fin whale that washed up on a popular beach on Britain's south coast after fears it would explode. The 50ft whale is being broken into pieces and removed this weekend from the Red Rock Beach near Dawlish, Devon. Teignbridge Council appointed a contractor to remove the whale and it is being carried out by animal disposal specialists. Work has begun to remove the 50ft fin whale that washed up on a popular beach on Britain's south coast after fears it would explode The 50ft whale is being broken into pieces and removed this weekend from the Red Rock Beach near Dawlish, Devon Teignbridge Council appointed a contractor to remove the whale and it is being carried out by animal disposal specialists The giant mammal had been drifting in the English Channel for two weeks ahead of its beaching on Thursday morning. It washed up ashore just after 8am with a pungent smell and attracted a large crowd of onlookers. Coastguards were at the scene working with staff from Teignbridge District Council to ensure the area was safe. Stranding investigator Robert Deaville heard about the whale on Tuesday when it was seen floating offshore. The giant mammal had been drifting in the English Channel for two weeks ahead of its beaching on Thursday morning The creature (pictured) washed up ashore just after 8am with a pungent smell and attracted a large crowd of onlookers Coastguards were at the scene working with staff from Teignbridge District Council to ensure the area was safe Mr Deaville, from the UK Cetacean Strandings Investigation Programme, said at the time: 'It made landfall this morning. '(It) was initially misidentified as a sperm whale. But we've now officially confirmed it 100 per cent as a fin whale.' He said this was due to the black and white colouration on the plates that hang from the side of its mouth. He added that the discovery of fin whales was very rare, adding that they are normally found in deeper waters. Mr Deaville said: 'We have been monitoring stranding for 25 years and get about 600 a year. 'That includes all whales, dolphins, porpoises etc. Out of them we get about two or three fin whales each year.' Stranding investigator Robert Deaville heard about the whale on Tuesday when it was seen floating offshore Mr Deaville, from the UK Cetacean Strandings Investigation Programme, said at the time: 'It made landfall this morning' Mr Deaville said it was the third in Britain this year, but only the second recorded in Devon over the past 25 years. He hopes to visit the site to take some samples to try and find out more about how the whales died. However he said the body was so badly decomposed that a full post mortem examination would not be possible. Mr Deaville added: 'It is the responsibility of the council to dispose of it. 'We would like to access the site and collect samples and data. But then there are several possibilities of what could happen. He said: '(It) was initially misidentified as a sperm whale. But we've now officially confirmed it 100 per cent as a fin whale' The expert said this was due to the black and white colouration on the plates that hang from the side of its mouth He added that the discovery of fin whales was very rare, adding that they are normally found in deeper waters 'It could go to landfill either intact or cut into pieces. 'Or it could be incinerated. They are the main methods of disposal. In very isolated areas it can be buried or even left in situ.' He added: 'But here it is a very public area. So (it) will have to be moved from the beach and disposed of. 'It is a tragedy but is something we can learn an awful lot from. 'The fin whale is slowly recovering and we are seeing more stranding. Mr Deaville said it was the third in Britain this year, but only the second recorded in Devon over the past 25 years The marine enthusiast hopes to visit the site to take some samples to try and find out more about how the whales died 'RAZORBACK' FIN WHALES The fin whale is the second largest mammal in the world, after the blue whale. They are nicknamed 'razorback' because of the distinct ridge along their back behind the dorsal fin. Fin whales also have an unusual distinctive feature in that their lower right jaw is bright white and the lower left jaw is black. They have a population of between 50,000 and 90,000 and are officially an endangered species. Advertisement 'This tells us there are probably more out there which is a good thing.' One onlooker said: 'It's a rather sad sight and quite an extraordinary one. 'Apparently it's been around for at least a month in the sea. 'It was last spotted off France. As soon as I hit the beach I could smell it.' Three years ago, the dangers of whale carcasses were made clear when one exploded over a marine biologist. That 45ft sperm whale died in November 2013 after beaching in the Faroe Islands in the North Atlantic. As soon as he began cutting it open, the gas trapped inside exploded, spewing organs and guts into the air. The main part of the huge blast just missed him, and the extraordinary moment was captured on camera. One onlooker said: 'It's a rather sad sight and quite an extraordinary one. 'Apparently it's been around for at least a month in the sea' Previous incident: The dangers of whale carcasses were made clear in 2013 when one exploded in the Faroe Islands Win in campaign to protect final resting place of Battle of The campaign to protect the final resting place of scores of Battle of Britain heroes has won a dramatic victory after it was championed by The Mail on Sunday. Dover Harbour Board, which plans to dredge Goodwin Sands, has been warned by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) that it cannot carry out the work without an official MoD licence. A campaign, championed by The Mail On Sunday, has achieved its aim of protecting the final resting place of hundreds of Battle of Britain heroes by stopping the dredging of Goodwin Sands (pictured) in Kent The Mail on Sunday revealed last month that at least 60 British and German aircraft are believed to have crashed over the ten-mile stretch of shifting sand banks near Deal during the bitter aerial combat of 1940 and scores of airmens bodies were never recovered. Sue Raftree, head of the MoDs Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre, which is responsible for the protection of human remains, said: We have been in contact with the Dover Harbour Board to ensure they know they need a licence to dredge in the area. Celebrity backers included Harry Potter star Miriam Margolyes, who lives nearby We would not support a licence for work which would disturb an area where there is wreckage of military aircraft which contain the remains of air crew. Our priority is to protect the remains of British, German and American airmen. Campaign leader Joanna Thomson told The Mail on Sunday last night: This is wonderful news it is a massive step forward. And in a further boost to the campaign, the Environment Agency has reversed its original decision not to object to the plans. Radio host Alex Jones offered listeners $5,000 to pull off the stunt A young man shouted 'Bill Clinton is a rapist' in the middle of live TV to win $5,000 from pro-Trump radio host and conspiracy theorist Alex Jones. The prankster, who has not yet been identified, crashed Fox and Friends in New York City on Saturday. He unbuttoned his shirt to reveal a t-shirt bearing the former president's photograph along with the word 'rape' and began repeatedly yelling. It came after the Texan TV host, who previously boasted about advising the presidential candidate, offered fans $5,000 to pull off the stunt. Scroll down for video A young man interrupted a live Fox and Friends show to yell the words 'Bill Clinton is a rapist' in New York on Saturday, revealing a t-shirt with the former president's face and the word 'rape' beneath his button-down shirt The man was quickly ushered out of frame by security on Saturday, leaving Fox and Friends hosts Tucker Carlson, Abby Huntsman and Ed Henry amused. 'We've got a very excited young man here,' said Carlson, adding: 'Clearly not a Bill Clinton fan.' It's not clear whether Jones has lived up to his promise to give the man the money. He announced the competition on his Infowars show on Friday, encouraging viewers: 'W ear it, get aggressive, start the conversations. 'Get on TV with it. In fact, I'm going to tell you this right now. Anyone that gets on national TV with the shirt clearly for more than 5 seconds, gets $1,000. 'Anyone that gets it on air on national air and gets the words out 'Bill Clinton is a rapist' - I could go to this right now - $5,000'. In 1999, Clinton was accused of rape by Juanita Broaddrick who claims he attacked her when she was working as nursing home administrator in Little Rock, Arkansas, in April 1978. The prankster yelled the accusation several times before being ushered away by security The man attempted to climb over security railings to become closer to the hosts but was led away Alex Jones, who hosts Infowars, offered fans $5,000 for pulling off the stunt on live TV The controversial conspiracy theorist sells the t-shirts on his website for $19.95 At the time Clinton was campaigning for the Arkansas gubernatorial election. The woman, who is now 73, claims he forced himself on her while they had coffee in a hotel room. Clinton denied the allegation through lawyers in 1999. Jones sold the controversial t-shirts at the Republican National Convention in July this year. He has boasted in the past about advising Trump, claiming to have told him to suggest the election will be rigged. The controversial TV personality is best known for his theories surrounding 9/11. He claims the attacks were a 'government orchestrated controlled bombing'. He has alleged the same of the Oklahoma City bombing. In 1999, Juanita Broaddrick accused Bill Clinton of raping her in Little Rock, Arkansas, during a visit to the town in 1978 Sir Craig Olivers inside story of the drama in Downing Street leading up to David Camerons defeat in the EU referendum was the talk of Westminster last week. Now he discloses that Cameron considered fighting for more immigration curbs on the eve of the vote but decided it would be rejected as lacking credibility so late in the campaign. And Oliver feared George Osbornes emergency Brexit budget had gone down with MPs like a cup of cold sick. David Cameron, right, considered asking German Chancellor Angela Merkel, left, to help Britain gain more curbs on migration but ultimately decided against it, according to former No.10 communications director Craig Oliver TUESDAY, JANUARY 5 There are deep concerns about the EU renegotiation going off track. For months, we have been working out a new settlement for the UK. The PM worries there isnt enough progress on curbing welfare for migrants the idea being that less money will reduce the number coming. We have been asking for a four-year ban on migrants to the EU getting benefits. That seems to be a non-starter. Everyone is nervous, wondering how the hell well land what we need before the crucial European Council meeting in a few weeks. On January 18, the PMs inner circle discusses the referendum over dinner in No 11. DC seems distant. He lets us know whats distracting him at the end of the meal with the joke: Remind me whose idea this was? [It had been Camerons.] Days later at Davos, the world economic forum in Switzerland, Mark Rutte, the Dutch Prime Minister, drops in. He says hes been told the British people are too conservative to leave theyll end up coming on board, just like in the Scottish referendum. European leaders need a jolt of electricity to wake them up. Mr Cameron, pictured, told Ms Merkel he 'could only take a real deal' in the renegotiation on EU membership and she floated the idea of an 'acceptable migration limit' In his speech after Ruttes visit, the PM says he will walk away from the February Council without a deal if it isnt good enough. A French TV station asks if he considers himself a European. He responds with a fulsome Yes. Of course, he should have said he considers himself British first. Its a rare mistake. The following week, DC, worrying about the state of the renegotiation, calls Angela Merkel. She begins: Allo. These are demanding times. Everything is so far OK. I have my health Its an odd thing to say, basically hinting she is facing endless pressure on migration in her own country. The conversation turns to the renegotiation. DC says: Theres a lot of goodwill, but where weve got to on immigration and welfare is hopeless. 'If we let the official process grind on, it will be a car crash in February. If theres a real deal, I can take it. 'But if there isnt, I cant, because we will lose. Merkel seems helpful. She floats the idea of an acceptable migration limit. FRIDAY, JANUARY 29 DC lunches with European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker in Brussels. He says it went well and everything is going in our direction. They appear to have accepted the emergency brake on welfare would apply now. But a problem emerges. Mr Cameron, left, initially believed 'everything was going in the UK's direction' after a meeting with European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker, right, in January The word phasing hasnt cropped up in any renegotiation discussion weve had. Weve been pushing for a simple four-year migrant benefits ban. Now it emerges the document will say in-work benefits will start at zero and be graduated or increased over time. What does that mean? WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 3 The papers are brutal, having seen the draft renegotiation document. Who do EU think you are kidding, Mr Cameron? says one headline. Wed always known they were going to throw a bucket of s*** over the draft deal. DC is feeling pretty bullish about it but others are hard to convince. As we face the crunch European Council, a desperately unfair truism that we arent getting much is being established. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18 At a meeting with European Council president Donald Tusk in Brussels, the conversation doesnt seem to be getting anywhere. Other European leaders are saying the UK is asking for too much. DC seems relaxed. He says: Ill tell Tusk I wouldnt get this deal through the Cabinet, let alone a referendum. A meeting between European Council president Donald Tusk, left, and Mr Cameron, right, 'doesn't seem to be getting anywhere' The next day, at Britains EU residence in Brussels, the PM is lying on the floor, trying to rest his sore back, when we hear Merkel wants to see him. She sits down opposite me. Its pretty clear this is the first time she has focused properly on the detail of a deal. DC goes through what he wants, including an emergency brake on welfare payments to curb immigration that starts at seven years and is renewed for two bursts of three years. I WARNED HYPERBOLE WAS HURTING US THURSDAY, MAY 26 I wake at five, knowing Im not getting back to sleep. I plough through the pro-Brexit, anti-us stories then send the PM a digest. He picks up on my highlighting of The Times editorial saying we should be worried by how little people trust us over Europe, that we are hyperbolic, and suggest we got a better renegotiation deal than we did. We discuss whether we need to do something to correct this. I arrive in Downing Street for a meeting chaired by George Osborne, but five minutes in, the PM wants to talk to us from the G7 summit in Japan. The No 10 switchboard put the call through to Ed Llewellyns BlackBerry. He places it on a chair where Larry the Downing Street cat often sits. It is thick with white fur. Mr Cameron, pictured, was advised to 'shift tone' and 'tap into his statesman quality more' by Mr Oliver DC sounds cheerful. I tell him its immigration day with deeply uncomfortable numbers about the possibility of another four million people coming to England in the next few years being published and net migration figures, which are now 330,000 (well over three times our target). Theres no point in hiding it the immigration numbers will be an unmitigated disaster for the Remain campaign, and our response is no more than a sticking plaster on a gaping (possibly fatal) wound. Almost as concerning is that a commentariat view is growing that we are overdoing it on the economy. I sum this up in an email to him: A view is crystallising in the commentariat that we are hyperbolic in terms of our focus on the economy if we leave. The consequence is that people are starting to feel they are being spun. 'The effect of this may be they become switched off, disengaged and dont vote; or they believe the crap that it is all an establishment conspiracy and are driven into the arms of Leave. This does not mean we should back off risk as a core message. Risk is fundamental to this campaign and it must be clear in peoples minds as they vote. What we need to consider is our tone. We almost have the opposite issue to the Election. Then people thought you didnt want it enough. Now we look like we want it too much. I think we need to tap into your statesman quality more and shift tone a little. Advertisement He says that he will face a barrage of criticism if theres seen to be any further watering down of the deal. Merkel asks: What is barrage? The PM offers blitzkrieg as a translation. She smiles like he is a naughty schoolboy. After all-night talks a deal is agreed. It could have been a disaster but wasnt. We need to explain why it is a success. We have made real achievements. We are exempt from ever closer union; we secured a target for reducing bureaucracy; and therell be protection for the pound. And crucially, we have secured massive benefit restrictions. The mood on the plane is one of relief. This could have been a disaster and it wasnt. All of us have a drink. Its a mini-party, with most people standing up and mingling but theres a sober realisation the next four months are going to be a giant fight THURSDAY, JUNE 2 Angela Merkel intervenes, essentially saying she wants us to stay in, and that itll be hard for the UK to do deals in Europe if were outside the room. A senior Downing Street figure is very disappointed. They never deliver the killer blow. They tell you they will but they just dont say it. He believes she was squeamish about appearing threatening. MONDAY, JUNE 13 The worst day of the campaign so far. In the evening I email DC. We are asking people to accept something that is wrong: the EUs unreasonable position that there should be no limit to freedom of movement. 'You could give a speech saying, I have listened. The British people are right to be worried about immigration. Much of it is good but we have had too much of a good thing. Trashing our economy is no way to deal with it but there can no longer be a straight choice. We should vote to remain in the EU AND impose limits on immigration. I will do that by x, y and z. By June 13 Mr Cameron, pictured, Mr Cameron decided the financial argument for staying in the EU trumped the immigration issue and did not press ahead for more control DC replies: Spot on. Always been my worry. We shouldnt be asking people to choose between immigration levels they dont want and an EU they dont love. The next day he reads out my email at a No 10 meeting with George Osborne and other senior advisers. OSBORNE URGED: KEEP PUNCHING THE BRUISE ON THREATS TO ECONOMY WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15 George Osborne is doing his emergency budget, warning that hell have to increase income tax by 2p and reduce spending on the NHS. The BBC calls asking if Ive seen the letter from 50 Tory MPs saying they would refuse to support any such budget. I call George. I can hear that hes taken aback. Thinking about it, it feels more and more that hes acting like he is prepared to sacrifice himself. Hes forced the focus of the campaign back on to the economy, but at what personal cost? Back in April, George gave a punchy interview describing the Leave campaign as dishonest and economically illiterate. He sounded like a man who wasnt going to go down for the lack of shooting back. Later he took me aside in Downing Street and said he thought the campaign was going well and we should keep punching the bruise. George Osborne's (pictured) emergency budget went down 'like a cup of cold sick' Similarly, at a meeting of the No 10 team discussing whether we should be making the positive case for being in the EU rather than emphasising the risks of leaving, George had said: Everyone slags off negative campaigning, but its the only consistent message thats working for us. Afterwards, in the Chancellors dining room, we were talking about how to get Labour to score some runs in the referendum debate. Ameet Gill [No 10 director of strategy] made me and George laugh when he said: Yeah, if you thought George Osborne was an a*******, wait until you see these guys! To his credit, George thinks its funny. But now nagging at the back of my mind is: has this emergency budget misfired? Should we have suggested such horrific solutions? All of us can see the news is going down like a cup of cold sick with MPs. Later that morning, DC is concerned Prime Ministers Questions will be a nightmare, with Conservative MPs waiting to stick the knife in over whats being called Georges punishment budget. MP Oliver Dowden [Camerons ex-No 10 deputy chief of staff] says: MPs have gone potty pots about it! The following day begins with a pre-6am call from James Chapman, Georges director of communications. The BBC is leading on Nigel Lawson criticising the Treasury for peddling phoney forecasts to scare people into staying in. James wants us to make it as uncomfortable for them as they are for us, saying: George really went for it yesterday and win or lose, hes going to have to live with this for years. I agree. He has left himself exposed. Advertisement We conclude we cannot throw everything up in the air. All through this we have held to one core belief: telling people they will be poorer if we leave the EU trumps immigration. None of us is so sure any more. But we cant shift now. A call set up with Merkel now seems pointless. The idea was to test the water to see if we can agree to make plain that much more will be done on immigration. But as the time approaches we realise it is a fools errand. Even supposing a magical plan can be set in train and it certainly isnt it will look desperate. Merkel comes on the line. DC explains the situation and that he has decided this is not the moment to ask for more though it will obviously have to be revisited if we win. FRIDAY, JUNE 24 DAY AFTER THE REFERENDUM Merkel calls No 10. Theres very little addressing the sadness of the situation. Perhaps she doesnt know what to say. The closest she gets is: What is painful to me is that young people failed to turn out in numbers to vote. The following week, flying to Brussels for his final European Council, DC says: Ill read them a few home truths on immigration. 'And say it might have been different if thered been an emergency brake. Mr Cameron, pictured with wife Samantha ahead of his resignation, said he would tell Ms Merkel that the referendum result 'might have been different' with an emergency brake on immigration Merkel sees him for a one-on-one meeting. DC tells us that she was adamant: There could never have been an emergency brake. He takes comfort from knowing he could not have achieved more. Even I, as metropolitan and liberal on immigration as they come, questioned being part of an organisation that allows unlimited freedom of movement to work. It is unsustainable. In the face of our renegotiation, the EU pulled up the drawbridge and resisted. Merkel warned us in 2014 there could not be an emergency brake on numbers and even after Britain voted to leave, insisted that could never have been on the table. Her roots in Eastern Europe told when the Iron Curtain came down, she and millions of others were told they need never be second class citizens again. That meant freedom of movement. Theresa May tells everyone, Brexit means Brexit. Of course, what Brexit means to dyed-in-the-wool Outers in the Parliamentary Conservative Party and the others who want to have as much access to Europe as possible, are worlds apart. There will come a moment when she is faced by those who want an end to free movement, and the immoveable object of business and the majority of MPs that supported Remain. The mistress of Tatler Tory Mark Clarke was at the centre of an extraordinary row after a Commons party hosted by George Osborne. India Brummitt, 26, sparked outrage by turning up as a guest at a cocktail bash in the former Chancellor's palatial Westminster study. She was accused last year by friends of Elliott Johnson who killed himself after alleged bullying by Clarke of making threats to try to stop people blaming her married lover. India Brummitt, 26, left, sparked outrage by turning up as a guest at George Osborne's cocktail bash. Mark Clarke, 39, right, allegedly had sex with her on a pub pool table in Tooting Tempers flared when guests from Osborne's party moved on to Westminster's Red Lion pub, where Brummitt was joined by Clarke henchman Sam Armstrong. One guest who had also been at the Osborne party shouted at Brummitt: 'You have no right to be here when you are still s******* the disgusting Mark Clarke!' Conservative councillor Tom Hunt, 27, who was a close friend of Elliott, 21, told Brummitt and Armstrong: 'You should be ashamed of yourselves after what Clarke did before Elliott died.' Brummitt reportedly protested: 'Are you saying I have no right to be here?' Hunt replied: 'Yes. Elliott was a dear friend of mine. You and your type are a menace to our party.' Brummitt Clarke's lover before and after he married his wife Sarah, an NHS manager quit as an aide to David Cameron's 'anti-porn' adviser Claire Perry three months after Elliott's death in September 2015. Her resignation followed revelations about the conduct of her and Clarke, dubbed the Tatler Tory after he was tipped for success by the magazine. Clarke, 39, allegedly had sex with Brummitt on a pub pool table in Tooting, South London, where he was a parliamentary candidate, and flaunted her as his mistress while sexually harassing young Tory women on campaign trips in last year's General Election. 'You have no right to be here when you are still s******* the disgusting Mark Clarke!' shouted a guest at Brummitt at the event Later, Brummitt enraged the parents of Elliott Johnson by turning up at the Bedfordshire inquest into his death. Clarke allegedly involved Armstrong in a 'blackmail plot' against Cabinet Minister Robert Halfon, who was having a relationship with a Tory campaigner despite having a long-term partner. Halfon confessed to the affair after informing No 10 that he had been told Armstrong acting on Clarke's behalf intended to film him and a female lover leaving the East India Club in London. Halfon remains outraged that Armstrong continues to work as an aide to Thanet South Tory MP Craig Mackinlay, giving him free access to Parliament. Clarke, Armstrong and ex-Tory aide Andre Walker were banned from the 2015 Tory conference after Elliott's death. They deny any wrongdoing. Elliott's father Ray said last night: 'I salute Tom Hunt for having the courage to stand up for Elliott. Some of Clarke's gang think that because a year has passed since my son died, all will be forgiven. Their insidious influence must be kept out of the party.' Mr Armstrong said: 'No one was shouting at me they were more concerned with India.' At the funeral for Israeli President Shimon Peres on Friday, the White House photographer and the Israel Government Press Office took heart-warming images of president Obama and Peres's son. During the service in Jerusalem, Chemi Peres was seated next to president Obama. While listening to one of the speakers talk about the former Israeli president, Chemi Peres became overwhelmed with emotion. Obama looked over with empathy for Peres's son as the man covered his face, trying to hide his emotion. Scroll down for video White House photographer Pete Souza caught the moment president Obama felt the sorrow of Chemi Peres at his father Israeli President Shimon Peres's funeral Obama handed Chemi a handkerchief as he became overwhelmed with emotion at the service Obama then reached into his pocket and handed Chemi a handkerchief. The photographs were snapped by White House photographer Pete Souza and Kobi Gideon of the Israel Government Press Office. Obama also delivered a speech in honor of the former Israeli president, who served from 2007 until 2014. During Obama's eulogy, he honored Peres for his role founding Israel and his commitment in in creating peace in the Middle East, the Huffington Post reported. 'Shimon Peres reminds us that the State of Israel, like the United States of America, was not built by cynics. Kobi Gideon of the Israel Government Press Office caught the emotional moment from a different angle 'We exist because people before us refused to be constrained by the past or the difficulties of the present. And Shimon Peres was never cynical,' Obama said. He also acknowledged unfinished business of reaching pace between Israel and Palestine. 'We gather here in the knowledge that Shimon never saw his dream of peace fulfilled. 'The region is going through a chaotic time. Threats are ever present. Advertisement The largest hospital in eastern Aleppo has been targeted in airstrikes by government forces as they continue a Russian-backed offensive to retake the entire city. At least two barrel bombs hit the M10 hospital in the rebel-held side of the city on Saturday, according to the Syrian American Medical Society. The offensive, announced on September 22, has seen dozens of civilians killed and residential buildings flattened in the east, where an estimated 250,000 people live under government siege. The largest hospital in eastern Aleppo have been targeted in airstrikes by Syrian government forces as they continue a Russian-backed offensive to retake the entire city At least two barrel bombs hit the rebel-held side of Aleppo on Saturday, according to the Syrian American Medical Society Pictured are abandoned hospital beds inside the hospital, which has been put out of service by the air strikes The M10 hospital had already been hit by heavy bombardment on Wednesday along with the M2, the second-largest hospital in the area. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said air strikes also hit a smaller field hospital in the Sakhur neighbourhood on Saturday. It come as Russia warned the United States against carrying out any attacks on Syrian government forces, saying it would have repercussions across the Middle East. Adham Sahloul, from the Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS), said: 'Two barrel bombs hit the M10 hospital and there were reports of a cluster bomb as well.' The M10 hospital had already been hit by heavy bombardment on Wednesday along with the M2 hospital Both facilities were put out of service by Wednesday's bombardment, leaving only six operational hospitals in the eastern parts of the city, according to SAMS. A doctor at the hospital told the Aleppo Media Center, an activist collective, that thousands of people were treated in the compound in the past adding that two people were killed in Saturday's airstrikes and several were wounded. The doctor, who was not named, said: 'A real catastrophe will hit medical institutions in Aleppo if the direct shelling continues to target hospitals and clinics.' He said the whole hospital is out of service. The recent bombardment of Aleppo has been some of the worst in Syria's five-year civil war, leaving more than 220 people dead. The World Health Organization has called Syria the most dangerous place in the world for health workers. A doctor at the hospital told the Aleppo Media Center said two people were killed in Saturday's airstrikes and several were wounded. Pictured is the wreckage of an ambulance outside the hospital Jacob Hall died on Saturday afternoon, three days after being shot in the leg A six-year-old boy who was shot at a Townville school has died after being taken off life support by his family. Jacob Hall was shot in the leg at Townville Elementary School in Townville, South Carolina, on Wednesday. Fourteen-year-old Jesse Osborne is accused of opening fire on the school after murdering his father Jeffrey at their nearby home. He currently faces one count of murder and two of attempted murder at Anderson County Court. On Saturday Jacob was taken off life support at Greenville Memorial Hospital. His parents have released a statement thanking the community for its support. 'We appreciate the communitys support, especially the Townville Rescue Squad who treated Jacob onsite and brought him to the hospital,' Rodger and Renae Hall told Fox News. Earlier his brother announced the news on Facebook. Anderson County Police could not confirm whether Osborne's charges would change in light of Jacob's death on Saturday afternoon. Hours earlier, Jacobs' older brother Rodger Dale Hall Jr, told NBC he was hopeful the six-year-old would recover. Jesse Osborne, 14, (left) is accused of shooting Jacob and injuring two others after opening fire at the South Carolina school on Wednesday The teenager is accused of murdering his father Jeffrey in their home before going to the school where he allegedly opened fire in the playground 'I'll never give up because I know he won't give up. We stand by each other, that is what brothers do.' He was so enthusiastic about going to school, his brother added, he would cry if he wasn't able to attend. The community in Townville rallied together to pray for his recovery, sharing public messages of support in signs across the town and online. Osborne is accused to have shot his 47-year-old father Jeffrey at their family home on Wednesday morning before travelling to the school. Jacob lost 75 per cent of his body's blood when he was shot in the femoral artery. An autopsy has not yet taken place. Announcing his brother's death on Facebook, the child's older brother, Gabriel Gambrell, described him as his 'hero'. 'God took his strongest soldier. Jacob will with us forever and always in our hearts. 'I love you little brother and I can't wait till the day we meet again. Your my hero buddy. I love you so much watch over your family son (sic),' he said. A friend of the family later revealed he had been taken off life support after failing to recover from the loss of 75 per cent of his body's blood. Jacob's family announced his death on Saturday afternoon in a statement Jacob's older brother Gerald announced news of his death in a Facebook post on Saturday afternoon Jacob (above with relatives) was on life support for three days before dying on Saturday The six-year-old's family said he suffered a 'major' brain injury after losing 75 per cent of his body's blood The Hall family thanked the local community for its support in the wake of Jacob's death. Above, signs of support for the six-year-old in the town 'Little Jacob has been removed from life support and has gone on to a better place. 'He has touched many lives through he and his family's tragedy,' said State representative Alan Clemmons. Earlier this week, the boy's family said he had sustained a 'major brain injury' after losing so much blood. In a statement issued on Friday, they said they were 'hoping for a miracle'. Osborne is accused of shooting his father at their home before driving to the school in a pick-up truck, crashing in to the playground fence and opening fire on children and staff. Witnesses claimed he yelled: 'I hate my life,' repeatedly as he shot towards the students and teachers who were making their way outside for lunchtime recess. He was disarmed and held on the ground by volunteer firefighter Jamie Brock until being taken into custody, it was claimed. Osborne's mother Tiffney wept as she entered Anderson County Court on Friday to watch her son face charges of murder and attempted murder (above) The 14-year-old (above with his mother) is said to have yelled: 'I hate my life' as he sprayed bullets Osborne's father had convictions for drug possession and domestic violence First-grade teacher Meaghan Hollingsworth was also injured in the incident. She is recovering and is believed to be in a stable condition. Volunteer fire fighter Jamie Brock (right) is said to have tackled the teen gunman and held him down until he was taken into police custody After the shooting it emerged the boy had been expelled from a different school in the town for attempting to bring a machete and hatchet to class. He had been the victim of bullies, said sources in Townville who revealed the boy's nickname of 'Little Jesse' to DailyMail.com. Osborne appeared in court on Friday charged with one count of murder and three of attempted murder. The teenager's mother Tiffney sobbed throughout the proceedings. He made no statement. His father, Jeffrey, had convictions of drug possession and domestic violence. He had been declared bankrupt in the past, with three different companies filing liens against him, but continued to operate a poultry farm. First-grade teacher Meaghan Hollingsworth was also injured in the incident. She is recovering and is believed to be in a stable condition Students and teachers are seen being evacuated from the school on Wednesday afternoon (above) The art world has been rocked by a haul of apparent forgeries by the Moriarty of fakers. Pictured, an Unknown Man said to be by Frans Hals The art world has been rocked by a haul of apparent forgeries by the Moriarty of fakers that could cost investors 200 million. The suspect Old Masters said to be by artists including Frans Hals and Lucas Cranach have been described as the biggest scandal in a century. In one case, Sothebys has been forced to take back an 8.4 million Frans Hals and The Mail on Sunday understands the auction house is now pursuing the London dealer who supplied the painting. Experts are particularly concerned because the alleged fakes are so difficult to spot from the real thing. Earlier this year, the Prince of Liechtenstein had a painting seized by French authorities amid suspicion that it was a forgery. And it is feared that up to 25 more Old Masters will be revealed as possible fakes in the coming weeks after a judge launched an investigation. The paintings at risk could be worth up to 200 million. Yesterday, internationally renowned art dealer Bob Haboldt said: This is the biggest art scandal in a century. There has been nothing like this since the early Vermeer scandal of the 1940s [when doubt was cast on a number of pictures by the Dutch master]. It has put an entire generation of dealers on alert. The careful marketing of these highly sophisticated forgeries using primarily older materials has caught the market by surprise. The implications will be that buyers will insist on more guarantees, scientific and financial. The scandal is a matter of such embarrassment that few art figures are willing to speak openly, but one well-known dealer described the individual behind the copies as the Moriarty of fakers, because they are so brilliantly constructed. The scandal began to take shape earlier this year when a painting by German Renaissance master Lucas Cranach and owned by the Prince of Liechtenstein was seized by authorities at an exhibition in the South of France. Venus, dated 1531, had been sold by the Colnaghi Gallery in London in 2013 to the prince for 6 million but is now understood to be under examination by experts at the Louvre to assess its authenticity. The suspect Old Masters have been described as the biggest scandal in a century. Pictured, David by 'Gentileschi' (left) and Venus by 'Cranach' (right) The Cranach has been linked to a painting titled An Unknown Man, attributed to Dutch master Frans Hals, and a work called David With The Head Of Goliath, attributed to Italian master Orazio Gentileschi. Both paintings were bought by London dealer Mark Weiss, with the Hals being sold on to a distinguished US collector. Sothebys took a cut for brokering the private treaty sale. However, when the collector, from Seattle, discovered the Hals painting was connected to the seized Cranach, he complained to Sothebys and their experts are understood to have subsequently decided it was a fake. Sothebys were later forced to reimburse the collector and are said to be threatening legal action against Weiss to recover their losses. Mr Haboldt said: These three painters can be resold in the international market for millions and tens of millions. They are very hot names in the business and much sought-after. 'The works are difficult to detect as forgeries but they lack any credible provenance and references in the numerous publications about these artists. The latter should have made the principal dealers suspicious. Sothebys are said to be threatening legal action against Mark Weiss (pictured) to recover their losses The willingness of Sothebys to accept the return of the portrait by Frans Hals and indemnify the buyer sets the stage for several more of these cases to come to light. But first, the international art world will have to wait for the results of the French investigation. Whispers in the trade have revealed a list of some 25 Old Masters produced by this particular forgers workshop. I understand this list will be revealed soon. The Gentileschi is said to have been sold to a young US collector based in the UK, for an undisclosed amount, and was displayed at the National Gallery in London until recently. Haboldt said it is believed a ring of Italian forgers are behind the Old Masters and some of them have already been questioned by French authorities. The common thread to these paintings is they passed through the hands of unknown French dealer Giulano Ruffini, who claims he has discovered a string of Old Masters. Ruffini, 71, however, insists that he never presented any of the paintings as Old Masters. He said: I am a collector, not an expert. Neither Mark Weiss nor Sothebys would comment, while Mr Ruffinis lawyers could not be reached. The National Gallery said: Gentileschis David With The Head Of Goliath has until recently been on temporary loan to the National Gallery from a private lender. Scores of schools across a swathe of the Home Counties may be forced to close for one day a week. Pictured, Peter Woodman, head of the Weald school Scores of schools across a swathe of the Home Counties may be forced to close for one day a week because of a looming financial crisis, head teachers fear. More than 150 state primary and secondary school heads in West Sussex sent parents a letter last week warning they were considering drastic cost-cutting measures, including 'modifying school opening hours'. The move follows repeated complaints the area has been underfunded for years by the Government and urgently needs an emergency 20 million injection of cash. Peter Woodman, head of the Weald school in Billingshurst and chair of the West Sussex Secondary Heads' Executive, said: 'What is frightening is when you start saying do we have enough money to open five days a week? 'We're not saying we're going there yet. We're saying on the range of things, absolutely everything needs to be explored.' Jules White, head of Tanbridge House school in Horsham, said school leaders had to contemplate all options to make ends meet. He added: 'This includes increasing class sizes again, reducing our curriculum, not replacing staff and considering revised opening hours. 'This is the last thing that any school leader would want to do but if your authority receives 200 million less than the average London borough each year, this is what happens.' Jules White, head of Tanbridge House school in Horsham (pictured), said school leaders had to contemplate all options to make ends meet Grahame Robson, head of Manor Green special school in Crawley, said his school was underfunded 'by just shy of 1 million per year'. Mr Robson added: 'I had to save approximately 80,000 last year which has caused us real problems, and the indications are next year will be worse.' The Government has recognised that parts of the country have been unfairly treated. The Department for Education said it was 'firmly committed to introducing a national funding formula so that all schools are funded fairly both to address the historic unfairness in the system and also so that areas with the highest need attract the most funding'. Former Conservative Party headquarters 32 Smith Square in London, pictured, is being eyed-up as part of the UK-EU Brexit settlement Britain will fight for a share of the EU's assets as Government lawyers prepare to battle with Brussels over Brexit. It is understood the UK will try to recoup part of the organisations 42,000 wine cellar, works of art and a chunk of its 7.5billion property holdings - including Margaret Thatcher's former Conservative Party HQ 32 Smith Square in London. The planned demands come ahead of a court case next month in which a claim will be brought against the Government to force Prime Minister Theresa May to accept Parliament must trigger Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, the formal exit procedure -rather than ministers making the decision. According to the Financial Times, Britain is eyeing up goods it can take back from the EU as it looks to settle complex matters including guarantees on 51billion of Eurocrat pensions and 17billion of European Investment Bank loans. Based on the UK making around an eight of the net EU budget, the paper claims the UK wants to divvy up assets by claiming 5,000 bottles of wine, 250 bottles of spirits, and around 2million of its art collection. A source from the British camp told the Financial Times: 'Of course we will go for the assets'. Scroll down for video Mrs Thatcher's former base, bought by the EU for 26million in 2010, is currently used by the European Commission and the European Parliament. It served as the Tory's headquarters from 1958 to 2004 and was the backdrop for historic moments including Mrs Thatcher's rise to power and Iain Duncan Smith's resignation as leader. Given its history in UK politics, it is believed to be seen as a prize asset to obtain in any Brexit divorce proceedings. The UK is also expected to go after a share of the EU's 42,000-bottle wine collection (file picture) The financial details of any deal is expecting to be led by former French foreign minister Michel Barnier, who has been appointed the European Commission's 'chief Brexit negotiator'. The dominant view among European diplomats at the moment appears to be that the UK will go for a 'hard Brexit', meaning it will ditch its membership of the Eu single market and customs union. The EU's 2015 accounts show its property portfolio is valued at around 7.5billion but the UK could ask for a new survey to establish the current market value ahead of the formal exit talks. Meanwhile, Britain's Lord Chief Justice, the head of the judiciary in England and Wales, is due to oversee the Article 50 case next month and lawyers expect whatever the outcome it will be appealed to the Supreme Court, the highest in the land, in December. Gina Miller, a co-founder of London fund manager SCM Private, is the main claimant, who says she hopes their action will force a more informed debate on Brexit and its implications. But Mrs May, who has said Article 50 would not be triggered this year, told parliament earlier this month the decision on when to do so was a prerogative power, one that ministers can take on behalf of the Crown. The European Parliament's (pictured) art collection is also expected to be targeted by the UK's Brexit lawyers Those bringing the challenge's principal argument is that triggering Article 50 without an act of parliament would undermine the rights enacted by European Communities Act of 1972, passed when Britain joined the EU. In its submission, the government said this argument was unfounded. 'It would be constitutionally proper to give effect to the referendum result by use of prerogative powers,' it said. 'It was clearly understood that the government would give effect to the result of the referendum for which the 2015 Act provided, and that was the basis on which the electorate voted in the referendum.' It comes a day after Trump made headlines for reportedly making a cameo appearance in a softcore porn film in 1999 In the midst of news surrounding Donald Trump's so-called softcore porn cameo, it has also been revealed that the Republican presidential nominee may have pressured his second wife into accepting a Playboy offer. While dating his soon-to-be-second wife Marla Maples in 1990, he reportedly encouraged her to appear in Playboy, the Huffington Post reported. But Maples declined the million-dollar deal as originally reported by the Sun Sentinel in August of 1990. While dating his soon-to-be-second wife Marla Maples (left) in 1990, Donald Trump reportedly encouraged her to appear in Playboy magazine. They are pictured in 1991 in New York City But Maples (left and right) declined the million-dollar deal as originally reported by the Sun Sentinel in August of 1990 @LPDonovan Nifty find. Trump pressuring his future wife to pose for Playboy. Personally negotiated the fee. pic.twitter.com/P4AMmx10ls Jeff Nichols (@backwards_river) October 1, 2016 The Sentinel wrote: Notably, she did resist Trump's insistence that she accept Playboy magazine's million-dollar centerfold offer. 'Trump himself was on the phone negotiating the fee,' remembers a top Playboy editor. 'He wanted her to do the nude layout. She didn't.' ('I'm thankful for my body, but I didn't want to exploit it,' Marla offers. 'How would I ever be taken seriously?') But this isn't the first time Trump attempted to get women around him to pose for Playboy. He also wanted the magazine to run a spread on the women who worked for him, according to Jezebel. But Trump's campaign spokesman, Jason Miller, denied those allegations in an email to Jezebel in which he said they were 'completely false'. For the past week, Trump has sparred with former Miss Universe winner, Alicia Machado, who he accused of appearing in a sex tape. Maples said at the time that she didn't want to exploit her body. But this wasn't the first time Trump attempted to get women around him to pose for Playboy. Maples is pictured in July of this year Friday morning, Trump tweeted that Machado, who is a Hillary Clinton supporter, was 'disgusting'. He urged followers to check out her 'sex tape' apparently referring to footage from a Spanish reality show in 2005. But reportedly Trump made a cameo appearance himself in an explicit 2000 Playboy video, according to Buzzfeed. In a short clip posted on the site, Trump is seen pouring a bottle of champagne on a Playboy-branded limo on a New York street, surrounded by a gaggle of women. Trump's campaign has been working to fix his already low standing with women as they released their first general election ad that features his daughter Ivanka and her children. The ad, which targets women and working mothers, appears to tout Trump's recently announced proposals for childcare tax credits and paid maternity leave through unemployment insurance. They're the bizarre wire-mesh structures popping up across new roads around Britain that have puzzled many passing motorists. Designed to help bats overcome their reluctance to fly across roads, the bat bridges are being erected at a cost of 2 million to the taxpayer. Theres just one snag they dont actually work. In fact, a study by experts last year showed they are virtually useless. Yet Government and council chiefs are continuing to build the bridges at a cost of more than 140,000 a time. The gantries, suspended between telegraph poles, are supposed to help bats navigate safely across the highways when migrating or searching for water sources. 'Bat bridges' like this one over the A509 in Cumbria are being erected all over the UK on new roads at the cost of 2million to the taxpayer despite experts saying the mammals don't use them Seven are going up in Norwich soon, and highways chiefs say that despite the findings of the Government-commissioned survey, their approach remains the same. A bat expert who wrote the report branded the move box-ticking for the sake of it. Since 2002, more than 15 such bat bridges have sprung up from Cumbria to Cornwall, as the Environment Act 1995 requires builders of new roads to mitigate the adverse effects on wildlife. In areas inhabited by colonies of bats, new roads often cut across hedgerows and treelines which the bats use to navigate along. If the road interrupts the line, the bats either turn back or fly too low across the road, risking death. The bridges are supposed to continue the treeline, encouraging the bats to stay at a safe height, but biology Professor John Altringham, of Leeds University, proved in two studies that the bridges were a waste of money. Instead, he advised building green footbridges which have hedgerows on the span itself and have proved successful in getting not only bats, but small mammals to cross the road. But they cost more than six times as much as the wire bridges. Biology Professor John Altringham, of Leeds University, proved in two studies that the bridges were a waste of money and bats would use 'green' footbridges more He said: In 2015 we did a study commissioned by the Department for Environment looking at the bat bridges and we found they didnt work. Part of the reason that gantries are so popular is they are so much cheaper than green bridges, which do work. Bats like treelines because they protect them from wind, rain and predators, and a gantry doesnt do that. The Government is simply ignoring the evidence. Norfolk County Council said there was currently no other practical or affordable alternative and added: It is clear from the disagreement between experts that further research is needed, and all the different measures being used in Norwich will be monitored for the next 15 years. Michael Gove and Boris Johnson were locked in a race row last night over the way they used the Australian-style points system in the immigration debate during the EU referendum. According to a new book, Brexit campaign chiefs knew the system would not work in the UK. But they used it in a cynical and merciless subliminal barrage because British voters see Australia as white, not black. The extraordinary disclosure is made in a new book about the referendum, Breaking Point, by Gary Gibbon, the Political Editor at Channel 4 News. Scroll down for video Michael Gove (left) and Boris Johnson (right) locked in a race row last night over the way they used the Australian-style points system in the immigration debate during the EU referendum Leading Brexit figures constantly praised the Australian points system for curbing immigration, even though most experts said it would not be practical or effective in Britain for geographical and other reasons. According to Gibbons book, Gove and Johnsons Vote Leave team knew this but ignored it after polling experts stumbled upon the fact that it had huge appeal to working class voters, who regard Australia as white. Gibbon writes: The policy, as one senior Vote Leave strategist told me, was all about sending a signal to white voters. Australia, along with Canada, is probably the nation most commonly perceived by Britons to be overwhelmingly white. As a policy, my source said, it had no relevance to Britains specific needs, no particular merit. As a campaign tool it was mercilessly effective. The extraordinary disclosure is made in a new book about the referendum, Breaking Point, by Gary Gibbon (pictured), the Political Editor at Channel 4 News The cynicism is only matched by the acute political grasp. He describes similar telling exchanges with other Vote Leave aides. When Gibbon asked why they were pushing the Australian system when it was uniquely irrelevant to the UK, his very senior source replied: Its just a phrase that works with people. Pressed to say if it was because it was meant to send a subliminal message, Gibbon was told: Yes, of course. Intriguingly, the aide said a similar subliminal ploy was used to win support for Michael Goves controversial free schools policy during his time as Education Secretary. The Australian immigration system was a good message for Vote Leave in the referendum in the same way that Swedish schools was good for messaging for Goves free schools push, conveying a reasonable liberal country, said Gibbons source. Focus grouping had hit upon a phrase that tempted some white, working class voters with an image of a predominantly white Australia, writes Gibbon. His book says Vote Leave used data analytics experts to mobilise public support on immigration. He writes: The Leave camp had road-tested its potential to unlock the sleeping electorate, the people who dont often turn out to vote. They trialled the messages that would connect while Remain was fumbling for a strategy. Gibbon says Vote Leave chief strategist Dominic Cummings told him in 2015 he was hand-picking cutting-edge brains. The book claims mercurial Cummings, who was also one of the driving forces behind Goves free schools initiatives and who loathes David Cameron decided at the outset to go for Cameron on immigration and trust in total warfare. Vote Leave supporters: Last night Mr Gove said it was ridiculous to accuse Vote Leave of playing the race card Gibbon says a Pro-Brexit Tory who worked closely with Gove and Vote Leave told him: We werent meant to win. That line You were only meant to blow the bloody doors off its true. The plan was to run Remain close enough to scare EU into greater concessions. None of us thought that we were ever going to win with the possible exception of Dominic Cummings, who just wanted to drive a car into the Camerons living room. Its all such a mess. I want a second referendum now. In another shocking disclosure, Gibbon writes: An extraordinary encounter in Westminster with one of the central backroom figures in Vote Leave. I asked if support was straying into any new cohorts? Absolutely not, he said. Our people are the old, the badly educated and the poor. Last night Mr Gove said it was ridiculous to accuse Vote Leave of playing the race card. Breaking Point, by Gary Gibbon, is published by Haus Publishing, priced 7.99. EXAMS FOR OVERSEAS MEDICS ARE 'TOO LAX' Foreign doctors are allowed to practise in Britain despite having an unacceptably low standard of clinical expertise, an expert warned last night. Psychologist Richard Wakeford, a fellow of Hughes Hall at Cambridge University, said patients were being put at risk because exams for non-EU doctors were still not stringent enough. Mr Wakeford, who has decades of experience assessing GPs, said: We are setting up these doctors to fail and along the way patients will be put at risk. Medics from outside the EU must show a level of competence equivalent to that of UK-trained doctors at the end of their first year working in NHS hospitals. But at the moment foreign-trained doctors do not take the same exam as their British counterparts. Instead, they take tests set by the General Medical Council. Analysis by Mr Wakeford and other academics showed the pass marks for these are being set far too low. In April, The Mail on Sunday revealed 72 per cent of doctors struck off in the last six years trained abroad, even though they account for only a third of NHS doctors. Advertisement Carswell 'joined Ukip to sabotage Farage' Ex-Tory MP Douglas Carswell defected to Ukip in a bizarre plot to sabotage Nigel Farages toxic leadership, according to a new book. It says Carswell fooled the Ukip leader into letting him join the party to stop his awful views on race deterring middle-of-the-road voters from backing Brexit. And Carswell secretly wrecked Farages bid to lead the official Vote Leave campaign in the referendum for the same reason. Ex-Tory MP Douglas Carswell (pictured) defected to Ukip in a bizarre plot to sabotage Nigel Farages toxic leadership, according to a new book The extraordinary claims are made in Brexit Club, by journalist and Ukip expert Owen Bennett, who says Carswell decided it was his national duty to neutralise Farage. When Carswell quit the Tories in 2014 and held a by-election in his Clacton seat in Ukip colours, Farage gave him a heros welcome. But Bennett says Carswell had in fact tricked him. A plot was hatched at Londons Tate Britain gallery by Carswell and Tory Euro MP Daniel Hannan to undermine the Ukip leader from within. Carswell says polls proved that the better Farage did, the less support there was for leaving the EU the Farage paradox as they called it. Carswell says: Angry, nativist Ukip risked being so toxic that if it ran the referendum it would do to the Eurosceptic cause what kryptonite did to Superman. That could not be allowed to happen. Boris Johnson MP, Labour MP Gisela Stuart and UKIP MP Douglas Carswell address the people of Stafford in Market Square during the Vote Leave, Brexit Battle Bus tour Bennett reveals the plotters decided someone had to infiltrate Ukip and neutralise the party and its leader. Hannan says: Douglas felt he could hold his seat under pretty much any colours and prevent Ukip losing us the referendum with a negative campaign. Bennett says Carswell was forced to admit defeat in his subversive war on Farage when he became increasingly blunt on immigration. However, he consoled himself by claiming credit for later plotting with Vote Leave chiefs to wreck Farages hopes of running the official anti-EU campaign. By contrast, Carswell campaigned in Vote Leave alongside his former Tory colleague Boris Johnson. Farage and Carswell have clashed ever since his defection, and the new disclosures could deepen the rift. Despite stepping down as leader, Farage remains hugely popular in the party, while there have been persistent reports Carswell could rejoin the Tories. Brexit Club, by Owen Bennett, is published by Biteback Hacked audio from a donors meeting earlier this year has revealed Hillary Clinton mocked young supporters of her Democratic opponent, Bernie Sanders. Speaking at a fundraiser in Virginia in February, Clinton was dismissed many of Sanders' young supporters as people who were 'new to politics', which was why they gravitated to her opponent in the primaries. 'They are living in their parents basement,' Clinton said, according to The Intercept. Hacked audio from a donors meeting earlier this year has revealed Hillary Clinton (left) mocked young supporters of her Democratic opponent, Bernie Sanders (right) 'They feel they got their education and the jobs that are available to them are not at all what they envisioned for themselves. And they dont see much of a future. 'So if youre feeling like youre consigned to, you know, being a barista, or you know, some other job that doesnt pay a lot, and doesnt have some other ladder of opportunity attached to it, then the idea that maybe, just maybe, you could be part of a political revolution is pretty appealing.' Clinton went on in the comments to say she wants to make 'progress' and stressed she isn't 'a wet blanket on idealism'. The Democratic nominee is battling to convert as many young voters as possible, many who overwhelmingly supported Sanders instead of her. Hillary Clinton speaks as Senator Bernie Sanders reacts during a Democratic debate hosted by CNN and New York One at the Brooklyn Navy Yard in New York April 14, 201 Supporters listen as then-presidential candidate Bernie Sanders speaks at a campaign rally in Santa Maria, California, on May 28 In the hacked conversation, Clinton also went on to explain why she views herself as being in the middle of two extremes in this election. 'It is important to recognize whats going on in this election,' she said to donors in February. 'Everybody whos ever been in an election that Im aware of is quite bewildered because there is a strain of, on the one hand, the kind of populist, nationalist, xenophobic, discriminatory kind of approach that we hear too much of from the Republican candidates. Fans of the Vermont Senator hold a sign during a campaign rally in California in May, when he was in the running to be the Democrat nominee 'I am occupying from the center-left to the center-right. And I dont have much company there,' Clinton told donors in February Hillary Clinton has been joined on the campaign trail by Bernie Sanders since defeating him in the primaries. They are pictured together in New Hampshire last week Bernie Sanders greets supporters after a campaign rally in Santa Maria, California, U.S. May 28, 2016 'And on the other side, theres just a deep desire to believe that we can have free college, free healthcare, that what weve done hasnt gone far enough, and that we just need to, you know, go as far as, you know, Scandinavia, whatever that means, and half the people dont know what that means, but its something that they deeply feel. 'So as a friend of mine said the other day, I am occupying from the center-left to the center-right. And I dont have much company there. A New York police officer who shot himself in the stomach on Friday may have done so in order to avoid testifying against a former associate who is the subject of a federal corruption probe. Peter Salzone, an off-duty lieutenant, works in the NYPDs 19th Precinct on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. He was listed in critical condition after firing several bullets into his stomach while visiting the home of his girlfriend in Queens, the New York Post reported. Investigators are now examining whether Salzone shot himself so that he would potentially be excused from having to testify against his former boss, Deputy Inspector James Grant, according to the Post. NYPD Deputy Inspector James Grant (C) departs a Manhattan court on June 20, 2016. Grant's former subordinate, Peter Salzone, shot himself four times in the stomach on Friday Grant and three other NYPD officials are alleged to have accepted bribes from two Brooklyn businessmen - Jeremy Reichberg (right) and Alex Lichtenstein (left) He was rushed to hospital in Long Island, where he is listed in critical condition. Grant is one of four police officers who were arrested in June for allegedly accepting gifts and favors from two Brooklyn businessmen in exchange for perks. According to federal authorities, Grant, Deputy Chief Michael Harrington, Sgt. David Villanueva, and Officer Richard Ochetal received gifts, including trips and the services of prostitutes, from Jeremy Reichberg and Alex Lichtenstein, two Brooklyn-based businessman who are said to have ties to New York Mayor Bill de Blasio. In exchange, the police officers are alleged to have provided the two men with police escorts and gun licenses. Michael Harrington (left) and David Villanueva (right) are among the four NYPD officers alleged to have received lavish gifts in exchange for police escorts and gun licenses Full details of the investigation are available at the DNAinfo.com website. "They got, in effect, a police force for themselves and their friends," US Attorney Preet Bharara said. "Effectively, they got cops on call." Ochetal has already pleaded guilty to accepting bribes from Lichtenstein in exchange for gun licenses. He is now cooperating with investigators. "Gun licenses were issued to people who had no business having them," Bharara said. Salzone, the officer who shot himself, was reportedly close to Grant, the New York Post said. Grant had brought Salzone to the 19th Precinct and made him its integrity control officer, the Post reported. Prior to that posting, Salzone was stationed in a Brooklyn precinct. The Post quotes anonymous sources close to the investigation as saying that Salzone shot himself twice in his car as he was driving to his girlfriends home and twice more inside the home. The NYPDs Force Investigations Division is now looking into whether the officer shot himself in order to evade testifying. In May, another police officer who was called upon by federal investigators to testify in the case, Michael Ameri, committed suicide. United Airlines allegedly changed a female passenger's seat due to the wishes of two male Pakistani monks, who didn't wish to sit nearby. Mary Campos, of Coto de Caza, California, described her ordeal in an interview with CBS Los Angeles, saying: 'I thought I lived in a culture where females were equal to men.' 'We can't discriminate against half the population for a belief from another nation,' she stated. Scroll down for video United Airlines allegedly changed a female passenger's seat due to the wishes of two male Pakistani monks, who didn't wish to sit nearby. Pictured is passenger Mary Campos Campos says she was a given a different boarding pass by a gate agent ahead of going on the plane, CBS Los Angeles reported. She recalled: 'He said this is your new seat. And I said, "Excuse me?" And he said, "I don't know how to tell you this." And so I said "Yes?" Campos took the seat and penned a letter to the airline's CEO (pictured) 'And he said "The two gentlemen seated next to you have cultural beliefs that prevent them from sitting next to, or talking to or communicating with females."' The female crew members also could not serve the male passengers, Campos told the station. Campos took the new seat and penned a letter to the airline's CEO, according to the report from CBS Los Angeles. United has said: 'We regret that Ms. Campos was unhappy with the handling of the seat assignments on her flight' (file) Campos wants United to apologize to the women onboard and for the airline to alter its policy, CBS Los Angeles reported. A United Airlines spokesperson told the TV station: 'We regret that Ms. Campos was unhappy with the handling of the seat assignments on her flight. Craig Oliver's book shows how bitter personal and political divisions in Labour hampered the Remain campaign. He says Jeremy Corbyn's office was like a 'mad house'; Peter Mandelson angrily opposed the decision to halt campaigning for several days after the murder of Labour MP Jo Cox; and Gordon Brown refused point blank to appear alongside David Cameron, John Major and Tony Blair in a pro-EU act of solidarity. Bitter personal and political divisions in Labour hampered the Remain campaign MONDAY, APRIL 4 It's becoming clear that what we thought was our great strength Labour agreeing with us that we should stay in is in fact a weakness. Jeremy Corbyn's office is at best equivocal and sometimes appears actively hostile. Days are left open for them to take the lead but they are invariably damp squibs. It's not clear they really want Cameron to succeed. Stronger In tell me that Alan Johnson, leader of the Labour In campaign, isn't doing morning media because he isn't being taken by Radio 4's Today. ITV's Good Morning Britain was prepared to send a satellite truck to his house but he pulled out around 8pm last night. I'm told he said: 'There's no point in doing media for the sake of it.' My gut is there's a grain of vanity in this. Politicians want to know their peer group sees or hears them none of them watch the ITV breakfast show. MANDY'S SKIN TIPS Mandelson spots that I am drinking coffee and acts horrified. 'What are you doing to your skin? You will be horribly dehydrated!' 'I've got lovely skin,' I joke. 'Don't take it for granted,' he chides. 'You may lose it!' Advertisement We desperately need Labour to do more. Corbyn offers excruciating and baffling soundbites. Lynton Crosby's right-hand man, Mark Textor, refers to Corbyn as 'an international superstar of f***wittery'. John McDonnell needs to stop slagging us off. To us, Corbyn's office resembles a madhouse where the patients have taken over the asylum. Later that month there's a meeting in George Osborne's office with Peter Mandelson, who arrives clutching a bottle of water in one hand and his smartphone, with white headphones dragging along the floor, in the other. He asks: 'Why do you all insist on bringing a spoon to a knife fight? It's clear Boris and [Michael] Gove need to be taken out by big Tory hitters.' In June it emerges that Gordon Brown wants to do more but has a series of grudges, apparently saying: 'They've stabbed me in the back before.' He was furious that a day he was supposed to be leading ended with George warning that house prices would fall and taking the news. 'Who agreed that there should be no campaigning this week?' said Mandelson in the wake of Jo Cox's murder FRIDAY, JUNE 17 Day after Jo Cox murder DC talks to Brown on the phone. He wants to persuade him to do an event involving both of them, Tony Blair and John Major. Gordon isn't up for it. DC says he thinks we need a 'shock factor' for the undecideds, and what better way than all four surviving PMs appearing together. 'We had the shock factor yesterday,' says Gordon. Later, I get a call from an irritable Mandelson. 'Who agreed that there should be no campaigning this week?' [Campaigning was been suspended in the wake of Jo Cox's murder]. I tell him there was an agreement between Tom Watson and Downing Street. Mandelson says: 'You have been taken for an enormous ride. The Labour leadership never wanted to campaign. Now they have the perfect excuse not to do anything. I am furious! Corbyn and Watson want us to lose this referendum. Everyone needs to wake up.' The next morning I wake up to a stark message from Mandelson: 'We are headed for disaster.' THE X-RATED ALBANIAN MODEL MONDAY, ARPIL 18 I got a call from Culture Secretary John Whittingdale's adviser Carrie Symonds regarding a story about him having had a relationship with a prostitute. When I phone Whittingdale he says he didn't realise he was going out with a prostitute who specialises in sado-masochism. I inform him The Mail on Sunday told me about his Russian girlfriends. He snaps: 'My current girlfriend isn't Russian, she's Lithuanian.' He goes tortuously through the story. The following weekend The Mail on Sunday has new allegations about him and a woman called Stephanie Hudson, a former soft porn actress. They say he let her see confidential documents in his ministerial Red Box, texted her photos from Chequers, and was asked to leave the American Bar at the Savoy Hotel after 'mutual drunken heavy petting'. When I go through it with him, he begins to bluster, saying she was a Page 3 model not a soft porn actress. He says he wasn't thrown out of The Savoy but accepts a waiter did approach when she was kissing him after a customer complained. I had to smile: here was I, a senior figure in the Remain camp, spending most of my day defending a Minister in the Leave camp. [Whittingdale's name came up again after Michael Gove suggested Britain copy Albania's relationship with the EU.] When Caroline Preston, No 10's head of broadcast, hears us talking about the 'Albanian model' she jokes: 'Oh no! Not another story about Whittingdale!' I laugh about it all day. Advertisement SUNDAY, JUNE 19 Corbyn on Andrew Marr is utterly hopeless as far as persuading people to vote Remain. Alastair Campbell texts me: 'Jesus God almighty...' After the referendum there is a Remain board meeting to consider what went wrong. I say that our reading of the polling was that the economy would trump immigration. It didn't. Mandelson spins to me and says: 'That is a heck of a statement saying our polling was completely wrong.' 'I didn't say that,' I point out, but Mandelson has his attack sorted. He intimates he is blameless and concludes: 'There was an exclusive, not an inclusive discussion at No 10.' It's not even coded David Cameron and George Osborne should have turned to Mandelson. They didn't and now everyone is paying a very heavy price. My hackles rise. I say that I could play a blame game too, saying Labour was useless and he and others completely failed to exert any influence on them. M&S boss and a gift to the enemy Stuart Rose, the former boss of M&S and chairman of the Stronger In campaign, gets embroiled in a row about whether it is right to claim people will lose 3,000 if we leave the EU. Instead of constantly pivoting out of the question and pointing to his key messages, Rose (right) just argues. The result: a missed opportunity. Stuart Rose, the former boss of M&S and chairman of the Stronger In campaign He admits that wages are likely to rise if we leave Europe, adding that it wouldn't be a good thing. He also accepts that one cost of staying in will be 'one-way traffic' of EU migrants into the UK for up to a decade. An MP appears to have asked him if he would mind jumping into a bear trap and Rose appears to have said he'd be delighted to. It's a gift to the Leave campaign. It doesn't matter that Rose believes the economy will be harmed by leaving the EU. From then on, the Stronger In chairman will be known as the man who believes wages will rise if we do. TV showdown gave Cameron a heart attack Rehearsals for the TV debates convinced Oliver they would not be easy when key Remain performers Angela Eagle and Ruth Davidson were stumped by tough immigration questions. When the cameras started rolling, Cameron was accused of 'waffling' by a woman. Oliver calls her 'an attention-seeker'. Rehearsals for the TV debates convinced Oliver they would not be easy when key Remain performers Angela Eagle and Ruth Davidson were stumped by tough immigration questions THURSDAY, JUNE 2 The first part of DC's Sky debate is an interview, almost all about immigration. Then a student, Soraya, asks a question. I have no clue what her point is. DC tries to answer. She interrupts him to tell him not to interrupt her. When he tries to give an answer, she says: 'I'm an English literature student I know waffle when I hear it.' It feels like she's been practising the line in the mirror all day. Hacks go mad on Twitter in reality she is little more than a confused attention-seeker. MONDAY, JUNE 6 At a studio for Amber Rudd's ITV debate prep. I tell her she has to be more aggressive. 'Kick them hard: 'Boris, I might come to you for a good joke, but I'm not prepared to entrust you with our children's futures'.' At another rehearsal, the low point is when Angela Eagle tells a fake audience member that the reason his child's class is swamped by foreign children isn't because of immigration but Tory cuts. 'What?' I say. 'One you sound like you are fighting among yourselves. Two it isn't credible.' At a studio for Amber Rudd's, right, ITV debate prep. I tell her she has to be more aggressive. 'Kick them hard: 'Boris, I might come to you for a good joke, but I'm not prepared to entrust you with our children's futures' ' TUESDAY, JUNE 7 DC and I drive to the ITV studios for the programme in which he is taking part with Nigel Farage. DC shakes Farage's hand and says: 'Hello, Nigel.' There is a little bit of harrumphing and chuckling, but no words. I'm struck by the people he has around him. They look like bouncers in a club that's trying to look respectable oiled hair and shiny suits. In our dressing room, I show the PM a Twitter meme a picture of Farage looking stupid with the caption 'racist bell***'. He laughs. THURSDAY, JUNE 9 The day of Amber, Angela and Nicola Sturgeon's debate and we are preparing again. We take a question from the floor. Alastair Campbell [Blair's ex-spin doctor who is helping Remain] asks: 'What is the number that immigration should be set at to ensure the country isn't full?' There follows a truly disturbing moment when Angela stares at him for ten seconds before saying: 'I have no idea how to answer that.' We're hours away from the programme and none of this is working. Later, at the TV studio, Sturgeon is wearing a green suit, the same colour as the set backdrop, and says she'll change. I realise the craziness of my position: I'm talking to a woman whose main purpose in life is to break up the UK, hoping she will help us win the referendum. After watching the news, DC tells me: 'The whole thing is giving me a heart attack' The first question is on immigration. Amber delivers the line I wrote for her: 'There are lots of numbers flying around in this debate but it seems to me the only number Boris cares about is No 10.' Twitter erupts. Later she unleashes an attack which is almost too much: 'Boris, you're the life and soul of the party, but I'm not sure I'd want you driving me home at the end of the night.' To me it feels like a racy joke, but one commentator claims it's a 'date-rape metaphor'. After watching the news, DC tells me: 'The whole thing is giving me a heart attack.' SUNDAY, JUNE 19 The key moment in the BBC Question Time special in Milton Keynes comes when an angry Brexiteer accuses DC of being Neville Chamberlain. Something snaps in the PM outraged at being compared to an appeaser. He says his No 10 desk is two yards from the Cabinet Room where Churchill made the decision to fight on in the Second World War. It sounds barnstorming. The art of seduction could be as easy as standing next to someone less attractive, according to scientists Forget witty one-liners the secret of seduction could be as simple as standing next to an ugly friend. Researchers have discovered that our judgements of people vary according to the company they keep and if their companion is a plain Jane or a dull Dave, they seem far more appealing. Scientists at Royal Holloway, University of London, asked volunteers to rate pictures of different faces for attractiveness. They were then asked to assess the same faces placed alongside ones perceived to be on the ugly side. The addition of these distractor images led to the original faces seeming more fanciable. Study author Nicholas Furl said: We live in a society obsessed with beauty and attractiveness, but how we measure and understand these concepts is still a grey area. Until now, its been understood that a persons level of attractiveness is generally steady. However, this work demonstrates that the company we keep has an effect on how attractive we appear to others. Rightly or wrongly, the way people look has a profound impact on the way others perceive them. Researchers at the University of London (pictured) asked volunteers to rate faces on their own and when they were placed next to someone deemed less attractive Another experiment showed that introducing a plain face made volunteers home in on the differences between two attractive ones. Writing in the journal Psychological Science, Dr Furl added: The presence of a distractor face makes differences between attractive people more obvious. to find the places which inspired him My goodness, Russia is complicated. In Red Square, one side houses Lenin's granite tomb, built in 1929, while opposite is GUM, a glitzy shopping centre that's a triumph of capitalist excess. And although President Putin and his megalomaniacal power is scary, I feel safer wandering back to my hotel in central Moscow than I do in London's West End. Probably what I admire most is how deeply Russians revere literature. Because so much of it was banned under Stalin's reign of terror, there remains a deep respect for the written word. The great Russian writers are considered demi-gods by their people and their homes have become museums. Fairytale towers: The colourful Saint Basils Cathedral in Red Square, Moscow Romantic leads: Omar Sharif and Julie Christie in the 1965 film of Dr Zhivago As the great-niece of Doctor Zhivago author Boris Pasternak, I admit to a bias. After visiting Peredelkino, the country dacha of Boris, where he spent 20 years writing his epic love story, I have come to appreciate the literary pilgrimage as an enriching way to experience Russia. Despite the plummeting temperatures, I recommend braving a trip in winter, when the wind whips your face until it hurts but you won't have to queue in the museums. The writer's colony of Peredelkino is a 50-minute drive from Moscow. Boris's wooden dacha looks like a Scandinavian lodge, amid birch woods. His upper study resembles a monastic cell. Atypical of a writer, he did not keep any drafts of his work. 'It is easier to clean than a hotel room,' he said of his study. 'My life resembles a student's.' In a bizarre comparison to Boris's asceticism, Doctor Zhivago is a flashy restaurant in the National Hotel, opposite the Kremlin, filled with Muscovite models. As a Pasternak, I was greeted like a celebrity and plied with innovative modern Russian cuisine: Caspian herring, pickled vegetables and blinis. Marina, my Soviet guide, refused to enter the restaurant, so disgusted was she by the immoderation. Tolstoy's home in Moscow's Khamovniki District has been a museum since 1911, remaining as it was in the 1890s. The great man lived here from 1882 to 1901. In the drawing room, you can listen to the last recording of Tolstoy's voice, made on his 80th birthday. In booming tones, he instructs his children and grandchildren that they should behave themselves and listen to their elders. Playwright Anton Chekhov lived in Moscow with his mother and siblings from 1886 to 1890. Now a museum, with display cabinets of original letters and an autographed programme from The Seagull, their home has a happy, family-oriented feel with paintings by his brother Nikolai in the drawing room and his sister Maria's powder puff and pin cushion in her pretty bedroom. I left Chekhov's house to board the Sapsan, the high-speed train that takes just under four hours to get to St Petersburg. There is definitely something Zhivago-esque about whizzing through the frozen Russian countryside at night. Researching my book, Lara, about the true love story that inspired Doctor Zhivago, I felt as though I was stepping back a century. St Petersburg is also a city defined by its writers. Pushkin, Nabokov, Dostoyevsky and Tolstoy all wrote here. Vladimir Nabokov, born in 1899, lived with his wealthy parents in the city until he left Russia during the Revolution. Cabinets contain the Lolita author's reading glasses, worn-down pencils and English Scrabble board. Cinematic: The Peter and Paul cathedral in St Petersburg looks serene in the snow I learned that Nabokov hated Boris Pasternak. Zhivago knocked Lolita off the U.S. bestseller list and, unlike Pasternak, Nabokov wasn't nominated for the Nobel Prize for literature, which rankled. Returning to the aptly named Tolstoy Suite of the stately Four Seasons Hotel Lion Palace, I pondered what makes a literary pilgrimage so satisfying. It's not just that the legacies of these men stand proud but more their passion for life that moves you. But sound does not seem to affect the savoury taste of foods Constant drone and vibrations harm ability of tongue to distinguish between sweet, sour and salt As most in-flight meals consist of re-heated chicken or pasta with insipid sauces, it might be assumed the dishes are beyond saving. But it seems that what a passenger hears may be as important to culinary enjoyment as what is on the end of their fork. For the white noise on planes makes the food served up by cabin crew taste worse, according to experts. The white noise on planes makes the food served up by cabin crew taste worse, according to experts Professor Barry Smith, founder of the Centre for the Study of the Senses, carried out an experiment on British Airways return flights to Istanbul both with and without noise- cancelling headphones. The University of London academic found that without the constant noise of the planes engines, he was able to enjoy the food on offer, suggesting that flavour is not just about the tongue, but rather a combination of taste and smell. The constant drone and vibrations that bombard the eardrums on a plane were found to harm the ability of the tongue to distinguish between sweet, sour and salt. Professor Smith said: Apart from the dry air and the fact you are at high altitude in a low-pressure environment, white noise in your ear makes the tongue less able to discriminate between sweet and sour by about 15 per cent. The constant drone and vibrations that bombard the eardrums on a plane were found to harm the ability of the tongue to distinguish between sweet, sour and salt But it doesnt seem to affect umami the savoury taste of foods such as strong cheese, shellfish, tomatoes and soy. At the same time, droning sounds accentuate bitterness. BA has taken the phenomenon on board and actively uses foods with umami to ensure customers enjoy their meals. There has been heavy investment in the wine I must have been about ten when we went on a family holiday to Santorini. The airport was an old concrete shack, and tourists were still a novelty. Greeces most seductive island was as Greek as a glass of cheap retsina. Indeed, retsina was everywhere back then. When my father ordered wine to go with his dinner and was given the local resinous plonk, he sent it back, saying it tasted strange. The restaurant owner politely informed him that Greek wines were meant to taste strange. Picturesque: The Mail On Sunday's Giles Milton travelled to Santorini in Greece (above, the village of Oia is a pretty patchwork of white buildings) What a difference 40 years has made. Santorini, along with its glittering sister islands in the Cyclades, has completely reinvented itself. These craggy volcanic outcrops are in the throes of a gastro-revolution, one thats producing a slate of high-quality Aegean wines. Theyre so good that theyre winning medals on the international stage and plaudits from Hollywood superstars. Just a few months ago, the wine-loving actor Robert De Niro pitched up here with a picture of a Santorini wine label on his mobile phone. I want that one, he said, pointing to a white assyrtiko, one of the finest local grape varieties to be awarded protected origin status. According to the winemaker who tells me the story, the restaurant had only one bottle left, so the owner had a frantic run around town in search of more. The international jet-set have fallen for Santorini in recent years and its not difficult to see why. The island is the beauty queen of the Cyclades, a majestic fractured volcano whose vertiginous cliffs are topped with whitewashed houses, most famously seen at the village of Oia. Cheers! Giles, above left, enjoys a glass of beer with brewery owner Alexandros Kouris Place on the board: Chef Marinos Souranis with some of his delicious produce Santorini is also home to more than a dozen wineries, each producing elegant vintages from vineyards planted a century ago. But its not just wine thats being showcased. A micro-brewery produces nectar-coloured beer, while food, too, has been swept up in the revolution. There are goats cheeses and hand-crafted charcuterie to admire. A short drive takes me to the organic farm of Yiannis Nomikos, who grows local ingredients that include pickled caper leaves (addictively delicious), white aubergines, and a tomato paste so rich and thick that I find myself lapping it up by the spoonful. These ingredients are the raw materials used by local master-chef Dimitris Papadimitriou, who performs culinary alchemy in the kitchens of Aressana, Santorinis finest hotel. As I sit on the restaurants terrace, a succession of platters is unveiled: carpaccio of sea bass, smoked red pepper coulis, and cod and shrimp linguine. Theres grilled octopus, shrimp with feta, and a delicate potato puree served with seafood. Although Santorini has become the shop window for the new cuisine, Ive been given a valuable tip. Go to Tinos island, says a local guide with a knowing wink. Its where the food is born. With this in mind, I take the inter-island Sea Jet, a catamaran that cuts through the Aegean at breakneck speed. After brief stops at Ios and Paros, we arrive in Tinos. The dozy port is the first clue it is very different from Santorini: a little-visited backwater with a mountainous hinterland dotted with Byzantine villages, all stacked up against the rocky cliffs. The villages, I decide, will have to wait. Food is my mission and I head straight to Marathia restaurant, where Marinos Souranis has turned his beach bar into a gastro-heaven. He is sourcing the finest local products black sea bream, lobsters and fennel and transforming them into dishes so scrumptious youll want to eat your way through the entire menu. Although Santorini has become the shop window for the new cuisine, Giles is given a valuable tip. Go to Tinos island [pictured], says a local guide with a knowing wink. Its where the food is born. Water of life: Santorini's white assyrtiko is one of the finest local grape varieties to be awarded protected origin status, left, and right, some bush vines on the island Marinos is only able to create such high-end cuisine because of the local producers. Im taken to meet Yiannis, who lives high on the slopes of Mount Kehrovouni. He originally trained as a civil engineer but hes reinvented himself as cheesemaker, producing varieties so good that theyve made it on to the menus of Greeces finest restaurants. Another Yiannis, whose culinary workshop is next to the harbour, is the most celebrated producer of louza, a speciality pork loin thats flavoured in a red-wine marinade before being dry-cured for 40 days. The views from the upper slopes are breathtaking: the entire Aegean is spread out before me like a liquid carpet And then theres Alexandros Kouris, a former businessman who set up a micro-brewery called Nissos: its brewing beer so delicious that his pilsner has become the first Greek beer to win the coveted European Beer Star. I drive higher into mountains, passing near-vertical villages, domed churches and the islands famously decorative pigeon towers, built centuries ago by the Venetian occupiers. The views from the upper slopes are breathtaking: the entire Aegean is spread out before me like a liquid carpet. Here on the summit of Mount Tsiknias are the vines of T-Oinos winery. The vintages they produce in this granite-strewn terrain are so clean and packed with minerals that theyve made it into such esteemed hotels as the Dorchester in London, the Plaza Athenee in Paris, and Monacos Louis XV. Quite the view: As he drove higher into the mountains of Santorini, Giles passed near-vertical villages, domed churches and the islands famously decorative pigeon towers You can see neighbouring Paros from the top of Tinos its just over an hour away by ferry but the two islands are chalk and cheese. Paros feels richer and attracts visitors so glamorous that the entire island feels like a beauty contest. But scratch at the surface and you find the same love of terroir (the French expression for home-grown quality) that is the new buzzword of the Cyclades. Like Tinos, Paros has vineyards and vegetable plots. It also has fishermen aplenty, who spend their mornings thwacking newly caught octopus against the harbours flagstones in order to tenderise the meat. The best place to sample the local seafood is the old port, where restaurants like Barbarossa serve grouper in a lettuce sauce. Sounds unappealing? It tastes like heaven, especially when washed down with a barrel-aged assyrtiko wine the colour of honey. If my father had ordered this, rather than retsina, he certainly wouldnt have sent it back Back on Santorini, I chat with Yannis Valambous, a former financier in his mid-30s who quit his job in London to establish a high-end winery. Greece needs more enterprising people, he says. I read about assyrtiko being the new hot grape and decided to act. After an investment of 1.5million, his Vassaltis winery has started producing superb wines. I wind down my evening at Domaine Sigalas, where Panayiota Kalogeropoulou (try saying that after a few glasses) pours me world-class wine. Sigalas has a terrace bar, great nibbles and a reputation for hospitality. This is a place to watch the sun slump slowly into the Aegean while slugging a glass of rich, late-vintage nychteri. If my father had ordered this, rather than retsina, he certainly wouldnt have sent it back. Giles Miltons book, The Ministry Of Ungentlemanly Warfare, is published by John Murray, priced 20. Paphos, in the far west of Cyprus where the mountains meet the sea, takes over as joint European Capital of Culture (along with Denmark's Aarhus) in January. The ancient port, set around one of the most dazzling harbours in the Mediterranean and rich with ancient mythology, promises to be a happening place all year. Picturesque port: Paphos harbour will be the site of some of the main celebrations IT'S A HOLIDAY RESORT, ISN'T IT? Yes, and it's especially favoured by the British: hence the pubs and English breakfasts. But it's also one of the great archaeological sites of the Eastern Mediterranean and the legendary birthplace of Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love. HOW CAN I GET TO GRIPS WITH ITS HISTORY? Start by walking west along the seaside promenade to Paphos Archaeological Park. Stroll through the expansive ruins of 4th-century BC Greco-Roman Nea Pafos and prepare to be mesmerised by the vast and intricate mosaics depicting scenes from Greek mythology. Next stop, the so-called Tombs Of The Kings scores of excavated burial chambers set next to jagged rocks and crashing waves. WHAT'S HAPPENING NEXT YEAR? Paphos is drawing on its classical heritage with a string of artistic and musical events throughout the year. Mythology will be the theme at street shows, music, dance and theatrical performances over the January 28-29 opening weekend. Another highlight is at the start of July when a 'fire on the sea' themed flotilla sails into the harbour while a light show illuminates Paphos castle. WHEN IS THE IDEAL TIME TO VISIT? One reason Paphos was chosen to be a culture capital is that Cyprus is a year-round destination. Winters are warm, mild and generally sunny with January temperatures nudging 20c. Summer the peak beach season is hot. But spring and autumn are gorgeous; usually cool enough for sightseeing but warm enough to swim. WHAT'S ON THE MENU? If you only have one full fish and seafood meze, make it dinner at The Pelican (cyprus-eating.com) on the harbour; it serves everything from cuttlefish to soft-shell crabs to freshly landed red mullet. Backdrop is the floodlit Byzantine castle guarding the port. WHERE'S THE BEST PLACE TO STAY? There are two distinct parts to Paphos: Kitima, the stately old town, which is uphill and inland, where there are a few elegant old hotels; and Kato Paphos , the main tourist area scattered around the harbour. The calmer, smarter end is east of the harbour, where there are some stylish five-star hotels. Pick of the bunch is the Annabelle (annabelle.com.cy), right on the waterfront with views over the sea, harbour and castle. DECENT BEACHES? The sea is swimmable around the harbour from pebbly inlets and pontoons within areas cordoned off from boat traffic. For proper sand you need to hire a car. Head east out of town to Aphrodite Beach, the spot where legend has it the goddess first emerged from the waves. Or head westwards, where farflung Lara beach is an enchanting spot with clear water on the Akamas peninsula. Ancient history: Byzantine castle ruins at Paphos's Archaeological Park, near the promenade WHAT'S NEARBY? If you have a car, the world (well, island) is your oyster. Polis, due north, is a laid-back little town near the Bath of Aphrodite, a mysterious rock pool and waterfall where the goddess bathed and frolicked with her lovers. Swimming in the pool is forbidden these days, but it marks the start of several hiking trails through the wild, uninhabited Akamas. The coast here is flecked with pretty coves and sandy beaches where you can discover your own bit of bathing magic. You could also motor into the foothills of the Troodos Mountains. Once there, you'll find monasteries (make time for the Agios Neofytos hermitage), wineries and some rustic villages. HOW DO I GET THERE? British Airways (ba.com, 0344 493 0787) flies daily from Gatwick to Paphos. Sunvil (sunvil.co.uk, 020 8758 4758) offers three nights' B&B at the Annabelle from 744 with flights and transfers. Try meet and greet parking at Gatwick with ilovemeetandgreet.co.uk. A woman has filed a lawsuit against JetBlue Airways for mixing up her 5-year-old son with another boy and flying him to the wrong city. Maribel Martinez charged in the lawsuit that she suffered 'great emotional distress, extreme fear, horror, mental shock, mental anguish and psychological trauma' when she went to meet her son's flight and he wasn't on it. The little boy, Andy Martinez, had been mistakenly put on a flight to Boston's Logan Airport instead of the flight to John F. Kennedy International Airport on August 17. Raphael and Maribel Martinez comfort their son Andy after a press conference at their lawyer's office in New York on September 30 According to the court papers, JetBlue staff at Logan Airport escorted Andy to a woman he had never seen before and told him he was being reunited with his mother. Meanwhile, a boy who was supposed to be on the flight to Boston had been put on Andy's New York-bound flight and was presented to Martinez. It took three hours for JetBlue to sort out what had happened and put the mother and son on the phone with each other, the lawsuit charges. Attorney Sanford Rubenstein (left), Maribel Martinez (centre), and her husband Raphael Martinez (right) at a press conference on September 30 Both boys had flown out of Cibao International Airport in the Dominican Republic. The boy who was flown to New York instead of Boston has not been publicly identified. The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages. Martinez's attorney, Sanford Rubenstein, said she also hopes to shine a light on JetBlue's practices and prevent such a mix-up from happening again. A spokesman for JetBlue Airways Corp., which is based in New York, said the company doesn't comment on pending litigation. MailOnline Travel has contacted JetBlue for additional comment. Advertisement An abandoned Soviet gulag has become a popular dive site for adventurous explorers and tombstone jumpers thanks to the crystal-clear lake that now submerge much of the building. Rummu prison in Estonia was abandoned some 25 years ago when Stalin's empire collapsed and more than half of the 75ft building has since been flooded. Scuba divers from across Europe now flock to the area to explore the ruins of the prison. Rummu prison in Estonia was abandoned some 25 years ago when Stalin's empire collapsed and more than half of the 75ft building has since been flooded Scuba divers from across Europe now flock to the area to explore the ruins of the prison. Above, a couple of divers exploring the rubble The former gulag, known as Europe's Alcatraz, was built in a limestone quarry by Communist chiefs during the 1930s The bizarre attraction has been plagued with accidents and deaths from thrill seekers soaking up the eerie underwater views The former gulag, known as Europe's Alcatraz, was built in a limestone quarry by Communist chiefs during the 1930s. Some 7,000 convicts rounded up by the Soviet regime between 1930 to 1991 were jailed inside the building, where they were forced into backbreaking work 12 hours a day. Since its abandonment, the prison has been left to crumble and be overtaken by nature. Today, the lake that covers the structure has been dubbed the blue lagoon by locals after the limestone turned the water turquoise. The picturesque views surrounding the prison give little indication of what's hidden underneath the calm waters. Some 7,000 convicts rounded up by the Soviet regime between 1930 to 1991 were jailed inside the building The picturesque views surrounding the prison give little indication of what's hidden underneath the calm waters Those imprisoned at Rummu were forced into backbreaking work 12 hours a day. Above, the underwater remains of the site Diving companies offers trips to explore the waters and the ruins of the building. Above, a couple of divers in the water But the bizarre attraction has been plagued with accidents and deaths from thrill seekers soaking up the eerie underwater views. The land has been fenced off with no swimming signs posted but people still find their way in through gaps in the barbed wire. Daredevil tombstoners leap off the prison walls, narrowly avoiding the barbed wire, concrete and machinery hidden by the water. Locals use the sandy shores for picnics, barbecues and beach modelling shoots. Diving companies even offer trips to explore the waters and the ruins of the building. The lake that covers the structure has been dubbed the blue lagoon by locals after the limestone turned the water turquoise The land has been fenced off with no swimming signs posted but people still find their way in through gaps in the barbed wire Visibility can up to 40m (131ft) in winter, which is as good as famous diving destinations in the Caribbean or Indian Ocean according to Alina Andrusaite Alina Andrusaite, who went diving with her husband Jekabs Andrusaitis, said: 'If not for the fence on the way in, you might think this is a city beach. 'There are always dozens of people enjoying themselves on the beach - grilling sausages, swimming, listening to music and smoking shisha. There aren't many places where you can grill sausages in the territory of the former prison. 'People climb inside the prison and jump into the water. But this is really dangerous as there are barbed wire, lamp posts and concrete sheets under water. 'The water looks quite clear, like somewhere in a much warmer place. Visibility can up to 40m (131ft) in winter, which is as good as famous diving destinations in the Caribbean or Indian Ocean.' Daredevil tombstoners leap off the prison walls, narrowly avoiding the barbed wire, concrete and machinery hidden by the water below The area is fenced off but the locals still use the sandy shores for picnics, barbecues and beach modelling shoots Alina Andrusaite, who went diving with her husband Jekabs Andrusaitis, said: 'If not for the fence on the way in, you might think this is a city beach' Andrusaite posted a selection of stunning underwater photographs to her website reveriechaser.com, which showed divers floating through the wreckage of the bleak four story building. The structure is partially submerged under 15m (49ft) of water. They swim past floodlights and through watch towers once used by Soviet guards to gun down prisoners not pulling their weight. Andrusaite, originally from Latvia, added: 'It's safe for experienced divers but there have been several accidents and even deaths, and the last one was just a few days before we visited. 'I believe this location will be closed permanently soon. 'It is very dangerous to jump from the roof into the water, as there is plenty of debris inside and you can get serious injuries. But it is still interesting to see the place, as it is quite unusual.' The lake that surrounds the prison has come from flooding and can be as much as 49ft, covering much of the building Tom Holland showed he's got the one quality absolutely required to play Spider-Man - no fear of heights. The British actor, 20, was spotted fully-suited on top of a very tall building as he continued to film scenes for the new reincarnation of the superhero character in New York City on Friday. Of course, the rising star was tethered with a safety harness but it still wasn't a feat for the faint of heart. Scroll down for video No fear! Tom Holland proved he really isn't afraid of heights as he filmed scenes as Spider-Man on top of a tall building in Queens, NYC on Friday Tom could be seen on the top of a tall building located on Jamaica Avenue in Queens completely in character in the distinctive red and black suit and mask. At one point, he struck Spider-Man's familiar crouching pose as he neared the edge of the building as a sound guy stood a short distance away with a mic boom. Spotted! The 20-year-old British actor squatted down near the edge of the building in character as a sound guy stood a short distance away with a mic boom Action! Tom, whob was tethered with a safety harness, went through his moves as the Marvel Comics superhero The actor was also spotted wearing his suit under a black coat but without his mask on as he waited between takes on the city street. He appeared to be entertaining some of the extras including a young child actor who seemed to be there with his mom. The youngster beamed with delight as Tom entertained him during the down time. Do your thing Spider-Man! In between takes, the rising star entertained one of the child extras on set much to the youngster's delight Taking a break: Tom wore a black coat iover his Spoider-Man costume but removed the face mask as he waited with the extras for the next scene to be set up Big break: The 20-year-old looked right at home in the clinging suit The long day of filming also included scenes where Tom was also seen in Peter Parker mode. He was dressed in a brown plaid button down with a blue sweater and dark grey hoodie and a pair of grey corduroy trousers with matching trainers. He carried a backpack and had earbuds in as he walked looking serious and pensive. On set: The long day of filming also included scenes where Tom switched to Peter Parker mode and looked somewhat pensive as he strolled along the city streets Deep in thought: Tom squatted down with his arms on his knees with earbuds in his ears and a backpack slung around his shoulders Later, the actor was spotted with members of the crew as he watched the playback of a scene. Several secrets surround the movie, and last month multiple sources confirmed to The Wrap that Zendaya Coleman is playing Spider-Man's love interest Mary Jane Watson. The 19-year-old's character is listed as 'Michelle' on IMDb, although this is believed to be a code name to keep her true role a secret. Gather round: The actor was spotted with members of the crew as he watched the playback of a scene for the 2017 release titled Spider-Man: Homecoming Tom has already portrayed Spidey in this year's Captain America: Civil War, and he is rumoured to be reprising the role in 2018's Avengers: Infinity War. Meanwhile Robert Downey Jr. is slated to appear in Spider-Man: Homecoming as his Marvel character Tony Stark, aka Iron Man. Spider-Man: Homecoming is being directed by Jon Watts and currently has a release date of July 7, 2017. Michael Keaton, Jon Favreau, Donald Glover and Logan Marshall-Green are also set to appear in the highly-anticipated movie. Kelly Osbourne was slapped with a lawsuit by her father's former mistress Michelle Pugh in August, along with an amended complaint just this week. Now comes word that the issues between Ozzy's daughter and the Beverly Hills hairdresser have been 'privately resolved,' according to People. Kelly, who famously tweeted Pugh's phone number and accused her of manipulating the Black Sabbath rocker, has erased the remarks from her social media. Scroll down for video Relieved? Kelly Osbourne hosted The Silence Awards in LA on Thursday before word spread that she has settled a lawsuit brought against her by her father's ex- mistress Michelle Pugh Kelly's deleted the tweets: Pugh's lawyer F. Edie Mermelstein told People, 'The tweets have been removed and the lawsuit has been privately resolved. The resolution statement is mutual' 'The tweets have been removed and the lawsuit has been privately resolved. The resolution statement is mutual,' Pugh's lawyer F. Edie Mermelstein told People. In the complaint filed this week in Los Angeles, Pugh claimed that the former Fashion Police host used her Twitter page to 'paint a target' on her back to excite more publicity - and sales - ahead of the release of Kelly's book, There's No F---ing Secret. Although Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne split in May as a result of the affair, the pair reconciled and are working things out. With THAT business on its way through the out door, no wonder Kelly had that look of relief at Thursday night's The Silence Awards in Los Angeles. Smart: Kelly still managed to make a bold and smart statement at the event in her monochrome outfit and buzz haircut Worthy cause: The former Fashion Police star was hosting the event in support of LGBT sexual and domestic abuse survivors Kelly proved her boldness once again as she attended the Breaking The Silence Awards in Los Angeles on Thursday in support of LGBT sexual and domestic abuse survivors. The 31-year-old star - with her signature lavender hair loosely curled on side - wowed in a cleavage-baring white wrap dress. As a host of the evening, the British beauty looked the part as she opted for a low-cut, white dress, which was cinched with a belt, and flared at the sleeves. Smokey effect: She wore studded earrings and a dainty pendant while going for a smokey eye look and nude lip She wore a fitted black top underneath and matching pointy shoes. Kelly paired her look with an oversize coat that she slung over her shoulders and a dainty pendant and bracelet to round out the outfit. In August, the reality star was thrown in the midst of legal problems after her father's former mistress filed a complaint. Hairdresser Michelle Pugh - who was seeking compensatory and punitive damages - accused Kelly of having 'stimulated controversy for the purpose of making money' and promoting her upcoming book, There's No F***ing Secret. This came after Kelly leaked the hairdresser's phone number online when news of her affair with the Black Sabbath rocker was made public. The court documents accused Kelly of using her Twitter account to 'paint a target' on Michelle as a 'publicity stunt for financial gain' when she leaked the number back in May. And the hairdresser also accused Kelly of disregarding both Twitter's policies and a cease and desist letter she received from her lawyers. Uh-Oh: The tweet that started it all; pictured here earlier this summer Not backing down: She held true to her statement Michelle further accused Kelly of using software to unblock listed numbers to obtain her private number, and insisted the row was a 'choreographed media play' because her book deal was announced less than a month after the offending tweets were published. She also said Kelly had 'violated her right to privacy,' impacted her ability to obtain work and caused 'severe emotional distress.' The legal complaint accuses Kelly of public disclosure of private facts, negligent interference with prospective economic relations and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Chloe Grace Moretz aadded her star power to the list of Hollywood celebrities backing former First Lady Hillary Clinton for president. On Friday, the teen actress showed up for a voter registration event at Lawrence Technical University in Southfield, Michigan. And the 19-year-old proudly showed off her backing for the democratic presidential nominee, posing for photos with campaign artwork. She's with her: On Friday, Chloe Grace Moretz showed her support for Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton while at Lawrence Technical University in Southfield, Michigan Chloe suited up for the event in a black blouse, decorated with red stars, and skinny black leggings. The actress layered her top underneath a leather jacket, adorned with a Hillary campaign sticker. She completed the look with a pair of semi-sheer polka dot pumps. Chloe, 19, dazzled in a black blouse decorated with red stars Top supporter: The actress layered her top underneath a leather jacket, adorned with a Hillary campaign sticker Chloe has been a huge supporter of the former Secretary of State. The actress was one of the celebrity guest speakers at Hillary's national convention in Philadelphia this past July. Recently, the LBQT activist was interviewed by Julianne Moore for the October issue of Teen Vogue. Rally speaker: The teen displayed her tiny frame in a pair of denim jeans and a pair of sheer, polka dot heels Targeting millennials: Chloe did her best to encourage the students to support the Democrat Her view: Recently, the LBQT activist was interviewed by Julianne Moore for the October issue of Teen Vogue where she mentioned her support for Hillary During the interview, Chloe discussed what she loves most about millennials, which included a reference to her candidate of choice as well. 'I love how outspoken we are. People dont live by these social structures anymore,' she began. 'Young kids that Ive been talking to are growing up in a society where they can be who they want to be, and soon we might be able to look up at the highest seat in government office and see a woman as our president'. 'I hope that we actually use the Internet and social media for the betterment of society. To continue to inform people about police brutality and about the amount of institutionalized racism within America,' Chloe continued. 'We have a space to communicate with each other and tell our stories and build a network so we can defend our rights. I just hope that we dont let it take away our humanity.' He's known for his controversial comments on The Kyle And Jackie O Show. And it appears Kyle Sandilands' on-air antics have been noticed by convicted drug dealer and former escort agency boss Simon Main. Simon, now a reformed character and aspiring film producer, has his sights set on Kyle to play the lead role in a Rene Rivkin biopic, The Daily Telegraph reports. Scroll down for video Film debut? Shock jock Kyle Sandilands (L) is a front-runner to play the lead role in a biopic of late stockbroker Rene Rivkin (R) reportedly being developed by Simon Main (not pictured) Simon, who spent four years in jail for attempting to traffic $10 million in ecstasy through Europe, is reportedly looking to write a screenplay about the late Sydney stockbroker. In 2005, Rene committed suicide after being convicted for insider trading and sentenced to nine months detention. As a close friend of Rene, Simon was known to enjoy the late entrepreneur's wealth, frequently spotted on board his luxury yacht. Simon, who spent four years in jail for attempting to traffic $10 million in ecstasy through Europe, is looking to write a a screenplay about the late stockbroker. Pictured: Rene in 1995 Despite Kyle not having experience acting, Simon reportedly sees the KIIS FM shock jock as a front-runner for the role. Kyle's representative Andy Hawkins did not dismiss the speculation, telling Sydney Confidential: 'Never say never'. Meanwhile, Kyle is no stranger to living a rather lavish lifestyle, having earned a fortune as the 'King' of Sydney radio. Wealth: As a close friend of Rene, Simon was known to enjoy the late entrepreneur's wealth, frequently spotted on board his luxury yacht. Pictured: Rene and boxer Jeff Fenech in 1998 The 45-year-old often jets between homes in Sydney and Beverly Hills with his younger girlfriend Imogen Anthony, 25. He recently bought Imogen a $135,000 Jaguar F-Type Coupe, which the Maxim cover girl debuted Instagram earlier this week. Meanwhile, The Kyle And Jackie O Show remains top of the FM radio rankings, despite a minor drop in listeners. It was more Doctor Oooh than Doctor Who as Billie Piper and Matt Smith enjoyed a night out with their partners in London during the week. The actors - who both starred in the BBC sci-fi series - partied in Camden together on Thursday night, with Matt's girlfriend Lily James, Billie's boyfriend Johnny Lloyd and fifth wheel Douglas Booth. However, while they no doubt had plenty to chat about, Matt got quite distracted by his beautiful actress girlfriend and the couple were spotted indulging in an enthusiastic snogging session against a lamppost. Scroll down for video Doctor Love! Former Doctor Who stars Billie Piper and Matt Smith were spotted smooching their other halves Johnny Lloyd and Lily James on a double date in London last week The amorous pair could not keep their hands off each other. And their make-out session was so passionate that a witness claimed onlookers were embarrassed. A source said: 'Passers by were so shocked, that they even averted their eyes in embarrassment as they walked by.' Racy: Matt and Lily were caught in a passionate smooch against a lamppost during their night out in Camden Overcome with passion: The couple were spotted indulging in an enthusiastic snogging session against a lamppost Awkward: Passers-by didn't know where to look as the couple got carried away Lily, 27 and 33-year-old Matt met and fell in love on the set of Pride And Prejudice And Zombies. They were first linked in May 2014 and confirmed their romance when they were seen kissing in a London pub in October that year but they didn't make their red carpet debut until February 2015. And it was reported in May of this year that they had moved in together. What about us? Matt and Lily weren't the only couple who were overcome with passion on their double date Loved up: Billie has been dating musician Johnny since soon after her split from second husband Laurence Fox Keeping it casual: The couple were dressed down in skinny jeans and oversized denim jackets for their date night Girls just wanna have fun: Lily and Billie have become good friends through Matt and appeared in high spirits on their night out Left out again! Poor Douglas Booth was the fifth wheel on the date and couldn't even get in on the friendly hug between Lily and Billie A source told the Sun on Sunday: 'They are head over heels and both think they have found the one. 'Lily moved into Matt's London home and there's been no arguing over who's hogging the bathroom cupboards yet.' Meanwhile, they weren't the only couple who were overcome with passion on their double date. Loved up: Lily, 27 and 33-year-old Matt met and fell in love on the set of Pride And Prejudice And Zombies Passionate: They were first linked in May 2014 and confirmed their romance when they were seen kissing in a London pub in October that year but they didn't make their red carpet debut until February 2015 Happier than ever: It was reported in May of this year that they had moved in together. New love: Billie - who played Rose, the Time Lord's assistant opposite Matt's predecessors Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant - was spotted with her rocker boyfriend Johnny Billie - who played Rose, the Time Lord's assistant opposite Matt's predecessors Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant - was spotted with her arms around her rocker boyfriend Johnny. The pair cuddled up together in the street, proving their romance is still flourishing. Billie, 34, split from husband Laurence Fox in March and started dating Johnny soon afterwards. Catching up: Billie stopped hugging her boyfriend long enough to enjoy a chat with pal Douglas Booth Deep in conversation: Douglas appeared to be explaining something to Billie as they smoked outside Funny and handsome: Douglas had Billie in stitches as the pair caught up outside a bar Dressed down: The entire group mixed in with pubgoers as they dressed down in casual clothing And Laurence recently admitted he has not slept properly for six months - even with the use of medication. The actor, best known for his role in ITV drama Lewis, told the Daily Mirror that since the split: 'I haven't slept for six months, even with sleeping pills. I go to bed the same time, same bed as the kids and just lie awake, sleeping two or three hours. My mind's whirring round.' Laurence announced his divorce from the Yerma actress, 34, on his Facebook page in May, after bearing two children Winston, seven, and Eugene, four, together. Repping the brand: Burberry model Lily wore her designer trench wrapped around her waist Having been married for over eight years and stating there were 'no third parties involved', the star admitted that the split after such a long-term match was not what he had expected in his youth. He explained: 'Let's get married and stay married forever. That's what I grew up watching, so this has derailed me, but I am starting to feel back on track.... I don't feel like a failure, I've got two amazing children. But it's definitely tempered my belief in fireworks between two people, the big spark.' Laurence and Billie met when they performed together in the stage play Treats in 2006, calling it 'love at first sight'. They married on 31 December the following year, in the 12th century parish church of St. Mary's Eastbourne, West Sussex. While it was Laurence's first marriage, it was the second for the Swindon-born blonde, who married TV presenter Chris Evans in 2001 at the age of 19. Off we go! The couple later left in a taxi while Billie and her beau were spotted walking home Night all! After their PDA, Lily and Matt were spotted grabbing a cab The pair eventually split in 2004 but have remained very close friends - which Laurence confesses he found a difficulty in their relationship. He said of Billie's ex, who she has reportedly turned to for support during her marriage woes: 'I don't think I was super tolerant of having him around. I was just more naive than I should have been. 'Chris Evans' job is to observe people, interview them and be interested in them so that's what he does for better or worse.' Meanwhile, the only person who didn't get a cuddle on the night out was fifth wheel Douglas, 24. While even Billie and Lily shared a friendly hug, Douglas was firmly left out in the cold. However, Douglas appeared happy as he puffed on a cigarette while chatting to Billie outside a bar. Dating: Billie, 34, split from husband Laurence Fox in March and started dating Johnny soon afterwards So in love: Lily and Matt have been together for over two years and could not be happier Date night: Lily and Matt enjoyed a night off as they partied with pals in London Gloria Steinem isn't happy about Jennifer Aniston being dragged into the Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie divorce drama. The journalist didn't beat around the bush on Thursday when she spoke to press at the Women's Media Center 2016 Women's Media Awards. 'Yes, enough already,' the 82-year-old told People, 'Enough already.' Enough already: Gloria Steinem has defended Jennifer Aniston amid attempts to drag the actress into the Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie divorce drama Steinem also praised the actress for the recent essay she wrote in response to the media's false pregnancy rumours. 'Yes, I think Jennifer has been subject to scrutiny in ways that I cannot understand or participate in,' She added, 'So we need her wisdom, we need her as an early warning system.' Aniston, 47, was married to Pitt from 2000 to 2005, splitting up with the Fight Club star after he fell in love with Jolie after meeting the actress on the set of Mr & Mrs Smith. 'I think Jennifer has been subject to scrutiny in ways that I cannot understand or participate in,' The 82-year-old journalist said of the Friends star Minding her own business: Aniston, 47, looked cool, casual and collected as she headed out in New York on Friday And now with the bombshell news of the couple's impending divorce, the Cake star has been thrust back into the spotlight. Aniston looked cool, casual and collected as she headed out in New York on Friday. Steinem's words of support follows similar that came from Aniston's pal Courteney Cox on Tuesday. The 52-year-old actress stood up for her former Friends co-star and current bestie after she was inevitably asked about the Pitt and Jolie divorce. Casual chic: Jen stepped out in loose-fit light wash jeans which she rolled up the ankles of and paired them with a classic white T-shirt 'I feel like were exacerbating it by even talking about it,' Courteney told ET at Revlons Annual Philanthropic Luncheon at Chateau Marmont. 'Its not about her,' the actress insisted. On Friday TMZ reported that Brad and Angelina had accepted a custody agreement created by Los Angeles County Department Of Children And Family Services. Angelina with have full physical custody of their six children Maddox, 15, Pax, 12, Zahara, 11, Shiloh, 10, and 8-year-old twins Knox and Vivienne. Weather be gone: The Friends star added a stain bomber jacket to her look and tied a sweater around her waist 'Approach each situation with kindness:' Jen's husband Justin Theroux (pictured 2015) reiterated how string their union is and revealed the secret of their happy marriage Brad will have supervised visits with a therapist to be present for at least the first visit. The actor will also have to undergone random drug testing while both stars will go to therapy separately while the family will have sessions together. Children And Family Services came up with the recommendations and, according to TMZ, told the former couple they could agree or go to court. Brad's representative had no comment to make on the report while Angelina's did not respond to requests for comment. Jen no doubt had a little spring in her step as just the day before her husband Justin Theroux reiterated how strong their union is and revealed the secret of their happy marriage. He told People: 'Being kind, that's it. I think that's the best one. Approach each situation with kindness.' Revealed: Amber's rather racy poem Tory powerhouse Amber Rudd doesn't usually hide her light under a bushel, but the Home Secretary's talents as a poet have been unsung until now. I have unearthed a poem that Rudd, 53, entered for a sexual health poetry competition two years before the then businesswoman was elected as a Tory MP. In 2008, Rudd's local rag, the Hastings & St Leonards Observer, asked readers to submit verses based around 'either chlamydia or contraception', to help raise awareness of National Contraception Week. The former energy secretary penned an ode to safe sex, Loving You Is So Exciting (right), which was such a hit with judges that Rudd, then 44, won joint first prize in the over-25s category: a 50 voucher donated by the local chlamydia screening clinic. The Home Office declines to comment on Rudd's poem. So who is her mystery muse, whom she urges 'home to bed, dim the light'? Well, it's not Brexiteer Boris Johnson, given that pro-Remain Rudd dismissed him earlier this year as 'the life and soul of the party, but . . . not the man you want to drive you home at the end of the evening'. It's also unlikely to be A. A. Gill, Rudd's ex-husband and father of her two grown-up children. The acerbic critic ended their five-year marriage when Amber pitched up at Heathrow to collect him after a jolly in Monte Carlo in the mid-90s. En route from the airport, he told her, he had fallen for blonde beauty Nicola Formby. Tory powerhouse Amber Rudd doesn't usually hide her light under a bushel, but the Home Secretary's talents as a poet have been unsung until now That leaves Kwasi Kwarteng, the Tory MP for Surrey, with whom Rudd has had an on-off liaison currently on since 2010. Like Rudd's ex-husband Gill, Kwarteng, 41, is a man of letters. Perhaps he has a sexual health sonnet in him, too. A day out for Bernie's kidnapped mum-in-law Bernie Ecceslstone's Brazilian mother-in-law, Aparecida Schunk, didn't leave her daughter's side as she made her first foray into society since her terrifying kidnap ordeal. Aparecida Schunk, right, 67-year-old mother of the F1 tycoon's third wife, Fabiana Flosi, left, 38 stepped out for a charity lunch in London Schunk, 67-year-old mother of the F1 tycoon's third wife, Fabiana Flosi, 38 stepped out for a charity lunch in London just two months after being held hostage in Sao Paulo. Schunk was freed without harm after ten days but no thanks to her billionaire son-in-law, who refused to pay the 28 million ransom. He joked: 'All my friends know that I wouldn't pay a penny for a mother-in-law.' Don't tell her lawyer husband Jason McCue, but Mariella Frostrup, 53, says the best sex she has encountered is on the printed page rather than in real life. Husky-voiced broadcaster Mariella, whose exes include, reputedly, Hollywood heart-throb George Clooney, says: 'The best sex any of us has ever had has been in our imagination, hasn't it? They were both unlucky in love on Network Ten's reality TV series The Bachelor and The Bachelorette. But Janey Birks and Tommy Saggus appear to be keeping a positive outlook as they enjoyed a trip to North Stradbroke, Queensland on Friday. Janey, 27, comforted the heartbroken personal trainer in a friendly Instagram post. Scroll down for video 'Beautiful bachelor family': Former reality TV stars Janey Birks and Tommy Saggus enjoyed a friendly trip to North Stradbroke, Queensland on Friday The Disney-obsessed party entertainer called Tommy, 31, 'brave and amazing' in the caption, followed by several sparkling emojis. She wrote: 'The very best thing about the whole Bachelor experience is being a part of a beautiful Bachelor family'. Janey revealed her toned midriff in a crop top and maxi skirt, while Tommy flashed his bulging biceps in a tight black T-shirt. Unlucky in love: Tommy Saggus (R) and Janey Birks (L) were early eliminated contestants on The Bachelorette and The Bachelor respectively Tommy failed to win the heart of The Bachelorette Georgia Love and was sent home on Thursday's episode. He recently confirmed he is still single and looking for love. Meanwhile, Janey finally found her Prince Charming upon her return to Brisbane after filming The Bachelor. Devastated: Tommy was baffled as to why Georgia Love didn't give him a rose on Thursday's after he 'made such a big effort' with her She has shared several romantic snaps on Instagram with her hunky new boyfriend, Stevie Mac. This comes a month after Janey told 2Day FM's Rove & Sam breakfast show that she hoped to find love on dating app Tinder. The Bachelorette airs Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7.30pm on Network Ten He is keen to be a young man about town. So it's only fitting that Brooklyn Beckham was out in force at the Apple Music Festival in London on Friday. The 17-year-old was a special guest at Camden's Roundhouse, where he was supporting urban music star Chance the Rapper. Scroll down for video Gigging it: Brooklyn Beckham was out in force at the Apple Music Festival in London on Friday Dressed in skinny black jeans and a casual checked shirt, the star rocked an edgier style, matching the grungy vibe of the venue. Adding a black adidas cap to the mix, the aspiring photographer was certainly dressed for the occasion. Clearly trying to look cool as onlookers took photographs, he was visibly loving the attention. Gruney style: The 17-year-old was a special guest at Camden's Roundhouse, where he was supporting urban music star Chance the Rapper Then again, he's quickly cultivating a career in front of the camera. Brooklyn signed a deal with Spanish fashion brand Pull & Bear earlier this month - making a model-worthy appearance at the company's photocall in Spain, last week. The gig comes just weeks after signing a contract to appear in an advert for mobile phone company Huawei worth 100,000. That's what mates are for! Brooklyn and a male pal cosy-up for a snap ahead of the rap gig Strike a pose: MTV presenter Becca Dudley was also in attendance at the show A source previously told The Sun: 'Huawei went for Brooklyn because he's young, well-presented and seen as a good role model for kids his age. 'He's got millions of social media followers and this is a good way to engage a load of youngsters.' Additionally, the eldest of David and Victoria's talented brood modelled in Burberry's Brit perfume campaign and graced the covers of China's Vogue ME and Miss Vogue last year. Simon Cowell claims Botox is the key to The X Factor judges' youthful looks. While the 56-year-old music mogul did not say that either he or Nicole Scherzinger use the product as an anti-ageing measure, he insists Sharon Osbourne and Louis Walsh have been using it to remain wrinkle free. Speaking to the Daily Mirror, he said: 'It begins with B and ends in otox. Louis started the trend.' Scroll down for video The secret? Simon Cowell says Botox is the key to the ageless features of The X Factor judges Louis Walsh and Sharon Osbourne Stress free: Simon credits a stress-free life with his own wrinkle-free complexion And Simon says Louis, 64, looks younger now than he did 20 years ago. He said: 'Hes got more hair now and the bags have suddenly disappeared. Its funny that.' Simon also praised Sharon, 63, for her honesty about her cosmetic secrets and insisted a lack of stress is responsible for his own smooth skin. Social media frenzy: Sharon Osbourne's younger look on the new season of X Factor had Twitter in a frenzy last week and Simon says he admires her honesty about cosmetic work Younger than ever: Sharon, right, in 2013, has spoken openly in the past about having plastic surgery, and admitted to having a facelift, tummy tuck and breast lift, as well as several other procedures 'Oh Sharons open, she doesnt care, and thats what I love about her,' he said. 'How do I keep looking young? No stress.' Meanwhile, Simon revealed he is so happy with the current panel and presenter Dermot O'Leary, that he hopes to get them all back for the show in 2017. Simon's comments on Botox come just days after former Boyzone frontman Ronan Keating blasted fellow celebrities who use the product, claiming they always end up looking 'ridiculous'. Face, bovvered? Sharon was seen poking fun at her surgically-enhanced features while chatting with Louis Walsh in a clip released by ITV on the eve of their X Factor return Speaking to The Sunday People, he said: 'I dont believe in Botox in any shape or form. I think its awful for anyone men and women. 'I think its hideous. I know some people feel like they have to, fair enough. I gather rat poison is being injecting into your face. 'I dont know if Simon Cowell does it or not but people look ridiculous when they use it.' While X Factor boss Simon claims the secret to his but he has certainly indulged in the past. In fact, he once admitted to going overboard with the treatment, saying: 'Hopefully I look better now I probably did have a little too much Botox a couple of years ago, because everyone on TV has it.' He also confessed other quirky undertakings to try and stop the ravages of time. Not going overboard: Speaking to MailOnline in 2015, Louis Walsh, pictured this year, said he won't succumb to the lures of cosmetic surgery Younger than ever: Louis, pictured in 2013 at the last X Factor launch, is looking younger than ever now 'Once in LA, years ago, I met this girl who would wrap me up in cling film and then tin foil, after covering me in oils,' he said. 'It was meant to be detoxing. 'She then put me in this tube in my house, locked me into it for an hour, and told me what she liked or didn't like on the show.' Meanwhile, Simon has claimed that he believes in ghosts and has had many encounters with spirits over the years. He told The Sun: 'I have heard and see things so I do believe in ghosts but I am not afraid of them. They just want to make contact and say "Hello". 'Before I had an encounter, I thought it might be like how you see in the movies with a sheet moving across the room, but I thought it was someone trying to make contact.' The film already premiered at the Cannes Film Festival back in May. But now Kristen Stewart's latest movie Personal Shopper has a new trailer meant for the U.S. market specifically. And the 26-year-old actress looks quite melancholic throughout the duration of the spooky clip. Scroll down for video Run up: Kristen Stewart's latest movie Personal Shopper has a new trailer meant for the U.S. market specifically The trailer begins with the Twilight star looking sullen on a scooter as a voice-over asks why she came to Paris. 'Waiting,' she replies, as the scene transitions to Kristen, who plays Maureen, entering and exploring a large, derelict house. She goes on to explain that her brother died at the gloomy spot, and that she had an agreement with her departed sibling that 'whoever died first would send the other a sign.' Haunted? 'Waiting,' she replies, as the scene transitions to Kristen, who plays Maureen, entering and exploring a large, derelict house Mysterious agreement: She explains that her brother died at the gloomy spot, and that she had an agreement with her departed sibling that 'whoever died first would send the other a sign' Just on old house? After apparently taking up residence in the abandoned abode, Maureen starts her investigation Who's there? Kristen searches for any sign that there is life after death After apparently taking up residence in the abandoned abode, Maureen starts her investigation, asking 'are you here' to an empty room, before unexpectedly shuddering. As the trailer continues, Maureen finds more and more signs that something supernatural does in fact appear to be inhabiting the house with her. At one point she becomes so upset that she's driven from the disheveled property and finds herself crying on a train. Emotional: At one point she becomes so upset that she's driven from the disheveled property and finds herself crying on a train Unnerving: After asking 'are you here?' to an empty room, she unexpectedly shudders from something in the room While the film is set to premiere in America at the New York Film Festival on Friday evening, it has actually already been quite heavily critiqued since it's screening at Cannes. Reviews have been mixed. Director Olivier Assayas won best director for the film at Cannes, though that didn't stop audiences booing the film at the same festival. The movie will enjoy a wider release on March 10th, 2017. Megan Marx and Tiffany Scanlon surprised fans when they began 'dating' after filming The Bachelor. But they're not the only contestants to enjoy a very close relationship following their reality TV journey. Kirralee 'Kiki' Morris and Noni Janur confirmed on Friday they are roommates and can't wait to start a 'new life' together. Scroll down for video Reality TV roommates! The Bachelor's Noni Janur (R) confirmed on Friday she is living with fellow contestant Kirralee 'Kiki' Morris (L) and they can't wait to start a 'new life together' Noni, 25, wrote on Instagram: 'I must have done something right for this universe to bring us together. I am so lucky to have to you my life... 'You mean more to me then you could ever imagine. I can't believe we are roomies now,' she added. 'Can't wait for our new life together. Love you bubba'. Kiki replied in the comments section she will be seeing Noni next week. Meanwhile, former Big Brother contestant Skye Wheatley also wrote: 'F****** adorable seriously'. The feeling's mutual! Busty Kiki commented underneath the post, 'See you next week' Noni previously hinted she was planning a move on social media in late August. The Queensland-based designer shared on Instagram: 'Guess who might be moving to Sydney'. She added an Emoji of two women dancing in bunny ears, which led fans to guess Noni was joining Kiki. 'Guess who might be moving to Sydney': Noni previously hinted she was joining Kiki in New South Wales on social media in late August Inseparable: The genetically-blessed pair have been close friends since filming The Bachelor Busty move! The Queensland-based swimwear designer is now moving to Sydney Meanwhile, Tiffany told Mamamia last month she moved from Perth to Geraldton, WA so she could be closer to her 'girlfriend' Megan. The 29-year-old also the news on Instagram, stating: 'Finally I can proclaim that I did find love on The Bachelor!' Next to a photo of her and Megan, she wrote: 'I love this girl so much I moved to Geraldton for more laughs and adventures with her!' Her two teenage boys growing up fast. And Elle Macpherson couldn't help feeling nostalgic on Friday as her eldest son visited her for the weekend after starting university. The 52-year-old model also shared a throwback Instagram snap of Flynn, now 18, when he was just a freshman in high school. Scroll down for video They grow up so fast: Elle Macpherson (pictured) reflected on her eldest son Flynn's childhood after he recently visited her for the weekend from college The black-and-white photo was captioned: 'Now he's a freshman in college and home for the weekend!' In the photo tightly cuddles her young son, who is much taller than she is today. She couldn't resist smiling as Flynn gently places his head on her chest. Doing well: Flynn, 18, graduated from high school four months ago and is now a freshman at Boston University The 'freshman' shirt was appropriate as Flynn is now a freshman at Boston University. Elle, famously named 'The Body', is a fan of sharing nostalgic 'throwback' photos. When Flynn left for Boston five weeks ago, she posted an image of him as a baby to celebrate. Off to college: 'Flynn 1998... and today... leaving for Boston to get settled into university,' Elle wrote in a throwback Instagram photo recently Flynn and his younger brother Aurelius, 13, are Elle's children with London-based French financier Arpad Busson. Elle and Arpad were in a relationship between 1996 and 2005. After the separation, she moved to Miami. In 2013, she married billionaire Jeffrey Soffer after four years of dating. History has shown that Oprah Winfrey is a true friend who has helped propel many a career. The media mogul showed unwavering support for her pal Ava DuVernay at the director's New York film Festival premiere of her documentary 13th on Friday. Oprah, 62, couldn't have been more proud too as she caught Ava up in a hug before the film was shown at the Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center. Besties: Oprah Winfrey showed her support for pal Ava DuVernay at the director's New York Film Festival premiere of her documentary The 13th on Friday The former daytime talk show host-turned-network owner looked cheery in a white high-low blouse with slim-fitting black trousers. Ava, 44, gave a little speech before the lights dimmed, looking splendid in a long black gown with long sleeves and crew neckline. The 13th offers a detailed look at the US prison system and how it reveals a disturbing history of racial inequality. Crowning achievement: The 44-year-old DuVernay spoke in front of the audience before the lights dimmed Strong and glamorous: Ava showed her flair for fashion in a long black wrap-around gown The US Presidential campaigns of Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump also are put under the unflattering microscope. Other guests who couldn't wait to see the film included Grace Hightower, Naturi Naughton and Common. Grace, who is wed to actor Robert DeNiro, was the picture of sophistication in a black loose-fitting outfit with black tights and black boots. Roll out the red carpet: The director was joined at the event by hip hop artist Common Green is good: Common was a sharp sight in a green suit with black turtleneck They got the power: Power star Naturi Naughton and Grace Hightower commanded attention at the premiere too Stage is set: Ava DuVernay stood center stage as she introduced The 13th to the festival crowd Naturi, who currently stars on the Starz series Power, had the power in a tight black dress with leather crisscross detail over the revealing decolletage. And hip hop artist Common looked utterly cool in a stylish green suit with black turleneck. Once the premiere was seen and heard, guests headed over to Tavern On The Green for the opening night afterparty. Party time: Ava was ready to mingle as she arrived to the premiere's afterparty at Tavern On The Green Wouldn't miss this: Chloe Sevigny attended the bash with her boyfriend Ricky Saiz Ruffled lady: The former Big Love star looked lovely in a flowing black dress with ruffled details Ava was there, of course, along with Chloe Sevigny and her boyfriend Ricky Saiz, Uzo Aduba, Gabourey Sidibe, J.J. Abrams, and Common again who, by then, had changed into grey plaid trousers and a brown turtleneck. Oprah and Ava, meanwhile, are collaborating on TV series Queen Sugar for Oprah's OWN. 'I made it known in the industry that I wanted to do a show and was being approached by some of the notables that most people would want to do a show with,' Ava told The Hollywood Reporter. Fashion forward: Uzo Aduba was riveting in a fit and flare LBD while Gabourey Sidibe was a bright sight in plaid at the afterparty Networking: Common caught up with producer J.J. Abrams at the get-together She added: 'But when your friend owns a network, you know, it might be good to just go over there.' The besties are also soon to start work on a new project together - A Wrinkle In Time. DuVernay is directing the fantasy-adventure based on the Madeleine L'Engle book about a girl who is sent into space with her brother and a friend, by a trio of peculiar beings, to search for her scientist father who has disappeared. Oprah has an acting role in the movie alongside Reese Witherspoon, Mindy Kaling and Storm Reid. She's a world famous, jet-setting actress who is currently divorcing Ben Affleck. But there's little doubt that Jennifer Garner's favourite role is that of mom, as she spent all of Friday happily doting on her children. The 44-year-old Alias star spent the afternoon with seven-year-old Seraphina, who attended a karate class. Extracurriculer activities: Jennifer Garner, 44, spent the afternoon with seven-year-old Seraphina, who attended a karate class Jen kept things sartorially simple for her outing, choosing a white t-shirt and navy blue shorts combination. Though the shorts were an uncommon mid-thigh-length, they still managed to showcase her enviably toned legs. White low-top sneakers and some classic shades completed her casual look. The naturally youthful beauty looked to be mostly make-up free, though did perhaps indulge in a slick of light peach lipstick. Back to basics: Jen kept things sartorially simple for her outing, choosing a white t-shirt and navy blue shorts combination Unusual: Though the shorts were an uncommon mid-thigh-length, they still managed to showcase her enviably toned legs Her brunette tresses were scraped back into a neat bun Seraphina also opted for a functional outfit, which consisted of a black t-shirt, baggy black trousers, a red ball cap and white trainers. She also carried a book in one hand as she held her mother's hand with the other. The busy actress just returned home on Thursday after a few days in New York City. Caffeine stop: The naturally youthful beauty looked to be mostly make-up free, though did perhaps indulge in a slick of light peach lipstick And on Friday morning, Jennifer Garner appeared happy to be back on mom-duty as she was spotted with her son Samuel in Los Angeles. The 44-year-old mother-of-three gave her four-year-old boy a big hug and kiss. Jennifer walked hand in hand with her youngest child. Doting mama! Jennifer Garner appeared happy to be back on mom-duty as she was spotted embracing her son Samuel in Los Angeles on Friday after returning from NYC on Thursday She dressed her svelte physique in a loose black tank top and skintight ankle-length workout leggings for their morning stroll. The Wakefield actress slung a black sweater around her shoulders and completed the off-duty look with a bright pair of trainers. The brunette beauty sported a pair of dark sunglasses and pulled her long locks back into a sleek pony-tail bun. Sweet stroll: The 44-year-old mother-of-three and her four-year-old boy walked hand in hand together She refueled on caffeine with a to-go cup of coffee while her free hand held onto her son's little fingers. At one point, the multitasking mama took a phone call - which seemed to be a happy one as she was spotted flashing a large grin. Meanwhile, Samuel looked cute in a red T-shirt and a coordinating pair of white and red striped shorts. The little tyke looked sophisticated with a watch around his wrist. Multitasking mom: The Wakefield actress took a phone call at one point and it seemed to be a happy one as she was spotted flashing a large grin The Alias alum showered her child with love - picking him up in her arms and holding him close to her chest while balancing her phone in hand. During the long embrace the mother and son duo shared a smile. Samuel clearly adores his mother as he smiled widely back at his famous mom during their tender moment. This comes soon after the busy actress returned home from the Big Apple, and it's evident she's happy to be back with her family. Tender moment: The brunette beauty showered her child with love - picking him up in her arms and holding him close to her chest while balancing her phone in hand 'It's crazy town': 'I always feel like September is bananas, doing initial meetings, meetings for room mom, field trips. It's crazy, but good,' Jennifer recently told People magazine about juggling her three kids' schedules whom she shares with estranged husband Ben Affleck She recently told People about her crazy schedule as she tries to organize her kids whom she shares with estranged husband Affleck: Violet, 10, Seraphina, seven and Samuel, four. 'Everything shifts,' the actress admitted. 'It's crazy town. I always feel like September is bananas, doing initial meetings, meetings for room mom, field trips. It's crazy, but good.' Jennifer went on to explain: 'I said to my kids yesterday, "This has been a long week," Kids fight, they push and pull. 'The beginning of school is stressful for them and they take it out on Mom. I have to say, "You guys, this is a lot for me. I need a break!" We all have to chill out.' Jen and Ben, who married in 2005, announced the end of their marriage in June of last year but they continue to live together at their Pacific Palisades property in California and as of yet neither of the stars have officially filed for divorce. Still not divorced: Ben and Jennifer split in June 2015 and have been negotiating their divorce in private; here they are seen in 2014 She has the fashionable knack of being able to rock classic pieces one day, and contemporary the next. And Tessa James continues to impress in the style stakes as she took to Epsom Day at Sydney's Royal Randwick on Saturday in a bohemian-inspired ensemble. The 25-year-old former Home And Away star happily posed for photos in an oversized geometric cape, teamed with a floral pleated skirt while braless. Scroll down for video Bold look! Tessa James, 25, continues to impress in the style stakes as she took to Epsom Day at Sydney's Royal Randwick on Saturday in a boho-inspired ensemble Looking healthier than ever, Tessa, who endured a brave cancer battle at just 23 years of age, was all smiles in the VIP area. Opting for silk in a blue hue, the blonde beauty tucked the oversized cape into a studded black belt, allowing a glimpse of skin to be shown with a plunging neckline. A high-waisted floral pleated skirt finished off the bohemian look, while suede peep-toe booties and a delicate black headband acted as the accessories. Layers: Opting for silk in a blue hue, the blonde beauty tucked the oversized cape into a studded black belt, allowing a glimpse of skin to be shown with a plunging neckline Embellishments: A high-waisted pleated floral skirt finished off the bohemian look, while suede peep-toe booties and a delicate black headband acted as the accessories With a few blonde strands framing her striking facial features, Tessa kept a neutral makeup palette of a flawless base, defined brows, lashings of mascara and a nude lip. Tessa has certainly kept up appearances of late on the social circuit. She was seen just last month rubbing shoulders with other notables including Andre Agassi, as she attended an exclusive dinner in Melbourne for luxury watch brand Longines. This time, the svelte personality opted for an elegant black frock that featured a front split and ruffles to elongate her legs. She styled her short, pixie cut in a side part, while gleaming with an infectious smile. High-profile: Tessa was seen just last month rubbing shoulders with other notables including Andre Agassi [pictured], as she attended an exclusive dinner in Melbourne for luxury watch brand Longines Earlier this year, Tessa shared her fashion philosophy with Daily Mail Australia and cited Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen as her style icons. 'I think someone who is really content and happy with who they are is someone who is stylish,' she began. 'Do I have a style icon? Yeah, I really love The Row, and I love Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen and the way that they dress. I think they're really chic,' the star added. Inspiration: The style-conscious star shared with Daily Mail Australia earlier this year her fashion philosophy and cited Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen as her style icons She's no wild child, but Emmy Rossum embraced that part of herself for dinner in Los Angeles on Friday night. The 30-year-old rocked an extra stylish sleeveless animal print dress for an evening at Catch LA. Emmy wore her thick brunette tresses down as she opted to show off her natural beauty with a minimal coat of makeup. Wild thing: Emmy Rossum rocked an extra stylish animal print dress for dinner at Catch LA in Los Angeles on Friday Keeping the cosmetics to a minimum, the actress transfixed with her brown eyes complimented by eyeliner and pink blush upon her radiant cheeks. Adding a metallic touch were Emmy's strappy silver heels while carrying an ultra chic black purse in her hand. Simply stunning: Keeping the cosmetics to a minimum, the actress transfixed with her brown eyes complimented by eyeliner and pink blush upon her cheeks The actress did not appear to be joined by her fiance, Sam Esmail. Rossum said yes when director boyfriend of two years Esmail, 39, proposed to her in August 2015. The smitten couple met in 2014 on the set of the romantic dramedy Comet, which was directed by Esmail and starred Rossum in the lead-role alongside Justin Long. Hitting her stride: Adding a metallic touch were Emmy's strappy silver heels while carrying an ultra chic black purse in her hand Sam is the creator of the critically acclaimed series Mr. Robot, and the show's star, Rami Malek, took home the award for Best Actor In A Drama Series at this year's Emmy Awards. Meanwhile, Emmy will be returning to the small screen as her hit series, Shameless, premieres its seventh season this Sunday. The show also stars William H. Macy, Steve Howey, and Emma Kenney. Dallas got a reboot in 2012. So it was only a matter of time before the response to Dallas got a reboot too. Dynasty is the latest bygone TV series to get a resurrection, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Well oil be damned! A Dynasty reboot in the works at The CW - but there is no word yet on whether or not Joan Collins' Alexis will return The O.C. creators Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage are preparing to revive the legendary 1980s soap. The original series was created by ABC as a direct response to CBS's massively popular hit, Dallas. While it's Texan rival outlived it, Dynasty kept abreast and at its peak outranked it, becoming the most watched show in the US 1984-1985. Set in Denver ,Colorado, it revolved around the oil-rich Carrington family, as well as their rivals, the Colbys. Another one unbites the dust: The O.C. creators Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage are preparing to revive the legendary 1980s soap 80s staple: It starred John Forsythe as oil magnate Blake Carrington and Linda Evans as his new wife Krystle; Heather Locklear (picyured) played Krystal's niece Sammy Jo Carrington It starred John Forsythe, whp passed away in 2010, as oil magnate Blake Carrington and Linda Evans, now 73, as his new wife Krystle. Heather Locklear played Krystal's niece Sammy Jo Carrington. But the most famous character of all was the scheming Alexis - Blake's ex-wife - played by Joan Collins. According to THR, the plotline for the 'modernized reboot of the Rolls Royce of all primetime soaps' will see the same two families return, still feuding over their fortune and their children. Copycats: Dynasty was originally created by ABC as a direct response to CBS's massively popular hit, Dallas - which itself got a reboot in 2012 'The series will be told primarily through the perspectives of two women at odds: Fallon Carrington daughter of billionaire Blake Carrington and her soon-to-be stepmother, Cristal a Hispanic woman marrying into this WASP family and Americas most powerful class. 'In an age where dynasties appear everywhere from reality TV to the polling booths this epic drama features the one percent in all its glitz and gloss, while exposing the dark underbelly: a corrupt world built on backroom deals, betrayal, and, in some cases, murder.' Even at 83, Joan Collins is still active on the big and small screen, so a return is not out of the question. She most recently appeared as herself in this year's Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie, and plays The Grand Duchess of Oxford on opposite Liz Hurley on The Royals. And on Friday she debuted her new one woman show Joan Collins: Unscripted at Cafe Royale in London. A star for the ages: Even at 83, Joan Collins is still active and on Friday she celebrated the first night of her new one woman show in London She never fails to put on a glamorous display on a night out. And Goldie Hawn was looking her best when she attended the VIP preview of the new site for Annabel's, 46 Berkeley Square, in London on Friday night. The 70-year-old actress stunned in a simple black bodycon dress with a daring low-cut neckline; and mingled alongside the likes of Hollywood pal, Sir Michael Caine. Scroll down for video Goldie's oldie: Goldie Hawn cosied up to Sir Michael Caine at the preview of Annabel's new site on Friday night, with the both Oscar-winners looking in particularly high spirits Reknowned as one of the most exclusive nightspots in London, Annabel's most celebrated members and other guests mingled with the Hollywood icons at the relaunch of the members club. Goldie's dress boasted a small, teardrop shaped cutout at the bust and a sophisticated, mid calf hemline. Kate Hudson's gorgeous mother added a funky, youthful twist to her look thanks to a pair of black and white strappy heels. Timeless beauty: The 70-year-old actress stunned in a simple black bodycon dress with a daring low-cut neckline Striking as ever: Goldie's dress boasted a small, teardrop shaped cutout at the bust and a sophisticated, mid calf hemline She styled her blonde locks in big, bouncy curls and opted for sun-kissed bronzer and natural make-up. And it seemed that Goldie was in the right company at the bash, as she was seen being escorted out to her car by Annabel's owner, Richard Caring. The 68-year-old businessman cut a dashing figure in a evening dress as he helped Goldie into a car - which she was sharing with her friend Sir Michael and his wife Shakira. hitting all the right notes: Sir Michael and Lady Shakira looked pleased to see Sir Rod Stewart and his wife Penny Lancaster inside the venue earlier on in the evening Party girls: As she enjoyed the evening Goldie was joined by Viscountess of Weymouth Emma McQuiston (L) and Lisa Tchenguiz (R) Fancy seeing you here: The bash drew a motley crowd of VIP guests, including Made In Chelsea's Mark-Francis Vandelli Suave: Posh boy favourite Mark-Francis looked like he couldn't believe his luck as he partied with Hollywood royalty Group shot: The gang were all smiles as they posed for endless pictures together The bash drew a motley crowd of VIP guests, from the likes of Goldie and Sir Michael to reality star Mark-Francis Vandelli. And although Goldie's husband Kurt Russell wasn't in town for the bash, she couldn't help but gush about their relationship whilst visiting the UK. Speaking about the key to her successful 33-year Hollywood romance with the Escape From New York star, she revealed their secret is that they've never got married. The host with the most: It seemed that Goldie was in the right company at the bash, as she was seen being escorted out to her car by Annabel's owner, Richard Caring Always the gentleman: The 68-year-old businessman cut a dashing figure in a evening dress as he helped Goldie to her car A carpool to remember: She was sharing with her friend Sir Michael and his wife Shakira The actress appeared on the chat show Loose Women on ITV on Monday, revealing she "would have been long divorced' if they had tied the knot. She explained choosing not to get married 'gives you the freedom to make decisions one way or the other', adding that she and Russell 'liked the choice'. She said 'not every relationship works' and adds that movie stars may have 'a harder time because the camera is on them all the time'. The actress has a son, Wyatt, with Russell and two children from her marriage to Bill Hudson, actors Oliver and Kate. It's been dubbed Britain's answer to High School Musical. And new Disney show The Lodge has released its latest song - much to the delight of its global fan base. The teen drama series, which is filmed in Northern Ireland and stars young actors from across the British Isles, follows the story of Skye (Sophie Simnett) who returns to her treasured childhood holiday lodge. Big tune: New Disney show The Lodge has released its latest song - much to the delight of its global fan base Its first single - Believe That - garnered more than 500,000 views on YouTube after the show first aired on Friday 23 September. And the cast and crew are hoping for similar success with the show's latest tune - If You Only Knew - which is sung by Kaylee (Jade Alleyne). The show stars Sophie Simnett (Skye), Jade Alleyne (Kaylee), Luke Newton (Ben) and Thomas Doherty (Sean), who have been given a global platform in more than 100 Disney Channel territories across Europe, Middle East & Africa. Talking about landing the role as Kaylee, Jade said: 'Im really into singing and music. Im getting into songwriting at the moment, but Im also into dancing, too. 'Im into everything! I used to do quite a lot of ballet and contemporary dancing but I do quite a lot of jazz and street dance now. New talent: The teen drama series is filmed in Northern Ireland and stars young actors from across the British Isles High hopes: The cast and crew are hoping for similar success with the show's latest tune - If You Only Knew - which is sung by Jade Alleyne (centre) 'All of the above helped me win the role of Kaylee in The Lodge and its really been a dream come true.' The Lodge is a life-affirming emotional rollercoaster about 15-year-old Skyes journey of self-discovery following the death of her mother, as she moves from a big city to exciting rural life. Skye returns with her father to her treasured childhood holiday lodge, bringing a new lease of life, not just to the place, but the lives of those who live and work there. She reconnects with her family and discovers new friends and adventures, as they rock-climb, kayak and mountain bike their way through their beautiful surroundings, all the while making and breaking relationships. Success story: The show's first single - Believe That - garnered more than 500,000 views on YouTube after the show first aired on Friday 23 September Star: Talking about landing the role as Kaylee, Jade said: 'Im really into singing and music. Im getting into songwriting at the moment, but Im also into dancing, too' The series boasts nine original songs which will be available for download at the end of each episode. A series of additional videos has been created to introduce audiences to the characters of the show. Disney Channel has a track record of launching its stars onto the music scene on a global scale, with the likes of Selena Gomez (Wizards of Waverley Place), Demi Lovato and Jonas Brothers (Camp Rock) and Miley Cyrus (Hannah Montana) - all debuting their talents on the channels hit shows and original movies in recent years. If You Only Knew by Cast of The Lodge is available now on Spotify and iTunes. The Lodge airs on Disney Channel, Fridays at 5.30pm. She's used to judging the temperature of a perfectly baked scone. But it looks as though things may have become far to heated for Mary Berry at the National Reality TV Awards. The celebrity chef, 81, was reportedly left horrified by the semi-clad drunken displays put on by some of the reality TV stars in attendance. Scroll down for video Half baked! It looks as though things may just have got way to heated for Mary Berry at the National Reality TV Awards According to former WAG Lizzie Cundy, the star's eyes were 'popping out' at the carnage surrounding her. 'Mary was dismayed at the chaos. Her eyes were popping out like the snake from the jungle book,' she told the Daily Mirror. 'I think she was wondering what the hell was going on. She didn't know who anyone was. I think she was shocked at all the outfits, but she kept on smiling. It was an eye opener for her.' Driving her crackers? The celebrity chef, 81, was reportedly left horrified by the semi-clad drunken displays put on by some of the reality TV stars in attendance 'Mary was dismayed at the chaos. Her eyes were popping out like the snake from the jungle book,' Lizzie Cundy said Dressed in a glamorous dusky pink sequin encrusted gown, Mary, who scooped the prize for Best Television Chef, delightedly picked up her prize before reportedly making a swift exit. The British star jumped ship from the Great British Bake-off after seven years on the show, when the BBC was outbid by Channel 4 for its rights. While Paul Hollywood will be making the move over to the new channel, Mary- along with Sue Perkins and Mel Giedroyc, stayed loyal to the BBC despite a reported 7million offer. Unimpressed? According to former WAG Lizzie Cundy, the star's eyes were 'popping out' at the antics surrounding her 'I think she was shocked at all the outfits, but she kept on smiling. It was an eye opener for her' Lizzy said In a statement, she said: 'The Bake Off family - Paul, Mel and Sue have given me so much joy and laughter. 'My decision to stay with the BBC is out of loyalty to them, as they have nurtured me, and the show, that was a unique and brilliant format from day one. I am just sad for the audience who may not be ready for change, I hope they understand my decision. 'I wish the programme, crew and future bakers every possible success and I am so very sad not to be a part of it. Frosty? Mary, who scooped the prize for Best Television Chef, delightedly picked up her prize before reportedly making a swift exit She added: 'Farewell to soggy bottoms.' She told The Sun: 'The Great British Bake Off is going to Channel 4 and I'm sure it'll be very successful with Paul. Wait and see. 'Mel and Sue are brilliant and we had a marvellous time on the programme and that's how it will remain.' Speaking at Thursday's National Reality TV awards, Mary said: 'It's going to be different but I'm sure Paul will carry it on successfully.' His son Weston had a tough time in his early twenties, resulting in a dependence on alcohol and several arrests. And Nicolas Cage was proudly supporting clean and sober Weston, 25, at the premiere of Dog Eat Dog, held at The Egyptian Theatre in Los Angeles on Friday. The 52-year-old actor and his eldest son bore a striking resemblance as they walked the red carpet together, enjoying some quality family time. Scroll down for video Supportive father: Nicolas Cage joined clean and sober Weston, 25, at the premiere of Dog Eat Dog, held at The Egyptian Theatre in Los Angeles on Wednesday It was plain to see where Weston, whose mother in Nicolas' ex-girlfriend Christina Fulton, gets his looks from as the pair posed alongside each other. Sporting the same muscular build and matching beards, the pair looked uncannily similar as they made their way into the screening. Hollywood legend Nicolas was clad in a funky ensemble for the occasion, daring to be different in a purple velvet blazer. Lookalikes: It was plain to see where Weston, whose mother in Nicolas' ex-girlfriend Christina Fulton, gets his looks from as the pair posed alongside each other Dapper duo: Sporting the same muscular build and matching beards, the pair looked uncannily similar as they made their way into the screening He added a further quirky touch to his look thanks to a pair of bright red tinted sunglasses. Ditching his usual rocker look, musician and actor Weston looked remarkably clean cut in a black shirt, coordinating jeans and stylish brogues. Weston made headlines in 2011 when, at the age of 20, was arrested twice for domestic violence during his marriage to Nikki Williams (they divorced in 2012). Quirky style: Hollywood legend Nicolas was clad in a funky ensemble for the occasion, daring to be different in a purple velvet blazer Gracing the red carpet: He added a further funky touch to his look thanks to a pair of bright red tinted sunglasses Smart: Ditching his usual rocker look, musician and actor Weston looked remarkably clean cut in a black shirt, coordinating jeans and stylish brogues After that he was beaten up to a bloody pulp by his personal trainer in a bizarre incident. 'Alcohol became a nightmare,' Weston said. The Lord Of War star said he was drinking 30 beers a day and would add a box of wine and hard alcohol too. Once he mixed that concoction with pills and he thought he was lethal. Troubled past: Weston made headlines in 2011 when, at the age of 20, was arrested twice for domestic violence during his marriage to Nikki Williams (they divorced in 2012) At his lowest point: The Lord Of War star said he was drinking 30 beers a day and would add a box of wine and hard alcohol too In 2012 he was telling his friends where to scatter his ashes when he landed in the hospital after suffering from intense withdrawals from alcohol. But that all changed when the musician's son Lucian was born in July 2014. 'He saved my life because as soon as I saw him I didn't want to drink anymore,' the 24-year-old told DailyMail.com exclusively in 2015. 'It's been over one year and I have not had a drop of alcohol. 'It's just not worth it. And I don't miss the hangovers. Life if getting better and better, it's more positive. Back in the day: Weston, pictured in his early teens, grew up with stepmother Alice Kim, who Nicolas split from earlier this year These days Weston is recording music and making independent films. 'This is definitely the most excited I have ever been about my life,' Weston added. 'I just want to express myself. I'm playing all the instruments.' And he spends time with his father Nicolas, who he describes as his greatest influence in life. 'He's a very understanding and positive man,' said the Raven star. 'He has integrity and a uniqueness in his art. He is a great father and a role model for me. We spent a lot of time together, we meet up often.' Family man: Everything changed when the musician's son Lucian was born in July 2014. 'He saved my life because as soon as I saw him I didn't want to drink anymore,' the 24-year-old said Advertisement It's customary to wear the designer's outfits to their runway shows. But Hailey Baldwin, 19, and Tilda Swinton, 55, unfortunately had their eye on the same items from Haider Ackermann's collection as they arrived in identical coats by the Columbian designer for his Paris Fashion Week presentation on Saturday. Both opting for the dogstooth military style coat, which costs a cool 2,200, the ladies were no doubt left a tad red faced as they settled into the front row together. Scroll down for video Seeing double! Hailey Baldwin, 19, and Tilda Swinton, 55, had their eye on the same items from Haider Ackermann's collection as they arrived in identical coats by the Columbian designer for his Paris Fashion Week presentation on Saturday Putting her best foot forward in a pair of over the knee black boots, Hailey, the eldest daughter of Stephen Baldwin looked every inch the supermodel as she sashayed into the venue. Flashing a hint of leg, the star donned a grey suede wrap around skirt that skimmed her tanned and toned thighs which she teamed with a black jumper. Keeping her accessories simple, the Guess model wore a silver chain necklace and mirrored aviator sunglasses whilst she clutched onto a black Sophie Hulme handbag. Haute to trot! Hailey Baldwin, 21, was able to sit back and watch one of the Paris Fashion Week shows instead of walk in it as she made her way to the Haider Ackermann SS17 show in the French capital on Saturday Finishing touches: Keeping her accessories simple, the Guess model wore a silver chain necklace and mirrored aviator sunglasses with her muted ensemble whilst she clutched onto a black Sophie Hulme handbag Meanwhile, Tilda teamed her jacket with a plunging black blouse and tailored trousers whilst she nailed the masculine trend with a pair of pointed toe black loafers. The Oscar-winning actress was joined on the FROW by architect Peter Marino who dressed in his typically quirky style by donning leather trousers and a harness that gave him a strong resemblance to the Village People's Victor Willis. Also turning heads was Gabriel-Kane Day Lewis who stood out in pink, and Kristin Scott Thomas, who kept things chic in a tailored black blazer and trousers. Make-up: The beauty sported smokey winged liner which highlighted her hazel eyes Mane attraction: Hailey's shoulder length blonde tresses were parted at the side and teased to one side Stunner: Her cheeks were contoured to perfection while her plump pout was slicked with a layer of nude gloss And pose! The celebrity offspring certainly knew how to work her model poses Front row fashion: Tilda was joined on the FROW by architect Peter Marino who dressed in his typically quirky style by donning leather trousers and a harness that gave him a strong resemblance to the Village People's Victor Willis Glam: The Oscar-winning actress teamed her jacket with a plunging black blouse and tailored trousers Darling duo: The pair seemed in great spirits as they chatted away together on the front row Whilst Hailey was in good company at the show, she was no doubt missing her model best friend Kendall Jenner. Last month, the Keeping Up With The Kardashians star explained that she had formed a tight-knit friendship group with Hailey, Gigi Hadid and Cara Delevingne that they had given an unusual name. Speaking to Allure magazine, Kendall confessed: 'This is going to sound really, really lame, but we all call ourselves the Super Natural Friend Group. She explained: 'Because we all have such cool individual lives and weve been dreaming about them since we were so young.' The starlet added that she was fiercely loyal to her friends, explaining: 'Im a Scorpio, so I stick to people. If I love you, I love you. If I dont like you, youre screwed.' Suited and booted: Also turning heads was Gabriel-Kane Day Lewis who stood out in a pink bomber jacket and skinny jeans Her comments came as Hailey spoke out about Gigi and Kendall, claiming she was 'not on their level' career-wise. But their hectic schedules had stopped them seeing out as much, as she explained: 'We dont hang out that often! Were all friends. We all have the same job, but we arent together that often, especially as a trio.' Kendall and Hailey are so tight-knit, the pair even have matching tattoos in the forms of hearts on the inside of their fingers. Parisian glamour: Kristin Scott Thomas kept things chic in a tailored black blazer and trousers as she settled in for the show But despite being without her squad, Hailey seemed in great spirits at the show, and was no doubt pleased to keep her mind off the possible legal action she faces after reportedly been accused of plagiarism. The accusations came after the talented teenager posted a quote by author Melissa Molomo, from her book Say What's Real on Instagram without attributing the words to the writer. The text, which has since been deleted, went on to be published in several publications including Teen Vogue magazine and Us Weekly after it was assumed it was a dig at pop star Justin Bieber - who she was previously rumoured to be dating - following his feud last month with his ex-girlfriend Selena Gomez. The quote read: 'We've all had our fair share of things we've done, both good and bad. What makes the present so powerful is when we take complete responsibility for our actions, we allow ourselves self-growth. 'Misplacing the blame onto someone else isn't going to get you to the next stage in life, so try not to manipulate a situation to make yourself look better.' Patterns and prints: Liya Kebede injected some colour in her green and gold suit whilst Justin O'Shea rocked a satin suit According to documents obtained by the New York Post newspaper's Page Six column, Melissa has sent a cease and desist letter to Hailey, which means if she fails to take action the author has a right to sue her unless she apologises and refrains from copying her work. The letter, written by Melissa's attorney, Z. Zoltan Stein, reads: 'In copying and using Ms. Molomo's work without permission, you have taken credit and caused confusion as to whom the original author of this work is.' Hailey could reportedly be liable to pay the author damages of up to $150,000. The document also states that the blonde beauty should 'make a social media post apologising for stealing Ms. Molomo's content and fraudulently passing it off as your own.' Pretty as a petal: Gigi Hadid was also turning heads during Paris Fashion Week. Wearing her shirt unbuttoned, the blonde beauty flashed a hint of cleavage whilst remaining demure as her lacy black bra peeked through the material One is considered to be one of the world's most popular manga-turned-anime protagonists, while the other found fame after becoming Australia's first Bachelorette runner-up. But two-dimensional Dragon Ball character Goku and three-dimensional socialite Michael Turnbull seemed to join forces this week when the latter posted a bizarre snap of himself on Instagram this Saturday. Taking to Instagram with a selfie, a bleary-eyed Michael is seen staring intensely into the distance, while his hair explodes in dramatic, Goku-like spikes. Scroll down for video Super saiyan: Michael Turnbull seemed to channel Dragon Ball protagonist Goku on Saturday when he posted a bizarre snap of himself on Instagram 'Waking up from afternoon naps like... #sleepyface #whereami #imhungry #wokeuplikethis,' wrote Michael in the caption. The outlandish update comes days after Michael returned from a trip to the US, where he attended a convention run by controversial multi-platform selling scheme Nerium. Michael's planned involvement with Nerium came under fire last month when he was accosted by A Current Affair in an ambush-style interview at his Brisbane apartment. Jet-setting lifestyle: The outlandish update comes days after Michael returned from a trip to the US, where he attended a convention run by controversial multi-platform selling scheme Nerium While the Channel Nine program posited that Michael may be backing a 'pyramid scheme', Michael has vehemently praised Nerium for having legitimate business methods. 'It's a wonderful business, you know the success it's had in many of my promotional videos and things like that,' said Michael in a video shared to his Instagram page following his interview with A Current Affair. '[A Current Affair is] claiming this particular business is a pyramid scheme and I'm all about ripping off Australians and taking their money in a pyramid scheme,' he continued. Controversial: While the Channel Nine program posited that Michael may be backing a 'pyramid scheme', Michael has vehemently praised Nerium for having legitimate business methods Michael went on to deny that the business is a pyramid scheme in the video, dding: 'I don't support pyramid schemes in any single way, shape or form.' Michael isn't the only former Bachelorette star lending his name to Nerium. Former body builder Tony Strugar also appears to have a finger in the entrepreneurial pie as indicated by recent Instagram posts and advertisements that appear on his website. Defending himself: Michael went on to deny that the business is a pyramid scheme in the video, dding: 'I don't support pyramid schemes in any single way, shape or form' She's been touring the country, promoting her new autobiography and dropping yet more bombshells about her husband Kieran Hayler's former affairs. And Katie Price was seen treating herself to a pampering session in Manchester on Friday, stopping off at Mac Aesthetics salon to get some lip fillers. The 38-year-old former glamour model sported a casual ensemble for the occasion, putting on a lot of front in a low-cut white top. Scroll down for video Pampering session: Katie Price was seen treating herself to a pampering session in Manchester on Friday, stopping off at Mac Aesthetics salon to get some lip fillers Pucker up: Katie showed off the results on her Instagram page, pouting up a storm as she displayed her freshly plumped lips Katie's plunging number featured floaty capped sleeves and a bodycon panel on her midriff, highlighting her flat stomach. She dressed the T-shirt down with grey tracksuit bottoms and a dusty pink coat with a fur-lined hood. The mother-of-five's cover up came in handy since she was caught in a downpour following her treatment session. Casual touch: She dressed the T-shirt down with grey tracksuit bottoms and a dusty pink coat with a fur-lined hood Taking the plunge: Katie's plunging number featured floaty capped sleeves and a bodycon panel on her midriff, highlighting her flat stomach Katie showed off the results on her Instagram page, pouting up a storm as she displayed her freshly plumped lips. 'Enough about my lips lol', she captioned the snap after her followers inundated her with messages about them. Katie subsequently revealed during her Evening With event at Glasgows Hilton Hotel, 'Its sore. But it wont kick in for a while'. Pouting up a storm: Katie ensured her newly plumped lips were the centre of attention A day after revealing that she physically attacked the woman who had an affair with her husband Kieran, Jane Pountney, Katie shared how she keeps the painful memories of their indiscretion well and truly alive. Speaking at An Evening with Katie Price in Sheffield on Thursday, she admitted that she often text messages snaps of Jane to Kieran to remind him of what he did. The mother-of-five, who remained married to Kieran despite his indiscretion, said she constantly taunts: 'This is what you could have been with.' Brrr: The mother-of-five's cover up came in handy since she was caught in a downpour following her treatment session The Mirror reports her as adding: 'Jane is so familiar to me but when I think of her I think "Ugh". I look at her and it takes me back to the pain. I dont understand why Kieran did it.' A night before, she spoke in Liverpool, where she opened up about the moment she found her friend-of-20-years 'w***ing him off' - leading to her horrific attack in front of Jane's children. Picture not perfect: Katie revealed that she constantly taunts her husband Kieran Hayler about cheating with ex-best friend Jane Pountney by sending him pictures of her Furious: The 38-year-old glamour model spoke at An Evening with Katie Price in Liverpool the day before, opening up about the moment she found her friend-of-20-years 'w***ing off' - leading to her horrific attack in front of Jane's children Katie is holding a string of nationwide talks in which fans can pay 75 to hear her speak about her life and times before enjoying a two course dinner. In her shocking revelation she delved deeper into the soul-destroying moment she discovered Kieran kissing her married ex-best friend Jane, 49, while on holiday in Cape Verde in May 2014. The Mirror reported that Katie revealed what happened after she found Jane intimately pleasuring Kieran: 'I got up and proper got her. I thought I was a cage fighter or something... I was that angry I just clutched her hair. I'm not hard but I've done training. 'And then Kieran called security. The worst thing is Jane's two kids came in and they saw me attacking their mum. Security walked in and I just wouldn't get off her. Painful: Last year, Katie explained the exact moment she found the duo together, leading to her heartbreak and very public rows 'I said: "What state is she in?" And she said that she had a black eye and I knocked her tooth out.' Last year, Katie explained the exact moment she found the duo together, leading to her heartbreak and very public rows. She said: 'I remember going down to the bar one day in Cape Verde to ask the staff if they had seen my husband. 'They pointed towards the beach and said he'd gone that way. I asked them if he was with anyone and they said no. At that point, I knew he had gone to meet her. Talking away: Katie is holding a string of nationwide talks in which fans can play 75 to hear her speak about her life and times before enjoying a two course dinner Hurtful: Katie and Jane had known each other for 20 years when the ten-month affair came to light, and the latter was even maid of honour at Katie's weddings to Alex Reid and Kieran 'So I started walking towards the beach and in the distance, I could see these two silhouettes on the sun loungers. My heart was racing because I knew it was them. Then there they were, kissing each other.' Katie and Jane had known each other for 20 years when the ten-month affair came to light, and the latter was even maid of honour at Katie's weddings to Alex Reid and Kieran. The stunning glamour model - who has children Jett, two, and Bunny, 23 months, with Kieran, as well as Harvey, 14, Junior, 11, and Princess, nine, from past relationships - insists she doesn't dwell on her spouse's cheating and things between them are better than ever. He has inherited his father Daniel Day-Lewis' dashing good looks. And Gabriel-Kane Day-Lewis showed them off as he attended the Haider Ackermann Spring Summer 2017 show on Saturday. The 21-year-old model looked in good spirits as he sported an all-pink outfit during Fashion Week in the French capital. Scroll down for video Model behaviour: Gabriel-Kane Day-Lewis showed them off as he attended the Haider Ackermann Spring Summer 2017 show on Saturday A chip off the old block: When working a smouldering pose, Gabriel-Kane was the image of his famous father Daniel Day-Lewis While his 59-year-old father often maintains a stoic disposition in public, Gabriel wasn't afraid to show his enthusiasm in Paris as he pulled a number of excitable poses. Clad in a pale pink satin bomber with fluorescent yellow cuffs and borders, the handsome starlet showed a glimpse of his hand tattoos. And not afraid to colour block, he added matching chinos, a black T-shirt and patent pointy loafers. Beaming: The 21-year-old model looked in good spirits as he sported an all-pink outfit during Fashion Week in the French capital Accessorising with a cross and hoop earring, the blonde model looked quite the cheeky chap. Gabriel, whose mother is French actress Isabelle Adjani, also attended the coveted Christian Dior SS17 show for PFW on Friday. The lad was stylish in a pair of patterned trousers, grey sweater and black jacket and added a pair of funky shades. Suave: Clad in a pale pink satin bomber with fluorescent yellow cuffs and borders, the handsome starlet showed a glimpse of his hand tattoos Gabriel was born to Daniel and Isabelle Adjani, who shared a six-year relationship with the Last Of The Mohicans actor between 1989 to 1995. Daniel reportedly announced that he was leaving the actress via fax, though he has never spoken about why he walked out before Gabriel's birth. The notoriously private actor has only been married once, after tying the knot with current partner Rebecca Miller in 1996. Happy to be here: Daniel Day-Lewis' model son Gabriel-Kane Day-Lewis was clearly delighted to be at the Christian Dior SS17 show at Paris Fashion Week on Friday Gabriel now has half brothers Ronan Cal, 16, and Cashel Blake, 12, but remains very close to mother Isabella. She recently gushed over his editorial in Rollacoaster magazine and bought five copies of the issue, as he called her his 'number one fan'. Little is known about Gabriel and Daniel's relationship, though he was there to see his father accept a knighthood in 2014 and wrote a touching ode to his father last father's day via Instragram. He's been surrounded by female company since landing in Paris with his girlfriend Kris Jenner, 60, and the Kardashian clan this week. So it came as no surprise to see Corey Gamble, 35, was after a bit of male bonding time as he headed out in the French capital with comedian Steve Harvey on Saturday. No doubt enjoying a welcome break from the hectic events of Fashion Week, the road manager seemed in great spirits as he soaked up the sights of the city with his friend. Scroll down for video Boys' day out: Corey Gamble, 35, was enjoying a bit of male bonding time as he headed out in the French capital with comedian Steve Harvey on Saturday Looking dapper for the outing, Corey donned a fitted black shirt with a checkered lining that he teamed with black skinny jeans and patent black shoes. Adding to the suave look of his ensemble, the handsome star donned a pair of circular gold shades and a diamond stud earring. Striding around the capital with swagger, Corey seemed in great spirits on the outing. Haute stuff! Corey has been surrounded by female company since landing in Paris with his girlfriend Kris Jenner, 60, and the Kardashian clan this week Lads on tour: No doubt enjoying a welcome break from the hectic events of Fashion Week, the road manager seemed in great spirits as he soaked up the sights of the city with his friend Suave: Looking dapper for the outing, Corey donned a fitted black shirt with a checkered lining that he teamed with black skinny jeans and patent black shoes All about the accessories: Adding to the suave look of his ensemble, the handsome star donned a pair of circular gold shades and a diamond stud earring Meanwhile, Steve ensured all eyes would be on him in a bold pair of checkered trousers. Clashing prints, the Family Feud host donned a patterned scarf that he layered over a black blazer. Truly indulging on his boys' day out, the star puffed away on a cigar as he chatted with his pal. Check him out! Steve ensured all eyes would be on him in a bold pair of checkered trousers Bold sense of style: Clashing prints, the Family Feud host donned a patterned scarf that he layered over a black blazer Whilst Corey was soaking up the sights, Kris was no doubt enjoying a lie in after enjoying a night on the town with her daughters'. Kris and Corey met two years ago at designer Riccardo Tisci's 40th birthday party and have been going strong for two years. This followed Kris' split from Caitlyn Jenner, formerly known as Bruce. Holy smokes! Truly indulging on his boys' day out, the star puffed away on a cigar as he chatted with his pal Advertisement Gigi Hadid and Karlie Kloss proved their model credentials as they took to the runway for the Mugler Spring Summer 2017 show in Paris on Saturday. Rocking New York and London Fashion Week, the supermodels have now hit Paris Fashion Week for a week of catwalk mayhem. But at one point Gigi almost followed in her sister - who recently suffered an unfortunate catwalk fall, Bella's unsteady footsteps, and suffered a hair-raising wobble as she sauntered down the runway. Scroll down for video Model behaviour: Gigi Hadid and Karlie Kloss proved their model credentials as they took to the runway for Mugler Spring Summer 2017 show in Paris on Saturday Gigi Hadid showed off her model proportions in two show-stopping ensembles. Rocking a black sequin-encrusted dress with long sleeves, the piece featured an intricate neckline, and was slashed up to the top of her toned thighs. With a cut out panel across her decolletage, the blonde beauty paired with flat brogues. Turning heads: Rocking New York and London Fashion Week, the models have now hit Paris Fashion Week for a week of catwalk mayhem Watch your step! At one point it looked as though she almost followed in her sister - who recently suffered an unfortunate catwalk fall, Bella's unsteady footsteps, as she suffered a hair-raising wobble as she sauntered down the runway Saved like a pro! The stunner looked shocked as she wobbled on her heel, before regaining her composure and continuing to strut down the walk like a true professional Chic: Karlie rocked a floor-length black satin gown, slashed up to the thigh. In keeping with the theme, it featured an asymmetric one-shoulder cut with a sequin-encrusted cross-over strap Show-stopper: Going for natural brows and accentuating her vibrant green eyes with bold black eyeliner, she kept her make up minimal and stayed free of jewellery Gigi's second outfit consisted of a floor-length pencil skirt slashed to above the new, which she teamed with a diagonal halter neck bralet, with a silver sequinned strap entwined with a black bustier strap. The piece showed off her slender midriff perfectly. Wearing her hair in a sleek centre parting, she showed off her stunning bone structure. Going for natural brows and accentuating her vibrant green eyes with bold black eyeliner, she kept her make up minimal and stayed free of jewellery. Teaming her ensemble with pointy killer heels boasting a semi transparent ankle strap, her additional get-up was complete. Leggy: Rocking a black sequin-encrusted dress with long sleeves, the piece featured an intricate neckline, and was slashed up to the top of her toned thighs Natural beauties: Both models went for minimal make-up and wore their hair in sleek centre partings Abs-olutely fab: Gigi Hadid showed off her model proportions in two show-stopping ensembles, first rocking a black sequin-encrusted dress with long sleeves, the piece featured an intricate neckline, and was slashed up to the top of her toned thighs Understated: Also going for minimal make-up and a sleek centre parting, Karlie completed her outfit with delicate strappy sandals featuring a transparent chunky heel Industry veteran: A model since her teens, Karlie certainly knew how to work her angles Their job is done! Gigi and Karlie looked in high spirits as they made a very fashionable exit from the show Style stars: Gigi wowed in a floral number while Karlie kept it chic in a black and white ensemble Earlier on in the day: Sara wowed as she made her arrival at Mugler in the white blazer which she teamed with a thick matching black and gold belt and choker Meanwhile Karlie rocked a floor-length black satin gown, slashed up to the thigh. In keeping with the theme, it featured an asymmetric one-shoulder cut with a sequin-encrusted cross-over strap. Also going for minimal make-up and a sleek centre parting, Karlie completed her outfit with delicate strappy sandals featuring a transparent chunky heel. Model looks: The beauty proved just why Zayn Malik is so besotted with her Wow: The blonde beauty is clearly a natural stunner Pretty gang! Brunette beauty Sara Sampaio posed in their designer uniforms as they waited backstage Flash lights! Karlie commanded the photographers' attention as she posed for an array of snaps Backstage: Sara Sampaio sported a sleeveless high necked dress as she posed backstage Fashionable display: Sara wowed on the runway in the stunning black dress with sheer white detailing at the hem Model behaviour: The slim and trim line of models prepared for the catwalk Fashionistas: A trio of models strutted along the dramatic blue catwalk with cut out panels a distinctive feature of Mugler's new designs Standing out: An orange figure-hugging dress made quite the impression Monochrome: White and black were also mixed together well in the form of dazzling sequins and a more tailored tux combination Going for gothic chic, both models rocked glossy black manicures and pedicures. Backstage the girls posed up a storm for pictures, with fellow model Sara Sampaio getting in on the action. The model tweeted pictures of her backstage, getting her make-up and hair fixed. She returned to TV screens last week in the new series of Modern Family. And Sofia Vergara has clearly been enjoying her time off filming as she was seen heading to dinner with husband Joe Manganiello in Beverly Hills on Friday. The Columbian actress, 44, opted for a casual look, combining blue jeans with a tight white number that emphasised her famous curves. Scroll down for video Dinner time! Sofia Vergara has clearly been enjoying her time off filming as she was seen heading to dinner with husband Joe Manganiello in Beverly Hills on Friday Letting her long brown locks flow over her shoulders, she completed her outfit with a pair of heels that boosted her 5ft7 frame. Sofia accessorised with a black over-the-shoulder bag and accentuated her striking features with a touch of make up. The star looked a picture of calm as she strolled from Italian restaurant Ebaldi with Joe, 39. The True Blood hunk also sported a relaxed style in grey chinos and a black T-shirt that showed off his ripped physique. Relaxed: The Columbian actress, 44, opted for a casual look, combining blue jeans with a tight white number that emphasised her famous curves Height-boosting: Letting her long brown locks flow over her shoulders, she completed her outfit with a pair of heels that boosted her 5ft7 frame On Wednesday, Sofia flaunted her jaw-dropping assets in a sexy behind-the-scenes selfie. The 44-year-old stunner wore a cleavage-baring lacy blue dress, seductively staring at the camera though a brunette curly wig. The sensual set-up is spoiled somewhat by the mundane background of her Modern Family trailer, complete with crew member pottering about behind her. The actress left her fans guessing as to what was behind the smoking-hot get up. Low-key glamour: Sofia accessorised with a black over-the-shoulder bag and accentuated her striking features with a touch of make up Hand in hand: The star looked a picture of calm as she strolled from Italian restaurant Ebaldi with Joe, 39 '#modernfamily #secretproject', she cryptically captioned the sultry Instagram shot, which was reminiscent of Madonna's Like A Prayer look. Sofia earned $43-million in the last year and star was last week named the richest actress on TV by Forbes magazine for the fifth year in a row. She married Joe in November 2015, after dating for over a year. The screen siren has a son - 24-year-old Manolo - with ex husband Joe Gonzalez. She was forced to deny rumours that she and her Bachelorette beau had split last week. But Sam Frost was once again unaccompanied as she stepped out at the Epsom Day races on Saturday. Dressed in all black, the Today FM radio host showed off her slender frame in a little black dress. Scroll down for video Black widow? Sam Frost arrived at Epsom Day alone on Saturday, just days after she was forced to deny rumours she and her Bachelorette beau Sasha Mielczarek had split Sam flaunted her ample assets in the low-cut silk gown, which featured a plunging neckline. The frock highlighted her delicate decolletage with its off-the-shoulder straps, which tied in to bows on each arm. She appeared to have indulged in a fake tan for the event, and her bronzed skin glistened under the light of the camera. Silky and slim! The radio host showed off her very slender frame in a silk black dress with a matching veiled fascinator The 27-year-old styled her hair back off her face, allowing curled tendrils to frame one side of her face. She thickened and darkened her eyebrows for the big day, and brought attention to her pearly whites with a statement red lip. Also in attendance at the racing event was former Miss Universe Australia, Monika Radulovic. Fit for a princess! Former Miss Universe Australia Monika Radulovic showed off her bespoke fascinator crown, featuring orange roses and pearls The model stood out in a shiny, low-cut dress by Australian designer Nicola Finetti. The frock, which retails for $520, featured a white and orange feather pattern and puffy sleeves. Monika's fascinator, a crown featuring orange roses, pearls and silver leaves, was custom made for her, and held her brunette locks back off her face, where they fell behind her shoulders. The 27-year-old's gown ended halfway down her calves in a fishtail shape, and she finished off the look in a pair of shiny strappy silver heels. Shining bright: The 26-year-old beauty stunned in a shiny mid-length dress with orange and white flower detail The psychology graduate was joined by former Bon Jovi member Richie Sambora and his guitar-legend girlfriend, Orianthi. The couple performed at the event as part of their Australian tour in the lead up to the release of their album. Richie and Orianthi looked every part the rock powerhouse as they stepped out at Randwick Racecourse. Rock gods: Former Bon Jovi lead guitarist Richie Sambora and his girlfriend Orianthi looked every part the rock power-couple as they arrived at Randwick Racecourse Dressed in an all-black combination of jeans, t-shirt and blazer, the 57-year-old guitarist added a splash of colour to his outfit with a hot pink leopard print scarf. Richie accessorised with a colourful jewelled crucifix necklace, black rectangular sunglasses and a worn out brown hat. His Adelaide-born sweetheart seemed on board with the all black dress code, and turned heads in a thigh-skimming black mini dress with a plunging neckline. Leggy display: Orianthi, 31, showed off her trim pins in a black mini dress paired with thigh-high boots Orianthi, 31, emphasised her trim pins in a pair of thigh-high black boots, leaving just a glimpse of her lithe legs between the dress and the statement shoes. She allowed her long flaxen locks to fall in loose curls past her chest, and also chose to accessorise with a broad-brimmed hat. The guitarist, who was chosen as the lead guitarist on Michael Jackson's This Is It tour, finished off her look with a pair of oversized aviators and a gold pendant chain. Bringing the house down: The rock legends took to the stage at Saturday's event as part of the Australian leg of their tour ahead of their new album's release Best behaviour! Kara Ryan held her husband Beau extra tight as the pair stepped out in style on Saturday Another notable couple in attendance was Beau and Kara Ryan. The former NRL player looked dapper in a spotted navy blazer worn over a white shirt and teamed with a pair of white chinos. Beau, 31, took a page out of Richie Sambora's book and chose to accessorise in pink, donning a fuchsia tie for his day at the races, and finished off the look with brown dress shoes. Suave: Beau rocked a statement navy blue blazer with small white polka dots and a bright fuchsia tie The Footy Show presenter appeared to have sculpted his designer stubble, and swept his hair back using wax. He matched his tie to his pocket square, which appeared to contain splashes of fuchsia, white and navy. His hair and makeup artist wife Kara put on a busty display in a black white and grey gown. Busting out! Kara showed off her ample assets through a large cutout in her fishtail frock The mother-of-one showed off her ample cleavage in a large cutout on the upper half of her dress, which also flashed glimpses of skin through wrap-detail cutouts on each side of her waist. The gown then flowed to her ankles as a white skirt with grey paintbrush print, before ending in a fishtail shape. Kara coated her face in a thick layer of makeup, which appeared to shine brightly under the Saturday sun. She appeared to be wearing fake eyelashes, and finished off her look with a pink lip. Tight and bright! Bachelor reject Kiki Morris showed off her enviable figure in a sparkly silver dress Bachelor reject Kiki Morris used the photo opportunity to show Richie Strahan what he was missing, as she stepped out in a figure-hugging dress. The sparkly silver one-shoulder gown showed off the 28-year-old's slim waist and delicate decolletage. She wore her golden locks in curls which she swept over one shoulder, and accessorised with a statement black fascinator crown with flower detail. Posing up a storm: The model teamed the figure hugging dress with an unmissable black fascinator The statement crown partially covered her forehead and stood tall above her head. The glamour model matched her clutch and strappy stilettos to the fascinator, allowing her bronzed skin to stand out against the lack of bright colour. She wore a dusty purple shade of eyeshadow, and coated her lips and nails in hot pink, which matched the drink she posed with. Something fishy is going on: Modern pentathlete Chloe Esposito was one of many women who chose to strut their stuff in a fishtail gown Modern pentathlete Chloe Esposito also stepped out in a fishtail frock on Saturday. The brunette beauty was a vision in white, as she flaunted her fit figure in a white fitted dress which puffed out halfway down her thighs. The 25-year-old curled her brunette locks and let them fall just below her shoulders - though appeared to struggle with her feather fascinator as loose strands of hair became tangled throughout the day. She finished her wholesome look with black strappy stilettos and a structured black clutch. Spending some time in the sun? A very bronzed Bec Chin teamed a tight orange dress with a large black fascinator crown as she stepped out for a day at the races A very bronzed Bec Chin put on a busty display in orange as she enjoyed her day at the races. The former Bachelor contestant stepped out in a tight orange and white patterned dress on Saturday, which featured off-the shoulder frilly sleeves. Her hair fell in loose waves below her shoulders and she accessorised with a statement black crown, which matched her strappy stilettos. Bohemian queen: Former Home and Away star Tessa James looked ethereal as she stepped out in a blue silk cape with a plunging neckline Former Home and Away star Tessa James rocked a floral springtime look as she was photographed in the VIP area of the racing event. Opting for silk in a blue hue, the blonde beauty tucked her oversized cape into a studded black belt, allowing a glimpse of skin to be shown with a plunging neckline. A high-waisted floral pleated skirt finished off the bohemian look, while suede peep-toe booties and a delicate black headband acted as the accessories. She is set to star as a detective investigating a brutal murder case in the upcoming SBS crime-thriller Deep Water. And Yael Stone has described how she felt to discover that the hideous crime depicted in the show's screenplay was actually based on a string of hate crimes that swept through Australia in the 80s and 90s. 'The fact that these things have certainly gone on within my lifetime in the city that I grew up in and I had no idea until now is horrifying,' the Orange Is The New Black starlet told the Herald Sun this week. Scroll down for video 'There are some shameful parts of our history that we need to own': Yael Stone has described how she felt to discover that the hideous crime depicted in Dee Water's screenplay 'This is an open secret and we need to get it out there. There are some shameful parts of our history that we need to own,' she added. Deep Water tells the present-day tale of two detectives who are called to investigate a brutal murder at Sydney's Bondi. As the detectives delve deeper into the mysterious crime, they soon realise that this murder was just one of a spate of gay hate-inspired killings that had taken place over the past 25 years. True story: Deep Water tells the present-day tale of two detectives who are called to investigate a brutal murder at Sydney's Bondi 'The story is inspired by events, but the producers are wanting to be very sensitive because these are deeply traumatic things that have happened to people and their families,' Yael explained of the series in a recent interview with The Guardian. 'They've really steered clear of basing characters on real people.' Yael will play opposite fellow Australian actor Noah Taylor, who recently found fame in his role of Locke in Game Of Thrones. Top-knotch cast: Yael will play opposite fellow Australian actor Noah Taylor, who recently found fame in his role of Locke in Game Of Thrones The impressive cast also includes the likes of William McInnes, Danielle Cormack and Ben Oxenbould. SBS has billed Deep Water as being somewhat of a milestone for the network in that it is the first 'cross-genre' and 'cross-platform' television event, with the launch of Deep Water coinciding with a feature-length documentary and online web series. Deep Water premieres Wednesday October 5 at 8.30pm on SBS. He's been low-key about his love love since divorcing from Katie Holmes in 2012. And Tom Cruise was wearing dark glasses as he stepped out out for dinner with a mystery woman and a male pal on Thursday night in Studio City, Los Angeles. The 54-year-old was spotted leaving Asanebo Sushi restaurant with the brunette beauty and Michael Jackson's ex bodyguard Matt Fiddes. Mission Sushi: Tom Cruise was wearing dark glasses as he stepped out out for dinner with a mystery woman and a male pal on Thursday night in Studio City, Los Angeles He kept it casual with a blue button pocket shirt with open collar. The Top Gun star's hair looked fairly unkempt, as he headed into a waiting SUV and drove to board a private jet in Burbank. Katie Holmes - his third wife - filed for divorce after five and a half years of marriage, they have daughter Suri together. He was also married to Nicole Kidman for ten years, before they divorced in 2001. Divorced: Earlier this week, the his ex-wife Nicole Kidman revealed that with hindsight she was shocked to have married him when she was so young During their marriage, the talented thespians adopted two children, daughter Isabella in 1992 and son Connor in 1995. Earlier this week, the Australian beauty revealed that with hindsight she was shocked to have married him when she was so young. She was just 23-years-old when she tied the knot with the famous Scientologist in December 1990. 'I was so young when I got married. I look back now and I'm like, "What?"' the 49-year-old star told Red magazine. Power couple: He was married to Nicole Kidman for ten years, before they divorced in 2001 Comparing herself to young pop star Taylor Swift, the mother-of-four continued: 'You look at Taylor Swift, I mean how old is she? She's 26.' 'I had two kids by the time I was 27 and I'd been married for four years. But that's what I wanted,' the Moulin Rouge beauty added. Meanwhile, Tom has Jack Reacher: Never Go Back with Cobie Smulders and Robert Knepper, coming out October 21. He also has two films due out next year - The Mummy, with Annabelle Wallis, Russell Crowe and Sofia Boutella, has a June 9, 2017 release date. His CIA drug runner movie American Made will come out September 29, 2017. Family: During their marriage, the talented thespians adopted two children, daughter Isabella in 1992 and son Connor in 1995 She recently put on a stunning display during New York Fashion Week. And on Friday Toni Garrn kept it up as she showed off her fashion credentials while arriving at the Buro 24/7 Fashion Forward Initiative during Paris Fashion Week. The 24-year-old looked gorgeous in a form-fitting, navy blue dress with cut-outs as she was spotted with film producer friend Mohammed Al Turki. Putting her best foot forward: Toni Garrn looked stunning in a form-fitting, long-sleeved dress with shoulder cut-outs as she arrived at the Buro 24/7 Fashion Forward Initiative on Friday Toni wore a long-sleeved, high-collared dress which hugged her curves and fell to just above the model's knees. The flattering dress featured cut-outs at the shoulders, and Toni teamed it with a pair of strappy, shimmery heels. She carried a small, silver clutch, and kept her make-up natural for the Paris Fashion Week outing. In good company: The German beauty looked to be in good spirits as she showed off a smile while arriving at the Paris Fashion Week event with friend Mohammed Al Turki Star-studded: Toni was also joined by fellow model Jon Kortajarena Toni wore her long, blonde tresses pulled back into an updo, with wisps of hair left down to frame her face. She seemed to be in good spirits for the fashion forward event, showing off a smile as she mingled with fellow models and industry names. The Buro 24/7 event was a cocktail party held in honor of designer Natalia Alaverdyan, and hosted by founder Miroslava Duma, Caroline de Maigret, Melvin Chua, and Kim Kardashian. Supportive: The PFW event was to launch an initiative by Buro 24/7 that would introduce new, young talent during fashion weeks Leading lady: Toni showed off a smile as she posed beside Miroslava Duma (center), the founder of Buro 24/7 It was also held to introduce a new project, the Fashion Forward Initiative, which will choose one young talent, selected by an international team, to be presented during fashion weeks. Toni was spotted arriving at the event with film producer friend Mohammed, who dressed in all black for the occasion. The German beauty was also seen being accompanied by model Jon Kortajarena, who went for a more casual look in a loose-fitting, grey T-shirt, black trousers, and a coordinating jacket. They are one of Australia's most in-demand musical acts of the moment. And 5 Seconds Of Summer certainly made a rockstar entrance as they strutted through Brisbane airport in sunglasses and black T-shirts on Saturday. The popular boy-band were accosted by adoring fans, some of whom were lucky enough to score a selfie with a band-member. Strutting their stuff! 5 Seconds Of Summer certainly made a rockstar entrance as they strutted through Brisbane airport in sunglasses and black T-shirts on Saturday The boys are set to play a single gig in Brisbane on Sunday before they travel down to Sydney for two more live shows. It comes after band-member Ashton Irwin spoke about his personal rule when it comes to having sexual relationships with the group's female fans. 'Obviously there are many beautiful women who follow this band and that is awesome,' the drummer told Stellar magazine. That's one for the photo album! The popular boy-band were accosted by adoring fans, some of whom were lucky enough to score a selfie with a band-member 'But you need to take care of your actions and make sure that you are respectful all the time,' he added. Ashton is currently single, having confirmed his split from his bikini model girlfriend Bryana Holly in June this year. The couple started dating in 2015, but broke up once in November before getting back together some weeks later. Down Under tour: The boys are set to play a single gig in Brisbane on Sunday before they travel down to Sydney for two more live shows Meanwhile, guitarist Michael Clifford has also spoken of his experiences, revealing that life as a rock star has made dating more complicated. 'We're so young and the thing is, (dating is) so normal. If another 20-year-old kid, Michael Clifford in Sydney, was trying to hook up with a girl he knew in high school, literally no one would give a f***.' 'It's because of this strange platform we have that people do care about it It has taken us a while to get used to,' he continued. Kate Walsh and Whitney Cummings certainly brought the cheer at the Smile Gala in Beverly Hills on Friday. The 48-year-old Private Practice star and the 34-year-old comedian looked stunning as they cuddled up for photos at the event, which was held to benefit Operation Smile. Both of the women picked glitzy cocktail dresses for the occasion, with Kate taking the plunge in a shimmering metallic number. Scroll down for video Shimmering: Kate Walsh (L) and Whitney Cummings dazzled at the Smile Gala in Beverly Hills on Friday The actress's tea-length frock was covered in sequins and boasted elaborate beaded detailing along the collar and down the front. As well as offering a glimpse of Kate's cleavage, it also highlighted her slender waist thanks to a delicate belt, and she added a pair of bronze sandals. The Grey's Anatomy alum wore her trademark red hair in waves, and finished off her glamorous look with frosted eyeshadow, lashings of mascara and red lip gloss. Meanwhile Whitney was also dressed to the nines in a strapless sweetheart cut black dress which fell to her knees and was infused with silver thread that caught the light. Congratulations: The Private Practice star presented the comedian with the Wallis Annenberg Public Service Award Charitable: Whitney volunteered for Operation Smile during a medical mission to Hanoi, Vietnam in April Firm friends: The 34-year-old posed with Kate, Jordin Sparks and Brooke Burke Charvet The 2 Broke Girls creator added a pair of rose gold sandals and a dainty necklace, keeping her accessories simple and understated. Whitney pulled her brunette locks into a braided updo and highlighted her pretty features with peach lipstick and metallic eyeshadow. Whitney was honoured with the Wallis Annenberg Public Service Award during the event, which Kate presented to her. Turning every head: Kate, 48, flashed some cleavage in a shimmering metallic tea dress Keeping it classic: While Whitney dared to bare in a strapless black and silver cocktail dress, Jordin sported a burgundy number The duo also spent some time catching up with Jordin Sparks and Brooke Burke Charvet. The star, who spoke on stage at the Beverly Wilshire Four Seasons Hotel, volunteered for Operation Smile during a medical mission to Hanoi, Vietnam in April. Whitney is currently filming The Female Brain alongside Sofia Vergara and her Undateable co-star Chris D'Elia. Meanwhile Kate, who appeared in an episode of Undateable, can soon be seen in mystery drama series Thirteen Reasons Why and opposite Liam Neeson, Diane Lane and Michael C. Hall in Felt, which tells the story of Mark Felt. She's been busy working on upcoming raunchy flick Rock That Body. But on Friday Scarlett Johansson was focusing on a bit of family time, as she carried two-year-old daughter Rose Dorothy while rushing through New York City. The 31-year-old later met up with husband Romain Dauriac, and the pair were coordinating in matching black leather jackets. Family affair: Scarlett Johansson and husband Romain Dauriac wore matching motorcycle jacket while out in New York City on Friday Scarlett wore a fitted, black T-shirt underneath the motorcycle jacket, teaming it with a pair of light wash jeans that hugged the star's enviable curves. She wore the jeans cuffed to just above her ankles, finishing off the laid-back look with black, low-top sneakers. The doting mom had her hands full as she carried young daughter Rose, while also sporting a black backpack slung over her shoulder. Doting: The mother-of-one was spotted carrying two-year-old daughter Rose Dorothy as she ran through the rain Going hell for leather! Scarlett bundled up in her stylish, black leather jacket as she stepped out into the rain She sported tortoiseshell glasses, and wore her short, blonde locks styled in a side part. Scarlett later met up with husband Romain at their hotel, before heading out to the French Institute Alliance Francaise. Romain sported a buttoned up, dark wash denim jacket, worn with black jeans, and leather shoes. Laid-back: She kept comfortable for the rainy outing in a form-fitting pair of light wash jeans, finishing off the look with black and white sneakers Hurry! The Jungle Book star looked to be in a rush as she ran through the city with daughter Rose The couple had tied the knot in a private ceremony at a ranch in Montana on October 1, 2014, after welcoming daughter Rose. Scarlett had previously been married to actor Ryan Reynolds. Meanwhile, Scarlett has been busy with a slate of three big pictures due out in the new few years. She's most recently been working on comedy Rock That Body, which also stars Ty Burrell, Colton Haynes, Jillian Bell, Kate McKinnon and Ilana Glazer, and was penned by Comedy Central's Broad City writers Lucia Aniello and Paul W Downs. A moment of downtime: The actress, who has been busy with upcoming new comedy Rock That Body, was seen doting on her little girl She is also set to reprise her role as Black Widow in the upcoming Avengers: Infinity War sequel, due out in 2018. And the star has received criticism over 'whitewashing' for her upcoming role in Rupert Sanders's Ghost in the Shell, based on the series by Japanese manga writer Masamune Shirow. Ghost in the Shell hits theaters in March 2017. He's never shied away from displaying his close relationship with his mum on social media. And now Brooklyn Beckham has proved what a mummy's boy he is, as he shared a sweet snap with his famous mother Victoria on Instagram on Saturday. The stylish 17-year-old shared the adorable black and white photo with his fashion designer mum's arms wrapped around his neck with his loyal 8.6million followers. Scroll down for video Mummy's boy: Brooklyn Beckham has proved what a mummy's boy he is, as he shared a sweet snap with his mother Victoria on Instagram Brooding in the pic with his hair slicked back, the teen donned a printed shirt which perfectly offset former Spice Girl Victoria's, 42, striped shirt. Brooklyn - who is the eldest of four Beckham siblings - simply captioned the loving pic with a single heart emoji. The up-and-coming photographer's outpouring of public love for his mother comes after he watched Chance the Rapper at the Apple Music Festival in London on Friday. Gigging it: Brooklyn Beckham was out in force at the Apple Music Festival in London on Friday Dressed in skinny black jeans and a casual checked shirt, the star rocked an edgier style, matching the grungy vibe of the venue. Adding a black adidas cap to the mix, the aspiring photographer was certainly dressed for the occasion. Clearly trying to look cool as onlookers took photographs, he was visibly loving the attention. Gruney style: The 17-year-old was a special guest at Camden's Roundhouse, where he was supporting urban music star Chance the Rapper Then again, he's quickly cultivating a career in front of the camera. Brooklyn signed a deal with Spanish fashion brand Pull & Bear earlier this month - making a model-worthy appearance at the company's photocall in Spain, last week. The gig comes just weeks after signing a contract to appear in an advert for mobile phone company Huawei worth 100,000. That's what mates are for! Brooklyn and a male pal cosy-up for a snap ahead of the rap gig A source previously told The Sun: 'Huawei went for Brooklyn because he's young, well-presented and seen as a good role model for kids his age. 'He's got millions of social media followers and this is a good way to engage a load of youngsters.' They became engaged in June after a whirlwind 10 month romance. And Duncan Bannatyne and his fiancee Nigora Whitehorn looked as loved-up as ever they enjoyed a glamorous trip to Monaco over the weekend. The 67-year-old former Dragons' Den star was ensuring her squeezed plenty into his holiday as enjoyed a night out with his beautiful partner, 36, before heading to a yacht show the following day. Scroll down for video Glam duo: Duncan Bannatyne and his fiancee Nigora Whitehorn looked as loved-up as ever they enjoyed a glamorous trip to Monaco over the weekend On Friday night, Duncan and Nigora enjoyed a night out where the brunette beauty was clearly dressed to impress in a stunning little black dress. She showed off her perky cleavage through a racy plunging neckline, which boasted a saucy lace-up detail while he skirt clung to her figure to perfection. Giving the look a touch of sophistication was a chic gold blazer. Nigora boosted her already staggering height with a pair of teetering heels while adding in a chic choker as yet another stylish accessory. Duncan meanwhile looked dashing in a trendy jeans and blazer combination with a crisp white shirt underneath as he held his stunning girlfriend close. All aboard! The 67-year-old former Dragons' Den star was ensuring her squeezed plenty into his holiday as enjoyed a night out with his beautiful partner, 36, before heading to a yacht show the following day The next day however the duo went for a more low-key look with Nigora rocking skin-tight jeans with a distressed detailing. She wore a white chiffon top with a crossover detail while she added an injection of designer cool with the addition of a Hermes belt around her slender hips. Duncan was certainly rocking the Riviera style as he wore a cornflower blue shirt with stylish chinos while yet again holding his beautiful fiancee close. Upon their engagement, Duncan seemed to have spared no expense when it came to making the occasion one to remember, as the gruff reality star is believed to have splashed out 40,000 on the ring. Lost love: Duncan - who split from his second wife, Joanne McCue (pictured), in 2011 - and Nigora have been almost inseparable since they started dating The couple have been dating for approximately 10 months, after going public with their romance in July 2015. They met when Duncan visited the Harley Street Dental Clinic where Nigora worked as a 'coordinator'. Previously, she had worked as a Russian and Uzbek translator for the government and graduated with a degree in chemistry from a Russian university. Duncan - who split from his second wife, Joanne McCue, in 2011 - and Nigora have been almost inseparable since they started dating. And Nigora was even in Australia to support Duncan during his stint in the I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! camp in December. They are some of the most successful models in the world. And Alessandra Ambrosio, Elsa Hosk and Taylor Hill led the turn-out as they made a very fashionable appearance at the Americans in Paris cocktail party during Paris Fashion Week on Friday. The beauties poured their model stats in to an array of titillating gowns with Alessandra, 35, determined to show off her toned legs in a sensational sheer number. Scroll down for video Glam: Alessandra Ambrosio and Elsa Hosk led the turn-out as they made a very fashionable appearance at the Americans in Paris cocktail party during Paris Fashion Week on Friday Rising sensation: Taylor Hill opted for a gorgeous cream gown which boasted a thigh-high split and she had no issue twirling up a storm to show it off The halterneck style gown featured just enough material to cover her tiny torso before the sheer lace teased the rest of her 5 ft 9 in frame. Swedish model Elsa rivalled her on the sheer front with a more layered flamenco style gown which she toughened up with thick black boots and an a-line blazer. Meanwhile, rising sensation Taylor Hill opted for a gorgeous cream gown which boasted a thigh-high split and she had no issue twirling up a storm to show it off. Showstopper! Alessandra's halterneck style gown featured just enough material to cover her tiny torso before the sheer lace teased the rest of her 5 ft 9 in frame Mane attraction: Her locks were styled in a chic low ponytail Gothic: Elsa stayed loyal to the colour scheme with black lipstick Trendy: Elsa donned a layered flamenco style gown which she toughened up with thick black boots and an a-line blazer Beautiful: Taylor's plunging neckline teased her perky assets before stunning embroidery took over and gave the garment a slightly unique vibe Model of the moment: Gigi Hadid showed off her sweeter side in a glittering baby pink dress Pretty: Her chic bun emphasised her outrageously attractive features In her element: The beauty was clearly comfortable as she mingled with her pals The plunging neckline teased her perky assets before stunning embroidery took over and gave the garment a slightly unique vibe. Lyndsey Wixon also stuck to the same colour scheme as Taylor, yet went for a more classic tasseled garment while Karlie Kloss wowed in a sheer nude jumpsuit which flared at the bottom. Model of the moment Gigi Hadid showed off her sweeter side in a glittering baby pink dress while her chic bun emphasised her outrageously attractive features. Fashionista: Lyndsey Wixon went for a more classic tasseled garment with a matching furry clutch Style star: Karlie Kloss wowed in a sheer nude jumpsuit which flared at the bottom She's gorgeous and she knows it! The star couldn't resist a glimpse of herself in the mirror Shhh! Selby Drummond whispered something in to Imaan Hammam's ear Head-turner: Constance Jablonski decided to stand out front the pack in a Colossal Misfit logo top which she tucked in to a pair of striped trousers The beauty was joined by her equally genetically gifted pals Lais Ribeiro, Taylor, Romee Strijd and Lily Aldridge. Constance Jablonski decided to stand out front the pack in a Colossal Misfit logo top which she tucked in to a pair of striped trousers. And like many high profile fashion events, Anna Wintour was also in attendance. The fashion editor showed off her obvious sartorial prowess in a white and navy form-fitting dress as she mingled with an array of modelling talent. She recently said that she 'couldn't imagine doing anything' other than acting. And fortunately, acting is certainly working out well for Lily-Rose Depp, as she debuted her two latest movies in September. So it's no wonder the 17-year-old daughter of Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis was looking so happy as she enjoyed a day off in Los Angeles on Friday. Rising star: Lily-Rose Depp looked cheerful as she headed to lunch in Los Angeles on Friday Lily-Rose couldn't stop smiling while showing off her casual style during an al fresco lunch with a friend. The budding actress was dressed down in a midriff-baring black spaghetti strap top, denim cut-off shorts and grey trainers, with a red handbag slung over her shoulder. Lily-Rose sported natural make-up to highlight her striking features, and wore her dark blonde hair in a fuss-free low bun. A few days earlier, the teen had attended a Chanel dinner in LA. Casual customer: The 17-year-old was dressed down in a black top, denim shorts and grey trainers As well as making her mark on Hollywood, Lily-Rose has been doing some modelling and is the face of the iconic brand's fragrance N.5 L'Eau. It's been a busy few weeks for the rising star, who recently returned from her native Paris where she attended the premiere of her film La Danseuse (The Dancer). The movie follows the life of Loie Fuller (portrayed by Kristen Stewart's ex-girlfriend Soko) and her relationship with protege and rival Isadora Duncan (Depp). Natural beauty: Lily-Rose, who is in the US after travelling around to promote her latest movies, sported just a touch of make-up and wore her hair in a fuss-free bun Hanging out: The budding actress enjoyed a meal al fresco with one of her pals Before that, Lily-Rose joined co-star Natalie Portman to premiere their film Planetarium at both the Venice and Toronto film festivals. In the movie, the pair play sisters in pre-war France who believe they can connect with ghosts. At the Toronto screening, Lily-Rose told the Press Association: 'I always wanted to have a bunch of different jobs when I was little. Tres chic: Lily-Rose has just returned from Paris where she premiered her movie La Danseuse (The Dancer) last month 'It's only in the last five years or so of my life that I really started thinking about (acting). Now that I do it I couldn't imagine doing anything else.' Lily-Rose's acting career has been going from strength to strength, and she will be reprising her role as Colleen Collette from this year's Yoga Hosers in Moose Jaws. The latest comedy-horror offering from Kevin Smith is also rumoured to see the teen's father Johnny reprise his role as Guy Lapointe. The 53-year-old has been out of the spotlight recently in the wake of his divorce from Amber Heard, which saw the 30-year-old receive a $7million settlement after claiming Johnny was abusive towards her. He certainly brings the fire to the Strictly Come Dancing dance floor. And Giovanni Pernice once again proved on Saturday night that his passion lies in the ballroom as he danced with Laura Whitmore to rave reviews from the judges, where they were lauded for the 'sizzling intensity' of the waltz. The 31-year-old Irish TV presenter wowed in an exquisite yellow gown as she took the dance floor on the second week of the series - winning a whopping 32 out of 40 from the tough judging panel. Laura's partnership with Giovanni has been much-discussed since this year's Strictly kicked off shortly after his relationship with last year's partner Georgia May Foote ended. After meeting on the show, Georgia and Giovanni enjoyed a year-long relationship before parting ways earlier this year. Bringing his magic back to the dancefloor, Giovanni is now paired with Georgia's pal Laura and the duo seem to be working spectacularly after their spectacular waltz to the soulful tune of Alicia Keys' If I Ain't Got You. In preparation for the elegant dace, Laura and Giovanni climbed to the top of London's O2 arena to dance under that stars to get ready for their star-spangled dance. Sizzling! Giovanni Pernice once again proved on Saturday night that his passion lies in the ballroom as he danced with Laura Whitmore to rave reviews from the judges, where they were lauded for the 'sizzling intensity' of the waltz Wahey! The 31-year-old Irish TV presenter wowed in an exquisite yellow gown as she took the dance floor on the second week of the series - winning a whopping 32 out of 40 from the tough judging panel Sizzling: Bringing his magic back to the dancefloor, Giovanni is now paired with Georgia's pal Laura and the duo seem to be working spectacularly after their spectacular waltz to the soulful tune of Alicia Keys' If I Ain't Got You Mellow yellow: As the big night arrived, Laura looked sensational during the dance in a sweeping yellow gown as she got extremely close to Giovanni before he planted a big kiss on her cheek at the end of the routine As the big night arrived, Laura looked sensational during the dance in a sweeping yellow gown as she got extremely close to Giovanni before he planted a big kiss on her cheek at the end of the routine. Tough Craig Revel Horwood stunned the audience, when he gushed: 'Absolutely gorgeous, it was romantic without being oversensitive or soppy.' Meanwhile Darcey Bussell concurred, saying: 'The emotion the elegance you had this beautiful arched back. Beautiful work'... Len Goodman was also adoringly stating: 'Your frame work was good. It's a solid performance.' Bruno Tonioli rounded out the comments: 'So silky smooth, such sophistication. Had such a sizzling passionate intensity, like two dancers becoming one. Excellent.' Gorgeous: Tough Craig Revel Horwood stunned the audience, when he gushed: 'Absolutely gorgeous, it was romantic without being oversensitive or soppy' Up here! In preparation for the elegant dace, Laura and Giovanni climbed to the top of London's O2 arena to dance under that stars to get ready for their star-spangled dance Stunner: The happy pair were triumphantly awarded 32 points - the highest score of the night which they shared with Louise Redknapp and Danny Mac The happy pair were triumphantly awarded 32 points - the highest score of the night which they shared with Louise Redknapp and Danny Mac. Louise's Viennese Waltz with Kevin Clifton led the duo to a standing ovation from the audience after they glided their way to yet more high scores. Hollyoaks star Danny's dance with Oti Mabuse wrapped up the show and truly went out with a bang despite him grabbing his partner at the end and whispering: 'I have no idea how that went.' Shunning his usual cruel demeanor, Craig stunned audiences when he said: 'I think you are incredible.... Wow fantastic', before Darcey backed him saying: 'Your focus to do really well, It's elegant.' Beautiful moves: Louise's Viennese Waltz with Kevin Clifton led the duo to a standing ovation from the audience after they glided their way to yet more high scores Wowzers! Hot on the heels of the top scorers was the show's fashion queen, Daisy Lowe who looked sensational in a candy striper outfit before pulling out her Fifties style Cha Cha Cha Pretty in pink: The wildly successful routine went down a storm, with Bruno stating: 'Daisy always serves a hot dish and an even hot oozing natural sex appeal'... Darcey enthusiastically agreed: 'You're flirty, you're sassy, I couldn't take my eyes off your legs they are just so long' The duo were particularly stunned at Len's comments: 'It was a modern twist on an old dance and I liked it' while enthusiastic Bruno gushed: 'You acted like a star.' Hot on the heels of the top scorers was the show's fashion queen, Daisy Lowe who looked sensational in a candy striper outfit before pulling out her Fifties style Cha Cha Cha. The wildly successful routine went down a storm, with Bruno stating: 'Daisy always serves a hot dish and an even hot oozing natural sex appeal'... Darcey agreed: 'You're flirty, you're sassy, I couldn't take my eyes off your legs they are just so long.' Getting ready: Opening the show was TV presenter Ore Oduba and Joanne Clifton dancing the Cha-Cha while playing firefighters. The duo headed to Islington fire station to learn some moves Hot stuff: The energetic pair danced to Donna Summer's 1980 hit Hot Stuff in shimmering outfits adorned with flame detailing. The end of the dance rounded out with Ore scooping up a fake fire extinguisher to shoot glitter into the camera Opening the show was TV presenter Ore Oduba and Joanne Clifton dancing the Cha-Cha while playing firefighters. The duo headed to Islington fire station to learn some moves. The energetic pair danced to Donna Summer's 1980 hit Hot Stuff in shimmering outfits adorned with flame detailing. The end of the dance rounded out with Ore scooping up a fake fire extinguisher to shoot glitter into the camera. Len insisted the fiery routine needed more polish but added 'it was an excellent performance.' Bruno meanwhile lauded the energy of the dance yet urged the presenter for a 'cleaner' routine. While Craig sneered at the outfit, Darcey prised his moves. They scored 27. Ouch! Karen Clifton's dance with Will Young resulted in disaster when he pulled a muscle in his leg Not sure? Gymnast Claudia Fragapane was up next dancing the waltz with the latest pro to join the crew - AJ Pritchard. They danced to Debby Boone's 1977 hit You Light Up My Life Not sure: Causing a divisive reaction among the viewers, Bruno said: 'It was like watching West Side story. Beautiful arm, great arch, just beautiful'. Craig however was offering criticism: 'I feel you're hyper-extending'... Leading to widespread disagreement - including a shock from Bruno when he uttered 'B*****ks' Gymnast Claudia Fragapane was up next dancing the waltz with the latest pro to join the crew - AJ Pritchard. They danced to Debby Boone's 1977 hit You Light Up My Life. Causing a divisive reaction among the viewers, Bruno said: 'It was like watching West Side story. Beautiful arm, great arch, just beautiful'. Craig however was offering criticism: 'I feel you're hyper-extending'... Leading to widespread disagreement - including a shock from Bruno when he uttered 'B*****ks'. Karen Clifton's dance with Will Young resulted in disaster when he pulled a muscle in his leg. Leslie Joseph and Anton Du Beke performed the Cha Cha Cha in a champagne bar setting while moving to Doris Day's hit Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps. Darcey complimented her 'fantastic body' before gushing she loves it. Len concurred, stating it was fizzy. Playful! Leslie Joseph and Anton Du Beke performed the Cha Cha Cha in a champagne bar setting while moving to Doris Day's hit Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps. Darcey complimented her 'fantastic body' before gushing she loves it. Len concurred, stating it was fizzy Big bum! Greg Rutherford and Natalie Lowe were up next and practised in the UK's largest wind tunnel. Len pointed out his bum sticks out too much to which Greg accepted he has a big bum. The Olympian's derriere then became the hot topic of conversation Greg Rutherford and Natalie Lowe were up next and practised in the UK's largest wind tunnel. Len pointed out his bum sticks out too much to which Greg accepted he has a big bum. The Olympian's derriere then became the hot topic of conversation. Cheeky Bruno once again brought up his buttocks, saying: 'The bum I don't mind at all... Sorry people, I'm going to get in trouble again.' Craig went on: 'As lovely as your bum is sweetheart you need to tuck it in, before Darcey went on: 'I like the buttocks as well but you need to tuck it in'. At the end of the dance, Tess went on: 'Take those popular buttocks upstairs.' Oops! Cheeky Bruno once again brought up his buttocks, saying: 'The bum I don't mind at all... Sorry people, I'm going to get in trouble again' Tameka Empson and Gorka Marquez. danced the Charleston to which Bruno called her: "The queen of slapstick" Mr Nasty Craig cracked a smile and praised the dance. Ed Balls' proudly discussed getting into character for the banjo dance. To which Craig stated: 'That's a site I wish to never see again. This dance is supposed to be goofy but that is the wrong side of goofy. It was disastrous'. Darcey meanwhile was more warmhearted. He hit back at Len for making a jibe about his leadership as he hit back with "We won three elections" - Bruno said "Tony Blair would be proud.. It's nice to see the fun side of balls". Check her out! Tameka Empson and Gorka Marquez. danced the Charleston to which Bruno called her: "The queen of slapstick" Mr Nasty Craig cracked a smile and praised the dance US rail safety under microscope after deadly crash This week's train crash at a major transport hub to Manhattan -- the fifth deadly US rail accident in under three years -- spotlighted safety concerns and chronic underinvestment in America. One woman was killed and more than 100 people injured when a commuter train traveling "at a high rate of speed" plowed into the station at Hoboken, New Jersey during the morning rush hour on Thursday. Experts said it was miraculous that more people were not killed given that the train was carrying 250 passengers and the first carriage flew into the air before slamming into the interior wall of the terminal, collapsing portions of the roof. A New Jersey Transit rail car is seen at Penn Station during the morning commute on September 30, 2016 in New York Dominick Reuter (AFP) Investigators said Friday that it could take days before they can comment on the cause of the crash, but experts highlighted safety problems and sluggish investment in upgrading railroads in a country where most people travel by car or plane. Thursday's destruction marked the fourth deadly rail crash in less than three years on the East Coast alone. New Jersey's Republican Governor Chris Christie, a prominent ally in Donald Trump's race to become president, in July temporarily shut down $2.7 billion worth of New Jersey Transit projects in a political dispute with state Democrats. His transportation official denied any culpability in Thursday's crash, saying that no safety or maintenance expense had been affected. But New Jersey Transit, which ferries hundreds of thousands of commuters to and from work each week, has suffered from poor investment for years. - Expensive technology - A federal law passed in 2008 required rail companies to adopt Positive Train Control, a technology designed to help prevent accidents, by the end of 2015. The date was then pushed back to 2018, but with the technology expensive and state budgets tight, many parts of the country are still lagging behind. The system slows a train automatically if the conductor does not abide by signals or the mandated speed limit. But it has yet to be installed on any New Jersey trains or track segments, and no staff have been trained how to use it, according to an NJ Transit report filed two weeks ago with the department of transportation, the Daily News reported. The vice president of the National Transportation Safety Board, while refusing to speculate on the cause of Thursday's crash, confirmed that investigators would examine what role the system could have played in this case. Speeding was the cause of both an Amtrak derailment in Philadelphia in 2015 that killed eight people and wounded 200 others and the Metro-North crash in New York in December 2013 which killed four people and wounded 67. Robert Halstead, a railroad accident reconstruction specialist based in Syracuse, New York, told AFP that around half the country has so far adopted the Positive Train Control technology, with California the most advanced. "The problem is the cost: It costs between $75,000 and $100,0000 to equip one single locomotive. Then there is the cost of equipping the line," he said. "Nationwide the cost to equip everything with PTC is $10-$15 billion -- and that is money taken out of the maintenance budget," he said. - Plethora of companies - But if funding is one problem, another constraint is the plethora of railroad companies, which use different types of locomotives and different communication protocols, which need to be standardized. Trains in the United States generally move more slowly than in Europe. One reason is that the cars are heavier, because the standard for crashworthiness is actually higher in America, Halstead said. But unlike in Europe, few US lines are dedicated passenger routes. Instead they are most often shared with freight -- meaning that the lines wear out more quickly and require more maintenance. Despite a small increase since 2009, the International Transport Forum of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development showed that the United States lagged far behind Europe and Japan in terms of rail investment. The US invested less than 0.1 percent of its GDP in rail systems in 2013 -- a quarter of what was spent by Britain and one sixth of the investments by France and Australia, The New York Times reported. The crash in Hoboken, New Jersey marked the fourth deadly rail crash in less than three years on the East Coast alone Bryan R. Smith (AFP/File) France pushes UN draft resolution on Aleppo ceasefire France on Friday discussed a UN draft resolution on imposing a ceasefire in Syria's battleground city of Aleppo with Russia, the United States and the two other permanent Security Council members, diplomats said. The draft text calls for a cessation of hostilities in Aleppo, where the Syrian army has launched an offensive to retake the rebel-held east of the city. The proposed resolution would also provide for aid deliveries to besieged eastern Aleppo and the grounding of all Syrian and Russian planes in that area. Syrian volunteers carry an injured person on a stretcher following Syrian government forces airstrikes on the rebel held neighbourhood of Heluk in Aleppo Thaer Mohammed (AFP) A ceasefire monitoring mechanism would be set up with experts from the 20-nation International Syrian Support Group (ISSG) taking part, said a diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity. "Russia did not show any immediate opposition," said the diplomat. The idea is "not to push Russia to impose a veto but to try to overcome the impasse of mutual accusations" between Moscow and Washington for the collapse of the ceasefire, he said. "It is not going to be easy," he added. The United Nations is calling for a weekly 48-hour ceasefire to allow vital humanitarian aid deliveries to reach war-battered civilians in Aleppo. Following the meeting with the permanent council members including Britain and China, diplomats were to hold negotiations on the text over the weekend, with a draft resolution to be circulated to the full Security Council on Monday. The new diplomatic push at the United Nations came as the United States said earlier that US-Russia talks to revive the ceasefire deal were "on life support." Pentagon chief Ashton Carter on Friday criticized the "deeply troubling" remarks by Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, in which he likened his deadly war on crime to Hitler's efforts to exterminate Jews. Carter's comments came during a regional security summit with Southeast Asian ally nations, where he sought to reassure counterparts that Washington's ongoing commitment to its Asia "rebalance" would continue into the next US administration. Earlier Friday, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte had made televised remarks drawing parallels between his campaign to wipe out his country's drug problem and Adolf Hitler's genocidal drive. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte likened his deadly war on crime to Hitler's efforts to exterminate Jews Manman Dejeto (AFP) "Hitler massacred three million Jews. Now there are three million drug addicts (in the Philippines). I'd be happy to slaughter them," Duterte told reporters in his home city of Davao. Carter said the remarks were not discussed at the summit. But "speaking personally for myself, I find those comments deeply troubling," he said. The "informal" meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), held on Oahu in Hawaii, focused mainly on longer-standing regional issues such as continued unease over China's growing reach across the South China Sea. Beijing has in recent years expanded its physical presence in the strategically vital waterway, turning small maritime features, islets and reefs into much larger islands capable of holding military facilities. Carter has repeatedly stressed that the US military will ignore Beijing's contentious South China Sea claims, and keep operating in waters and airspace surrounding the islands. "The United States would like to help all our nations see more, share more, and do more to keep Southeast Asia's vital waterways open and secure," Carter said earlier Friday. Another topic high on the agenda was the rise in Islamic State-affiliated groups, especially in Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines, as well as the return from Iraq and Syria of war-hardened jihadists. "I was able to describe how the defeat of (IS) in Iraq and Syria would demonstrate that there is no state based upon (their) Ideology," Carter said. But that "I also expected to see real and attempted metastases to ASEAN nations." Singapore Defense Minister Ng Eng Hen said the issue was a "core concern" among ASEAN members, and warned that IS and affiliated jihadists had grown better organized and networked over the past year or so. "If ISIS is diminished or dismembered in Iraq and Syria, in the short term we would actually suffer because they have more than 1,000 foreign fighters there. They will decide to come back -- some energized, some trained and the networks will still be existing," Ng said. - Ongoing 'pivot'- The US rebalance towards Asia -- or "pivot," as it is sometimes called -- has been a cornerstone of President Barack Obama's foreign policy, with a shifting of focus away from the Middle East and toward the Asia-Pacific region. Obama has mended relations with Myanmar, Vietnam and Laos while bolstering regional blocs and providing a counterbalance to China's regional ambitions. Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines recently agreed to conduct joint sea patrols to fight piracy, organized crime, and terrorist activity in the Sulu Sea. A senior US defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said he was confident that the United States would retain its Asia focus whatever the result of November's presidential election. "We've got a good thing going," he said. "There are a lot of opportunities left over. And we want to make sure that our position in the region is solid for the next president." The Pentagon chief met privately with all 10 defense ministers, including the Philippines' Delfin Lorenzana, a former diplomat who lived for 14 years in Washington. Carter said the two had "very good" discussions about the continuation of the two countries' military alliance, which dates back more than 60 years, and which the Pentagon chief on Thursday said was "ironclad." Their meeting drew intense scrutiny following Duterte's Hitler comments, and other remarks earlier this week in which he vowed to end joint military exercises with the United States. The firebrand leader has also called Obama a "son of a whore" and extended overtures to China, potentially upsetting the strong US-Philippine alliance. Lorenzana declined to comment on his president's comments when contacted by AFP. Pentagon chief Ashton Carter has sought to reassure counterparts that America's ongoing commitment to its Asia "rebalance" would continue into the next US administration Brendan Smialowski (AFP/File) Philadelphia Orchestra strikes moments before gala Musicians of the Philadelphia Orchestra went on strike Friday moments before donors opened a black-tie gala, in the latest labor unrest in the tight-belted US classical music world. With dramatic timing, the musicians' union voted to strike as guests arrived for an annual opening night gala to support the institution, traditionally considered one of the big five orchestras in the United States. The musicians held up picket signs at the door rather than play at the gala, where they would have performed a selection under its star conductor Yannick Nezet-Seguin, a Canadian recently named as music director of the Metropolitan Opera in New York. Aretha Franklin (R) and Condoleezza Rice (L) are seen performing with the Philadelphia Orchestra at the Mann Center for Performing Arts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Jeff Fusco (Getty/AFP/File) The musicians' union in a statement said that the performers were not "greedy" but wanted to end a "downward spiral" and attract top talent who could instead go to other orchestras. "We make no apology for wanting to be well compensated when we have devoted countless hours of hard work to achieving a level of musicianship which has placed us at the very top of our profession," the union said in a statement. The musicians said that they reluctantly accepted multiple wage cuts even though the orchestra came out of bankruptcy more than four years ago. The management said it offered a package that included annual pay increases of two percent for the next three years off annual base pay of $127,608. Orchestra president Allison Vulgamore said in a statement that the strike was "naturally disappointing" but said the institution was making progress and hoped for a deal soon with the union. US classical music institutions, which rely heavily on donors in contrast to European counterparts which enjoy substantial public funding, have struggled to stabilize their finances since the 2008 financial crisis. The Minnesota Orchestra and Atlanta Symphony Orchestra in recent years have both locked out their musicians amid contract disputes. The Philadelphia Orchestra is among the most internationally minded US classical institutions, in 1973 becoming the first US orchestra to perform in China. Hong Kong leader calls for unity with China as protesters gather Hong Kong's leader called on the city to unite behind its current political system Saturday in the face of increasing calls for independence from China, as protesters were bundled from the auditorium where he was speaking. Leung Chun-ying was giving an annual address as part of National Day celebrations which mark the founding of the People's Republic of China by Mao Zedong in 1949, after communist forces won a civil war on the mainland. Hong Kong is governed under a semi-autonomous "one country, two systems" arrangement -- a deal made when the city was handed back to China by Britain in 1997. A small group of protesters led by rebel lawmaker Leung Kwok-hung (C) gathered outside the convention centre calling for the release of political prisoners in China Isaac Lawrence (AFP) The agreement protects Hong Kong's freedoms for 50 years, but there are growing fears those liberties are being eroded by Beijing, leading to increasing tensions. Leung described the system as the "most beneficial and most practical" for Hong Kong. "One country, two systems needs each and every Hong Kong resident to defend it to their utmost," Leung said. He also encouraged young Hong Kongers to visit China, saying there was "deep kinship" between the two sides.A group of pro-democracy lawmakers interrupted the speech shouting: "CY step down!". Security escorted them from the hall at the harbourfront convention centre, with one district councillor carried out. Veteran Democratic Party legislator James To, among the protesters, said Leung had "caused divisions in the city and has made Hong Kongers feel they can't go on (with Leung in charge)". - 'Hong Kong independence' - Several new legislators who won seats in elections last month and are calling for self-determination and independence for Hong Kong boycotted the event. Former protest leader Nathan Law, who at 23 is the youngest ever member of the Legislative Council, said he stayed away because of what he described as China's human rights violations. "As long as they don't recognise that what they are doing is wrong, we shouldn't go and celebrate this kind of holiday," Law said, listing the Cultural Revolution and the disappearance last year of five booksellers from Hong Kong as among the incidents. The booksellers worked for a publishing house known for salacious titles about Beijing leaders. All surfaced in detention in China. Law led mass pro-democracy rallies in 2014 which failed to win concessions from Beijing. He is now calling for self-determination for the city. Since the 2014 rallies, there have been increasing demands for a break from China. Newly elected pro-independence lawmaker Yau Wai-ching also boycotted the event. "It's not the national day of the Hong Kongers," she told AFP. Large red banners calling for Hong Kong independence were draped across several university buildings Saturday. A small group of protesters led by rebel lawmaker Leung Kwok-hung, known as "Long Hair", gathered outside the convention centre calling for the release of political prisoners in China. They held up a makeshift coffin scrawled with the words "In memory of the people's heroes", and threw "hell money" -- paper replicas of bank notes traditionally burned at funerals. Around 50 pro-Beijing supporters wearing red t-shirts marched through the city's Tsim Sha Tsui retail district Saturday afternoon waving large Chinese flags and blaring the national anthem. They also sang patriotic songs and shouted "we are Chinese" and "oppose Hong Kong independence". A small group of protesters led by rebel lawmaker Leung Kwok-hung (C) gathered outside the convention centre calling for the release of political prisoners in China Isaac Lawrence (AFP) Leung Chun-ying has described "one country, two systems" as the "most beneficial and most practical" for Hong Kong Anthony Wallace (AFP/File) Veteran Democratic Party legislator James To said Leung Chun-ying had "caused divisions in the city and has made Hong Kongers feel they can't go on (with Leung in charge)" Anthony Wallace (AFP/File) North Korea building new submarine: US think tank Recent satellite imagery suggests North Korea may be building a new, larger submarine for ballistic missiles, a US think tank has said, as the isolated state pushes its nuclear weapons programme. The news comes after the North in August test-fired a submarine-launched missile (SLBM) 500 kilometres (around 300 miles) towards Japan, which leader Kim Jong-Un said put the US mainland and the Pacific within striking range. "Commercial satellite imagery strongly suggests that a naval construction program is underway at North Korea's Sinpo South Shipyard, possibly to build a new submarine," the US-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins University said on its closely-watched website, 38 North. Undated photo released in August shows a test-fire of strategic submarine-launched ballistic missile at an undisclosed location "If this activity is indeed to build a new submarine, it would appear to be larger than North Korea's GORAE-class experimental ballistic missile submarine, which has a beam of approximately 7 meters." Analysts say that while Pyongyang has made faster progress in its SLBM system than originally expected, it is still years away from deployment. A proven SLBM system would take North Korea's nuclear strike threat to a new level, allowing deployment far beyond the Korean peninsula and a "second-strike" capability in the event of an attack on its military bases. South Korea's military authorities believe Pyongyang is eyeing a submarine capable of carrying multiple SLBMs, to replace an existing experimental submarine used for the August test, according to Seoul's Yonhap news agency. North Korea is barred under UN resolutions from any use of ballistic missile technology, but this year alone it has test-fired more than 20 missiles and carried out two nuclear tests. Its fifth and most powerful nuclear test on September 9, when Pyongyang detonated what it said was a miniaturised atomic bomb, provoked worldwide condemnation and prompted the UN Security Council to begin work on a new sanctions resolution. Also this month, the North claimed to have successfully ground tested a new, high-powered rocket engine, a move Seoul said was designed to showcase its progress towards being able to target the US east coast. Paris luxury hotel must pay after guest molested cleaner A cleaner who was molested at a Paris luxury hotel by a Qatari guest in 2010 has been awarded 57,000 euros ($63,500), according to a court ruling seen on Friday by AFP. The Paris labour relations tribunal found that the five-star Park Hyatt Paris-Vendome and the company that provides its cleaning crew lacked sufficient safeguards against such incidents. It ordered the Park Hyatt to pay the cleaner 30,000 euros, while the service provider must pay 27,000 euros over the incident involving a member of the entourage of a Qatari prince. Park Hyatt Paris-Vendome became in 2011 one of the eight deluxe French hotels crowned with the rare distinction of 'palace' status, a new industry classification for luxury that goes beyond a mere five stars Joel Saget (AFP/File) The cleaner, a Guinean national who is now aged 33 and requested anonymity, was fired in January 2011 for refusing to transfer to another hotel after reportedly attempting suicide and taking sick leave on several occasions for "post-traumatic stress". The tribunal ruled that her dismissal was "tantamount to discrimination". The hotel was also faulted for failing to alert the police on the evening of the assault, "which allowed the aggressor to flee" the following day. "It's a first in the area of sexual harassment," the cleaner's lawyer Maude Beckers told AFP. The Park Hyatt said it was in "total disagreement" with the ruling and would appeal. Philippines' Duterte defiant over 'slaughter' call Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte refused to back down Saturday over his stated desire to slaughter millions of people, as global condemnation built against him likening his crime war with Hitler's efforts to exterminate Jews. Duterte on Friday drew parallels with the Nazi's mass murder of Jews and his anti-drug crackdown, which has left more than 3,000 people dead and raised concerns about the rule of law crumbling in the chaotic Asian democracy. Facing a fierce international backlash, Duterte's spokesman released a statement insisting the president did not want to be compared with Nazi leader Adolf Hitler but confirmed he was prepared to kill three million people in his crime war. Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte won elections in May in a landslide after a campaign dominated by his pledge to eradicate drugs by killing tens of thousands of people Manman Dejeto (AFP/File) "We do not wish to diminish the profound loss of six million Jews in the Holocaust," presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said in a statement. "The president's reference to the slaughter was an oblique deflection of the way he has been pictured as a mass murderer, a Hitler, a label he rejects." Nevertheless, Abella confirmed Duterte had intended to say he wanted to kill millions of people in the Philippines to achieve his mission of eradicating illegal drugs. "Duterte was referencing to his 'willingness to kill' three million criminal drug dealers - to save the future of the next generation and the country," Abella said. On Friday Duterte raised the example of Hitler's genocidal campaign against Jews, as he talked about his efforts to extinguish the illegal drug trade in the Philippines. "There are three million drug addicts (in the Philippines). I'd be happy to slaughter them," Duterte said. "At least if Germany had Hitler, the Philippines would have," he said, then paused. "But you know, my victims, I would like to be (sic) all criminals to finish the problem of my country and save the next generation from perdition." Duterte, 71, won elections in May in a landslide after a campaign dominated by his pledge to eradicate drugs by killing tens of thousands of people. Since Duterte took office on June 30, police have killed more than 1,200 people and about 1,800 others have died in unexplained circumstances, according to official figures. - Condemnation - The United States, a former colonial ruler of the Philippines and until Duterte's ascension its most important ally, condemned his Hitler comments. "I'll stress that it (relationship) has to be one that's based on shared values, democratic values, respect for human rights, and words matter," US State Department deputy spokesman Mark Toner said in Washington. "And within that context, President Duterte's comments are a significant departure from that tradition. And we find them troubling." US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter also described Duterte's comments as "deeply troubling". The United Nations special adviser on the prevention of genocide, Adama Dieng, warned in a statement that Duterte may be in danger of committing crimes against humanity. Dieng called on Duterte to "exercise restraint in the use of language that could exacerbate discrimination, hostility and violence and encourage the commission of criminal acts which, if widespread or systematic, could amount to crimes against humanity". Phelim Kine, deputy Asia director for Human Rights Watch called on the US and the European Union to act, saying Duterte's comments could further embolden police and other armed groups to "lawlessly slaughter" fellow Filipinos. At home, Duterte congressional allies Sarah Elago and Marjohara Tucay of the small Kabataan (Youth) party drew the line on the Hitler comments. "When it comes to your independent foreign policy... we can lend you unequivocal support. But if you start comparing yourself to Hitler, we will not have any of it," they said in a statement. Duterte has in recent months faced relentless criticism from Western governments and rights groups over the apparent extrajudicial killings. US President Barack Obama called on Duterte to fight his drug war "the right way", and respect the rule of law. Duterte, 71, has typically reacted with defiance abusive language to his critics, while insisting he is not doing anything illegal. Duterte has branded Obama a "son of a whore", called UN chief Ban Ki-moon a "fool" and said "fuck you" to the European Union while raising his middle finger. Since Duterte came to power on June 30, police have killed more than 1,200 people and about 1,800 others have died in unexplained circumstances Ted Aljibe (AFP/File) Sharks: feared predator in need of protection Sharks may elicit less sympathy than elephants or rhinos, but experts say the feared predators are under increasing pressure from unmanaged commercial fishing and desperately in need of further protection. Unregulated fishing and international trade in shark products for human consumption have led to a precipitous drop in numbers. An estimated 100 million sharks are killed every year, according to an authoritative 2013 study, an amount that conservationists say threatens the survival of many shark species. Sharks may elicit less sympathy than elephants or rhinos, but experts say the feared predators are under fierce pressure from unmanaged commercial fishing Sia Kambou (AFP/File) Sharks are slow-growing and slow to reproduce, and the market for their body parts -- especially fins and gill plates -- are driving overfishing. Shark are also hunted for their meat, skin, liver oil and cartilage, as well as being accidentally caught by industrial "longline" fishing. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) conference, which is under way in Johannesburg, is to vote on whether to increase protection for the silky shark and three species of thresher sharks. The decision would put them into the CITES "appendix II", which bans all trade in parts, unless under stringent conditions. "The demand particularly for fins, for meat and gill plates is higher than ever," warned Andy Cornish, an expert on sharks at the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). "Many countries have no management whatsoever for sharks -- anybody can take whatever they want. "Even in some countries that have regulations, they are not well enforced, and as a result, 25 percent of sharks and rays and their relatives are threatened with extinction." - 'Part of ocean fabric' - Fiji, Sri Lanka and the Maldives, which rely on marine life for tourism, are leading proposals to have 13 threatened species of shark and rays given stronger CITES protection. "Sharks are a vital ecological part of the ocean fabric and rays are keystone species, so we need to protect them," Dan Ashe, director of the US Fish and Wildlife Services, told AFP. "Silky sharks, thresher sharks and the devil rays are being unsustainably harvested." Fins are the most valuable part of sharks, with shark fin soup often consumed at prestigious banquets in China, Hong Kong and Singapore. "Finning" -- slicing off shark fins while they are alive and tossing them back into the water to die -- has been banned by many regional fishing bodies, but still occurs in parts of south-east Asia. In a high-profile attempt to curb consumption, China recently outlawed fin soup at state functions. According to the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), sales of shark and ray meat rose 40 percent in the decade to 2011. "The global trade in shark and ray parts and products is nearing $1 billion in annual value," said Amie Brautigan, WCS's sharks and rays expert. In 2003, basking sharks and whale sharks were the first sharks put onto appendix II, and following the last CITES meeting in 2013, a total of eight species of sharks and all manta rays were included. - Not the movies - Rallying behind the need for more protection is South African shark attack survivor Achmat Hassiem. Ten years ago, Hassiem, a lifeguard, lost half his leg when a great white shark attacked him in the sea off Cape Town. He has since become a Paralympian swimmer -- and an advocate for conservation. "I think movies that portray sharks as man-eating monsters do a huge disservice to sharks," the 34-year-old told AFP. "As top predators in the oceans, they play a crucial role in the food chain. Without them, there is an imbalance that funnels right down to the coral." If the CITES shark proposals are adopted, shark catching countries will be required to regulate fishing and issue export permits to ensure sustainability in the wild. The conference in Johannesburg, which ends on Wednesday, is sifting through 62 proposals to tighten or loosen trade restrictions on around 500 species. Indonesian customs and quarantine officials inspect shark fins seized at Jakarta airport, intended for shipment to Hong Kong Bima Sakti (AFP/File) A giant manta ray, caught by a fishermen, is being cut up on a boat in Taizhou, in eastern China's Zhejiang province - (AFP/File) California toughens rape laws after infamous Stanford case California's governor has signed a measure mandating prison time for people who rape unconscious or intoxicated victims, the fallout in the case of an ex-Stanford student athlete that sparked widespread outrage. Governor Jerry Brown signed the legislation Friday, just weeks after 21-year-old Brock Turner, formerly on the Stanford swim team, was released from jail. Turner served just three months of his six-month sentence for raping an intoxicated and unconscious 22-year-old woman behind a dumpster at a fraternity house. Brock Turner -- the former Stanford University student -- served just three months of his six-month sentence for raping an intoxicated and unconscious woman Brown said in a statement that he is generally "opposed to adding more mandatory sentences." However he believes this legislation "brings a measure of parity to sentencing for criminal acts that are substantially similar," he said in a statement. Mandatory minimum sentence critics often say that these measures disproportionately affect minority and low-income defendants, and result in prison overcrowding. Brown also signed into law a bill expanding the legal definition of rape to include all forms of nonconsensual sexual assault. The judge who handled the Turner case, Aaron Persky -- himself a Stanford alum -- set off a firestorm of outrage in June when he sentenced the swimmer to just six months in prison followed by three years of probation, ignoring prosecutors' call for a six-year prison term. The case threw a spotlight on the problem of rape and sexual assault on US college campuses, amid criticism that handling of these cases is often lax and has given rise to a climate of impunity. Turner's victim, identified as "Emily Doe," made a powerful statement at his sentencing that drew international attention. "Rapists like Brock Turner shouldn't be let off with a slap on the wrist," said Evan Low, a state assemblyman and co-author of the legislation, in a statement. "Judge Persky's ruling was unjustifiable and morally wrong," the lawmaker said. "However, under current state law it was within his discretion." Artillery fire rocks Aleppo as Syria army presses assault Heavy artillery exchanges rocked Syria's battleground second city Aleppo throughout the night as government forces pressed a two-pronged assault on rebel-held districts, an AFP correspondent reported on Saturday. The government's offensive to recapture the whole of Aleppo has been bolstered by its Russian ally's rejection of Western demands for a halt to its deadly bombing campaign in support of the advancing troops. There have been mounting civilian casualties on both sides of the divided city. About 250,000 residents are living under siege by the army in the rebel-held east, and around 1.2 million face daily rocket fire by the rebels on the government-held west. Syria's conflict has killed more than 300,000 people and displaced over half the population Amer Almohibany (AFP) Medical charity Doctors Without Borders has described the impact of Syrian and Russian bombardment of the east as a "bloodbath." Six children were among 20 civilians killed in the rebel-held sector on Friday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. More than 220 people have been killed in the east of the city since the government launched its offensive on September 22, the Britain-based monitoring group said. In west Aleppo, rebel rocket fire killed 15 civilians and wounded 40 on Friday, state television reported. The fighting saw the army advance in both the Suleiman al-Halabi neighbourhood in the city centre and the Bustan al-Basha district in the north, the Observatory said. Residents of government-held neighbourhoods expressed relief that the rebels were being pushed back but said they feared retaliation. "We were happy when we heard about the army's advance," said Majed Abboud, a 32-year-old car dealer. "But I'm afraid that with these ferocious clashes, there will be some kind of reaction from the armed groups," he said. "They hit us with rockets and there were many casualties today (Friday) in Suleiman al-Halabi and Al-Midan." The offensive has seen the army win back territory in the north of Aleppo it had not held since 2013. Troops have also pushed back the front line in the city centre which had remained largely static since the rebels seized eastern districts in 2012. But the civilian death toll has triggered mounting outrage in the West against both the regime and its Russian ally. British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson told Saturday's Sun newspaper that Moscow risked becoming an international pariah. Aleppo hospital hit as Syria army presses assault The largest hospital in rebel-held east Aleppo was bombed for the second time in days as Syrian government forces pressed a Russian-backed offensive to retake the entire city. Aleppo, once Syria's vibrant commercial powerhouse, is now at the heart of a major military campaign by President Bashar al-Assad's fighters and his steadfast ally Moscow. The offensive, announced on September 22, has seen dozens of civilians killed and residential buildings flattened in the east, where an estimated 250,000 people live under government siege. Staff member inspects the damage at the site of a hospital after it was reportedly hit by Syrian regime barrel bombs in the rebel-held neighbourhood of al-Sakhour in Aleppo Thaer Mohammed (AFP) Diplomatic efforts to end the fighting across the country have all but collapsed. However, the foreign ministers of the United States and Russia, which brokered a week-long truce deal that collapsed last month, spoke by phone on Saturday. The foreign ministry in Moscow said on Facebook that Sergei Lavrov spoke to his American counterpart John Kerry and they "examined the situation in Syria, including the possibility of normalising the situation around Aleppo". It said "illegal armed groups" continue fighting in the city despite Russian-US agreements. And Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova warned the US against taking any direct action against Damascus or the Syrian army. "It will lead to terrible, tectonic shifts not only on the territory of this country but also in the region in general," she said, according to the Russian state-controlled news provider Sputnik. As the situation for civilians in Aleppo grows increasingly dire, the largest hospital in the east of the city was hit by barrel bombs on Saturday, the medical organisation that supports it said. "Two barrel bombs hit the M10 hospital and there were reports of a cluster bomb as well," said Adham Sahloul of the Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS). Sahloul said a small group of patients and doctors "were inside the hospital for basic triage, bandaging, and cleaning services for emergency cases" when the bombardment began. - 'SOS, everyone!' - SAMS radiologist and hospital administrator Mohammad Abu Rajab made an urgent call for help from inside M10. "The hospital is being destroyed! SOS, everyone!" he said in an audio message distributed to journalists. M10 had already been hit on Wednesday along with the second-largest hospital in the area, M2. That bombardment badly damaged the two facilities and left only six fully-functional hospitals in east Aleppo, according to SAMS. At the bombed hospital, an AFP journalist saw bloodstained hospital beds and dented equipment lying in disarray beneath blown-out windows. "A new barrel bomb fell this afternoon in front of the hospital, forcing medical staff... to evacuate all patients to another one and leave the hospital," a doctor at M10 told AFP. European Parliament president Martin Schulz called the hospital bombing a "war crime", tweeting that the international community "must unite to prevent city annihilation". French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said "the systematic targeting of structures and health workers is particularly unjustifiable". The six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council urged the UN Security Council to "immediately intervene to stop the aggression against Aleppo". The World Health Organization has called Syria the world's most dangerous place for health workers, and Aleppo in particular has seen much of its medical infrastructure destroyed or heavily damaged. Since fighting first broke out there in 2012, Aleppo has been divided by a front line between rebel forces in the east and government troops in the west. - Water cuts - After the government launched its offensive last month, more than 220 people have been killed by bombardment on Aleppo's east, including six children and 12 other civilians on Friday, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. In west Aleppo, rebel rocket fire killed 15 civilians and wounded 40 on Friday, state television reported. The official news agency SANA said 13 people were wounded Saturday in the western Al-Midan neighbourhood, also by rebel shellfire. The assault has seen government forces seize territory in both the Suleiman al-Halabi neighbourhood in the city centre and on the northern edges of Aleppo. On Saturday, regime loyalists advanced on the edges of the Bustan al-Basha neighbourhood in Aleppo's north, the Observatory said. An AFP correspondent said clashes and the loud booms of shelling were heard around the Suleiman al-Halabi and Bustan al-Basha fronts throughout the night. An official at the Suleiman al-Halabi pumping station in the rebel-held area said most of Aleppo had water cuts on Saturday because of damage. Residents of regime-held areas expressed relief that the rebels were being pushed back, but said they feared retaliation. The battle for Aleppo has sparked some of the most brutal violence since the March 2011 beginning of Syria's conflict, which has killed more than 300,000 people and displaced over half the population. The Doctors Without Borders (MSF) medical charity warned Friday that "bombs are raining" over the city, turning east Aleppo into "a giant kill box". Aleppo facing humanitarian catastrophe -, -, - (AFP Graphic) An estimated 250,000 people live in the rebel-held districts of Aleppo Thaer Mohammed (AFP) Syria's conflict has killed more than 300,000 people and displaced over half the population Amer Almohibany (AFP) Syrian civilians and rescuers gather at site of air strikes in the rebel-held neighbourhood of Al-Shaar in Aleppo, on September 27, 2016 Karam Al-Masri (AFP/File) India-Pakistan tensions stir villagers' wartime memories As he surveyed his largely deserted village along India's border with Pakistan, Kuldeep Singh cast his mind to his childhood when his home was on the frontline of a full-blown war between the two arch rivals. "All of this reminds me of when I was a boy back in 1971 and I can now understand what my father must have felt like sending me away to live with his relatives back then," said the father-of-three. "My wife and kids are already getting restless to come back home after three days. I'm also missing them but we don't yet know what's going to happen, so it's better to wait another day or two." Indian Border Security Force (BSF) personnel patrol on horses at the India-Pakistan border village Daoke Narinder Nanu (AFP) The 54-year-old farm labourer sent his wife and three children to live with relatives after a dramatic escalation of tensions between the two nuclear armed-rivals this week which saw India carry out a series of strikes on the Pakistani side of the de facto border in divided Kashmir. The evacuation order was delivered over the loudspeaker from the local gurdwara (temple) in what is a mainly Sikh village. The Singh family's village of Naushera Dhalla in the northern Punjab state is around 40 kilometers (25 miles) from the Sikh holy city of Amritsar and barely a kilometre from the border. Like Kashmir, Punjab was also divided between India and Pakistan when both gained their independence at the end of British colonial rule seven decades ago and parts of the state became battlefields when the two countries went to war in 1965 and most recently in 1971. While India says it has no desire for a further escalation in the situation, it has nevertheless ordered thousands of villagers to move away from the border in case they once again become a theatre of war. While most of Naushera Dhalla's 4,500 residents have sought shelter elsewhere, a few male residents have stayed behind to look after their land and livestock and protect their property from potential looters. Speaking to an AFP correspondent while huddled in the centre of the village, those who have remained all said they felt they couldn't afford to do otherwise but had no illusions about what was at stake. - Theatre of war - Lakhvinder Singh, a 58-year-old tailor, said he too had vivid memories of the 1971 war when Naushera Dhalla also emptied in a matter of hours and soldiers took over their rudimentary mud-hut homes. "The shelling and firing started around 5.15pm in the evening and we left by around 9.30pm the same night," he said. "We could see the light of bombs and gunfire in the dark night from both the sides. "It is tense at the moment but I don't think there will be war -- there shouldn't be a war. "But if there is, it's people like us who will lose the most. Even though we are happy for what our government has done with an attack on terrorists, we don't think war will do us any good." The 1971 war, which began after India intervened in the war of separation which led to Bangladesh's (formerly east Pakistan) independence. Since then, both countries have become nuclear powers, which means that any sharp downturn in relations sends alarm bells ringing in diplomatic circles. In another village even closer to the border, Sohan Singh said he could remember way back to partition when Punjab became the main setting for the largest mass migration in history before becoming a war zone. Sohan Singh, who gave his age as "about 85", said there was no way that he would take to his heels and desert the small village of Danoi Khurd also close to the border. "Where would we go? If we leave, we will starve," said Singh, surrounded by around two dozen male villagers who were all discussing the tensions. "I'll be here for as long as I am alive." Map of Kashmir showing the de facto Line of Control between India and Pakistan Yemen rebels claim attack on UAE military vessel Yemeni rebels claimed on Saturday that they hit a vessel operated by the Emirati military, which is part of a Saudi-led coalition fighting in support of Yemen's government. The UAE military said a boat under its command was involved in an "incident" in the Bab al-Mandab strait. It said there were no casualties. "Rockets targeted an Emirati warship as it approached the coast of Mokha" on the Red Sea, the Iran-backed Huthi rebels said in a statement on their sabanews.net website. Yemeni female fighters supporting the Shiite Huthi rebels sit in the back of a heavily armed vehicle during an anti-Saudi rally in Sanaa Mohammed Huwais (AFP) "It was completely destroyed," they said. In a statement published by the official WAM news agency, the Emirati military said the boat was on a routine trip from Aden, further south, and that an investigation has begun. It said the boat had been hired, but did not provide more details or say if the vessel was damaged. The UAE is a key member of the coalition that has been battling Iran-backed Huthi rebels and their allies since March last year in support of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi's internationally recognised government. Since March 2015, the coalition has pushed the rebels out of much of Yemen's south, but they still control nearly all of the country's Red Sea coast as well as swathes of territory around the capital Sanaa. In the northern province of Jawf, pro-government forces on Saturday recaptured large parts of the town of Ghail after clashes that killed 11 rebels and five loyalists, military sources said. Jawf is on the border with Saudi Arabia and is mostly controlled by loyalist forces. In the Bab al-Mandab region itself, fighting on Saturday killed three loyalists and wounded 17, other military sources said. The clashes took place in the mountainous Kahbub area overlooking the strait. Five rebels were also killed, the loyalist military sources said. AFP could not verify the rebel toll from independent sources, and the insurgents rarely acknowledge their losses. Loyalist forces recaptured Perim island in the Bab al-Mandab strait in October last year, gaining a foothold on the strategic shipping lane which connects the Suez Canal and Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean. But the rebels still control some of the heights which overlook the strait from the mainland, where there has been fierce fighting in recent days. Military sources in Yemen told AFP that the rebels shelled a loyalist military camp in the Bab al-Mandab area on Saturday. Erdogan slams US Congress over Saudi 9/11 law Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned Saturday a US Congress vote to override Barack Obama's veto of a bill allowing 9/11 victims to sue Saudi Arabia, saying he expected the move to be reversed as soon as possible. Relations between Ankara and Riyadh have tightened considerably in the past months as they pursue joint interests in Syria. Erdogan had just the day earlier hosted Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef for talks at his palace. "The allowing by the US Congress of lawsuits to be opened against Saudi Arabia over the 9/11 attacks is unfortunate," Erdogan said in a speech for the opening of parliament. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses MP at the National Assembly in Ankara, on October 1, 2016 Adem Altan (AFP) "It's against the principle of individual criminal responsibility for crimes. We expect this false step to be reversed as soon as possible," he added. Families of 9/11 victims have campaigned for the law, convinced the Saudi government had a hand in the attacks that killed almost 3,000 people. Fifteen of the 19 hijackers were Saudi citizens, but no link to the government has been proven. The Saudi government denies any ties to the plotters. Obama called the vote a "dangerous precedent" while Saudi Arabia warned it risked having "disastrous consequences". The visit by the Saudi crown prince to Ankara was the latest sign of the burgeoning relationship between Turkey and Saudi Arabia, two mainly Sunni Muslim powers who both support rebels battling President Bashar al-Assad in Syria. Erdogan told Nayef Friday that the expanding ties "offer opportunities for regional and global stability", the Anadolu news agency said. Nayef said Riyadh was pleased that the two countries "have the same thinking on all issues". Erdogan also bestowed on Nayef Turkey's second highest state decoration for foreign nationals, the Order of the Republic. Turkey extends mandate for troops in Iraq, Syria Turkey's parliament on Saturday overwhelmingly approved a one-year extension of an existing mandate to use Turkish troops abroad in Syria and Iraq. The mandate was first approved by parliament in October 2014 and was renewed for another year in September 2015. It allows military action in Turkey's two southern neighbours against Islamic State jihadists and other groups deemed by Ankara to be terror organisations. Turkish troops drive their anti-mine Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) past shepherds on a road near the Syrian village of Tuwairan, located around 2km of al-Rai, the small border town with Turkey Nazeer al-Khatib (AFP/File) Using the existing mandate, Turkey on August 24 launched an unprecedented operation inside Syria dubbed Euphrates Shield to back pro-Ankara rebels fighting IS jihadists and a Kurdish militia. Ankara is also believed to have an unspecified number of troops in the Bashiqa camp outside IS-controlled Mosul in northern Iraq involved in training Iraqi fighters who plan to recapture the city. The bill passed easily on the first day of the new session of parliament with support from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), secular opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) and Nationalist Movement Party (MHP). Only the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) voted against. According to the state-run Anadolu news agency, the new mandate will run until October 30, 2017. In his speech marking the opening of parliament, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the initial goal of the Syria operation was to create a "safe area free of terror organisations" some 5,000 square kilometres in size. Erdogan hailed the results of the operation so far in the Syrian town of Jarabulus, saying its population had expanded from 2,000 to 40,000 since being captured from IS jihadists. As well as targeting the jihadists, the operation is also aimed against Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) militia which Ankara regards as a terror group. Erdogan said he believed that Mosul could be taken from IS but warned Baghdad and Turkey's Western allies that Ankara had to be involved in any operation and included in the decision-making process. "Turkey cannot be left off the table. The others don't have such a border (with Iraq). They may want us to stay as spectators but that decision is also going to be made here." In December, Turkey said it had sent up to 300 troops to Bashiqa camp to protect Turkish military personnel involved in training Iraqi fighters. But this sparked a diplomatic row with Baghdad and an unspecified number were pulled back following US pressure to end the row. The current number of troops is unclear. Turkey is also upset that the United States uses as an ally in Syria the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) militia which Ankara regards as a terror group. Erdogan said there was an "inconsistency" in the US policy with "part of the US administration working with the (YPG) and part working on policies more sensitive to our interests". In a sign of the tensions inside Turkey, the MPs of the pro-Kurdish HDP refused to stand up when Erdogan entered and their co-leaders Selahattin Demirtas and Figen Yuksekdag were not in the chamber. US presidential campaign week: Debate blowout, 'fat-shaming' Hillary Clinton trounced Donald Trump in their first presidential debate, with a parting-shot zinger about verbal abuse of an ex-beauty queen who dominated the campaign week. Just five weeks before the US elections, here is a summary of the past several days on the campaign trail: - Hillary 1, Trump 0 - Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton (L) and Republican nominee Donald Trump leave the stage after the first presidential debate at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York Timothy A. Clary (AFP/File) A super-prepared Clinton crushed Trump at the first presidential debate, watched by a record 84 million viewers in the United States. After a solid start, Trump grew increasingly defensive and rambling. He missed several opportunities to attack Clinton on her vulnerabilities, including her handling of the deadly 2012 attacks in Benghazi, Libya, immigration and the border with Mexico. Trump did manage to land a blow on an issue that has dogged Clinton -- her role as a "status quo" candidate who will bring little, if any, change that the public is pining for. "You've been doing this for 30 years. Why are you just thinking about these solutions right now?" he said, in one of his more trenchant attacks during the debate. Perhaps not quite as successful was Trump's rejoinder, when Clinton accused him of not paying taxes. "That makes me smart," he said -- a remark which helped raise new questions this week about his business and financial dealings. Clinton during the debate had plenty of success highlighting her opponent's flaws, while using verbal jiu jitsu to repel his attacks. "I think Donald just criticized me for preparing for this debate," Clinton said, after he criticized her for taking time away from the campaign trail. "Yes, I did. And you know what else I prepared for? I prepared to be president. And I think that's a good thing," Clinton said. Despite his widely-panned debate performance, Trump insisted he was very satisfied with his appearance. Still, he almost certainly will prepare better to avoid traps laid by Clinton for their next showdown on October 9. - Democrats' youth problem - Meanwhile, the Democrats have a youth problem, and Clinton knows it. Eager to boost her numbers among a critical segment of the population that could account for 25 percent of the vote by her own estimate, Clinton campaigned Wednesday on a college campus in New Hampshire. By her side was ex-rival Bernie Sanders, who garnered broad support from millennials -- the 18-to-34-year olds who form America's largest demographic group -- during his failed bid against Clinton for the Democratic nomination. First Lady Michelle Obama campaigned at two universities in Pennsylvania and Vice President Joe Biden spoke at another, in an effort to help boost Clinton's numbers with young voters, who are notorious for not showing up to the polls on election day. "If you don't vote, that's a vote for Trump," President Barack Obama admonished voters during an appearance on the Steve Harvey Morning Show. "If you vote for a third-party candidate who's got no chance to win, that's a vote for Trump." Since August, Clinton has lost support among youths, many of whom are instead backing Gary Johnson, the Libertarian candidate. Without the support of millennials, who number about 80 million, she could lose several key states. Obama won four battleground states during his 2012 re-election campaign thanks to the youth vote, his wife recalled Wednesday. "Without those votes, Barack would have lost those states. He would have lost that election. Period. End of story," she said at La Salle University in Philadelphia. - Trump and 'Miss Piggy' - Alicia Machado became an overnight world celebrity after the debate, when Clinton recalled that Trump once mocked the 1996 Miss Universe as "Miss Piggy" because she gained weight after the contest. Trump, who at the time owned the pageant, also called her "Miss Housekeeper" because of her Latina heritage. Most women voters oppose Trump, and Clinton saw in Machado the perfect foil with which to attack the real estate mogul, who also has low rating among Hispanics. After the debate, Clinton released a video showing the former Venezuelan beauty contestant recalling how Trump insulted and mistreated her after she put on a few pounds. Machado made multiple media appearances this past week, as Trump continued to publicly berate her. "She gained a massive amount of weight and it was a real problem," he said on "Fox & Friends." "We had a real problem. Not only that, but her attitude, and we had a real problem with her." The Republican candidate went even further in a pre-dawn Twitter storm Friday, attacking Machado's "disgusting" character and falsely claiming she had appeared in a sex tape. He also claimed that Clinton had helped Machado gain US citizenship so that she could "use her" as a political weapon against him. "Using Alicia M in the debate as a paragon of virtue just shows that Crooked Hillary suffers from BAD JUDGEMENT! Hillary was set up by a con," Trump wrote during his Twitter tirade. - Another Johnson gaffe - Gary Johnson, the Libertarian presidential contender, further crippled his longshot White House bid by failing to name a single foreign leader he likes during a town hall-style event. Johnson -- who has virtually no chance of making it to the White House -- could still prove a thorn in the Democratic nominee's side by siphoning off votes in Colorado and other battleground states. In a cringe-inducing, minute-long segment, Johnson sat speechless after MSNBC television host Chris Matthews asked him, "Who's your favorite foreign leader? Johnson's reply? A blank stare. "Any one of the continents, any country -- name one foreign leader that you respect and look up to. Anybody," Matthews continued, to which Johnson replied sheepishly that he was having "another Aleppo moment." The reference was to another live TV crash-and-burn episode back in August, when the former New Mexico governor answered "What is Aleppo?" to a question about the Syrian city that is a flashpoint in the brutal civil war. Clinton-Trump debate: opinion poll Gillian HANDYSIDE (AFP/File) US Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump leaves a campaign rally at the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi, Michigan, on September 30, 2016 Jewel Samad (AFP/File) Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton takes a selfie with a supporter after an event at University of New Hampshire September 28, 2016 in Durham, New Hampshire Brendan Smialowski (AFP/File) Most women voters oppose Trump, and Clinton saw in Alicia Machado the perfect foil with which to attack the real estate mogul, who also has low rating among Hispanic Gustavo Caballero (Getty/AFP/File) Israel gives go-ahead for 98 West Bank settler homes: NGO Israel has approved the construction of 98 settler homes in the occupied West Bank and an industrial zone near Palestinian political capital Ramallah, the watchdog Peace Now said on Saturday. "While world leaders are gathering to commemorate (former Israeli prime minister) Shimon Peres and his path to peace, the Israeli government is creating another obstacle for the two-state solution by establishing a new settlement in the heart of the West Bank," Peace Now said in a statement. Peres, 93, died on Wednesday and was buried on Friday at a Jerusalem ceremony attended by many world leaders including President Barack Obama of the United States, which has tried to broker new Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. Buildings under construction in the Kiryat Arba Jewish settlement on the outskirts of the Palestinian flashpoint city Hazem Bader (AFP/File) Peace Now spokeswoman Hagit Ofran told AFP that two settlement projects were approved on Wednesday by the Israeli military after being given the go-ahead by Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman. "The government's decision to reward settlers who stole private Palestinian lands will make the rest of Israel's law-abiding citizens pay a heavy political price," the statement said. Israeli settlements in east Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank are viewed as illegal under international law. They are also considered to be major stumbling blocks to peace efforts as they are built on land Palestinians view as part of their future state. Israel's Supreme Court ruled earlier this year that the wildcat West Bank Jewish settlement of Amona near Shiloh must be demolished, and Peace Now said the new homes given the green light on Wednesday were designed to house the 40 or so families currently living in Amona. "It is likely that this will be a part of the 'compensation deal' for the settlers," it said. DR Congo electoral commission seeks to delay vote The Democratic Republic of Congo's electoral commission on Saturday said it would seek to delay calling voters to the polls until late 2017, though the opposition swiftly rejected the proposal. The announcement came amid opposition fears that President Joseph Kabila will not step down when his term expires in December. "Voters will be called to the polls for the presidential and provincial and national legislative elections simultaneously in November 2017," electoral commission chief Corneile Naanga told reporters. Demonstrators point a broken billboard showing the face of Congolese President Joseph Desiree Kabila during an opposition rally in Kinshasa Eduardo Soteras (AFP/File) "That is when the candidacies will be submitted," Naanga said after making the proposal before participants in a so-called national dialogue aimed at ending a tense political standoff in the vast, resource-rich nation. Naanga told participants in the dialogue that the commission would require "504 days starting from July 31, 2017" to deal with a string of challenges in its bid to organise the presidential and legislative votes. Electoral authorities would need time, Naanga said, to distribute voting material and to deploy the staff to 136,000 voting offices. The opposition however swiftly hit back, with spokesman Jean Lucien Bussa saying the electoral commission "must heed the instructions delivered by (participants in) the dialogue, and not do what it wants." Catholic Church leaders, who suspended their participation in the dialogue after the September clashes, also criticised the electoral commission's move. "We can finish everything in a year and quickly hold the presidential election, such a projection is just unnecessary," Abbot Donatien Nshole said. Naanga however said the electoral commission's job was to announce the electoral calendar. Saturday's statement, Naanga said, was by no means meant to be a decision, but rather was to act as a "guideline." A wave of deadly clashes pitting police against demonstrators hit the Democratic Republic of Congo in September, as the opposition demanded Kabila's resignation. UN appoints first expert on LGBT violence and discrimination UNITED NATIONS (AP) The Human Rights Council has appointed international human rights expert Vitit Muntarbhorn of Thailand as the first U.N. independent expert charged with investigating violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. John Fisher, Geneva director of Human Rights Watch, said his appointment on Friday "made history" and "will bring much-needed attention to human rights violations against LGBT people in all regions of the world." Muntarbhorn, a law professor, has been on the council's Commission of Inquiry on Syria and previously served as U.N. special investigator on North Korea and on child prostitution and child pornography. Prosecutors want crackdown on websites selling illegal sex HONOLULU (AP) Prosecutors from around the world say the fight against sex trafficking is moving online as traffickers use popular websites to advertise sexual services. They talked Friday about how they can crack down on the problem at an international sex trafficking summit in Waikiki that drew prosecutors from Asia, the U.S. and Canada. The challenges each nation faces are similar, and victims are often unwilling to cooperate with investigators because they've endured a history of abuse, said Jackie Lacey, Los Angeles County's district attorney. Honolulu Prosecutor Keith Kaneshiro speaks at an international sex trafficking summit on Friday, Sept. 30, 2016 in Honolulu. Prosecutors from around the world say the fight against sex trafficking is moving online as traffickers use popular websites to advertise sexual services. (AP Photo/By Cathy Bussewitz) "Most of this is underground," Lacey said. "It's not like in the '80s and '90s where women were on the street. It's all done by social media, cellphones, emails, text messages." Michael Ramos, president of the National District Attorneys Association, said he plans to push for legislation in the United States to make it illegal to use websites to solicit illegal sex and to hold internet companies accountable for sex trafficking that occurs on their platforms. "There should be some place that says you need to do a better job with the content that's on your promotional site," Ramos said. "It's just so easy right now ... Instead of having prostitutes out on the corner like they used to in a red light district, now they just go online, they hit a button, and it's like ordering a pizza." Other law enforcement officers, such as Honolulu Prosecutor Keith Kaneshiro, said websites that allow sex ads have helped officers catch traffickers by identifying locations where there's a problem. Sonia Paquet, a Canadian prosecutor, talked about how prostitution is illegal but there's little enforcement. She said online reviews of establishments are out in the open, and she pulled up one on her phone. "If we go on the internet site, we see the girls naked," Paquet said. "They are from everywhere around the world." Prosecutors form Canada, China, Japan, Palau, the Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand attended the summit. American prosecutors attended from more than a dozen states including Arkansas, California, Hawaii, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New York, Nevada, Oregon, Virginia, Washington and Washington D.C. Jackie Lacey, district attorney for Los Angeles County, talks at an international sex trafficking summit on Friday, Sept. 30, 2016, in Honolulu. Prosecutors from around the world say the fight against sex trafficking is moving online as traffickers use popular websites to advertise sexual services. (AP Photo/Cathy Bussewitz) Sonia Paquet, a Canadian prosecutor, holds a cell phone displaying online reviews of establishments that sell illegal sex. Prosecutors from around the world say the fight against sex trafficking is moving online as traffickers use popular websites to advertise sexual services. They talked Friday, Sept. 30, 2016, about how they can crack down on the problem at an international sex trafficking summit in Waikiki that drew prosecutors from Asia, the U.S. and Canada. (AP Photo/By Cathy Bussewitz) Michael Ramos, president of the National District Attorneys Association, talked about pushing for legislation in the United States to make it illegal to use websites to solicit illegal sex on Friday, Sept. 30, 2016 in Honolulu. Prosecutors from around the world say the fight against sex trafficking is moving online as traffickers use popular websites to advertise sexual services. They talked Friday, Sept. 30, 2016, about how they can crack down on the problem at an international sex trafficking summit in Waikiki that drew prosecutors from Asia, the U.S. and Canada. (AP Photo/By Cathy Bussewitz) Alabama Supreme Court upholds state's death penalty MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) The Alabama Supreme Court has upheld the state's death penalty sentencing structure. Justices on Friday rejected an inmate's claim that his sentence must be struck down after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against Florida's similar structure. The Alabama judges said there were enough differences to make Alabama's method constitutional. Attorney General Luther Strange praised the decision as a victory for victims' families and criminal justice. The U.S. Supreme Court, in striking down Florida's sentencing plan, said a jury, not a judge, must determine there are aggravating circumstances to merit the death sentence. The Alabama judges said Alabama's plan is legal because a jury finds aggravating circumstances when they determine if a defendant is eligible for the death penalty. Former 'Power Rangers' actor pleads not guilty to murder LANCASTER, Calif. (AP) A former "Power Rangers" actor charged with stabbing his California roommate to death with a sword has pleaded not guilty to murder. City News Service says Ricardo Medina entered the plea in Lancaster. He could face 26 years to life in prison if convicted. Prosecutors say Medina stabbed Joshua Sutter several times in the abdomen last year at their house in Green Valley, a mountain town north of Los Angeles. The two allegedly were arguing over Medina's girlfriend. Authorities say after the attack, Medina called 911 and waited for police to arrive. Appeals court rules against Kansas in voting rights case WICHITA, Kan. (AP) Thousands of prospective voters in Kansas who did not provide citizenship documents will be able to vote in the November election under a federal appeals court ruling late Friday that upheld a judge's order. The decision from the U.S. 10th Circuit Court of Appeals affirms lower court's May order forcing Kansas to register more than 20,000 voters, a number that is expected to swell to 50,000 by the time of the November elections. It noted that the preliminary injunction serves the public interest. The 10th Circuit ruled "no constitutional doubt arises" that federal law prohibits Kansas from requiring citizenship documents from people who register to vote at motor vehicle office. It added that its reasoning would be more fully explained in a forthcoming order. FILE - In this Aug. 23, 2016 file photo, Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach responds to questions outside the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver. A federal appeals court says "no constitutional doubt arises" that federal law prohibits Kansas from requiring citizenship documents from people who register to vote at motor vehicle offices. The ruling handed down late Friday evening, Sept. 30, 2016, upholds U.S. District Judge Julie Robinson's temporary order forcing Kansas to register more than 20,000 voters. The decision is the latest setback for Kobach. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File) The court had previously refused to issue an emergency stay of U.S. District Judge Julie Robinson's order, and this latest comes after a three-judge panel heard oral arguments last month in the case. Its decision is the latest setback for Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach. It comes just a day after the Kansas Republican avoided contempt proceedings by striking a deal with the American Civil Liberties Union to fully register and clearly inform affected voters that they could vote in the November election. Kobach did not immediately return a cell phone message seeking comment, but his spokeswoman said his office would issue a statement later. "The Court of Appeals' decision will ensure that thousands of Kansans stay on the voter rolls. It is Secretary Kobach's duty to give these voters proper notice of their rights, and to ensure that they can participate in November," Dale Ho, director of the ACLU's voting rights project, said in an emailed statement. "We hope that further court intervention will be unnecessary to ensure that he fulfills that obligation." Investigators: No signal problems before New Jersey crash HOBOKEN, N.J. (AP) Here's what is known about the investigation into a commuter train crash that killed one person and injured more than 100 others Thursday in Hoboken, New Jersey. THE INVESTIGATION Federal investigators say there were no problems with signals at a New Jersey station where the commuter train crashed. This Thursday, Sept. 29, 2016 photo provided by a passenger who was on the train when it crashed shows wreckage at the Hoboken, N.J. rail station. The commuter train barreled into the station during the morning rush hour, coming to a halt in a covered area between the station's indoor waiting area and the platform. (AP Photo) The National Transportation Safety Board said Saturday that the signals leading to the Hoboken Terminal appear to be working normally. It says a full study can't be completed yet because the train is still in the station. Officials say structural issues are preventing work crews from removing the New Jersey Transit train from the terminal. ___ SAFETY VIOLATIONS-FRA AUDIT A U.S. government official says the Federal Railroad Administration had investigated New Jersey Transit and found dozens of safety violations months before Thursday's commuter train crash. The official said Saturday the FRA conducted an audit of New Jersey Transit in June and violations were found. The official says the rail agency also was fined. A follow-up phase of the audit, focusing on ensuring the railroad's compliance with safety guidelines, was ongoing when the commuter train slammed into Hoboken Terminal Thursday. ___ THE ENGINEER The National Transportation Safety Board says its investigators have spoken with the train's engineer, Thomas Gallagher. But they declined Saturday to provide further details about the interview. The agency had held off questioning Gallagher on Friday because he was injured when the train smashed through a steel-and-concrete bumper and hurtled into the station's waiting area. Investigators from one of the other agencies taking part in the probe interviewed Gallagher, a NJ Transit engineer for about 18 years, three times Friday. Officials wouldn't disclose what Gallagher said but described him as cooperative. ___ THE BLACK BOX The NTSB retrieved the event recorder that was in the locomotive at the rear of the train but hasn't been able to download its data and has gone to the manufacturer for help. The event recorder contains speed and braking information. The NTSB also hasn't been able to extract a recorder from the forward-facing video camera in the train's mangled first car. The wreckage cannot be safely entered yet because it is under a collapsed section of the station's roof. ___ THE VICTIM Fabiola Bittar de Kroon, the crash's sole fatality, was a young mother, talented lawyer and dedicated wife with a penchant for travel. Thursday, the 34-year-old de Kroon was headed to the station during the morning commute. First she dropped off her toddler and had a good, but fleeting, conversation with a day care worker. A short time later, the train barreled down the tracks with such speed that it plowed into a barrier and went airborne into the station. De Kroon was buried by debris. She died as a crash bystander comforted her. De Kroon, a 2011 master's degree graduate from Florida International University's College of Business, had previously lived in Florida, but was a Brazil native. She'd temporarily paused her legal career, leaving the software company SAP in Brazil after her husband got a job with an international liquor company. A friend of Bittar de Kroon's family told the Bergen Record (http://bit.ly/2cJAjhH) her husband would accompany his wife's body back to Brazil for burial. ___ Associated Press writer Bruce Shipkowski in Trenton contributed to this report. New Jersey Transit workers lay down pallets and boards for commuters to walk on a flooded hallway adjacent to the site of a train crash at the Hoboken Terminal, Friday, Sept. 30, 2016, in Hoboken, N.J. Commuters are using alternative travel in and out of Hoboken a day after a commuter train crashed into the rail station, killing one person and injuring more than 100 people. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) Unscripted Trump overshadows his own economic message MANHEIM, Pa. (AP) Donald Trump questioned Hillary Clinton's loyalty to her husband on Saturday night, adding an explosive personal charge against his Democratic opponent to a turbulent week when he repeatedly veered off script. "Hillary Clinton's only loyalty is to her financial contributors and to herself," Trump told thousands gathered in Manheim, Pennsylvania. "I don't think she's even loyal to Bill if you want to know the truth ... Why should she be, right? Why should she be?" The extraordinary personal attack, a reference to former Bill Clinton's infidelities, came as Trump works to sharpen his focus on the economy and his Democratic opponent's shortcomings as he treks across the Midwestern battlegrounds he needs to become the 45th president of the United States. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump meets with supporters after a rally, Friday, Sept. 30, 2016, in Novi, Mich. (AP Photo/John Locher) The audience roared with approval when Trump, reading from a teleprompter, lashed out at an economic system he said was rigged against everyday Americans. Friends and foes agree he is at his best in those scripted moments. But Trump's frequent unscripted moments are often drowning them out diverting attention from his economic message and alienating women and minorities with early voting already underway in some states. He raised questions about Clinton's loyalty to her husband for the first time Saturday night. He also questioned her physical stamina, her mental health and insisted she has contempt for all Americans. "She should be in prison," Trump declared as his supporters chanted: "Lock her up!" Even before Saturday's remarks, the former reality television star this week fueled a self-inflicted political firestorm in a series of interviews and tweets after an underwhelming debate performance by attacking a former Miss Universe, first seizing on her weight and then calling on the world to view her "sex tape." "He's not going to change. This is who he really is," said former Minnesota Congressman Vin Weber, a Republican. "It's ridiculous to even argue this, but if he could stay on message, which is to say if he could be somebody else, he could win." Lifelong Republican loyalists across the country are beyond frustrated that Trump's dueling personas appear to be jeopardizing the GOP's chance to take back the White House. Despite Trump's faults, Clinton remains deeply unpopular and untrusted by a large segment of the electorate. There is little room in the national conversation for Clinton's challenges when Trump tweets about sex tapes and questions his rival's fidelity to her husband, however. Ohio GOP Chairman Matt Borges calls Clinton a "liar" and says she deserves to lose. "And just when it's looking like it's a good bet that she will lose, we're talking about things that I believe don't help us win," he says. There is little sign that Trump's approach will help him expand his support beyond the white working-class voters who cram into his rallies. During Monday's opening debate, the New York billionaire said African-American voters are "living in hell." And his four-day feud with former Miss Universe Alicia Machado, a Venezuelan who is now an American citizen, threatens to push his already-low standing among women and Hispanics even lower. The day before his Pennsylvania speech, Trump took another political risk by highlighting Clinton's role in her husband's infidelities. "Hillary was an enabler," Trump told The New York Times on Friday. "And she attacked the women who Bill Clinton mistreated afterward. I think it's a serious problem for them, and it's something that I'm considering talking about more in the near future." That's even as Trump's acknowledged his own marital infidelities, although he tried to draw a distinction with Bill Clinton. "I wasn't president of the United States," he told the Times when asked about his affair with Marla Maples when he was married to Ivana Trump. "I don't talk about it." Trump veered into other areas on Saturday night that may raise questions about his temperament. He questioned the integrity of the nation's voting system, warning supporters to keep a close eye on polling places after they vote next month especially in "certain areas." "We can't lose an election because of, you know what I'm talking about," he said. "A lot of bad things happen. I don't want to lose for that reason." Trump has repeatedly suggested that only election fraud could stop him from becoming president. There has never been evidence of widespread voting fraud in the United States. He also suggested that organizers conspired against him at Monday night's debate. The Commission of Presidential Debates acknowledged on Friday that there was an issue with Trump's microphone, which was quieter than Clinton's at times. "How many people in this room think maybe that was done on purpose?" Trump asked. In the crowd of thousands, at least one Trump supporter wants him to back off the personal attacks. "He needs to stick more to the relevant issues," said Grace Sauder, a 67-year-old retired nurse from Mountville, Penn. "It just makes him look and sound immature." ___ Associated Press writer Jill Colvin in Jersey City, New Jersey contributed to this report. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump takes the stage at a rally, Friday, Sept. 30, 2016, in Novi, Mich. (AP Photo/John Locher) People cheer as Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks at a rally, Friday, Sept. 30, 2016, in Novi, Mich. (AP Photo/John Locher) Analysis: Change isn't part of Trump's character - or appeal WASHINGTON (AP) Donald Trump will not change. He may surround himself with new staff and even listen to their advice for a while. He may stick to a scripted, more measured message if it looks to be working. But he'll always be the man who can't let go of a grudge, whether it's with a judge who ruled against him or a military father whose son was killed fighting for the United States overseas. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump visits the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum, Friday, Sept. 30, 2016, in Grand Rapids, Mich. (AP Photo/John Locher) He'll always be the man who embarrassed a young beauty queen about her weight, then defended his comments two decades later when Hillary Clinton raised them in a debate. And the man who on Friday just 38 days away from potentially being elected president of the United States deepened his highly personal criticism of former Miss Universe Alicia Machado in a pre-dawn Twitter tirade. "Did Crooked Hillary help disgusting (check out sex tape and past) Alicia M become a U.S. citizen so she could use her in the debate?" Trump wrote in a message timestamped 5:30 a.m. Some voters may applaud Trump's moves. Some may prefer his stubborn refusal to censor himself. Enough voters may ultimately elect him president. But Trump's pattern of abrasive behavior has left him deeply unpopular with many Americans, particularly women and minorities, who hold significant sway in presidential elections. If Trump does win in November, he'll have to figure out a way to lead a country where many people believe he's racist, sexist and uncivil. Most Republican leaders long ago gave up hope that Trump would make a full-scale pivot into a more palatable politician in the general election. But they've still found ways to rationalize their support for him, to look past his most volatile moments and offensive rhetoric. Some Republicans hinge their hopes on a belief that if Trump is elected president, he'll surround himself with high-quality experts to help guide his decision-making. House Speaker Paul Ryan and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, both of whom have their own designs on the White House, argue a Trump presidency would at least give them a chance of implementing conservative legislation in Congress, while a Clinton White House would be nothing more than an impenetrable roadblock. But Republicans might also worry that Clinton's ability to get under Trump's skin so easily has provided a blueprint that world leaders like Russia's Vladimir Putin could use to rile him as president. And they should have no illusions that the brash businessman can control his belligerent behavior and avoid offending many Americans. Trump's decades in the public eye are littered with examples of long-held grudges with business associates and demeaning comments about women. One of his first moves after clinching the Republican nomination was to start a feud with U.S. District Court Judge Gonzalo Curiel, claiming his Mexican heritage made him biased against Trump in a legal case. Trump emerged from the party conventions this summer locked in an ugly fight with Khizr Khan, an American Muslim whose son was killed serving the U.S. Army in Iraq. The latest controversy came at one of the most critical stages of the campaign on the debate stage in front of a televised audience of 84 million people and with early voting already underway in some states. Trump struggled in Monday night's debate to fend off Clinton's criticism of comments he made about Machado two decades earlier. When Clinton accused him of calling the former Miss Universe "Miss Piggy," he said, "Where did you find this? Where did you find this?" Rather than let the matter go, he defended himself the next morning, apparently blind to how offensive his comments seemed. "She gained a massive amount of weight," said Trump, who owned the pageant at the time she won. "It was a real problem. We had a real problem." Surely by week's end, Trump was aware that his criticism of Machado risked damaging his campaign and giving Clinton fresh fodder to argue that he is too thin-skinned to serve as commander in chief. That made his decision to keep the story alive Friday and deepen his denigration of Machado all the more perplexing. "Using Alicia M in the debate as a paragon of virtue just shows that Crooked Hillary suffers from BAD JUDGEMENT! Hillary was set up by a con," Trump wrote in one of three early morning messages about the Venezuelan-born Machado, who is now an American citizen. Clinton advisers can hardly believe their good fortune as the race barrels toward the finish line. The Democrat has been dragged down by decades of her own baggage and has struggled to persuade voters she is honest and trustworthy. And the race with Trump is far closer than most Clinton supporters expected. But the core of Clinton's case against Trump has always been that the Republican is too hypersensitive to be trusted in the Oval Office. And just over five weeks from Election Day, Trump is giving her more evidence. "When something gets under Donald's thin skin, he lashes out and can't let go," Clinton wrote in her own Twitter message Friday. "This is dangerous for a president." ___ After suspension, what's next for Alabama chief justice? MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore built his career on defiance, and it has cost him his job twice. A disciplinary panel that removed him from office 13 years ago over a Ten Commandments monument suspended him Friday for the remainder of his term for defying the federal courts on gay marriage. The court ruled that Moore wrongly urged 68 state probate judges "to stop complying with binding federal law" when he told them in January that they remained bound by a 2015 state court order to refuse marriage licenses to gay couples. Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore testifies during his ethics trial before the Alabama Court of the Judiciary at the Alabama Judicial Building in Montgomery, Ala., on Wednesday Sept. 28, 2016. He is accused of encouraging judges to defy the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling legalizing gay marriage. (Mickey Welsh/Montgomery Advertiser via AP, Pool) Long a symbol of the culture wars after his Ten Commandments fight, the outspoken Republican judge is now focused on appealing his suspension. He said he doesn't know what will happen next. No one expects Moore to fade quietly into obscurity, said Wayne Flynt, a historian who has written several books on Alabama. "It makes him a martyr," said Flynt, noting that he wouldn't be surprised if Moore made another bid for governor or became some national media figure "being to religion what Rush Limbaugh is to national politics." "Make no mistake about it, there are a lot of people in Iowa who feel exactly the same way that he does about homosexual marriage, and the Ten Commandments and prayer in school and all of that," Flynt said. In an interview with The Associated Press, Moore insisted he did nothing wrong and this was not an act of defiance. "As I said very plainly before the court of the judiciary, I do not believe it's the role of a judge to tell anyone to violate a court order. I wouldn't do that," Moore said. "All I said was these orders existed." Moore is a West Point graduate with a habit of reciting from memory long passages of scripture and historical documents. He was a little known country judge in Etowah County until the American Civil Liberties Union unsuccessfully sued him over a handmade wooden Ten Commandment plaque he hung on his courtroom wall. The fame propelled him to the office of chief justice in the 2000 election. Moore almost immediately upped the ante, installing a boulder-sized Ten Commandments monument in the rotunda of the Alabama Judicial Building. He was sued again, and the judiciary court removed him from office in 2003 for refusing to comply with a federal judge's order to remove the monument. He called the order unlawful, saying he had a right to "acknowledge God." After his 2003 removal, Moore made two failed bids for governor and teetered on the brink of political oblivion. His political career was triumphantly resurrected in 2012 when he was again elected as chief justice in 2012, a victory he described as a vindication. In a statement, Moore called his suspension "a politically motivated effort by radical homosexual and transgender groups to remove me as chief justice of the Supreme Court because of outspoken opposition to their immoral agenda." He said the court of the judiciary, by suspending him for the rest of his term, violated a requirement that judges can only be removed from the bench with a unanimous vote. By the end of his term in 2019, he'll be beyond the age limit of 70 for judges. The Judicial Inquiry Commission argued the maneuver by Moore an outspoken critic of gay marriage was not the action of a neutral jurist. Rep. Patricia Todd, Alabama's only openly gay legislator, said she believes, or at least hopes, the state has moved past Moore. Most Alabama probate judges were issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples before Moore's order, and continued to do so afterward. A passionate crowd rallied around Moore during his Wednesday hearing with some driving across the country to get there but it was smaller than the masses that huddled with him during his Ten Commandments stand. "I think his supporters are very vocal. I don't know anybody who likes him or supports him," Todd said. "I just hope the people of Alabama are smarter than I sometimes see than I they are." Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore testifies during his ethics trial before the Alabama Court of the Judiciary at the Alabama Judicial Building in Montgomery, Ala., on Wednesday Sept. 28, 2016. He is accused of encouraging judges to defy the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling legalizing gay marriage. (Mickey Welsh/Montgomery Advertiser via AP, Pool) Embattled Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore talks with his attorney Philip Jauregui during Moore's ethics trial before the Alabama Court of the Judiciary at the Alabama Judicial Building in Montgomery, Ala., on Wednesday Sept. 28, 2016. (Mickey Welsh/Montgomery Advertiser via AP) Embattled Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore, top right, testifies during his ethics trial before the Alabama Court of the Judiciary at the Alabama Judicial Building in Montgomery, Ala., on Wednesday Sept. 28, 2016. (Mickey Welsh/Montgomery Advertiser via AP, Pool) Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore, right, answers questions from his attorney Philip Jauregui during his ethics trial before the Alabama Court of the Judiciary at the Alabama Judicial Building in Montgomery, Ala., on Wednesday Sept. 28, 2016. He is accused of encouraging judges to defy the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling legalizing gay marriage. (Mickey Welsh/Montgomery Advertiser via AP, Pool) Audrey Egbert holds a sign in support of Roy Moore during the ethics trial of the Alabama Chief Justice on Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2016, in Montgomery, Ala. Moore appeared before a judicial discipline panel Wednesday to answer accusations that he tried to block gay couples from marrying in the Deep South state. (Albert Cesare /The Montgomery Advertiser via AP) US mood hardens as leader of ally Philippines stokes outrage WASHINGTON (AP) As the body count mounts in the Philippines' deadly war on drugs, and its combative president's rhetoric plumbs new depths, the mood in Washington toward a key Asian ally is hardening. Influential U.S. lawmakers are warning that the extra-judicial killings in the drug war President Rodrigo Duterte on Friday compared it to the Holocaust could affect American aid. And while the Obama administration maintains that its 65-year-old alliance with the Philippines remains "ironclad," a senior U.S. diplomat is cautioning Duterte against more anti-U.S. posturing. In this Sept. 27, 2016, photo, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte addresses Philippine Marines in suburban Taguig city east of Manila, Philippines. As the body count mounts in the Philippines' war on drugs, and its combative president's rhetoric plumbs new depths, the mood in Washington toward the key Asian ally is hardening. Influential U.S. lawmakers are warning that the extra-judicial killings in the drugs war _ that Duterte on Sept. 30 compared to the Holocaust _ could affect American aid. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez) "I think it would be a serious mistake in a democratic country like the Philippines to underestimate the power of the public's affinity for the U.S. That's people power," Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Russel told The Associated Press. Russel did not draw a direct comparison, but past Philippine presidents have been toppled by popular protests dubbed "people power," including former dictator Ferdinand Marcos, who was ousted in 1986. Duterte has bristled at U.S. criticism of the drug war and repeatedly spoken about dialing back security cooperation although he says he will maintain the alliance. This week he said that joint military exercises of Filipino and American troops scheduled for next week in the Philippines will be the last such drills. His foreign secretary quickly said the decision was not final. Such a step would impede Washington's plans to expand the footprint of U.S. forces in Southeast Asia to counter China. The previous Philippine government signed an agreement to give the U.S. forces access to five Philippine military bases. That reflected Manila's anxiety over the territorial ambitions of China with which it has competing claims in the disputed South China Sea. "If he followed through on this pledge it would be devastating to alliance management," said Gregory Poling, a fellow with the Southeast Asia program at the Center for Strategic Studies. "How does one sustain a military alliance if your militaries don't exercise together?" The Obama administration has consistently played down the significance of such pronouncements from Duterte, which have typically been walked back by other Philippines officials. On Friday, the Philippine leader said that Adolf Hitler had killed 3 million Jews and that he himself would be "happy to slaughter" 3 million addicts. More than 3,000 people have died in the crackdown on drug pushers and users since Duterte took office three months ago. In Hawaii to meet with Southeast Asian defense ministers, Defense Secretary Ash Carter hinted at U.S. impatience with the Philippine government over Duterte's remarks. "Just speaking personally for myself, I find these comments deeply troubling," Carter said. A day earlier, he had described the U.S. relationship with the Philippines as "ironclad." The State Department has tended to parry questions about Duterte's outbursts. Spokesman Mark Toner also described the Holocaust reference as "troubling." However, Sen. Ben Cardin, top-ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, pulled no punches. "It is reprehensible and, frankly, disgusting that a democratically elected leader is talking about the mass murder of his own people, with Hitler's Holocaust as his inspiration, no less," he said. Cardin and Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy, author of a law that prohibits U.S. assistance to foreign security forces that commit gross human rights abuses, took to the Senate floor this week to decry the drug war. They accused Duterte of terrorizing Filipinos through his drug war and endorsing "mass murder." Leahy, a senior figure on the Senate Appropriations Committee, said because of the "systemic challenges" in the Philippines it may be necessary to consider further conditions on aid until the Duterte government "demonstrates a commitment to the rule of law." The aid Manila gets from Washington is substantial although it may pale next to the investment that could potentially flow from regional economic powerhouse China, where Duterte is expected to visit in October in a bid to improve ties with Beijing. The Philippines received about $175 million in U.S. development assistance in fiscal 2015 and $50 million in foreign military financing. In 2016, it has gotten $75 million for counterterrorism and maritime security. Since 2011, it has received three decommissioned U.S. Coast Guard cutters to bolster its meager navy. Russel said Thursday it was no surprise that senior lawmakers were looking to monitor where U.S. assistance funds were going, given the "collateral damage" from the drug war. But he added it's premature to impose restrictions on aid. He stressed Washington's desire to work with Duterte. He said the U.S-Philippine relationship rooted in a 1951 mutual defense treaty remains very popular in the Southeast Asian country, notwithstanding Duterte's repeated references to rights abuses committed a century ago under American colonial rule. "All politicians have to be responsive to both the mainstream public attitude and the national security and economic interests of their country. All of that leads to continued close ties between our two countries," Russel said. ___ Mormon leader: Defend founder Joseph Smith's story SALT LAKE CITY (AP) A Mormon leader urged members Saturday during a church conference not to be timid about defending church founder Joseph Smith's story and role as the faith's first prophet despite "erroneous" beliefs spread about him. Mormons should remember the many benefits that have come in the nearly 200 years since Smith, then a teenager, says he had a vision of God and Jesus Christ in the woods of upstate New York that led to the formation of the church 10 years later, said Craig Christensen, a member of the faith's second-tier worldwide leadership council called the Quorum of the Seventy. "To any who may be questioning their testimony of Joseph Smith or are struggling with erroneous, misleading, or superficial information about his life and ministry, I invite you to consider the fruits the many blessings that have come to us through the miraculous mission of Joseph Smith, the prophet of the restoration," Christensen said. President Thomas S. Monson, center, and his Second Counselor Dieter F. Uchtdorf, right, of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints First Presidency, attends the morning session of the two-day Mormon church conference Saturday, Oct. 1, 2016, in Salt Lake City. Mormon leaders are set to deliver guidance to their worldwide membership in a series of speeches this weekend during the religion's 186th semiannual conference in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/George Frey) Christensen didn't reference any specific misinformation about Smith, but pointed out that the battle over Smith is not new, with "antagonists" long fighting furiously against him and his cause. Critics of The Church of Jesus Christs of Latter-day Saints have questioned Smith's accounts of his visions and his account that God helped him translate gold plates engraved with writing in ancient Egyptian into the Book of Mormon. Smith's polygamous practices have also fueled criticism. The Mormon church acknowledged in 2014 in an essay that Smith had a teenage bride and was married to other men's wives during the faith's early polygamous days, a recognition of an unflattering part of its roots that historians had chronicled for years. The essay was part of a push in recent years for greater transparency about the faith's history, tenets and beliefs that is designed to peel back layers of secrecy and fill a void on the internet for accurate information as curiosity increased while church membership tripled to 15 million over the past three decades. The religion has published a series of journals and writings from Smith's vault as part of the drive. Last year, the church published for the first time pictures of a small sacred stone it believes Smith used to help translate the Book of Mormon. Christensen harkened back to Smith's experience as a call to modern-day members to use revelation as a way to guide their lives. "Joseph's life stands as a testimony that if any of us lack wisdom, we can ask God in faith and receive answers_sometimes from heavenly beings, but more often by the power of the Holy Ghost, who speaks to us through inspired thoughts and feelings," Christensen said. The faith believes church presidents are prophets of God, as Abraham, Moses and Isiah were, and receive continuing revelation from God. That has led to fundamental changes. In 1890, the church president at the time said he received a revelation to end the practice of polygamous marriages that were part of the first 60 years of the church. Rank-and-file Mormons are also encouraged to use revelation through prayers to help guide them in their decisions. Christensen's speech came during a twice-yearly conference in which leaders give speeches of spiritual guidance. More than 100,000 members of the faith are expected to attend five speeches Saturday and Sunday while thousands more will listen or watch in nearly 100 languages around the world on television, radio, satellite and internet broadcasts Saturday's speakers mainly focused on imploring members to adhere to the religion's teachings and avoid straying from the righteous path. Quentin L. Cook, a member of the church's highest leadership council, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, warned followers not to practice "gospel extremism" such as expensive preparations for "end-of-days scenarios" in an apparent reference to preppers. He also singled out as an example people advocating for changes to the faith's health guidelines that include prohibition on drinking coffee or alcohol. "If we turn a health law or any other principle into a form of religious fanaticism, we are looking beyond the mark," Cook said. In a speech Saturday, President Thomas S. Monson urged Mormons to follow the church's teachings on health and food. Church teachings "give specific direction regarding the food we eat, and it prohibits the use of substances which are harmful to our bodies," Monson said. "Those who are obedient to the Lord's commandments and who faithfully observe the Word of Wisdom are promised particular blessings, among which are good health and added physical stamina." Storing away enough food and water in case of disaster, job loss or something worse is part of the fundamental teachings of the religion. The belief that regular history will someday end, bringing a second coming of Jesus, is embedded in the minds of Mormons and the church's official name. J. Devn Cornish of the Quorum of the Seventy cautioned members that rebellion would keep them out of heaven, and called "premeditated sin" the worst kind. D. Todd Christofferson, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, said that while God loves everyone, "God's greater blessings are conditioned on obedience. "Sinners cannot bend his will to theirs and require him to bless them in sin," Christofferson said. "If they desire to enjoy every bloom in his beautiful bouquet, they must repent." Thousands of members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, from around the world, sing with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir in the Conference Center during morning session of the two-day Mormon church conference Saturday, Oct. 1, 2016, in Salt Lake City. Mormon leaders are set to deliver guidance to their worldwide membership in a series of speeches this weekend during the 186th religion's semiannual conference in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/George Frey) FILE - In this April 2, 2016, file photo, The Mormon Tabernacle Choir performs during the opening session of the two-day Mormon church conference in Salt Lake City. Mormons gather for a twice-yearly conference to hear spiritual guidance from top leaders during a testy presidential election and as society grapples with issues of race and sexuality. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File) The Mormon Tabernacle Choir of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, sings in the Conference Center at the morning session of the two-day Mormon church conference Saturday, Oct. 1, 2016, in Salt Lake City. Mormon leaders are set to deliver guidance to their worldwide membership in a series of speeches this weekend during the 186th religion's 186th semiannual conference in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/George Frey) Thousands of members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, from around the world, gather in the Conference Center to attend the morning session of the two-day Mormon church conference Saturday, Oct. 1, 2016, in Salt Lake City. Mormon leaders are set to deliver guidance to their worldwide membership in a series of speeches this weekend during the 186th religion's semiannual conference in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/George Frey) FILE - In this April 2, 2016, file photo, members of the combined Choir from BYU-Idaho raise their hands during a sustaining vote at the two-day Mormon church conference in Salt Lake City. Mormons gather for a twice-yearly conference to hear spiritual guidance from top leaders during a testy presidential election and as society grapples with issues of race and sexuality. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File) Clinton wins endorsements, but they may not hold much sway NEW YORK (AP) "A clear and present danger to our country." ''Xenophobia, racism and misogyny." ''Beneath our national dignity." Those aren't excerpts from attack ads by Hillary Clinton's campaign. Those are longtime Republican newspapers disavowing Donald Trump. If newspaper endorsements equaled victory, Clinton would be in line for a historic landslide. She has been endorsed by dozens of papers ranging from such expected backers as The New York Times to such once-certain GOP advocates as The Dallas Morning News, the Arizona Republic and the Cincinnati Enquirer, which on Sept. 23 called for "a leader who will bring out the best in Americans, not the worst." Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton meets with attendees during a campaign stop in Fort Pierce, Fla., Friday, Sept. 30, 2016. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) On Friday, USA Today ended its tradition of not taking sides and published an anti-endorsement, contending that Trump "lacks the temperament, knowledge, steadiness and honesty that America needs from its presidents." The paper didn't back Clinton but advised readers to "Stay true to your convictions." The same day, The San Diego Union-Tribune endorsed Clinton the first Democrat it has endorsed in its history. Trump, meanwhile, is supported by far fewer publications. They include a paper owned by son-in-law Jared Kushner (the New York Observer) and the National Enquirer, a tabloid whose parent company is run by Trump friend David Pecker and whose content usually focuses on celebrity scandal. Trump scorned the negative editorials Friday, tweeting that "The people are really smart in cancelling subscriptions to the Dallas & Arizona papers & now USA Today will lose readers! The people get it!" "I don't read USA Today," he said later to WZZM13 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. "It's not much of a newspaper as far as I'm concerned." If Clinton's overwhelming advantage among editorial boards mirrors the revulsion Trump has inspired from officials in both parties, the endorsements may also illustrate the decline in newspapers' power to shape opinions and the strength of Trump's anti-establishment appeal. Polls show Clinton trailing in Texas, Arizona and Ohio despite the unexpected support of GOP papers. During the primaries, the venerable conservative paper the New Hampshire Union Leader endorsed Chris Christie, only to have the New Jersey governor lose the state decisively, drop out and back Trump. The Arizona Republic favored John Kasich in the state's GOP primary, but Trump won easily, and the Ohio governor finished fourth. "Newspaper endorsements don't have nearly the impact they used to," says Mark McKinnon, co-host of Showtime's political show "The Circus" and a longtime adviser who has worked with former President George W. Bush and Sen. John McCain of Arizona, the GOP's 2008 presidential candidate. "There are just way too many other sources of information for voters today." "They are just part of the wave," says political historian Rick Perlstein, who is in the midst of a multivolume series on the rise of the conservative movement and has written in depth about elections of the 1960s, '70s and beyond. "They don't start anything, and probably didn't determine much but betoken a widespread disgust in the air." Readers may not let editorials tell them how to vote, but they care enough to respond. Dallas Morning News editor Mike Wilson recalls a group of about a dozen people demonstrated against the endorsement across the street from the paper. Wilson went down to talk with them. In a series of tweets, he described a discussion that began angrily but settled into a serious dialogue. "I got a few words in and persuaded zero people," he tweeted. Wilson said he's received some messages from Clinton supporters thanking the newspaper for the editorial, but hasn't heard that it changed anyone's mind. "They're not really meant to end arguments, they're mean to start discussions, and this one certainly did that," he said. "One of the reasons we exist is to take editorial positions on things that can improve lives in our community," he said. "That is one of the core functions of a newspaper." Peter Bhatia, editor and vice president of audience engagement at the Cincinnati Enquirer, said he knows that the impact of editorial endorsements has lessened. "The days of people taking the endorsements of an editorial board and going into the polling place with them are pretty much long gone," he said. But he still considers it an important obligation. The newspaper's editorial board came to consensus pretty quickly so they decided to get it out. As anticipated, some readers lashed out. Bhatia said he received some 150 angry emails and there were some canceled subscriptions. "I am impressed by how thoroughly rehearsed some of the attacks on Hillary Clinton are," he said. "They have a very familiar bent to them." He also cites their incivility, but doesn't find that unusual in the internet age. He said there also have been a few dozen positive notes. He said he gave an interview to CBC radio in Canada and got a long email from someone who found his arguments convincing. Just one problem: The person lives in Canada and can't vote. Father: Son's killing is a 'turning point' to change police EL CAJON, Calif. (AP) The father of an unarmed black man who was fatally shot by police in a San Diego suburb on Saturday told hundreds of demonstrators who peacefully marched through downtown streets that his son's death was a turning point in a struggle to change police practices. Richard Olango Abuka called the El Cajon officer who fired his gun "a coward" and demanded that Police Chief Jeff Davis resign. The orderly protest followed days of angry, sometimes unruly, protests that led to Friday's release of two videos by the authorities, something that the family and community had urged. Winnie Olango, center, sister of Alfred Olango, is consoled by two friends before a march Saturday Oct. 1, 2016, in reaction to the fatal police shooting of her brother, in El Cajon, Calif. Alfred Olango, a Ugandan refugee, was shot by an El Cajon police officer on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy) The videos show the officer fired four times at close range almost immediately after Alfred Olango, 38, suddenly raised both hands to chest level and took what police described as a shooting stance. In addition to the videos, police showed the 4-inch electronic cigarette device Olango had in his hands when he was shot. The shots came less than a minute after police arrived at the scene in response to Olango's sister calling 911 and reporting he was acting erratically. There was a modest police presence Saturday to direct traffic as demonstrators walked from one rally to another, shouting Olango's name in unison as they made a short loop through the heart of the city of 104,000 people to Civic Center Plaza, which includes police headquarters. There were no reports of arrests or property damage. "We must be united in this fight until we achieve our goals," Richard Olango Abuka told the crowd. "Alfred's death is going to be a turning point, and the change is now." The father didn't directly address the videos but other speakers did. The Rev. Frank Placone-Willey of Summit Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in nearby Santee, California, read an email from a parishioner who watched them and questioned if police would have responded less aggressively if Olango were white. "As long as Mr. Olango was not causing harm other than possibly blocking traffic, the officers should have taken steps to deescalate the situation," Placone-Willey read from the email, sparking applause. Several speakers said the incident highlighted a need for more police training on how to handle people who are in mental distress. The incident is the latest in a series of fatal shootings of black men that have roiled communities across the U.S. It came weeks after fatal shootings by police in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Charlotte, North Carolina. Olango, a Ugandan refugee who arrived in the U.S. as a boy, had a criminal record that included drug and weapon charges but no violence. His family described him as a loving father and a joyful, happy person. His mother said he suffered a mental breakdown recently after the death of his best friend. On Tuesday, his sister called 911 and reported he was acting strangely and walking into traffic by a strip mall. The longer of the two videos released by police came from a surveillance camera in the drive-thru of a restaurant. It is roughly a minute, has no sound and police blurred out the heads of everyone in it. Olango is seen walking through the parking lot and then stopping suddenly as Officer Richard Gonsalves approached, his weapon drawn at his side. Olango, his right hand in his pants pocket, moved side to side and backed up toward a white pickup truck. As Gonsalves moved in from the front, a second officer got out of a cruiser and approached from the side. In the second video, taken on a cellphone by a witness in the drive-thru, Olango's sister is seen approaching Gonsalves from behind and a woman can be heard screaming at Olango to put up his hands and telling police not to shoot. Olango then bent over and assumed the shooting stance. Gonsalves quickly fired four shots at close range. ___ Associated Press writer Julie Watson contributed to this report. Authorities watch a video of the shooting scene at a news conference on Friday Sept. 30, 2016, in El Cajon, Calif, held to address the killing of Alfred Olango, a Ugandan refugee shot by an El Cajon police officer on Tuesday. The El Cajon police department released video footage of the shooting at the news conference. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy) El Cajon Police Department Capt. Jeffery Davis, center, speaks at a news conference on Friday Sept. 30, 2016, in El Cajon, Calif, held to address the killing of Alfred Olango, a Ugandan refugee shot by an El Cajon police officer on Tuesday. The El Cajon police department released video footage of the shooting at the news conference. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy) El Cajon Police Department Capt. Jeffery Davis holds up a vape device similar to the one that they claim that Alfred Olango was holding when he was shot during at a news conference held on Friday Sept. 30, 2016, in El Cajon, Calif. The El Cajon police department released video footage of the shooting at the news conference. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy) In this Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2016 frame from video provided by the El Cajon Police Department, a man, second from left, faces police officers in El Cajon, Calif. The man reportedly acting erratically at a strip mall in suburban San Diego was shot and killed by police after pulling an object from his pocket, pointing it at officers and assuming a "shooting stance," authorities said. Some protesters claimed the man was shot with his hands raised, but police disputed that and produced the frame from cellphone video taken by a witness that appeared to show the man in the "shooting stance" as two officers approached with weapons drawn. (El Cajon Police Department via AP) El Cajon Police Department Capt. Jeffery Davis holds up a vape device similar to the one that they claim that Alfred Olango was holding when he was shot during at a news conference held on Friday Sept. 30, 2016, in El Cajon, Calif. The El Cajon police department released video footage of the shooting at the news conference. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy) El Cajon Police Department Capt. Jeffery Davis, right, and Escondido Police Chief Craig Carter, left, stand next to a still photograph of the shooting scene at a news conference on Friday Sept. 30, 2016, in El Cajon, Calif, held to address the killing of Alfred Olango, a Ugandan refugee shot by an El Cajon police officer on Tuesday. The El Cajon police department released video footage of the shooting at the news conference. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy) Escondido Police Chief Craig Carter, left, watches a video of the shooting scene at a news conference on Friday Sept. 30, 2016, in El Cajon, Calif, held to address the killing of Alfred Olango, a Ugandan refugee shot by an El Cajon police officer on Tuesday. The El Cajon police department released video footage of the shooting at the news conference. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy) Protesters yell at police officers in front of the El Cajon Police Department headquarters before a news conference on Friday Sept. 30, 2016, in San Diego, Calif., held to address the killing of Alfred Olango, a Ugandan refugee shot by an El Cajon police officer on Tuesday. The El Cajon police department released video footage of the shooting at the news conference. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy) Scottish boxer dies after being injured in bout GLASGOW, Scotland (AP) A Scottish boxer has died after suffering severe bleeding and swelling to his brain during a televised fight. Mike Towell, who was 25, had to be carried from the ring on a stretcher after a fifth-round loss to Dale Evans in Glasgow on Thursday. Towell had been undefeated going into the fight an eliminator for the British welterweight title with 11 wins and one draw on his professional record. Towell's partner, Chloe Ross, said she was "absolutely heartbroken" to announce that he died Friday night, 12 hours after he was taken off life support. Ross said the welterweight had been complaining of migraines in the run-up to the fight but put it down to stress. "I'm absolutely heartbroken to say my annoying best friend passed away (Friday night) at 11.02 very peacefully," Ross wrote on Facebook. "Michael had severe bleeding and swelling to his brain. He had been complaining of headaches for the last few weeks but we put it down to migraines with the stress of his fight. "It has been the longest 24 hours of our lives. My baby has lost his daddy. But he will be so so proud of his dad in what he achieved." Towell's family were at the boxer's bedside in his final hours. "Once he was taken off of his life support he managed 12 hours, 12 whole rounds off his life support, he fought right to the end and he's done us all so proud," Ross said Fight organizer, St. Andrews Sporting Club, said Towell "will always be in our hearts." Evans is yet to comment on his opponent's death but described Towell as a "true warrior" in a statement issued after he was taken to the hospital. "The ingredients were there for an entertaining fight and it was that, we are both punchers and so sadly for Mike he came out the wrong side," Evans said. "I never wanted to see my opponent being stretchered out of the ring. Who would ever want that sight? That was so hard for his family and my heart goes out to them.". 5 decisions that made the Nobel Prizes look bad STOCKHOLM (AP) Nobel Prizes cannot be revoked, so the judges must put a lot of thought into their selections for the six awards, which will be announced in the next two weeks. A discovery might seem groundbreaking today, but will it stand the test of time? Prize founder Alfred Nobel wanted to honor those whose discoveries created "the greatest benefit to mankind." Here are five Nobel Prize decisions that, in hindsight, seem questionable: FILE - In this file photo dated December 10, 1948, Nobel Prize winners of 1948, shortly after being presented their prize inside the concert hall in Stockholm, Sweden. English writer T.S. Eliot Nobel Prize for Literature and the Swiss Scientist Paul Mueller Nobel Prize for Medicine. Mueller was honored for discovering that the powerful pesticide DDT killed flies and mosquitoes to fight Typhus and Malaria, but ended up doing both good and bad as it also poisoned wildlife. Nobel Prizes cannot be changed or revoked, so the judges must put a lot of thought into their selections, with this year's awards due to be announced over the next two weeks. (AP Photo/FILE) When a German who organized poison gas attacks won the chemistry prize Fritz Haber was awarded the 1918 chemistry award for discovering how to create ammonia from nitrogen and hydrogen gases. His method was used to manufacture fertilizers and delivered a major boost to agriculture worldwide. But the Nobel committee completely overlooked Haber's role in chemical warfare during World War I. Enthusiastically supporting the German war effort, he supervised the first major chlorine gas attack at Ypres, Belgium, in 1915, which killed thousands of Allied troops. ___ When the medicine committee awarded a cancer discovery that wasn't Danish scientist Johannes Fibiger won the 1926 medicine award for discovering that a roundworm caused cancer in rats. There was only one problem: the roundworm didn't cause cancer in rats. Fibiger insisted his research showed that rats ingesting worm larvae by eating cockroaches developed cancer. At the time when he won the prize, the Nobel judges thought that made perfect sense. It later turned out the rats developed cancer from a lack of vitamin A. Oops. ___ When chemistry prize honored man who found use for DDT, which was later banned The 1948 medicine prize to Swiss scientist Paul Mueller honored a discovery that ended up doing both good and bad. Mueller didn't invent dichlorodiphenyltricloroethane, or DDT, but he discovered that it was a powerful pesticide that could kill lots of flies, mosquitoes and beetles in a short time. The compound proved very effective in protecting agricultural crops and fighting insect-borne diseases like Typhus and Malaria. DDT saved hundreds of thousands of lives and helped eradicate malaria from southern Europe. But in the 1960s environmentalists found that DDT was poisoning wildlife and the environment. The U.S. banned DDT in 1972 and in 2001 it was banned by an international treaty, though exemptions are allowed for some countries fighting malaria. ___ When the man who invented lobotomy won the medicine prize Carving up people's brains may have seemed like a good idea at the time. But in hindsight, rewarding Portuguese scientist Antonio Egas Moniz in 1949 for inventing lobotomy to treat mental illness wasn't the Nobel Prizes' finest hour. The method became very popular in the 1940s, and at the award ceremony it was praised as "one of the most important discoveries ever made in psychiatric therapy." But it had serious side effects: some patients died and others were left severely brain damaged. Even operations that were considered successful left patients unresponsive and emotionally numb. The method declined quickly in the 1950s as drugs to treat mental illness became widespread and it's used very seldom today. ___ When India's Mahatma Gandhi didn't win the peace prize The Indian independence leader, considered one of history's great champions of non-violent struggle, was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize no fewer than five times. He never won. The peace prize committee, which rarely concedes a mistake, eventually acknowledged that not awarding Gandhi was an omission. In 1989 41 years after Gandhi's death the Nobel committee chairman paid tribute to Gandhi as he presented that year's award to the Dalai Lama. Israel condemns Philippines president for invoking Hitler JERUSALEM (AP) Israel's Foreign Ministry says it's "unfortunate" that Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte chose to invoke Adolf Hitler and the Holocaust in his bloody anti-crime war. Spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon says Saturday Israel is convinced the Philippine president "will find a way to clarify his words." On Friday, the outspoken Duterte said "Hitler massacred 3 million Jews ... there's 3 million drug addicts. There are. I'd be happy to slaughter them." FILE - In this Thursday, Sept. 29, 2016 file photo, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte reviews an honor guard during a welcome ceremony at the Presidential Palace in Hanoi during his two-day visit to Vietnam. Israel's Foreign Ministry says it's "unfortunate" that Duterte chose to invoke Adolf Hitler and the Holocaust in his bloody anti-crime war. Spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon says Saturday, Oct. 1, Israel is convinced the Philippine president "will find a way to clarify his words." (Hoang Dinh Nam/Pool Photo via AP, File) Duterte, under fire for extra-judicial killings in the drug war, was referring to the estimated number of drug addicts in the country. The U.S. has warned the president's violent rhetoric could affect aid. Local Muslims wary of Hungary's anti-migrant referendum BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) Muslims in Hungary say they are wary of the government's anti-migrant referendum this weekend, which polls suggest has boosted xenophobic feelings. The government, contending that there is a direct link between migrants and terrorism, is seeking a popular mandate in Sunday's vote for its opposition to accepting any mandatory European Union quotas for resettling asylum seekers. "I'm starting to feel that my own homeland is repudiating me," says Timea Nagy, a Hungarian Muslim. A woman holds a banner during a protest against Orban's policies regarding migrants in Budapest, Hungary, Friday, Sept. 30, 2016. Hungarians will vote Sunday in a referendum which Prime Minister Viktor Orban hopes will give his government the popular support it seeks to oppose any future plans by the European Union to resettle asylum seekers among its member states. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda) Prime Minister Viktor Orban has said Hungarians have "no problems" with the local Muslim community, but he believes any EU quotas to relocate asylum seekers, including many Muslims, would destroy Hungary's Christian identity and culture. Orban hopes that a rejection of EU quotas in the referendum will be mimicked by others and force Brussels to reconsider the scheme. A poll taken in August by the Publicus Institute for the Vasarnapi Hirek newspaper found 35 percent of the 1,000 people asked said it was obligatory to help refugees, down from 64 percent in September 2015. Some 5,600 Muslims live in Hungary, according to the 2011 census, the latest available. On Friday, about 30 people took part in a "Muslims living among us" walking tour in a Budapest neighborhood, an effort to counter prejudice. "In the past year, especially since the migrant crisis is causing tension in Hungarian society, this is one of our most popular walks," said tour guide Anna Lenard. "We present Hungarian Muslim communities and try to show their human face because people living here get a lot of false information from the media." The tour in the city's so-called "New Buda" neighborhood stretching to the Danube River includes stops in several shops and mosques, as well as presentations and chats by community leaders. "We could say that this (referendum) campaign is against the migrants but in reality it is covertly against Islam, that's how people mostly understood it," said Tayseer Saleh, imam of the Darusallam Mosque. "We do not support the migrants coming to Europe," Saleh said. "We support putting an end to the problems there and I guarantee that 90 percent of the people will return to their homeland." Government billboards and media ads have drawn a direct link between migration and terrorism, warned Hungarians that millions more migrants may soon be headed for Europe and asserted that cases of harassment of women in Europe have risen greatly since the start of the migrant crisis. Speaking last September at a meeting of Hungarian diplomats, Orban said the Muslims in Hungary were a "valuable asset" and wanted to avoid causing "awkward situations, even at the verbal level" for them. "We are truly glad that there are kebab shops on our avenues. We like buying lamb from Syrian butchers at Easter," Orban said. "We are going to honor this Muslim community in Hungary, but we don't want their proportion to grow suddenly." Local Muslims said the problems they faced in light of the government's referendum campaign were far beyond awkward. "I consider myself a good Hungarian and I want to be one, too," Timea Nagy said. "But if people are surrounded by this kind of propaganda and they are so impressionable, it often makes you wonder." ___ Andras Nagy contributed to this report. A man holds a banner depicting Hungarian Premier Viktor Orban, the reads "mini-prime minister" during a protest against Orban's policies regarding migrants in Budapest, Hungary, Friday, Sept. 30, 2016. Hungarians will vote Sunday in a referendum which Prime Minister Viktor Orban hopes will give his government the popular support it seeks to oppose any future plans by the European Union to resettle asylum seekers among its member states.(AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda) The Latest: 4 Albanians arrested in Syrian refugees case BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) The Latest on Europe's migration crisis (all times local): 7:15 p.m. Albanian police have arrested four Albanians and stopped 15 Syrians they were helping to go to neighboring Kosovo in an effort to reach Western Europe. A woman holds a banner during a protest against Orban's policies regarding migrants in Budapest, Hungary, Friday, Sept. 30, 2016. Hungarians will vote Sunday in a referendum which Prime Minister Viktor Orban hopes will give his government the popular support it seeks to oppose any future plans by the European Union to resettle asylum seekers among its member states. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda) A statement Saturday said the Syrians had left a refugee camp near the Albanian capital of Tirana and were trying again to leave the country. The Syrians were part of a larger group stopped earlier this week in eastern Albania coming in from a camp in Thessaloniki, Greece, through a mountainous area. The refugees are being given temporary shelter care before turned back to the country they came from. Police are also searching for six other Syrians who also left the camp. Albania has not been a major transit route for migrants through Europe so far, although small groups have tried crossing it to reach its northern neighbors. ___ 6:10 p.m. Police say several people have been injured after fights between locals and migrants in three towns in eastern Germany. In the first incident late Friday, a group of German youths used clubs and pepper spray against a group of Syrians who threw stones at them at a refugee shelter in the town of Sangershausen, 200 kilometers (124 miles) southwest of Berlin. In Bautzen, near Germany's eastern border with Poland, a 17-year-old Syrian threatened a 39-year-old German man. Police said Saturday that the minor injured himself and was taken to hospital. The town hit headlines last month following a series of fights between residents and migrants. In a third incident late Friday, police had to separate a group of 30 locals who attacked 10 migrants in the northern German town of Schwerin. ___ 4:40 p.m. Serbia's defense minister says police and army patrols on the border with Bulgaria have discovered 9,300 migrants attempting to cross into the country illegally since mid-July. Minister Zoran Djordjevic said Saturday the troops also have caught 53 people smugglers in that period. Serbia has stepped up its border patrols with Bulgaria recently as part of efforts to curb the influx of migrants seeking to reach the European Union. Thousands of migrants have been stuck in Serbia looking for ways to cross into EU-member nations Croatia and Hungary. Migrants have turned to clandestine routes after countries along the Balkans migration route closed their borders to migrants in March. Serbian Justice Minister Nela Kuburovic says the government plans to toughen the penalties for people smuggling. ___ 2:45 p.m. Romanian border police are investigating 17 Syrians on suspicion that they tried to illegally enter Romania. Border police they detained the Syrians, 11 adults and 6 children, who had left Bulgaria and were walking toward Ostrov, in southeastern Romania, on Saturday morning. The migrants told police they were trying to reach Western Europe. Romanian and Bulgarian authorities are jointly investigating the group on suspicion of illegally crossing the border. In a separate incident, border police in southwestern Romania said they spotted five men, aged between 20 and 53, early Saturday who were trying to cross into Romania. Four were Lebanese and the other was Algerian. Border police are investigating the five on suspicion of illegally crossing from Serbia and trying to enter Romania. ___ 1:25 p.m. Muslims in Hungary say they are wary of the government's anti-migrant referendum this weekend, which polls show has boosted xenophobic feelings. The government, contending that there is a direct link between migrants and terrorism, is seeking a popular mandate in Sunday's vote for its opposition to accepting any mandatory European Union quotas for resettling asylum seekers. Timea Nagy, a Hungarian Muslim, says "I'm starting to feel that my own homeland is repudiating me." Prime Minister Viktor Orban has said Hungarians have "no problems" with the local Muslim community, but he believes any mandatory European Union quotas to relocate asylum seekers, including many Muslims, would destroy Hungary's Christian identity and culture. Orban hopes that a rejection of EU quotas in the referendum will be mimicked by others and force Brussels to reconsider the plan. A man holds a banner depicting Hungarian Premier Viktor Orban, the reads "mini-prime minister" during a protest against Orban's policies regarding migrants in Budapest, Hungary, Friday, Sept. 30, 2016. Hungarians will vote Sunday in a referendum which Prime Minister Viktor Orban hopes will give his government the popular support it seeks to oppose any future plans by the European Union to resettle asylum seekers among its member states.(AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda) A migrant girl walks behind a barbed wire fence at a makeshift camp in Horgos, Serbia, seen from the Hungarian side of the border, Friday, Sept. 30, 2016. Hungarians will vote Sunday in a referendum which Prime Minister Viktor Orban hopes will give his government the popular support it seeks to oppose any future plans by the European Union to resettle asylum seekers among its member states.(AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda) A man rides a motorcycle by a poster that reads in Hungarian "Let's send a message to Budapest, so they also understand! A stupid answer to a stupid question! Cast an invalid vote!" in opposition to Hungarian Premier Minister's Viktor Orban policies on migrants in Budapest, Hungary, Saturday, Oct. 1, 2016. Hungarians will vote Sunday in a referendum which Prime Minister Viktor Orban hopes will give his government the popular support it seeks to oppose any future plans by the European Union to resettle asylum seekers among its member states. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda) A woman walks by a poster that reads in Hungarian "Let's send a message to Budapest, so they also understand! A stupid answer to a stupid question! Cast an invalid vote!" in opposition to Hungarian Premier Minister's Viktor Orban policies on migrants in Budapest, Hungary, Saturday, Oct. 1, 2016. Hungarians will vote Sunday in a referendum which Prime Minister Viktor Orban hopes will give his government the popular support it seeks to oppose any future plans by the European Union to resettle asylum seekers among its member states. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda) Men walk by a boat in Budapest, Hungary, Saturday, Oct. 1, 2016. Hungarians will vote Sunday in a referendum which Prime Minister Viktor Orban hopes will give his government the popular support it seeks to oppose any future plans by the European Union to resettle asylum seekers among its member states. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda) A man rides a bicycle by a poster that reads in Hungarian "Lets not risk it! Lets vote no! October 2", supporting Hungarian Premier Minister's Viktor Orban policies on migrants in Budapest, Hungary, Saturday, Oct. 1, 2016. Hungarians will vote Sunday in a referendum which Prime Minister Viktor Orban hopes will give his government the popular support it seeks to oppose any future plans by the European Union to resettle asylum seekers among its member states. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda) A man walks backdropped by a poster that reads in Hungarian "Lets not risk it! Lets vote no! October 2", supporting Hungarian Premier Minister's Viktor Orban policies on migrants in Budapest, Hungary, Saturday, Oct. 1, 2016. Hungary is holding a referendum on Sunday against future European Union quotas for accepting asylum seekers, but schemes already in place to ensure EU member countries are taking in a fair share of the migrants reaching Europe hardly are working now. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda) Governor hopefuls distancing themselves from Clinton, Trump JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) In West Virginia, the Democrat running for governor has defended the coal industry while decrying his party's presidential nominee, Hillary Clinton. In Vermont, the Republican nominee for governor declared his support for transgender bathroom rights and denounced GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump. Those types of unconventional strategic calculations are helping to make for close races this year in several states. FILE - In this Aug. 5, 2016 file photo, Missouri Republican gubernatorial candidate Eric Greitens speaks in Jefferson City, Mo. Gubernatorial candidates in some states including Missouri have been staking strategic positions contrary to their party's national norms and presidential nominees. A former Navy SEAL officer, Greitens faces Democratic nominee, Attorney General Chris Koster in the general election. (Julie Smith/The Jefferson City News-Tribune via AP, File) A dozen governor's offices will be up for grabs in the Nov. 8 elections, including at least seven that appear competitive. The national Republican and Democratic governors associations already have spent more than $25 million in those states, according to an Associated Press analysis of financial reports and interviews. The number of early TV ads in governor's races is up 40 percent from 2012, according to the Wesleyan Media Project. Democrats are trying to hold on to offices forced open by term limits or retirements in Missouri, New Hampshire, Vermont and West Virginia. Indiana Gov. Mike Pence's nomination as Trump's running mate added another open office to the competitive list. The Democrat in Montana and the Republican in North Carolina are the top incumbents facing close contests. Republicans currently have 31 governorships, three shy of their historic high in the early 1920s. Some of the races to watch: INDIANA Even before Pence dropped his re-election bid to become Trump's running mate, Indiana Republicans seeking to retain the governor's office were facing a tough rematch from Democrat John Gregg, a former House speaker who narrowly lost to Pence in 2012. Pence was replaced on the ballot by Lt. Gov. Eric Holcomb, who was appointed to his post in March. Holcomb has said he is happy to run on Pence's record. That's been turned into an attack ad by Democrats eager to exploit Pence's unpopularity among some voters because of his embrace of conservative social issues such as a religious rights law. The Republican governors association already has routed $2.8 million to Holcomb while trying to tie Gregg to Clinton. Gregg has distanced himself from Clinton and affirmed his support for the coal industry. He has been aided with $1.3 million so far from the national Democratic governors group. MISSOURI Republicans view Missouri as perhaps their best chance for a pickup. Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon is leaving office because of term limits, and the state has been trending Republican in legislative and presidential elections even as Democrats have held the governor's office for all but four of the past 24 years. The Republican Governors Association has poured more than $4.2 million into the coffers of former Navy SEAL officer Eric Greitens after he won a four-way GOP primary in August. But the Democratic nominee, Attorney General Chris Koster, has been running like a Republican on key issues. Koster was a GOP state senator until switching parties in 2007. He's won endorsements this year from the National Rifle Association and Missouri's major agricultural organizations, all of whom typically support Republicans. Koster backed the GOP Legislature's hallmark accomplishment a 2014 income tax cut enacted by overriding Nixon's veto and also sided with Republicans when they overrode Nixon's veto of a gun-rights law this September. NEW HAMPSHIRE The race to replace Democratic Gov. Maggie Hassan will be conducted in the shadow of Hassan's quest to oust Republican U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte. Democrats have controlled the governor's office for 18 of the past 20 years, and Democratic candidate Colin Van Ostern is pledging to build on Hassan's record. Republican Chris Sununu comes with strong name identification as the son of former Gov. John H. Sununu and the brother of former U.S. Sen. John E. Sununu. He's positioned himself a bit to the left by backing abortion rights and supporting funding for Planned Parenthood after rejecting it last year. The governor's race could be influenced by the state's status as a presidential battleground. The Republican Governors Association already has reserved $3 million of air time in the Boston media market for the final weeks before New Hampshire's election, while Democrats say they reserved more than $4 million of TV ad time. VERMONT As a Democrat, Sue Minter begins with what would appear to be a natural advantage in a liberal state that is home to independent U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, a self-described democratic socialist. Minter is a former state lawmaker and transportation secretary for retiring Democratic Gov. Peter Shumlin. But Lt. Gov. Phil Scott, the only Republican statewide officeholder, has made this race close by tacking to the left. A part-time race-car driver, Scott has wide name recognition and has denounced Trump as "someone who exploits fear for political gain" and "who is willing to overlook the truth." Scott supports abortion rights and gay marriage, and said during a debate that transgender students should be allowed to use the bathroom of their choice. WEST VIRGINIA Republican nominee Bill Cole has linked himself closely to Trump, who is popular in West Virginia because of his pledge to revive the coal industry. The state Senate president is aided by West Virginia's trend toward Republicans in recent legislative and presidential elections. Still, Democrats have won the last five elections for governor. Their candidate this year is Jim Justice, a billionaire coal and agricultural businessman who has been leading in the polls to replace term-limited Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin. Justice has loaned his campaign more than $2.6 million and, like Trump, casts himself as a political outsider with a record of creating jobs. That includes his purchase and revival of one of the state's biggest tourist draws, The Greenbrier resort. Justice has refused to endorse Clinton. MONTANA Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock is facing a re-election challenge from Republican businessman Greg Gianforte in a state that has favored Republicans in presidential and state legislative elections. Gianforte, who made a fortune selling his cloud-based software firm to Oracle in 2011, has donated $1.6 million toward his campaign while pledging to match all other contributions dollar-for-dollar. The Republican Governors Association has attempted to link Bullock to Clinton, noting in an ad that both used private email accounts. The Democratic Governors Association has come to Bullock's defense with more than $2.5 million so far. NORTH CAROLINA The top target for both Democrats and Republicans, the North Carolina governor's race already has seen millions of dollars in advertising from candidates and outside groups. A state law that limits anti-discrimination protections for LGBT people and directs transgender people to use public restrooms matching the gender on their birth certificate has dominated the political discourse since it was signed by GOP Gov. Pat McCrory earlier this year. Democratic Attorney General Roy Cooper, who has held the office since 2001, has declined to defend the law and vowed to try repealing it as governor. While defeating an incumbent is difficult, the Democratic Governors Association views North Carolina as its best chance to flip an office currently held by a Republican. Cooper has outraised McCrory in four straight reporting periods dating to early 2015. ___ Associated Press writers Dave Gram and Wilson Ring in Montpelier, Vermont; Jonathan Mattise in Charleston, West Virginia; Gary Robertson in Raleigh, North Carolina; Kathleen Ronayne in Concord, New Hampshire; Brian Slodysko in Indianapolis; and Matt Volz in Helena, Montana, contributed to this report. In this Aug. 16, 2016 file photo, Missouri Attorney General and Democratic candidate for governor Chris Koster speaks at a campaign appearance in Springfield, Mo. Gubernatorial candidates in some states including Missouri have been staking strategic positions contrary to their party's national norms and presidential nominees. Attorney General Koster faces Republican nominee and former Navy SEAL officer, Eric Greitens in the general election. (Guillermo Hernandez Martinez/The Springfield News-Leader via AP File) /The Springfield News-Leader via AP) In this Aug. 26, 2016 file photo, Missouri Republican gubernatorial candidate Eric Greitens meets with supporters in downtown St. Joseph, Mo. Gubernatorial candidates in some states including Missouri have been staking strategic positions contrary to their party's national norms and presidential nominees. A former Navy SEAL officer, Greitens faces Democratic nominee, Attorney General Chris Koster in the general election. (Jessica Stewart/St. Louis Post-Dispatch via AP File) FILE - In this Aug. 5, 2016 file photo, Missouri Attorney General and Democrat candidate for governor, Chris Koster, addresses members of the Missouri Farm Bureau in Jefferson City, Mo. Gubernatorial candidates in some states including Missouri have been staking strategic positions contrary to their party's national norms and presidential nominees. Attorney General Koster faces Republican nominee, former Navy SEAL officer, Eric Greitens in the general election. (Julie Smith/The Jefferson City News-Tribune via AP File) FILE - In this July 15, 2016, file photo, Indiana Lt. Gov. Eric Holcomb responds to reporters' questions in Indianapolis. Gubernatorial candidates in some states including Indiana have been staking strategic positions contrary to their party's national norms and presidential nominees. Lt. Gov. Holcomb faces Democratic candidate John Gregg in the general election. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings, File) FILE - In this Aug. 23, 2016 file photo, Republican candidate for Indiana governor Lt. Gov. Eric Holcomb speaks during an Indiana Farm Bureau forum in Brownsburg, Ind. Gubernatorial candidates in some states including Indiana have been staking strategic positions contrary to their partys national norms and presidential nominees. Lt. Gov. Holcomb faces Democratic candidate John Gregg in the general election. (Jenna Watson/The Indianapolis Star via AP File) FILE - In this Sept. 9, 2016 file photo, Democratic Indiana gubernatorial candidate John Gregg speaks with students as the J. Everett Light Career Center in Indianapolis. Gubernatorial candidates in some states including Indiana have been staking strategic positions contrary to their party's national norms and presidential nominees. Gregg goes up against Republican Lt. Gov. Eric Holcomb in the general election. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings File) AP-GfK poll: Third party backers a wild card in 2016 race WASHINGTON (AP) Most people who are drawn to third party candidates in the presidential election aren't sold on their choice, making these voters wild cards in an already unpredictable contest. A shift in their support toward either of the major party nominees away from Libertarian Gary Johnson, Jill Stein of the Green Party or another third party candidate could drastically change the shape of the race. A recent Associated Press-GfK poll found that nearly 7 in 10 third-party supporters say they could still change their minds. FILE - In this Sept. 8, 2016 file photo, Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein speaks during a news conference at South Austin neighborhood in Chicago. Most voters who plan to support third party candidates like Libertarian Gary Johnson and Stein say their minds arent completely made up about which candidate to support in November, lending an element of unpredictability to the presidential race this fall. (AP Photo/Tae-Gyun Kim, File) They are about evenly split between Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump if forced to choose between just those two. Nearly one-third refused to pick or said they would just not vote if it came down to that. Margaret Bonnem, a stay-at-home mother in Colliersville, Tennessee, had previously supported Stein. But now she says she'll vote for Clinton because she realizes that "a third party candidate can't really do anything but pull votes away" from the major parties. "I can't vote for Trump, and I don't want him to benefit from me voting for someone else," said Bonnem, 54. "So I'll end up voting for someone I don't fully trust." The poll, conducted before last Monday night's first presidential debate, also shows signs that many third party backers would rather vote for no one than throw their support either to Trump or Clinton. Among likely voters in the AP-GfK poll saying they'll support a third party candidate, 7 in 10 say they have an unfavorable opinion of both the Democratic and Republican nominees. Altogether, the poll found 9 percent of likely voters supported Johnson, 2 percent Stein, and 2 percent "another candidate." Among third-party supporters, 72 percent say Clinton's not at all honest, and 64 percent say she's at least somewhat corrupt. Sixty-eight percent say Trump is not at all compassionate and 59 percent think he's at least somewhat racist. Overall, 8 in 10 say they have an unfavorable opinion of each of the major party nominees. For 6 in 10, that opinion is very unfavorable. Patrick Cannon, 63, from Minneapolis, says he'll vote for Johnson though he knows Johnson can't win. "I guess my vote is in the nature of a protest vote," said Cannon, who retired from the graphics industry. "I just can't bring myself to vote for the other two." These third party voters don't fit into easy political boxes. They're disproportionately young: 26 percent of them are under age 30, compared with just 15 percent of likely voters overall. More than half of them self-identify as independents, though when asked which way they lean, they're about evenly split between the two parties. They're deeply dissatisfied with the direction of the country. Eight-two percent say the country is headed in the wrong direction, far closer to the percentage for Trump supporters (94 percent) than Clinton supporters (45 percent). Six in 10 disapprove of the job Barack Obama is doing as president. Despite their dissatisfaction with the direction of the country, 74 percent of them say they would be afraid if Trump is elected president, compared with 56 percent who say that of Clinton. They're also slightly more likely to say they would be angry about electing Trump than put Clinton in the White House, 54 percent to 45 percent. Whether the Democrat or the Republican can win them over lends potential volatility to the race. In the AP-GfK poll, 69 percent of them said they could still change their minds about whom to support, while more than 85 percent of both Trump and Clinton supporters said their minds were made up. Jim Stab, a retired captain in the Navy, is planning to vote for Johnson but says his "leaning is weak." "Not voting is a waste," said Staub, 75, of Laguna Niguel, California. "If I won't for Johnson, I will for one of them," meaning Clinton or Trump. On average, surveys have suggested Clinton may perform slightly better when voters are forced to choose between only Trump and her. But first, they'd need to actually vote. And there are reasons to think many of them wouldn't come out to hold their noses for their least-disliked candidate. While 6 in 10 Trump and Clinton supporters in the AP-GfK poll say they always vote, just 45 percent of third party voters say the same. In fact, more than a quarter straight up say they would not vote if they had to choose between Trump and Clinton. ___ The AP-GfK Poll of 1,694 adults, including 160 likely voters who said they'll vote for a third party candidate, was conducted online Sept. 15-19, using a sample drawn from GfK's probability-based KnowledgePanel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for all respondents is plus or minus 2.5 percentage points, and for third party voters is plus or minus 8.2 percentage points. Respondents were first selected randomly using telephone or mail survey methods and later interviewed online. People selected for KnowledgePanel who didn't have access to the internet were provided access for free. ___ Lemire reported from New York. ___ Online: Poll results: http://ap-gfkpoll.com ___ Follow AP Polling Editor Emily Swanson on Twitter at http://twitter.com/El_Swan and Jonathan Lemire at http://twitter.com/JonLemire New Jersey coast to get disputed, long-delayed sand dunes TOMS RIVER, N.J. (AP) Almost four years after Superstorm Sandy pummeled his neighborhood so badly that Britain's Prince Harry had to stop by for a look at the damage, Paul Jeffrey is ready to sleep soundly again. His Ortley Beach community in Toms River, New Jersey called itself ground zero of the 2012 storm that washed entire neighborhoods off the map and in some cases, into the bay. It is among shore towns in a 14-mile stretch of coast that will soon be getting protective sand dunes as part of a $150 million project that has been repeatedly delayed by litigation from some property owners. New Jersey officials solicited bids this week for the project, which Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin said should begin in the spring. This March 5, 2013 photo shows a house in Long Beach Township that was destroyed by Superstorm Sandy. A project to build dunes in the area hardest-hit by Sandy will get under way in the spring, even though some property owners continue to fight it in court. (AP Photo/Wayne Parry) "It actually lets people sleep at night," said Jeffrey, president of the Ortley Beach Voters and Taxpayers Association. "When these storms come through, people have trouble sleeping. They don't know if they're going to wake up to water pouring through their homes. This is a stress-reliever." But for homeowners fighting against the plan, it is a nightmare. The state has obtained nearly 350 easements from oceanfront property owners who voluntarily gave permission for the dunes to be built on part of their land. But 149 others are fighting the state's condemnation proceedings court: 83 in Bay Head; 53 in Point Pleasant Beach; nine in Berkeley, and four in Mantoloking. Some don't want to lose their ground-floor oceanfront views. Others object to the government seizing private property, and still others, including a group in Bay Head that has spent millions of dollars of their own money on a rock wall between their homes and the ocean, say it's simply not needed. Many of the foes also question the federal government's commitment to constantly replenishing the sand as it washes away every few years for the next half-century. Thom Ammirato, a spokesman for some of the Bay Head objectors, said the dunes won't be finished until after Republican Gov. Chris Christie's administration leaves office in 2018, and questioned whether future federal and state governments will keep paying to maintain the project. "How does Bob Martin expect to pay for this?" Ammirato asked. "Is he just dumping it on the next administration, or does he still believe in the fairy tale that the federal government is going to pay for New Jersey beaches for the next 50 years? Residents along the beach will be making life-altering decisions on the promise made by Martin and Gov. Christie. That could be foolish." The dunes will stretch from Point Pleasant Beach to Island Beach State Park, which includes areas that were hit the worst by Sandy. Mantoloking was cut in half by the storm, Route 35 the state's second-busiest north-south coastal highway was smashed to pieces and virtually every one of the town's 521 buildings was either damaged or destroyed; entire neighborhoods were washed away, including houses that ended up atop a bridge, or in a nearby bay. And the Ortley Beach section of Toms River still struggles to recover nearly four years later. It was one of the places Britain's Prince Harry saw during a 2013 tour of storm-damaged areas. Martin commended the homeowners who voluntarily signed their easements, calling them "the real heroes here." Since a state judge ruled in favor of New Jersey's condemnation efforts for the dune plan in March, the state has pressed its efforts in court while negotiating with others, including the owners of the privately owned Jenkinson's Beach in Point Pleasant Beach, one of the state's main summer tourist spots. ___ Follow Wayne Parry at http://twitter.com/WayneParryAC. This March 5, 2013 photo shows protective sand dunes between the ocean and homes in Harvey Cedars, NJ. five months after Superstorm Sandy struck the New Jersey coast. A project to build dunes in the area hardest-hit by Sandy will get under way in the spring, even though some property owners continue to fight it in court. (AP Photo/Wayne Parry) This Sept. 29, 2016 photo shows New Jersey Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin, left; U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Lt. Col. Michael Bliss, center; and Paul Jeffrey, president of the Ortley Beach Voters and Taxpayers Association, right, hold a news conference in Toms River, N.J. to announce that bids have been solicited for a massive sand dune project to protect the part of the New Jersey shoreline that was hardest hit by Superstorm Sandy in 2012. The work is due to begin in the spring. (AP Photo/Wayne Parry) Tall fish tale: Tourists fooled by octopus ferry disaster NEW YORK (AP) Ever hear about the gargantuan octopus that dragged a New York City ferry and its 400 passengers to the river bottom nearly 53 years ago? A cast bronze monument dedicated to the victims of the steam ferry Cornelius G. Kolff recently appeared in Battery Park at the southern tip of Manhattan, erected a stone's throw from a handful of other somber memorials to soldiers, sailors and mariners lost at sea or on the battlefield. But if you can't recall the disaster it could be because the artist behind the memorial, Joseph Reginella, made the whole thing up. In this Sept. 29, 2016 photo, artist Joseph Reginella poses for a photo, in the Staten Island borough of New York, with the cast bronze faux monument dedicated to the memory of the victims of the steam ferry Cornelius G. Kolff, It took Reginella six months to execute his multi-layered project that includes the faux memorial, a sophisticated website complete with a documentary, a mocked-up newspaper articles and glossy fliers directing tourists to a phantom Staten Island Ferry Disaster Memorial Museum with small pieces of the wreckage on display _ some with "strange suction-cup-shaped marks." (AP Photo/ Ula Ilnytzky ) The 250-pound monument, which depicts a Staten Island ferry being dragged down by giant octopus tentacles, is part of a multi-layered hoax that also includes a sophisticated website, a documentary, fabricated newspaper articles and glossy fliers directing tourists to a phantom Staten Island Ferry Disaster Memorial Museum across the harbor. It took Reginella six months to put it together. He said the idea for the project came to him while he was taking his 11-year-old nephew from Florida on the ferry between Manhattan and Staten Island. "He was asking me all kinds of crazy questions like if the waters were shark-infested," he said. "I said 'No, but you know what did happen in the '60s? One of these boats got pulled down by a giant octopus." "The story just rolled off the top of my head" and the idea for a mock memorial was born. It evolved to become "a multimedia art project and social experience not maliciously about how gullible people are," said Reginella, who creates artworks for store windows and amusement parks. The monument never stays in one spot for more than two days "because the city will come and take it away," he said, adding that it takes two people to break it down. "It's definitely an experience when you see people who don't know about it. They get this strange look on their face, they stare out at the water and walk away," he said. "I sit close by with a fishing pole and fish. I eavesdrop on the conversations." Sometimes, he said, when he overhears people saying, "How come nobody has ever heard of this?" he'll interject, offering that the disaster happened on Nov. 22, 1963, a day that the news was dominated by the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. "It creates a plausibility for them, and they shake their head 'Maybe.'" Puzzled tourists looking for the memorial museum on Staten Island and its supposed collection of wreckage with "strange suction-cup-shaped marks" sometimes wonder into the Snug Harbor Cultural Center asking for directions. The staff at the nearby Staten Island Museum admits it too was puzzled at first. "We kind of scratched our heads and said we don't know where it is and started looking further into it, and realized it was a hoax," said spokeswoman Rachel Somma. "Most people have the feeling that it's not a reality. It's a treasure hunt for them. It's fun. That's what we love about it. ... It's great that it gets people out here," she added. Melanie Giuliano, who produced a mock documentary for the monument's website, used her father in the role of a maritime expert and her neighbor as an eyewitness. Reginella's wife's co-worker served as the narrator. "I thought it was an insane idea but I thought it was hilarious," said the videographer and filmmaker. One thing about the preposterous story is real. There really was a Cornelius G. Kolff ferry. It ferried passengers for 36 years before becoming a stationary floating dorm for Rikers Island inmates. It was sold for scrap in 2003. In this Sept. 29, 2016 photo, the cast bronze faux monument by artist Joseph Reginella, dedicated to the memory of the victims of the steam ferry Cornelius G. Kolff, is shown in the Staten Island borough of New York. It took Reginella six months to execute his multi-layered project that includes the faux memorial, a sophisticated website complete with a documentary, a mocked-up newspaper articles and glossy fliers directing tourists to a phantom Staten Island Ferry Disaster Memorial Museum with small pieces of the wreckage on display _ some with "strange suction-cup-shaped marks." (AP Photo/ Ula Ilnytzky ) South Carolina police investigating possible murder-suicide CONWAY, S.C. (AP) Police in South Carolina are investigating a possible murder-suicide involving three people, one of them a 10-month-old baby. Lt. Raul E. Denis of the Horry County Police Department said in an email that officers were called to a home in Conway shortly after midnight on Saturday and found three people dead a man, a woman and a baby. Denis said a 2-year-old child found at the scene was transported to a nearby hospital. His condition was unavailable. Jewish-American ex-sailor, 90, recalls Cyprus internment NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) Seventy years later, Murray Greenfield can still remember the anger he felt when he was locked up with hundreds of Jewish Holocaust survivors in a British detention camp on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus. "Your first reaction is you're mad as hell," 90-year-old Greenfield told The Associated Press from his home in Israel, recalling the feelings of many stuck behind double rows of barbed wire fences and under armed guard. "Why should we, the survivors, be behind barbed wire?" Born and raised in New York City to Jewish immigrant parents, Greenfield reminisced about his time in Cyprus during a September visit to the island organized by his family for his 90th birthday. In this Thursday, Sept. 8, 2016 photo, Murray Greenfield, 90, speaks to his family about his time in a British detention camp in Cyprus at an exhibition about interned Jews at the Center of Visual Arts and Research in capital Nicosia, Cyprus. Anger gripped Murray Greenfield when he found himself locked up along with hundreds of Jewish Holocaust survivors in a British detention camp on the tiny island nation of Cyprus nearly 70 years ago. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias) After a three-year stint in the U.S. Merchant Marines during World War II, Greenfield, a U.S. citizen, was among a crew of volunteers aboard a rickety, decades-old icebreaker that was pressed into service to ferry some 1,500 Jews to Palestine, ruled by Britain. Tens of thousands of Jews saw no future in postwar Europe and sought to start over again in Palestine, but the British were not about to let them in. Some 250 American sailors had volunteered to help Jews sail to Palestine aboard 10 surplus World War II vessels purchased with secret donations from Jewish Americans, he said. After picking up passengers from the coasts of Italy and France, Greenfield's ship the Hatikva was spotted as it sailed across the Mediterranean and British naval vessels towed it to Haifa port. Most of the crew and passengers were taken to nearby Cyprus itself a British colony at the time and placed in internment camps. More than 50,000 Jews are believed to have been interned in Cyprus from 1945-1948 and an estimated 2,200 children were born in those camps. The detainees' anger quickly gave way to defiance, said Greenfield. With leadership from the Haganah, a Jewish paramilitary organization in Palestine, detainees transformed the camps into organized communities replete with schools, where languages from all parts of Europe were taught. Greenfield taught English. "You've got this feeling, now we're going to win, they're not going to succeed in breaking down our willpower," said Greenfield. "It was a rebirth." He said he always intended to return to New York City, go to college, find a job and get on with his life. But his three months in the camp changed him. "The people I met were so enthusiastic, so positive," he said. "They were creating a state, a whole new thing." Greenfield's son Ilan said the family chose a trip to Cyprus to celebrate his father's life because it was the place where he committed to building a life in Israel. "It was symbolic," said Ilan Greenfield. "It closes a circle for my father." Twenty-four members of his family, including four great-grandchildren, sprung the surprise trip on him at the airport in Tel Aviv, all wearing T-shirts and hats with '90' on them. Nothing is left of the British detention camps like Karaolos near the island's east coast, but they are not forgotten. In 2014, Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades inaugurated a memorial built in the village of Xylotymbou, the site of another internment camp. Greenfield recalled how he helped prepare an explosive that he said sank the British vessel that took him and others to Israel three months after his internment. He said the bombing, ordered by Haganah, came in retaliation for British authorities stopping the ship "Exodus" from taking more than 4,000 Jews to Palestine. The "Exodus" trip was immortalized in the 1960 film by the same name starring Paul Newman and Eva Marie Saint. Greenfield said the explosive device, packed in toothpaste tubes, was made with a chemical compound that Greek Cypriots had helped smuggle into the camp. Less than a decade later, Greek Cypriots would mount their own guerrilla campaign against British rule. ____ Follow Menelaos Hadjicostis on Twitter: @menhad In this Thursday, Sept. 8, 2016 photo, Murray Greenfield, 90, walks around an exhibition about interned Jews at the Center of Visual Arts and Research in capital Nicosia, Cyprus. Anger gripped Murray Greenfield when he found himself locked up along with hundreds of Jewish Holocaust survivors in a British detention camp on the tiny island nation of Cyprus nearly 70 years ago. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias) In this Thursday, Sept. 8, 2016 photo, Murray Greenfield, 90, holds a book he has written about American volunteer sailors who helped European Jews reach Palestine by boat in the aftermath of World War II at the Center of Visual Arts and Research in Cyprus' capital Nicosia. Anger gripped Murray Greenfield when he found himself locked up along with hundreds of Jewish Holocaust survivors in a British detention camp on the tiny island nation of Cyprus nearly 70 years ago. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias) In this Thursday, Sept. 8, 2016 photo, Murray Greenfield, 90, looks around an exhibition about interned Jews at the Center of Visual Arts and Research in capital Nicosia, Cyprus. Anger gripped Murray Greenfield when he found himself locked up along with hundreds of Jewish Holocaust survivors in a British detention camp on the tiny island nation of Cyprus nearly 70 years ago. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias) In this Thursday, Sept. 8, 2016 photo, Murray Greenfield, 90, second left, and family members attend an exhibition about interned Jews at the Center of Visual Arts and Research in capital Nicosia, Cyprus. Anger gripped Murray Greenfield when he found himself locked up along with hundreds of Jewish Holocaust survivors in a British detention camp on the tiny island nation of Cyprus nearly 70 years ago. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias) New sentencing date for man who plotted government attacks CINCINNATI (AP) A new sentencing date has been set for an Ohio man who pleaded guilty to plotting attacks against a U.S. military official and a local police station. Charging documents say Munir Abdulkader (moo-neer ab-duhl-KAH-der) pleaded guilty in March to attempting to kill officers and employees of the United States, material support of a foreign terrorist organization and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a violent crime. Abdulkader, of West Chester in southwestern Ohio, was arrested in May 2015. He was scheduled for sentencing Tuesday. Cincinnati federal judge Michael Barrett on Friday reset the date to Nov. 18. Syrians refuse attempted relocation along Jordan border AMMAN, Jordan (AP) Syrians stranded on the border with Jordan protested Saturday over their refusal to move about six kilometers (3.7 miles) west to a soon-to-be opened aid distribution center. Videos sent to The Associated Press on Saturday showed a protest against any relocation from the al-Ruqban camp. "If we move from the Jordanian border, there will be no safety. Syrian and Russian planes will come and bomb us," said Ahmad, a 40-year-old Syrian living at the 75,000-person camp who wouldn't provide his full name for safety concerns. Aid officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said a new distribution point is being built to draw refugees away from a nearby Jordanian military base. The officials added that the U.N. and Jordan will agree next week to start remote delivery of food, water and basic medical care from a service center constructed recently inside Jordan. This could incentivize the refugees to voluntarily move to the new distribution center or force them to transport supplies from it back to al-Ruqban, the officials said. Conditions at the camp have worsened since Jordan sealed the border 10 weeks ago after an Islamic State-claimed car-bomb attack killed seven soldiers nearby. Amidst ongoing security concerns from neighbors Iraq and Syria, Jordan has allowed one food delivery since the attack, but resumed daily water delivery two weeks afterward. Doctors Without Borders has repeatedly warned of hepatitis and other disease outbreaks in the camp. Both Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have called for immediate resumption of humanitarian assistance. While Amnesty International welcomed the resumption of aid, it warned that moving refugees by force from al-Ruqban would be a "flagrant violation of international law." "Any relocation of the population at the berm must be voluntary and compliant with international standards. Forced displacement would be a flagrant violation of international law and any attempt to coerce or ask them to move should be rejected," said Khairunissa Dhala, Amnesty's refugee and migrants' rights researcher. Ahmad said al-Ruqban, while bleak and increasingly dire, is safer than the shelled neighborhoods and carnage he and other refugees fled inside Syria. Turkish leader accuses EU of insincerity on visa promise ISTANBUL (AP) Turkey's president says the European Union wants to back out of lifting visa restrictions for Turks a key incentive offered Turkey in a deal to stop thousands of migrants from crossing the Aegean Sea to Greece. Speaking Saturday in parliament at the opening of the legislative year, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan criticized the stalling of the visa liberalization deal, which was supposed to come into force this month. He says "this stance is a declaration that the European Union does not wish to keep the promise it made Turkey." Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan inspects a military honour guard as he arrives to address the parliament in Ankara, Turkey, Saturday, Oct. 1, 2016. Erdogan hinted on Thursday that the three-month state of emergency declared following the failed July 15 coup could be extended to over a year.( AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilici) Plans to loosen visa restrictions have run into trouble over Turkey's refusal to amend its anti-terror laws as it fights heightened threats from Kurdish rebels and the Islamic State group. The EU wants Turkey to narrow its definition of terrorism. Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan inspects a military honour guard as he arrives to address the parliament in Ankara, Turkey, Saturday, Oct. 1, 2016. Erdogan hinted on Thursday that the three-month state of emergency declared following the failed July 15 coup could be extended to over a year. (AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilici) Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses the parliament in Ankara, Turkey, Saturday, Oct. 1, 2016. Erdogan hinted on Thursday that the three-month state of emergency declared following the failed July 15 coup could be extended to over a year. (AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilici) Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses the parliament in Ankara, Turkey, Saturday, Oct. 1, 2016. Erdogan hinted on Thursday that the three-month state of emergency declared following the failed July 15 coup could be extended to over a year. Aysenur Bahcekapili, a lawmaker from the ruling Justice and Development Party, stands during his speech.( AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilici) Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses the parliament in Ankara, Turkey, Saturday, Oct. 1, 2016. Erdogan hinted on Thursday that the three-month state of emergency declared following the failed July 15 coup could be extended to over a year.( AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilici) Turkey renews OK for military operations in Syria, Iraq ISTANBUL (AP) Turkey's state-run news agency says parliament has extended by another year a motion allowing cross-border military operations into Syria and Iraq against Kurdish militants and the Islamic State group. The resolution, first passed in 2014, was renewed on Saturday, the first and only item on the parliament's agenda on the first day of the new legislative year. The state-run Anadolu Agency says it will remain in force until October 30, 2017. The pro-Kurdish People's Democracy Party voted against the bill, while the other three parties in parliament approved it. Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan inspects a military honour guard as he arrives to address the parliament in Ankara, Turkey, Saturday, Oct. 1, 2016. Erdogan hinted on Thursday that the three-month state of emergency declared following the failed July 15 coup could be extended to over a year. (AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilici) Turkey sent troops and tanks into Syria in August to help Syrian opposition rebels re-take Islamic State group strongholds near the border and curb the advance of Syrian Kurdish militia, which are affiliated with Turkey's outlawed Kurdish rebels. Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses the parliament in Ankara, Turkey, Saturday, Oct. 1, 2016. Erdogan hinted on Thursday that the three-month state of emergency declared following the failed July 15 coup could be extended to over a year.( AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilici) Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan inspects a military honour guard as he arrives to address the parliament in Ankara, Turkey, Saturday, Oct. 1, 2016. (AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilici) The Latest: Father of man killed by officer addresses rally EL CAJON, Calif. (AP) The Latest on a police shooting of an unarmed black man in a San Diego suburb (all times local): 1:30 p.m. A rally in El Cajon, California, to protest the fatal shooting of an unarmed black man by police has ended after the man's father demanded the police chief's resignation. Authorities watch a video of the shooting scene at a news conference on Friday Sept. 30, 2016, in El Cajon, Calif, held to address the killing of Alfred Olango, a Ugandan refugee shot by an El Cajon police officer on Tuesday. The El Cajon police department released video footage of the shooting at the news conference. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy) Richard Olango Abuka told those gathered Saturday that his son's death is a turning point in a peaceful struggle to change police practices. He spoke after several hundred people marched peacefully through the streets of the San Diego suburb and ended up near police headquarters. Alfred Olango's siblings and extended family also attended. There was a modest police presence to direct traffic. At the rally speakers called for changes in how police respond to calls about people in mental distress. The event comes a day after two videos of the shooting were released by authorities, something Olango's family and community leaders had urged. 11:40 a.m. Several hundred people are marching thru the streets of downtown El Cajon, California, after a rally to honor the memory of an unarmed black man fatally shot by police. Numerous religious leaders spoke for more than an hour at a park in the San Diego suburb Saturday. They criticized police for pulling the trigger on Alfred Olango and called for more training of officers on how to respond to people who are having psychological emergencies. One speaker generated applause when he asked the crowd rhetorically if police would have responded differently if Olango was white. The demonstrators were peaceful as they walked down Main Street toward police headquarters, with some carrying signs with Olongo's name and chanting, "no justice no peace." There is no sign of police presence. 10:35 a.m. About 200 people are gathered at a park in downtown El Cajon, California, to protest the fatal shooting of an unarmed black man by police. Six religious leaders plan to address the crowd Saturday before marching through the streets to police headquarters. The family of Alfred Olango is expected to join the rally there. Some Main Street businesses are closed. The crowd is peaceful and there is no sign of police presence in the San Diego suburb. The event comes a day after two videos of the shooting were released by authorities, something Olango's family and community leaders had urged. The videos show the officer fired four times at close range almost immediately after Olango raised both hands to chest level and took what was described as a shooting stance. El Cajon Police Department Capt. Jeffery Davis, center, speaks at a news conference on Friday Sept. 30, 2016, in El Cajon, Calif, held to address the killing of Alfred Olango, a Ugandan refugee shot by an El Cajon police officer on Tuesday. The El Cajon police department released video footage of the shooting at the news conference. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy) El Cajon Police Department Capt. Jeffery Davis holds up a vape device similar to the one that they claim that Alfred Olango was holding when he was shot during at a news conference held on Friday Sept. 30, 2016, in El Cajon, Calif. The El Cajon police department released video footage of the shooting at the news conference. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy) In this Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2016 frame from video provided by the El Cajon Police Department, a man, second from left, faces police officers in El Cajon, Calif. The man reportedly acting erratically at a strip mall in suburban San Diego was shot and killed by police after pulling an object from his pocket, pointing it at officers and assuming a "shooting stance," authorities said. Some protesters claimed the man was shot with his hands raised, but police disputed that and produced the frame from cellphone video taken by a witness that appeared to show the man in the "shooting stance" as two officers approached with weapons drawn. (El Cajon Police Department via AP) El Cajon Police Department Capt. Jeffery Davis holds up a vape device similar to the one that they claim that Alfred Olango was holding when he was shot during at a news conference held on Friday Sept. 30, 2016, in El Cajon, Calif. The El Cajon police department released video footage of the shooting at the news conference. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy) El Cajon Police Department Capt. Jeffery Davis, right, and Escondido Police Chief Craig Carter, left, stand next to a still photograph of the shooting scene at a news conference on Friday Sept. 30, 2016, in El Cajon, Calif, held to address the killing of Alfred Olango, a Ugandan refugee shot by an El Cajon police officer on Tuesday. The El Cajon police department released video footage of the shooting at the news conference. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy) Escondido Police Chief Craig Carter, left, watches a video of the shooting scene at a news conference on Friday Sept. 30, 2016, in El Cajon, Calif, held to address the killing of Alfred Olango, a Ugandan refugee shot by an El Cajon police officer on Tuesday. The El Cajon police department released video footage of the shooting at the news conference. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy) Protesters yell at police officers in front of the El Cajon Police Department headquarters before a news conference on Friday Sept. 30, 2016, in San Diego, Calif., held to address the killing of Alfred Olango, a Ugandan refugee shot by an El Cajon police officer on Tuesday. The El Cajon police department released video footage of the shooting at the news conference. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy) Official: No 'manipulation' of data seen in election hacks WASHINGTON (AP) Hackers have made their way into state election systems "in a few cases," but the federal government hasn't found "any manipulation" so far of voting information, the Homeland Security secretary said Saturday. Twenty-one states have contacted the agency for help in safeguarding their election systems, and Jeh Johnson is urging additional requests for cybersecurity assistance. "We hope to see more," Secretary Jeh Johnson said in a statement. FILE - In this June 5, 2015, file photo, the Homeland Security Department headquarters in northwest Washington. A Homeland Security Department official says hackers have targeted the voter registration systems of more than 20 states in recent months. FBI Director James Comey told lawmakers this week that the agency is looking very, very hard at Russian hackers who may try to disrupt the U.S. election. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File) A department official told The Associated Press on Friday that hackers have targeted the voter registration systems of more than 20 states in recent months. The official, who was not authorized to publicly discuss the subject and spoke on condition of anonymity, said it was unclear whether the hackers were foreign or domestic. As the Nov. 8 vote nears, there are heightened concerns that foreign hackers might undermine voter confidence in the integrity of U.S. elections. Federal officials and many cybersecurity experts have said it would be nearly impossible for hackers to alter an election's outcome because election systems are decentralized and generally not connected to the internet. "We must remain vigilant and continue to address these challenges head on," Johnson said. "These challenges aren't just in the future. They are here today," Johnson said. The FBI last month warned state officials of the need to improve their election security after hackers targeted systems in Illinois and Arizona. FBI Director James Comey told lawmakers this past week that the FBI is looking "very, very hard" at Russian hackers who may try to disrupt the U.S. election. Johnson said that in recent months, "malicious cyberactors have been scanning a large number of state systems, which could be a preamble to attempted intrusions. In a few cases, we have determined that malicious actors gained access to state voting-related systems. However, we are not aware at this time of any manipulation of data." He gave no specifics. The FBI held a conference call on Friday with the local officials who run elections in Florida, according to a spokeswoman for Secretary of State Ken Detzner. A person who was on that call said authorities had seen evidence of someone probing a local elections website. The person was not authorized to publicly discuss the call and spoke on condition of anonymity. Hackers also tried to mine data from the Arizona and Illinois voter registration systems, according to Kay Stimson, a spokeswoman for the National Association of Secretaries of State. She said in Arizona a hacker tried to probe voter registration data, but never infiltrated the system, while in Illinois hackers got into the system, but didn't manipulate any data. ___ Associated Press writer Gary Fineout in Tallahassee, Florida, contributed to this report. ___ Follow Tami Abdollah on Twitter at https://twitter.com/latams 13 bodies found in western Mexico MEXICO CITY (AP) A total of 13 bodies have now been found in or around Lake Chapala in western Mexico, an official said Saturday. The head prosecutor of Jalisco state, Eduardo Almaguer, told the Milenio television network that the dead apparently were members of a gang and came from nearby communities. He said they were killed by their former criminal allies in the neighboring state of Michoacan on or around Sept. 21. The bodies of the 12 men and one woman were then apparently tossed into a river that feeds into the lake. They were found at the opposite end of the lake from the town of Chapala, popular among tourists and American retirees. Also Saturday, a soldier died in a shootout with criminals in the central state of Guanajuato, one day after five soldiers were killed in an ambush in the northern state of Sinaloa. The Guanajuato state prosecutor's office said police and soldiers were chasing a three-vehicle convoy of armed men in the township of Comonfort, Guanajuato, when the gunfight broke out and the soldiers was shot to death. It appeared unrelated to Friday's attack on a military convoy in Sinaloa, which was likely launched to free a wounded drug suspect being transported in an ambulance guarded by the convoy. In a speech Saturday, Defense Secretary Gen. Salvador Cienfuegos used unusually harsh language to describe the attackers, who apparently used grenades to attack the army convoy. New batch of Zika-carrying mosquitoes found in Miami Beach MIAMI BEACH, Fla. (AP) More Zika-carrying mosquitoes have been captured in Miami Beach, this time in a new neighborhood. The Florida Department of Agriculture said Saturday that it's the sixth time Zika-bearing mosquitoes have been captured in Miami Beach. It was the first capture of Zika-carrying mosquitoes in two weeks. Zika can cause severe brain-related birth defects, including disastrously small heads, in pregnant women who become infected. The same mosquito species that spreads Zika also transmits dengue fever. Life normal in Pakistani Kashmir, but tense on Indian side BAGSAR, Pakistan (AP) Life seems quite normal in the villages along the Pakistani side of Kashmir. But on the Indian side, villagers are spending sleepless nights in temporary shelters amid soaring tensions between the two nuclear-armed rivals. On the Pakistani side, markets and schools were open, shepherds escorted their goats and cows to graze, and children were seen visiting shops to buy candies during a visit Saturday by dozens of media members to the border village of Bagsar, some 166 kilometers (103 miles) northeast of Islamabad. The two neighbors' contentious frontier includes a rugged 740-kilometer (460-mile) mountainous stretch called the Line of Control, which is heavily guarded by both sides. Indian Border Security Force soldiers patrol near the India-Pakistan international border area at Gakhrial boder post in Akhnoor sector, about 48 kilometers from Jammu, India, Saturday, Oct. 1, 2016. India said Thursday it carried out "surgical strikes" against militants across the highly militarized frontier that divides the Kashmir region between India and Pakistan, in an exchange that escalated tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbors. (AP Photo/Channi Anand) Since 2003, a cease-fire has largely held despite regular small-scale skirmishes. Each side routinely blames the other for starting any violence and insists they are only retaliating. That was the case Saturday as Pakistani military officials took pains to refute the Indian version of the latest Kashmir conflict. The Indian army claims they carried out a 'surgical strike' on Sept. 29 near the village and destroyed a "terrorist launching pad" used by Kashmir-based militants. Pakistani military spokesman Maj. Gen. Asim Salim Bajwa told visiting journalists that the Indian claim was a lie. He said Indian troops opened fire unprovoked with small arms and mortars after 2 a.m. in five separate spots along the border. Two Pakistani soldiers were killed in the barrages that continued until 7 a.m. and stopped only when the Pakistani army began retaliating, he said. "That was simply the cease-fire violation on the LoC which was effectively and strongly punished," Bajwa said. The Indian attack came about 10 days after a deadly assault on an Indian base in Kashmir. On Sept. 18, suspected rebels using guns and grenades sneaked into a base in Indian-controlled Kashmir and killed at least 17 soldiers. On the Indian side, civilian officials said the frontier was largely calm but they were still not taking chances. Thousands of civilians slept in temporary shelters for the second night. "Every year we go through these hardships. There seems to be no end to it in sight," said Mohan Lal, a villager in a shelter in the village of Khour. ___ Associated Press writer Aijaz Husain in Srinagar, India contributed to this report. Indian Border Security Force soldiers patrol near the India-Pakistan international border area at Gakhrial boder post in Akhnoor sector, about 48 kilometers from Jammu, India, Saturday, Oct. 1, 2016. India said Thursday it carried out "surgical strikes" against militants across the highly militarized frontier that divides the Kashmir region between India and Pakistan, in an exchange that escalated tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbors. (AP Photo/Channi Anand) An Indian Border Security Force soldier patrols near the India-Pakistan international border area at Gakhrial boder post in Akhnoor sector, about 48 kilometers from Jammu, India, Saturday, Oct. 1, 2016. India said Thursday it carried out "surgical strikes" against militants across the highly militarized frontier that divides the Kashmir region between India and Pakistan, in an exchange that escalated tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbors. (AP Photo/Channi Anand) Indian Border Security Force soldiers patrol near the India-Pakistan international border area at Gakhrial boder post in Akhnoor sector, about 48 kilometers from Jammu, India, Saturday, Oct. 1, 2016. India said Thursday it carried out "surgical strikes" against militants across the highly militarized frontier that divides the Kashmir region between India and Pakistan, in an exchange that escalated tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbors. (AP Photo/Channi Anand) Indian Border Security Force soldiers patrol near the India-Pakistan international border area at Gakhrial boder post in Akhnoor sector, about 48 kilometers from Jammu, India, Saturday, Oct. 1, 2016. India said Thursday it carried out "surgical strikes" against militants across the highly militarized frontier that divides the Kashmir region between India and Pakistan, in an exchange that escalated tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbors. (AP Photo/Channi Anand) Indians living close to the border with Pakistan move with their belongings to safer places after authorities ordered the evacuation of villages near the highly militarized Line of Control dividing Kashmir between India and Pakistan, at Narana village in Pallanwal, about 65 Kilometers from Jammu, India, Saturday, Oct. 1, 2016. The villagers are familiar with the drill, though evacuations have been rare since tension along the border declined dramatically following a 2003 India-Pakistan cease-fire accord. (AP Photo/Channi Anand) Indian army soldiers ride a truck near the highly militarized Line of Control dividing Kashmir between India and Pakistan, in Akhnoor, India, Saturday, Oct. 1, 2016. India said Thursday it carried out "surgical strikes" against militants across the highly militarized frontier that divides the Kashmir region between India and Pakistan, in an exchange that escalated tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbors. (AP Photo/Channi Anand) Pakistan army soldiers patrol at a forward area Bagsar post on the Line of Control (LOC), that divides Kashmir between Pakistan and India, in Bhimber, some 166 kilometers (103 miles) from Islamabad, Pakistan, Saturday, Oct. 1, 2016. The latest tensions were sparked by a militant attack on an Indian army base in Kashmir that killed 18 Indian soldiers. Both countries claim the Himalayan territory Kashmir, which is split between Indian and Pakistani-controlled zones. Pakistani officials said two of their soldiers were killed and nine others were wounded in the latest exchanges at five different places along the disputed border. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed) A Pakistan army soldier stands guard at hilltop post at a forward area on the Line of Control (LOC), that divides Kashmir between Pakistan and India, in Tatta Pani, some 199 kilometers (123 miles) from Islamabad, Pakistan, Saturday, Oct. 1, 2016. The latest tensions were sparked by a militant attack on an Indian army base in Kashmir that killed 18 Indian soldiers. Both countries claim the Himalayan territory Kashmir, which is split between Indian and Pakistani-controlled zones. Pakistani officials said two of their soldiers were killed and nine others were wounded in the latest exchanges at five different places along the disputed border. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed) Pakistan's army spokesman Lt Gen. Asim Bajwa, second from right, with area commanders briefs to journalitss at a forward area Bagsar post on the Line of Control (LOC), that divides Kashmir between Pakistan and India, in Bhimber, some 166 kilometers (103 miles) from Islamabad, Pakistan, Saturday, Oct. 1, 2016. The latest tensions were sparked by a militant attack on an Indian army base in Kashmir that killed 18 Indian soldiers. Both countries claim the Himalayan territory Kashmir, which is split between Indian and Pakistani-controlled zones. Pakistani officials said two of their soldiers were killed and nine others were wounded in the latest exchanges at five different places along the disputed border. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed) Indians living close to the border with Pakistan board a bus to move to safer places after authorities ordered the evacuation of villages near the highly militarized Line of Control dividing Kashmir between India and Pakistan, at Narana village in Pallanwal, about 65 Kilometers from Jammu, India, Saturday, Oct. 1, 2016. The villagers are familiar with the drill, though evacuations have been rare since tension along the border declined dramatically following a 2003 India-Pakistan cease-fire accord. (AP Photo/Channi Anand) Indians living close to the border with Pakistan sit inside a bus to move to safer places after authorities ordered the evacuation of villages near the highly militarized Line of Control dividing Kashmir between India and Pakistan, at Narana village in Pallanwal, about 65 Kilometers from Jammu, India, Saturday, Oct. 1, 2016. The villagers are familiar with the drill, though evacuations have been rare since tension along the border declined dramatically following a 2003 India-Pakistan cease-fire accord. (AP Photo/Channi Anand) Indians living close to the border with Pakistan wait for transport to move to safer places after authorities ordered the evacuation of villages near the highly militarized Line of Control dividing Kashmir between India and Pakistan, at Narana village in Pallanwal, about 65 Kilometers from Jammu, India, Saturday, Oct. 1, 2016. The villagers are familiar with the drill, though evacuations have been rare since tension along the border declined dramatically following a 2003 India-Pakistan cease-fire accord. (AP Photo/Channi Anand) Indian Border Security Force soldiers patrol near the India-Pakistan international border area at Gakhrial boder post in Akhnoor sector, about 48 kilometers from Jammu, India, Saturday, Oct. 1, 2016. India said Thursday it carried out "surgical strikes" against militants across the highly militarized frontier that divides the Kashmir region between India and Pakistan, in an exchange that escalated tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbors. (AP Photo/Channi Anand) Pakistani Kashmiri villagers gather outside their houses in Bagsar village close to the Line of Control (LOC), that divides Kashmir between Pakistan and India, in Bhimber, some 166 kilometers (103 miles) from Islamabad, some 199 kilometers (123 miles) from Islamabad, Pakistan, Saturday, Oct. 1, 2016. The latest tensions were sparked by a militant attack on an Indian army base in Kashmir that killed 18 Indian soldiers. Both countries claim the Himalayan territory Kashmir, which is split between Indian and Pakistani-controlled zones. Pakistani officials said two of their soldiers were killed and nine others were wounded in the latest exchanges at five different places along the disputed border. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed) Mysterious disturbance of infant's grave investigated BARTON, Vt. (AP) A county sheriff's department in Vermont is investigating the disturbance of an infant's coffin interred at a village cemetery. The Caledonian Record reports (http://bit.ly/2dEYoIq ) the infant's coffin was opened through a five-inch hole. Authorities say they're awaiting permission to exhume the body to see if the remains were disturbed. Family members in September found the earth over the coffin had been dug into and then covered up. Authorities said they are treating the breach as vandalism. WCAX-TV reports (http://bit.ly/2ditx6g) that the baby girl was days old when she died in 1982 and was interred at St. Paul's Cemetery. Officials say the identity of the child and her family is not being released due to the investigation and for privacy. West Virginia sheriff's deputy shoots, kills man HOMETOWN, W.Va. (AP) A West Virginia sheriff's deputy has shot and killed a man after police say he pointed a gun at the officer. Joshua Allen Perry, 28, died at the scene. The deputy, who has not been identified, was not injured and has been placed on paid leave. The Putnam County Sheriff's Department says in a news release a deputy was checking out a report of a suspicious vehicle in Hometown when three white men ran from the car in different directions. Chief Deputy Eric Hayzlett said the deputy noticed Perry had a gun and ordered him to drop it. Hayzlett said Perry ignored him, and the deputy fired after Perry pointed the gun at him. The Latest: Clinton campaign seizes on Trump tax report WASHINGTON (AP) The Latest on the 2016 campaign (all times EDT): 11:55 p.m. Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign is seizing on a New York Times report about rival Donald Trump's taxes as a sign of his business failures and evidence he may not have paid taxes for years. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump takes the stage at a rally, Saturday, Oct. 1, 2016, in Manheim, Pa. (AP Photo/John Locher) Clinton campaign manager Robbie Mook said in a statement that "this bombshell report reveals the colossal nature of Donald Trump's past business failures and just how long he may have avoided paying any federal income taxes whatsoever." Mook says the report shows Trump lost nearly a billion dollars, "stiffed small businesses, laid off workers, and walked away from hardworking communities." And he said Trump "apparently got to avoid paying taxes for nearly two decades." He challenged Trump to go ahead and release his returns." ___ 11:30 p.m. Tax records obtained by The New York Times show that Donald Trump's business losses in 1995 were so large that they could have allowed him to avoid paying federal income taxes for as many as 18 years. In a story published online late Saturday, The Times said it anonymously received the first pages of Trump's 1995 state income tax filings in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. The filings show a net loss of $915,729,293 in federal taxable income for the year. That Trump was losing money during the early to mid-1990s a period marked by bankruptcies and poor business decisions was already well established. But the records obtained by the Times show losses of such a magnitude that they potentially allowed Trump to avoid paying taxes for years, possibly until the end of the last decade. Trump's campaign released a statement on Saturday lashing out at the Times for publishing the records and accused the newspaper of working to benefit the Republican nominee's presidential rival, Democrat Hillary Clinton. ____ 9:45 p.m. Donald Trump says his Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton should be in prison. The Republican presidential contender has long accused his Democratic opponent of corruption. But he seemed to go a step further Saturday night at a rally in Manheim, Pennsylvania. He also questioned her physical stamina and her mental health and said she has contempt for Americans. Trump supporters often chant, "Lock her up!" during his events. But Trump himself has avoided such language in the past. ___ 9:15 p.m. Donald Trump is again questioning the integrity of the nation's voting system. The Republican presidential nominee warned his supporters to keep a close eye on polling places after they vote next month especially in "certain areas." Trump made the comments Saturday night during a rally in Manheim, Pennsylvania. He said, "We can't lose an election because of, you know what I'm talking about." He added: "A lot of bad things happen. I don't want to lose for that reason." Trump has repeatedly suggested that only election fraud could stop him from becoming president. There has never been evidence of widespread voting fraud in the United States. ___ 6:15 p.m. Donald Trump is unveiling a new strategy to attract Bernie Sanders' supporters. The Republican nominee on Saturday night will highlight a leaked audio recording of Hillary Clinton from a private fundraiser in February, when she was still running against Sanders in the Democratic primary. In the recording, Clinton says many young people who support Sanders are living in their parents' basements, unsatisfied with their education and jobs. In prepared remarks released by Trump's campaign ahead of a Saturday night rally in Pennsylvania, Trump says, "Hillary Clinton thinks Bernie supporters are hopeless and ignorant basement dwellers." The Trump campaign thinks it can attract a significant number of Sanders' Democratic supporters who are unhappy with Clinton as their nominee. Sanders has endorsed Clinton and campaigned with her earlier in the week. ___ 4:40 p.m. In a leaked recording from a February fundraiser, Hillary Clinton expressed empathy for young voters who sided with her then-primary opponent, Bernie Sanders. The hacked recording of Clinton at the fundraiser in Virginia was published by the Washington Free Beacon. During the event, Clinton said that many young people are "children of the Great Recession. And they are living in their parents' basement. They feel that they got their education and the jobs that are available to them are not at all what they envisioned for themselves." Clinton added that for people who don't see any economic opportunities, being part of a political revolution is "pretty appealing." In a tweet, Republican Donald Trump seized on the comments. "Crooked H is nasty to Sanders supporters behind closed doors," he said. ___ 4 p.m. Hillary Clinton's campaign says she raised $154 million last month for her presidential bid. September was Clinton's best fundraising month yet, landing $84 million plus another $70 million for Democratic Party committees. Clinton's campaign and joint accounts with the party began this month with $150 million in the bank, her aides say. Donald Trump has not yet reported his September fundraising but said he raised a formidable $18 million for his campaign and the Republican Party in a single day last week. ___ 3 p.m. Donald Trump's friends and even his foes agree that he's at his best in scripted moments such as when he speaks with the aid of a teleprompter. But Trump's frequent unscripted moments are often drowning them out, diverting attention from his economic message and alienating women and minorities with early voting already underway in some states. His speech Friday night in Michigan was the latest example of Trump's sharpened focus on the economy and on Hillary Clinton's shortcomings. But earlier this week he fueled a political firestorm by attacking a former Miss Universe, first seizing on her weight and then calling on the world to view her "sex tape." ___ 1:30 p.m. The head of the Homeland Security Department says hackers have made their way into state election systems "in a few cases," but the federal government hasn't found "any manipulation" so far of voting information. Jeh (jay) Johnson says 21 states have contacted the agency for help in safeguarding their election systems, and he's urging additional requests for cybersecurity assistance. A department official told The Associated Press on Friday that hackers have targeted the voter registration systems of more than 20 states in recent months. Federal officials and many cybersecurity experts have said it would be nearly impossible for hackers to alter an election's outcome because election systems are decentralized and generally not connected to the internet. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton meets with audience members during a campaign stop in Coral Springs, Fla., Friday, Sept. 30, 2016. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) New PBS documentary spotlights Latino voting rights advocate ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) Willie Velasquez isn't as well-known as other Latino activists like Cesar Chavez, Dolores Huerta and Rodolfo "Corky" Gonzales. But according to a new VOCES/PBS documentary airing next week, he was a key figure in developing the Latino voting bloc years before it became the nation's largest minority group and before both parties actively sought Latino voters' support. Latino Public Broadcasting's "Willie Velasquez: Your Vote Is Your Voice" aims to bring attention to the voting rights advocate who came from San Antonio's poor west side and ended up rubbing elbows with the likes of President Ronald Reagan and Sen. Ted Kennedy. He persuaded Republicans in the 1970s and '80s to reach out to Hispanics because of the growing Latino voter-registration numbers in swing districts. FILE - In this 1984, file photo shows William C. "Willie" Velasquez at an unknown location. A new VOCES/PBS documentary on Velasquez dives into the life of the late Latino voting rights advocate just as the nation's largest minority group is set to be a major player in the upcoming presidential election. Director Hector Galan says Velasquez was a key figure in developing the Latino voting bloc. Willie Velasquez: Your Vote Is Your Voice begins airing on PBS stations Monday, Oct. 3, 2016. (AP Photo, File) Velasquez might have done even more to foster Hispanic political power if not for his sudden death at age 44. "It feels like I've been working on his story for 30 years," said director Hector Galan, who interviewed Velasquez in 1983 at the height of his popularity in Texas. "And here it is." An early protege of the late U.S. Congressman Henry B. Gonzalez, a young Velasquez was mentored by the generation of Mexican-American activists who helped elect President John F. Kennedy. Velasquez saw how poll taxes and voter intimidation kept Mexican-Americans from the polls and sought to change that. But Velasquez soon got swept up in the farmworkers movement in California led by Chavez and Huerta. He also became captivated by the radical Chicano Movement until leaders opted to form an ethnic-based political party called La Raza Unida. Velasquez left organized politics and started the nonpartisan, nonprofit Southwest Voter Registration Education Project. The group's goal: register as many Latinos to vote as possible in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, California and Colorado. On a shoestring budget, Velasquez and his army of recruits went door-to-door to register Hispanics to vote despite efforts by local authorities and threats of violence to stop them. The group was one of the first to use technology to tally up registration rolls to keep track of potential political power in small towns and cities. That use of computers caught the attention of candidates searching for ways to attract new voters. "It's an IBM," Velasquez bragged to a reporter on the technology the group used. "It isn't a Mexican computer." By 1978, Sen. John Tower, the first Republican U.S. senator from Texas since Reconstruction, was engaging with Velasquez and cut a Spanish-language commercial that earned him 37 percent of the Latino vote. Former California Gov. Ronald Reagan and former Massachusetts Gov. Michael Dukakis soon contacted Velasquez during their bids for the U.S. presidency. In addition, San Antonio elected Henry Cisneros, the city's first Hispanic mayor since 1835. Velasquez realized early on that the only way for Latinos to gain political power was through the ballot box, Galan said. In 1988, he was diagnosed with cancer. He had no health insurance, and doctors gave him less than four months to live. He lasted four weeks. Lorenzo Cano, associate director of the Center for Mexican-American Studies at the University of Houston, said Velasquez influenced generations of activists who followed the idea of voting as power. "Willie Velasquez: Your Vote Is Your Voice" begins airing on PBS stations Monday. ___ Oregon candidate booed for sexual assault remarks at debate PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) The Republican candidate for Oregon governor drew boos at a Portland debate when he suggested that successful women aren't as susceptible to sexual violence. Dr. Bud Pierce's remarks came Friday after his Democratic opponent Gov. Kate Brown disclosed that she has been a victim of domestic violence, Oregon Public Broadcasting reported (https://goo.gl/vJz84c). "A woman that has a great education and training and a great job is not susceptible to this kind of abuse by men, women or anyone," Pierce said. The line drew groans and boos from the audience at the Portland City Club, KGW-TV reported (https://goo.gl/bU9X7e). Pierce issued a statement after the debate that said, in part: "I know that any woman, regardless of economic status, can be subject to domestic violence and sexual abuse. Sexual and physical abuse is morally wrong, is against the law, and must be opposed with all efforts." He also apologized to Brown and "anyone else who may have taken my comments the wrong way." The debate exchange began when both candidates were asked about a recent report by the Women's Foundation of Oregon showing that over half of the women and girls in the state have reported being the victim of some form of domestic or sexual violence. Candidates were asked what they would do for women. "I know what it feels like to be a victim of domestic violence. I know what it feels like to represent clients who can't get restraining orders on abusive partners," said Brown, listing her efforts to strengthen the state's domestic violence laws. Pierce criticized Brown for not doing enough to drive down the state's high rate of sexual violence against women. "I would argue that in addition to strong laws and going after every sexual predator and every abuser, that the way we can make woman have a better existence and be less susceptible to being harmed is to make them powerful in terms of their jobs and their opportunity," he said. Brown shot back: "I grew up in a middle-class family. I went to law school. I know what it feels like to be paid less substantially less than the male lawyer in the office next to me." "This is not just about power," she said. "This is about making sure women are not discriminated against because of their gender, because of their race and because of their sexual orientation." A Brown campaign official told KGW-TV that the incident referred to did not involve her husband Dan Little. ___ Clinton's remarks on young voters fuel new Trump pitch WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. (AP) In a leaked recording from a February fundraiser, Hillary Clinton expressed empathy for young voters who were siding with her primary opponent, Bernie Sanders, saying that for people who don't see any economic opportunities, the idea that "you could be part of a political revolution is pretty appealing." Clinton called them "children of the Great Recession" and added: "And they are living in their parents' basement. They feel that they got their education and the jobs that are available to them are not at all what they envisioned for themselves." Donald Trump sought to turn her words into a new pitch for Sanders supporters, although Sanders himself has endorsed Clinton and denounced Trump. In prepared remarks released by Trump's campaign ahead of a Saturday night rally in Pennsylvania, Trump says, "Hillary Clinton thinks Bernie supporters are hopeless and ignorant basement dwellers." In this Sept. 30, 2016, photo, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton speaks during a campaign stop in Fort Pierce, Fla. Clinton expressed empathy for young Bernie Sanders supporters earlier this year at a private fundraiser, saying that for people who dont see economic opportunities being part of a political revolution is pretty appealing. A hacked recording of Clinton speaking at the February fundraiser in McLean, Va., was published by the Washington Free Beacon in late September. During the event, Clinton said that young supporters of her primary rival were children of the great recession who were struggling. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) In a tweet earlier Saturday, Trump wrote: "Crooked H is nasty to Sanders supporters behind closed doors. Owned by Wall St and Politicians, HRC is not with you." The hacked recording of Clinton speaking at the fundraiser six months ago in McLean, Virginia, was published by the Washington Free Beacon this week. Young voters have been a stumbling block for Clinton. Many preferred Sanders, a Vermont senator who promised free tuition at public colleges and nationalized health care. At the fundraiser, Clinton said she had spoken with frustrated young millennials and understood where they were coming from. She questioned the idea of a political revolution, calling it a "false promise," though she said that wasn't the right message for "idealistic young people." She argued that she too was was promising big ideas around health care, education and climate change. Clinton spokesman Glen Caplin responded to Trump's tweet: "As Hillary Clinton said in those remarks, she wants young people to be idealistic and set big goals." Throughout the Democratic primary, Clinton stressed that she was offering a more pragmatic, achievable agenda than Sanders. She has wooed his young backers for months, adapting some of her policies among them college affordability to better appeal to his supporters. At another point in the February fundraiser, Clinton spoke about the extremes on both sides of the political aisle, noting a "populist, nationalist, xenophobic, discriminatory kind of approach" from many in the Republican field and then said that for many Democrats, there is a yearning for "free college, free healthcare," and to "go as far as, you know, Scandinavia." ___ Momentum vice-chairwoman suspended from Labour amid anti-Semitism row Momentum vice-chairwoman Jackie Walker has been suspended from Labour over controversial comments she made at a party training event. Leaked footage showed the outspoken campaigner saying she had not found a definition of anti-Semitism she could work with. The footage also showed her questioning why Holocaust Memorial Day was not more wide-ranging to include other genocides. Labour said it would not comment on individual party memberships, but it is understood Jackie Walker has now been suspended Labour said it did not comment on individual party memberships but it is understood Ms Walker has now been suspended. Labour MP John Mann called Ms Walker's comments "unacceptable in a modern political party" by any standard. He also suggested the comments had "inspired waves of anti-Semitic and racist backlash including Holocaust denial". But former London mayor Ken Livingstone defended some of Ms Walker's comments, saying "there's a difference between ignorance and anti-Semitism". Mr Mann said: "Enough is enough. Though she claims impunity for many reasons, Jackie Walker's behaviour is discriminatory, provocative, offensive and by any standard unacceptable in a modern political party. "Not only has she caused offence personally, she has inspired waves of anti-Semitic and racist backlash including Holocaust denial. "Not only must she be expelled from the Labour Party immediately but all those abusing others in supporting her must go too. "Temporary suspensions are not good enough, these people must be given permanent bans and no platform to express their anti-Semitism anywhere in the Labour Party, if we are to be serious about opposing anti-Jewish hatred." Mr Livingstone, though, said most people were unaware that Holocaust Memorial Day commemorated other genocides besides those perpetrated by the Nazis. "I suspect you'll find the majority of people in Britain didn't know the Holocaust Memorial Day had been widened to include others," Mr Livingstone told the Press Association. "There's a difference between ignorance and anti-Semitism." Ms Walker, who says she and her partner are Jewish, previously released a statement apologising for any offence. In an interview with Channel 4 News, she also questioned why the Holocaust only marked genocides that happened after the Nazis. When she was asked whether she had considered resigning given the outrage among some Jewish groups, Ms Walker said: "Some other prominent Jewish groups, of which I'm a member of, think a very different thing. "What we have to look at when we're talking about this subject, particularly at the moment, is the political differences that are underlying this as well." Ms Walker said whoever leaked the footage from a Labour Party anti-Semitism training event "had malicious intent in their mind". She also said she was anti-Zionist rather than anti-Semitic, adding: "I think Zionism is a political ideology, and like any political ideology, some people will be supportive and some people won't be supportive of it. That's a very different thing." The steering group of Momentum, which rose from the campaign to get Mr Corbyn elected as Labour leader last year, meets on Monday. A spokesman for the group said that it would be seeking to remove Ms Walker as its vice-chairwoman. Ms Walker was previously suspended from the Labour Party for comments on social media saying Jews were the "chief financiers of the sugar and slave trade". William and Kate hail 'treasured memories' of Canada trip The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have praised Canada and its people for leaving them and their children with "happy memories" as their family tour of Canada came to an end. William spoke about the milestone eight-day visit - their first official overseas trip as a family of four - saying they felt "very lucky" to have introduced Prince George and Princess Charlotte to the Commonwealth country which will play a big part in their lives. George and Charlotte stole the limelight from their parents during the trip with their outdoor fun day. They played with bubbles, balloons and miniature ponies on Thursday - with the 16-month-old Princess saying her first public words "da da" and pictured walking in public. The Duchess of Cambridge arrives at the social care charity, Cridge Centre for the Family, in Victoria during the Royal Tour of Canada. In touching family scenes, her three-year-old elder brother was photographed playing with bubbles with proud father William. The Duke said in a statement before their official departure from Victoria, the capital of British Columbia: "Catherine and I are incredibly grateful to the people of Canada for the warmth and hospitality they have extended to our family over the last week. "We have loved our time in British Columbia and Yukon and will never forget the beautiful places we have seen and the many people who have been kind enough to come to welcome us in person. "We feel very lucky to have been able to introduce George and Charlotte to Canada. This country will play a big part in the lives of our children and we have created such happy memories for our family during this visit. "Canada is a country of optimism, generosity and unrivalled natural beauty. I hope we have helped all Canadians celebrate what makes this country great. We will see you again soon." The couple's tour has taken them to scenically stunning parts of the Yukon and British Columbia from the beautiful archipelago of Haida Gwaii to the gold rush town of Whitehorse. They have also learnt about how the country is dealing with pressing social issues such as assimilating Syrian refugees and supporting young mothers with addiction problems. Well-wishers await the arrival of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at the social care charity, Cridge Centre for the Family, in Victoria during the Royal Tour of Canada. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge receive sport shirts for their children The Duchess of Cambridge talks to the public after visiting the social care charity, Cridge Centre for the Family The royal couple watch as a crab trap is pulled up (The Canadian Press/AP) They spent about 45 minutes out on the water, though the fish refused to bite The Duchess chatted to teenagers from the Skidegate Youth Centre during the fishing trip Kate wore a red Really Wild Clothing jumper, a blouse by Somerset by Temperley, and Zara jeans for the fishing trip, plus a life vest The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge help paddle their canoe to the Haida Heritage Centre and Museum The couple worked in unison with the other paddlers to propel the canoe on to a pebble beach at Skidegate on Graham Island The royal couple travelled into the heart of the Haida nation in a 25ft war canoe to celebrate the culture of the indigenous people The Duke helped his wife out of the canoe safety after their arrival The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are welcomed to the Haida Heritage Centre and Museum at Kaay Llnagaay on the island of Haida Gwaii, British Columbia The Duke tried speaking the local language and said to the assembled guests in the museum: "Aan t'alang isis ska-wada-gee id ga dalang kil laa, haaw - Thank-you very much for having us here." During the welcoming ceremony, the Cambridges were presented with sea otter trimmed scarves The Duchess of Cambridge had a wave for well-wishers during a visit to the Haida Heritage Centre in Haida Gwaii The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge go on a fishing trip on the Highlander Ranger boat after visiting Skidegate Youth Centre on the island of Haida Gwaii during the royal tour of Canada. Anti-Heathrow expansion protesters stage airport 'die-in' Activists campaigning against airport expansion and climate change have staged a "die-in" flashmob demonstration at Heathrow. Scores of protesters, some wearing dust masks and others decked in banners, lay on the floor in terminal two at the airport on Saturday as bemused airline passengers watched on. The protesters read out testimonies from communities affected by climate change, urging those taking flights to think about the impact they have. Campaigners stage a mass 'Die-In' in Terminal 2 at Heathrow Airport A second demonstration was held at the nearby Harmondsworth Detention Centre, where protesters dressed in red lay on the ground and obstructed traffic to highlight the link between climate impacts and migration, while a "picnic" protest was also held at Gatwick airport earlier on Saturday. The campaigns were linked to other demonstrations around the world opposing airport expansion, timed to coincide with a UN conference addressing the impact of aviation. Mary Adams from Reclaim the Power, the activism organisation behind the protest, said: "Expanding airports is completely irresponsible and will bring us out of reach of our own targets to stop climate change. "This problem isn't being caused by business or normal families taking a holiday, but a wealthy elite 'binge flying', often to second homes. Yet it's poorer countries that are the hardest-hit by climate change, even though they have done the least to cause the problem. "Expanding Heathrow is incompatible with creating a fairer and more equal world." Ministers are currently considering whether to support the plans for Heathrow or Gatwick, and a decision is expected in the coming weeks. A Heathrow spokeswoman said the protest did not affect check-in or security, and that the airport operated as normal throughout. Campaigners stage a mass protest near Heathrow Airport, against aviation expansion ahead of the government's decision on increasing London's airport capacity. Campaigners portray normal passengers as others stage a mass 'Die-In' in Terminal 2 at Heathrow Airport Campaigners stage a mass 'Die-In' in Terminal 2 at Heathrow Airport, to protest against aviation expansion ahead of the government's decision on increasing London's airport capacity. Campaigners stage a mass 'Die-In' in Terminal 2 at Heathrow Airport, to protest against aviation expansion ahead of the government's decision on increasing London's airport capacity. Campaigners stage a mass protest near Heathrow Airport, against aviation expansion ahead of the government's decision on increasing London's airport capacity. Campaigners stage a mass 'Die-In' in Terminal 2 Rise in Nigerian sex slavery in Italy fuelled by violence and "juju" magic By Tom Esslemont CATANIA, Italy, Sept 29 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - When Nigerian teenager Beauty arrived in Sicily after crossing the Mediterranean from North Africa last year, she had only hours to phone the man who trafficked her - or risk lethal repercussions for family members back home. Before her journey through Niger to Libya, a spiritual priest practicing a form of black magic known in Nigeria as "juju" had forced her to swear an oath of obedience to her trafficker. The threat of a "curse" if she broke her oath and the possibility of violence by her traffickers at home in Benin City, a southern Nigerian hub for human trafficking, were enough to trap her into sex slavery. "If I had reported him to the police, my family would have been in great danger," said Beauty, 19, fiddling with black-and-blond braids as she recalled the events of last summer. "At the (migrant) camp a man came to pick me up in a car. I got into the car and I was taken away." Beauty, who uses a pseudonym and declined to reveal her full name, is one of around 12,000 Nigerian women who reached Italy by sea over the past two years, official data shows. That's a six-fold increase over the previous two-year period, with the majority - almost 80 percent - of the young women victims of trafficking, according to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM). Young, exhausted and vulnerable, many victims report being told that prostitution is the only way to repay hefty debts ranging from 25,000 to 100,000 euros ($28,000-$112,000) to their traffickers, Italian charities say. Fear plays a large part in the juju rituals, with pubic hair, fingernails and blood collected from the victim as she is made to swear never to report her situation to the authorities, rights groups say. In some cases, fearing the juju "spell" may be turned on them and they may die, Nigerian parents insist their daughters obey their traffickers, testimony from Italian court documents shows. Beauty only learned later that she had been trafficked - and that the man who had brought her to Europe, a friend of her father's, now demanded she pay back 25,000 euros ($28,000) by working as a prostitute. "My pimp was a nice man. I think he was a good man," she told the Thomson Reuters Foundation in the security of the safe house where she now lives. But as she provided sex services for dozens of Italian clients in a town in southern Italy, a tyranny of abuse unfolded, she said. "The man pimped me. His girlfriend beat me." "OUT OF CONTROL" With numbers of Nigerians rising in Sicily, prostitution is a thriving business, campaigners say - though nobody knows exactly how many women end up plying their trade on the streets. Close to the vibrant cultural centre in the island's southeastern port city of Catania, six or seven African women posed outside shuttered-up shops at night as teams from a local charity, the Penelope Association, offered support and advice. "The women need help to reintegrate in society," said Oriana Cannavo, head of the charity's Catania branch, nodding towards a woman in a short turquoise dress sauntering up and down the pavement. The offer of support is a delicate one, Cannavo said, because the girls are already in the psychological clutches of their traffickers. The number of Nigerian women arriving in Italy is accelerating - complicating the task of law enforcement agencies determined to keep tabs on the location of pimps or their female brokers known as "madams". Dozens of Nigerian men and women have been arrested in Italy in recent months on trafficking related charges, prosecutors say. More than 13,500 unaccompanied minors - some from Nigeria - were "reached" by social workers in 2013 and 2014, with around 9,200 taken into Italian state care, according to a report commissioned by the interior ministry. The Italian government did not respond to repeated requests for the number of adult victims of trafficking supported or granted asylum. "Female victims of violence are granted special protection similar to that accorded to refugees," the Italian interior ministry said on its website. The new arrivals of trafficking victims are stretching the workload of the IOM, the U.N. refugee agency (UNHCR) and local charities, aid workers say. "It is reaching a stage where it is out of control," said Margherita Limoni, a legal advisor with the IOM in Catania. The number of Nigerian women arriving in Italy has almost doubled in the past year, surpassing 6,300 in the first eight months of 2016, up from 3,400 for the same period last year, according to the IOM. Unaccompanied children from Nigeria - some as young as 10 or 11 - have also flocked to Italy. Around 1,700 arrived in the first eight months of this year, while 1,000 came during the whole of 2015, the IOM data shows. PIMPS AS "BENEFACTORS" Although minors are offered state protection, Beauty was not eligible for this as she was already 18, she said. After running away from her pimp late last year, she fled to the local office of the Penelope Association, which found her a place in sheltered accommodation late last year. Beauty is one of 45 people the charity aims to support this year by finding them a place to live and employment in restaurants, well away from the preying eyes of traffickers, Cannavo said. But the assistance is not always accepted. Seven of Beauty's friends slipped back into prostitution out of fear of their pimps, or loyalty, the teenager said. "Many times the girls see their pimp as a benefactor who is trying to improve their lives," said IOM's Limoni, who briefs newly arrived migrants about the dangers of trafficking. "They trust them 100 percent." Victims are also put off from fleeing pimps by actual stories of families being targeted or killed back in Nigeria - a reminder of the need to fulfil their obligations or stick to their juju oaths, another Sicily-based campaigner said. If a girl breaks her juju oath then she loses the spiritual protection, or so they believe, said Vivian Wiwoloku, president of the charity Pelligrino della Terra. "There was one Nigerian girl some years ago who abandoned prostitution. Then someone was really sent to her home in Nigeria to kill her brother," said Wiwoloku in his small office in the island's main city of Palermo. Wiwoloku, also from Nigeria, said his charity work - helping more than 400 women abandon prostitution since 1996 - was not without its dangers. His car has twice been set on fire. "When you try to help somebody not everyone will be happy," he said. The IOM's Margherita Limoni agreed that the strong spiritual and psychological grip of Nigerian pimps, madams and traffickers makes it harder to support the victims. Croatia PM frontrunner wants lower deficit, better rating By Igor Ilic ZAGREB, Sept 30 (Reuters) - Croatia will aim to cut its budget deficit to 2 percent of gross domestic product next year with a view to balancing the budget by 2020, the frontrunner in the race to become prime minister of the European Union's newest member said on Friday. The conservative HDZ party, which won the most parliamentary seats in a snap election this month, is in talks with the smaller centre-right Most ("Bridge") party and lawmakers representing ethnic minorities on forming a coalition. All sides say that talks are going well. "We see our 2017 budget as a key step towards firm control of the spending side and improving the (country's) credit rating," HDZ leader and the party's prime ministerial candidate Andrej Plenkovic told an economic conference. "By 2020 we want to reduce our public debt by 10 percentage points," he said. Croatia's public debt stands at around 86 percent of GDP and Brussels has put Croatia under monitoring for its macroeconomic imbalances and excessive deficit. The deficit target for this year is 2.7 percent of GDP -- the first time in many years that the government is targeting a level below the EU's 3 percent ceiling -- but the current and likely future Finance Minister Zdravko Maric told the same conference the final figure could be even lower than that. Croatia is rated two notches below investment grade by all three main credit rating agencies, with a negative outlook. "I hope our deficit plans for next year will bring us closer to exiting the EU's excessive deficit procedure and a credit rating improvement," Maric said. Next year is financially demanding for Croatia which has to roll over some 30 billion kuna ($4.46 billion) in debts falling due, which will force the government to raise money both at home and abroad. Plenkovic also promised his government would tackle key weaknesses of the economy -- the poor investment climate, red tape, loss-making public firms and a high tax burden -- to achieve sustainable growth levels higher than the current 2.5 percent. "The goal of changing the taxation system is to ease pressure and make it simpler and more stable. We will reduce administrative barriers for businesses and financially restructure public firms," he said. An HDZ-led government would seek to reduce corporate and income taxes as early as next year, he added. EU loosens Ukraine trade quotas but keeps aid on hold By Matthias Williams KIEV, Sept 30 (Reuters) - The European Union has expanded the amount of produce Ukraine can export duty-free to the bloc as part of their free trade deal, but delayed disbursing a second tranche of aid pending further policy steps by Kiev, the bloc said on Friday. A political and trade agreement between Ukraine and the EU came into force in January. Its original signing, fiercely opposed by Russia, was the spark for the popular uprising in 2014 that toppled a Kremlin-backed president. Friday's announcement is a boon to Ukrainian exporters, some of whom had complained about the fact that the deal only allowed a fraction of farm exports to be sold without tariffs, at a time when trade between Ukraine and Russia has diminished. The EU said it had increased the volumes that Ukraine can export duty free in goods including maize, wheat, barley, processed tomatoes and honey. On a visit to Kiev on Friday, EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom said, however, that Brussels would not hand over financial assistance worth 600 million euros until Ukraine took measures that include lifting a ban on exporting its wood. Another condition is allowing social payments such as pensions to be properly disbursed to refugees from eastern Ukraine, where fighting between Ukrainian troops and Russian-backed separatists has killed more than 9,600 people. "We see some modest improvements in our trade, that is positive, but of course more needs to be done. So we've been encouraging our Ukrainian friends to keep on with the reforms," Malmstrom told reporters at a briefing. She said the ban on wood exports, formally intended to protect Ukrainian furniture makers and the environment, violated the rules of the World Trade Organisation as well as the EU's bilateral trade deal with Ukraine. "And it's also a symptom of the unpredictability of the business climate because this is clearly a discriminatory thing to do," she said. Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman said the government would discuss the wood export ban with lawmakers to find a solution. The trade deal is provisional and potentially under threat after a Dutch referendum in April voted to reject the agreement, which has to be ratified by all 28 EU member states in order to take effect permanently. Matthew strengthens to Category 5 storm headed for Jamaica, Cuba By Rebekah Kebede KINGSTON, Jamaica, Sept 30 (Reuters) - Hurricane Matthew surged in power on Friday to become the Caribbean's strongest storm in nine years as it moved towards Jamaica and Cuba with winds of up to 160 miles per hour (260 kph) powerful enough to wreck houses, forecasters said. Matthew was about 430 miles (690 km) southeast of Kingston, Jamaica, and the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) designated it as a Category 5, the strongest on the Saffir-Simpson scale of hurricane intensity. The strongest hurricane in the Atlantic Ocean since Felix in 2007 was forecast to make landfall as a major storm on Monday on Jamaica's southern coast, home to the capital and Jamaica's only oil refinery. It could affect the island's main tourist areas such as Montego Bay in the north. "The government is on high alert," said Robert Morgan, director of communications at the prime minister's office. "We hope that the hurricane does not hit us, but if it does hit us, we are trying our very best to ensure that we are in the best possible place." Local disaster coordinators, police and military have been put on standby and shelters are being opened throughout the island, Morgan said. Despite the sunny weather and only a few scattered clouds, many Kingstonians were stocking up on water and food on Friday in preparation. The center of the storm will move away from the Guajira Peninsula early Saturday morning, across the central Caribbean Sea on Saturday and approach Jamaica late on Sunday, the National Hurricane Center said. Jamaica was hard hit by hurricane Gilbert in 1988, and the last major hurricane in the region was Sandy, in 2012. Matthew could be the most powerful storm to cross the island since records began, meteorologist Eric Holthaus said on Twitter. Tenaj Lewis, 41, a doctor who was stocking up at the MegaMart grocery store in Kingston on Friday afternoon said Jamaica was much better prepared for hurricanes than when Gilbert hit. "The country literally shut down for months," she said. Since then, hurricanes have brought a few days of power outages but have not been nearly as destructive. Some residents were enjoying the calm before the storm. Peter Silvera, who owns the Longboarder Bar & Grill in the Roselle, a small hamlet on the southeastern coast of the island, said he was surfing all morning. "This is when we get the best waves," he said, but added he would be bringing in his outdoor tables and "battening down the hatches" to ride out the storm. "I think we're probably going to get a square hit," he said. As a precaution, Southwest Airlines warned that flights to Montego Bay could be disrupted and said customers could reschedule. Matthew is also forecast to skim past the south coast of Haiti on Monday bringing tropical storm conditions. Haiti has been hard hit by natural disasters in the past, and officials said preparation efforts were focused in the south of the country. "We will prepare with drinking water for the patients, with medication, with generators for electricity, available vehicles to go look for people at their homes," said Yves Domercant, the head of the public hospital in Les Cayes in the south. In Cuba, which has a strong track record of keeping its citizens out of harm's way when storms strike, residents of the eastern coastal city of Santiago de Cuba said they were tracking the news closely, although skies were still blue. "We don't know yet exactly where it will go, so we're still waiting to see," said Marieta Gomez, owner of Hostal Marieta, who was following the storm closely on TV and radio. "We Cubans are well prepared." California toughens rape laws after Stanford case uproar By Alex Dobuzinskis LOS ANGELES, Sept 30 (Reuters) - California Governor Jerry Brown on Friday signed legislation to broaden the state's legal definition of rape and mandate prison if the victim was unconscious, following a furor over a Stanford University sexual assault case. Lawmakers passed the two bills in response to a six-month sentence a Northern California judge this year gave Brock Turner, a former swimmer convicted in the sexual assault of an unconscious woman at the elite university, in a case that drew widespread condemnation. The sentence, which was lighter than prison terms given at many U.S. sexual assault trials, generated harsh scrutiny after the online publication of a harrowing statement the victim gave in court describing the devastating effects of the assault. The outcry over the sentence became a central part of a growing movement to combat sexual assault on U.S. college campuses. The statement of the victim inspired U.S. Vice President Joe Biden to write an open letter praising her courage. On social media, people from several countries expressed support for the victim, including women in China who took photos of themselves holding signs against rape. One bill signed by Brown, a Democrat, changed California law to say prosecutors and juries may consider any sexual assault to be rape, including penetration with a foreign object. State law had previously defined rape more narrowly, as non-consensual sexual intercourse. In the Stanford case, Turner was convicted of assault with intent to commit rape, penetration of an intoxicated person and penetration of an unconscious person. Prosecutors did not move forward with rape charges because he was not believed to have penetrated the victim with his penis. UNCONSCIOUS VICTIMS Brown also signed a separate bill to place rape of an unconscious or intoxicated person on a list of sexual crimes for which judges are forbidden to grant probation or parole. The governor in a signing statement said he usually opposes expanding the number of crimes with mandatory minimum statement. But the legislation "brings a measure of parity to sentencing for criminal acts that are substantially similar," Brown wrote. Turner, 21, sexually assaulted the victim in the Stanford case outside of a fraternity party in 2015. Stanford law professor Michele Dauber is leading an effort to recall Santa Clara County Judge Aaron Persky, who presided over the Turner case and handed down the six-month sentence. Dauber on Friday urged Brown to go further. She called on him to sign another bill passed this year that would require colleges and universities to release data on how many cases of sexual assault, domestic violence and stalking have been reported on campus. "This information is crucial to keeping our children safe at school," Dauber said in a statement. British PM May says Scotland will have no veto over Brexit LONDON, Sept 30 (Reuters) - Prime Minister Theresa May said she will listen to Scotland's concerns over Britain's exit from the European Union but that the devolved Scottish government will not have a veto over the Brexit negotiations. Scotland wants to have more detail about how the British government plans to leave the EU to prevent a "hard Brexit" that would severely damage the economy, Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said on Tuesday. After Britain's vote to leave the EU, Sturgeon said Scotland may seek another independence referendum - something that could split the world's fifth largest economy apart just as it attempts to go it alone outside the European bloc. "What I am very clear about is that, as we look into these negotiations, we will fully engage the Scottish government in the discussions that we have, in preparing what position the UK is going to take," May told BBC Scotland. When asked directly if Scotland could have a veto over Brexit, May said: "The United Kingdom will have a position in the negotiations and we, as a United Kingdom government, will be negotiating with the European Union." May added that the United Kingdom's government would listen to and take account of the particular concerns of Scotland and other parts of the United Kingdom, which is made up of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The United Kingdom's devolved parliaments could complicate or slow an EU withdrawal as their remit over such a major change is unclear and there is a convention for giving the assemblies a say on matters that concern them. Scots rejected independence in a 2014 referendum. But in the referendum on EU membership on June 23, Scots voted to stay in the bloc while England and Wales opted to leave. "There are two questions you can ask about a second referendum in Scotland: One, 'Could there be?' And that's a process issue," May said. Chad, Niger forces kill 123 Boko Haram in crackdown - Niger NIAMEY, Sept 30 (Reuters) - A joint military operation between Chad and Niger has killed 123 Boko Haram militants since July and recovered a significant quantity of weapons, Niger's Defence Ministry said on Friday. Allied Chadian-Nigerien forces launched an offensive against the Islamists after a surprise attack in Niger killed 30 of the country's troops in early June, its deadliest ever attack there. Defence Ministry spokesman Colonel Moustapha Ledru said 14 of the two nations' own troops had also died and 39 had been wounded in fighting with the Nigerian militant group over the same period. "An important quantity of arms and weapons were recovered," he added. Boko Haram is waging a guerrilla war to establish a breakaway Islamic caliphate around the Lake Chad region, where Nigeria, Cameroon, Niger and Chad meet. Ledru said a parallel offensive involving Nigerian forces had recaptured four towns from the Islamists, whose insurgency has killed thousands and displaced 2.4 million. U.S. defense chief says Hitler comments by Philippines president 'deeply troubling' KO OLINA, Hawaii, Sept 30 (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said on Friday that he found recent comments by Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte, in which he appeared to compare himself to Nazi leader Adolf Hitler, to be "deeply troubling." Carter was speaking at a news conference after meetings in Hawaii with the defense ministers of southeast Asian nations, including the Philippines, during which Duterte's Hitler comments were not discussed, he said. Audi opens Mexico plant to make Q5 SUV SAN JOSE CHIAPA, Mexico, Sept 30 (Reuters) - German car maker Audi inaugurated on Friday a new plant in Mexico, where it will build the new Audi Q5 SUV. The factory near to the central city of Puebla will have a production capacity of 150,000 cars a year, the company said. The company will manufacture conventional gasoline-powered versions of the SUV, and will later roll out greener models. "We will bring electricity and electrified versions (of the Q5 SUV) here to Mexico," Audi Chief Executive Officer Rupert Stadler said in a press briefing following the inauguration. "I'm talking about the plug-in hybrid in the first stage," he said. Reuters reported in June that Audi, Volkswagen's luxury car brand, would make an electric version of the Q5 at the plant. German minister heads to Iran, business ties still limited By Andrea Shalal BERLIN, Sept 30 (Reuters) - German Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel heads to Iran next week with a planeful of industry executives keen to rebuild trade ties, but remaining U.S. sanctions and political concerns are holding back a hoped-for business boom. Gabriel says a German-Iranian business commission will meet for the first time in 15 years, and forecasts concrete business deals will be announced, but also warned Tehran on Friday that to normalise ties it must accept Israel's right to exist, and stop what he called Iran's decisive role in the Syrian war. Tehran said there could be no precondition for Iran-Germany relations and that it rejected the interference of any third party in its state affairs. Gabriel is making his second visit to Tehran since the Islamic Republic reached a deal with world powers in July last year to lift economic sanctions imposed on Iran over its nuclear programme, in return for curbs on its nuclear activities. Industrial giant Siemens AG and automaker Daimler will be among the first German firms to benefit from opportunities in Iran, but they are proceeding carefully and only after legal reviews. Exports to Iran jumped 15 percent in the first half of the year to 1.13 billion euros and could reach 4 billion euros in the full year, said Michael Tockuss, head of the Hamburg-based German-Iranian Chamber of Commerce. He cited signs of movement in the German banking sector, which has been reluctant to underwrite business deals for fear of running afoul of remaining U.S. sanctions imposed on Iran for what Washington says is Tehran's money laundering, support for terrorism and human rights abuses. "Economic cooperation won't perform miracles but it can open up countries and stimulate societal change," Gabriel, who leads the Social Democrats, junior partner in the ruling centre-right coalition, told the online site weekly magazine Der Spiegel. Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, a fellow Social Democrat, in February invited Iranian President Hassan Rouhani to visit Germany. But Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats, anxious about managing ties with two fierce Iran foes, Saudi Arabia and Israel, oppose a state visit now. NO "RED CARPET" FOR ROUHANI FOR NOW "Rolling out the red carpet for Rouhani in Europe could be misunderstood as a signal that Iran is already an accepted partner in the world community," said Juergen Hardt, foreign policy spokesman for Merkel's conservatives. Hardt said he expected Gabriel to hammer home Germany's concerns about Iran's support for the "terror regime" of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, its "unspeakable" anti-Israeli rhetoric and human rights abuses in Iran. Iran's official news agency IRNA said Tehran would reject those demands. "Iran considers defending the rights of the Palestinians as inseparable part of its foreign policy and will not relinquish supporting the Palestinian ideals under any circumstances," it quoted Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi as saying. Ilse Aigner, economy minister of the German state of Bavaria, says she raised those concerns during two visits to Iran over the past year, but says hardliners could oust Rouhani unless he produces tangible benefits from the nuclear deal. Aigner returned from Tehran earlier this month with agreements by three Iranian banks to open branches in Munich, which could smooth the way for more trade in coming years. One big issue for small- and medium-sized firms is the inability to secure letters of credit for shipments of goods, said Werner Schroeppel, managing director of IMO GmbH, which exports components for wind energy facilities in Iran. Schroeppel's firm is now using third parties to do business in Iran, but hopes the process can be streamlined so it can take part in an expected boom in Iran's wind energy sector. The Europaeische-Iranische Handelsbank AG in Hamburg offers such instruments already, but Germany's two biggest banks, Commerzbank AG and Deutsche Bank AG said they remain cautious. Michael Sabet, an Iranian-German business executive whose company imports tonnes of saffron from Iran, said more banks are ready to provide letters of credit which he said could save up to 3 percent of the cost of a deal. South Korea Sept exports down, as expected due to Hyundai strikes SEOUL, Oct 1 (Reuters) - South Korean exports in September fell, as expected, after posting the first rise in 20 months in August, as slightly fewer working days and a strike at the biggest automaker hit shipments, data showed on Saturday. Exports fell 5.9 percent on-year to $40.86 billion in September while imports slipped 2.3 percent to $33.76 billion, trade ministry data showed, resulting in a trade surplus of $7.11 billion in September, up from a revised $5.11 billion surplus in August. In August, exports and imports rose 2.6 percent and 0.7 percent, respectively. The rebound in August was widely expected not to continue as policymakers expressed concerns over major strikes at Hyundai Motor. Its labour union staged its first full nationwide strike in 12 years on Monday over stalled wage talks, putting the automaker's earnings and sales targets at risk. The strikes, ongoing since July, have accumulated losses of nearly 2.5 billion won ($2.27 million), the finance minister said on Wednesday. "Although it's a fall, trade data today isn't a disappointment given that strikes at Hyundai and shipment disruptions from the collapse of Hanjin Shipping must have been dragging overall overseas sales," Moon Jung-hui, a Seoul-based analyst at KB Investment & Securities said after the data was released. "Sectors other than auto and shipping seems to have fared alright. The Bank of Korea may not rush to cut rates again this year. They are likely to maintain their wait-and-see mode since recovery is very weak," he said. The trade ministry also said the recent global recall of Note 7 smartphones by Samsung Electronics, due to faulty batteries causing some of the phones to catch fire, had also affected September trade numbers. Shipments to China fell 9.1 percent, while those to the U.S. and the EU slumped 6.1 percent and 14.5 percent, respectively. September this year had 0.5 fewer working days compared to the same month in 2015. While the economy is improving on the back of domestic demand, the prolonged contraction in exports is a source of concern as policymakers wait the effects of expansionary fiscal and monetary policies. Other challenges the economy faces include the ongoing corporate restructuring and the enforcement of the anti-graft law, which restricts meals and gifts public officials journalists can accept. Economists polled by Reuters had expected a 4.1 percent drop in exports and a 2.3 percent fall in imports. Mexico's Colima volcano erupts, local communities evacuated MEXICO CITY, Sept 30 (Reuters) - Mexico's Colima volcano erupted on Friday, spewing a large plume of ash and thick black smoke into the sky and provoking the evacuation of two nearby villages. The volcano is located in western Mexico between the states of Colima and Jalisco and is one of the country's most active. Rush to get best terms hikes Indonesia tax amnesty revenue to $7.45 bln JAKARTA, Oct 1 (Reuters) - The first phase of Indonesia's tax amnesty, which tens of thousands joined on the final days, collected 97.2 trillion rupiah ($7.45 billion) in revenue to help cover the government's fiscal deficit, Finance Ministry data showed on Saturday. Some 366,757 taxpayers, including some of the wealthiest individuals in Southeast Asia's largest economy, signed up for the first phase that concluded on Friday, the ministry's website said. They declared assets worth a total of 3,620 trillion rupiah, with 137 trillion rupiah pledged to be repatriated to Indonesia, it said. Last week, and in particular on Friday, citizens thronged tax offices to take advantage of the lowest penalty rate of 2 percent on previously unreported assets. The penalty rate rises 1-2 percentage points from Saturday and will go higher on Jan. 1, for the amnesty's third and final phase, which ends on March 31. President Joko Widodo visited Jakarta's main tax office on Friday night. The response to the amnesty "serves as momentum for us to reform our taxation system, increase our tax base and increase our tax ratio," he told reporters. Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati called the first phase results "encouraging". Government officials set a target of collecting 165 trillion rupiah in revenue. The first-phase total reported on Saturday is 59 percent of that figure. Threat from extremist groups to southeast Asia growing: Singapore defense chief By Yeganeh Torbati KO OLINA, Hawaii, Sept 30 (Reuters) - The threat that violent extremist groups pose to Southeast Asia is growing each year as they become more organized and focused in their aims, Singapore Defense Minister Ng Eng Hen said on Friday. Ng was speaking to reporters following a meeting of Southeast Asia defense ministers with U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter in Hawaii, where the defense chiefs devoted a major chunk of time to discussing the threat from Islamic State and similar groups. Over 1,000 Southeast Asians have flocked to join Islamic State's self-declared "caliphate" in Iraq and Syria, Ng said. "Every year we meet, the situation and threat from extremist terrorism rises," Ng said. "Compared to, say, a year or even two years ago, they're more organized...they're more networked, they're more clear in their articulation of what they want to achieve." Security officials said in June that Southeast Asian militants who claim to be fighting for Islamic State said they had chosen one of the most wanted men in the Philippines to head a regional faction of the group. Authorities in the region have been on heightened alert since Islamic State claimed an attack in the Indonesian capital Jakarta in January in which eight people were killed, including four of the attackers. Ng cited a recent plot in which an Indonesian cell coordinated by an Islamic State member in Syria had planned to shoot up hotels in Singapore's Marina Bay area. The plot was foiled by Indonesian authorities, he said. "They have gone beyond networks to push the flow of funds, weapons. They are already plotting," Ng said. U.S. defense officials believe that hundreds of citizens from Southeast Asia have returned to their home countries after joining Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, raising concerns that they may try to launch a wave of attacks. Ng said Southeast Asian defense chiefs believe that if Islamic State were destroyed in its base in Iraq and Syria, that would actually increase the risk to their region in the short-term, because seasoned Islamic State fighters would likely return home. The United States is leading an air campaign to dislodge Islamic State from Iraq and Syria. Thailand still golden for Chinese tourists despite Zika fears By Amy Sawitta Lefevre and Panarat Thepgumpanat BANGKOK, Oct 1 (Reuters) - Confirmation that the Zika virus had caused microcephaly in Thailand is not likely to scare off large numbers of Chinese tourists due to jet in for holidays in the next week, tourists and industry operators said. Thailand reported on Friday the first confirmed cases in Southeast Asia of microcephaly, a birth defect marked by small head size, linked to the Zika virus, a day after U.S. officials recommended that pregnant women postpone travel to 11 countries in the region, including Thailand, because of Zika. China's "Golden Week" break, which starts on Saturday, sees an exodus to overseas holiday spots with tropical Thailand a favourite for Chinese visitors, who are already the most numerous in the country. In Bangkok's bustling Chinatown, tourists said they were scared about Zika but not deterred. Tina Lan, 30, from Shanghai, said she had booked her Golden Week flights to Thailand six months ago. "I'm slightly scared because Zika is transmitted by mosquitoes and there are lots of them here," Lan told Reuters, but she added she will continue her tour in Thailand, which she has visited before. Industry officials also said news of Zika was expected to have no impact on Chinese arrivals, at least in the short term. CONFIDENCE IN SYSTEM Thailand expects 220,000 Chinese visitors during the break, up about 30 percent from last year, Tourism Authority of Thailand Governor Yuthasak Supasorn told Reuters, and Zika fears were not expected to spoil the holiday mood. "We have confidence in Thailand's public health system. The number of Chinese tourists coming to Thailand should be on target," Yuthasak said. Roong Mallikamas, head of the macroeconomics and monetary policy department at the Bank of Thailand, said Zika would not have a big impact on tourism because it was not as serious as other diseases previously seen in the region, such as a deadly 2003 outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). Zika has spread extensively in Latin American and the Caribbean over the past year or so, and more recently it has been cropping up in Southeast Asia. Thailand has confirmed 349 Zika cases since January, including 33 pregnant women. Budget-friendly Thailand has seen a steady increase in Chinese tourists over recent years. A hit 2012 Chinese comedy film, "Lost in Thailand", boosted the image of a tourist paradise of Buddhist temples and beaches. Thailand expects a record 33 million visitors this year, driven mostly by an increase in Chinese numbers. The tourism industry, which accounts for about 10 percent of gross domestic product, has weathered more than a decade of unrest including military coups in 2006 and 2014 and a wave of deadly bombings in August that killed four Thai tourists and injured dozens, including foreigners. A bomb last year at a Bangkok shrine popular with Asian visitors killed 20 people, seven of them from China, but failed to put a dent in arrivals. Supawan Tanomkieatipume, president of the Thai Hotels Association, said she had not heard of any hotel cancellations since the confirmation of Zika-linked microcephaly. "These are very rare cases and the virus isn't a concern for them," Supawan told Reuters. Charoen Wangananont, president of the Association of Thai Travel Agents echoed that optimism. Mitsubishi Aircraft notifies possible delay in jet delivery TOKYO, Oct 1 (Reuters) - Japan's All Nippon Airways Co has been told by Mitsubishi Aircraft Corp, a unit of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd, that there is a risk of a possible delay in the first delivery of its regional jet from around the middle of 2018. If the delivery of the Mitsubishi Regional Jet (MRJ) is extended, this would mark a fifth delay and may raise concerns about Mitsubishi's sales activities. All Nippon, a unit of ANA Holdings Inc, received a notice of a risk of delay in delivery due to technical reasons, a company spokeswoman said on Saturday. All Nippon is set to be the first company to receive the MRJ. She added that Mitsubishi did not provide its projection on how long the delivery may be pushed back. A spokesman for Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd said it has not decided to delay the delivery and did not confirm whether it has sent such a notice. Japan's Nikkei business daily reported earlier on Saturday that the first delivery is likely to be delayed to 2019 or afterwards, reflecting a revision in design. The first test model of the 100-seat MRJ, which made its maiden test flight last November, arrived in late September in Moses Lake in the U.S. state of Washington for further test flights. The MRJ's development went into full gear in 2008 and was originally scheduled for delivery in 2013. Mitsubishi Aircraft last December announced the fourth delay in delivery by about a year from April to June 2017. Demand for regional jets with 100 seats or less are projected to grow from now on and Mitsubishi Aircraft is aiming to win 1,000 orders for the MRJ. The MRJ represents Japan's long-held ambition to reestablish a commercial aircraft industry that was dismantled by the United States after Japan's defeat in World War Two. Iraq's economic recovery plans tied up by U.S. budget tussle By Hadeel Al Sayegh and Patricia Zengerle DUBAI/WASHINGTON, Oct 1 (Reuters) - Iraq's plans to raise $2 billion on international debt markets to help fill a budget gap caused by low oil prices were thwarted this week by the U.S. Congress' refusal to guarantee half the bonds' value. As part of a 2017 budget endorsed by the International Monetary Fund, Baghdad said it would seek to issue a $1 billion bond fully guaranteed by the United States in order to lower borrowing costs before issuing another $1 billion. Those funds would complement a three-year $5.34 billion standby loan, which the IMF approved in July in exchange for economic reforms. Baghdad hopes the IMF deal will unlock more than $12 billion in additional aid from sources such as the World Bank and the Group of Seven leading industrialised nations. Western allies have acknowledged the need to guard major OPEC producer Iraq's fragile economy from a collapse that would risk undermining military gains against Islamic State by a U.S.-led coalition and local forces that are looking to retake the militant stronghold of Mosul later this month. While the Obama administration requested the guarantee be included in a "continuing resolution" - stopgap legislation that keeps the U.S. government running while more permanent spending decisions are agreed - it did not end up in the final version passed by Congress on Wednesday. Lawmakers said they had tried to keep side issues out of the spending bill in order to ensure it would go into effect before the new fiscal year began on Oct. 1. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi's financial advisor, Mudher Salih, who has worked closely on the bond issue, and a source familiar with the matter told Reuters the guarantee had been held up by Republicans in Congress, without providing details. Republicans have majorities in both the House and Senate, but it was unclear if they had a particular objection to putting up more funding for Iraq, which has already received billions of dollars in military, economic and humanitarian aid from Washington since the U.S.-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein in 2003. Many members of Congress are frustrated with Iraq's government. They worry that the United States has sent far too much money to Baghdad, with too few results, due to corruption and incompetence. Many also view the Iraqi government as being too close to Iran, and are angry with its Shi'ite leaders for alienating minority Sunni Muslims. The Iraq loan guarantee could still be included in spending legislation that must pass in order to keep the government open past Dec. 9, when the temporary spending bill expires. Salih told Reuters on Thursday that Iraq was likely to delay the bond issuance until at least early 2017, in part because of the lack of a U.S. guarantee. Philippine president rejects Hitler label, says it didn't originate from him-spokesman MANILA, Oct 1 (Reuters) - Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte should not be compared to Adolf Hitler, and his reference to the Holocaust was an "oblique deflection" of claims he is a mass murderer, his spokesman said on Saturday, as anger smouldered over his incendiary remarks. Duterte's comments on Friday that he wished to kill millions of drug dealers as part of his anti-narcotics war, and those he made about the deaths of millions of Jews, were "two entirely different things", Ernesto Abella said in one of two statements, which stopped short of an apology. "The president's reference to the slaughter was an oblique deflection of the way he has been pictured as a mass murderer, a Hitler, a label he rejects," Abella said. "He likewise draws an oblique conclusion, that while the Holocaust was an attempt to exterminate the future generations of Jews, the so-called 'extra-judicial killings', wrongly attributed to him, will nevertheless result in the salvation of the next generation of Filipinos." The maverick 71-year-old president appeared to liken himself on Friday to the Nazi leader, and said he would "be happy to slaughter" three million Filipino drug users and peddlers, adding that he had been portrayed by critics as "a cousin of Hitler". "If Germany had Hitler, the Philippines would have ...," he said, pausing and pointing to himself. More than 3,100 people have been killed since "Duterte Harry", as he has been dubbed, took office on June 30 and kicked off a drugs war that was the bedrock of his election campaign. Most of those killed were drug users and dealers, with some deaths during shootouts in police operations and others the work of vigilantes, police say. SHOCK AND ANGER The near-daily tide of astonishing remarks from Duterte has caused outrage in the West, although he is popular among Filipinos for delivering on promises as president and as mayor of the city of Davao for 22 years before that. The Hitler comments triggered shock and anger among Jewish groups in the United States, which pressured Washington to take a tougher line with the unpredictable leader of a country that has long been a dependable U.S. ally. Abella said Duterte recognised the deep significance of the Holocaust and said that the initial comparison to Hitler "did not originate from the president". "The (presidential) palace deplores the Hitler allusion of President Duterte's anti-drug war as another crude attempt to vilify the president in the eyes of the world." Duterte was elected in May on the back of a vow to end endemic problems of drugs and corruption in the country of 100 million people. When challenged about the drugs deaths, he has insulted U.S. President Barack Obama, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, among others, and the bulk of his criticism has been levelled at Washington. U.S. defence and diplomatic officials have responded by saying their relationships with their Philippine counterparts will remain business as usual. Many analysts say Duterte's meteoric rise to the presidency will not only change the status quo in the Philippines, but may also impact geopolitics and how far he is willing to test partnerships with countries like Japan, the United States and, most recently, Vietnam. Closely watched will be the extent of his overtures towards China. Suicide bomber kills one person, wounds three in Yemeni port city ADEN, Oct 1 (Reuters) - A suicide bomber blew himself up near a cinema in the Yemeni port city of Aden on Saturday, killing one person and wounding three others, residents and a local official said. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the bombing in Aden's Crater district, which was carried out by an attacker wearing an explosive belt. Islamist militants, including the Islamic State group, have exploited an 18-month civil war between a Saudi-backed exiled Yemeni government and the Houthi movement to carve out influence in southern Yemen, where they have been recruiting new followers and launching attacks on military targets and senior officials. Islamic State claimed responsibility for the assassination of two security officers killed in Aden earlier this week, the group said on Friday via its Telegram account. UAE military vessel damaged in "incident" off coast of Yemen DOHA, Oct 1 (Reuters) - A United Arab Emirates military vessel was damaged in a strategic Red Sea shipping lane off the coast of Yemen on Saturday but there were no injuries to its crew, the UAE military said. Hundreds of Emirati soldiers in a Saudi-led coalition have been fighting Yemen's Iran-allied Houthis who control the capital and training Yemeni troops in the port of Aden to help rebuild a state loyal to exiled president Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi. "General Command of the Armed Forces said one of its leased vessels suffered an incident in the Bab al-Mandab strait this morning during a return trip from a mission in Aden. No injures were caused," UAE state news agency WAM said in a statement. The armed forces are investigating the cause of the incident, it added. In a statement on Saturday the Houthis said their forces had destroyed a UAE military vessel that was advancing towards the the Red Sea port of Al-Mokha. "Armed forces destroyed with a missile a military vessel belonging to the forces of the UAE," a military official was quoted as saying by the Saba Yemeni news agency, which has been run by the dominant Houthi movement since it seized Sanaa last year. In 2013, more than 3.4 million barrels of oil per day passed through the 20 km (12 mile) wide Bab al-Mandab, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. A spokesperson for the Saudi-led coalition could not be immediately reached for comment. Germany's Merkel cannot afford to bail out Deutsche Bank -media By Georgina Prodhan FRANKFURT, Oct 1 (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel cannot afford to bail out Deutsche Bank given the hard line Berlin has taken against state aid in other European nations and the risk of a political backlash at home, German media wrote on Saturday. The government denied a newspaper report on Wednesday that it was working on a rescue plan for Germany's biggest bank, as its shares went into a tailspin fuelled by a demand for up to $14 billion from U.S. authorities for misselling mortgage-backed securities before the financial crisis. Germany, which has insisted Italy and others accept tough conditions in tackling their problem lenders, can ill afford to be seen to go soft on its flagship bank, the Frankfurter Allgemeine wrote. "Of course Chancellor Merkel doesn't want to give Deutsche Bank any state aid," it wrote in a front-page editorial. "She cannot afford it from the point of view of foreign policy because Berlin is taking a hard line in the Italian bank rescue." The Munich-based Sueddeutsche Zeitung wrote that Merkel would be breaking a promise to taxpayers if she were to bail the bank out, which could spell disaster for her re-election bid next year as the anti-immigration AfD party gains ground. The AfD is already benefiting from a backlash against Merkel's open-door refugee policy, making huge gains in two regional elections last month and hitting an all-time high of 16 percent support in an opinion poll last week. "A state aid package would drive voters into the arms of the AfD," the Sueddeutsche wrote in an editorial. "Domestic political considerations make it unlikely that Berlin would play this joker. Even more unlikely is that the European Commission would agree. The political risk would be simply too high." Shares in Deutsche Bank recovered somewhat on Friday from a record low early in the day after a report that it was close to a cut-price settlement of $5.4 billion instead of $14 billion. The bank, the U.S. Department of Justice and the German finance ministry all declined to comment on the report. The crisis also prompted Deutsche Bank's normally reticent Chief Executive John Cryan to publish a letter seeking to reassure staff the bank was stable and hitting out at "forces" that wanted to weaken trust in the bank. The Stuttgarter Zeitung wrote on Saturday: "Deutsche Bank has to win back ground here because as exaggerated as the reports of an existential danger to the bank may have been, just as obvious are its continuing difficulties." "Trust is a bank's most important currency." Russian, Syrian missiles pound Aleppo, destroy hospital -rebels and aid workers By Suleiman Al-Khalidi AMMAN, Oct 1 (Reuters) - Russian warplanes and their Syrian government allies battered rebel-held areas in and around Aleppo on Saturday, and rebels and aid workers accused them of destroying one of the city's main hospitals and killing at least two patients. M10, the city's main trauma hospital, in eastern Aleppo, was struck as the United States and its allies urged Russia, which is trying to crush resistance to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, to halt the bombing and reach a diplomatic resolution. Saturday's air strikes focused on major supply lines into rebel-held areas of Aleppo - the Castello Road and Malah district and around the Handarat camp. Fighting also raged in the city in the Suleiman al Halabi neighbourhood, the front line to the north of Aleppo's Old City and in the residential Bustan al Basha quarter. Rebels and rescuers said at least seven missiles were dropped on the hospital, more commonly known as Sakhour, by both Russian jets and Syrian helicopters. An American relief organisation said two patients were killed and 13 injured in the attack, which was the second on the hospital in less than a week. "The hospital is now out of service completely. There's destruction to walls, infrastructure, equipment and generators. There are no more guards or staff left. It's complete darkness," said Mohammad Abu Rajab, a radiologist in the hospital. Footage of the bombed hospital on social media showed extensive damage. The attack drew immediate condemnation from France and Germany. French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said the shelling of healthcare structures and personnel in Aleppo amounted to war crimes, adding: "Their perpetrators will be held to account." "The bombing of Aleppo needs to finally stop! Whoever wants to fight terrorists does not attack hospitals!" German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier tweeted. The U.S envoy to the United Nations last week called Russia's actions in Syria "barbarism," not counter-terrorism. An official for U.S. President Barack Obama's administration condemned the bombing, citing "total disregard" for medical professionals and those needing their help. "Reports of yet another hospital being destroyed further demonstrates the total disregard for the lives of medical professionals and their patients who need critical care because of the Assad regime and Russia's relentless campaign against the Syrian people." Rebels said Moscow and the Syrian army have for months been targeting power plants, hospitals and bakeries to force into surrender the nearly 250,000 believed trapped in the city. Hundreds of people have been killed in indiscriminate bombing of residential areas and many hundreds more wounded, with little access to treatment in hospitals that lack basic supplies. The army, aided by hundreds of Iranian-backed militias who have arrived in Aleppo, have backed up the air campaign with a ground offensive on several frontlines. "The regime is spearheading an attack on all fronts and is trying to open more than one major front and of course there are a lot of amassing of troops mostly based in Handarat," Abu Haidar, a commander in Fastaqim, one of the rebel groups inside Aleppo, said via internet messaging. In a telephone conversation with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Friday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow was ready to consider more ways to normalise the situation in Aleppo, the ministry said. But Lavrov criticised Washington's failure to separate moderate rebel groups from those the Russians call terrorists, which had allowed forces led by the group formerly known as the Nusra front to violate the U.S.-Russian truce agreed on Sept. 9. The United States made clear it would not, at least for now, carry through a threat made on Wednesday to halt the diplomacy if Russia did not take immediate steps to end the violence. Moscow and Assad spurned the ceasefire to launch the new offensive, potentially the biggest and most decisive battle of the civil war, which is now in its sixth year. BACK AND FORTH An army source quoted in state media said its forces had made advances, which was denied by rebels. A news commentary by the state-run Ikhbariyah said "high level coordination from the air and ground by Syrian and Russian warplanes" had allowed the two allies to "successful hit locations where terrorist groups had dug in." But rebels said Syrian troops backed by fresh reinforcements from Iranian-backed militias were struggling to make any gains in a ground offensive in a key frontline in the old city. "They are shelling the old city heavily after another failed attempt to gain ground. They have lost several fighters and we are steadfast," said Abu Hamam, a rebel from the Failaq al-Sham group. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a British-based group that monitors the war, reported heavy bombardment by government forces and "back and forth" fighting in the Suleiman al-Halabi neighbourhood. Rebels led by the main Islamist rebel group Ahrar al-Sham said on Saturday they had regained several areas in the Bustan al-Pasha district seized a day before, a strategic point that would allow the army to press into the heart of the rebel held eastern sector. Russia joined the war exactly a year ago, tipping the balance of power in favour of Assad, who is also supported by Iranian ground forces and Shi'ite militia from Lebanon and Iraq. The army said it would press its advantage after retaking last Thursday the strategic Handarat camp north of Aleppo that had already changed hands once since the start of the attack. Ghana sets 2016-17 season farmgate cocoa price at $1,914 per tonne By Matthew Mpoke Bigg TEPA, Ghana, Oct 1 (Reuters) - Ghana will pay cocoa farmers 7,600 cedis ($1,914) per tonne of beans during the 2016-17 season, nearly 12 percent more than last crop year, deputy finance minister Cassiel Ato Forson said on Saturday as he announced the start of the new season. The new price works out at 475 cedis per 64-kg bag, the main unit in which Ghana's hundreds of thousands of cocoa farmers sell the crop for export. Cocoa regulator Cocobod is targeting production of 850,000-900,000 tonnes this season. Ghana is the world's second-biggest cocoa producer behind neighbouring Ivory Coast and cocoa is Ghana's most important export crop, earning vital foreign exchange for a country where economic growth has slowed sharply since 2014. "This change (the new price) is higher than ... our major competitor, our neighbour Ivory Coast," Forson told a gathering, or durbar of hundreds of traditional chiefs and cocoa farmers in the town of Tepa in the Ashanti region. The purchase price is crucial to deter smuggling into Ivory Coast, which on Wednesday set its producer price at the slightly lower level of $1.88 per kg. PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION The durbar took place two months before an election in which President John Mahama faces a stiff challenge from opposition leader Nana Akufo-Addo as he runs for a second and final term. Forson and Cocobod chief executive Stephen Opuni used the occasion to rally support ahead of the election, appealing to cocoa farmers who reside in some of Ghana's most tightly-contested regions. Forson said average production and the price paid to farmers had risen more since the ruling National Democratic Congress took power in 2009 than during the previous eight years when the New Patriotic Party (NPP) was in charge. "By the time John Dramani Mahama completes his second term a lot of roads will have been constructed in the cocoa sector," Opuni said. Improving infrastructure is one of Mahama's key campaign themes. The NPP says only it can restore sustainable growth after four years under Mahama during which the government was forced to begin an aid deal with the International Monetary Fund to restore economic stability. The cocoa year runs from October to September and the crop year that has just ended was hampered by an unusually long dry season and fell short of the government's target of 850,000. Spain's Socialist leader Sanchez resigns after losing party vote - source MADRID, Oct 1 (Reuters) - The leader of Spain's Socialist party, Pedro Sanchez, resigned on Saturday after losing a party assembly vote, a party source told Reuters. The party's members had met on Saturday to decide whether to oust Sanchez, a step which could pave the way for the formation of a new government and end a nine-month political deadlock. Saudi-led forces rescue passengers from vessel off Yemen - SPA DOHA, Oct 1 (Reuters) - A Saudi-led force in Yemen said it rescued passengers on Saturday from a vessel being used by the United Arab Emirates military that was attacked by Houthi fighters in a strategic Red Sea shipping lane. "The coalition rescued civilians from a vessel targeted by Houthi militias ... that was transferring medical aid to the city of Aden and evacuating wounded civilians for treatment," the coalition said in a statement on Saudi state news agency SPA. Hundreds of Emirati soldiers in an Arab alliance have been fighting Yemen's Iran-allied Houthis, who control the capital, and training Yemeni troops in Aden to help rebuild a state loyal to exiled president Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi. The UAE military said on Saturday one of its vessels had been involved in an "incident" near the Bab al-Mandab strait off Yemen's southern coast but none of its crew had been hurt. The Houthis, however, said on Saturday their forces had destroyed a UAE military vessel that was advancing towards the Red Sea port of Al-Mokha. "Armed forces destroyed with a missile a military vessel belonging to the forces of the UAE," a military official was quoted as saying by the Saba Yemeni news agency, run by the dominant Houthi movement since it seized Sanaa last year. In 2013, more than 3.4 million barrels of oil per day passed through the 20 km (12 mile) wide Bab al-Mandab strait, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Ecuador ruling party chooses Correa ally as presidential candidate By Alexandria Valencia QUITO, Oct 1 (Reuters) - Ecuador's ruling party tapped a former vice president and ally of leftist President Rafael Correa as its candidate for president on Saturday in an election to be held in February. Lenin Moreno, 63, was Correa's vice president from 2007 to 2013 and is currently a United Nations special envoy on disability and accessibility. Moreno will campaign with current Vice President Jorge Glas as his running mate. "We believe the best Ecuadorian to guide the next stage of this political process is this amazing human being Lenin Moreno," said Correa during an event broadcast by state media. Correa's term ends in May 2017 after a decade of popular governance that has given the oil-rich country a socialist tinge. Moreno will likely compete against several opposition candidates, as the bloc is divided and weak. Moreno, who is paralyzed and uses a wheelchair, pledged to continue Correa's policies and said he would work hard for the values and rights of vulnerable groups such as people with disabilities and the elderly. Spain's Socialist leader quits and opens door to end of deadlock By Angus Berwick and Carlos Ruano MADRID, Oct 1 (Reuters) - The leader of Spain's Socialists resigned on Saturday after losing a vote triggered by a party revolt, a step which could pave the way for the formation of a new government and end a nine-month political deadlock. Pedro Sanchez had been in a stand-off with acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy's People's Party (PP), frustrating attempts to form a government after two elections left the conservatives with the most votes but shy of a majority. Members of the bitterly divided Socialist assembly met on Saturday to decide whether to open up a leadership race in October, as proposed by Sanchez, or oust him. Shouts from the meeting at the party headquarters in the capital Madrid were heard from outside as members argued over what the vote should be. One person stormed out before the end saying the party was "broken" and Sanchez eventually lost by 132 votes to 107 after a tumultuous 10-hour debate. "Today, following a day of intense debates, a vote was held on whether a party conference should take place on Oct. 23 so that the grassroots could pick their leader ... Unfortunately, I have lost this vote and I have resigned as secretary general of the party," Sanchez told a news conference. The departure of Sanchez, who became leader in 2014 and has presided over a slump in party support, means the Socialists can now try to find ways to avoid a third election, such as abstaining in a confidence vote to allow Rajoy a second term. The Socialists will be under interim management until a party conference can choose a new leader. Party insiders say the powerful head of the Andalusia region, Susana Diaz, is the favourite though it is not clear when a new secretary general will be picked. The interim management will face one of the party's biggest dilemma's since it was founded in 1879: allow a conservative minority government or force a third general election in a year. THIRD ELECTION? Most observers and analysts believe the Socialists will go for the first option, to give them time to regroup and not run the risk of losing more ground in a third election in a year. "Overall, I believe it is now more likely that Spain will not need a third general election. The mutiny against Pedro Sanchez was at least in part due to his intransigence in refusing to let Rajoy form a minority government despite it being clear that the Socialist leader could offer no credible alternative," said Vincenzo Scarpetta, a political analyst at the Open Europe think tank in London. "Furthermore, the Socialist Party clearly doesn't look in an ideal state to fight an election campaign. The impression is it might need quite some time to regroup," he said. If no government is formed before the end of October, a third election will be called in December. Although Spain's economic recovery has weathered the political impasse so far, there are signs that further uncertainty could slow growth and hamper investment. For months, Sanchez has refused to change his opposition to enabling a minority government led by Rajoy, who he chastizes as corrupt. In August, Rajoy lost a confidence vote in parliament after the Socialists voted "No". UK's Brexit minister says workers' rights will be protected LONDON, Oct 1 (Reuters) - The UK's Brexit minister David Davis will say on Sunday that employment rights will be protected when the country leaves the European Union, the Telegraph newspaper reported on its website. "To those who are trying to frighten British workers, saying 'When we leave, employment rights will be eroded', I say firmly and unequivocally 'no they won't'," the newspaper said he will tell members at the Conservative Party conference. At least 77 hurt after gas cyclinder explodes in southern Spain MADRID, Oct 1 (Reuters) - At least 77 people have been injured after a gas cylinder exploded in a cafe in the Spanish town of Velez-Malaga on the southern coast, a spokesman for the Andalucia region's emergency unit said. At least 77 hurt after gas cylinder explodes in southern Spain MADRID, Oct 1 (Reuters) - At least 77 people have been injured, five of them seriously, after a gas cylinder exploded on Saturday in a restaurant in the Spanish town of Velez-Malaga on the southern coast, a spokesman for the Andalucia region's emergency unit said. The spokesman said the explosion occurred at about 1700 GMT during a festival in the town, which is 40 km east of the popular tourist destination of Malaga. Video footage posted on social media showed people fleeing a fire inside a small restaurant called "La Bohemia" close to the centre of Velez-Malaga, with the street outside covered in debris. None of those seriously injured were at risk of death, a spokesman for the local hospital said. The majority of injuries were cuts and bruises. India's special forces' assault in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK) has unified much of Pakistan in a visible way. Save a few lonely voices scattered across media and non-governmental activity, the minority moderate and majority rabid have melded into a somewhat homogeneous mass in the last 24 hours. This, in itself, is unsurprising, nor anything to jeer at. A country that has just been attacked by its principal adversary will see such action unify its classes. There are five unmissable signs that Pakistan has been rocked to its core by the actions of 25 Indian commandos: 1) A day after the attack that reportedly left about 38 terrorists and 2 Pakistan armymen dead, the Pakistani media has absurdly abandoned the story to instead focus saturation coverage today on Imran Khan's political march. If there is a more conspicuous admission of shame over what has happened (and thereby a confirmation), I cannot think of it. A pliable, terrified media is of course fully on board with propagandists from a fumbling, shaken establishment. 2) Fake videos are inescapable in the context of propaganda. But for Pakistan to choose videos of Pakistani troops being picked out and slaughtered by what appear to be Taliban terrorists is a particularly harsh punch in one's own gut. Especially when they're being projected as Pakistani soldiers killing Indian ones. Again, the urge to put out such absurdly fake videos establishes a totally rattled propaganda ecosystem. The Pakistani media is busy covering Imran Khan's political march. (Photo credit: India Today) 3) In a glorious spasm of cross-border synergy, Pakistani voices have latched on to Indian scepticism of the surgical strikes. Scepticism is a valuable and an indispensable tool for journalists and non-rhetorical questions about the Indian attack are both relevant and necessary - what's farcical is Pakistani journalists, academics and the usually rabid mob firing off Indian shoulders, finding uncommonly common cause with those they would perhaps pour abuse on at other times. Supping willingly with the "enemy" is a certain sign of a rummaging desperation. 4) It's been a bad month for Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. Serially humiliated from one international stage to the next, he suffers the ignominy of having a smaller voice today than Pakistan's military spokesperson, General Asim Bajwa, who is doing literally all the talking, post India's surgical strikes. The chasms that separate the government and military in Pakistan are always clear. Today they're veritably throbbing. A clueless Sharif and a furious Army will be fully aligned on one matter alone - hit India back. On all other counts, the Pakistani PM's chumpishness has been rudely amplified. His silence is beyond deafening. Indian Army commandos went kilometres inside PoK and demolished seven terror launch pads and transit camps of militants all reportedly within two to three kilometre of the Line of Control (LoC). The surgical strikes were carried out in Bhimber, Hotspring, Tattapani, Kel and Lipa sectors on Pakistan's side of the LoC. The other side too has a similar commando force - the SSG - and rates them the best in world. If Pakistan carries out similar surgical strikes in India, the question is whether we will be able to avert or minimise the damage. Let's compare the armed commandoes on either side: Para Commandos, India Formed on July 1, 1966, the para commandos are the other side of the coin of the highly-trained Parachute Regiment of the Indian Army. In the Indian context, the term special forces is used almost exclusively for a handful of battalions of the para-regiment. The first para commando battalion was raised in 1966, and, by 1968, it was split into two 9 Para (Special Forces) and 10 Para. 9 Para was meant for Jammu and Kashmir whereas 10 Para was meant for border operations in Rajasthan, says colonel (retd) K.D. Pathak, a 1971 war veteran and an ex-para himself. The first test of the Para special forces came with Operation Mandhol in the western sector during the 1971 war over Bangladesh. Pakistan had artillery guns positioned near Mandhol village in Poonch and 9 Para were tasked with a stealth mission to destroy them. Pathak, then a young captain, was part of a team of around 100 men that carried out the operation, completing it in less than 24 hours. The 2015 Myanmar operation was carried out by 21 Special Forces, set up in the 1990s from the 21st battalion of the Maratha regiment. Training The initial training to be a special forces operator is 3.5 years, the longest anywhere but the training is also a continuous process; in the special forces, the members are imparted both basic and advance training. They are taught a specialised mode of infiltration and exfiltration - either by air (combat freefall) or sea (combat diving). These para commandos are trained for land, air and water. Para commandos are one of the best trained special forces of the Indian Army. Because of the extremely fatal nature of the operations they perform, they are kept at an optimum level of operational efficiency and physical fitness, and only the most physically fit, mentally robust, intelligent, and highly motivated soldiers are inducted in the fleet. Para commandos go through the most gruelling commando training regimes in the world, apart from their daily 20km run with 60km baggage and man-to-man assault practices; they even have to free-fall from belligerent heights as high as 33,500 feet. They are also highly trained in terrain and environment warfare and deep-sea diving. Their daily routine begins with a 20km morning run. They are equipped for infiltration, exfiltration, assault, room and building intervention, intelligence gathering, patrolling, ambush tactics, counter-ambush tactis, counter insurgency, counter-terrorism, unconventional warfare, guerrilla warfare, asymmetric warfare, raids and sabotage, martial arts training, tactical shooting, stress firing, reflex shooting, buddy system drills, close quarter battle, tactical driving, advance weapon courses and handling, sniping, demolition training, survival skills, linguistic training, logistic training, and trade-craft training. Equipment The para commandos are being trained with almost every type of infantry weapon required for particular missions: from high-end automatic pistols to assault rifles. SSG, PAKISTAN The SSG is equivalent to the Indian Para Special Forces. Its motto is "Fear is no policy and surrender is no option." The SSG, also called Black Storks, is meant for special operations mostly along the India-Pakistan border and even outside Pakistan. They boast of success in the 1999 Kargil conflict, besides the Afghan operations, and the 1965 and 1971 Indo-Pak wars. The SSG commandos wear maroon berets, much like the Indian Special Forces, and black outfits. They carry out special surgical operations based on intelligence inputs. Under its charter, the force specialises in asymmetric and unconventional warfare, foreign internal defence, counter-terrorism, special operations and direct action. The SSG is an elite special operations force . It is better known in the country as the "black storks" due to the commandos' unique headgear and training reportedly includes a 36-mile march in 12 hours and a five-mile run in 20 minutes in full gear. One of Pakistan's most lethal special operations forces, the Special Services Group (SSG) boasts of combat experiences in Yemen, India, and Afghanistan. In 2010, 300 commandos of the SSG assisted Saudi Arabia and Yemen in combating the Houthi rebels in the region. In October 2009, SSG commandos stormed an office building and rescued 39 people taken hostage by suspected Taliban militants after an attack on the army's headquarters. SSG(N), PAKISTAN The Special Service Group Navy of Pakistan performs some of the countrys most secret missions. The members of the group are regularly sent to the US Navy SEALs for training. With a dropout rate of 80-90 percent, the group has one of the most stringent training routines in the world. Training SSG officers must have at least two years of prior military experience and volunteer from other formations for two-year assignments with the SSG. Trainees must participate in a nine-month SSG course at Cherat. The SSG course emphasises physical conditioning, including a 50-mile march in 14 hours and a 12-mile run in under 1 hr 50 minutes in full gear; trainees must go through the airborne training. The course lasts four weeks, with wings awarded after five day-jumps and three night-jumps. After the completion of the basic commando course, the newly inducted commandos go for advanced commando training, which lasts an additional 25 weeks. SSG recruits get trained in hand-to-hand combat training and very hard physical fitness training; only about five percent of the recruits make it through to the Pakistan SSG due to the very tough training. They are being given Mountain Warfare, Combat Diver training and sky driving too. Other areas of the commando training include internal security, assault and small unit tactics, sniping, small arms familiarisation, Fighting In Built Up Areas (FIBUA), Close Quarter Battle tactics (CQB), Long Range Recce Patrol (LRRP), Martial arts, espionage, psychoanalytic training, et al . Equipment The SSG has equipped itself with the latest and most advanced weapons. It has a wide arsenal to suit its needs. It includes the famed Heckler and Koch submachine guns, sniper weapons, G3s, Finnish Tikka bolt actions. Pistols in use are Austrian 9mm Glock 15, the Berretta M9 (M92F), the SIG Pro 226 apart from the latest FN-Herstal P90 SMG - reserved for very high-risk applications. The Income Disclosure Scheme 2016 (IDS 2016) has elicited a very large response. While the final declarations and the quantum of money disclosed are still being tabulated, the scheme resulted in over 64,275 declarants declaring an undisclosed income of over Rs 65,250 crore. The final figure is likely to be revised upwards. The average disclosure per declaration is over rupees one crore. IDS 2016 was not an immunity scheme. It was a disclosure scheme. Immunity incentivises a non-compliant tax payer and allows him to pay lesser than a compliant tax payer. Under IDS 2016, the declarant had to pay higher than the compliant tax payer. The average assets of each declaration belies the claim made by a Chief Minister that "small" people were being persuaded to make declarations. The object of the scheme was to try and make India a more tax compliant society. Tax compliance leads to higher revenues, reduction of budget deficits and money collected is spent on infrastructure, social-sector and the rural areas. This benefits India's poor. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has consistently taken a tough position against black money. He is now walking the talk. Some steps taken by the government are detailed here. 1. The first decision taken by the Cabinet was to accept the three year old Supreme Court direction to appoint an SIT. The UPA government had resisted the appointment. 2. The recommendation of the SIT to prescribe mandatorily the quoting of PAN number for cash transactions was accepted and implemented. This checks the end user of black money. 3. Certain tax frauds have been made predicate offences for attracting the PMLA. 4. The provisions of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) have been amended in order to provide for confiscation of domestic assets in lieu of undisclosed foreign assets. 5. The Black Money Law has been enacted and implemented under which more than 644 declarants disclosed foreign assets worth Rs 4,164 crore and paid 60 per cent tax. Those who did not declare, are now detected, and will face serious penal consequences. 6. The law relating to benami assets has been completely overhauled to provide for confiscation of all benami assets. 7. Under the FATCA, the US law, an arrangement has been entered with the US for automatic exchange of information with regard to transactions by Indian citizens overseas. This provides for sharing of real time information. 8. The Double Taxation Avoidance Treaty (DTAT) with Mauritius has been amended in order to prevent round tripping of black money through the Mauritius route. Similar changes have been made in the DTAT with other countries. 9. An agreement has been signed with Switzerland and several other countries to provide for automatic exchange of information with regard to transactions and assets of Indian citizens. 10. Several other initiatives under Base Erosion and Profit Sharing (BEPS) with regard to country reporting have been undertaken. 11. In all the HSBC cases, where information has been received, assessment with regard to Rs 8,000 crore has been made and 164 prosecutions have been filed. 12. In disclosures made by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, Rs5, 000 crore has been detected as unlawful income of Indian citizens abroad and 55 prosecutions have already been filed. 13. In the Panama cases, investigations are at very advanced level and 250 references have been made to other countries with regard to unlawful assets held by Indians outside. 14. Investigations by Income-Tax authorities in the last two years have resulted in detection of undisclosed income of Rs.56378 crores. 15. IT capability has led to the detection of non-filers and recovery of Rs 16,000 crore as tax from the non-filers monitoring system. All these steps are intended to persuade people to become more tax compliant. I am sure this campaign will result in India becoming ethically cleaner and more accountable. The officials of the Revenue Department and the CBDT who have worked on all the above initiatives, deserve to be complemented. The following companies are subsidiares of Brady: AIO Acquisition Inc., Accidental Health & Safety Pty Ltd, All-On-One Products, B.I. (UK) Limited, BIG, Bakee Metal Manufactory Company Limited, Balkhausen GmbH, Brady, Brady (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Brady (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Brady (Xiamen) Co. Ltd., Brady A/S, Brady AB, Brady AS, Brady Australia Holdings Pty. Ltd., Brady Australia Pty. Ltd., Brady B.V., Brady Corporation Asia Pte. Ltd., Brady Etiket ve Isaretleme Ticaret Ltd. Sirketi, Brady Finance B.V., Brady Finance Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Brady GmbH, Brady Groupe S.A.S., Brady Holdings Mexico LLC, Brady ID Solutions SRL, Brady IDS Korea LLC, Brady Identificacion S.L.U., Brady International Co., Brady Investment Management (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Brady Italia S.r.l., Brady LLC, Brady Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Brady Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Brady Middle East FZE, Brady People ID, Brady Philippines Direct Marketing Inc., Brady Printing (Shenzhen) Co. Ltd., Brady S.a.r.l., Brady Signapore Pte. Ltd., Brady Sweden Holding AB, Brady Technology (Wuxi) Co. Ltd., Brady Technology SDN. BHD., Brady Worldwide Inc., Brady s.r.o., Brandon International Inc., Braton Europe S.A.R.L., Carroll Australasia Pty. Ltd., Champion Americas, Clement Communications, Code Corporation B.V., Comprehensive Identification Products Inc., Cortex Pte. Ltd., Daewon Industry Corp, Data Recognition Inc., Dawg Inc., Dual Core, EMED Co, Electromark, Electromark Co, Emedco, Eset GmbH, Grafo Wiremarkers Pty. Ltd., ID Warehouse, IDenticard, IDenticard Systems, Idem Indemnity Inc., Identicam Systems, JAM PLASTICS INC., Magicard, Magicard Holdings Limited, Magicard Limited, Magicard US Inc., Magicard US Inc., Modernotecnica SpA, Nippon Brady K.K., Nordic ID GMBH, Nordic ID Iberia S.L., Nordic ID Inc., Nordic ID Oyj, PDC, PDC IDenticard, Personnel Concepts, Personnel Concepts Inc., Pervaco AS, Pharmex, Precision Converters Inc., Precision Dynamics Corporation, Precision Dynamics Europe Sprl, PromoVision, RAJA Workplace, STICKOLOR Industria e Comercio de Auto Adesivos Ltda, STOPware Inc, Safety Signs Service, Safetyshop, Scafflag Australia, Scafftag, Securimed S.A.S., Securimed SAS, Seton, Seton Australia, Signals, Signs & Labels Ltd, Signs and Labels, Sorbent Products Co. Inc., Sorbent Products Company, StrandWare Inc., TISCOR, TISCOR Inc., TachyonIQ LLC, Temtec Inc., Texit AS, The Code Corporation, TimeMed Labeling Systems, Tradex Converting (Langfang), Trafalgar First Aid, Trafalgar First Aid Pty Ltd., Transposafe, Transposafe Systems Belgium NV/SA, Transposafe Systems Polska Sp. Z.o.o., Tricor Direct Inc., TruMed Technologies Inc., W.H. Brady N.V., W.H. Brady S. de R.L. de C.V., W.H.B. Identification Solutions Inc., W.H.B. do Brasil Ltda., Wiremarkers Africa Pty. Ltd., and Worldmark of Wisconsin Inc.. Read More Eli Lilly and Company discovers, develops, and markets human pharmaceuticals worldwide. It offers Basaglar, Humalog, Humalog Mix 75/25, Humalog U-100, Humalog U-200, Humalog Mix 50/50, insulin lispro, insulin lispro protamine, insulin lispro mix 75/25, Humulin, Humulin 70/30, Humulin N, Humulin R, and Humulin U-500 for diabetes; and Jardiance, Trajenta, and Trulicity for type 2 diabetes. The company provides Alimta for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and malignant pleural mesothelioma; Cyramza for metastatic gastric cancer, gastro-esophageal junction adenocarcinoma, metastatic NSCLC, metastatic colorectal cancer, and hepatocellular carcinoma; Erbitux for colorectal cancers, and various head and neck cancers; Retevmo for metastatic NSCLC, medullary thyroid cancer, and thyroid cancer; Tyvyt for relapsed or refractory classic Hodgkin's lymph and non-squamous NSCLC; and Verzenio for HR+, HER2- metastatic breast cancer, node positive, and early breast cancer. It offers Olumiant for rheumatoid arthritis; and Taltz for plaque psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and non-radiographic axial spondylarthritis. The company offers Cymbalta for depressive disorder, diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain, generalized anxiety disorder, fibromyalgia, and chronic musculoskeletal pain; Emgality for migraine prevention and episodic cluster headache; and Zyprexa for schizophrenia, bipolar I disorder, and bipolar maintenance. Its Bamlanivimab and etesevimab, and Bebtelovimab for COVID-19; Cialis for erectile dysfunction and benign prostatic hyperplasia; and Forteo for osteoporosis. The company has collaborations with Incyte Corporation; Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; AbCellera Biologics Inc.; Junshi Biosciences; Regor Therapeutics Group; Lycia Therapeutics, Inc.; Kumquat Biosciences Inc.; Entos Pharmaceuticals Inc.; and Foghorn Therapeutics Inc. Eli Lilly and Company was founded in 1876 and is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. The following companies are subsidiares of Emerson Electric: A.P.M. Automation Solutions Ltd., AE Valves, AGI Mexicana S.A. de C.V., ALCO CONTROLS spol. s.r.o., APM Automation Solutions, ASC Investments Inc., ASCO (Japan) Company Limited, ASCO L.P., ASCO Numatics (India) Private Limited, ASCO Numatics Holding Inc., ASCO SAS, ASCO Valve (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., ASCO/JOUCOMATIC s.r.o., ATX SAS, Advanced Protection Technologies, Aegir Norge Holding AS, Alliance Compressors LLC, American Governor, Aperture, Apple JV Holding Corp., Appleton Electric LLC, Appleton Electric S.A. de C.V., Appleton Group, Appleton Group Canada Ltd., Appleton Grp LLC, Appleton Holding Corp., Appleton Holding Sarl, Artesyn Embedded Technologies, Artesyn Hungary Elektronikai Kft., Artesyn Technologies, Asco AB, Asco Controls AG, Asco Controls B.V., Asco Joucomatic Ltd., Asco Joucomatic ZA B.V., Asco Magnesszelep Kft., Asco Numatics GmbH, Asco Numatics S.A., Asco Numatics Sirai S.R.L., Asco Numatics Sp. z o.o., Ascomatica S.A. de C.V., Ascomation (NZ) Ltd., Ascomation Pty. Ltd., Ascotech S.A. de C.V., Ascoval Industria e Commercio Ltda, Automatic Switch Company, Aventics, Aventics, Aventics AB, Aventics AG, Aventics AS, Aventics ApS, Aventics B.V., Aventics Corporation, Aventics Holding S.A.S., Aventics Holding S.a.r.l., Aventics Hungary Kft, Aventics Inc., Aventics India Private Limited, Aventics Limited, Aventics Ltd., Aventics Oy, Aventics Pneumatics Equipment (Changzhou) Co. Ltd., Aventics Pneumatics Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Aventics S.A.S., Aventics S.R.L., Aventics Services Germany GmbH, Aventics Singapore Pte. Ltd., Aventics Sp. z.o.o., Aventics Spain S.L., Aventics spol. s.r.o., Avtron LoadBank, Bannerscientific Limited, Beckman Industrial B.V., Beijing Rosemount Far East Instrument Co. Ltd., Bettis Canada Ltd., Bettis Holdings Limited, Bettis UK Limited, Biffi Italia S.r.l., Bioproduction Group, Branson Korea Co. Ltd., Branson Ultrasonic S.A., Branson Ultrasonics (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Branson Ultrasonics B.V., Branson Ultrasonics Corporation, Branson Ultrasonics a.s., Branson Ultrasonidos S.A.E., Branson Ultrasons SAS, Branson Ultrasuoni S.R.L., Branson de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Bray Lectroheat Limited, Bristol Babcock Limited, Bristol Inc., Buehler Europe Limited, Buehler UK Limited, CR Compressors LLC, CSA Consulting Engineers Ltd., California Emerson LLC, Cascade Technologies, Cascade Technologies Holdings Limited, Cascade Technologies Limited, Chemat GmbH Armaturen fur Industrie - und Nuklearanlage, Chloride Koexa S.A., Componentes Avanzados de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Computational Systems, Computational Systems Incorporated, Conception et Representation de Technologies de Controle C.R.T. Controle SAS, Control Products Inc., Controles de Temperatura S.A. de C.V., Cooligy Inc., Cooper-Atkins, Cooper-Atkins Corporation, Cooper-Atkins Pte. Ltd., Copeland Access + Inc., Copeland Compresores Hermeticos S.A. de C.V., Copeland Corporation, Copeland Corporation LLC, Copeland Limited, Copeland Redevelopment Corporation, Copeland Scroll Compresores de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Copeland de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Copesub Inc., Crosby Valve LLC, Damcos A/S, Damcos Holding A/S, Daniel Automation Company, Daniel Europe Limited, Daniel Industrial Inc., Daniel Industries, Daniel Industries Canada Inc., Daniel Industries Inc., Daniel Industries Limited, Daniel International Limited, Daniel Measurement Solutions Private Limited, Daniel Measurement and Control Inc., Daniel Measurement and Control S. de R.L. de C.V., Danmasa S.A. de C.V., Dar Ibtikar Al Iraq for General Services and General Trade LLC, Decision Management International, Dieterich Standard Inc., Digital Appliance Controls (UK) Limited, Dixell North America Inc., Dixell S.R.L., Do+Able Products, E. Business Development E.B.D.Com Ltd., E.G.P. Corporation, EECO Inc., EGS Comercializadora Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., EGS Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., EGS Private Ltd., EMERSON CLIMATE TECHNOLOGIES s.r.o., EMR (Asia) Limited, EMR (Mauritius) Ltd., EMR Emerson Holdings (Switzerland) GmbH, EMR Europe Holdings Inc., EMR Foundation Inc., EMR Holdings (France) SAS, EMR Holdings Inc., EMR Worldwide B.V., EMR Worldwide Inc., EMRSN HLDG B.V., EMRSN Process Management Morocco Sarl, ENPDOR2012A Limited, ENPESNA Inc., EPM Tulsa Holdings Corp., EPMCO Holdings Inc., ETC International Holdings Ltd., Easy Heat Europe SAS, Easy Heat Inc., El-O-Matic B.V., El-O-Matic Valve Actuators (F.E.) Pte. Ltd., Electrische Apparatenfabriek Capax B.V., Emerald Advanced Technology Limited, Emerson (Philippines) Corporation, Emerson (Taiwan) Limited, Emerson (Thailand) Limited, Emerson Arabia Inc., Emerson Argentina S.A., Emerson Asia Pacific Private Limited, Emerson Automation Solutions Actuation Technologies Holdings Inc., Emerson Automation Solutions Actuation Technologies Limited, Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control (Sichuan) Co. Ltd., Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control (Taiwan) Ltd., Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control (Thailand) Ltd., Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control Africa (Pty) Ltd, Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control Australia Pty Limited, Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control Czech Republic s.r.o., Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control Denmark A/S, Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control France SARL, Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control Germany GmbH, Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control Hong Kong Limited, Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control Hungary Kft, Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control Italia S.r.l., Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control LLC, Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control Middle East FZE, Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control Netherlands B.V., Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control Polska Sp. Z.o.o., Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control Sales Australia Pty Limited, Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control Sales Holding LLC, Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control Singapore Pte. Ltd., Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control South Africa (Pty) Ltd, Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control UK II Ltd, Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control UK Ltd, Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control US LP, Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Emerson Automation Solutions GmbH, Emerson Automation Solutions Intelligent Platforms (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Emerson Automation Solutions Intelligent Platforms Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., Emerson Automation Solutions Intelligent Platforms Private Limited, Emerson Automation Solutions Intelligent Platforms do Brasil Ltda, Emerson Automation Solutions Ireland Limited, Emerson Automation Solutions Isolation Valves Inc., Emerson Automation Solutions SSC UK Limited, Emerson Automation Solutions UK Limited, Emerson Beijing Instrument Co. Ltd., Emerson Climate Services LLC, Emerson Climate Technologies (India) Private Limited, Emerson Climate Technologies (Shenyang) Refrigeration Co. Ltd., Emerson Climate Technologies (South Africa) (Pty) Ltd, Emerson Climate Technologies (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., Emerson Climate Technologies (Suzhou) Trading Co. Ltd., Emerson Climate Technologies - Solutions (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., Emerson Climate Technologies - Transportation Solutions ApS, Emerson Climate Technologies Arabia Limited Co., Emerson Climate Technologies Australia Pty. Ltd., Emerson Climate Technologies FZE, Emerson Climate Technologies GmbH, Emerson Climate Technologies Inc., Emerson Climate Technologies Limited, Emerson Climate Technologies Mexico S.A. de C.V., Emerson Climate Technologies Refrigeration S.A., Emerson Climate Technologies Retail Solutions Europe S.R.L., Emerson Climate Technologies Retail Solutions Inc., Emerson Climate Technologies Retail Solutions UK Limited, Emerson Climate Technologies S.A., Emerson Climate Technologies S.R.L., Emerson Climate Technologies Sarl, Emerson Commercial & Residential Tools LLC, Emerson Commerical & Residential Asia Limited, Emerson Comres de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Emerson DHC B.V., Emerson Dietzenbach GmbH, Emerson Dominicana Srl, Emerson Egypt LLC, Emerson Electric (Asia) Limited, Emerson Electric (China) Holdings Co. Ltd., Emerson Electric (M) Sdn Bhd, Emerson Electric (Mauritius) Ltd., Emerson Electric (South Asia) Pte. Ltd., Emerson Electric (Thailand) Limited, Emerson Electric (Tongling) Co. Ltd., Emerson Electric (U.S.) Holding Corporation, Emerson Electric (U.S.) Holding Corporation (Chile) Limitada, Emerson Electric (Zhuhai) Co. Ltd., Emerson Electric CR Limitada, Emerson Electric Canada Limited, Emerson Electric Company (India) Private Limited, Emerson Electric Company Lanka (Private) Limited, Emerson Electric Holdings (Switzerland) GmbH, Emerson Electric II C.A., Emerson Electric International Inc., Emerson Electric Ireland Limited, Emerson Electric Korea Ltd., Emerson Electric Nederland B.V., Emerson Electric Overseas Finance Corp., Emerson Electric Poland Sp. z o.o., Emerson Electric U.K. Limited, Emerson Electric de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Emerson Electric do Brasil Ltda, Emerson Energy Systems (UK) Limited, Emerson FZE, Emerson Final Control US Holding LLC, Emerson Finance LLC, Emerson Fusite Electric (Shenzhen) Co. Ltd., Emerson Gabon SARL, Emerson Hazardous Electrical Equipment (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Emerson Holding Company Limited, Emerson Holding Sweden AB, Emerson InSinkErator Appliance (Nanjing) Co. Ltd., Emerson Industrial Automation USA Inc., Emerson International Holding Company Limited, Emerson Japan Ltd., Emerson Junkang Enterprise (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Emerson Korea Limited, Emerson LLC, Emerson LLP, Emerson Machinery Equipment (Shenzhen) Co. Ltd., Emerson Mexico Finance S.A. de C.V. SOFOM ENR, Emerson Middle East Inc., Emerson Network Power DHC B.V., Emerson Paradigm Holding LLC, Emerson Process Management (India) Private Limited, Emerson Process Management (South Africa) (Proprietary) Ltd., Emerson Process Management (Tianjin) Valves Co. Ltd., Emerson Process Management (Vietnam) Co. Ltd., Emerson Process Management A/S (Denmark), Emerson Process Management AB, Emerson Process Management AG, Emerson Process Management AS, Emerson Process Management Angola Lda, Emerson Process Management Arabia Limited, Emerson Process Management Australia Pty Limited, Emerson Process Management B.V., Emerson Process Management Chennai Private Limited, Emerson Process Management Co. Ltd., Emerson Process Management Distribution Limited, Emerson Process Management Europe GmbH, Emerson Process Management Flow B.V., Emerson Process Management Flow Technologies Co. Ltd., Emerson Process Management GmbH & Co. OHG, Emerson Process Management Holding AG, Emerson Process Management Holding LLC, Emerson Process Management Kft., Emerson Process Management LLLP, Emerson Process Management Lda, Emerson Process Management Limited, Emerson Process Management Ltda, Emerson Process Management Magyarorszag Kft., Emerson Process Management Manufacturing (M) Sdn Bhd, Emerson Process Management Marine Solutions Korea Co. Ltd., Emerson Process Management Marine Solutions Singapore Pte. Ltd., Emerson Process Management Marine Systems (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Emerson Process Management NV, Emerson Process Management New Zealand Limited, Emerson Process Management Nigeria Limited, Emerson Process Management Oy, Emerson Process Management Power & Water Solutions (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Emerson Process Management Power & Water Solutions Inc., Emerson Process Management Power & Water Solutions India Private Limited, Emerson Process Management Qatar W.L.L., Emerson Process Management Regulator Technologies Inc., Emerson Process Management Regulator Technologies Tulsa LLC, Emerson Process Management Romania S.R.L., Emerson Process Management S.A., Emerson Process Management S.A. de C.V., Emerson Process Management S.L., Emerson Process Management S.R.L., Emerson Process Management SAS, Emerson Process Management Shared Services Limited, Emerson Process Management Sp. z o.o., Emerson Process Management Ticaret Limited Sirket, Emerson Process Management UAB, Emerson Process Management Valve Automation (M) Sdn Bhd, Emerson Process Management Valve Automation (Tianjin) Co. Ltd., Emerson Process Management Valve Automation Inc., Emerson Process Management Verwaltung GmbH, Emerson Process Management d.o.o., Emerson Process Management de Colombia SAS, Emerson Process Management del Peru S.A.C., Emerson Process Management s.r.o., Emerson Professional Tools (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Emerson Puerto Rico Inc., Emerson Retail Services Europe GmbH, Emerson S.R.L., Emerson Sales UK Limited, Emerson Saudi Arabia LLC, Emerson Scroll Machining (Thailand) Limited, Emerson Sice S.R.L., Emerson Sweden AB, Emerson TOV, Emerson Technologies GmbH & Co. OHG, Emerson Technologies Verwaltungs GmbH, Emerson Tool Company de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Emerson Tool and Appliance Company S. de R.L. de C.V., Emerson Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Emerson UK Trustees Limited, Emerson USD Finance Company Limited, Emerson Valves & Controls Japan Co. Ltd., Emerson Ventures Inc., Emerson Vulcan Holding LLC, Emerson Xi'an Engineering Center, Emersub 1 LLC, Emersub 10 LLC, Emersub 11 LLC, Emersub 12 LLC, Emersub 14 LLC, Emersub 15 LLC, Emersub 16 LLC, Emersub 3 LLC, Emersub 4 LLC, Emersub 5 LLC, Emersub 7 LLC, Emersub 8 LLC, Emersub 9 LLC, Emersub CII Inc., Emersub CV Inc., Emersub Italia S.R.L., Emersub LXXXIV Inc., Emersub LXXXVI Inc., Emersub Mexico Inc., Emersub Treasury Ireland Unlimited Company, Emersub XLVI Inc., Emersub XXXVI Inc., Emirates Techno Casting FZE, Emirates Techno Casting Holding Limited, Emirates Techno Casting LLC, Enardo, Endura-Greenlee Tools, Energy Solutions International (India) Private Limited, Energy Solutions International GP LLC, Energy Solutions International Ltd., Energy Solutions International SAS, Energy Solutions International Sub LLC, F-R Tecnologias de Flujo S.A. de C.V., FC QSF LLC, FMC Technologies, Fiberconn Assemblies Morocco Sarl, Fincor Holding LLC, Fire & Safety Group.Com Ltd., Fisher Controles de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Fisher Controls International LLC, Fisher Jeon Gas Equipment (Chengdu) Co. Ltd., Fisher Regulators (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Fisher Sanmar Limited, Fisher-Rosemount Systems Inc., Flow Control Holding GmbH & Co. KG, Flow Control Holding Verwaltungs GmbH, Flow Control US Holding Corporation, Francel SAS, Fromex S.A. de C.V., Fusite B.V., Fusite Corporation, Fusite Land Company, GSEG LLC, General Equipment and Manufacturing Company Inc., Generale de Robinetterie Industrielle et de Sytemes de Surete, GeoFields, GeoFields Inc., Greenex Ltd., Greenfield (UK) Limited, Greenlee, Greenlee Communications, Greenlee Tools Inc., Gulf Valve FZE, Gustav Klauke GmbH, H.T.E. Engineering Limited, HD Electric Company, HTE Engineering Services Limited, Hindle Cockburns Limited, Hiross India Private Limited, Hiter Industria e Comercia de Controles Termo-Hidraulicos Ltda., Humboldt Hermetic Motor Corp., Hytork International Ltd., I Solutions Inc., ICC Intelligent Platforms GmbH, ISE-MagTech, Industrial Controls Canada ULC, Industrial Group Metran JSC, Instrument & Valve Services Company, Intelligent Platforms LLC, Intellution, International Gas Distribution SA, Intrinsic Safety Equipment of Texas Inc., JCF Fluid Flow India Private Limited, JSC Metran-Export, Joucomatic S.A., K Controls Limited, Keystone Germany Holdings Corp., Keystone Valve (Korea) LLC, Keystone Valve (U.K.) Limited, Klauke, Klauke (Jiangsu) Electrical Connection Technology Co Ltd., Klauke France SARL, Klauke Handelsgesellschaft mbH, Klauke Iberia S.L., Klauke Polska Sp. z.o.o., Klauke Slovakia s.r.o., Klauke UK Ltd., Knurr, Liebert, Liebert Swindon Limited, Locus Solutions LLC, Locus Traxx Worldwide, Locus Traxx Worldwide Europe BVBA, MDC Technology Limited, MDC Technology Trustees Limited, METCO Services Limited, MYNAH Technologies, Management Resources Group Inc., Mecafrance (Deutschland) GmbH, Metallurgical Services Laboratories Limited, Metaserv Limited, Metco Services Venezuela C.A., Micro Motion Inc., Mobrey Group Limited, Motores Hermeticos del Sur S.A. de C.V., NetworkPower Ecuador S.A., Nippon Fisher Co. Ltd., Novel Environmental Technologies Ltd., Novel Extinguishing Agent Technology Ltd., Numatics Incorporated, Nutsteel DHC B.V., Nutsteel Industria Metalurgica Ltda, O.M.T. Officina Meccanica Tartarini S.r.l., Open Systems International, P I Components Corp., PT Emerson Solutions Indonesia, PT. Emerson Indonesia, PT. Paradigm Geophysical Indonesia, Pactrol Controls Limited, PakSense, PakSense Inc., Paradigm, Paradigm (UK) Holding Limited, Paradigm B.V., Paradigm France S.A., Paradigm Geophysical (India) Private Limited, Paradigm Geophysical (KL) Sdn. Bhd., Paradigm Geophysical (Nigeria) Limited, Paradigm Geophysical (U.K.) Limited, Paradigm Geophysical B.V., Paradigm Geophysical Corp., Paradigm Geophysical Italy SRL, Paradigm Geophysical LLC, Paradigm Geophysical Limited, Paradigm Geophysical Pty Ltd, Paradigm Geophysical S.A., Paradigm Geophysical Sdn. Bhd., Paradigm Geophysical Spain S.L., Paradigm Geophysical de Venezuela C.A., Paradigm Geophysical do Brasil Ltda., Paradigm Geoservices Canada Ltd., Paradigm Geotechnology (Egypt) S.A.E., Paradigm Kazakhstan LLP, Paradigm Middle East FZ-LLC, Paradigm Technology (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Parex Industries Limited, Pentair Valves & Controls, Pentair Valves and Controls India Private Limited, Permasense, Permasense Asia Pacific Sdn Bhd, Permasense Limited, ProSys, ProTeam Inc., Progea, RAC Technologies (Israel) Ltd., RIDGID Inc., RPP Europe GmbH, RPP LLC, Rey-Lam S. de R.L. de C.V., Ridge Tool (Australia) Pty. Ltd., Ridge Tool Company, Ridge Tool Europe NV, Ridge Tool GmbH, Ridge Tool GmbH & Co. OHG, Ridge Tool Manufacturing Company, Ridge Tool Pattern Company, Ridgid France SAS, Ridgid Italia S.R.L., Ridgid Online Inc., Ridgid Scandinavia A/S, Ridgid Werkzeuge AG, Rosemount China Inc., Rosemount Inc., Rosemount Measurement Limited, Rosemount Nuclear Instruments Inc., Rosemount Specialty Products LLC, Rosemount Tank Gauging India Pvt. Ltd., Rosemount Tank Gauging Middle East SPC, Rosemount Tank Gauging North America Inc., Rosemount Tank Radar AB, Rosemount Tank Radar Properties AB, Roxar, Roxar AS, Roxar Flow Measurement AS, Roxar Flow Measurement Sdn Bhd, Roxar Limited, Roxar Maximum Reservoir Performance W.L.L., Roxar Saudi Co., Roxar Services AS, Roxar Services OOO, Roxar Software Solutions AS, Roxar Technologies AS, Roxar Vietnam Company Ltd., Roxar de Venezuela C.A., Rutherfurd Acquisitions Limited, S.F.T. Group Ltd., SABO-Armaturen Service GmbH, Safety Systems UK Pte. Ltd., Sakhi-Raimondi Valve (India) Limited, Scroll Compressors LLC, Scroll Mexico LLC, Sempell GmbH, Shanghai Virgo Valves Technology Consulting Co. Ltd., Sherman + Reilly, Soluciones 0925 C.A., Spectra-Tek Holdings Limited, Spectra-Tek International Limited, Spectra-Tek UK Limited, Spectrex, Spectrex Inc., Spectronix Ltd., Spensall Engineering Limited, Steel Support Systems Limited, Stratos Lightwave, System Plast International B.V., System Plast Ltda, System Plast USA de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., TDM-avtomatizatsiya, TV&C GP Holding LLC, Taiwan Valve Co. Ltd., TechnipFMC, Termocontroles de Juarez S.A. de C.V., Tescom Corporation, Tescom Europe GmbH & Co. KG, Tescom Europe Management GmbH, The Automation Group Inc., The J.R. Clarkson Company LLC, Therm-O-Disc Europe B.V., Therm-O-Disc Incorporated, Thunderline Z Inc., TopWorx UK Limited, Tranmet Holdings B.V., Tranmet Holdings Limited, Verdant Environmental Technologies, Vilter Manufacturing LLC, Virgo Valves & Controls (ME) FZE, Virgo Valves and Controls Sdn Bhd, Von Arx AG, Vulsub 1 Limited, Vulsub Brasil Holding, Vulsub Brasil Ltda., Vulsub Chile SpA, Vulsub Gulf Holding Limited, Vulsub Holding III (Denmark) ApS, Vulsub Holding Ltd, Vulsub Holdings A LLC, Vulsub Holdings B LLC, Vulsub Holdings C LLC, Vulsub Holdings D LLC, Vulsub Italia S.r.l., Vulsub Middle East Holdings LLC, Vulsub Peru S.A.C., Vulsub Property Holding LLC, Vulsub Property Limited, Vulsub S.A., Vulsub South Africa (Pty) Ltd, Vulsub VZ C.A., Westinghouse Electric Pvt. Limited, Westlock Controls Limited, Westlock Equipamentos de Controle Ltda., Woodstock Land Company LLC, epro GmbH, iSolera Inc., iSolutions Private Limited, and intelliSAW. Read More Bank of America has a rich history dating back to 1800 and even earlier. It was begun by immigrants as a group of separate and unrelated banks that, over the years, merged and grew together. One such is the Bank of Italy which was founded in 1904 by Amadeo Giannini to serve Italian immigrants that were facing discrimination. He later buys out the Banca de America e de Italia (Bank of America and Italy) which was also located in San Francisco. Over the years additional mergers and changes in Federal banking legislation, as well as the boom brought on by WWI and then WWII, helped boost the bank to national prominence. Things turned sour, however, in 1998 with a major bond default that led to yet another merger, this time with Charlotte, NC-based Nations Bank to officially become the Bank of America that exists today. At the time, the merger was the largest bank merger in history and the company has only grown in the time since. Other additions to the new Bank of America include MBNA (a major credit card operator), Fleet Boston (then the US 7th largest and one of its oldest banks), and Merril Lynch, now Merril, which was added to the group in 2008 to provide an investment banking branch. Together the company dominates as one of the Big Four Banks in America. Bank of America lays claim to nearly 11% of all US deposits which ranks in line with its peer group and Bank of America Securities is listed as the worlds 3rd largest investment bank. Today, Bank of America Corporation provides banking and financial services for individuals, small businesses, institutions, corporations, and governments worldwide. The bank operates in three segments Consumer Banking, Global Wealth & Investment Management, and Global Banking bringing in a combined revenue greater than $90 billion in 2022. As of 2022, Bank of America serves approximately 67 million consumer and small business clients with approximately 4,200 retail financial centers. The bank also operates more than 16,000 ATMs and digital banking platforms with approximately 41 million active users. Its Consumer Banking segment offers traditional banking and investment products for retail clients. These range from deposit accounts to savings, credit cards, consumer loans, and IRAs. The Global Wealth & Investment Management segment offers investment and wealth management solutions including, brokerage, banking, and trust and retirement products. The Global Banking segment provides lending products and services, including commercial loans and leases for businesses of all varieties. The Global Markets segment offers market-making, clearing, settlement, and custody services, as well as risk management, derivatives, and FX exchange services. New York Community Bancorp, Inc. is the bank holding company for New York Community Bank. New York Community Bank is the nations 47th-largest financial institution and its largest thrift. As a thrift, the bank specializes in real estate and consumer accounts specifically real estate loans and savings accounts and has limited exposure to other forms of business banking. Among the benefits to consumers are interest-bearing checking and saving accounts that come with higher-than-average interest rates. New York Community Bank was founded in 1859 to serve Queens County, New York. It operated under that name, growing all the while, until 2000 when it changed its name to better reflect the business. The company IPOd in 1993 and has made multiple acquisitions in the time since. As of 6/30/2022, the bank had $63.1 billion in assets and $41.2 billion in deposits. New York Community Bank operates in greater New York City, New Jersey, Ohio, Florida, and Arizona. The company provides deposit products ranging from interest-bearing checking and money market accounts to savings accounts, IRAs, and CDs. Brands under the companys umbrella include AmTrust in Florida and Arizona, Ohio Savings Bank, Garden State Savings Bank, and Atlantic Bank. The bank offers a wide range of real-estate-related loans including but not limited to multi-family loans, commercial real estate loans, construction loans, and consumer loans and mortgages. Investment products include annuities, mutual funds, and life insurance. Customers include individuals, small businesses, and organizations and are served through a network of more than 230 branches, and 300 ATMs, online, mobile, and by phone. Many of the locations are open 24 hours and 6 days a week although those hours are not available at all branches. Clients can access their accounts digitally 24/7. New York Community Bancorp and its underlying business carry investment-grade credit ratings from all the major rating agencies. The credit outlook in the 4th quarter of 2022 was stable as it had been for some time. In New York, it is a leader in the multi-family market specializing in lower-cost housing in rent-controlled areas. As of June 30, 2022, the multi-family loan portfolio accounted for more than 75% of all investments. The company has a stock purchase and dividend reinvestment plan that help to sustain a high level of ownership. OGE Energy Corp., together with its subsidiaries, operates as an energy and energy services provider that offers physical delivery and related services for electricity, natural gas, crude oil, and natural gas liquids in the United States. The company generates, transmits, distributes, and sells electric energy. It provides retail electric service to approximately 879,000 customers, which covers a service area of approximately 30,000 square miles in Oklahoma and western Arkansas; and owns and operates coal-fired, natural gas-fired, wind-powered, and solar-powered generating assets. As of December 31, 2021, the company owned and operated interconnected electric generation, transmission, and distribution systems, including 16 generating stations with an aggregate capability of 7,207 megawatts; and transmission systems comprising 54 substations and 5,122 structure miles of lines in Oklahoma, and 7 substations and 277 structure miles of lines in Arkansas. Its distribution systems included 350 substations; 29,494 structure miles of overhead lines; 3,365 miles of underground conduit; and 11,125 miles of underground conductors in Oklahoma, as well as 29 substations, 2,795 structure miles of overhead lines, 349 miles of underground conduit, and 662 miles of underground conductors in Arkansas. The company was founded in 1902 and is based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The following companies are subsidiares of Archer-Daniels-Midland: 3 Grain Elevators, ACT Exportacao Ltda., ADGENE LABORATOIRE, ADM (Dalian) Animal Health & Nutrition Co. Ltd., ADM (Shanghai) Management Co. Ltd., ADM (Thailand) Ltd., ADM AGRO S.R.L., ADM Ag Holding Limited, ADM Agri Services Greece MEPE, ADM Agri-Industries Company, ADM Agricultural Commodities Trading (Tianjin) Co. Ltd., ADM Agriculture Limited, ADM Agro Iberica S.L.U., ADM Agro Industries India Private Limited, ADM Agro Industries Kota & Akola Private Limited, ADM Agro Industries Latur & Vizag Private Limited, ADM Agroinvestimentos Ltda., ADM Alliance Nutrition of Puerto Rico LLC, ADM Americas S. de R.L., ADM Andina Peru S.R.L., ADM Animal Health & Nutrition (Nanjing) Co. Ltd., ADM Animal Nutrition (Cambodia) Co. Ltd., ADM Animal Nutrition (Xiangtan) Co. Ltd., ADM Animal Nutrition (Zhangzhou) Co. Ltd., ADM Antwerp NV, ADM Arkady Ireland Limited, ADM Armazens Gerais Ltda., ADM Asia-Pacific Trading Pte. Ltd., ADM Australia Holdings I PTY Limited, ADM Australia Pty. Limited, ADM Bazancourt SASU, ADM Besin ve Tarim Anonim Sirketi, ADM Bio-Productos S.A. de C.V., ADM Bio-Science & Technology (Tianjin) Co. Ltd., ADM Bulgaria Trading EOOD, ADM CARIBBEAN INC., ADM Chile Comercial Limitada, ADM Clinton BioProcessing Inc., ADM Czernin S.A., ADM DO BRASIL LTDA., ADM Direct Polska Sp. z o.o., ADM Dominican Holdings Inc., ADM Dominicana S.A., ADM EMEA Corporate Services GmbH, ADM Edible Bean Specialties Inc., ADM Egypt LLC, ADM El Salvador Ltda. de C.V., ADM Europe Holdco S.L., ADM European Management Holding B.V. & Co. KG, ADM Expatriate Services Inc., ADM Export Co., ADM Food Technology (Beijing) Co. Ltd., ADM Food Technology (Pinghu) Co. Ltd., ADM France, ADM Fuels Company, ADM German Holdings B.V., ADM Germany GmbH, ADM Grain Costa Rica S.R.L., ADM Grain River System Inc., ADM Grain de Venezuela C.A., ADM Guatemala Limitada, ADM Hamburg Aktiengesellschaft, ADM Holding (Thailand) Ltd., ADM Holdings LLC, ADM Honduras S.de R.L., ADM INGREDIENTS S.R.L., ADM Inca S.A.C., ADM Industries Centers Ltd, ADM International Holdings Inc., ADM International Sarl, ADM Investments Limited, ADM Investor Services Inc., ADM Investor Services International Limited, ADM Ireland Receivables Company Limited, ADM Israel, ADM Italia S.r.l., ADM Japan Ltd., ADM Latin America Inc., ADM Logistics Inc., ADM MANAGEMENT LTD., ADM MOROCCO S.A., ADM Mainz GMBH, ADM Malbork S.A., ADM Medsofts Sarl, ADM Mexico Inc., ADM Mexico S.A. de C.V., ADM Milling Co., ADM Milling Limited, ADM Myanmar Company Limited, ADM New Zealand Limited, ADM Nicaragua SA, ADM Nutrition Holding d.o.o. Beograd, ADM Olomouc S.R.O., ADM PORTUGAL SA, ADM Panama S. De R.L., ADM Paraguay S.R.L., ADM Participacoes Ltda., ADM Poland Sp. z o.o., ADM Protexin Inc., ADM Protexin Limited, ADM Pura Limited, ADM Razgrad EAD, ADM Receivables LLC, ADM Rice Inc., ADM Ringaskiddy Unlimited Company, ADM SERVICIOS S.A. DE C.V., ADM STF DMCC, ADM STF Pte. Ltd., ADM STF Switzerland Sarl, ADM Services B.V., ADM Slovakia s.r.o., ADM Specialty Ingredients (Europe) B.V., ADM Spyck GMBH, ADM Sweden AB, ADM Szamotuly Sp. z o.o., ADM Trading (UK) Limited, ADM Trading Australia Pty. Ltd., ADM Trading Company, ADM Trading Cote D'Ivoire, ADM Transportation Company, ADM Trucking Inc., ADM Unterstutzungskasse GmbH, ADM Uruguay SCA, ADM Ventures Investment Corp., ADM WILD Europe GmbH & Co. KG, ADM WILD Nauen GmbH, ADM WILD Netherlands B.V., ADM WILD SEE Kft, ADM WILD Valencia SAU, ADM Wild Gida Sanayi ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi, ADM Wild UK Limited, ADM Worldwide Holdings L.P., ADMEcuador CIA. Ltda., ADMIS Holding Company Inc., ADMIS Hong Kong Limited, ADMIS SINGAPORE PTE. LIMITED, AGRANIX, AIC Seguros SRL, AMT West LLC, AOR, AT Holdings II Company, Agri Port Services Brasil Ltda., Agri Port Services Investments Ltd., Agri Port Services LLC, Agricolas Madagascar SARLU, Agrinational Insurance Company, Agriserve, Agrograin Ltd., Agrograin Ltd. Sucursal Uruguay, Alfrebro LLC, Alfred C. Toepfer International Exportacao e Importacao Ltda., Alfred C. Toepfer International Netherlands B.V., Alimenta USA, Alimentos Texo SA de CV, American River Transportation Co. LLC, Ameriseed, Anco Animal Nutrition Competence GmbH, Archer Daniels Midland (UK) Limited, Archer Daniels Midland Asia-Pacific Limited, Archer Daniels Midland Company South Africa (Pty) Ltd., Archer Daniels Midland Erith Limited, Archer Daniels Midland Europe B.V., Archer Daniels Midland Europoort B.V., Archer Daniels Midland Korea LLC, Archer Daniels Midland Nederland B.V., Archer Daniels Midland Singapore Pte. Ltd., Archer Daniels Midland Vietnam Company Limited, Archer Daniels Midland Wild Nigeria Ltd., Archer Financial Services Inc., Archer-Daniels-Midland Philippines Inc., Arinos Unlimited, Aston Foods & Food Ingredients, BIOPOLIS S.L., BQ Railroad Company, BTECH Tecnologias Agropecuarias e Comercio Ltda., Balanceados Nova S.A. Balnova, Balto Holdco LLC, Barbados Mills Limited, Bela Vista Bio Etanol Participacoes Ltda., Belize Mills Limited, Belwood Company S.A., Benson-Quinn Commodities Inc., Bern Aqua, Bifodan Inc., Biopolis, CONTROLADORA ADM S.A. DE C.V., Campa Sued GmbH & Co KG, Caribbean Agro-Industries Limited, Casablancas sweetener plant, Cattleman's Choice Loomix LLC, Chamtor, Ci ADM Colombia Ltda., Columbia & Willamette Maritime Services Inc., Comhan, Compania ADM S.A. de C.V., Crosswind Petfoods Inc., DE Holdings LLC, DP Holdings LLC, Daavision B.V., Deerland Europe ApS, Deerland Holdings Inc., Deerland Ireland R&D Limited, Deerland Probiotics & Enzymes, Deerland Probiotics & Enzymes A/S, Deerland Probiotics & Enzymes Inc., Eaststarch, Eatem Corporation, Eatem Foods, Elstar Oils, Empresa de Transporte La Estrella S.R.L., English River Pellets Inc., Epicore BioNetworks Inc., Epicore Ecuador S.A., Epicore Networks (U.S.A.) Inc., Erich Ziegler GmbH, Evialis (Shandong) Co. Ltd., Evialis France, Evialis Galicia S.A., Evialis India Limited, FINANCIERE FRANCO MAGYAR POUR LA NUTRITION ANIMALE - FFMNA, FISA Andina S.A.S., FISA Aromas S.A.S., Fasco Mills Co., Federation Sahanala Vanille, Filozoo SRL, Flavor Infusion, Flavor Infusion International S.A., Florida Chemical, Florida Chemical Company LLC, Flotek Flavor & Fragrance LLC, GLOBAL COCOA HOLDINGS LTD., GP Blanching Inc., GPC Trucking Inc., GROUPE PILARDIERE, GUYOKRMA spol. s.r.o., Golden Farm Production & Commerce Company Limited, Golden Peanut Company, Golden Peanut Company LLC, Golden Peanut and Tree Nut Seed SA (Pty) Ltd., Golden Peanut and Tree Nuts S.A., Green Bison Soy Processing LLC, Group Lysac, Guyomarc'h - VCN Company Limited, Guyomarc'h Vietnam Co. Ltd., Guyovital PT, HFR Shipping Company Ltd., HI-NUTRIENTS INTERNATIONAL LIMITED, HRA Shipping Company Ltd., HTI Shipping Company Ltd., Harvest Innovations, Hilltop Grain and Feed, Holding P & A Asia Company Limited, Hubei Meiweiyuan Biotechnology, Ilitchevskiy Maslo Extractionniy Zavod (IMEZ), Industries Centers EOD Trade 2005 Ltd., Invivo NSA Algerie, Invivo NSA Sanpo (Tianjin) Pet Products Co. Ltd, JDS Sarl, Jamaica Flour Mills Limited, Jamaica Rice Milling Company Limited, LANCENTER S.C.A., Liquid Feed Commodities, Logus Bar Ashdod Port Ltd., Malta Industries S.A. de C.V., Malta Texo De Mexico S.A. de C.V., Maniobras Y Servicios Del Interior S.A. de C.V., Master Mix of Trinidad Unlimited, Medsofts Company LLC, Medsofts for Import Co., Medsofts for Investment LLC, Medsofts for Trade LLC (Medsofts Trading), Mepla Comercio e Navegacao Ltda., Mezclas Biomix S.A.S., Monti Foods (Pty) Ltd., Mundo Logistics S.R.L., NEC Facilities LLC, National Enzyme Company LLC, Naviera Chaco S.R.L., Neovia, Neovia Algerie SPA, Neovia Nutricao e Saude Animal Ltda., Neovia Philippines Inc., North Star Shipping S.R.L., NutraDine, NutraDine LLC, NutriMix Feed Company Inc., Nutrilac, Olenex C.V., Olsen's Mill Inc. Four Grain Storage Elevators, P & A Marketing SA, PANCOSMA FRANCE S.A.S, PJSC ADM Illichivsk, PT ADM Indonesia Trading and Logistics, Pancosma & Associates Marketing (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Pancosma (Jiangsu) Feed Additive Co. Ltd., Pancosma (Shanghai) Feed Additives Co. Ltd., Pancosma Canada Inc., Pancosma Mexico S.A. de C.V., Pancosma North America Inc., Pancosma SA, Pedigree Ovens, Pedigree Ovens LLC, PetDine, PetDine LLC, Prairie Pride - Biodiesel Production Plant, Premiere Agri Technologies Asia Inc., Premiere Agri Technologies of Mexico Inc., Proservicios Potencial Humano S.A. de C.V., Provit Sp. z o.o., Pura Foods Limited, Rodelle Inc., SANICOOPA, SDJ Sarl, SORA Laboratories LLC, Sartco Ltda., Schokinag-Schokolade-Industrie Herrmann, Sermix, Servad S.R.L, Setna Nutricion S.A., Silo P. Kruse Betriebs-GmbH & Co. KG, Silo-Betriebsgesellschaft mbH, Societe Industrielle des Oleagineux-SIO, SojaProtein d.o.o. Becej, Sojaprotein, Southern Cellulose Products Inc., Soy Investors LLC, Specialty Commodities, Specialty Commodities LLC, Sul Mineira Alimentos Ltda., Syngenta - Dry Bean Business, Szabadegyhazai Szolgaltato es Vagyonkezeklo KFT, Terminal Stevedores Inc., Terminales De Cargas Especializadas S.A. De C.V., The Pound Bakery, The Pound Bakery LLC, Toepfer International, Toepfer International Trading (Shanghai) Co. LTD., UPSCIENCE ITALIA S.R.L., Upscience, VIA CHEM GROUP a.s. Oilseed Processing Plant, Vantage Corn Processors LLC, WILD Flavors, Wild Amazon Flavors Concentrados e Corantes para Bebidas Ltda., Wild Flavors (Canada) Inc., Wild Flavors Austria GmbH, Wild Flavors Inc., Wild Flavors International GmbH, Wild Flavors Kenya Limited, Wild Flavors Middle East FZE, Wild Flavors Polska Sp. z o.o., Wild Flavors S.A. de C.V., Wild Intermare GmbH, Wild Polska Sp. z o.o., Wild Russia LLC, Wild Tunesia Sarl, Wisium SA (Pty) Ltd., World's Finest Chocolate - New Cocoa Powder Line, and Yerbalatina Ltda.. Read More The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation provides a range of financial products and services in the United States and internationally. The company operates through Securities Services, Market and Wealth Services, Investment and Wealth Management, and Other segments. The Securities Services segment offers custody, trust and depositary, accounting, exchange-traded funds, middle-office solutions, transfer agency, services for private equity and real estate funds, foreign exchange, securities lending, liquidity/lending services, prime brokerage, and data analytics. This segment also provides trustee, paying agency, fiduciary, escrow and other financial, issuer, and support services for brokers and investors. The Market and Wealth Services segment offers clearing and custody, investment, wealth and retirement solutions, technology and enterprise data management, trading, and prime brokerage services; and clearance and collateral management services. This segment also provides integrated cash management solutions, including payments, foreign exchange, liquidity management, receivables processing and payables management, and trade finance and processing services. The Investment and Wealth Management segment offers investment management strategies and distribution of investment products, investment management, custody, wealth and estate planning, private banking, investment, and information management services. The Other segment engages in the provision of leasing, corporate treasury, derivative and other trading, corporate and bank-owned life insurance, renewable energy investment, and business exit services. It serves central banks and sovereigns, financial institutions, asset managers, insurance companies, corporations, local authorities and high net-worth individuals, and family offices. The company was founded in 1784 and is headquartered in New York, New York. The Buckle, Inc. operates as a retailer of casual apparel, footwear, and accessories for young men and women in the United States. It markets a selection of brand name casual apparel, including denims, other casual bottoms, tops, sportswear, outerwear, accessories, and footwear, as well as private label merchandise primarily comprising BKE, Buckle Black, Salvage, Red by BKE, Daytrip, Gimmicks, Gilded Intent, FITZ + EDDI, Willow & Root, Outpost Makers, Departwest, Reclaim, BKE Vintage, Nova Industries, J.B. Holt, and Veece. The company also provides services, such as hemming, gift-packaging, layaways, guest loyalty program, the Buckle private label credit card, and personalized stylist services, as well as special order system that allows stores to obtain requested merchandise from other company stores or its online order fulfillment center. As of March 11, 2022, it operated 440 retail stores in 42 states under the Buckle and The Buckle names. The Buckle, Inc. also sells its products through its website, buckle.com. The company was formerly known as Mills Clothing, Inc. and changed its name to The Buckle, Inc. in April 1991. The Buckle, Inc. was incorporated in 1948 and is headquartered in Kearney, Nebraska. Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Limited, a pharmaceutical company, develops, manufactures, markets, and distributes generic medicines, specialty medicines, and biopharmaceutical products in North America, Europe, and internationally. The company offers sterile products, hormones, high-potency drugs, and cytotoxic substances in various dosage forms, including tablets, capsules, injectables, inhalants, liquids, transdermal patches, ointments, and creams. It also develops, manufactures, and sells active pharmaceutical ingredients. In addition, it focuses on the central nervous system, pain, respiratory, and oncology areas. Its products in the central nervous system include Copaxone for the treatment of relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis; AJOVY for the preventive treatment of migraine; and AUSTEDO for the treatment of tardive dyskinesia and chorea associated with Huntington disease. The company's products in the respiratory market comprise ProAir, QVAR, ProAir Digihaler, AirDuo Digihaler, and ArmonAir Digihaler, BRALTUS, CINQAIR/CINQAERO, DuoResp Spiromax, and AirDuo RespiClick/ArmonAir RespiClick for the treatment of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Its products in the oncology market include Bendeka, Treanda, Granix, Trisenox, Lonquex, and Tevagrastim/Ratiograstim. Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Limited has a collaboration MedinCell for the development and commercialization of multiple long-acting injectable products, a risperidone suspension for the treatment of patients with schizophrenia. The company was founded in 1901 and is headquartered in Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel. Constellium SE, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the design, manufacture, and sale of specialty rolled and extruded aluminum products for the packaging, aerospace, and automotive end-markets. The company operates through three segments: Packaging & Automotive Rolled Products, Aerospace & Transportation, and Automotive Structures & Industry. The Packaging & Automotive Rolled Products segment produces rolled aluminum products, including can stock and closure stock for the beverage and food industry, as well as foil stock for the flexible packaging market. It also supplies automotive body sheets and heat exchangers for the automotive market; and specialty reflective sheets. The Aerospace & Transportation segment provides rolled aluminum products, including aerospace plates, sheets, and extrusions; and aerospace wing skins, as well as plates and sheets for use in transportation, industry, and defense applications. The Automotive Structures & Industry segment offers extruded products and technologically advanced structures for the automotive industry, including crash-management systems, body structures, side impact beams, and battery enclosures; and hard and soft alloy extruded profiles for various industry applications in the automotive, engineering, rail, and other transportation end markets. This segment also provides downstream technology and services, which include pre-machining, surface treatment, research and development, and technical support services. The company sells its products directly or through distributors in France, Germany, the Czech Republic, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, and the United States, as well as Shanghai, and Seoul. Constellium SE was incorporated in 2010 and is headquartered in Paris, France. SiteOne Landscape Supply, Inc. engages in the wholesale distribution of landscape supplies in the United States and Canada. The company provides a selection of approximately 135,000 stock keeping units, including irrigation supplies, which comprise controllers, valves, sprinkler heads, and irrigation pipes; fertilizer, grass seed, and ice melt products; control products, such as herbicides, fungicides, rodenticides, and other pesticides; landscape accessories that include mulches, soil amendments, drainage pipes, tools, and sods; nursery goods, which consist of deciduous and evergreen shrubs, ornamental, shade, evergreen trees, field grown and container-grown nursery stock, roses, perennials, annuals, bulbs, and plant species; hardscapes, such as pavers, natural stones, blocks, and other durable materials; and outdoor lighting products that include lighting fixtures, LED lamps, wires, transformers, and accessories. It also offers consultative services consisting of assistance with irrigation network design, commercial project planning, generation of sales leads, business operations, product support services, and a series of technical and business management seminars; and distributes branded products of third parties. The company offers its products under the LESCO, SiteOne Green Tech, and Pro-Trade brand names. It markets its products primarily to residential and commercial landscape professionals who specialize in the design, installation, and maintenance of lawns, gardens, golf courses, and other outdoor spaces through branch network and direct distribution. As of January 2, 2022, the company had approximately 590 branches in 45 U.S. States and six Canadian provinces. SiteOne Landscape Supply, Inc. was incorporated in 2013 and is headquartered in Roswell, Georgia. Robert Half International Inc. provides staffing and risk consulting services in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. The company operates through three segments: Temporary and Consultant Staffing, Permanent Placement Staffing, and Risk Consulting and Internal Audit Services. It places temporary services for accounting, finance, and bookkeeping; temporary and full-time office and administrative personnel consisting of executive and administrative assistants, receptionists, and customer service representatives; full-time accounting, financial, tax, and accounting operations personnel; and information technology contract professionals and full-time employees in the areas of platform systems integration to end-user technical and desktop support, including specialists in application development, networking and cloud, systems integration and deployment, database design and administration, and security and business continuity. The company also offers temporary and full-time employees in attorney, paralegal, legal administrative, and legal secretarial positions; and senior-level project professionals in the accounting and finance fields for financial systems conversions, expansion into new markets, business process re-engineering, business systems performance improvement, and post-merger financial consolidation. It is involved in serving professionals in the areas of creative, design, marketing, advertising, and public relations; and placing various positions, such as creative directors, graphics designers, web designers, media buyers, front end developers, copywriters, digital marketing managers, marketing analytics specialists, brand managers, and public relations specialists. The company provides internal audit, technology consulting, risk and compliance consulting, and business performance services. It serves clients and employment candidates. Robert Half International Inc. was founded in 1948 and is headquartered in Menlo Park, California. The following companies are subsidiares of Prudential Financial: 210-220 E. 22nd Street SSGA Owner LLC, AIG Edison, AIG Star, AREF Cayman Co Ltd., AREF GP II Pte. Ltd., AREF GP Ltd., ASPF II - Feeder Fund GmbH, ASPF II - Verwaltungs - GmbH & Co. KG, ASPF II Management GmbH, ASPF III Scots L.P., ASSURANCE, AST Investment Services Inc., Adlerwerke CB Investment LLC, Administradora de Fondos de Pensiones Habitat S.A., Administradora de Inversiones Previsionales SpA, Aoba Life Insurance Company, Aoba Life Insurance Company Ltd., Asia Property Fund III GP S.a.r.l., Assurance IQ LLC, Assurance Intelligence LLC, BSC CP LP, Braeloch Holdings Inc., Braeloch Successor Corporation, Brazilian Capital Fund GP Limited, Broad Street Global Advisors LLC, Broome Street Holdings LLC, CB German Retail LLC, CLIS Co. Ltd., COLICO INC., Capital Agricultural Property Services Inc., Chadwick Boulevard Investment Holdings Co. LLC, Cibecue LLC, Coconino LLC, Colico II Inc., Columbus Drive Partners L.P., Commerce Street Holdings LLC, Commerce Street Investments LLC, Coolidge LLC, Coral Reef GP, Coral Reef L.P., Coral Reef Unit Trust, Cottage Street Investments LLC, Cottage Street Orbit Acquisition LLC, DICKENS AVENUE HOLDINGS VI LLC, DICKENS AVENUE PARTNERS VI Ireland L.P., DICKENS AVENUE PARTNERS VI US L.P., Dale/P Minerals Limited Partnership, Don Cesar Investor LLC, Dryden Arizona Reinsurance Term Company, Dryden Finance II LLC, EVP II GP S.a r.l., EVP II Horizon GP S.a r.l., EVP II Sprint GP S.a r.l., Edison Place Senior Note LLC, Essex LLC, EuroCore GP S.a r.l., European Value Partners GP S.a.r.l., Everbright PGIM Fund Management Co. Ltd., Flagstaff LLC, GA 1600 Commons LLC, GA 333 Hennepin Investor LLC, GA BV LLC, GA Bay Area GP LLC, GA Bay Area Investor LLC, GA Belden LLC, GA CLARENDON LLC, GA Cal Crossings LLC, GA Collins LLC, GA E. 22nd Street Apartments Holdings LLC, GA East 86 Street LLC, GA JHCII LLC, GA MENLO PARK INVESTOR LLC, GA Manor at Harbour Island LLC, GA Metro LLC, GA TRITON INVESTOR LLC, GA W Paces LLC, GA/MDI 333 Hennepin Associates LLC, GIBRALTAR BSN HOLDINGS SDN BHD, GIBRALTAR INDIA SOLUTIONS LLP, Gateway Holdings II LLC, Gateway Holdings LLC, German Retail Income CP LP, Gibraltar BSN Life Berhad, Gibraltar International Insurance Services Company Inc., Gibraltar International Service LLC, Gibraltar Reinsurance Company Ltd., Gibraltar Universal Life Reinsurance Company, Glenealy International Limited, Global Portfolio Strategies Inc., Gold GP Limited, Gold II L.P., Gold L.P., Graham Resources Inc., Graham Royalty Ltd., Green Harvest Asset Management LLC, Green Tree GP, Green Tree L.P., Greenlee LLC, Halsey Street Investments LLC, Hirakata LLC, IVP Fund GP LLC, Impact Investments Bridges UK S.a.r.l, Inter-Atlantic G Fund L.P., Inversiones Previsionales Chile SpA, Inversiones Previsionales Dos SpA, Ironbound Fund LLC, Jennison Associates LLC, Kyarra S.a r.l., Kyoei Annuity Home Co. Ltd. Kabushiki Kaisha Kyouei Nenkin Home, LINEUP LLC, Lake Street Partners IV L.P., Lotus Reinsurance Company Ltd., MC GA COLLINS HOLDINGS LLC, MC GA COLLINS REALTY LLC, MC Insurance Agency Services LLC, Manor at Harbour Island LLC, Marble Canyon LLC, Maricopa LLC, Market Street Holdings IV LLC, Montana Capital Partners, Morenci LLC, Mulberry Street Holdings LLC, Mulberry Street Investment L.P., Mulberry Street Partners LLC, Mullin TBG Insurance Agency Services LLC, MullinTBG Insurance Agency Services, National Family Assurance Group LLC, New Savanna, Northbound Emerging Manager Fund A LP, Northbound Emerging Manager Fund II - A LP, Orchard Street Acres Inc., PAI Bay Farm LLC, PAI Bayrock Groves LLC, PAI Belvidere Farms LLC, PAI Big Cypress Farm LLC, PAI Corcoran 640 Ranch LLC, PAI DeKalb Farm LLC, PAI Delano 1500 Ranches LLC, PAI Desert Falcon Farms Manager LLC, PAI Flicker Orchard LLC, PAI Good Hope Farm LLC, PAI Hawk Creek Ranch LLC, PAI Hills Valley Ranches LLC, PAI Holly Hill Groves LLC, PAI Hunt Farm LLC, PAI Jackson Bayou Farm LLC, PAI Lake Placid Groves LLC, PAI River Bend Ranches LLC, PAI Wallula Gap Vineyard LLC, PCP V Cayman AIV GP L.P., PEREF II Co-Invest 1 GP S.a r.l., PEREF II GP S.a r.l., PFI EM-Tech Fund I LLC, PG Business Service Co. Ltd, PG Collection Service Co. Ltd., PG Friendly Partners Co. Ltd., PGA Asian Retail Limited, PGA European Limited, PGI Co. Ltd, PGIM AC Co-Invest GP Pte. Ltd., PGIM AVP IV GP S.a r.l., PGIM Advisory Shanghai Co. Ltd., PGIM Agricultural Investments GP LLC, PGIM Australia Pty Ltd, PGIM Broad Market High Yield Bond Fund L.P., PGIM Broad Market High Yield Bond Partners LLC, PGIM Capital Partners Management Feeder VI LLC, PGIM Capital Partners Management Fund VI L.P., PGIM Custom Harvest LLC, PGIM DC Co-Invest GP Pte. Ltd., PGIM DC JV GP Pte. Ltd., PGIM DC Solutions LLC, PGIM European Financing Limited, PGIM European Services Limited, PGIM Financial Limited, PGIM Fixed Income Alternatives Fund II L.P., PGIM Fixed Income Alternatives Fund L.P., PGIM Fixed Income Alternatives GP LLC, PGIM Fixed Income Alternatives II GP LLC, PGIM Foreign Investments Inc., PGIM Holding Company LLC, PGIM Holdings Limited, PGIM Hong Kong Ltd., PGIM INDIA ASSET MANAGEMENT PRIVATE LIMITED, PGIM INDIA TRUSTEES PRIVATE LIMITED, PGIM IRELAND LIMITED, PGIM Inc., PGIM International Financing Inc., PGIM Investments Ireland Limited, PGIM Investments LLC, PGIM Japan Co. Ltd., PGIM Korea Inc., PGIM LTIF Berlin GP S.a r.l., PGIM LTIF Berlin MLP S.ar.l., PGIM LTIF GP S.a.r.l., PGIM Limited, PGIM Loan Originator Manager Limited, PGIM M Campus GP S.a r.l., PGIM Management Partner Limited, PGIM MetaProp Investor LP LLC, PGIM Netherlands B.V., PGIM Overseas Investment Fund Management Shanghai Company Ltd, PGIM Private Capital Ireland Limited, PGIM Private Capital Limited, PGIM Private Placement Investors Inc., PGIM Private Placement Investors L.P., PGIM QUANTITATIVE SOLUTIONS LLC, PGIM REF EUROPE SCSp, PGIM REF Europe GP S.a r.l., PGIM REF Europe Member LLC, PGIM REF Intermediary Services Inc., PGIM Real Estate CD S.a.r.l., PGIM Real Estate Capital VII GP S.a r.l., PGIM Real Estate Carry & Co-Invest GP LLC, PGIM Real Estate Carry & Co-Invest GP S.a r.l., PGIM Real Estate Carry & Co-Invest L.P., PGIM Real Estate Carry & Co-Invest SCSp, PGIM Real Estate Co-Invest Holdings LLC, PGIM Real Estate Debt GmbH, PGIM Real Estate Finance Holding Company, PGIM Real Estate Finance LLC, PGIM Real Estate France SAS, PGIM Real Estate Germany AG, PGIM Real Estate Global Debt GP LLC, PGIM Real Estate Global Master Fund GP S.a r.l., PGIM Real Estate Inmuebles II S de R.L. de C.V., PGIM Real Estate Inmuebles S. de R.L. de C.V, PGIM Real Estate Italy S.r.l., PGIM Real Estate Japan Ltd., PGIM Real Estate Loan Services Inc., PGIM Real Estate Luxembourg S.A., PGIM Real Estate MVP Administradora IV S. de R.L. de C.V., PGIM Real Estate MVP Administradora V S. de R.L. de C.V., PGIM Real Estate MVP Inmuebles IV S. de R.L. de C.V., PGIM Real Estate MVP Inmuebles V S. de R.L. de C.V., PGIM Real Estate Management Luxembourg S.a.r.l., PGIM Real Estate Mexico S.C., PGIM Real Estate S. de R.L. de C.V., PGIM Real Estate U.S. CORE Debt Fund GP LLC, PGIM Real Estate U.S. Debt Fund GP LLC, PGIM Real Estate UK Limited, PGIM Scots Limited, PGIM Securities Investment Trust Enterprise, PGIM Senior Loan Opportunities Management (Feeder) I LLC, PGIM Senior Loan Opportunities Management Fund I L.P., PGIM Shanghai Company Ltd., PGIM Singapore Pte. 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Ltd., Prudential Trust Company, Prudential Universal Reinsurance Company, Prudential Workplace Solutions Group Services LLC, Prudential do Brasil Seguros de Vida S.A., Prudential do Brasil Vida em Grupo S.A., Prudential/TMW Real Estate Group LLC, Pruservicos Participacoes Ltda., QMA JP EM All Cap Equity Partners LLC, Quartzsite LLC, Residential Services Corporation of America LLC, Rio CP LP, Rock European Real Estate Holdings S.ar.l., Rock Global Real Estate LLC, Rock Kensington Limited, Rock Marty GP S.a r.l., Rock Oxford S.a r.l., Rock UK Real Estate II S.a.r.l., Rockstone Co. Ltd., Rosado Grande LLC, Ross Avenue Energy Fund Holdings LLC, Ross Avenue Minerals 2012 LLC, SCP Apartments LLC, SENIOR HOUSING PARTNERS VI GP LLC, SENIOR HOUSING PARTNERSHIP FUND VI GP LLC, SHP IV Carried Interest LP, SHP V Carried Interest L.P., SMP Holdings Inc., SVIIT Holdings Inc., Sanei Collection Service Co. Ltd. Kabushiki Kaisha Sanei Shuuno Service, Senior Housing Partners V LLC, Senior Housing Partnership Fund V LLC, Sterling Private Placement Management LLP, Stetson Street Partners L.P., Strand Investments Limited, TBG Insurance Services Corporation, TENSATOR HOLDINGS LTD, TF Proveedora S.C., TMW ASPF I Verwaltungs GmbH & Co. KG, TMW ASPF Management GmbH, TMW Management LLC, TMW Real Estate Group LLC, TMW Realty Advisors LLC, TMW USPF Verwaltungs GmbH, TRGOAG Company Inc., The Gibraltar Life Insurance Co. Ltd., The Keynes Dynamic Beta Strategy US Fund GP LLC, The Prudential Assigned Settlement Services Corp., The Prudential Brazilian Capital Fund LP, The Prudential Gibraltar Financial Life Insurance Co. Ltd., The Prudential Home Mortgage Company Inc., The Prudential Insurance Company of America, The Prudential Life Insurance Company Ltd., The Prudential Real Estate Financial Services of America Inc., The WMF Group, Thurloe Commercial Guernsey Limited, USPF V - Verwaltungs - GmbH & Co. KG, USPF V Carry LLC, USPF V Co-Invest LLC, USPF V Investment LP, United States Property Fund VI GP S.a r.l., VIP Australia Holding Company LLC, VIP Australia Trustee Pty Ltd, Vailsburg Fund LLC, Vantage Casualty Insurance Company, Wabash Avenue Holdings V LLC, Wabash Avenue Partners V L.P., Wadhwani Capital Limited, Waveland Avenue Holdings I LLC, Waveland Avenue Partners I Ireland L.P., Waveland Avenue Partners I US L.P., Wellness Services Ecossistema De Bem Estar Ltda., Wellness Services SRL, Yamato Life, and Yavapai LLC. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of Sherwin-Williams: Acquire Sourcing LLC, CTS National Corporation, Comex North America Inc., Compania Sherwin-Williams S.A. de C.V., Contract Transportation Systems Co., Dongguan Lilly Paint Industries Ltd, Duron, EPS B.V., EPS Shanghai Trading Co. Ltd., Geocel Holdings, Guangdong Valspar Paints Manufacturing Co Ltd., Inver East Med S.A., Inver France SAS, Inver GmbH, Inver Industrial Coating SRL, Inver Polska Spoka Z O.O, Inver Spa, Invercolor Bologna Srl, Invercolor Ltd, Invercolor Roma Srl, Invercolor Torino Srl, Invercolor Toscana Srl, Isocoat Tintas e Vernizes Ltda, Isva Vernici Srl, Leighs Paints, M.A. Bruder & Sons, Omega Specialty Products & Services LLC, Oy Sherwin-Williams Finland Ab, PT Sherwin-Williams Indonesia, PT Valspar Indonesia, Paint Sundry Brands, Pinturas Condor S.A., Pinturas Industriales S.A., Piton Paints Limited, Plasti-Kote Co. Inc., Plasti-kote Limited, Productos Quimicos y Pinturas S.A. de C.V., Quest Automotive Products UK Limited, Quetzal Pinturas S.A. de C.V., Ronseal Ireland Limited, SWIMC LLC, SWIPCO Sherwin Williams do Brasil Propriedade Intelectual Ltda, Sherwin Williams Colombia S.A.S., Sherwin-Williams Argentina I.y C.S.A., Sherwin-Williams Aruba VBA, Sherwin-Williams Australia Pty. Ltd., Sherwin-Williams Balkan S.R.L., Sherwin-Williams Bel Unitary Enterprise, Sherwin-Williams Belize Limited, Sherwin-Williams Benelux NV, Sherwin-Williams Canada Inc., Sherwin-Williams Caribbean N.V., Sherwin-Williams Cayman Islands Limited, Sherwin-Williams Chile S.A., Sherwin-Williams Coatings India Private Limited, Sherwin-Williams Coatings S.a r.l., Sherwin-Williams Czech Republic spol. s r.o, Sherwin-Williams Denmark A/S, Sherwin-Williams Deutschland GmbH, Sherwin-Williams France Finishes SAS, Sherwin-Williams Ireland Limited, Sherwin-Williams Italy S.r.l., Sherwin-Williams Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., Sherwin-Williams Nantong Coatings Technology Co. Ltd., Sherwin-Williams Nantong Company Limited, Sherwin-Williams Norway AS, Sherwin-Williams Paints Limited Liability Company, Sherwin-Williams Peru S.R.L., Sherwin-Williams Pinturas de Venezuela S.A., Sherwin-Williams Poland Sp. z o.o, Sherwin-Williams Protective & Marine Coatings, Sherwin-Williams Realty Holdings Inc., Sherwin-Williams Services Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., Sherwin-Williams Shanghai Limited, Sherwin-Williams Spain Coatings S.L., Sherwin-Williams Sweden AB, Sherwin-Williams Thailand Co. Ltd., Sherwin-Williams UK Coatings Limited, Sherwin-Williams UK Limited, Sherwin-Williams Vietnam Limited, Sherwin-Williams West Indies Limited, Sherwin-Williams do Brasil Industria e Comercio Ltda., Southland Paint Company, Spanyc Paints Joint Stock Company, Specialty Polymers Inc., Syntema I Vaggeryd AB, Taiwan Valspar Co. Ltd., The Sherwin-Williams Acceptance Corporation, The Sherwin-Williams Headquarters Company, The Sherwin-Williams Manufacturing Company, The Sherwin-Williams US Licensing Company, The Valspar Asia Corporation Limited, The Valspar Australia Corporation Pty. Ltd., The Valspar Corporation, The Valspar Corporation Limitada, The Valspar Finland Corporation Oy, The Valspar France Corporation S.A.S., The Valspar France Research Corporation SAS, The Valspar Malaysia Corporation Sdn Bhd, The Valspar Nantes Corporation S.A.S., The Valspar Singapore Corporation Pte. Ltd, The Valspar South Africa Corporation Pty Ltd, The Valspar Switzerland Corporation AG, The Valspar Thailand Corporation Ltd., The Valspar UK Corporation Limited, The Valspar Vietnam Corporation Ltd., UAB Sherwin-Williams Baltic, Valspar Aries Coatings S. de R.L. de C.V., Valspar Automotive Australia Pty Limited, Valspar Automotive UK Corporation Limited, Valspar B.V., Valspar Coatings Guangdong Co. Ltd., Valspar Coatings Shanghai Co. Ltd., Valspar Coatings Tianjin Co. Ltd, Valspar D.o.o Beograd, Valspar India Coatings Corporation Private Limited, Valspar Industries GmbH, Valspar Industries Ireland Ltd., Valspar Industries Italy S.r.l., Valspar LLC, Valspar Mexicana S.A. de C.V., Valspar Powder Coatings Limited, Valspar Rock Company Limited Japan, Valspar Shanghai Management Co. Ltd., Valspar Specialty Paints LLC, Valspar Uruguay Corporation S.A., Valspar WPC Pty Ltd, and ZAO Sherwin-Williams. Read More Renault is working on a more affordable compact SUV, which will be placed below the Duster. The Duster was a game changer for the French automaker, Renault, in India. The SUV was launched back in 2012 and since then, its popularity has been growing. The newly launched Renault Kwid also features SUV-like looks. However, a lot of automakers have launched their products in the compact SUV segment due to which the Duster's market share has been decreasing. To regain its market share, Renault is working on a more affordable compact SUV, which will be placed below the Duster. That's not all, as per the statement by Renault chief Carlos Ghosn at the ongoing Paris Motor Show, the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance will work together to develop the offering. For the uninitiated, Nissan owns a 34 per cent stake in Mitsubishi and we've discussed the implications of the investment here. Heres what we can expect from the new offering: Apart from confirming that the new crossover will be the lovechild of the Franco-Japanese joint venture, not much else has been revealed. However, given the 4,315mm length of the Duster, we can deduce that its little brother will be a sub-4 metre offering like the Ford EcoSport and Maruti Vitara Brezza. This will give it a highly sought-after taxation benefit, which can place it in the price range of Rs 6-8 lakh. There's also the possibility of the model being a product of cross badging i.e. apart from being sold as a Renault, a mildly tweaked version could be sold with a Nissan or Mitsubishi badge. Both Japanese brands stand to gain a lot from retailing such a product in India, particularly Mitsubishi, whose presence is limited to the Pajero Sport andMontero. Since it is expected to be a sub-4 metre car, there will be limitations with regard to the engine options that can be offered. Suspect number one is the 85PS version of the Dusters 1.5-litre dCi diesel engine. Additionally, the Nissan Micras 1.2-litre mill could be considered as the petrol candidate. 4x4 or all-wheel drive are unlikely to be offered. Of course, an official confirmation on the specifications is awaited. When will it be launched? Well, we can only guess, but the yet-to-be-named crossover could make its debut towards the end of 2018. Source: CarDekho.com During the last nine months of 2016, the auto industry has seen a lot of action. The year started with the Delhi diesel ban, followed by the launch of a lot of exciting new cars like the Volkswagen Ameo and Tata Tiago. Now, with the festive season just around the corner, automakers are ready to introduce their festive offerings to attract more customers. Let's have a look at the top three sedans which will be launched in the upcoming months of 2016. Volvo S90 Volvo is all set to introduce its flagship sedan the S90 in the country. It was introduced to the world earlier this year and will rival the likes of the BMW 5 Series, the Mercedes E-Classand the Audi A6. It is based on the new design language of Volvo which gives it a classy and elegant appeal. The vertically stacked grille, 'Thor's Hammer' LED in the headlamps,clean and crisp lines make the car stand out amidst its German counterparts. Also, the S90 has bagged the 'Production Car Design of the Year' award for its sleek and elegant design. Inside, the cabin is also kept simple and minimalistic, housing a large touchscreen in the dashboard with only a few buttons for the music and the AC. Underneath the long and elegant bonnet of the sedan, there is a 2.0-litre diesel engine which develops 470Nm of torque alongside 228PS of power. This engine comes mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission and is Delhi diesel-ban proof! Honda Accord The premium luxury sedans are battling to survive against the premium SUVs in India. Throughout this year, SUVs were dominant; but now, joining forces with the new Toyota Camry Hybrid and the new Skoda Superb is the all-new Honda Accord. Arriving in October, this sedan can be booked for a token amount of Rs 51,000 in Honda dealerships. Like the Camry which has a hybrid powertrain, the Accord will also come in a hybrid avatar and will feature a 2.0-litre petrol engine working in sync with an electric motor. Together, they develop 215PS of peak power. Honda claims a mileage of about 20kmpl for the US models and for India, this figure is expected to remain unaltered. Pricing will be aggressive since this car will fall under the government's Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles (FAME) scheme and will derive subsidy benefits. Volkswagen Ameo Diesel After the launch of the petrol variants, Volkswagen will soon launch the diesel variant of its first sub-four-metre sedan. Made especially for India, the Ameo TDI will feature the same 1.5-litre diesel engine which performs its duties in the Polo hatchback. Another good news is that the TDI Ameo will receive the updated 1.5-litre motor, which will get a new turbocharger and produce 90PS power and 230Nm torque. Also, from the spy images, we can see that the diesel sedan will get a bigger set of wheels than the petrol variant. Everything else will remain identical to the petrol variants. The Ameo comes with quite a few features, with many being segment-first, such as a touchscreen audio system, chilled glovebox, rain-sensing wipers and cruise control. Apart from the sedans mentioned above, Skoda will also be launching a facelift of the Rapid. This car, like the TDI Ameo, will get an updated 1.5-litre diesel motor and will have design cues from Skoda's new design language, present in the Octavia and the Superb. We can't wait to lay our hands on these sedans and get you a detailed review. Source: CarDekho.com Oil and Natural Gas Corporation will invest 340.12 billion rupees ($5.11 billion) in four years to develop cluster 2 of east coast deepwater block, the company said in a tweet on Friday. These fields are expected to reach a net peak production of 77,000 barrels per day (bpd) of crude oil and 16.29 million metric standard cubic metres per day (mmscmd) of gas by 2021/22 fiscal year, the company had said earlier. CBDT has been able to recover Rs 16,000 crore from non-filers of tax returns on IT upgradation. New Delhi: The Income Tax department has unearthed undisclosed income of Rs 56,378 crore during search operations conducted over two years time and seized cash of about Rs 2,000 crore. Giving details of the steps taken by the government since coming to power in May 2014, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said with IT upgradation the CBDT has been able to recover Rs 16,000 crore from non-filers of tax returns. Also the government had constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) on black money and have been implementing its recommendations, including mandatory PAN quoting for transaction above a certain threshold. Jaitley said the government is taking steps to deal with the names that have appeared in the Panama Papers as well as the HSBC list. "In Panama cases, 250 references have been given to other countries and investigation is progressing in good pace. People who figured in the HSBC list, about Rs 8,000 crore assessment have been completed. 164 prosecutions have been filed," he said. The names which ICIJ had released, in that about Rs 5,000 crore detection has happened and 55 cases prosecution have been filed. Earlier this year, the Panama Papers leaks named 500 people including film actors and industrialists who have allegedly stashed money in offshore entities. Besides, in 2013 the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists had published a list of 700 persons having offshore accounts. New Delhi: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will embark tomorrow on a 7-day official visit to Canada and the US to attend the annual meetings of World Bank and IMF and hold talks with global investors. "FM@arunjaitley is leaving on a 7-day official visit to Canada & USA tomorrow early morning. He will return to national capital on October 10," the Ministry of Finance said in a tweet. "On the first leg of his visit, FM will arrive in Canada tomorrow evening where he will hold meeting with foreign investors," it said in another tweet. The Ministry further said, "During his US visit, FM will attend the Annual Meetings of the World Bank & IMF." The three-day annual meeting of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank will begin on October 7 in Washington. The new Reserve Bank Governor Urjit Patel is also likely to attend the Fund Bank meeting. Besides Jaitley and Patel, Economic Affairs Secretary Shaktikanta Das will also attend the annual meetings. Apart from taking stock of the global economic situation, the annual meetings are also likely to discuss IMF quota reforms, exchange rate fluctuation, infrastructure financing, fall out of Britain's exit from the EU and the role of trade in supporting global growth. Ahead of the meeting, IMF will come out with its World Economic Outlook, which will provide analysis of the current global economic situation. Besides, a Global Financial Stability Report will also be unveiled. In July, IMF had cut global growth forecast for the year 2017 by 0.1 percentage point to 3.4 per cent citing substantial increase in economic, political and institutional uncertainty following Brexit which could have negative macro-economic consequences. The global economy is projected to expand 3.1 per cent this year and 3.4 per cent in 2017. It had also trimmed India's growth forecast by 0.1 percentage point to 7.4 per cent for 2016 and 2017, attributing it to a sluggish investment recovery. Markets have been rife with talk that the bank could require a German government bailout, but Berlin and the bank have repeatedly rejected such speculation. New York: Deutsche Bank shares sank seven per cent today after news that a number of hedge funds had pulled money out of the German giant amid worries over its financial strength. The move to sell off the German giant's stock, which affected shares traded in Frankfurt, New York and elsewhere, also helped drag down the US markets overall. Bloomberg News reported Thursday that about 10 hedge funds that clear trades with Deutsche Bank withdrew some excess cash and derivatives holdings and moved the assets to other firms this week, according to an internal bank document it saw. Bloomberg said the "vast majority" of the bank's clients have made no changes to their exposure at the bank. AFP sources knowledgeable of the situation confirmed that 10 hedge funds had pulled funds out, including Millennium Partners, Capula Investment, and British fund Rokos Capital Management. But the bank said the Bloomberg report gave an overly negative view of the situation, noting it still had some 800 funds as customers who understand its "stable financial position." But Deutsche Bank shares sank nevertheless. Shares traded in Frankfurt were at 10.10 euros ($11.34), down 7.2 per cent in after-hours trade, while New York-traded shares for the bank closed 6.7 per cent lower at $11.48. In a statement the bank sought to reassure investors. "Our trading clients are amongst the world's most sophisticated investors," said a Deutsche Bank spokeswoman. "We are confident that the vast majority of them have a full understanding of our stable financial position, the current macroeconomic environment, the litigation process in the US and the progress we are making with our strategy." The Bloomberg report came as the US Department of Justice presses the German bank for a $14 billion penalty over its sale of mortgage-backed securities prior to the 2008 financial crisis. Such a payout, analysts fear, could undermine the bank's capital foundations, already weakened in the European Union's economic woes. Markets have been rife with talk that the bank could require a German government bailout, but Berlin and the bank have repeatedly rejected such speculation. "The government is not preparing rescue plans. There are no grounds for such speculation," the German finance ministry said Wednesday. Mumbai: Bollywood actor Kareena Kapoor Khan has filed a complaint with the cyber cell of the Mumbai police alleging that the online account used for filing her income tax (I-T) returns has been hacked. Sources in the cyber cell said that the complaint was filed on Friday, and revealed that the hacker had even paid Kapoors quarterly I-T tax amount. "Kapoor's chartered accountant approached us alleging that the account his client used for filing her income returns was hacked. He said that he realised the same after he failed to access the account, said a source in the cyber police station. The source added that the hacker might have gained knowledge of the actors PAN number and used the same thereafter to hack into her account, which can be accessed through the income tax departments website. "The hacker has also changed the password of her e-filing account," the source said. According to the cyber police, hacking into a person's income tax returns account is a serious crime. "The hacker can now access her PAN number, the amount of tax paid over the years and also file a statement regarding her income and falsely inflate it, forcing her to pay more taxes," the source said. He added that they had secured the account immediately and were on the lookout for the culprit. The cyber cell has registered an FIR and started its investigations. (This story originally appeared in The Asian Age) Sonakshi Sinha had shared the first look of the film a few months ago. Mumbai: After the terrorist attacks on Indian soldiers in Uri a few days back, the relations between India and Pakistan have deteriorated. While political parties have threatened to stall films with Pakistan actors in it, the Indian Motion Pictures Producers Association (IMPPA) have banned Pakistani artistes from working in the country till normalcy returns. In such a situation, a film set against the backdrop of Pakistan or a character based in the country could also face some trouble. One such film reportedly is Sonakshi Sinhas Noor which is based on a novel about a Pakistani journalist where the actress was to play the role of the protagonist. However, Sonakshi has denied that she is playing a character from the neighbouring country in the film. "All I can say is that I am not playing a Pakistani journalist in the film. The film is based on a book, which is written by a Pakistani author. The story has been adapted into a Mumbai backdrop," Sonakshi was quoted as saying at an event. Noor also stars Purab Kohli, Kanan Gill among others and is gearing up for release on 7 April next year. Salman Khan had said, "They (Pakistani actors) are artists, not terrorists. It's the government who gives them permits and visas." Mumbai: Extending support to Bollywood actor Salman Khan for his remarks on Pakistan artists, Samajwadi Party leader Abu Azmi criticised Shiv Sena on Saturday for its 'frivolous theatrics', and said if the party is really bothered about national security, territorial integrity and sovereignty, it should talk with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "I don't think Salman Khan said anything wrong, nor are his statements harming our sentiments. I would like to say to the Shiv Sena to talk with Narendra Modi. They are the allies of the government. It is their government which has issued visas to them (the Pakistani actors). I am unable to fathom their theatrics given the fact that the bus connecting India and Pakistan is still running, both the countries ambassadors haven't been called," Azmi told ANI. Azmi further said that it is up to the government and the people to decide whether Pakistan artists remain in India or not and reminded the nation to treat guests with regard. "It is up to the government and the people to decide whether Pakistan artists remain in India or not, but they are our guests, and our tradition doesn't allow us to behave in this manner. We should make the Pakistanis feel hospitable. We should welcome them with open arms. When we give them a good treatment, they will go back to their country and condemn the atrocities perpetrated by them (Pakistanis) on our soil. When Pakistanis say good things about our country, it will be that country which will be embarrassed," he said. During a press conference Salman Khan said, "They (Pakistani actors) are artists, not terrorists. It's the government who gives them permits and visas." Reacting to this, Shiv Sena leader and Maharashtra Industries Minister and Subhash Desai advised Salman to take lessons on national pride from his father Salim Khan. Mumbai: Someone had once rightly said that all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy but that is not the case with our Bollywood diva Anushka Sharma. From making hilarious videos with her co-star Shah Rukh Khan to dancing with strangers on the streets of Lisbon, Anushka Sharma has achieved something we all have failed to strike a balance between work and play. Just days after wrapping up the Amsterdam schedule, cast and crew of The Ring, who are currently shooting in Lisbon, appears to have gotten used to the beautiful city. Anushka Sharma, who plays the female lead in Imtiaz Alis The Ring, has posted a video on social media where she is seen tapping her feet to some Lisbon street music with a stranger. The NH 10star, who will be seen in Ae Dil Hai Mushkil with Ranbir Kapoor and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, looked happy as ever. Watch Anushka dancing here: Mumbai: It seems that Shah Rukh Khan has decided to come up with interesting videos for his followers on social media as he has been a regular at that in the past few days. After posting funny videos of him flying and later of pulling his co-star Anushka Sharmas leg and another one of feeling objectified by male directors, Shah Rukh decided to have a bit of fun by partying on the streets of Lisbon. His son AbRam is seen showcasing some cool moves and Shah Rukh also enjoys the atmosphere as he shoots the video. Shah Rukh had also shared another funny video of Abram, where the young boy 'talks' about his face being covered because he was being overexposed on social media. That is also perhaps the reason why we catch only a glimpse of AbRam in this party video. But that glimpse is enough for us to know about his dancing potential. Shah Rukh is shooting opposite Anushka Sharma in Lisbon for Imtiaz Alis film, temporarily titled The Ring. Thackeray further slammed, Fawad Khan for his comment stating his first priority is Pakistan and standing in support of it. (Photo: PTI/Deccan Chronicle) New Delhi: The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray, in a recent statement pronounced Bollywood directors and producers, who offer work to Pakistani artists as major offenders and said he would not let 'Ae dil hai mushkil' and 'Raees' release in the country. "We have asked the theatres to not release their movie, we must teach them a lesson, the producers are more at fault than those artists," said Thackeray. Thackeray further slammed, Fawad Khan for his comment stating his first priority is Pakistan and standing in support of it, irrespective of Pak being a source of terrorism. "Fawad Khan tells that he loves his country and will not condemn the attack,. He won't condemn the attack and he wants to work here? And director and producers here will provide them work." Thackeray said in response to his comment. Earlier MNS imposed a ban on all Pakistani artists including Fawad Khan, Mahira Khan, Atif Aslam, Alizafar and Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and gave out an ultimatum asking them to leave the country within 48-hours. After the recent terror attacks on Indian soldiers in Uri, relations between India and Pakistan seem to be deteriorating. While political parties have threatened to stall films with Pak actors in them, the Indian Motion Pictures Producers Association (IMPAA) has banned Pakistani artistes from working in the country, till normalcy returns. In such a situation, a movie set against the backdrop of Pakistan, or having a character based in the country could possibly run into troubled waters too. One such film reportedly is Sonakshi Sinhas Noor, which is based on Pakistani author Saba Imtiaz novel, Karachi, Youre Killing Me! about a Pakistani journalist. Sonakshi, whos playing the protagonist in the movie, has denied that shes playing a character from the neighbouring country. All I can say is that Im not playing a Pakistani journalist in the film. Its based on a book, which is written by a Pakistani author. The story has been adapted with a Mumbai backdrop, said the actress in an event. Noor also stars Purab Kohli and Kanan Gill, among others, and is set to release on April 7, next year. S.S. Rajamoulis, Baahubali -2 THE CONCLUSION, is all set to release the first look on October 22, 2016, as tweeted by the filmmaker himself. But if sources are to be believed, fans all over world will have to wait till December 2017 for the movie to get released. The post production will take another year. While the movies climax scene is still to be shot, sources close to us have allowed a quick peek into whats happening in the concluding part. The climax will be a huge fight between the good and the bad Kattappa. The team is still preparing for the shoot, as a huge army for Kattappa is required for the scene. The cast that will play Kattappas soldiers, have been growing their hair and have been instructed not to chop them off till the climax scene has been shot in December 2016! On condition of anonymity, one of the actors playing soldier from the Kattappas army, discloses, We, in the climax scene, are very anxious as this scene will be an important one and will not be edited. What happens to Kattappa? Nobody is ready to reveal the most sought after secret of the year. The climax shoot will be held in Malaysia, adds the source, and a set has been erected there. The risk of skin cancer is certainly much higher for whites than for people of colour. (Photo: AP) Uninsured, immigrant and minority communities in the United States may not be as aware of skin cancer as they should be, a recent study suggests. At a medical clinic in southern Florida, researchers surveyed members of these communities and found that nearly 25 percent had never heard of skin cancer, or melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, and almost 21 percent believed - incorrectly - that dark skinned people were immune to the disease. The findings confirm that minority patients dont understand the risk and that theyre misinformed, said Dr. Elizabeth Quigley, a dermatologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, who was not involved with the study. The risk of skin cancer is certainly much higher for whites than for people of colour. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, out of every 100,000 people in the U.S. in 2013, about 30 white people developed skin cancer, compared to about 5 Hispanics and roughly 1 or 2 blacks and Asians. But while people with lighter complexions are more prone to skin cancer, the American Academy of Dermatology warns that when its diagnosed in patients with skin of color, it tends to be more advanced. They dont know that they have it, so they arent checking for it, said Quigley. Whats missing are skin cancer education programs geared for people who dont speak English or who are illiterate, said lead author Dr. John Strasswimmer, a dermatologist who works at the Caridad Center in Boynton Beach, Florida and teaches at the University of Miami. Any of the brochures we have in our dermatology offices, or skin cancer information we give out to patients, is written for people who tend to be lighter skinned and more educated, Strasswimmer told Reuters Health by phone. Strasswimmer and colleagues collected surveys in 2015 and 2016 from 206 participants. Most were women, on average in their 40s, and largely from Central America, Mexico, South America and the Caribbean. Most had not gone to college. About 16 percent had ever asked a doctor about a suspicious spot on their skin, and almost 60 percent rarely or never checked their skin for spots, according to the findings published in JAMA Dermatology. About 75 percent of respondents fell into the low or inconsistent category for sun safe behaviors such as wearing a hat or long sleeves, or using sunscreen. Increased sunscreen use correlated with higher education. Most common reasons for not protecting the skin included its too hot, its inconvenient, and I dont have sunscreen, hat and/or long-sleeved shirt. There was no connection between participants skin color and their knowledge of skin cancer. Nearly 90 percent of adults expressed a strong desire to learn more about skin cancer, however, which Strasswimmer finds encouraging. Even though theres a lack of awareness, theres a thirst for knowledge, he said. Another study published in the same issue of the journal, found similar results among American Indian adults in rural New Mexico. Mary Logue and colleagues at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque asked 429 American Indian and non-Hispanic white adults how often they wore sunscreen or practiced other sun-safe behaviors. American Indian respondents were less likely to practice sun safe behaviors than their white counterparts. Although (skin cancer is) less common in American Indians, it can be deadly for them too, said Strasswimmer. Thats why education outreach is so important. Quigley pointed out that the research is helping to define an unmet need. Everyone is at risk for skin cancer, she said. Its important that people check their skin once a month for new or changing spots on the skin. Toronto: Scientists have developed novel caffeine-based chemical compounds that show promise in preventing the progression of Parkinson's disease. Parkinson's disease attacks the nervous system, causing uncontrolled shakes, muscle stiffness, and slow, imprecise movement, chiefly in middle-aged and elderly people. It is caused by the loss of brain cells (neurons) that produce dopamine, an essential neurotransmitter that allows neurons to "talk" to each other. Researchers from the University of Saskatchewan in Canada focused on a protein called a-synuclein (AS), which is involved in dopamine regulation. In Parkinson's sufferers, AS gets misfolded into a compact structure associated with the death of dopamine-producing neurons. AS appears to act like a prion disease. In prion diseases, one mis-folded protein triggers mis-folding in others, spreading like falling dominos. "Many of the current therapeutic compounds focus on boosting the dopamine output of surviving cells, but this is effective only as long as there are still enough cells to do the job," said Jeremy Lee, a biochemist from Saskatchewan. "Our approach aims to protect dopamine-producing cells by preventing a-synuclein from mis-folding in the first place," said Lee. Although the chemistry was challenging, Lee explained the team synthesised 30 different "bifunctional dimer" drugs, that is, molecules that link two different substances known to have an effect on dopamine-producing cells. They started with a caffeine "scaffold," guided by literature that shows the stimulant has a protective effect against Parkinson's. From this base, they added other compounds with known effects: nicotine, the diabetes drug metformin, and aminoindan, a research chemical similar to the Parkinson's drug rasagiline. Using a yeast model of Parkinson's disease, researchers discovered two of the compounds prevented the AS protein from clumping, effectively allowing the cells to grow normally. "Our results suggest these novel bifunctional dimers show promise in preventing the progression of Parkinson's disease," Lee said. The findings were published in the journal ACS Chemical Neuroscience. Venkata Subba Reddy of Tirupati, Gajjala Subba Reddy alias Narasimha Reddy of Pinnimitla Rachapalli and Reddiah of Nagavaram in Chitvel mandal in Kadapa district operated the racket while they were prisoners in Kuwait. (Representational image) Anantapur: Drug rackets operating through Kuwait prisons have lured several youths from rural areas in India to smuggle the stuff. Three persons from Rayalaseema region serving jail terms in Kuwait prisons ran the drug mafia by making calls via internet and mobile phones through a Delhi-based smuggler, police here has found out. Special Task Force team in Kadapa district on Wednesday interrogated the three who were involved in brown sugar smuggling in Galiveedu mandal in Kadapa district. Venkata Subba Reddy of Tirupati, Gajjala Subba Reddy alias Narasimha Reddy of Pinnimitla Rachapalli and Reddiah of Nagavaram in Chitvel mandal in Kadapa district operated the racket while they were prisoners in Kuwait. They involved ordinary air passengers in smuggling drugs from here to the Gulf. Bandi Shiva Reddy, a native of Guntla Cheruvu in Galiveedu mandal was residing at the NGO Colony in Rayachoti along with his aides Sayyad Arifulla and Edoti Navin Kumar of Kandulavaripalle in Chitvel mandal. Police seized 450 grams of brown sugar from them and they were detained. Police also seized another 850 gram of brown sugar from the residence of Shiva Reddy, that was totally worth Rs 80 lakh in the market, DSP Sudhakar said. Shiva Reddy had first been arrested under charges of violation of Immigration Act. He was imprisoned in Kuwait jail for four months. There he established contacts with smugglers and turned into a smuggler himself. On return home, he indulged in drug smuggling activities. Local gangs had contacts with Delhi-based smugglers, from whom they were reaching drugs to Kadapa district. The drugs were being smuggled to the Gulf countries in Horlicks bottles, set top boxes and clothes, police said and added that cases were also registered against Kuwait prisoners Venkata Subba Reddy, Gajjala Subba Reddy and Reddaih for their roles. More than 60 per cent of the total Indian nationals under detention and serving sentences in central jails of Kuwait are those involved in drugs and narcotics smuggling. The punishment under the Kuwaiti laws for violation of drug-related crimes is very severe and it may lead even to imprisonment or execution, a senior police official from Rayalaseema observed. The police and Intelligence agencies have now begun to join the dots of the four terror attacks. (Representational image) Bengaluru: The proscribed terrorist organisation, Al Ummah, has now reportedly morphed into South India-based Base Movement, which owes allegiance to Al Qaeda and has made the lower courts in the region its prime target. There have been four terror attacks in lower courts in South India since April this year and the last such attack, at a court in Nellore in Andhra Pradesh, was allegedly carried out by the Base Movement cadres. In the blast debris at Nellore Court, the forensic team found a pen drive, which contained a message that the Base Movement will execute more such attacks on courts in Maharashatra and Tamil Nadu, said an officer on condition of anonymity. The Arabic noun qa'idah means foundation or basis and Base Movement derives its identity from Al Qaeda and inspired by its slain leader Osama bin Laden. Al Ummah was founded in Tamil Nadu in 1993, a year after the Babri Masjid demolition, the officer said. According to Intelligence agencies, Base started its propaganda more than a year ago from Bengaluru; in January 2015, when a two-line letter was posted to the office of the then additional chief secretary to CM Siddaramaiah with a warning that the group would strike that year. The sender had signed off as Base Moment from Kovai (Coimbatore). The letter was later tracked to Singanallur in Coimbatore. A year later; on January 11 this year the French consulate in the city received an anonymous letter from Chennai by post. The unsigned letter bore the signature of Base Movement and warned the French President Francois Hollande against visiting India during Republic Day. The letter was tracked to Triplicane in Chennai with the name and address of the sender unknown. The third letter, which was received by the office of the Deputy Commissioner of Commercial Taxes, Chittoor in AP soon after a bomb went off in the district court complex on April 7 this year stated that the blast was carried out by the Base Movement in retaliation to the killing of five alleged members of the proscribed organisation SIMI in Warangal on April 7 last year. The police and Intelligence agencies have now begun to join the dots of the four terror attacks, said the officer The Chittoor court was followed by a second blast in Kollam in Kerala in June. The Principal District Judge Court complex in Mysuru was the third target, when a pressure cooker bomb went off on August 1. This was followed by a fourth low-intensity blast in Nellore on September 12 The National Investigation Agency is likely to take up all the four cases, the officer said. Bengaluru: The C.K. Achukattu police have arrested two people who claimed they were rowdies and extorted a businessman of Rs 90 lakh. The accused have been identified as Gurumurthy K.R. (31), a resident of Kumbalgod, and Prakash T (30), a resident of Sunkadakatte. The police said a businessman received a phone call on August 30 afternoon. The caller introduced himself as Magadi Ravi and claimed he had 60 criminal cases against him. He said that he has been given supari of Rs 75 lakh by someone to kill the businessman. He then told the businessman that if he paid Rs 25 lakh extra, Rs 1 crore, he would spare him. The caller also threatened that he knew to which school and college the businessmans son and daughter went, and would finish all his family members if he did not pay up. The scared businessman arranged Rs 90 lakh and contacted the accused on September 1 around 9 pm. The accused asked him to bring the money near Nagarabavi Flyover. When he went there, they directed him to keep the money bag in the car and go away without looking back. The businessman followed their instruction and after 10 minutes again the accused called him and told that the money was taken and he can take his car. The businessman returned to the car and left for home. Two days later, again the accused called him and demanded for Rs 25 lakh. The businessman then decided to file a police complaint. Based on the mobile number used by the accused, they were traced and arrested. It was revealed that accused Gurumurthy was earlier working as car driver for the complainant. After leaving the job, he had borrowed money from others and had incurred huge debt. Thus, he hatched a conspiracy to extort his former employer, the police said. Without any approval from immigration agencies the scamsters collect money for recruitment and cheat the ignorant. (Representational image) Hyderabad: Fake manpower consultancies are mushrooming in the city and are duping unemployed youths with promises of getting them unskilled and skilled jobs abroad. Without any approval from immigration agencies the scamsters collect money for recruitment and cheat the ignorant. In a recent case, 80 people were cheated by one consultancy based in Golconda. Most fake consultancies prey on youngsters from low and middle income families who want to go to West Asian countries. The scammers conduct interviews and collect passports and money to create the impression that they are processing applications. But even after months the candidates will not get a visa. When they make enquiries the scammers keep postponing the matter citing various reasons, said a police official from the commissioners task force. The cop said that after opening an office in Hyderabad, the scammers target victims from rural areas using their sub-agents in various districts. The sub-agents usually corner people from rural areas. Senior police officials say that as per the Emigration Act 1983, the Central governments Ministry of Labour is the only competent authority for the registration/renewal/cancellation of recruiting agents. As per Section 10 of the Act, no person can function as a recruiting agent without a valid certificate from the Union ministry of labour. Only a certified recruiting agent can carry on the business of recruiting Indian workers for Foreign employers. The certified agent should conduct his business only in the place indicated in the application. He or she is not allowed to appoint any sub-agent to expand his business, said the official from the commissioners task force. He said that most fake agents enter the business after working for a brief period with a certified agent. New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday slammed the Karnataka government for flouting its order passed on September 27 to release 6,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu for three days and thereby creating a situation where the majesty of law is dented. A Bench of Justices Dipak Misra and Uday Lalit described as unfortunate the defiance of Karnataka, reiterated its order and directed the state to release 6,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu for six days from October 1 to 6, when the matter will be taken up again for consideration. The Bench said, We are granting this opportunity as the last chance and we repeat at the cost of repetition that we are passing this order despite the resolution passed by the joint Houses of state legislature of the state of Karnataka. We are sure that the state of Karnataka being a part of the federal structure of this country will rise to the occasion and not show any kind of deviancy and follow the direction till the report on the ground reality is made available to this Court. The bench took note of the submissions of senior counsel Fali Nariman for Karnataka that he will not make any submission for the state as it had not obeyed the orders of the court. Mr Shekhar Naphade, senior counsel appearing for the State of Tamil Nadu, submitted that he does not intend to argue further, for any order that is passed by this court is possibly not going to be obeyed by Karnataka. With Karnataka insisting on inspecting the reservoirs in both the states to assess the ground reality, the bench directed Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi to ensure that the Cauvery Management Board is constituted on or before October 4. The bench asked Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Union Territory of Puducherry to nominate their representatives to the CMB by 4 pm on Saturday to enable the Centre to set up the Board by Tuesday. The Bench asked the CMB to study the ground reality (in both the states) and submit a report to the court on October 6. When the case resumed on Friday, Mr Nariman placed before the court copies of the letters written by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his reply to the chief minister. He read out the CMs letter which said that the state was not in a position to comply with the orders of the apex court to release water to Tamil Nadu. He wanted Mr Nariman to apprise the court of the states stand. On his part Mr. Nariman said since the court had issued a direction for release of water despite the resolution passed by the Assembly, we must honour the order of the court. I must therefore inform you that apart from reading your letter and my reply, we will not be able to make any submission on behalf of the state of Karnataka. The bench appreciated the stand taken by Mr Nariman and said, We must unhesitatingly state that this behoves the officer of the court in the highest tradition of the Bar. Referring to the defiance shown by Karnataka, the bench said, On a plain reading of Article 144 of the Constitution, it is clear as crystal that all authorities in the territory of India are bound to act in aid of the Supreme Court. Needless to say, they are bound to obey the orders of the Supreme Court and also, if required, render assistance and aid for implementation of the order/s of this court, but, unfortunately, the state of Karnataka is flouting the order and, in fact, creating a situation where the majesty of law is dented. Expressing its anguish, the Bench said, We would have proceeded to have taken steps for strict compliance of our order, but as we are directing the Cauvery Management Board to study the ground reality and give us a report forthwith, we reiterate our earlier direction that the state of Karnataka shall release 6,000 cusecs of water from 1st October, 2016 till 6th October, 2016. Modi finally holds Cauvery meet PM Narendra Modi on Friday held a meeting to discuss the Cauvery river water sharing issue. Some ministers and officials were present in the meeting where various options were discussed to resolve the matter. A meeting convened by the Centre to iron out differences between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka on the impasse had Thursday failed to achieve any breakthrough. Board: Centre sends letter to states The Union Water Resources Ministry on Friday asked four Cauvery basin states to nominate their representatives to be appointed on the Cauvery Water Management Board as directed by the Supreme Court. The apex court has directed the Centre to set up the Board by October 4, the Ministry Secretary, Shashi Shekhar said. A Karnataka government official confirmed that it received a communication from the Centre. Udhampur/Chandigarh: Army Chief Dalbir Singh on Saturday visited the Northern and Western Commands to review India's operational preparedness along the border with Pakistan in the wake of heightened tension between the two countries following the surgical strike at terror camps across the LoC. The Army Chief was briefed by top commanders in both the crucial commands about the prevailing situation and their overall preparedness and contingency plans. At the Udhampur headquarters of the Northern Command, which planned and executed the surgical strike, General Singh interacted with the special forces personnel who successfully carried out the operation. He was briefed by Lt Gen DS Hooda, GOC-in-C Northern Command on the overall security situation in the Command theatre. "The Army Chief interacted with the Corps Commanders and took a first hand assessment of the prevailing security situation and operational preparedness," a top army official in the Northern Command said. He said General Singh also interacted with the troops who participated in the surgical strike operation and conveyed his appreciation for the successful operation. Singh personally complimented officers and men who "successfully" targeted seven terror launch pads located in Leepa, Tattapani, Kel and Bhimbar. "The Army Chief was briefed on the operational matters by GOC-in-C, Western Command, Lt Gen Surinder Singh," a defence spokesman said in Chandigarh. "The Army Chief interacted with senior formation commanders and exhorted them to continue to maintain the highest vigil and alertness on the western borders," he said. Sources had said the decision on the surgical strike was taken soon after the attack on the Uri army base on September 18. They said India was ready with contingency plans considering the possibilities that Pakistan may retaliate in the wake of the surgical strike. It has been estimated that the number of casualties was at least 40 on Pakistani side but there was no official confirmation. The Army has also trashed reports in Pakistan about Indian casualties during the operation, saying one member of the special forces received minor injury while returning but it was not due to any enemy or terrorist action. On Board Special Aircraft: Vice President Hamid Ansari on Saturday said action against Pakistan was necessary as India can't be the recipient of terror attacks all the time and do nothing about it. Talking to reporters on his return from his two-nation visit of Nigeria and Mali, he said, "The prime minister had said 'we will do it and do it in the time and method of our choosing'. "How you do that is something left to the judgement of the government and the professionals in charge of this." Ansari said, you "can't be the recipient of terrorist attacks all the time and do nothing about it. Government has stated very clearly why action was necessary, terror launch pads were identified and taken care of". He said both the African countries he visited also expressed their resolve in fighting terrorism. "Both Nigeria and Mali have seen very serious terror attacks, many of which crossed national borders," he said. He also said that India wants restructuring of the legal framework by adopting a comprehensive convention on international terrorism. On the role of members of Organisation of Islamic States (OIC) when it comes to pronouncements on Jammu and Kashmir, he said it is a strange kind of organisation and not much importance should be given to it. Both Nigeria and Mali are members of OIC. Ansari said the Malian leadership apprised him that the West African country will not be party to any anti-India stand. During his address to the National Defence College in Nigerian capital Abuja too, Ansari had stressed on the need for societies that stand for peace and humanism to increase their cooperation and strengthen efforts to prevent supply of arms to terrorists, disrupt terrorist movements, and curb and criminalise terror financing. New Delhi: As India mulls scrapping Indus Waters Treaty to make Pakistan feel the pinch of its terror policy, China has blocked a tributary of the Brahmaputra river in Tibet as part of the construction of its "most expensive" hydro project which could cause concern in India as it may impact water flows into the lower riparian countries. The Lalho project on Xiabuqu river, a tributary of Yarlung Zangbo (the Tibetan name for Brahmaputra), in Xigaze in Tibet involves an investment of 4.95 billion yuan (USD 740 million), Zhang Yunbao, head of the project's administration bureau was quoted as saying by Chinese state-run Xinhua news agency today. Xigaze also known as Shigatse is closely located to Sikkim. From Xigaze, the Brahmaputra flows into Arunachal Pradesh. Terming it as the "most expensive project", the report said the project, whose construction began in June 2014, was scheduled to be completed in 2019. It is not clear yet what impact the blockade of the river will have on the flow of water from the Brahmaputra into the lower riparian countries like India and Bangladesh as a result, it said. Last year, China had operationalised the US $1.5 billion Zam Hydropower Station, the largest in Tibet, built on the Brahmaputra river, which has raised concerns in India. But China has been maintaining that it has taken into consideration India's concerns and allays apprehensions of restricting the flow of water, saying its dams are run of the river projects not designed to hold water. The outline of China's 12th Five Year Plan indicates that three more hydropower projects on the mainstream of the Brahmaputra river in Tibet Autonomous Region have been approved for implementation. In March, Union Minister of State for Water Resources Sanwar Lal Jat said in a statement that India had expressed its concerns to China about the likely impact of the dams. While there is no water treaty between the countries, India and China established an Expert Level Mechanism (ELM) on trans-border rivers and in October 2013 the two governments signed a memorandum of understanding on strengthening cooperation on trans-border rivers under which Beijing provides data to India on the water flows. The blockade of the Brahmaputra river tributary comes at a time when India's reported decision to suspend talks with Pakistan under Indus Water Treaty as part of its efforts to hit back at Pakistan in the aftermath of the Uri attack. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang gave a guarded reply when asked on September 27 about India's reported move. "As a friendly neighbour to both India and Pakistan, China hopes that India and Pakistan can properly address disputes and improve relations through dialogue and consultation, maintain and enhance all-round cooperation and join hands to promote regional peace, stability and development," Shuang told PTI. Some of the rivers under the Indus water treaty originate in China. Tirupati: Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu on Saturday said the Narendra Modi-led NDA government would offer complete support for all-round development of Andhra Pradesh besides the Rs 2.25 lakh crore financial package announced recently. Accusing the previous Congress-led UPA regime of 'hastily and unilaterally' carving out Telangana from Andhra Pradesh in 'just 23 minutes' in Parliament, he said in the process the special category status to the residual state was not included in the Andhra Pradesh State Reorganisation bill that later became an act. Addressing BJP workers here, he alleged that Congress did nothing for Andhra Pradesh during its five decades of rule in the state, but the present NDA government was taking various measures for the development of the state. Besides the financial package, it would extend more assistance ensuring the all-round development of the state, he said. He said though the foundation for the Polavaram irrigation project was laid by then Chief Minister T Anjaiah 34 years ago, there was no progress all these years. Only after the NDA came to power at the Centre and TDP in the state, the work on the project was moving fast with full funding by the Centre, he claimed. Listing out various measures taken by the NDA, he said Andhra Pradesh has been given top priority in housing schemes, while Rs 64,000 crore has been earmarked for building roads. Three smart cities - Visakhapatnam, Kakinada and Tirupati - with an outlay of Rs 1,500 crore had been sanctioned in Andhra Pradesh, he said, adding the Vizag-Chennai industrial corridor would be developed with funds from Asian Development Bank. He said the Centre was committed to facilitating the expansion of the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant at a cost of Rs 38,000 crore and a mega defence industry also would come up in Kurnool in an area of 2,900 acres. In addition to this, the Centre was planning to offer some incentives to industries through the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), he said. Naidu said Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the most committed leader the country has seen in the recent past. "Modi is a short form for 'Maker of Developed India'," he said. Later, Naidu, on his first visit here after assuming charge as Information and Broadcasting Minister, was felicitated by the BJP rank and file from districts of Rayalaseema and Nellore. State Ministers Kamineni Srinivas, B Gopala Krishna Reddy, P Manikyala Rao, TTD Chairman Chadala Krishnamurthy, MPs, and MLAs also attended the felicitation. Chennai: AIADMK on Saturday asserted that its hospitalised party supremo and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa is "healthy" even as a doctor from the UK has reportedly been flown in to examine the 68-year-old leader. "Amma (Jayalalithaa) is healthy. She needs rest as per doctors' advice and will return in good health," senior AIADMK leader and former Minister P Valaramathi told reporters. She said Jayalalithaa was performing official duties and pointed out that she had even announced the party's candidates for this month's civic polls while being hospitalised. "Some jealous people are carrying out a wrong campaign to confuse people by spreading rumours" about Jayalalithaa's health, she said. Meanwhile, the Apollo Hospitals, where Jayalalithaa has been hospitalised for treatment for fever and dehydration, reportedly flew in UK-based Dr Richard John Beal to examine the Chief Minister. Jayalalithaa was admitted to the hospital on September 22 after she complained of fever and dehydration. She has been advised to stay for a few days at the hospital. Another senior leader and AIADMK spokesperson, 'Panruty' S Ramachandran, also insisted that Jayalalithaa would "return home soon". "The Chief Minister is recovering well. We believe, she will return home soon. Please do not believe in rumours," he told reporters here. The doctors were sharing information regularly on the Chief Minister's health, he said. On DMK chief M Karunanidhi seeking an explanation over Jayalalithaa's health, Ramachandran said "he has no right" to demand so. "What has to be informed to the people, we are doing so. The doctors are qualified to talk about someone's illness and they are sharing information," he added. Karunanidhi had yesterday demanded that pictures of the Chief Minister be released to quell rumours about her condition. Bengaluru: Opposition parties in Karnataka on Saturday asked the Siddaramaiah government not to release "at any cost" 6,000 cusecs of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu as directed by the Supreme Court, and to oppose the formation of Cauvery Water Management Board. Emerging out of a more than a three-hour long all-party meeting here, BJP and JDS leaders said they told the government to stick to the resolution passed by both the Houses of state legislature on September 23 that water should be used only for drinking purpose, and not be spared for any other use. Soon after the all-party meet, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah went into a huddle at a meeting of the Council of Ministers which would take a call on the Supreme Court directive. Taking Karnataka to task for its repeated "defiance" by flouting its orders on release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu and giving it a last chance, the Supreme Court yesterday asked it to discharge 6,000 cusecs from October 1 to 6, warning no one would know when the "wrath of the law" would fall on it. The court had also directed the Centre to constitute the Cauvery Water Management Board by October 4. "We should not obey the Supreme Court order at any cost as it is unimplementable. The House (legislature) decision should be upheld. Government should stick to the decision," Opposition BJP leader in the Assembly Jagadish Shettar told reporters. He said BJP was opposed to the formation of the Cauvery Water Management Board and added, "We will do all that is necessary to put pressure on the Centre (not to constitute it)." JDS leader Y S V Datta said the state should not release 6,000 cusecs as directed by the apex court "at any cost". "Whatever may be the consequences, we will all face it together. We are with the government," he said. He said since the state was opposed to the formation of the Cauvery Water Management Board, it should not name its representatives to it. Datta said that if a situation of contempt of the court was to arise, all MPs, MLAs and MLCs should submit affidavits stating that that they all be made responsible and not just the Chief Minister and the Chief Secretary. Union Ministers D V Sadananda Gowda and Ramesh Jigajinagi and former Chief Ministers B S Yeddyurappa (BJP) and Shettar, JDS leader H D Kumaraswamy and Congress leader in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge were among those who attended the meet. An attempt to broker an agreement between the two squabbling states by the Centre on September 29 had failed to yield any result. The Cauvery Supervisory Committee had on September 19 asked Karnataka to release 3,000 cusecs daily from September 21 to 30, but the apex court the next day doubled the quantum to 6,000 cusecs from September 21 to 27 after Tamil Nadu pressed for water to save its samba paddy crop. On September 27, the Supreme Court bench directed Karnataka to release 6,000 cusecs water to Tamil Nadu for three days, despite the resolution of the state legislature. In between on September 12, the court had modified its order of September 5 directing Karnataka to release 12,000 cusecs per day till September 20 to Tamil Nadu. The September 5 order had directed release of 15,000 cusecs of Cauvery water per day to Tamil Nadu for the next 10 days. In an unprecedented move in the more than century-long Cauvery dispute, both the Legislative Assembly and the Council on September 23 had adopted the resolution not to provide water for any other purpose except to meet drinking needs, citing "acute distress" and "alarmingly low levels" in its dams. Mumbai: Shiv Sena leader Manisha Kayande has said Bollywood actor Salman Khan needs to be taught a lesson for backing Pakistani actors. "I think he needs to be taught a lesson. When several jawans are losing their lives all these years, even when there has been war-like situation between Pakistan and India, this statement coming from him is highly objectionable," Kayande said. "This is a very insensitive statement that he has made. If he has so much love for Pakistan and Pakistani artistes, I think he should go and perform there or rather migrate to Pakistan. I think that is the way he will learn a lesson one day," she added. On Friday, Salman was asked for his opinion on the boycott of Pakistani artistes in India and Khan replied that artistes should not be equated with terrorists. "The ideal situation would have been peace [between the two countries]" but since there has been an attack on India, there would be some reaction," he added He pointed out that there is a difference between artistes who have gained appropriate visas and permission from the government to work in India, and terrorists who perpetrated the Uri attacks that left 19 Army soldiers. New Delhi: India is all set to ratify the Paris climate deal on Sunday, with President Pranab Mukherjee giving his assent to a proposal approved earlier by the government, making India one of the key countries to help bring the pact into force. "We will ratify the Paris deal in the UN tomorrow. The President has signed it. The Union Cabinet has already approved it," Environment Minister Anil Madhav Dave told reporters here. He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced on September 25 that India will ratify it on October 2 on the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. "This (decision) was taken after a lot of deliberations and with a view to give the world a messege...India is fast becoming a super power," Dave said. "Call it international pressure or a sort of competition, this morning European Union has also decided to ratify it, which is a good thing," Dave said. The Union Cabinet had given its nod to ratifying the Paris climate deal on September 28, days after Modi announced this at BJPs National Council meet in Kozhikode. The move is expected to give momentum to the implementation of measures at the international level to control global warming. Indias ratification tomorrow will further underline its responsive leadership, which is committed to global cause of environment. The pact will come into force after it has been ratified by at least 55 countries which account for 55 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions. So far, 61 countries have deposited their instruments of ratification, acceptance or approval accounting in total for 47.79 per cent of the total global greenhouse gas emissions. India's decision to ratify the agreement will take the number of cumulative level of emission of countries that have ratified the agreement so far to 51.89 per cent as its total emissions is 4.1 per cent of the global emissions. Dave said after EU has decided to ratify it, the total emissions amongst countries which have ratified the agreement will go up to 61 per cent. Paris Agreement was adopted by 185 nations last year on December 12 and India signed it in New York on April 22 this year. A total of 191 countries have signed the Paris Agreement so far. Chennai: Tamil Nadu Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao visited Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa in hospital on Saturday and said, she is recovering well. "The Governor was happy to note that the chief minister is recovering well and appreciated the doctors for providing the best medical care and treatment," a statement released by the Governors office read. Earlier in the day, AIADMK asserted that its hospitalised party supremo is "healthy" even as a doctor from the UK has reportedly been flown in to examine the 68-year-old leader. "Amma (Jayalalithaa) is healthy. She needs rest as per doctors' advice and will return in good health," senior AIADMK leader and former Minister P Valaramathi told reporters. She said Jayalalithaa was performing official duties and pointed out that she had even announced the party's candidates for this month's civic polls while being hospitalised. "Some jealous people are carrying out a wrong campaign to confuse people by spreading rumours" about Jayalalithaa's health, she said. Meanwhile, the Apollo Hospitals, where Jayalalithaa has been hospitalised for treatment for fever and dehydration, reportedly flew in UK-based Dr Richard John Beal to examine the Chief Minister. Jayalalithaa was admitted to the hospital on September 22 after she complained of fever and dehydration. She has been advised to stay for a few days at the hospital. Another senior leader and AIADMK spokesperson, 'Panruty' S Ramachandran, also insisted that Jayalalithaa would "return home soon". "The Chief Minister is recovering well. We believe, she will return home soon. Please do not believe in rumours," he told reporters here. The doctors were sharing information regularly on the Chief Minister's health, he said. On DMK chief M Karunanidhi seeking an explanation over Jayalalithaa's health, Ramachandran said "he has no right" to demand so. "What has to be informed to the people, we are doing so. The doctors are qualified to talk about someone's illness and they are sharing information," he added. Karunanidhi had yesterday demanded that pictures of the Chief Minister be released to quell rumours about her condition. Hyderabad: Telangana Chief Minister and TRS President K Chandrasekhar Rao would meet party leaders from the districts on the proposed reorganisation of districts in the State. Rao would meet leaders from Medak, Nizamabad, Ranga Reddy, Mahabubnagar and Nalgonda districtrs tomorrow to know public views on formation of new districts, revenue divisions and other administrative units, sources said. He would talk to TRS leaders from Hyderabad, Warangal, Adilabad, Khammam and Karimnagar districts, they said. The State Government proposes to increase the number of districts from the present 10 to 27. The new districts are planned to come into effect from the Dasara festival this month. On Friday, Pakistan violated the ceasefire twice along the Line of Control (LoC) by opening fire in Naugam sector and Poonch district. (Photo: PTI/ Representational Image) Srinagar: Violating the ceasefire again, Pakistani troops on Saturday targeted Indian posts and civilian areas with mortar bombs and heavy machine guns along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir's Akhnoor tehsil. There was no loss of life or injury to anyone in the firing, which started at 3:30 am and ended at 6 am. Indian troops guarding the border retaliated effectively, defence sources said. "There was heavy shelling of mortar bombs, RPGs and heavy machine guns and small arms firing on forward positions along the LoC in Pallanwala sector and Chamb area of Akhnoor tehsil today," the sources said. Police said the Pakistani troops targeted Badoo and Chanoo hamlets. "Villagers residing along the LoC were evacuated and shifted to safer places," a police official said. As some border residents were returning to take care of their cattle and homes along the border, Pakistan troops tried to target them by heavy firing, they said. Some houses were hit by bullets from Pakistan in Badoo village, police said. This is the fifth violation of the 2004 ceasefire by Pakistani troops along LoC in J&K in the past four days. Pakistan has stepped up cross-border firing after the surgical strikes on September 29 by the India Army to destroy terror launchpads in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir. On Friday, Pakistani troops had restored to small arms firing along LoC in Pallanwala, Chaprial, Samnam areas of Akhnoor sector of Jammu district during the night, Deputy Commissioner Jammu Simrandeep Singh said. The Cabinet Committee on Security was given full details of the surgical strikes along LoC after it was conducted on Wednesday night. (Photo: PTI) New Delhi: The decision to take action against terrorists in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) was taken days after the attack on an Army headquarters in Uri, Jammu and Kashmir, but only the top brass was informed about the details of the surgical strikes carried out on Thursday. According to a report in The Indian Express, only Prime Minister Narendra Modi, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Army Chief General Dalbir Singh and Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar were aware of the operational details of the surgical strike, while other members of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) were informed only after it was over at a meeting on Thursday. The members of CCS, which takes decisions on the matters of National Security, had met on September 24 to discuss broad details of targeting terrorists, but there was no mention of surgical strikes at the meeting. The strike has sent the clear message that the Modi government is not your usual government. We are not orthodox, the Prime Minister doesnt go by the dos and donts of conventional diplomacy, a top BJP leader was quoted as saying. India conducted surgical strikes on terror launchpads along the Line of Control in Pakistan in the early hours of Thursday, days after the Uri terror attack that killed 19 soldiers. The Indian Army made an official announcement about the strikes along the border in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir on Thursday, but did not release any figures on the casualties. But the Indian Army estimate, "the casualties are substantial and if and when photographs and videos are released, the Army will be able to buttress the claim of success," The Indian Express quoted its sources as saying. However, the pictures or videos of the strikes are unlikely to be released any time soon as the Centre feels it could complicate the post-strike situation. The Centre is now monitoring Pakistan Army chief Raheel Sharifs retirement scheduled in November. The government feels Pakistans security establishment might plan a response to the strike before his departure. New Delhi: Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday spoke to the family members of an Indian soldier, whose grandmother passed away after hearing the news of his capture in Pakistan. The Home Minister telephoned the close family members of Chandu Babulal Chohan, son of Bashan Chohan, who hails from Dhule in Maharashtra, after learning about the demise of his grandmother. Sources said Chandu's grandmother died of shock after hearing the news that he has been captured by Pakistani forces. Singh assured Chandu's family members that the government is doing its best to bring back home the soldier safe. Indian Army sources had said yesterday that "one soldier from 37 RR with weapon has inadvertently crossed over to the other side of the Line of Control. Pakistan has been informed by the DGMO on the hotline." The sources said his crossing over was not related to the surgical strikes carried out by the Indian Army at terror launch pads in PoK. Earlier, the Home Minister said the government has taken note of the reports which stated that an Indian soldier is in Pakistan's captivity and all attempts were being made to secure his release. Mumbai: Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday apologised for a cartoon published in 'Saamana' alluding to the Maratha rallies that had sparked a controversy, with the party drawing the ire of the community, political parties and an attack on an office of the newspaper. The controversial cartoon had appeared in last Sunday's edition of Sena mouhtpiece and apparently referred to the "silent marches" being taken out all over the state by the Maratha community to press for their demands like quota in jobs and education. "The controversy over the cartoon may have died down, but my heart is still in a state of turmoil. I am deeply hurt because a Shiv Sainik can never humiliate women, whom we worship. I am thankful to the people who did not let their trust in the Sena dwindle due to the controversy that had been generated," Thackeray told a press conference here. "As president of Shiv Sena and editor of 'Saamana', I apologise to all mothers and sisters, who may have been inadvertently hurt by the cartoon. But, the cartoon never intended to disrespect anybody," he said. Notably, the Maratha rallies stood out for overwhelming participation of women from the community. Asked about the delay in tendering the apology, he said, "I was watching who all will try to take political advantage out of this controversy and was waiting to see if the people's trust in us will get eroded." Quizzed if the apology came in the wake of Sena being cornered by its ally BJP and Opposition parties, Thackeray said he does not get pressurised by anybody and he was only bowing down to women who have been hurt by the cartoon. "Whatever I said today is from my heart and there was no pressure on me to apologise," he added. On Tuesday last, the office of the Sena mouthpiece in Navi Mumbai was stoned with a pro-Maratha social outfit, Sambhaji Brigade, claiming responsibility for the attack. Thackeray said a Sena delegation led by him met Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis yesterday and submitted a written demand for a special one day session of the state Legislature to discuss the demands of Marathas, including reservation in jobs and education. "The chief minister said he was of the view that Marathas should be given reservation. But, he failed to specify when. If he does not do it, it will be like playing with their emotions. We want legislators from all political parties to put on record their stand over the issue," he said. Taking a dim view of Thackeray's statements, Congress said if his apology was indeed heartfelt, he would have done so immediately after the cartoon was published. "Uddhav Thackeray has understood the gravity of the situation very late. His apology now only shows his exasperation over the reaction of the Maratha community. "Instead of apologising only to the womenfolk, he should have apologised to the entire community," Leader of Opposition in Assembly and Congress member Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil said. "If his apology was indeed heartfelt, he should have apologised immediately after the cartoon was published and triggered adverse reaction. Doing so now only shows he has realised he has been cornered and lost support of Marathas," the Congress leader added. Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut, who oversees the day to day affairs of 'Saamana', had recently said he saw no reason to apologise over the cartoon which appeared to lampoon the Maratha protests. 19 Indian Army soldiers died and more than a dozen injured in a fidayeen attack in an Army base camp in Uri. (Photo: PTI) Srinagar: The Brigade Commander in-charge of the Army Brigade headquarters in Uri, Jammu and Kashmir, where the deadly terror attack took place in which 19 soldiers were killed, has been shifted out from the Base until the enquiry into the dastardly strike is completed. According to sources, this is standard procedure as the personnel responsible for the site of incident under probe, is attached to another area until investigations are complete. An internal investigation is underway into the Uri incident to detect if there was a loophole which caused the attack. Earlier, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar admitted that "something must have been wrong" because of which the Uri terror attack took place, and added that if required India is capable of "knee jerk reaction." "Something must have been wrong. Though I will not go into details of it because it is a very sensitive matter. When something goes wrong while you try to correct it you should also ensure that it does not happen again," Parrikar said The death toll in the attack went up to 19 when Naik Raj Kishor Singh, who was injured in the strike, breathed his last on Friday at the RR Hospital in the national capital. Meanwhile, Army Chief General Dalbir Singh visited Army's Northern Command in Jammu and Kashmir to review the security situation after the surgical strikes on terror launch pads across the LoC. General Singh arrived at the Northern Command headquarters in Udhampur this morning and reviewed security and border situation in the state. The Army Chief complimented all ranks of Northern Command for successfully conducting the surgical strike in which significant casualties were inflicted on terrorists preparing to infiltrate from PoK. The legislators say since the TRS government is focussing on setting up residential schools, they are confused whether it will be of any use if they grant funds for the existing schools which are non-residential. (Representational image) Hyderabad: A majority of the MLAs and MLCs in TS tend to draw their purse strings when it comes to spending from their Constituency Development Programme funds for strengthening of state schools. Following Supreme Court directions to strengthen government schools, the government had asked each MLA and MLC to grant Rs 1 crore of the Rs 5 crore allotted to them under CDP to provide basic facilities in schools. However, not even 25 per cent of 180 MLAs and MLCs came forward to grant funds despite repeated reminders during the last four months. Deputy Chief Minister Kadiam Srihari, who holds the education portfolio, had himself written to each and every MLA/ MLC seeking financial assistance. However, most of the MLAs and MLCs are okay with releasing funds for roads etc., but not for schools. The Supreme Court had rapped the TS government for deciding to close 300 zero enrolment schools early this year and dispatched teams to the districts to find out the reasons. The reports sent to the SC said that because of lack of basic facilities like water, toilets, benches, chalk etc. in the government schools, parents were wary of admitting their wards in them. The reports said that though people hailing from weaker sections cant afford private schools, they send their wards there by incurring debts. Following this, the SC directed the TS government to take steps to strengthen government schools. In this backdrop, the government decided to strengthen schools in each Assembly constituency by spending Rs 5 crore, under which each MLA and MLC should contribute Rs 1 crore and the remaining Rs 3 crore would be sanctioned from Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan. The target was to mobilise Rs 595 crore. However, only 40 of the 180 MLAs/MLCs gave their consent. The legislators say since the TRS government is focussing on setting up residential schools, they are confused whether it will be of any use if they grant funds for the existing schools which are non-residential. Teacher MLC P. Sudhakar Reddy said, Most of the development works being taken up in schools are benefitting contractors rather than students. For this reason, we are not keen on giving funds to schools. Moreover, the government started setting up hundreds of residential schools from this year. Who will take admissions in the existing schools when the government is providing free hostels and food facility in residential schools? Bengaluru: Looks like burglars in the city are now finding it easy to commit house break thefts because of two reasons firstly the police, of late, have been tied down with bandobust duties due to Cauvery row during daytime, hence night patrolling in many parts of the city has taken a hit. Secondly due to the festival season many residents have gone out of town to visit relatives. There is little night-time patrolling by police in localities such as Indiranagar, Ashok Nagar, Kamakshipalaya, Kalasipalaya, Subramanyapura, Yelahanka, K.R. Puram and other areas. This serves as an ideal situation for the burglars to strike, said a resident. During daytime they carry out a recce of locked houses, with resident gone away to celebrate Dasara and Diwali with their relatives. A classic example was a house in Indiranagar, located adjacent to a bar and a salon, which was broken into last weekend. While police stated that it was an attempt to burglary, the victims claimed that the burglars made away with a laptop, phone and Rs 10,000 in cash from the house. Around two or more burglars broke into the house, owned by Bhatia, after the family had gone to Delhi for a week to meet their relatives. Though the house had two security guards stationed at the front portion, the burglars gained access to the house by breaking open a bamboo fence and the glass window on the rear side. They ransacked the entire house, but the police claimed the burglars got nothing and left the spot. The next morning, Bhatias manager lodged a complaint with the Indiranagar police station. It might be recalled that recently the burglars struck at the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) Chairman Lakshmans son house in Kamakshipalaya and made away with Rs 5 crore. However in the police complaint was registered only for a theft of Rs 5 lakh, for reasons best known to the complainant. At a few police stations, inspectors and their subordinates are spreading awareness regarding the recent increase in thefts and have urged jurisdictional residents to be alert and adopt security measures such as burglar alarms and CCTV cameras. We are planning to print pamphlets advising residents to be careful about safe keeping their jewellery, cash or other valuables in unexpected places like kitchen, if they are leaving valuables at home. There are several other tactics to ensure that valuables remain safe at ones house itself and we are trying to spread awareness among residents, said a senior police officer. Resident should ensure that no milk or newspapers are delivered while they are away. While carrying out recce for locked houses the burglars look for such tell tale signs as newspapers and milk packets lying outside to identify their targets, the officer added. NEW DELHI: Suspected tax dodgers declared Rs 65,250 crore of undisclosed incomes and assets in India as the Centres four-month compliance window ended on Friday, yielding Rs 29,362 crore to the government in taxes. Half of this tax revenue will accrue this fiscal itself, and will be spent on public welfare schemes, finance minister Arun Jaitley said on Saturday. Black money declarations under the Income Declaration Scheme (IDS) will go up once all the online and manual filings of undisclosed assets are compiled. The government did not name any of the 64,275 declarants. The Centre had offered a one-time chance to holders of untaxed incomes and assets to escape prosecution by coming clean and paying in installments by September 30, 2017 tax, penalty and cess totalling 45 per cent of the assets disclosed. Private wealth management firm Ambit Capital in a report in May 2016 estimated Indias black economy at Rs 30 lakh crore. This will mean the current declarations are just 2.17 per cent of the total hidden wealth in India. I think it is a good figure.... This money will go to the Consolidate Fund of India, and will be collectively used for public welfare, Mr Jaitley said. Reports said that the highest declarations under the scheme launched on June 1 came from Hyderabad, followed by Mumbai, New Delhi and Kolkata. Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the outcome of the scheme successful. Guwahati: While there is no water-sharing treaty between the countries, India and China established an Expert Level Mechanism on trans-border rivers and in October 2013 the two governments signed a memorandum of understanding on strengthening cooperation on trans-border rivers under which Beijing provides data to India on the water flows. The reports of blockade of the Brahmaputra tributary comes at a time of Indias reported decision to suspend talks with Pakistan under the Indus Water Treaty as part of its efforts to hit back at Pakistan in the aftermath of the Uri attack. Some of the rivers under the Indus Water Treaty originate in China. Xinhua news agency quoted Zhang Yunbao, head of the project's administration bureau, as saying that the Lalho project on Xiabuqu river, a tributary of Yarlung Zangbo, in Xigaze in Tibet involves an investment of 4.95 bn yuan ($740 million). NEW DELHI: Suspected tax dodgers declared Rs 65,250 crore of undisclosed incomes and assets in India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the outcome of the scheme successful, and said it was a great contribution towards transparency and growth of the economy. The Centre had sent out around 7,00,000 notices earlier this year to suspected evaders. Income tax department offices were open till Friday midnight to allow people to make declarations. Under the Voluntary Disclosure of Income Scheme (VDIS) launched by then UPAs finance minister P. Chidambaram in 1997, the government had received 4.75 lakh declarations and tax revenue of Rs 9,760 crore. However, in that scheme, those making declarations were given the discretion to value their assets, like gold and real estate, at back-dated rates. There were allegations that the scheme led to large-scale under valuation of assets. Mr Jaitley said both schemes are different and cannot be compared. While IDS is not an amnesty scheme, Voluntary Disclosure of Income Scheme provided blanket amnesty, he said. IDS tax rate was 45 per cent. In case of Voluntary Disclosure of Income Scheme, it was 30 per cent, but effectively it was close to single digits because the assets were assessed as per their value in 1987 and not 1997," Mr Jaitley said. In the current scheme, those declaring assets had to asses them at their current market value. Mr Jaitley also listed out steps taken in two years to unearth unaccounted money, including Rs 56,378 crore during search operation and Rs 16,000 crore from non-filers of tax returns. Last year, under a similar scheme for black money stashed abroad, 644 declarations were received, yielding Rs 2,428 crore in taxes. Black money has been an intense political issue in India. Prime Minister Modi had during the 2014 elections pledged to bring back billions of dollars in black money if elected. Hyderabad: The AP circle of Income- Tax department (TS and AP) netted Rs 11,000 crore from the Income Declaration Scheme (IDS) which will yield Rs 4.950 crore to the government in taxes. Both the states stood at first two positions in South India with Rs 6,000 crore in AP and Rs 5,000 crore in TS followed by Karnataka with Rs 4,700 crore. The all-India figure has been pegged at Rs 65,000 crore. Highly placed official sources in the Central Board of Direct Taxes told this newspaper that the AP circle has crossed the figure of Rs 11,000 crore by the end of September. The compilation is continuing and by Monday evening we shall have final figures, which means the circle will have contributed more than 20 per cent to the countrys total collections. We are expecting the final figure will be `12,500 crore, the sources explained. Nearly 7,000 business personalities, realtors, politicians and other persons from industrial sector from the two Telugu states have responded to the call given by the I-T department. Hyderabad: The Income Tax department will now raid those, who holding black money and did not declare it under IDS. An official source said that the department had identified as many as 50,000 persons including politicians, businessmen and families of NRIs holding black money in TS and AP. We have received response from only 7,000 persons against 50,000 which is a small number. Through various sources, the department had gathered data earlier. Officials will meet from Monday onward to decide further action. We identified that about 12,000 persons from the two Telugu states became millionaire over one-year in illegal ways using penny stock frauds, suitcase companies and charitable trust frauds to convert black money to white. We also identified those holding black money and benami properties. Very soon, we will form teams to raid such persons, the source said. Union minister for water resources, river development and Ganga rejuvenation, Uma Bharti during a meeting on Cauvery issue with the Chief Minister of Karnataka, Siddaramaiah and PWD Minister of Tamil Nadu, Edappadi K. Palanisamy in New Delhi on Thursday. MoS for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Sanjeev Kumar Balyan is also seen. (PhotoPTI) New Delhi: Karnataka once again flouted the orders of the Supreme Court and filed a petition on Saturday seeking review of the direction issued on Friday to the Centre to set up Cauvery Management Board on or before October 4. The States of Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Union Territory of Puducherry were directed to nominate their representatives to the CMB by 4 pm today. While others have complied with the order and sent names of their representatives to the Union Water Resources Ministry, Karnataka did not nominate its representative in view of the filing of the review petition and thus defied the apex court order. In its review petition, Karnataka said the apex Courts orders have resulted in miscarriage of justice. The court has committed an error in directing the Union of India to constitute CMB without considering the that a three-judge Bench was to hear the appeals against the final award of the Cauvery Tribunal and the setting up of CMB is one such issue before this Bench. Karnataka pointed out that there was no mandate to constitute the Cauvery Management Board as such a direction could not have been issued to the Central Government by the Tribunal, since the Central Government was not a party to the Water Dispute before the Tribunal. Therefore, this Court has erred in directing the Central Government to constitute a Cauvery Management Board relying on the recommendations of the Tribunal which are subject matter of Appeals pending before this Court. By its orders on September 20 and 30 in relation to CMB, the apex court has not taken cognizance of the fact that the constitution of the Board, being Legislative in character, depends upon the authority exercising the power as well as the nature of the function and obligation arising from the Legislation. Under these circumstances, this Court ought not to have exercised the writ of mandamus to constitute Cauvery Management Board, the state said. This court has also erred in directing release of 6,000 cusecs of water to TN on September 27 and 30 when the present live storage of water in the four reservoirs of Karnataka is insufficient even to meet the drinking water requirement of Bangalore City, Towns and Villages etc, it added. Invoking Article 21 of the Constitution (right to life which includes right to drinking water), Karnataka said the right to drinking water is a basic need for survival of human being and further releases to Tamil Nadu will affect the drinking water requirements. As per the National Water Policy 2012, the first priority is for the drinking water than the irrigation. By directing further releases, this Court is giving importance to the irrigation requirements of the State of Tamil Nadu than the drinking water requirement of the State of Karnataka, it said. If this Court had considered the priority for drinking water, it would not have ordered further release water on September 20, 27 and 30 from the reservoirs of Karnataka as it would cause irreparable injury to Karnataka i.e. once the release are made from the reservoirs of Karnataka, the water cannot be retrieved in case of good normal North-East monsoon. Mukesh, employed with the Metro Rail, tries to shake hands with African Lions after jumping into their enclosure at the Nehru Zoological Park in the city on Sunday. Hyderabad: Metro Rail worker Mukesh who jumped into an enclosure of African lions at the Nehru Zoological Park here was sentenced to four months imprisonment by a court on Saturday. The incident happened on May 22. The Special Magistrates Court sentenced Mukesh to four months and four days jail and imposed a fine of Rs 100 on him. As he was in remand since his arrest he was released from prison. The 35-year-old Mukesh, hailing from Rajasthan, was drunk when he jumped into an enclosure of African lions to shake hands with the two lions inside. After jumping into the enclosure Mukesh fell into the moat inside it. Caretaker Papaiah saw Mukesh swimming in the moat towards the lions. He ran towards the parapet, climbed on it, and shouted at the lions to move them away from Mukesh. Mukesh was pulled out immediately by other staffers. He was later arrested by the Bahadurpura police under provisions of the Wildlife Act and for tresspassing. Hyderabad: Moved by the death of two girl students of the Kasturba Gandhi Balikala Gurukul Vidyalayam, Dahegaon, in Adilabad district due to snakebite, the Hyderabad High Court has directed the TS Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan project director to pay Rs 8 lakh each to the family of the girls. Justice P. Naveen Rao was allowing a petition by Mulukutla Pochaiah and Kambala Mallesh, both residents of Adilabad, seeking to direct the authorities to pay Rs 10 lakh for death of Rajeshwari and Laxmi on August 23, 2006 due to snakebite in the school. The petitioners told the court that the schools was established in a dilapidated house which lacked even basic amenities and the authorities failed to provide emergency treatment to snakebite victims. The judge said, Its a clear case of negligence by the authorities which led to untimely death of two children in the most bizarre manner. Their actions shock the conscious of this Court. It is better to shut down such schools than making the children study under constant threat to their life. He directed the respondents to open FD accounts in the name of mothers of the deceased children and deposit `5 lakh in each of the accounts. The remaining `3 lakh should be place in fixed deposit in the names of the living sisters of the two victims. The judge gave the respondent 12 weeks from the date of receipt of copy of the order to comply. The Hyderabad High Court has held that once a couple is separated and the separation has continued for a sufficient length of time and one of them seeks divorce, it can well be presumed that the marriage was broken down. A division bench comprising Justice C.V. Nagarjuna Reddy and Justice G. Shyam Prasad, while allowing an appeal by a man challenging the order of lower court rejecting his divorce petition, observed: The Court, no doubt, would seriously make an endeavour to reconcile the parties; yet, if it is found that the breakdown is irreparable, then divorce should not be withheld. Justice Reddy said, A marriage signifies union of two bodies and souls. As long as the couple lives in a congenial atmosphere with amiable and amicable understanding, they enjoy the marital bliss. An occasional quarrel between the spouses is not uncommon. But quarrels of the nature as between a cat and mouse or a snake and mongoose make the life of both the spouses miserable. New Delhi: The meticulous planning that went into conducting surgical strikes at launch pads inside Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) can be gauged from the fact that initially the operation by Special Forces was to be conducted on Tuesday night. However, it was pushed to a day later as intelligence agencies, which were closely monitoring movement of Pakistani rangers along the Line of Control, informed the Centre that there was heavy patrolling close to the advance launch pads by the Pakistani troops. Clearly, since New Delhis game plan was to avoid any direct confrontation with the Pakistani forces, the surgical strikes were delayed by a day to Wednesday when intelligence inputs revealed that the Pakistani rangers had moved further to a different location from the launch pads. The information was received on late Wednesday evening. Since the para-commandos were already alerted about the strike, they were immediately ordered to be ready for the operation later that night. Multiple agencies were working in close co-ordination and getting concrete actionable intelligence helped us plan the operation better. We had to be careful that the Pakistani forces moved out of the area before we could strike to minimise the collateral damage and a direct conflict with the Pak Army, a senior security official, who was closely involved in the operation, disclosed. Top security sources also revealed that India was in possession of credible evidence of the military action, and it was not merely restricted to just the video shots and photographs taken by the UAVs that the commandos from the 4 and 9 Para were carrying with them. Intelligence agencies also got wireless intercepts of terror operatives discussing about the strikes carried out by the Indian Army at four locations in Lipa, Kel, Tatapani and Bhimber. In one of the intercepts, a terrorist commander from PoK can be heard instructing a militant in the Kashmir Valley to remain on high alert in wake of the incident as the Army could launch a fresh offensive. Hyderabad: With the health ministry failing to keep its promise of releasing Rs 300 crore to the Telangana Small Hospitals and Nursing Homes Association for Aarogyasri patients the services have now been stopped from October 1. Dr Suresh Goud, member of THANA said: Two months ago, health minister Dr Laxma Reddy had promised the release of Rs 300 crore but so far, we have not received anything. It is becoming very difficult for private hospitals to survive. The total pending amount now is Rs 400 crores. We cant be part of the Aarogyasri scheme, in this manner. Members of THANA met with Dr Reddy and reiterated the same demand. A source said: The hospital authorities were very upset over the fact that no cash had been released yet. The government said the process of releasing the money would take three months but the doctors were not willing to listen. Over 600 hospitals in the state have stopped the services and patients now face the prospect of approaching big corporate hospitals for their healthcare needs. New Delhi: Condemning the Uri terror attack, an Islamic body on Saturday urged the Centre to take all possible steps to avoid war with Pakistan and suggested that the two sides hold dialogue to resolve the disputes. Addressing a press conference here, office-bearers of the Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH) also flagged concerns over alleged slow pace of probe in the Mewat double murder and gangrape incident as it claimed that the handling of the case indicates the Haryana government is "shielding" culprits. They also hit out at the BJP government in Assam over its anti-illegal immigrant drive, alleging that the members of the Muslim community there are being harassed in the name of the initiative. "We strongly condemn the (Uri) terror attack and death of the soldiers. (But) both India and Pakistan must show wisdom and sincerity using path of dialogue and consultation in order to resolve their issues. "War is not a panacea for our problems. India must take all steps to avoid war with Pakistan," JIH president Maulana Syed Jalaluddin Umari told reporters, according to a statement. He also asked the government to devise ways to curb breach of security "like it happened in the Uri incident". Further targeting the Haryana government over the Mewat incident, he alleged that the handling of the case suggests the Manohar Lal Khattar dispensation is "trying to shield culprits and side with a particular community". Haryana government had on September 20 handed over to CBI the probe into the murder case of a couple and alleged gangrape of two girls in Mewat on the intervening night of August 24 and 25 in which their kin had suspected the role of cow vigilantes. JIH secretary general Muhammad Salim Engineer, who also briefed the press, voiced concerns over Assam government's anti-illegal immigrant drive and claimed many community members have been put in jail without proper probe. New Delhi: Noted rights activist Irom Sharmila, who has decided to fight Manipur Assembly elections, on Saturday said she has "no specific plans" for the polls and her only strategy would be to "connect the hearts" of people in the state. Sharmila is in Delhi for the first time after breaking her hunger strike. The Manipuri 'Iron Lady' said that she will be addressing a group of students at the Jawaharlal Nehru University tomorrow on the AFSPA issue. "We have been fighting to repeal AFSPA for so long now. Electoral politics is just another democratic tool for change, so I have decided to enter the fray. But, I have no specific plans, and my only strategy is to connect the hearts of people," she said. The 44-year-old activist, who ended her 16-year-old hunger strike in August, had met Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on September 26 and sought his advice on how to defeat "major political parties" in her home state. She was speaking on the sidelines of a press conference, organised by a group of women rights bodies, which she addressed here this afternoon. Co-organiser of the press conference and women rights activist Vani Subramanian said, "We jointly launched a campaign 'Stand With Irom Sharmila: Repeal AFSPA' in March and over 1,000 women activists, and professionals from top to grassroots level have endorsed this." "We have sent a request to the Rashtrapati Bhawan and we are expecting to meet the President tentatively on October 3 and submit the petition drawn up in the campaign. Since Sharmila is leaving Delhi on October 3, we wanted her to be present with us at the Rashtrapati Bhawan. But, we hope to submit it to him sometime soon anyway." Vani said Supreme Court lawyer Vrinda Grover would also be participating in the JNU event to be held at Shipra Hostel. An emotionally overwhelmed Sharmila broke down during the middle of the conference while recalling the Malon firing incident in Manipur in which 10 people were "gunned down" in a small town in Manipur in 2000, which prompted her to begin her fast that moved the entire nation. She yesterday addressed students at the Delhi University and sought the support of the youth to "make a difference". "I spoke to students at DU and tomorrow will talk to them at JNU. I and our volunteers are meeting students and activists and seeking their support," Sharmila said. The activist has already announced that she would soon float a new regional party under the banner of which she will contest the polls. Chennai: DMK chief M. Karunanidhi on Friday demanded that Governor Vidyasagar Rao should take steps to ensure that the true health condition of Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa is revealed to the people with appropriate evidence through the media. In a strongly worded statement here, he pointed out that the Governor had not visited the CM even though she has been in hospital for a week now. Keeping her health condition under wraps is triggering rumours in social media, he said and added that it would not be improper to release her pictures at the Apollo Hospital to clear the confusion and quell the rumours, especially when reports came out that she was discharging the government duties from the hospital bed. The state information department had on September 27 claimed the CM had that evening held an hour-long meeting in her Apollo hospital room with chief secretary, advocate general and other senior officials on the Cauvery issue and dictated her speech to be read out at the meeting convened by the Union Water Resources Minister Uma Bharati in Delhi (on Sept 29). If the CM had indeed held such a meeting, it would be most appropriate for the government to release those photographs through the media, said Karunanidhi, pointing out that since it had been the usual practice for the state information department to release pictures of even her routine meetings in the past, not doing so in this critical time would only lead to unpalatable rumours spreading like wildfire and causing public confusion through the social media. The DMK chief referred to a recent media report which recalled how rumours on CM's health were scotched when MGR had been hospitalised in Apollo in 1984; his health minister Dr H V Hande would hold daily media briefings at the hospital. But now, neither the health minister nor the state chief secretary have followed norms to come forward with any statement on Jayalalithaa's true condition, Karunanidhi pointed out. He said reports, however, kept coming out that dignitaries and officials, including the Union minister Pon Radhakrishnan, had gone to Apollo but none could confirm any of them had actually met her. Even the AIADMK presidium chairman E Madhusudanan had told reporters that none were able to see her. A medical team should have been constituted since the CM had been hospitalised for over a week with persisting fever and people should have been informed about the specialists constituting it, but this had not been done. As the true status of Jayalalithaa's health is being kept secret, all kinds of undesirable statements are being spread as rumour by some vested interests. Her photographs in hospital should have been released at least to put a stop to these rumours, Karunanidhi said. Referring to a recent article in the popular Ananda Vikatan that Sasikala and Sheela Balakrishnan (adviser to government) were the CM's shadows, that shadows can never be real and that people had not voted the shadow to rule them, the DMK chief quipped: We must not permit if attempts are made to misuse the Constitution. Referring to the repeated police warnings that rumour mongers would be punished, the DMK chief said the cops had not spotted a single case so far. He also said the government was yet to respond to a recent demand from PMK founder S. Ramadoss that a video of the CM in hospital should be made public. Though he differed with her on principles, he sincerely wished Jayalalithaa speedy recovery so she could resume normal work, said Karunanidhi, while stressing that as the Constitutional head of the state, Governor Vidyasagar Rao should intervene and take steps to ensure that the government came out with facts on the CM's hospital treatment so as to stop rumours. We are trying to enter into their critical establishments after the Pathankot attack. We got the access to gov.pk websites, said S. Amar Prasad Reddy. Chennai: Close on the heels of surgical strikes along the LoC by the Indian Army, cyber security experts on Friday claimed that they can hack the websites of Pakistans critical infrastructure if they were given a go ahead by the Indian government. We are trying to enter into their critical establishments after the Pathankot attack. We got the access to gov.pk websites. But we need a command from the Indian government to hack them, said S. Amar Prasad Reddy, additional director-general, National Cyber Safety and Security Standards.Talking to reporters on the sidelines of National Cyber Defence Summit, he said, An expert hacker from our organisation has entered into Pakistans important database and showed us that the Pakistans critical websites are penetrable, he said. He added that an expert hacker can get any details from the rivals digital source. When asked about the safety of Indian governments website he said, We have honeypot technology and it is very difficult to attack. We are already protecting so many critical infrastructures in our country. We are insisting that the states come out with a cyber security policy to protect their critical infrastructures. We need at least 10 lakh cyber security experts to protect our critical infrastructures, he said. Hyderabad: Velpula Sunkanna, the research scholar from University of Hyderabad (UoH), who along with PhD student Rohith Vemula and others were suspended from the university hostel last year, on Saturday refused to accept his doctorate degree from Vice-Chancellor Appa Rao Podile. During the convocation ceremony, when Sunkanna's name was called, he came to the stage but refused to take the certificate from Podile. Then, Pro-Vice Chancellor Vipin Srivastava came forward and handed over the PhD degree to Sunkanna. Sunkanna and Vemula were among the five students, who were suspended from the university hostel last year on "disciplinary" grounds. Their suspension was later revoked. In January this year, Vemula's body was found hanging in a hostel room at the university campus. The Dalit scholar's suicide caused an outrage and triggered widespread protests with the university students seeking Podile's ouster. "I refused to take my certificate from him in protest (over the VC's alleged role in the Vemula suicide case)," Sunkanna, who is currently doing his post-doctoral course in Philosophy from IIT Bombay, said. After Vemula's death, the university students, some political parties and social organisations had alleged that the VC, among others, was responsible for the suicide. When contacted, Podile downplayed the incident, saying it is a student's choice whether or not to accept certificate from him. "That is his choice. Let us not worry too much about that (Sunkanna's refusal)," he said. Chennai: The autopsy of P Ramkumar, the lone accused in the brutal murder of techie Swathi, will take place at the Government Royapettah Hospital on Saturday in the presence of a five-member doctor team that includes Dr. Sudhir K. Gupta, Head of Forensic Sciences Department at the prestigious AIIMS. Ramkumar allegedly committed suicide on September 18 in Puzhal Jail and his body is being preserved at the Royapettah Hospital since then on the orders of the Madras High Court which allowed the aggrieved parents of the accused to knock at the doors of the Supreme Court with their plea that a private doctor be allowed to be part of the team that conducts autopsy on their son. Since the Supreme Court dismissed the petition of Ramkumars father, Paramasivam, on Thursday, decks were cleared for the autopsy. Mr. Gupta, who was nominated to the panel based on the order from the High Court, arrived in Chennai on Friday evening and is understood to have had preliminary discussions with other members of the team. The other members of the team are Dr. S. Selvakumar, Professor, Forensic Science, Kilpauk Medical College, Dr. Manikandaraja, Assistant Professor, Forensic Science, KMC, Dr. K. V. Vinod, Assistant Professor, Forensic Science, KMC, and Dr. Balasubramanian, Professor, Forensic Medicines, Stanley Hospital. Dr Gupta said the post-mortem is expected to begin at10 am on Saturday and it will be tackled with cumulative teamwork. Hyderabad: Well-known IT companies have cut campus hiring by at least 20 percent in private engineering colleges this year. Also, these recruitment drives are now limited to a few top colleges unlike in the past when they visited more colleges. Companies like Wipro, Accenture and Cognizant have cut down on recruiting fresh engineering graduates. A company that offered job letters to 260 plus students in 2015-16 recruited only 220 plus students this year. The reasons given by HR teams of various companies were the impending US Presidential election, increased automation etc., CBIT chief placement officer N.L.N. Reddy said. OU Engineering College placement officer Prof. V. Uma Maheshwar echoed Mr Reddys views. Companies have given enough hints to colleges that they are keenly watching the outcome of the US Presidential election and its impact on the software industry. However, NASSCOM former chairman B.V.R. Mohan Reddy has a different take. He believes that there will not be any impact even if Donald Trump becomes the next President of the US since 60 percent of the software orders for India comes from the US. The slowdown in IT sector is due to some verticals (Energy, Gas and Oil as well as banking, finance and insurance sectors not doing well. Also, the technology is now being driven by automation. The type of requirements has changed and so is the requirement for fresh graduates. Hence a drop in recruitment of freshers, Mr Mohan Reddy, who is also the founder of Cyient Limited, a well known IT firm, said. He said that earlier they used to conduct placement drives in nearly 50 colleges, but now the list has been chopped to 19. Meanwhile, T. Satish Babu, who is the CEO of TSB Corporation, a Hyderabad-based software firm in Hitech City, attributed the dip in job offers to support and maintenance projects coming down. Now the demand is for tech graduates with skills in Big Data Analytics, Mobile Application etc. However, not many colleges offer these specialised courses in addition to regular curriculum. One can be rest assured that IT firms will hire freshers with such sets of skills, he said. Firms prefer freshers over M.Tech graduates M.Tech grad.uates from private engineering colleges are being shunned by a majority of the software companies in campus recruitment drives this year. Mostly, B.Tech final year students are being interviewed and the meritorious ones are offered job letters, but there are no takers for PG engineering students. The feedback from recruiters was that M.Tech students of private engineering colleges were not living up to expectations when assigned projects. This was observed over a period of time and hence a few companies decided not to recruit post-graduate engineers from private colleges. According to an engineering expert, students joining M.Tech courses in private colleges are of the average mark and definitely not the brilliant ones. Most of these students were either not selected in campus drives during their B.Tech study or pursued graduation in second-rung or third-rung colleges. THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: As the UDF MLAs indefinite fast crossed the fourth day at the Assembly complex against the LDF governments alleged biased stand towards private self-financing college management on Saturday, Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithal vowed to intensify the stir if the government did not relax the admission norms and talk to the Opposition. UDF MLAs are also continuing their protest before the Secretariat. Meanwhile, KC (J) MLA Anoop Jacob was shifted to the Medical College hospital by 4:30 pm after a medical team said that his bilirubin levels have shot up. Despite Mr Jacob insisting to continue with the fast, the UDF leadership was firm that he should be shifted to the hospital. A weak-looking Mr Jacob was taken on a wheel chair to the hospital. The other two MLAs, Shafi Parambil and Hibi Eden, were also examined by the doctors on Saturday morning. They have decided to continue the fast. Mr Chennithala asked the government to give up its adamant attitude in self-financing college issue. If the government is not ready for talks, we would intensify our agitation, he said after visiting the MLAs. Mr Chennithala said he had apprised Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi of the facts relating to the self-financing issue. Mr Gandhi also spoke to the protesting UDF MLAs. UDF leadership also held protest marches across the state on Saturday in protest against the LDF government's stance. However, KC(M) chairman K.M. Mani criticised the UDFs protest before the Assembly. Meanwhile, health minister K.K. Shylaja demanded that the Opposition should end the indefinite strike. She maintained that the current agreement between the self-financing management and the government was an excellent one. In fact, people know which all leaders' children are studying in private self-financing colleges, she said. What is the long-term implication of Indias attack on Pakistan? One of them might be that there is another war between us, which would make it officially the third war, if it is long, or the fifth, if it is short. We fought first in 1947-48 when Jinnah sent an army of Pathans to conquer Kashmir, and seized what we call today PoK and Pakistanis call Azad Kashmir. Then Ayub Khan was instigated by his foreign minister Bhutto to send intruders into Kashmir again in 1965. Lal Bahadur Shastri responded by sending tanks towards Lahore. That war ended with a peace brokered by the Soviet Union at Tashkent. It also ended partly because both countries ran out of fighter spares. Fighter planes are high performance machines which use very expensive parts. For this reason, poor nations cannot afford to fight wars beyond 10 days. Today India is much more powerful and richer than Pakistan and so this situation has changed. But then we both have weapons of mass destruction now which we did not in Shastris time. Only six years after the Tashkent peace we divided Pakistan in the 1971 war to create Bangladesh. In 1999, we cleared Pakistans Northern Light Infantry jawans from Kargil. Though about 1,000 soldiers died, 500 on each side, the Kargil conflict is not classified as a war. This time, after Prime Minister Narendra Modi ordered retaliation, the conflict seems to be contained. India used very cautious language when announcing the surgical strike. We also assured Pakistan and the world we were not planning further action. However, since we have already fought them so many times there is always a possibility that we will go to war again. The problem with war is that populations get bored soon. I do not mean they get tired of war, in the sense that their sons are dying. I mean they actually get bored. The First World War was fought in trenches. Long and unmoving lines began in Belgium (a nation that wanted no fighting but became a battlefield because it was located between the combatants) and ended at Switzerland. These long lines remained for years. Between 1914 and 1918, the Germans were facing off against the French and British in trenches 150 metres apart. What was going on behind them? For four years, a couple of kilometres from thousands of French and Belgian towns and villages, millions were shooting and bombing one another. How many people were killed? More than one and a half crore. What was the result? The borders remained more or less the same, all the economies were gutted. Some regimes changed. The Russian empire died and the Communists took power. The Austro Hungarian empire ended and so did the German empire. But all of these were changed from within. No country benefited from all the killing. Will this surgical strike of ours put an end to Pakistani terror? What will we do when the next terror strike happens? How big does it have to be to get Pakistan to totally stop? Will they learn it if we cut them in half again? Will we continue with our lives when after a while, there is nothing new in the news? I think so because that is the nature of humans. With the cancellation of the South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (Saarc) summit scheduled to be held in Islamabad, a defining moment in the life of this 30-year institution may have been reached. The first Saarc summit was hosted by Dhaka in December 1985. Following that, heads of government of member countries were expected to meet every year. However, in the past three decades, one of three Saarc summits has been cancelled. The previous host (that is the host of the last summit held before any cancellation) has stayed on as Saarc chair for an extended term. The country that suffered the cancellation has had to miss its turn and wait for the next cycle. While many of the cancellations have been due to India-Pakistan problems, other issues the civil war in Sri Lanka, a coup in Pakistan have also interfered. Having said that, there is a sense that this cancellation of 2016 is not a usual one. Something fundamental has changed in the dynamic within the subcontinent. From a passive acceptance of Saarcs irreplaceable role as a platform for economic integration and developmental cooperation in the region, the Narendra Modi government has changed Indias approach. It has created a sub-regional fast track in the form of BBIN Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal. BBIN is now the fulcrum of a new regional policy that is autonomous of the Saarc trap. Separately, the bilateral relationship between India and Afghanistan, generally strong since 2001, has just weathered its greatest challenge in 15 years. This too will leave its impact on suspicions of Pakistan and the willingness, in Kabul and New Delhi, to waste time on a Saarc that Islamabad is determined to reduce to sub-optimal outcomes. The birth of BBIN itself was caused by Saarcs failure in 2014 to conclude a motor vehicles and road connectivity agreement. This was due to a Pakistani veto. It led to BBIN agreeing to such a motor vehicles arrangement to facilitate overland trade. Separately India began speaking to BBIN partners about energy projects and the broad aspiration for a common power grid. In September 2016, as part of this BBIN framework, the first truck from Dhaka arrived at the Inland Customs Depot in Patparganj, east Delhi. It had travelled close to 2,000 km. Its cargo comprised garments and textile products for the British retailer Marks & Spencer. Consider the irony. A free-trade and open-borders zone that vanished as the British left in 1947, leaving behind a legacy of political divisions, was now being encouraged to integrate, at least symbolically, by a British client. The idea of BBIN is ripe for expansion. In October, India hosts the Brics (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) summit in Goa. Every Brics summit host is allowed to invite guests from its near-neighbourhood. India has chosen to invite its Bimstec partners. Bimstec (the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) is made up of Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bhutan and Nepal, besides India. Five of Bimstecs seven members are also founders of Saarc. Bimstec has a long history, going back to the 1990s. It was intended as a bridge between Asean/Southeast Asia and South Asia. Yet, it has done less well than it may have wanted to, largely because infrastructure projects that can connect these two great regions have been delayed. A renewed Bimstec thrust is a natural corollary to BBIN. Achieving meaningful results with Bimstec will also strengthen India in its negotiations within the China-incubated BCIM (Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar Forum for Regional Cooperation). China is the infrastructure provider of Asia today and the economy with the greatest capacity to execute massive, regional and sub-regional connectivity projects. Yet, Chinas ambitions, packaged together as One Belt, One Road are rarely in sync with Indias needs except perhaps in the intersection of BCIM, Bimstec and BBIN. Here India can use Chinese infrastructure in a potential win-win, presuming that Chinese behaviour will be reasonable, aimed at economic gains and not politically hostile. A robust Indian ownership of Bimstec will only shore up Indias baseline position. Other than Pakistan, only two Saarc countries are outside the ambit of Bimstec: Afghanistan and the Maldives. Indias engagement with them will have to be bilateral, though the Maldives and India are part of an Indian Ocean maritime security troika with Sri Lanka. The setback to Pakistan in recent times has come from Afghanistan. When President Ashraf Ghani was elected to office in 2014, he was regarded as an American-backed technocrat, the antidote to President Hamid Karzai who the United States no longer trusted and who the Pakistanis insisted was too close to India. Mr Ghani began by studiously ignoring New Delhi and reaching out to Islamabad and Beijing. Despite being a head of government, he retreated on protocol by calling on Gen. Raheel Sharif, the Pakistan Army Chief, at the latters office in Rawalpindi. Subsequently the generals in Pakistan repeatedly stabbed the Ghani regime in the back (or even the front). Part of the US impatience with Pakistan is because the Americans are angry that Islamabad and its proxy jihadists have sabotaged their candidate in Kabul. Indeed, Mr Ghani is now one of Pakistans most bitter and most credible critics. In response, the US has urged India to provide weapons to and enhance military cooperation with Afghanistan, unmindful of Pakistani sensitivities. All this has served to give India more diplomatic room in recent days. It was useful as New Delhi planned the counter-terrorism operation across the Line of Control. A collateral victim is Saarc, now reduced to a subcontinental version of the League of Nations in the grey zone between coma and death. A cultural rejection of its South Asian identity has long been a feature of the Pakistani military and political elite. Today, this has been answered by the rest of South Asia politically rejecting Pakistan. As such, Pakistan finds itself mentally in West Asia though not accepted as an ethnic equal or even a reliable security partner by several major Arab states. Simultaneously, almost by a gradual Finlandisation, it is becoming a vassal state of China. Saarcs successor organisations will not miss it. The spacecraft has stalked comet 67P/ChuryumovGerasimenko across more than 6 billion km (3.7 billion miles) of space, collecting a treasure trove of information on comets that will keep scientists busy for the next decade. (Photo: ESA) The Rosetta spacecraft ended its historic mission on Sept. 30, crashing on the surface of the dusty, icy comet it has spent 12 years chasing in a hunt that has provided insight into the early days of the solar system and captured the public's imagination. The spacecraft has stalked comet 67P/ChuryumovGerasimenko across more than 6 billion km (3.7 billion miles) of space, collecting a treasure trove of information on comets that will keep scientists busy for the next decade. Scientists in the European Space Agency control centre in Darmstadt, Germany, clapped and hugged as confirmation of the end of the mission came at 1119 GMT. Rosetta completed its free-fall descent at the speed of a sedate walk, joining the probe Philae, which landed on the comet in November 2014 in what was considered a remarkable feat of precision space travel. "Thank you Rosetta," ESA director general Jan Woerner said on Twitter. He was among some 300 people who had also gathered before dawn at a conference room at the International Astronautical Congress in Guadalajara, Mexico, to watch a live webcast as Rosetta's signal disappeared from monitors, simultaneously with the team in Germany. "It was a good ending," Klaus Schiling, who worked on mission planning for Rosetta 27 years ago with prime contractor Airbus, told Reuters at the Mexico space conference. "There were so many ups and downs with this mission." Planet Formation The mission managed several historic firsts, such as getting a spacecraft into orbit around a comet and the unprecedented landing of a probe on the surface. A handful of previous spacecraft had snapped pictures and collected data as they flew past their targets. But, dashing hopes for more discoveries, Philae, the 100 kg (220 lb) probe, bounced several times on landing before getting stuck against a cliff wall, leaving it unable to perform any more experiments beyond its first three days on the comet after its solar-powered batteries ran out. Rosetta's cameras located Philae's resting place just a few weeks ago. The ESA is ending the mission because 67P is racing toward the outer solar system, out of range for the solar-powered spacecraft. Rosetta also has been subjected to the harsh radiation and extreme temperatures of space since launching in March 2004 and so was unlikely to last too much longer. Before reaching the surface and shutting down, Rosetta's instruments and camera relayed back data and images, giving scientists insight into the structure of the comet. That data will reveal information on the side walls of the comet, crucial to understanding how they are formed, plus on large 100-metre (300 foot) wide pits, which scientists believe are key to how the comet releases gas and dust as it is warmed by the sun. Daniel Brown, an astronomy expert at Nottingham Trent University, said the images sent back from the Rosetta mission were "as powerful as Neil Armstrong's first steps on the Moon". Data collected by Rosetta and Philae is already helping scientists better understand how the Earth and other planets formed. For example, scientists now believe that asteroids, not comets were primarily responsible for delivering water to Earth and other planets in the inner solar system, possibly setting the stage for life. "We've just scratched the surface of the science. We're ending the mission, but the science will continue for many years," project scientist Matt Taylor said ahead of the end of mission. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. In Mumbai, Raj Thackeray, the leader of the MNS, a small but powerful fringe party, has issued a fatwa against all Pakistani artistes currently working in Bollywood and giving concerts. The social media is awash with such demands. These noises naturally have consequences, some intended, some unintended. The MNS has specifically targeted Pakistani artistes like Fawad Khan (Ae Dil Hai Mushkil) and Mahira Khan acting opposite Shah Rukh Khan in Raees to leave immediately, failing which their shootings will be stalled. Of course there may be other considerations for this too. These films have crores invested in them and producers, most vulnerable before a big release, will be more inclined for out of sight settlements. But dont react just yet to MNS banishing all Muslim-Pakistani artistes from Bollywood. Wait for the real irony to play out in Mumbai theatres, first on October 26, 2016, and again, on January 26, 2017, and react then.Ae Dil Hai Mushkil releases on the Diwali weekend, and Raees on Independence Day. And if thats not ironic enough, according to an order passed in 2003, all cinema halls in Maharashtra must play the national anthem before the start of all films. So on that day, when the national anthem, written by the same man who wrote Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high, begins to play, take a few seconds before you decide to stand a few seconds to decide what exactly you are standing up to honour, why your head is held high. And if you decide to sit, be clear what you are protesting against. Think about why your head is hanging in shame. I will sit. More out of a sense of bereavement than in protest. I will shed a tear for Bollywood that once was. The Bollywood that shaped India. There was a time when you couldnt tell between Hindus and Muslims in Bollywood. Nothing illustrates this than the immortal bhajan from the super hit movie of 1952, Baiju Bawra, Man Tadpat Hari Darshan Ko Aaj with great lines like tumre dwar kaa mai hu jogi, humari or najar kab hogi? Suno more vyakul mann kaa raj, Man tadpat hari darshan ko aaj!. It was written by Mohd. Shakeel, composed by Naushad Ali and rendered by the great Mohd. Rafi. All Muslims. Khan triad Unlike the earlier generation of Muslim actors, Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan and Aamir Khan didnt have to assume Hindu professional names to become endearing to Indian audiencesNo one questioned their faith or their devotion to their work and country. Dilip Kumar (Yusuf Khan) was born in Peshawar but he was invariably first off to the border to entertain the troops. As were Nargis and her husband Sunil Dutt. So was Waheeda Rehman. They went because they were full-blooded Indians, committed to the vision of a new nation of Indians bound together by a set of common aspirations and not defined by narrow divisions. Nargis and husband Sunil Dutt But the times were changing. When the actor Hrithik Roshan made his debut in his fathers film Kaho Naa Pyar Hai in 2000, the approving comment in certain predictable circles was that the Hindus have now got their answer to Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan and Aamir Khan. But the real difference they didnt note was that unlike the earlier generation Muslim actors didnt have to assume Hindu professional names like Dilip Kumar or Ajeet or Meena Kumari to become endearing to Indian audiences. In that generation only Waheeda Rehman kept her name. But she came somewhat later. The three Khans are still bigger actors than Roshan. Hrithik Roshan and Amisha Patel in his debut film Kaho Naa Pyar Hai Like always it takes two hands to clap. In 1995, Mani Ratnam released his great movie Bombay. It was the story of Shekhar (Arvind Swamy) and Shaila Bano (Manisha Koirala) and the love that blossoms between them spanning the huge religious and socio-cultural chasm separating the two. The movie was set against the larger backdrop of the demolition of the Babri Masjid and the communal riots that broke out. The movie had some deft direction, brilliant acting and superb music by A.R. Rahman. Incidentally I saw the movie at a private screening hosted by L.K. Advani at the Films Division auditorium in New Delhi. The film also depicted the Advani Rath Yatra. But Advani didnt seem to mind. He seemed reasonably chastened by the aftermath of the Babri Masjid demolition. But the objection to the movie came from another quarter. It was from Syed Shahabuddin who was a leading light in the Babri Masjid Action Committee. Shahabuddin, a former IFS officer and Indian ambassador to Algeria, had serious reservations about Shaila Bano leaving home with a copy of the Quran. His objection seemed to be that once she decided to marry a Hindu she was no longer a Muslim and hence had no business with the Quran. Predictably it was ignored. Shahabuddin either didnt have the nuisance value of Raj Thackeray or those were still different times? In the huge outrage in media, real and social, we seem to miss one point. There is not one Pakistan for us to deal and live with. There is the constitutional Pakistan headed by an elected government. There is a dominant military establishment directed by the Army. There is a lunatic fringe of the jihadis, and there is a Pakistani civil society of reasonable people mostly committed to the values our founding fathers cherished and espoused. Yet we now seem unable to separate between them. While the apparent threat of Indian power and Kashmir gives the Pakistan Army a reason for perpetuating its strangle hold on the country, Kashmir gives the political establishment a ready crop of emotion to harvest. The jihadi lunatic fringe is the tail which seems to wag the dog. Between them they squeeze the civil society that is now our only living link with that country. By hitting at their artistes who are the ambassadors of Pakistani civil society we are only pushing them into the hands of those inimical to India in all respects. Facebook said the complaint had no merit. "Mr Jun's complaints have repeatedly been rejected and there is no merit to this (latest) one either." German prosecutors are again considering whether to press charges against Mark Zuckerberg and other Facebook executives for failing to staunch a tide of racist and threatening posts on the social network during an influx of migrants into Europe. Munich prosecutors said they had received a complaint filed by a German technology law firm two weeks ago alleging that Facebook broke strict national laws against hate speech, sedition and support for terrorist organisations. Attorney Chan-jo Jun, who filed a similar complaint in Hamburg a year ago, is demanding that Facebook executives be compelled to comply with anti-hate speech laws by removing racist or violent postings from their site. Jun is principal partner of the law firm Jun Lawyers of Wuerzburg in Bavaria. Facebook said the complaint had no merit. "Mr Jun's complaints have repeatedly been rejected and there is no merit to this (latest) one either," a Facebook spokeswoman said. "There is no place for hate on Facebook. Rather than focusing on these claims we work with partners to fight hate speech and foster counter speech." Facebook's rules forbid bullying, harassment and threatening language, but critics say it does not do enough to enforce them. A spokeswoman for the public prosecutor in Munich said a decision would be taken in coming weeks on whether to act on the new complaint, which names Zuckerberg - Facebook's founder and chief executive - and regional European and German managers. Hamburg prosecutors denied Jun's earlier complaint on grounds that the regional court lacked jurisdiction because Facebook's European operations are based in Ireland. Jun wrote on his website he believed he would get a more favourable hearing in Bavaria because the justice ministry had signalled openness to hearing racial hate crime cases. Jun has compiled a list of 438 postings over the past year that includes what some might consider merely angry political rantings, but also show clear examples of racist hate speech and calls to violence laced with references to Nazi-era genocide. Following a public outcry and pressure by German politicians for failing to delete a rash of racist postings on Facebook, the Silicon Valley social networking giant earlier this year hired Arvato, a business services unit of Bertelsmann, to monitor and delete racist posts. A rash of online abuse and violent attacks against newcomers to Germany occurred amid a migrant influx last year, which led to a rise in the popularity of the anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) party and has put pressure on Chancellor Angela Merkel and her Christian Democratic party. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. With more than one billion end-users, Google Cloud has gained significant traction in India and across the world. Google will open a new 'Cloud Region' in Mumbai that will help the tech giant offer its cloud platform services to developers and enterprise customers in India. Expected to be live in 2017, the local region in India will help make Google cloud platform services even faster for Indian customers, Google said in a statement. The announcement was made at the Horizon event in San Francisco. However, the company did not disclose any financial details. The business-to-business (B2B) based Cloud services have also been re-branded as Google Cloud. With more than one billion end-users, Google Cloud has gained significant traction in India and across the world. Its global customers include Snap Inc (formerly SnapChat), Niantic Labs (Pokemon Go), Telus International, and Evernote, among others. "In India too, we have seen great customer momentum with thousands of customers including major brands like Wipro, Ashok Leyland, Smartshift by Mahindra & Mahindra, Dainik Bhaskar Group and INshorts.com building on Google Cloud Platform," it said. The move is expected to help the American company catch up with bigger rivals Microsoft and Amazon Web Services in the cloud marketplace in the country. Setting up of a local data centre within India will also help the company cater to a larger number of customers, especially in government or financial services sectors that often have regulations that do not permit data to be transmitted outside the country. Brian Stevens, Vice President of Google Cloud said that by expanding to new regions, Google will be able to deliver better performance to customers. "In fact, our recent expansion in Oregon resulted in up to 80 per cent improvement in latency for customers. We look forward to welcoming customers to our new Cloud Regions as they become publicly available throughout 2017," he added. The company has announced locations of seven new Google Cloud Regions -- Singapore, Sydney, Northern Virginia, Sao Paulo, London, Finland and Frankfurt -- that will come online through 2017, like the one in Mumbai. Google has also rebranded its 'Google Apps for Work' as 'G Suite' that will comprise apps like Gmail, Docs, Drive, Calendar, Hangouts, and others that are designed for workplaces. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. Yahoo has not specifically addressed when it learned of the 2014 attack. Yahoo's disclosure that hackers stole user data from at least 500 million accounts in 2014 has highlighted shortcomings in US rules on when cyber attacks must be revealed and their enforcement. Democratic Senator Mark Warner this week asked the US Securities and Exchange Commission to investigate whether Yahoo and its senior executives properly disclosed the attack, which Yahoo blamed on Sept. 22 on a "state-sponsored actor." The Yahoo hack could become a test case of the SEC's guidelines, said Jacob Olcott, former Senate Commerce Committee counsel who helped develop them, due to the size of the breach, intense public scrutiny and uncertainty over the timing of Yahoo's discovery. Yahoo has not specifically addressed when it learned of the 2014 attack. And the vagueness of SEC's 2011 rules on disclosure and its failure to enforce them are drawing equal attention, privacy lawyers and cyber security experts said. The agency has "been looking for the right case to bring forward," said Olcott. The agency in 2011 told publicly traded companies to report hacking incidents that could have a material adverse effect on the business but did not define that. SEC has never acted against a company for failing to disclose a cyber security incident or threat, and it has brought just two enforcement actions against companies for insufficient data protection, an agency spokesman said. Lawyers said this reflected difficulty in determining if breaches were material and many companies' belief that reporting on cyber threats generally satisfies the disclosure requirement. Yahoo has not offered a precise timeline about when it was made aware of the breach. On Sept. 9, it said in an SEC filing it did not know of "any incidents of, or third party claims alleging ... unauthorized access" of customers' personal data that could have a material adverse effect on Verizon Communication Inc's planned $4.8 billion acquisition of Yahoo's core business. Since then, Yahoo has not clarified if it knew of the attack before that SEC filing. "Our investigation into this matter is ongoing and the issues are complex," a Yahoo spokesman said last week. In his letter, Warner asked the SEC to evaluate whether the current disclosure regime was adequate. He cited reports that fewer than 100 of 9,000 public companies disclosed a material data breach since 2010. I dont know that we need new rules. But in certain situations, you may need more aggressive enforcement," said Roberta Karmel, a Brooklyn Law School professor. The SEC in 2014 examined whether cyber disclosure rules needed to be strengthened and imposed new requirements for broker-dealers and investment advisers but not public companies. 'PUNISH THE VICTIM' Some policymakers worry rules compelling prompt disclosure of cyber attacks could deter companies from cooperating with authorities. We cannot blame executives for worrying that what starts today as an honest conversation about a cyber attack could end tomorrow in a punish the victim regulatory enforcement action, Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker said this week. Congress last year expanded liability protections for companies that share cyber information with the government, and Pritzker urged granting companies temporary immunity during the response to a hack. Amid SEC inaction, the Federal Trade Commission has brought 60 successful data security cases since 2001 in part, lawyers said, because its authority is clearer than the SEC's. Those cases have dealt with deceptive statements by companies and security lapses. The FTC is hampered by the lack of a national requirement for companies to notify the public about data breaches. That idea got widespread support after the 2013 hacking of shoppers' credit card information from Target Corp. But legislation proposed by President Barack Obama in 2015 fizzled. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. Apples fortune may not turn out to be as bright in India (Representational image) In a recent report, it has been revealed that Apples fortune may not turn out to be as bright in India, as people predicted after the launch of the new iPhone 7. According to recent data released by GFK, Apples share value, which currently stands at 6.3 per cent, is less than Chinese company OPPO and slightly above Lyf mobiles. The Cupertino-based giant faced a similar problem in India last year when it struggled to sell its flagship smartphones in India due to the disruption caused by the flood of affordable Chinese devices. Initially things were looking bright for Apple with Samsungs recent Note 7 blunder. The iPhone 7 and 7s also garnered huge appreciation from a lot of people after the launch. And it further slashed the prices of its previous flagships as well. All these seem to favour the company, but it is not Samsung that the company should worry about. It seems that people are quickly moving away from expensive iPhone with the onset of Chinese smartphones, which are cheaper, and have a slew of functionalities that iPhones lack, at least on paper. Some of the Android smartphones in the market offer significantly advanced hardware along with a flexible operating system unlike Apples iOS 10. New reports suggest that Android Nougat has numerous new attractive features. It will be interesting to see whether people choose Apples latest or stick to affordable Chinese devices. he New Apple iPhone 7 starts at Rs 60,000 and the 7 Plus starts at Rs 72,000. There are other/ more expensive variants with more storage. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. This year, with the launch of its new flagship, Google will ditch the 6-year-old Nexus brand from its upcoming flagship smartphone to rebrand it as Pixel. Google next flagship Pixel XL is slated to be unveiled on October 4. As the due date gets closer, the rumour mill is churning out everything from hints about the handsets dimensions to its camera abilities. A well-known tipster on Twitter @onleaks has tweeted leaked images and 3D rendering of the upcoming Googles Pixel model. In the 3D rendering, Onleaks has revealed Pixel XL smartphone to measure 154.72 x 75.74 x 7.3 mm in dimensions. The smartphone appears to feature 5.5-inch display, metal frame, a stereo speaker at the bottom, a USB Type-C port and volume keys. This year, with the launch of its new flagship, Google will ditch the 6-year-old Nexus brand from its upcoming flagship smartphone to rebrand it as Pixel. The HTC-built Pixel XL is rumoured to be powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 820 chipset backed by Adreno 530 GPU. The device will pack a 13MP rear camera while there will be an 8MP front facing camera also on board. The smartphone will draw power from a 3450mAh battery and will run on Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box with 32GB of internal storage and 4GB of RAM. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. Washington: Hillary Clinton has pulled ahead of presidential rival Donald Trump in a new national poll out Friday, just days after her strong showing in the first televised debate. Clinton has a 5 percentage point lead over Trump in the US presidential race, according to the latest Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll released on Friday, roughly the same advantage she has held all month. The survey result showed little movement following Monday night's presidential debate, the first of three debates before the November 8 election. According to a Fox News poll, the Democrat and former secretary of state bested her Republican rival by 3 percentage points. Although Clinton's lead is within the poll's 3 percentage point margin of error, it shows a bump for Clinton, who beat Trump by only one percentage point in the same poll two weeks ago. Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson and Green Party candidate Jill Stein polled at eight and four percent respectively. Clinton has mostly led Trump in the poll this year, and her level of support has been 4-5 percentage points higher than Trump's in each of the last four weeks. In a separate poll that included alternative party candidates, Clinton led the field by 4 percentage points. Among likely voters, 42 percent supported Clinton, 38 percent supported Trump, 7 percent supported Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson and 3 percent supported Jill Stein of the Green Party. Meanwhile a Detroit News-WDIV-TV four-way match-up conducted in the battleground state of Michigan found Clinton leading Trump by seven percentage points after the debate. Monday's debate was the most watched presidential debate in US history, with an estimated 84 million people tuning in for the 90-minute exchange. Some 56 percent of Americans adults who watched the debate said Clinton won, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Wednesday. According to a Nielsen tally, the debate was watched by 84 million people. Voters appeared to be warming up to both candidates in Friday's poll. Some 48 percent of likely voters said they had an overall favourable view of Clinton, compared with 45 percent in the previous week, while 46 percent said they had a favourable view of Trump, up from 44 percent the week before. The Reuters/Ipsos poll is conducted online in English in all 50 states. The poll included 2,501 people who were considered likely voters due to their registration status, voting history and stated intention to vote in the election. It has a credibility interval, a measure of accuracy, of 2 percentage points. National opinion polls have differed this year in how they measure support for Clinton and Trump. Some polls, like Reuters/Ipsos, try to include only likely voters, while others include all registered voters. The Reuters/Ipsos tracking poll also gathers responses every day and reports results twice a week, so it often detects trends in sentiment before most other polls. An average of major opinion polls aggregated by RealClearPolitics showed Clinton ahead of Trump by 2.9 percentage points on Friday, or 47.3 points to 44.4, slightly lower than the previous margin of 3 points on Wednesday, but well up from 0.9 point on September 19. But American voters do not particularly like either candidate and many are still undecided. The Fox News poll found that 53 percent had an unfavourable opinion of Clinton, while 55 percent view Trump in a negative light. The number of voters who find Trump honest and trustworthy, meanwhile, sank eight points since mid-September to 31 percent. Clinton's numbers remain relatively unchanged: 35 percent now find her honest and trustworthy compared to 34 percent two weeks ago. The Fox News poll interviewed 1,009 registered voters, and includes results among 911 likely voters. It was carried out Tuesday through Thursday. United Nations: India has said Pakistan approaching the UN over the issue of surgical strikes in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) has not found any resonance in the world body. It rejected claims that the UN mission monitoring ceasefire "has not directly observed" any firing along the Line of Control (LoC). India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin dismissed remarks made by Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's spokesperson Stephane Dujarric that the UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) "has not directly observed any firing across the LoC related to the latest incidents," a reference to the surgical strikes conducted by India on September 29 targeting terror launch pads in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Akbaruddin told reporters at the Indian Permanent Mission on Friday that the facts on the ground do not change whether somebody has "observed" it or not. "I have nothing to say because what (Dujarric) said was 'directly observed'. It's a call that they have to take. I cannot place myself in their boots and directly observe something," the Indian envoy said when asked to comment on Dujarric's remarks. Akbaruddin said the "facts on the ground do not change whether somebody acknowledges or not. Facts are facts, we presented the facts and that's where we stand." India on Thursday carried out surgical strikes on seven terror launch pads across the LoC with the Army inflicting "significant casualties" on terrorists preparing to infiltrate from PoK. When pressed atthe daily press briefingto explain how UNMOGIP can say it did not observe any firing even as India said it has conducted the surgical strikes, Dujarric repeatedthat UNMOGIP has not "directly observed" any of the firing. "They are obviously aware of the reports of these presumedviolations and are talking to the relevant concerned authorities," he had said. Akbaruddin said while Pakistan has reached out to the UN Chief and the 15-nation Council over the issues of the surgical strike and Kashmir, it's call for intervention by the world body has not found any resonance as there was no further discussion on the matter. "Yesterday there was some action. You are also aware of the reaction," Akbaruddin said referring to Pakistan's envoy Maleeha Lodhi meeting New Zealand's UN Ambassador Gerard van Bohemen, president of the Council for the month of September, andraising in the UNSC the issue of the action by India. "Yesterday the Pakistan ambassador did approach New Zealand. What they didn't tell you after that was what happened. Did anyone raise anything after what was explained to in the UN Security Council. The answer that I know of is that there was no further discussion of this (surgical strike and Kashmir matter)," Akbaruddin said. The United States has strongly objected to threats of nuclear warfare made by Pakistan against India. (Photo: AFP/File) Washington: The United States has strongly objected to threats of nuclear warfare made by Pakistan against India and has conveyed its displeasure to Islamabad in this regard. "We made that (American objection on nuclear threat) clear to them (Pakistan). Repeatedly," a senior State Department official said. The official who spoke on condition of anonymity, however, would not reveal the level at which the message was conveyed to Pakistan. "It is very concerning. It is a serious thing," the official said when asked about Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif's assertions, twice in the last 15 days, that his country could use nuclear weapons against India "We will destroy India if it dares to impose war on us," Asif had told a Pakistani news channel in his latest interview. "Pakistan army is fully prepared to answer any misadventure of India." "We have not made atomic device to display in a showcase. If a such a situation arises we will use it (nuclear weapons) and eliminate India," Asif had said. The statements raised eyebrows in the Obama administration and are seen as "irresponsible" behaviour by top Pakistani leadership. In a tacit acknowledgement that it has concerns over the safety of nuclear weapons in Pakistan, the official said the US is closely monitoring the safety and security of those weapons of mass destruction. "The safety of these weapons is always a concern for us. So we are always monitoring it, regardless of what they said on this particular occasion," said the State Department official. Meanwhile, Deputy State Department Spokesman Mark Toner told reporters at his daily news conference that nuclear-capable states have "a very clear responsibility to exercise restraint regarding nuclear weapons and missile capabilities." The United States, meanwhile, continued to urge both India and Pakistan to take steps to de-escalate tension following the Uri terror attack that has claimed the lives of 19 Indian soldiers. "At the same time we have made it very clear that what happened in the Indian army base (Uri) is an act of terror," the senior State Department official said. According to another official of the department, "everyone knows" where the perpetrators of the Uri terrorist attack came from. At his news conference, Toner said the US continues to follow the situation on the ground very closely. "From our perspective, we urge calm and restraint by both sides. We understand that the Pakistani and Indian militaries have been in communication and we believe that continued communication between them is important to reduce tensions. "I think we certainly don't want to see any kind of escalation and certainly any kind of break in that communication. We have repeatedly and consistently expressed our concerns regarding the danger that cross-border terrorism poses for the region, and that certainly includes the recent attacks - terrorist attacks in Uri," he said. "We continue to urge actions to combat and de-escalate - and delegitimise terrorist groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba, Haqqani Network, as well as Jaish-e-Mohammad," Toner said. Washington: Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump stepped up his attacks against rival Hillary Clinton about her husbands past infidelities after a rocky week for his campaign. Shes nasty, Trump told The New York Times in an interview, but I can be nastier than she ever can be. Hillary was married to the single greatest abuser of women in the history of politics, referring to Bill Clinton. Hillary was an enabler, and she attacked the women who Bill Clinton mistreated afterward, he told the newspaper. In the Times interview, Trump also touched upon his marriages. Trump has been married three times, and his first marriage fell apart after he carried on an affair with Marla Maples. Asked if he ever cheated on his wives, Trump responded: No I never discuss it. When asked about Maples, he said, I dont talk about it. I wasnt president of the United States. The 19th SAARC Summit was scheduled to be held from November 9 to 10 in Islamabad.(Photo: AP) Male: The Maldives on Friday asked SAARC member states to create an environment "conducive" for holding the grouping's summit which has been postponed following a pull-out by five countries, including India. "The Government of Maldives has urged the member states of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) to create an environment conducive for holding the 19th SAARC Summit," a Maldives Foreign Ministry statement said. It said the appeal by the Maldivian government follows the decisions by some of the SAARC member states who have expressed their inability to attend the summit in Islamabad scheduled for November due to terrorism, and threats to regional and international peace. Read: Isolated by India and neighbours, Pak forced to postpone SAARC meet "The Maldives condemns international terrorism, especially those originating from outside," the statement said. SAARC Summit can be convened only with the participation of Heads of State or Governments of all of its member states. "The Maldives encouraged states to provide a valuable opportunity for the leaders to discuss critical issues facing the region and expressed hope that the required measures will be taken by relevant member states to convene the summit at an early date," the statement said. The 19th SAARC Summit was scheduled to be held from November 9 to 10 in Islamabad. Besides India, three other SAARC members -- Bangladesh, Bhutan and Afghanistan -- pulled out of the summit, indirectly blaming Pakistan for creating an environment which is not right for the successful holding of the meet. Sri Lanka also pulled out of the SAARC Summit on Friday, becoming the fifth country to do so. Citing continuous cross border terrorism by Pakistan, India had announced earlier this week that "in the prevailing circumstances, the Government of India is unable to participate in the proposed Summit in Islamabad." SAARC member states include Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, the Maldives, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The offending clip of a couple engaged in a steamy tryst beamed at peak hour on Friday.(Photo: Twitter/ @Prunamasari) Jakarta: An explicit pornographic video was broadcast on a public billboard in broad daylight in Jakarta, with police and cyber crime specialists on Saturday searching for the culprit behind the gaffe. The offending clip of a couple engaged in a steamy tryst beamed at peak hour on Friday, shocking and amusing motorists in equal measure as they crawled along the major road in heavy traffic. The power was quickly shut off to the "videotron" -- as the giant advertising screens are locally known -- but not before the whole scandalous incident was captured on motorists' phones and sent viral on social media. The hashtag "videotron" was quickly trending, with much speculation about who was responsible for the X-rated gaffe, which broadcast just a stone's throw from the South Jakarta mayor's office. The video file -- titled "Watch Tokyo Hot" -- appeared to be streaming from a personal computer, prompting suggestions that someone's week was about to take a turn for the worse. But police were still searching for a motive behind the "videotron" scandal, Jakarta metropolitan police said in a statement Saturday. A specialist cyber crime unit had joined the investigation to determine whether the broadcast was deliberate or hacking was involved, the police's head of public relations Awi Setiyono said. Police have seized a computer from the offices of a private company as part of their investigation, he added. Access to pornographic websites is blocked in Muslim-majority Indonesia, and romantic scenes in films and television programs are heavily blurred or cut altogether by state censors. Wellington: A New Zealand bushman on a diving trip killed a giant octopus humanely by chewing off its head, and then posted his feat on Youtube. In the video, survival expert Josh James, wearing a camouflage wetsuit, holds a live octopus up to the camera before proceeding to chew its head off neatly and again holding the creature up in triumph. Before bearded Josh begins he emerges with it out of the water and begins: "Just got an octopus today, these things are really good eating. Then he suddenly says, "To kill them, you bite them right between the eyes..." - and bites down hard on its head. He concludes, Because thats where the brain is. France police have charged a 15-year-old high school student on suspicion of wanting to commit a terror attack. (Photo: AP) Paris: A 15-year-old high school student was charged and held on Friday on suspicion of wanting to commit a terror attack directed by a notorious Syria-based French jihadist, a judicial source said. The teenager was charged over criminal associations with a terrorist group, the source said. The minor had been using Telegram the encrypted messaging app popular among French radicals to contact Rachid Kassim, a French jihadist based in the areas of Syria and Iraq held by the Islamic State group. The adolescent, who was not previously known to intelligence services, was taken in for questioning early on Wednesday from his parents' house in Domont and held in police custody for 48 hours before appearing before the court Friday morning. "There was a suspicion he was going to commit an act," said one source close to the investigation, adding that the minor had said while in custody that he had abandoned the plan. In the last few weeks, around ten adolescents have been held as the authorities scramble to tamp down home-grown jihadist violence that is increasingly drawing in teens. Kassim, a 29-year-old former social worker from the Loire valley who has appeared in several IS propaganda videos, is believed to have been a key influence on many of the youths. The 15-year-old charged Friday was "very active on the Telegram messenger, where he liked two stations that broadcast jihadist propaganda", said a source close to the enquiry. He was also in contact, using the encrypted messaging service, with another teenager -- himself in touch with Kassim -- who was arrested September 14 in Paris on suspicion of wanting to commit a violent attack. Islamic extremists have targeted France repeatedly in the last two years. French Prime Minister Manuel Valls has said the terror threat was at a "maximum" and that the authorities were foiling attacks and smashing jihadist networks "every day". Valls said that around 15,000 people were known to police in France as having been radicalised, up from a previous estimate of 10,000. Beirut: Russia warned the United States Saturday against carrying out any attacks on Syrian government forces, saying it would have repercussions across the Middle East as government forces captured a hill on the edge of the northern city of Aleppo under the cover of airstrikes. Russian news agencies quoted Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova as saying that a US intervention against the Syrian army "will lead to terrible, tectonic consequences not only on the territory of this country but also in the region on the whole." She said regime change in Syria would create a vacuum that would be "quickly filled" by "terrorists of all stripes." US-Russian tensions over Syria have escalated since the breakdown of a cease-fire last month, with each side blaming the other for its failure. Syrian government forces backed by Russian warplanes have launched a major onslaught on rebel-held parts of the northern city of Aleppo. Syrian troops pushed ahead in their offensive in Aleppo on Saturday capturing the strategic Um al-Shuqeef hill near the Palestinian refugee camp of Handarat that government forces captured from rebels earlier this week, according to state TV. The hill is on the northern edge of the Aleppo, Syria's largest city and former commercial center. The powerful ultraconservative Ahrar al-Sham militant group said rebels regained control Saturday of several positions they lost in Aleppo in the Bustan al-Basha neighborhood. Airstrikes on Aleppo struck a clinic in the eastern rebel-held neighborhood of Sakhour putting it out of service, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and the Local Coordination Committees. They said one person was killed in the airstrike. Opposition activists have blamed the President Bashar Assad's forces and Russia for airstrikes that hit Civil Defense units and clinics in the city where eastern rebel-held neighborhoods are besieged by government forces and pro-government militiamen. Sweden's Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom criticized attacks on civilian targets writing on her Twitter account: "Unacceptable to bomb civilians, children and hospitals in #Aleppo. No humanity. Assad & Russia moving further away from peace." In the eastern province of Deir el-Zour, warplanes of the US-led coalition destroyed several bridges on the Euphrates river, according to Syrian state news agency SANA and Deir el-Zour 24, an activist media collective. The province is a stronghold of the Islamic State group. SANA said that among the bridges destroyed was the Tarif Bridge that links the eastern city of Deir el-Zour with the northern Syrian city of Raqqa, the extremists' de-facto capital. Warsaw: Dressed in black, thousands of protesters gathered Saturday outside the Polish parliament in Warsaw to protest against a proposed near-total ban on abortion in devoutly Catholic Poland. At the rally, called by the "Save Women" pro-choice coalition, people waved black flags and banners saying "Stop the fanatics in power" and "We need doctors, not police". The governing conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party, which controls parliament, has proposed a bill that would allow terminations only if the mother's life is at risk and increase the maximum jail term for practitioners from two to five years. Poland's influential Catholic Church gave the initiative its seal of approval earlier this year, though its bishops have since opposed jailing women. "I am really angry about these guys in suits who want to make decisions about the lives of people who find themselves sometimes in unbearable situations," Anna Blumsztajn, a high school teacher, told AFP at the demonstration. The "Save Women" group says it has been collecting signatures in favour of a European legislative initiative guaranteeing access to legal abortion, sex education and contraception. The defenders of abortion rights have also raised the idea of a "women's strike" on Monday, calling on women not to go to work, dress in black and participate in protests across the country. Although the PiS party generally favours banning abortion, its leaders are well aware that most Poles support the existing legislation, already among the most restrictive in Europe. Passed in 1993, the current law bans all terminations unless there was rape or incest, the pregnancy poses a health risk to the mother or the foetus is severely deformed. A poll last month by the Newsweek Polska magazine showed that 74 percent of Poles want to keep the existing law. Buckinghamshire: A 42-year-old motorist, who was sick and tired of children playing on his driveway, ran over and killed his neighbours five-year-old son in Milton Keynes town in Buckinghamshire. According to a report in Daily Mail, motorist David Cowell has been convicted of causing death due to careless driving. Riley Ferguson, the child who had sustained head and neck injuries, died four days later. A 10-year-old girl was the witness to the accident that took place on a shared driveway. "Our next door neighbour was driving down the hill and he didn't see Riley but he saw me because I was standing up. Riley was sitting down. He went over Riley. He got out the car and put Riley on the grass," she said. The court was informed that Cowells focus, while driving, was on the girl and not Riley, who succumbed to his injuries at John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford. The incident had taken place on June 7. This young boy lost his life because the defendant was fed up with the young kids playing on the driveway. He was focused on a young child because he wanted to get up close to her and make the point "what are you doing on my driveway again?"' Judge Francis Sheridan said. Cowell has been released on bail but he has to appear at Aylesbury Crown Court on October 21 for sentencing. Mahatma Gandhi was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize no fewer than five times. Stockholm: Nobel Prizes cannot be revoked, so the judges must put a lot of thought into their selections for the six awards, which will be announced in the next two weeks. A discovery might seem groundbreaking today, but will it stand the test of time? Prize founder Alfred Nobel wanted to honor those whose discoveries created "the greatest benefit to mankind." Here are five Nobel Prize decisions that, in hindsight, seem questionable: When a German who organized poison gas attacks won the chemistry prize Fritz Haber was awarded the 1918 chemistry award for discovering how to create ammonia from nitrogen and hydrogen gases. His method was used to manufacture fertilizers and delivered a major boost to agriculture worldwide. But the Nobel committee completely overlooked Haber's role in chemical warfare during World War I. Enthusiastically supporting the German war effort, he supervised the first major chlorine gas attack at Ypres, Belgium, in 1915, which killed thousands of Allied troops. When the medicine committee awarded a cancer discovery that wasn't Danish scientist Johannes Fibiger won the 1926 medicine award for discovering that a roundworm caused cancer in rats. There was only one problem: the roundworm didn't cause cancer in rats. Fibiger insisted his research showed that rats ingesting worm larvae by eating cockroaches developed cancer. At the time when he won the prize, the Nobel judges thought that made perfect sense. It later turned out the rats developed cancer from a lack of vitamin A. Oops. When the chemistry prize honored man who found use for DDT, which was later banned The 1948 medicine prize to Swiss scientist Paul Mueller honored a discovery that ended up doing both good and bad. Mueller didn't invent dichlorodiphenyltricloroethane, or DDT, but he discovered that it was a powerful pesticide that could kill lots of flies, mosquitoes and beetles in a short time. The compound proved very effective in protecting agricultural crops and fighting insect-borne diseases like Typhus and Malaria. DDT saved hundreds of thousands of lives and helped eradicate malaria from southern Europe. But in the 1960s environmentalists found that DDT was poisoning wildlife and the environment. The US banned DDT in 1972 and in 2001 it was banned by an international treaty, though exemptions are allowed for some countries fighting malaria. When the man who invented lobotomy won the medicine prize Carving up people's brains may have seemed like a good idea at the time. But in hindsight, rewarding Portuguese scientist Antonio Egas Moniz in 1949 for inventing lobotomy to treat mental illness wasn't the Nobel Prizes' finest hour. The method became very popular in the 1940s, and at the award ceremony it was praised as "one of the most important discoveries ever made in psychiatric therapy." But it had serious side effects: some patients died and others were left severely brain damaged. Even operations that were considered successful left patients unresponsive and emotionally numb. The method declined quickly in the 1950s as drugs to treat mental illness became widespread and it's used very seldom today. When Mahatma Gandhi didn't win the peace prize Mahatma Gandhi, considered one of history's great champions of non-violent struggle, was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize no fewer than five times. He never won. The peace prize committee, which rarely concedes a mistake, eventually acknowledged that not awarding Mahatma Gandhi was an omission. In 1989 - 41 years after Mahatma Gandhi's death - the Nobel committee chairman paid tribute to him as he presented that year's award to the Dalai Lama. AARC leaders at last year's summit which was held in Dhulikel in Nepal. Kathmandu: Nepal's Foreign Affairs Minister Prakash Sharan Mahat on Saturday said that Kathmandu would take necessary initiatives and would hold discussions with the member countries to push for holding the 19th South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation Summit (SAARC). The SAARC Summit, which is scheduled to take place in Islamabad next month, has been in hot waters after several member countries preferred not to participate in the same. Mahat said SAARC member states must be sensitive towards holding the Summit by ensuring the participation of each member, reports the Himalayan Times. Highlighting that harmonious relations between the member states would enhance utilisation of the association and encourage regional development, Mahat said that SAARC is an important forum for advancing regional cooperation and development. Earlier this week, India announced that it would not attend the summit conveying the current SAARC chair Nepal that New Delhi is unable to participate in the same in the prevailing circumstances. After India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka also pulled out of the summit. The lawmakers condemned India of 'undue and unprovoked firing' across the LoC. (Representational Photo: PTI) Karachi: Pakistan's Sindh Assembly has passed three separate resolutions condemning "Indian aggression" along the LoC, saying such an act was a serious violation of international laws. The resolutions were moved in the House of provincial Assembly by lawmakers of the ruling Pakistan People's Party, opposition Muttahida Qaumi Movement and Pakistan Muslim League (Functional). The resolutions, unanimously passed by the House, said that on September 29, Indian forces violated the internationally-recognised Line of Control (LoC) and resorted to firing due to which two Pakistan armymen were killed, The News International reported. It said such an act of India amounted to serious violation of the LoC and also tantamount to attacking integrity and security of Pakistan. This House condemned such a savage act of India, which the Indian forces did on the direction of political leadership of India. This assembly condemns aggression shown by India, the resolutions said. "Undue and unprovoked firing by India across the LoC is a serious violation of international laws. The House pays tribute to armymen who were killed," it said. Lawmakers said India would be given a befitting response if it dared to wage a war against Pakistan. The fighter aircraft is designed by the Chinese. (Representational Image) A JF-17, a Chinese designed fighter aircraft of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) No 16 Squadron, crashed into the Arabian Sea on September 27 during Exercise High Mark, a Pakistani military exercise. The aircraft, operating from PAF Base Masroor, was on a routine night mission when the accident took place. It is reported that the pilot had ejected safely. The search and rescue operations are being conducted by the Pakistan Navy employing Navy seeking helicopters, P3C Orion aircraft and SR vessels. The Exercise High Mark commenced on September 19. No 16 Squadron is based at the PAF base Kamra or Minhas Airbase and is equipped with Block-I JF-17s. This is the second JF-17 crash, casting serious doubts on the fitness of the Chinese designed fighter aircraft. Colombo: Sri Lanka would soon bring in a new anti-terrorism law, Prime Minster Ranil Wickremesinghe said today. Wickremesinghe was addressing a joint press briefing with New Zealand Premier John Key in Auckland where he is on a visit. "We hope to be able to bring in the draft law soon," Wickremesinghe said. The New Zealand Green Party and Amnesty International had raised concerns and drawn to the attention of Key, the human rights accountability accusations against Sri Lanka. The Green Party MP, Jan Logie had told Key that Sri Lanka Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) had allowed people to be detained indefinitely without charges. Wickremesinghes unity government with President Maithripala Sirisena had stated that a new anti-terror bill would replace the PTA. "The government had appointed a committee to look at the PTA and to draft a new counter terrorism bill. This will be done to meet international standards," said Sagala Ratnayake, law and order minister who is part of Wickremesinghes delegation in New Zealand. Tamil and human rights groups have pointed to the draconian nature of the PTA which was enacted in 1979 during the early days of the LTTE militancy. During the LTTEs over three-decade armed campaign to set up a separate Tamil state, many LTTE activists were held under the PTA. International rights groups have urged the Sri Lankan government to repeal the PTA and release those held under its provisions. Lahore: Hafiz Saeed, chief of to Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JUD), an Islamic charity linked to outlawed militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba (Let) has said that New Delhi staged "surgical strike" drama following domestic pressure on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to retaliate after 19 soldiers were killed in an attack on an army base in Uri sector in Jammu and Kashmir. "They (some people in India) started asking that 'you had said that you would attack Pakistan, you would do a surgical strike'. Everyone who was in grip of this fever started asking Modi and the Indian government. For this Ajit Doval staged a drama. He made up a surgical strike drama while sitting indoors," Saeed said. Saeed was of the opinion that no raid was actually carried out by the Indian troops. "The whole film was made in which this surgical drama was shown in which they said their 150 expert paratroopers, after crossing the control line and entering Pakistan, carried out a raid. Actually, no raid was carried out, neither in Bhimber nor in Lipa, Chamb and dudhnial," he added. Indian Army on Wednesday said that it conducted surgical strikes on terror launch pads across the Line of Control (LoC) in response to the terrorist attack at Uri sector. Two Pakistani soldiers and over 30 terrorists were reportedly killed in the attack. Director General of Military Operations Lieutenant General Ranbir Singh said that the motive of the operation was to hit out at the terrorists who were planning to infiltrate into the Indian Territory. Lt General Singh informed that significant casualty was caused to terrorists during the operation. The DGMO said, it is a matter of serious concern that there have been many infiltration bids by terrorists at the LoC and it was reflected in the terror attacks in Poonch and Uri on 11th and 18th of this month. Meanwhile, anti-India protests were held in Lahore, Multan, Karachi, and some cities of Balochistan in wake of rising tensions between the arch-rivals. Lack of infrastructure, logistical constraints, and myths and stigma attached to organ donation are the major hurdles keeping the rate of heart transplant in India at an abysmal low vis-a-vis in the west, according to health experts. Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the number one cause of death globally, leading to more deaths annually than from any other cause. The World Heart Day is being observed globally on Friday by doctors, experts and civil societies. While an increasing population, including youth, is growing susceptible to heart ailments with changing lifestyle, doctors say the country is not catching up on heart donations which could save several lives. Indias record when it comes to heart transplant is very dismal. One of the main factors is medical infrastructure and many times brain deaths in ICUs are not notified, thus losing precious time. Besides, there are logistical constraints, when the harvested heart doesnt reach in stipulated time through the green corridor, says Balram Airan, Professor of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery at AIIMS. Airan was part of the team at the premier institute which performed the countrys first heart transplant at AIIMS on August 3, 1994. Heart transplant is warranted for patients with end-stage heart failure or irreparable coronary artery disease. In this procedure, doctors replace the ailing heart with a healthy one harvested from a brain dead patient. Lagging behind Mukesh Goel, Senior Consultant, Cardiovascular Surgery at Apollo Indraprastha Hospital here, says, in the country itself, north India is lagging behind its southern counterpart. In the south, there are well laid-out procedures and government is very active, besides people being aware about organ donation. In Delhi and other parts of north India, the coordination work is quite informal and hence not smooth and efficient, leading to delay, Goel told PTI. He says, at Apollo Indraprastha, no transplant has been performed yet, but, there are four-five patients on waiting list, from Delhi and Ghaziabad and Bareilly, among other places. TN in the lead Tamil Nadu is leading the way at present with nearly 200 transplants, Delhi about 50-60, Kerala 20, a single transplant in Rajasthan and nothing else from Lucknow to Kolkata, he said. Sometimes the harvested heart fails to reach the recipient in golden time due to lack of agency and traffic coordination. After harvesting, the heart must reach its recipient within 3-4 hours or it dies, says Rajeev Maikhuri, Senior Organ Transplant Coordinator at AIIMS. Doctors also say that sometimes people refuse to donate organs due to superstition, like they wont be getting that organ in next life, if donated. As per the Global Burden of Disease study estimate of age-standardised CVD death rate of 272 per 1,00,000 population in India is higher than the global average of 235 per 1,00,000 population. An estimated 17.5 million people died from CVDs in 2012, representing 31 per cent of all global deaths. Of these deaths, an estimated 7.4 million were due to coronary heart disease and 6.7 million were due to stroke. Kewal Krishan, Program Head, Heart Transplant and Ventricular Assist Devices at Max Hospital here, says, India continues to lag behind the west by a large margin in terms of organ donations. While the needle has moved slightly with increase in green corridors, more transplants etc, there continues to be a deeply entrenched stigma associated with organ donation. At present, there are 50-100 transplants happening in India every year. However, these are largely in south India. North India continues to struggle with donors, he said. In India, the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO) is the apex body for coordination and networking for procurement and distribution of organs and tissues. Besids NOTTO, we should have state-level coordination bodies, and going through one agency delays the process. Since south India is faring better in this area, so much so that the number of donors somewhat exceed the number of recipients there. A recipient list is also maintained by the state, Goel said. Cardiovascular diseases are the major cause of heart ailments. Hypertension, high lipid level and smoking are the main risk factors for heart ailments. Changing lifestyle, erratic sleeping patterns, unhealthy eating habits, lack of physical exercise, increasing consumption of alcohol are other causes. Studies have estimated that CVDs will account for one-third of all deaths in India by 2020. In fact, a recent Delhi-NCR survey showed that most patients suffering from heart diseases fall in the age group of 25-45. Cases of cardiac arrest and heart attacks have been reported in people as young as 18-19 years, Krishan said. Thirteen years ago, Shashank Tyagi was diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder, Gaucher disease, here at AIIMS after his spleen and liver became enlarged, and he developed a protruding abdomen. Like Tyagi, 27 patients took out a silent rally from Jantar Mantar to Connaught Place on the eve of International Gaucher Day on Friday, seeking policy and funds from the government for the treatment of rare genetic disorders known as Lysosomal Storage Disorders (LSDs). The walk, organised by an NGO called Lysosomal Storage Disorders Support Society, India (LSDSS), saw patients and their caregivers holding placards and banners highlighting their plight. After the walk, there was a discussion on the ways and means of funding the treatment of rare genetic disorders namely Gaucher, MPS, Fabry and Pompe. Patients said that the treatment for rare genetic disorders is too expensive to be afforded individually. I have been suffering from Gaucher disease since birth but it was diagnosed later. I hope that the government will come up with a policy to help me and other Gaucher disease patients as it is impossible for us to fund our own treatment, said 25-year-old Tyagi, who is an MBA graduate. According to the NGO, there are 14 patients suffering from Gaucher disease in Delhi - the most common form of Lysosomal Storage Disorders (LSDs). Gaucher disease is an inherited genetic condition that causes fatty deposits to build up in organs and bones. People with Gaucher disease do not have enough glucocerebrosidase, an important enzyme required to break down glucocerebroside, a type of fat molecule. As a result, cells get filled with the undigested fat and this build up occurs in different parts of the body, primarily the liver, spleen and bone marrow, said experts. Enzyme Replacement Therapy (ERT), the most effective treatment for LSDs is available in India. However, many patients are deprived of the treatment due to the high cost, said the NGO. In India, such treatments are not supported by the government or insurance companies, like they are in developed countries. Dr A P Dubey, HoD, Department of Pediatrics, Maulana Azad Nedical College, said, ERT is critical to improve the quality of life for patients suffering with rare genetic disorders such as Gaucher disease for which there is no cure. Without the treatment, there is progressive accumulation of partially degraded compounds which stealthily leads to multi-organ dysfunction. As per the NGO, two committees have been formed this year to address the concerns of patients with rare diseases including LSDs, but nothing concrete has come out of it yet in terms of providing free treatment, which is the primary demand of patients and their families. The Delhi government formed a committee under the chairmanship of Dr D K Tempe, Dean of Maulana Azad Medical College in February 2016 to develop a policy for rare genetic diseases. Another committee was constituted by the Union Health Ministry this year for developing a policy on providing medicines for treatment of rare diseases. Recently, the Karnataka government started funding the treatment of such patients after a High Court order, said the NGO. Manjit Singh, president of the NGO LSDSS, said, Treatment for LSDs is beyond the reach of patients. Government support in terms of funds is imperative to help them lead a normal life. We urge the government to expedite the process of forming a policy and providing funds for the treatment of LSDs. India has said Pakistan approaching the UN over the issue of surgical strikes in PoK has not found any resonance in the world body and rejected claims that the UN mission monitoring ceasefire "has not directly observed" any firing along the LoC. India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin dismissed remarks made by Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's spokesperson Stephane Dujarric that the UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) "has not directly observed any firing across the LoC related to the latest incidents", a reference to the surgical strikes conducted by India on September 29 targeting terror launch pads in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Akbaruddin told reporters at the Indian Permanent Mission here yesterday that the facts on the ground do not change whether somebody has "observed" it or not. "I have nothing to say because what (Dujarric) said was 'directly observed'. It's a call that they have to take. I cannot place myself in their boots and directly observe something," the Indian envoy said when asked to comment on Dujarric's remarks. Akbaruddin said the "facts on the ground do not change whether somebody acknowledges or not. Facts are facts, we presented the facts and that's where we stand." India on Thursday carried out surgical strikes on seven terror launch pads across the LoC with the Army inflicting "significant casualties" on terrorists preparing to infiltrate from PoK. When pressed at the daily press briefing to explain how UNMOGIP can say it did not observe any firing even as India said it has conducted the surgical strikes, Dujarric repeated that UNMOGIP has not "directly observed" any of the firing. "They are obviously aware of the reports of these presumed violations and are talking to the relevant concerned authorities," he had said. Akbaruddin said while Pakistan has reached out to the UN Chief and the 15-nation Council over the issues of the surgical strike and Kashmir, it's call for intervention by the world body has not found any resonance as there was no further discussion on the matter. "Yesterday there was some action. You are also aware of the reaction," Akbaruddin said referring to Pakistan's envoy Maleeha Lodhi meeting New Zealand's UN Ambassador Gerard van Bohemen, president of the Council for the month of September, and raising in the UNSC the issue of the action by India. "Yesterday the Pakistan ambassador did approach New Zealand. What they didn't tell you after that was what happened. Did anyone raise anything after what was explained to in the UN Security Council. The answer that I know of is that there was no further discussion of this (surgical strike and Kashmir matter)," Akbaruddin said. He said Pakistan had raised the issues through the New Zealand ambassador in "informal consultations" of the Council. "Was there a resonance. I didn't hear that, nor did anybody else in those informal consultations. We are a responsible state. It is not our intention to aggravate the situation. "However as a responsible state we will not tolerate any impunity. We will not be indifferent to territory being used to kill innocent citizens of our country," Akbaruddin said adding that India hopes and expects "support from Pakistan also in that endeavor". "Ultimately they are committed to a bilateral understanding on this." The Indian envoy also added that Pakistan had raised the Kashmir issue in the General Assembly but asked how many nations "supported" it. "By my count there were none," he said adding that there is "no resonance" among UN member states for Pakistan's claims on Kashmir. "At the high-level General Debate, there was a specific and long Pakistani submission (on Kashmir). I did not hear any resonance of that among any of the member states who took the floor. Ultimately 193 of them took the floor. There was no resonance. If you find anything contrary I'm willing to listen," Akbaruddin said. Akbaruddin stressed that as a responsible state, India will not be "indifferent to impunity" as an option. "Our approach is that the response (surgical strike) we undertook yesterday...was a measured, proportionate, counter-terrorist strike. It was reflective of our desire to stop a clear and imminent threat. Our objectives have been met and that effort has since ended," he said. He reiterated that India's effort as a "responsible state" is to respond proportionately and in a measured manner and achieve its objectives. "In that case, we consider our objectives fulfilled. What spin somebody puts, whether somebody has seen it or not seen it, is not a germane to the issue. That it was undertaken, that we feel that it achieved our objective is important for us as a country," he said. On whether India has been approached by the office of the Secretary General or the Security Council regarding de-escalation of the situation, Akbaruddin said, "I did not hear any response to the submission (by Pakistan) yesterday." He said as a normal diplomatic practice, if there are any requests to him or other Indian diplomats on any matter, "it is our job as diplomats to respond to them." "In the UN we have a very expansive agenda. We have an agenda that deals with peace and security and also climate change, sustainable development goals. It also deals with having a culture of peace integrating and working together with others. "We are focused on that expansive and extensive agenda. We are not a one agenda state," he said. The surgical strike by India came just days after the attack by Pakistan-based terror outfit JeM on the Indian army camp in Uri in Kashmir that killed 18 jawans.Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said that the attackers will not go "unpunished" and the sacrifice of the jawans will not go in vain. In her meeting with the UN chief, Lodhi said India's "claim" of carrying out a surgical strike across the Line of Control was "false" but added that India had by its own admission "committed aggression" against Pakistan. According to a release by the Pakistan mission here, Lodhi told the Secretary General that Pakistan has exercised maximum restraint but would respond forcefully to any acts of aggression and provocation. She added that the responsibility for the "escalating crisis rests entirely on India", the release said. Briefing him about the escalating situation, Lodhi said "India has, by its declarations and actions, created conditions that pose an imminent threat to regional and International peace and security." She said India provoked the crisis to divert international attention away from the "Indigenous Kashmiri uprising" and asked the Secretary General to intervene in bringing an end to the alleged grave human rights in Kashmir. The Secretary General repeated his offer of extending his good offices to both countries, which the release said Pakistan has always welcomed but India has consistently declined. Lodhi also asked the Secretary General to ensure that UNMOGIP is able to report independently about the facts of the situation on the ground to the Security Council. Lodhi further said the Secretary General is "bound by the UN Charter" to "intervene boldly and unequivocally" by calling on India to halt its "aggressive actions and provocations", lest these lead to an even more dangerous situation. During the briefing, Dujarric had said that Lodhis meeting with Ban was held at her own request and added that Ban's office does not give readouts of his meetings with Permanent Representatives. Dujarric reiterated that the Secretary General is following the situation along the Line of Control between India and Pakistan with "great concern and the increased tensions along the LoC as well as the escalating rhetoric" between the two countries. He stressed that the UN Chief would welcome any proposals to de-escalate the tensions between the nuclear-armed neigbours. AIADMK today asserted that its hospitalised party supremo and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa is "healthy" even as a doctor from the UK has reportedly been flown in to examine the 68-year-old leader. "Amma (Jayalalithaa) is healthy. She needs rest as per doctors' advice and will return in good health," senior AIADMK leader and former Minister P Valaramathi told reporters. She said Jayalalithaa was performing official duties and pointed out that she had even announced the party's candidates for this month's civic polls while being hospitalised. "Some jealous people are carrying out a wrong campaign to confuse people by spreading rumours" about Jayalalithaa's health, she said. Meanwhile, the Apollo Hospitals, where Jayalalithaa has been hospitalised for treatment for fever and dehydration, reportedly flew in UK-based Dr Richard John Beal to examine the Chief Minister. Jayalalithaa was admitted to the hospital on September 22 after she complained of fever and dehydration. She has been advised to stay for a few days at the hospital. Another senior leader and AIADMK spokesperson, 'Panruty' S Ramachandran, also insisted that Jayalalithaa would "return home soon". "The Chief Minister is recovering well. We believe, she will return home soon. Please do not believe in rumours," he told reporters here. The doctors were sharing information regularly on the Chief Minister's health, he said. On DMK chief M Karunanidhi seeking an explanation over Jayalalithaa's health, Ramachandran said "he has no right" to demand so. "What has to be informed to the people, we are doing so. The doctors are qualified to talk about someone's illness and they are sharing information," he added. Karunanidhi had yesterday demanded that pictures of the Chief Minister be released to quell rumours about her condition. In the biggest ever blackmoney disclosure, at least Rs 65,250 crore of undisclosed assets were declared in the one-time compliance window, yielding the government Rs 29,362 crore in taxes. While the blackmoney declarations will go up once all the online and manual filings of undisclosed assets filed at the end of the four-month window on September 30 are compiled, the government will get nearly Rs 14,700 crore or half of the due taxes, this fiscal. Announcing the declarations made under the Income Declaration Scheme (IDS), Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said 64,275 declarants disclosed an amount of Rs 65,250 crore. "Some disclosures have not been tabulated... This figure could be revised upward once the final tabulation is done," he told a news conference here. Government had offered a one-time chance to holders of income and assets that had illegally escaped taxes, to come clean by paying a tax and penalty of 45 per cent. On the declarations compiled so far, the government will get Rs 29,362.5 crore in tax and penalty. The declarants can pay this amount in two instalments up to September 30, 2017. Half or Rs 14,681.25 crore will accrue this fiscal. Last year, under a similar scheme for foreign black money holders, 644 declarations of undisclosed foreign income and assets were received, and just Rs 2,428 crore was collected in taxes. "We will maintain secrecy of these declarations," Jaitley said, adding the tax would accrue to the Consolidated Fund of India and would be used for welfare of public. The average declaration per declarant comes to Rs 1 crore. A total tax of Rs 9,760 crore was collected under the Voluntary Income Disclosure Scheme (VIDS) amnesty scheme brought by the then Finance Minister P Chidambaram in 1997. "In 1997, the tax collected was Rs 9,760 crore," Jaitley said, adding that VDIS and IDS cannot be compared as the two schemes are different. While IDS is not an amnesty scheme, VDIS provided blanket amnesty, he said. Taxation under IDS is charged at the rate of 45 per cent while the effective rate of tax in the 1997 scheme was in single digit. Jaitley also listed out the steps taken by the government to unearth unaccounted money in over two years, including Rs 56,378 crore during search operation and Rs 16,000 crore from non-filers of tax returns. The government, he said, did not want to give a person who hasn't paid tax easier term than one who has been honest in paying taxes and so a 50 per cent penalty of the 30 per cent tax was added. "It was 30 per cent tax, but the value of asset was taken not for 1997, but for 1987. So the effective rate of tax was single digit rate of tax. And this is a 45 per cent rate of tax. So the two schemes are entirely different," he said. Refusing to draw a parallel between the two schemes, he said the two are different and the effective rates are also different. "This kind of declaration is a positive step because more and more people in the higher tax income are wanting to become more and more tax compliant," he said. Asked about what course of action the Income Tax Department would take against those holding blackmoney but not declaring in the four-month window, Jaitley said the department has no intention of being vindictive. "But if the department finds that there is an evasion somewhere, whatever normal activity they have to do they will do," he said. The Finance Minister said India was not in general a tax compliant nation. "At 45 per cent tax, when the average declaration was one crore, it means there were no small traders. These were people with significant resources. "With so many people declaring money it shows significant number of people want to become tax compliant. It's a very 'good figure' and if you take as part of all the steps that the government has taken cumulatively, these are very significant amounts," he said. The Income Tax Department had virtually burnt midnight oil to make the IDS a success by remaining open till midnight on the last day to faciliate filings. Like the foregn blackmoney scheme, the Income Declaration Scheme 2016 is not an amnesty scheme. These schemes extended an opportunity to come clean by paying more than the normal tax. Between 1951 and 1997, 10 amnesty schemes were announced to declare unaccounted money, most of which were misused. Dishonest tax payers got away in those schemes by paying lesser than normal taxes, with all immunities. Only two of the past schemes were seen as successful: the income declared under amnesty circular 1985/86 was Rs 10,778 crore, and under VDIS, 1997, Rs 33,000 crore. But the real value of the assets declared was double the value considered for tax purposes. Taxes were paid at less than 50 per cent of the normal rate, with zero interest and penalties. The Remittances of Foreign Exchange and Investment in Foreign Exchange Bond (Immunities & Exemption) Act, 1991 saw about Rs 2,200 crore of income being declared, with zero taxes payable. The India Development Bonds, 1991, were also issued under this scheme, with subscribers enjoying immunity from declaring the source of income. They got 9 per cent tax-free interest on the 5-year bond. IDS 2016 provided opportunity to undeclared wealth holders to escape prosecution by paying 45 per cent tax, including a penalty of 7.5 per cent and surcharge of 7.5 per cent. China today said its technical hold on India's move to get Pakistan-based JeM chief Masood Azhar designated a terrorist by the United Nations has "been extended", days before the expiry of the hold. The Chinese technical hold was set to lapse on Monday, and had China not raised further objection, the resolution designating Azhar as a terrorist could stand passed automatically. The hold has been extended for another six months. "The technical hold on India's listing application submitted to the 1267 committee in March, 2016 has already been extended," Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told PTI here. "There are still different views on India's listing application. The extended technical hold on it will allow more time for the Committee to deliberate on the matter and for relevant parties to have further consultations," Geng said. On March 31 this year, China, a veto-wielding permanent member of the UN Security Council, had blocked India's move to put a ban on the Jaish-e-Mohammed leader and Pathankot attack mastermind under the Sanctions Committee of the Council. China was the only member in the 15-nation UN organ to put a hold on India's application with all other 14 members of the Council supporting New Delhi's bid to place Azhar on the 1267 sanctions list that would subject him to an assets freeze and travel ban. Geng said the 1267 Committee of the UNSC "organises its work as mandated by relevant resolutions of the Security Council." "China always maintains that on the listing matter, the 1267 Committee should stick to the main principles of objectivity, impartiality and professionalism, base its judgments on solid evidence and decide upon consensus among the members of the Security Council," he said in a written reply to a question. Following the decision, the hold now has been extended in the midst of India-Pakistan tension over the Uri terrorist attack, which was blamed on the JeM group. China's technical hold coupled with its move to block India's membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) cast a shadow on the Sino-India ties. Both the countries have held several rounds of talks on the issues in recent months. China's move to extend the technical hold comes ahead of the expected meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Goa during the BRICS Summit on October 15-16. In June last year, China had blocked India's demand for taking action under the Council's anti-terrorism resolutions against Pakistan for releasing Lashkar-e-Taiba commander Zaki-ur-Lakhvi - the mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai attacks. Sources have previously said India is not alone in its bid to get Azhar listed as terrorist as the US, the UK and France had "co-sponsored" the resolution seeking Azhar's listing. India has repeatedly slammed the UN Sanctions Committee for its failure to designate terrorists, saying that the terror groups are proscribed entities under the Sanctions regime but individuals heading them are not listed. India has slammed the UN sanctions committee for taking a "selective approach" in tackling terrorism when the technical hold was put on its application to include Azhar's name on the committee's list of designated terrorists. In April, India had said it finds it "incomprehensible" that while the Pakistan-based JeM was listed in the UNSC Committee as far back as 2001 for its known terror activities and links to the al-Qaeda, the designation of the group's main leader, financier and motivator has been put on a technical hold. India had submitted a detailed dossier on Azhar and moved the UNSC 1267 Committee following the January 2 attack on an Indian airforce station in Pathankot. In March, India's submission was considered by the Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate for technical aspects of the evidence provided. The technical team then with the support of the US, the UK and France had sent it to all the members. All were told that if there were no objections, the designation will be announced after the expiry of the deadline. However, hours before the deadline, China requested the committee to hold up the banning of the JeM chief. India had said the sanctions committee was taking a "selective approach" in tackling terrorism. India had made a strong call for reform of the "subterranean universe" of the UN Security Council's sanctions regimes, as it criticised the lack of transparency in their functioning and said that the principles of "anonymity and unanimity" adopted by Council members absolve individual members of accountability. They worship in Church but wear Vermillion on forehead Bondashil, a small sleepy hamlet located in the Badarpur district of South Assam, had a Portuguese settlement back in the 17th century. Comprising about 40 families, the community members would give an impression to any onlooker that they are one of those who inhabited this place since time immortal. Their obscure existence is hardly known. It is believed that they are the descendants of the Portuguese mercenaries brought by German adventurer William Rein Herr. Not many would have realised that the place would later become home to their future generations. They have become part and parcel of the community living in the village as they speak Bengali fluently and even their local Bengali dialect Sylhetti is flawless. Women wear vermillion on their forehead, bangles of shells on their arms and black beaded necklace. Many mistake them for Bengali Hindus. Many an eyebrow is raised when they are told that they are Christians. There are two other lesser-known Portuguese descendant settlements in Northeast India-- in Rangamati in Goalpara district of Assam and Mariamnagar on the outskirts of Tripuras capital Agartala. Their marriages are conducted in the age-old village church which is then followed by exchange of garland and groom putting vermillion on the brides forehead a rare confluence of Hindu and Christian religious customs. We do all these to be a part of larger society we live in. We have adapted to their ways of life so that we are accepted without any hassle, says 73-year-old Roma Maria Frank. Now it is really not a matter of concern anymore whether we are considered Portuguese or not. In fact, we are happy to be identified as Bengalis. Of course, we offer prayers at the church every Sunday but at the same time also be a part of festivals of other communities, she adds. The three districts of Cachar, Karimganj and Hailkandi in southern part of Assam are Bengali-dominated. There are also other tribals and smaller groups like the Bishnupriya Manipuris but these Portuguese descendants stand out. The people, however, strive to preserve their customs and rituals. They have their own church, which is one of the oldest in the region and a school. They are united always. Sometimes I feel a strong urge to visit my native place (Portugal) and see how my ancestors lived there and how my life would have been if I were to be there. At times I feel a pang of identity crisis, Placid Anthony says nostalgically. None of these families have any link with Portugal. They are all Indian citizens and vote here. This is the place where my father, my grandfather even my great grandfather were born. To me this is my native place, Hubert Dias, who works in Badarpur Post Office, added. It is during Christmas and Easter that they prepare their original culinary Vindaloo. Otherwise Portuguese food is not common in these households. They speak a smattering of Latin, that too during prayers and during interactions with the church priest. The people of Bondashil have undergone a drastic transition and the demography has witnessed a flux. The mighty Barak River which now flows on the edge of the village has swallowed a church and several acres of land in the past Valaria Frank Sengupta, whose maiden name was Valeria Frank, works in the Hindustan Paper Corporation (HPC). She married Ashim Gupta, a Hindu Bengali when both of them met in HPC and soon fell in love. I do not feel a cultural hitch with my husband as I have grown in a community which is more Bengali. I never had problems in performing rituals in the temple with my husband. Even my husband has never shown his unhappiness during weekly church service. It is actually nothing new to us. We have grown up in this cultural amalgam, Valaria, who is very happy with her marriage, said. My daughter Satabdi takes it as a rare opportunity to collect gifts and dresses on Christmas as well as in Durga Puja, she laughingly adds. The upcoming Durga Puja will be a moment of celebration, says 95-year-old Triza Fernandez, probably the oldest woman in the village. Even now, she is keen on visiting Durga Puja pandals. They worship Goddess at the same time enjoy every festival performed in society. It is mainly during Durga Puja that children ask for gifts and not during Christmas. Excitement is in the air when friends from a common community speak of the pre-puja shopping and keep on asking the number of dresses they receive as gifts, adds Richa, the granddaughter Triza. The surnames--Paneros, DeSilva, Dias, and Gonzales-- are the only Portuguese remnants with these people now. Many families have migrated to other parts in search of job as the River Barak plays havoc during monsoon and erodes land. Many have their old houses, but nothing of heritage value. Also, they do not give any insight into their Portuguese lineage. Several structures are crumbling due to lack of upkeep. The village has not seen much of development over the years. Not many employment opportunities are available to the people. Our village can be a place of historical tourism. Even foreign tourists and mostly from Portugal can come. Our youth can be trained in heritage tourism but this uniqueness of our village does not matter to people in power, laments Joseph Anthony, a youth from the village. It is not every day that one comes across a culture which is allowed to disappear. But it is a pity not much efforts have been made over the years to protect the culture and historical significance of Bondashil. It may just slip into pages of history in the years to come. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has demonstrated an unprecedented politico-military will in giving the go ahead for surgical strikes across the Line of Control (LoC) in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The surgical strikes were undertaken by the armys elite Parachute Regiment Special Forces, sending out a clear and categorical signal to Pakistan that it will now have to pay for the low-cost high-effect proxy war being waged against India for the last 26 years. The terror strike on the army camp at Uri on September 18, just 6 km from the LoC, where 19 soldiers were martyred, was the proverbial last straw. The anger and anguish spread across the entire length and breadth of the country, especially so as it came after another high visibility attack on the Pathankot Air Force base in January. The Lakshman Rekha had been crossed and the public sentiment needed to be assuaged. The NDA government had invested a considerable amount of political capital in improving relations with Pakistan. The meeting between the two prime ministers at Ufa on July 15, 2015, was followed by a terrorist strike at Gurdaspur on July 28. Again, Modis outreach to his counterpart by way of a stopover at Lahore on December 24 was paid back by a terror attack at the Pathankot Air Base. Diplomatic and economic offensive alone have not yielded results over the years and it has emboldened Pakistan to perpetuate more and more terror attacks not only in Kashmir, but across the country as well. The military option finally exercised and flawlessly planned, coordinated and executed by the army has raised the bar. Pakistan can no longer perpetuate terror strikes in India with impunity, the costs have been raised as India for once has synergised all elements of national power by launching a well-calibrated offensive in all domains to include diplomatic, informational, economic, political and more importantly, military. For the first time, the military has been permitted to launch punitive operations across the LoC. The military response is essential as it is visible and showcases a nations resolve to protect its interests. With the impending onset of winter, it was an imperative for Pakistans Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) to infiltrate terrorists to exploit the prevailing situation in the Kashmir Valley and also to carry out terror strikes prior to and during the festival season. The strikes at the terrorist launch pads is a master stroke by the army where in a single operation, they have executed both punitive operations avenging the martyrdom of our 19 soldiers and pre-emptive operations, in destroying the terrorists and their launch pads. The army must be complimented on the choice of cross LoC targets which are the terrorist bases. For one, the choice of targets demonstrates Indias strategic restraint, while responding in the tactical domain. The Indian Director General of Military Operations call to his counterpart in the afternoon of September 29 saying that the operations have been closed, gave a clear signal to Pakistan of the objectives, thus minimising the chances of any escalation. In addition, the targets, though in the tactical domain, were spread from Bhimber to Kel on either side of the Pir Panjal a few hundred kilometres apart demonstrated our capability and capacities to hit when and wherever required. The key question is, what are the options before Pakistan. The chances of Pakistan stepping up the escalation ladder is very low. Pakistan army chief Gen Raheel Sharif is expected to retire on November 28, but it is also rumoured that he is likely to be promoted as the field marshal. Will he do something to redeem his image? It is doubtful, as he is well aware of the consequences of a war with India. It is a historical fact that Pakistan stands defeated in all previous wars. There are reports that the Pakistan armed forces have been on high alert since the Uri attack as a preparation to Indias likely military retaliation. Pakistan will continue to be on high alert. Conventional war However, any escalation in the conventional spectrum of war is unlikely. Pakistan is well aware of Indian militarys conventional superiority. In fact, it is certain that the Indian armed forces would have in its usual professional manner, war-gamed the options and prepared for all contingencies. The Indian Army knows well that operational preparedness and readiness is a sure way of preventing war. Also, Pakistan has limited options, and given the internal security situation, its involvement in Operation Zarb-e-Azb (a joint military offensive conducted by the Pakistan armed forces against various militant groups) and in Afghanistan, an economy that is in a state of near-collapse and which is badly in need of the $46 billion Chinese investment in the ChinaPakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Islamabad can ill afford a counterattack against a militarily superior India, with notional diplomatic support from China. Pakistan will continue to wage the proxy war with possible retaliation on the LoC and an increase in ceasefire violations. However, Indias intelligence agencies and the police should be prepared to counter high-visibility terror strikes in the metros and the hinterland. Pakistan may also target Indian assets and citizens in Afghanistan through the Taliban. The armed forces also need to review and beef up security of the vulnerable administrative installations and bases, especially those near the border areas as these will be the likely targets. India and the Indian Army have shown an unprecedented resolve and given a well-calibrated response, albeit in the tactical domain. The surgical strikes have achieved the desired results, it is now imperative to ensure that the initiative is not lost and the isolation of Pakistan in the diplomatic and economic domain is taken to its logical conclusion, raising the costs of the proxy war. (The writer is former Director General of Military Operations and presently Director, Centre for Joint Warfare Studies, New Delhi) The present-day struggles should resurrect themselves on the lines of the Dalit movement of the 1970s and adopt a pro-people stand, Dalit Sahitya Sammelan president Dr V Munivenkatappa has said. Speaking at the inauguration of the Dalit Sahitya Sammelan in T Chennaiah Rangamandira here on Saturday, Dr Munivenkatappa said that revolutionary struggles had come to a halt and there had no sign of any just fight. The bureaucracy has not been of no use for the common plan, he lamented. Though slavery had been eradicated under the feudal system recently, capitalism has wreaked havoc in the country. The total assets of 10 people in the country including the Tatas and Birlas is in excess of the worth of the countrys asset. Banks are being nationalised to favour capitalists. Farmers are not being given loan. The people of the uppercastes who occupy higher positions have neglected the downtrodden, he said. Bangarpet MLA S N Narayanaswamy said that the pro-people nature of Dalit struggle had underwent a change. But, this change has not been of any use for the community at large. The community will be benefitted if the movement tread the path of the struggles of 1970s, he said. Deputy Commissioner Dr K V Trilok Chandra said that literature, arts and talent were not restricted to any particular community. It forms the responsibility of a civilised society to identify and nourish talent. Dalit Sangharsha Samiti leader Lakshminarayana said that the contribution of non-Dalits for the Dalit literature should also be studied. Sahitya Sammelans should serve as a platform for bringing great thinkers out the shackles of caste. Kannada Sahitya Parishat should be a forum for all category of writers, he said. Dalit leader C M Muniyappa said that untouchables were heading towards churches owing to denial of entry at temples. But, Dalit leaders and writers have not been voicing their concern on this issue. Criticising Dalit movements has become a hobby for some people, he lamented. Administrative officer of Kannada Book Authority Mahadevaiah, Taluk Panchayat president M Anjinappa and others were present. Earlier, the Sammelan president Dr Munivenkatappa was brought in a colourful procession from the Ambedkar statue at Bangarpet Circle till Chennaiah Rangamandir. Various folk troupes took part in the procession. Speaking at a session on Milestones in Dalit literature in Karnataka: Present status and future challenges, writer Dr Durgadas asserted that there was no split in Dalit organisations. He claimed that such talks were rumours circulated to suppress the Dalit movement. He said that Dalit Sangharsha Samiti, during its initial days in 1960s and 1970s, formed its units in every village, thus strengthening the movement. Dalits launched a struggle in order to realise the ideals of Dr B R Ambedkar. But, some forces are out to derail the struggle of Dalits. But, of late, there has been lack of leadership for the movement, he said. DH News Service Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, also a native of the district, had to cut short his visit to the city, immediately after attending the inaugural function of the Dasara festivities, atop the Chamundi Hill, here, on Saturday, as he had to chair an all-party meeting and also the Cabinet meeting in Bengaluru to tackle the Cauvery crisis. Siddaramaiah flew in the Akash Airavat, an eight-seat aircraft of Kerala-based Kairali Airlines, operated twice-a-day till October 15 by the Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation, which he launched at the HAL Airport in Bengaluru. He rushed from the Mysuru Airport at Mandakalli to the Government Guest House to meet poet Chennaveera Kanavi, who later inaugurated the Dasara festivities. The CM accompanied Kanavi to the Chamundi Hill and took part in the inaugural function. However, he left immediately after delivering his speech. Siddaramaiah had, in the last two years, spent the entire day of the inaugural day of Dasara in Mysuru, inaugurating a series of events. Earlier, JD(S) MLAs of the district Sa Ra Mahesh of K R Nagar and G T Devegowda of Chamundeshwari segments left for Bengaluru to attend the all-party meeting and also to join former prime minister H D Deve Gowda, who has launched a hunger strike. With the CM leaving for Bengaluru, the other ministers also accompanied him. Hence, only District in-charge and PWD Minister Dr H C Mahadevappa and Primary and Secondary Education Minister Tanveer Sait were left to manage the various events organised as part of the Dasara festivities in the city. Even though the flow of tourists is not on expected lines for a Dasara season, the Dasara Executive Committee has organised a host of programmes across the city. Besides the main events of the cultural programmes, Dasara sports, women Dasara, adventure sports, food festival, rangoli festival, film festival, book exhibition, wrestling, horticulture show, Rangayana theatre festival, Dasara exhibition, Dasara illumination among others were inaugurated. Besides the arrangements and events of the Dasara Executive Committee and its sub-committees, private organisations also have taken up initiatives to make the Dasara, this year, a success. While Mysuru Shopping Festival has been launched, with various high-profile cultural events lined-up, various companies and organisations have launched mobile apps to help both tourists and residents. Various organisations are conducting doll arrangement competitions in view of encouraging the traditional observance. DH News Service The para-commandos who constitute the Indian Special Forces have just concluded a surgical strike in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and made the nation proud of their prowess to strike the enemy with stealth, speed and surprise. The surgical strike was conducted to avenge the death of 19 martyrs of the terrorist attack on the armys Brigade Headquarters at Uri last month. The Special Forces infiltrated 3 km deep into PoK to hit multiple terrorist launch pads there and successfully exfiltrated from the area. The Special Forces are a strategic weapon to be used at the right time to tilt the battle against an adversary. It is a force multiplier that can change the course of war by its judicious and bold employment behind the enemy lines. The Indian Army Special Forces originated in 1965, when Maj Megh Singh from the Brigade of Guards raised the Meghdoot Force. It carried out several successful small-scale commando operations behind the enemy lines during the 1965 Indo-Pak war. After the war, the armys leadership felt the need to raise a similar commando force to operate in the Rajasthan deserts. Hence the Meghdoot Force, which was christened as 9 Para Commando, was split into two and 10 Para Commando was raised and commanded by the late Lt Col N S Uthaiya. Both these battalions excelled in the 1971 Indo-Pak war. The 9 Para Commando conducted a daring raid on a medium gun battery at Mandhol where Brig (then captain) M M Ashok Cariappa was the second in command. The 10 Para Commando raided Chachro, a town 60 km inside enemy territory, under the dynamic command of the late Lt Col Bhawani Singh, the Maharaja of Jaipur. The 10 Para Commando was the first battalion to be employed in Sri Lanka with effect from June 1987. By then, 9 and 10 Para Commando battalions had been reorganised and designated as Special Forces, and the First Battalion of the Parachute Regiment was reorganised to join the family of the Special Forces. While an infantry battalion has 1,000 men, a Special Forces battalion has around half that manpower strength. These soldiers are trained in martial arts, sharp shooting, close quarter battle and specialise in communications, medical assistance, demolition, weapons and other skills necessary for covert combat. Till now, the only Indian Special Forces operations conducted behind enemy lines was during Operation Jupiter. The para-commando battalions were tasked to evacuate the diplomatic personnel of the Indian High Commission in Colombo along with former president Jeyawardene whose life was under threat. Around that point in time, Indo-Sri Lankan relations had soured and the Sri Lanka government had requested the Indian Peace Keeping Force to leave the island nation before June 31, 1988. The employment of Special Forces will always yield dividends far beyond its size, both at the tactical and strategic level. Special Forces are raised to be employed beyond the tactical battle field. However, in the South Asian strategic environment characterised by a No War, No Peace state of affairs, the employment of Special Forces for a surgical strike is possibly a great option for covert action between diplomacy and war. Some strategic analysts are bound to opine that any infantry battalion could have undertaken the 3 km shallow penetration raid or surgical strike into enemy territory. It should be noted that infantry battalions could do so during an all out conventional war, but not before formal declaration of hostilities. The Special Forces soldiers are trained and mentally attuned to operate behind the enemy lines, which is proven beyond doubt. IPKF, Kargil war The Special Forces are also employed in the Kashmir Valley to tackle the externally fostered internal security threat from non-state actors operating from Pakistan. They were also into operations during the Kargil war in 1999. The Indian Navy has its Marine Commandos and the Indian Air Force (IAF) has the youngest Special Forces unit Garuds to combat threats to IAF assets. Now that the navy and air force also have their own Special Forces, it is time to institute a Special Forces Command. This Special Command would look into the security of our borders within and outside the country. It would also include the extended neighbourhood which comprises the Indian Ocean Rim and Southeast Asia. A Special Forces Command would have to operate directly under the overall force commander of that geographic region. It should never ever be asked to operate under local commanders of the tactical battle zone, which is the practice in the Indian military environment. Invariably, the commanders of fighting formations tend to use them as specialised infantry (foot soldiers) units for a little more difficult task where they feel the normal infantry would suffer more casualties or will not be able to maintain and ensure surprise against an enemy. A Special Forces Command is an effective tool for decision makers to promote national security and foreign policy interests. Today, the Special Forces need the best men available in their service and support from the political and military leadership. Their welfare should be assured in the event of their death during action for they are a rare breed of men who are willing to sacrifice their lives for the nation. Without this, the Special Forces is not worth its existence. Given all this, their scope of success is well beyond imagination. The recent Special Forces surgical strike is the second one conducted this year after the strike into Myanmar in response to an ambush against Indian soldiers in the Northeastern region. Hopefully, it is a forerunner to many more special operations in the future. (The writer, a retired Colonel, was former Commanding Officer, 10 Para Special Forces; he also served with the Indian Peace Keeping Force in Sri Lanka as well as during the Kargil operations) The new vented dam at Thumbe is a classic example for the government apathy for solving the water crisis of the city of Mangaluru.The statements by the officials, elected representatives and others have compelled me to uncover some of the facts relating to the Thumbe vented dam, which are not in public domain. The study of assessment of capacity and restoration of existing (Old) dam across Netravathi river were referred to M/s Torsteel Research Foundation of India (TRFI), Bengaluru, in 2004-05, though their expertise is limited to only structural engineering. The report submitted by TRFI was referred to me (At that time I was holding the position of Dean, Planning & Development at NITK) for my opinion. The incompetence of the consultant in the area of hydrology or planning and design of water engineering projects was very well exhibited in the report submitted by them. The capacity estimation of the old reservoir was erroneous due to fundamental error in the method of computation, non-consideration of various levels associated with the reservoir or vented dam, non-availability of Stage Area-Capacity Curve prepared using necessary field data. It could be concluded from the data available in the report that the capacity up to an assumed FRL (full reservoir level) of +5.0m is 4.89 M cum. As there was no mention of sill level of the dam it could not be confirmed whether the capacity mentioned in the report was the live capacity or not. Without any relevant data it was simply concluded that the estimated capacity was sufficient for about 45 days. However, a new dam at a distance 50 m to 100 m downstream of the existing dam was suggested. The proposed capacity for the new dam was equally erroneous and unreliable. No scientific method was adopted in arriving at the storage capacity for the new dam. It was mentioned during the years 1985, 86, 87, 90, 92 and 1997 the flow in the river had been less than the demand (?) for the months February to June, i. e. for a period of five months or 150 days. It is questionable then why only 75 days had been considered for working out the storage requirement though it is not the scientific method for deciding the capacity of a reservoir. There was no supply-demand analysis, no Depth- Area -Storage Capacity Curve or at least the submergence details available for fixing the capacity of new vented dam. It was arbitrarily suggested keep the FRL of the new dam at +8.00m with an actual storage capacity of 14.47M cum. It is really surprising to know how this storage capacity was arrived in the absence of any necessary field data! Added to this, there was no mention of sill level of the dam and the river bed level. The criterion or basis for fixing the FRL at +8.00m when the bank level is only +5.00m was also not available. There were no details of submergence or overflow to the banks. The report lacked the basic knowledge of hydrological studies and hence, the recommendations or the suggestions made in the report are highly unreliable. Surprisingly, this report is the basis for the new vented dam at Thumbe! Many questions However, M/s Secon (P) Ltd., Bengaluru, who was appointed as consultant for the new dam through a tender process by KUWSSB, Bengaluru, made a presentation on the Design Report of the proposed Thumbe Dam on May 30, 2006 in the conference hall of Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC). Many questions were raised on the various aspects of the proposal by me as well as other members present in the Hall. I had specifically asked about the submergence, storage capacity and unnecessary huge dam section below the river bed level. None of the questions were answered satisfactorily. The consultant had agreed that some important issues, such as investigation on alternative locations, hydrological studies, independent Supply/Demand analysis for the Mangaluru city, Depth-Area-Storage Curve, Salt water intrusion analysis, backwater study, Flood studies and associated submergence, alternative design for a small dam/ Hydraulic structure, have not been considered though many of these were the part of scope of work in the tender notification. It was also told by the consultant that the details were taken from TRFI report on the old dam which itself was questionable as it had not been based on any reliable hydrological data and proper investigation. The consultant was non-committal on survey work, submergence in particular though it was under the scope of tender notification. He simply made a statement: The capacity available at +7.00m is 14.734M cum, which meets the projected demand of 14.483 M cum, in 2026. However, I had communicated the various shortfalls in the Design Report/DPR to MCC on June 28, 2006 in my response to a letter to me from MCC (vide letter no. MCC/COM/WV.D/2006-07 dated May 17, 2006). It was suggested to MCC for a proof check of the DPR/design report as the dam was overdesigned, the actual submergence and the storage capacity were not forthcoming. It is really surprising to know how KUWSSB/MCC could accept such a faulty DPR/design report for an important drinking water proposal for city of Mangaluru. The fundamental principle of design of vented dam is not to allow the water to cross the river banks. Thus, fixing of FRL at +7.00M is totally arbitrary when the bank level is only +5.00M unless proper bank protection works are provided. It is neither based on the storage capacity available nor required on the basis of demand analysis. It is not even based on the limitation of submergence of land! KUWSSB/MCC should have selected a competent consultant who has experience in planning & designing vented dams in the coastal region. The Thumbe vented dam unfolds a number of questions unanswered! Is there actual Stage-Area-Capacity data available for the vented dam? Is the so called capacity decided on the basis of an estimated demand or on the basis of available storage volume within the river course? Why the original consultant is not taken to task for submitting an incomplete, faulty DPR/design report? In the absence of relevant data how the officials or the elected representatives give statements on the sufficiency of storage capacity in the dam? Is there any possibility of making use of the new vented dam to satisfy the water demand of next 25 to 30 years? Is there any way to reduce the submergence without sacrificing the available storage capacity? These questions remain unanswered even after the present survey! -Dr S G Mayya, former dean (P&D) and professor of Water Resources Engineering NITK, Surathkal. Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Saturday assured the residents of the border villages, who were moved to relief camps, of all the help. He said despite the tension in the Indo-Pak border region, farmers will be allowed to carry on with their agricultural activities. The villages in the border areas are being evacuated in apprehension of retaliation from Pakistan to the armys recent surgical strikes on terrorist launchpads in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Addressing a gathering during his whirlwind tour of the relief camps in Pathankot district here, Badal said the crops were as dear to the farmers as their children. He said he had spoken to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh in this regard, who had immediately directed the Border Security Force (BSF) to allow the farmers of the border region to harvest the crop, adding that the Centre had also permitted those farmers, who had their land across the fence, to reap and lift the crop. Describing the border residents of the state as true patriots, the chief minister said that braving all the odds, these hardworking sons of the soil contributed immensely towards the development of the state and the country. He added that these bravehearts served their motherland in the true sense by confronting the enemy everyday. Badal said his government was duty-bound to extend a helping hand to these people who had to leave their homes after escalation of tension between India and Pakistan. The chief minister said the villages in the border regions were evacuated as per an advisory of the Centre, adding that he, along with the top brass of his government, was regularly monitoring the arrangements at the relief camps. Praising the district and police administration for setting up the relief camps, he said every official must serve those at the camps diligently in this hour of crisis. There is no need to panic as the state government is committed to serving the bravehearts of the border region, Badal said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi briefed President Pranab Mukherjee on the surgical strike carried out by the Indian Army along the Line of Control (LoC) on the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday. It was the first one-to-one meeting between the prime minister and the President in the Rashtrapati Bhavan since the strike. Earlier, Modi had informed the President on phone about the military operation when it was launched. According to sources, the prime minister is understood to have explained to Mukherjee the governments assessment of the current security situation in the country. The Centre on Friday had issued a country-wide alert asking the states to heighten vigil to foil any attempt by Pakistan-based terror groups from carrying out attacks amid apprehensions of backlash by terrorists for the surgical strike on their launchpads in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). In an advisory, the home ministry conveyed to the states that additional forces should be deployed in all sensitive places, strategic installations, markets, religious places and other key places to ensure security. The metro cities were particularly asked to be extra vigilant. States touching the border with Pakistan Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan and Gujarat were also directed to remain vigilant. Army Chief General Dalbir Singh Suhag on Saturday visited the Northern and Western Commands to review the operational preparedness along the border with Pakistan in the wake of heightened tension between the two countries. Meanwhile, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, in his first remarks after the anti-terror strikes, likened Pakistans condition to that of an anaesthetised patient after a surgery. He also said that like Hanuman, the Indian Army has now recognised its prowess. Even two days after the surgical strikes, Pakistan has no idea what has happened, Parrikar said at a function in Uttarakhand. DH News Service Amid escalating tension between India and Pakistan, Army chief Gen Dalbir Singh Suhag on Saturday reviewed operational preparedness along the borders in Jammu and Kashmir, DHNS reports from Srinagar. Sources said Gen Suhag was briefed by Lt Gen D S Hooda, GOC-in-C Northern Command, which planned and executed the surgical strike, about the prevailing situation, overall preparedness and contingency plans. The Army chief also interacted with the special forces personnel who successfully carried out the surgical strikes on terror launch pads across the LoC, at Udhampur headquarters of the Northern Command, they said. During his meeting with senior commanders, Gen Suhag exhorted them to continue to maintain maximum vigil and alertness along the western borders and to be prepared for any eventuality, sources added. This was Gen Suhags first visit to J&K after the Armys successful surgical strikes in PoK. An army official said they have been asked to strengthen their positions along LoC and International Border and plug all gaps to thwart any kind of infiltration bids by the militants from Pakistan to carry out Uri-like attacks in retaliation to Indias surgical strikes. Meanwhile, Pakistani troops continued to fire at Indian forward posts in Akhnoor sector of Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday. Bollywood actor Nawazuddin Siddique found himself embroiled in a controversy after his sister-in-law, who is three months pregnant, accused him of assaulting her at his home in Uttar Pradeshs Muzaffarnagar district. The victim, who is Nawazuddins brothers wife, lodged a complaint with the police on Friday evening. Police said that they have launched an investigation into the matter and would soon quiz Nawazuddin. The victim, who was married to Minazuddin Siddique barely a few months ago, said in her complaint that her in-laws and husband had been torturing her, demanding more dowry. She said that Nawazuddin, accompanied by his brother and other members of the family, came to her room on Wednesday and asked her to go back to her parents home. When I protested, he (Nawazuddin) kicked me in the stomach, her complaint stated. She said Nawazuddin and the others left the room when she shouted for help and alerted the neighbours. Nawazuddin was on a visit to his native village in Burhana in Muzaffarnagar when the incident occurred. The victim also said that the CCTV cameras, which were installed in the house, were switched off when she was assaulted. Nawazuddins family members, however, rejected the charges. A police team reached the actors home, but was told that he had left for Delhi. Police sources said the CCTV footage would be examined to ascertain if it had indeed been switched off on the day of the said incident. We are investigating the matter. We will be questioning the actor, and action will be taken after examining the facts, said Superintendent of Police (Rural) Rakesh Jolly. A day after Bollywood actor Salman Khan differed on the issue of ban on Pakistani artistes, he came under heavy attack from the Shiv Sena and Maharashtra Navirman Sena, with the two parties suggesting that the actor can go ahead and work in Pakistan. MNS president Raj Thackeray said that the actor should measure his words before he speaks. I think Salman Khan should go to Pakistan and get a work permit there. Our jawans are dying on the border and all he is worried about is song and dance! If he likes them so much, he must go there and shoot his films, Raj said. Otherwise we will have to ban his (Salman Khan) films to teach him a lesson... for us, the nation comes first.... He added:Did he say anything about the jawans (who died)... they face real bullets... they do not act in films where you get up after being shot. Shiv Sena leader Manisha Kayande said that Salman Khan needs to be taught a lesson for backing Pakistani actors. I think he needs to be taught a lesson. When several jawans are losing their lives and there has been a war-like situations between Pakistan and India, this statement coming from him is highly objectionable, Kayande said. This is a very insensitive statement that he has made. If he has so much love for Pakistan and Pakistani artistes, I think he should go and perform there or rather migrate to Pakistan. I think, that way he will learn a lesson one day, she told a TV channel. On Friday, Salman Khan had defended Pakistani artistes saying: They are artistes, not terrorists. It is the Government who gives them permits and visas, the veteran actor said, adding: Both are two different subjects. DH News Service In a story of drought-to-deluge, the Marathwada region was pounded by heavy rain yet again on Friday and Saturday, with several places being inundated due to the downpour. More than 100 people were stranded at various places, and the administration sought help from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF). Heavy to very heavy rainfall was reported in all the eight districts of Marathwada region Aurangabad, Jalna, Beed, Osmanabad, Latur, Nanded, Parbhani and Hingoli. Latur and Nanded districts received the maximum rainfall in the region, reports said. At least two deaths were reported because of rain-related incidents. Moderate to heavy rainfall is expected in the next 48 hours, according to the Regional Meteorological Observatory of the IMD. In Mavalgaon in Latur, eight people in a village were stranded, while in Renapur taluk of Beed around 10 people were stranded. Parts of the Jalkot taluk in Latur were cut off due to rain and flooding. The disaster management unit was coordinating with different agencies for choppers to carry out rescue operations. According to Skymet Weather, the cyclonic circulation will further move westwards and as a result, intensity of rain will increase over Marathwada, madhya Maharashtra and coastal Maharashtra. Former billiards champion Michael Ferreira whose name figured in the sensational QNet scam surrendered, after which he was arrested by the economic offences wing and remanded to police custody. QNet reportedly lured more than five lakh investors in different schemes ranging from Rs 30,000 to Rs 7 lakh. QNet, founded in Hong Kong by Vijay Eswaran in 1998, sells a variety of products, including energy, weight management, nutrition, personal care, home care, luxury goods, and fashion accessories on an e-commerce platform. Ferreira, 78, a recipient of several awards and accolades including the Padma Bhushan, surrendered after his anticipatory bail plea was rejected by the Supreme Court. Additional Sessions Judge D P Surana, who presides over a court set up under Maharashtra Protection of Interest of Depositors, however, sent Ferreira and others to police custody till October 13. Last week, the Supreme Court had directed the five accused Ferreira, Malcolm Desai, stakeholders of Vihaan Direct Selling (India) Pvt Ltd, Srinivas Rao Vanka and Magaral Veervalli Balaji, directors of Vihaan Direct Selling (India) Pvt Ltd, Suresh Thimiri, director of Transview Enterprises India Pvt Ltd to surrender within a week. Transview handles QNet's multi-level marketing (MLM) operations in India. DH News Service Even as the Saarc summit, proposed to be held in Islamabad, got postponed, India will host leaders of four of the blocs eight members in Goa this month. Goa is set to see on October 15 and 16 next an assembly of the leaders of five of the Saarcs eight members India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and Sri Lanka. New Delhi is set to utilise the opportunity to further underscore the isolation of Pakistan in and around South Asia. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be joined by Bangladeshs Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Nepals Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Sri Lankas President Maithripala Sirisena and Bhutans Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay in Goa, sources told the DH in New Delhi. New Delhi got support from Bangladesh, Bhutan and Sri Lanka after it decided to boycott the 19th Saarc summit, which was proposed to be held on November 9 and 10, citing continued anti-India terrorism emanating from territories under control of Pakistan. Nepal, being the current chair of the Saarc, did not openly support India, but tacitly indicated that it shared the view of most of the blocs members. Afghanistan and Maldives also tacitly supported India. India is likely to use the assembly of the leaders in Goa to once again underscore the need for stepping up counterterrorism cooperation among the countries in the region, added the sources. Hasina, Sirisena, Dahal and Tobgay will take part in a BRICS-Bimstec outreach meeting in Goa. Thailands Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha is also likely to attend the BRICS outreach meeting with the Bimstec (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) leaders. The Nitish Kumar government is planning to implement the recently enacted Bihar Prohibition and Excise Act, 2016, in the wake of the Patna High Court judgement on Friday that quashed its currently operational prohibition laws. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has convened a meeting of his Cabinet on Sunday to decide on issuing a government notification to enforce the new prohibition law that was passed by the state legislature in August and subsequently also cleared by the state governor. The notification will enable the state government to persist with its prohibition policy despite Fridays court setback. The high court, on Friday, struck down the Bihar Excise (Amendment), Act, 2016, of March 31, 2016 and a notification it had issued on April 5, 2016, to enforce total prohibition in the state. In the wake of the governments proposed move to circumvent the court judgement, the main opposition, the Bharatiya Janata Party, on Saturday, suggested that the chief minister should instead convene an all-party meeting to discuss prohibition in future. The Bihar government should not make it a prestige issue and reconsider its decision. A division bench of the high court, comprising Chief Justice Iqbal Ahmed Ansari and Justice Navaniti Singh, in the judgement on Friday stated: Section 19(4) of the Bihar Excise Act, 1915, as amended with effect from April 1, 2016, (passed by the state legislatures on March 31, 2016) is ultra vires the Constitution and unenforceable. The impugned notification, dated April 5, 2016, issued by the state under Section 19(4) of the said amended Act is also ultra vires the Constitution and, consequently, unenforceable and the penal provisions of enhanced sentence and provision, with regard to confiscation of property, as introduced by the amendments on March 31, with effect from April 1, 2016, are also held to be ultra vires the Constitution. The court stated that the New Excise Policy, 2015, which was declared to be the basis of the Nitish governments approach to implement prohibition in the state, did contemplate implementation of total prohibition in one go. It envisaged implementation in a phased manner. It is important to note that the New Excise Policy, 2015, envisaged total prohibition, albeit in a phased manner and not whimsically or suddenly, the court said. The underlying idea of the policy was that total prohibition would be brought about in a phased manner so that society becomes ripe and ready to understand, realise and accept the necessity of having total prohibition in order to ensure that no draconian methods would be required to be adopted for the purpose of making the state free from consumption of alcohol. DH News Service With senior counsel Fali S Nariman informing the Supreme Court that he will not make any submission on behalf of Karnataka on the Cauvery case, the state government is scouting for senior counsel to represent it. The Congress leadership is said to have suggested to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to engage senior counsel Kapil Sibal or Abhishek Manu Singhvi. Some leaders also favoured senior counsel Ram Jethmalani. The chief minister has been discussing the matter with senior Congress leaders as well as his ministerial colleagues. Sibal has emerged the top contender, a source told DH. Nariman told the Supreme Court he will no more argue on behalf of Karnataka since the state has not complied with the courts order. The source said that with Karnataka sticking to its stand of not releasing water to Tamil Nadu, the government must hire a top legal mind to defend its case. Karnataka will engage the new counsel to present its case in the fresh petition it filed before the Supreme Court on Saturday seeking review of three previous orders. A large number of AIADMK workers gathered outside Apollo Hospital here on Saturday after speculations raged about the health condition of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa. The atmosphere turned tense after the hospital brought in a specialist, Dr Richard John Beale, from London on Friday to treat the chief minister. Despite Dr Beale issuing a statement that Jayalalithaa was provided the best medical care, the party workers remained visibly impatient. On Saturday night, Acting Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao visited the chief minister in the ward and was happy to note that the 68-year-old leader is recovering well. Rao was briefed by the hospital authorities, including chairman Dr Pratap C Reddy, on the treatment and care being given to Jayalalithaa. On Thursday night, hospital chief operating officer Subbiah Viswanathan issued a bulletin, saying Jayalalithaa was advised to stay for a few more days for recuperative treatment. AIADMK spokesperson Panruti Ramachandran said Jayalalithaa was recovering well and hoped for an early discharge. Ramachandran also slammed the demand of the Opposition party leaders, including DMK chief M Karunanidhi, to release photographs of Jayalalithaa, saying it is not necessary. JD(S) state president H D Kumaraswamy on Saturday said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah should take a tough stand on the Cauvery issue without worrying about losing power. Addressing the media in Bengaluru, he said when there is no water in the Cauvery basin, the question of releasing water should not arise before the government. Power is not permanent. Even if the chief minister loses power, it is alright. Let all 28 Karnataka members of Parliament also resign as a mark of protest against the Supreme Court order, he said. Kumaraswamy said that a fortnight ago, he had suggested to the government not to release water to Tamil Nadu. He also said he had suggested informing the court that the government has no faith in the bench which is hearing the case. Let them (court) dismiss the government. Should we continue to remain in the federal system despite such injustice being meted out to us? We have repeatedly asked the court and the Centre to study the water levels in both the states before arriving at any decision. But we are not being heard. The court has erred in giving such a judgement. The tribunal has said 80 tmcft of water should flow to Biligundlu as natural flow. When there is no water, how can such a direction be implemented? Such directions are most unscientific, he said. Kumaraswamy, who looked agitated over the court directions, said the government must form a new panel of legal advisers who can help the government handle the case. There are retired IAS officers who have knowledge about the Cauvery issue. The government must make use of their expertise, he added. He insisted that the Centre play a decisive role and solve the crisis. The states special leave petition of April 2007 is coming up for hearing on October 18. When such is the case, how can the attorney general accept the order to form the Cauvery Management Board, he asked. He also appealed to the people not to agitate on the streets and cause inconvenience to the public. The economy has taken a hit in places where agitations have been going on for weeks. People like H D Deve Gowda should go on a peaceful hunger strike, if they want to protest the court order, he added. A murder accused released on bail was arrested on Saturday for attempting to assault Bengaluru East Tahsildar Tejas Kumar, abusing him and obstructing him from doing his duty. Surendra Babu, who has been charge-sheeted for murdering his wife and small-time television actor Hemashri, was arrested in Malleshpalya near Kaggadasapuara, east Bengaluru. The jurisdictional Baiyappanahalli police said Babu tried to attack Kumar and used profanities. Trouble began when Kumar reached Malleshpalya, with policemen and BBMP officials in tow, to raze some sheds built illegally on a government land near Global City International School. When the team started pulling down the sheds, Babu arrived and raised objections, saying that the land belonged to him. Kumar asked him to produce relevant documents in support of his claim, but he failed to do so, police said. Officials asked him to leave the place and not cause a ruckus. They also showed him documents, as per which the land belongs to the government. But Babu refused to budge and reportedly started abusing the tahsildar. He also tried to assault him. Police quickly intervened and kept Babu at a distance. The tahsildar filed a complaint against him. He was then taken to the police station and arrested. Bengaluru Urban district officials said Babu had encroached on an acre of government land by building shops and houses on it. He was earning Rs 10-12 lakh per month as rent. Besides, he runs a water supply business and had dug up four borewells on the plot. This fetched him Rs 1 lakh a day. The authorities confiscated the property and handed over the borewells to the BBMP to supply water in the locality. Babu, however, insisted that he had inherited the property. V Shankar, Deputy Commissioner of Bengaluru Urban district, said that some apartments had been constructed in the buffer zone of lake in the area. He said he had directed the officials to survey the properties. If found illegal, the apartment complexes will be confiscated, he added. Babu was arrested by the Hebbal police for murdering his wife in 2012 but was released on bail the next year. Officials said they would write to senior police officers, requesting them to cancel his bail. DH News Service Defence-civil relations might be on the mend over land-swaps for road infrastructure projects. But a few traffic-related incidents involving defence personnel sometimes threaten to derail this bonhomie. While army personnel dismiss these cases as stray episodes that neednt be hyped, the police have a different take. It is a long-standing issue, points out retired Inspector General of Police, Gopal Hosur. Such episodes are more frequent in places where there are cantonments in cities and also on the railways. The conflict arises when the police try to enforce the law against violations committed by the defence personnel in civilian areas. These violations are often linked to road accidents and brawls. The defence personnel feel that only the Army Act or Navy Act or Air Force Act are applicable to them, but not any other Act. This perception may be true, but one should always remember that the first to respond are always the police, Hosur says. Veteran army personnel, who have served in the city for long years, admit that such violations do happen at the lower levels. But they should not be generalised. If an army vehicle is involved in an accident in a civilian area, the driver is liable to be penalised under the civilian laws. A civil case can also be registered against him unless the judge decides to hand over the case to an Army court, explains a retired army officer. Defence personnel have their own laws to deal with deviant behaviour of the personnel. They are subjected to a court of enquiry and have recourse to the Armed Forces Tribunal. Besides traffic cases, brawls involving police and jawans have often raised eyebrows. The retired officer does not condone such behaviour but also blames it on police high-handedness. He explains, By far, the Bengaluru police have been very well-behaved. But there are odd cases. The police say that in many cases where a defence person has committed a violation, he tends to call up his colleagues. Once their numbers swell, they tend to show their muscle power. Such incidents have been reported from Bengaluru, Belagavi and Bidar, all cities with Army and Air Force bases, says Hosur. Former Director General of Police, Shankar Bidari identifies ego as one of the factors behind such confrontations. If there is a deficit of understanding between the military and the police, the higher authorities should intervene and sort out differences. Civil and Military liaisoning meeting headed by the Chief Secretary takes place twice a year where issues related to the state government and military are discussed. The two establishments should give due respect to each other, he says. Both the police and army officials agree that there is a need for a more coordinated approach to sort out issues quickly. As Hosur points out, meetings involving the government at the chief secretary or Home secretary level and the defence service top brass should be more frequent. Army officials say good coordination already exists between the military police and the city traffic police. Besides, high-ranking officers do attend the liaisoning meetings to sort out any problems. Past incidents Sept 25, 2016: Traffic police book Lt Gen S P S Katewa for directing staff to demolish a part of the median in front of his house on Trinity Church Road. July 30, 2016: A 33-year-old Major in Indian army assaulted by unidentified men on road. Complaint filed with Baiyappanahalli police. March 24, 2013: Twelve persons, including three police officers, injured in clash between jawans from an army base in Halasuru and residents of adjoining Gauthampura and Dheenabandhu Nagar. Bengalurus once cherished green expanses had meekly surrendered to the dictates of unregulated growth. But huge swathes of defence land famously bucked that trend before pressure from civic agencies, in dire need of land to widen roads, forced the Ministry to oblige. The land demands continue to rise, challenging the sensitive civil-defence relations. Land-swapping. That has been the norm so far to get the military part with land in the core city areas in exchange for plots of the same value on the outskirts or beyond. Negotiations have been tough through channels that involve state government, BBMP officials and the army top brass from the Karnataka & Kerala sub-area command. Tricky issues Tricky issues have remained despite progress made in recent months. Struggling to check the rising vehicular traffic and consequent demand on roads, BBMP has found it extremely tough to widen roads. But the armys contention is this: Land allotted in exchange for prime plots within the city should not be in remote locations. Defence establishments too need land in core areas to set up training academies, labs and more. In its latest deal struck with the military in August, the state government cleared the decks for one of these projects, a Rail Overbridge (ROB) in Baiyappanahalli. To acquire 9,991 sq mtrs of Madras Engineer Group (MEG) land, BBMP had to release its Kensington Park land near Halasuru lake. But there is a much bigger demand pending from the Palike. As BBMP Chief Engineer K T Nagaraj informs, 63 acres of land within the city is urgently needed to kickstart 22 pending road infrastructure projects. The government, say the Palike insiders, has offered the army 207 acres of land in survey number 23 of Thimmanayakanahalli in Anekal. Another 200 acres of government land adjacent to survey number 23 is also part of the proposed deal. However, there is a glitch. The guidance value of 63 acres of defence land within the city is worth Rs 1,500 crore while each acre in Thimmanayakanahalli is valued at only Rs 25 lakh. Land of equal value The Army had been promised land of equal value in the past. But it did not materialise, recalls Major General K S Venugopal, who had served as General Officer Commanding, Karnataka and Kerala sub-area. Besides, we are already short of land. We need space to establish defence-related training institutions that, in turn, can generate jobs locally. Our IT and communications-related activities too require land, he points out. The government, says the Major General, has also been slow in clearing encroachments of defence land in the city. The Army is only the holder and not owner of the land. Approvals have to come from the Ministry of Defence. It knows that land is required for bridges, road-widening and other projects and army personnel too make use of the roads. But there should be a reciprocal arrangement. So, if high-value land-swaps are getting increasingly difficult, what is the solution? A senior Palike officer explains: The high cost of the defence land warrants taking up the road widening projects in a phased manner. The government too has agreed to offer its land elsewhere in the state. It is learnt that the military has taken a huge area on lease in Sakleshpur and Belagavi, which could be exchanged for defence land in Bengaluru. Circular on land rental There could be another way out: A new circular issued by the defence establishment allowing their land to be rented out at Re one per square foot. Although, as BBMP Engineer-in-Chief, M R Venkatesh informs, the order may not help the Baiyappanahalli ROB land, since all formalities have been completed, it could benefit another project: Extension of the Railway Overbridge (ROB) at Banaswadi near Maruthi Seva Nagar. The 960 sq metres of defence land near Mukunda Theatre required to complete the ROB project could now be rented out, bypassing the costly land purchase. The Palike had earlier prepared a detailed project report (DPR) and was about to forward it to the defence ministry and the defence estate officer in Bengaluru when the circular came. In all likelihood, the Palike will prefer the rental route. Another key project that requires a part of defence land is the widening and upgradation of the Subrato Mukherjee Road, from Gangamma Circle to Jalahalli Circle. The project, launched during 2008-09, requires 60,700 sq metres of land. Amigos de las Americas (AMIGOS), a national nonprofit organization that provides opportunities for young people to simultaneously develop leadership and decision-making skills while making a positive difference in the health and well-being of communities in Latin American countries, will hold information sessions for next summers service trips at the Encinitas Community Center in October. Applications, interviews and selection for the 2017 particpants is done this fall. This past summer, 34 local participants from nine San Diego County high schools joined over 500 other young adults from across the United States and other countries to lead public health, education and environmental projects in Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama and Paraguay. Interested students, along with a parent or guardian, should attend an October information session at the Community Center, 1140 Oakcrest Park Drive. They are set for Oct. 2 (2 p.m.), Oct. 13 (6:30 p.m.) and Oct. 29 (2 p.m.). For more information, visit www.amigosinternational.org and www.sandiego.amigosinternational.org. Submitted press release Here's How Fawad Khan Has Pissed Off Bollywood Biggies With His Comment On The Artists Ban! Blue Jackets goalie Merzlikins, family threatened verbally Aleksandra Merzlikins, the wife of the Blue Jackets goalie, has posted online about verbal abuse and threats directed at her family by fans. Singapore's Sembcorp sees big scope in India's power sector Describing India as a growth platform in the power sector, Singapore-based Sembcorp Industries has said it will enhance its presence in the country to tap the ever-growing power market. Sembcorp's big push in India is 2,640-megawatt Sembcorp Gayatri Power Complex in Andhra Pradesh, which opened earlier this year. The $3-billion facility has the distinction of being the largest foreign direct investment-driven project on a single site in the thermal energy sector with two 1,320-MW supercritical coal-fired power plants. "India is short of power. We were able to deliver the plants on time," Sembcorp Industries chief executive Tang Kin Fei said. "The project had been delayed and we provided the funding to complete it," Fei was quoted as saying by The Straits Times. While the first of two plants in the complex is now operational, the second should be up and running by the end of the year, after overcoming some teething problems. Sembcorp is bidding for a 500-MW long-term power purchase agreement (PPA) with Andhra Pradesh, where a new capital city, Amaravati, is being built. If the (PPA) deal is secured, then three of the four units, each of 660-MW, would be under long-term agreements, the report said, citing a report by a research unit of OCBC bank in Singapore. Tang said the future of Sembcorp lay with utilities in the medium term at least. "There are essential services that we provide, that's why we are going for these rapidly developing economies where there will be a demand for such services," Tang said. Tang said he was confident that the demand for power in India will increase and there will be plenty of room for growth, given the expected economic growth of more than 7 per cent this year. The Singapore industrial group holds a majority 68.74 per cent stake in Sembcorp Green Infra which has wind and solar assets across seven Indian states. "Sembcorp Green Infra is a growth platform for our renewable energy business. It will be part of this new growth engine and enhance our product line," said Tang of his group's participation in renewable energy business in India. With power and green businesses, Sembcorp now has $4 billion in assets and employs around 900 staff in India. Philippines' President Duterte likens himself to Hitler in war on drugs Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte appeared to liken himself to Nazi leader Adolf Hitler on Friday when he said he would ''be happy'' to exterminate three million drug users and peddlers in the country. Although the administration of US President Barack Obama played down the remark, Duterte's comments triggered shock and anger among Jewish groups in the United States, which could create pressure on the US government to take a tougher line with the Philippines leader. US defence secretary Ash Carter told a news conference following a meeting of Southeast Asian defence chiefs in Hawaii that he personally found Duterte's comments ''deeply troubling'', though the matter wasn't discussed at the meeting. State department spokesman Mark Toner had earlier described Duterte's remarks, made in a rambling speech in Davao City, as ''a significant departure'' from America's partnership with the Philippines ''and we find them troubling''. Duterte told reporters that he had been ''portrayed to be a cousin of Hitler'' by critics. Noting that Hitler had murdered millions of Jews, Duterte said, ''There are three million drug addicts (in the Philippines). I'd be happy to slaughter them. ''If Germany had Hitler, the Philippines would have ...,'' he said, pausing and pointing to himself. ''You know my victims. I would like (them) to be all criminals to finish the problem of my country and save the next generation from perdition.'' UN special adviser on the prevention of genocide, Adama Dieng, expressed alarm and urged the Philippines leader to exercise restraint in his use of language, a UN statement said. Dieng also called on Duterte to support an investigation into the reported rise in killings resulting from his anti-drug campaign, the statement said. In August, Duterte threatened to withdraw the Philippines from the United Nations after it called for an end to the killings. In Washington, a State Department spokeswoman, Anna Richey-Allen, had repeated concerns about reports of extrajudicial killings but offered no response to Duterte's comment referring to Hitler. A White House official on Friday stuck to a strategy of stressing Washington's long-standing ties with Manila, saying, ''We continue to focus on our broad relationship with the Philippines and will work together in the many areas of mutual interest.'' How relations between the US and the Philippines evolve will depend more on what Duterte does than on what he says, administration officials have said. US officials had said they would use the defence chiefs meeting in Hawaii to clarify comments by Duterte that throw into doubt his commitment to military ties with the United States, including joint exercises and patrols. While expressing his own unease with Duterte's comments, Carter described Washington's partnership with Manila as ''an alliance of independent and strong nations''. ''And like all alliances it depends on the continuation of a sense of shared interests. So far in US-Philippine history we have had that. We would look forward to continuing that but that's something that we continue to discuss with the Philippine government,'' he said. Since Duterte took office on 30 June more than 3,100 people have been killed, mostly alleged drug users and dealers, in police operations and vigilante killings. Duterte, who was elected in May on the back of a vow to end drugs and corruption in the country of 100 million people, has insulted Obama and in a number of remarks he has undermined the relationship between Manila and Washington. On Friday, reacting to critical comments on his war on drugs by US Senators Patrick Leahy and Benjamin Cardin, Duterte said, ''Do not pretend to be the moral conscience of the world. Do not be the policeman because you do not have the eligibility to do that in my country.'' Duterte has said there will be no annual war games between the Philippines and the United States until the end of his six-year term, and his hostility may make Washington's strategy of rebalancing its military focus toward Asia in the face of an increasingly assertive China more difficult to achieve. Murray Hiebert, a Southeast Asia expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank in Washington, told Reuters Obama was ''taking the long view'' in dealing with Duterte. Obama leaves office in January. Malcolm Cook, a senior fellow at Singapore's ISEAS Yusof Ishak Institute, said the US-Philippines alliance was not necessarily at risk, but Washington could seek to focus on ties elsewhere in the region. ''We are all in some sense becoming, by necessity, desensitized to Duterte's language,'' he said. ''Diplomatically, the US would say they'll continue to work with him and the alliance is strong. But it's whether they'll continue to strengthen that alliance or not.'' Holiday houses, a school in France and a park in Brazil, an experimental design project in Beirut, Eliasson in Korea and an extraordinary photographic online archive among the most read Septembers stories. Studio EXiT completed the renovation project of an old wooden barn on the Dolomites using a discrete approach that preserves the original character and beauty. Designed by Archispektras in Pape, Latvia, The Dune House is a vacation residence for a kitesurfers family, facing the endless horizon towards the Baltic sea. The parliament of possibilities is a major solo exhibition by Olafur Eliasson at the Samsung Museum of Art, featuring 22 works from the beginning of his career to most recent activities. Inspired by magic and childhood dreams, AZO. Sequeira Arquitectos renovated a dovecote in Portugal that resembles a suspended minimal tree house in concrete. The town council of Passo Fundo, in Brazil, put together a team of architects and engineers to reactivate an abandoned urban site, renovating it with a park, a farmers market and a library. Designed by Dominique Coulon & associes in Colombes, the Simone Veil group of schools forms a structural element in the urban composition of the new eco-neighbourhood. Silence, in Beirut, is an interesting design experiment with the precariousness of urban space jeopardised by noise pollution and other annoyances. Located in the historical center of Palma de Mallorca, Flores & Prats Architects with Duch-Piza converted an historical building into a cultural center open to all the city. At the London Design Biennale, Taiwan expresses its mixed cultural heritage by with an immersive and interactive installation where food combines with architecture and design. Totally Lost in an online archive and an exhibition featuring party headquarters, military bases, bunkers, planned communities, and memorials for a total of over 2.600 photographs. Top: Totally Lost. Jose Enrique Marrero Regalado, Abona Sanatorium, Abades, 1943. ph Daniel Sanchez A Donegal family has raised over 3,000 for two hospitals who helped treat their little boy after he was born premature earlier this year. Baby Dylan Kelly McCrory received life-saving treatment at Letterkenny University Hospital and at Dublins Coombe Hospital in the weeks after he was born in Letterkenny on January 18th. He was three months premature and weighed only 2lbs 14 oz. at his birth and because of serious health complications, he remained in hospital for two months. Hes now coming up on 9 months old and is doing great. And his parents and their extended families have done their bit to say thank you to the medical teams and hospitals who did so much for little Dylan. Over 1,000 when family and friends gathered for Dylans Christening celebrations in St. Johnston last June. Dylans grandfather Denis Kelly, and his auntie Marie McDermott, also raised funds in a charity cycle. Theyve completed a number of charity cycles, raising funds for the Diabetic Association, but this year, some of their money also went to Letterkenny University Hospital. The family just wanted to acknowledge the fantastic care that Dylan received in the weeks after he was born, Dylans mum Danielle said. He was a very sick baby, and we will always appreciate the work that Dr. Asim Khan, the staff in the Neo Natal Unit in Letterkenny, and at the Coombe Hospital, did for him. Wed also like to thank all the cyclists who took part in our fundraising cycle. In total, 3,300 has been raised, with 2,300 going to Letterkenny University Hospital and 1,000 to Coombe Hospital. October is National Bullying Prevention month. We have all heard the phrase bullying, but what does it actually mean? Bullying is defined as unwanted aggressive behavior; observed or perceived power imbalance; repetition of behaviors or high likelihood of repetition. Bullying is unfortunately a reality for far too many in our communities both young and old. Much like any other form of violence, bullying is not isolated to any particular age group, gender or demography. Just about everyone of us can look back in our lives and recall a time where either we were personally bullied or witnessed one of our friends or schoolmates being bullied. Its hard to believe that with all of the advancements and awareness, this type of behavior still exists, but it does and with the advent of social media, it had actually gotten much worse. This is because unlike in the past, the bully not only impacts your life on the playground or classroom; they now are able to follow you into your personal life due to the constant presence of social media. There is good news in that we have learned a great deal about what creates these bullies and how to neutralize their ability to isolate and intimidate. The key is for those in authority to respond to reports of bullying immediately to show without question that bullying will not be acceptable. That message needs to follow to our homes with the messages we send our children not only by what we say but by our own actions in how we treat fellow adults. Bullying is without question a learned behavior. It is learned on the playground, in the classroom and follows through to the workplace and social interactions as adults. We need to send a strong message to our own children, a message of empathy and compassion not of ridicule and rumor. Who are at risk of bullying the most? Typically those who are bullied have one or more of the following risks: Are perceived as different from their peers, such as being overweight or underweight, wearing glasses or different clothing, being new to a school, or being unable to afford what kids consider cool Are perceived as weak or unable to defend themselves Are depressed, anxious, or have low self esteem Are less popular than others and have few friends Do not get along well with others, seen as annoying or provoking, or antagonize others for attention However, even if a child has these risk factors, it doesnt mean that they will be bullied. The important lesson is that we as adults set the tone for how the next generation will interact with each other. Chances are if we show acceptance of others, our children will show acceptance of others. If we engage in demeaning others or spreading rumors, our children will follow suit. So often we as adults underestimate the influence, we have not only on our own children but even those who dont know us but witness our behavior. While school or workplace policies are an important component, the only way to truly decrease bullying is by denying the bully their victim. We do this by raising strong, confident, resilient children, and speaking out and supporting those who find themselves on the receiving end of this type of behavior. We are all teachers in life lessons and we teach by our actions. Lets all be aware of what we teach. Yes, you can transfer your domain to any registrar or hosting company once you have purchased it. Since domain transfers are a manual process, it can take up to 5 days to transfer the domain. Domains purchased with payment plans are not eligible to transfer until all payments have been made. Please remember that our 30-day money back guarantee is void once a domain has been transferred. For transfer instructions to GoDaddy, please click here. Memorial held for TORQE 62 Airmen A memorial run and ceremony were held in honor of the Airmen of TORQE 62 Sept. 30. Airmen, families and Abilene community members came together in memory of Capt. Jordan Pierson, Capt. Jonathan JJ Golden, Staff Sgt. Ryan Hammond and Senior Airman Quinn Johnson-Harris, who were killed in a C-130J Super Hercules crash Oct. 2, 2015 in Jalalabad, Afghanistan. The morning began with a 6.2 mile run, which had more than 500 participants. The distance was picked specifically for its relation to the number portion of the TORQE 62 mission. "We definitely picked the distance on purpose," said Senior Airman Robert Rebouche, 317th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron TORQE 62 Memorial Run coordinator. "My commander told us we were going to deliberately run 6.2 miles because TORQE 62 was this crews mission during their deployment in Afghanistan. This was their call sign as each one has five letters and two numbers. We decided to honor them in this way physically." Following the run, members of Dyess and the Abilene community gathered for a memorial ceremony held on the parade grounds. Family members, friends, community leaders and commanders all spoke in memory of TORQE 62. "Through unity, we mourn together today," said Col. Stephen Hodge, 317th Airlift Group commander. "During this tragedy were very careful to reach out to one another and feel the support and love. At any given moment, we received words of strength and encouragement from around the globe. The ties we have from people all over the world is what I want people to take with them today." A memorial plaque donated by members of the community honoring TORQE 62 was unveiled at the ceremony. The plaque is scheduled to be added to the memorial being constructed in front of the Dyess Memorial Museum. Members of the Abilene Military Affairs Committee expressed their condolences to the families and Dyess Airmen. Airmen from Dyess are part of the very fabric that makes our community, said Gray Bridwell, MAC chairman and 7th Bomb Wing honorary commander. Were supported and supportive in times of sadness and sorrow. We offer our deepest sympathies to the families and friends of the fallen heroes. Pierson was a pilot assigned to the 39th Airlift Squadron. He graduated from the United States Air Force Academy with a Bachelor of Science degree in general studies and received his commission May 26, 2010. Golden was also a pilot assigned to the 39th Airlift Squadron. Prior to commissioning through Officer Training School in 2011, he was an airborne operations technician at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. Hammond was a loadmaster assigned to the 39th Airlift Squadron. He graduated from John Marshall High School in 2007 and arrived at Dyess Mar. 30, 2014. Johnson-Harris was also a loadmaster assigned to the 39th Airlift Squadron. He graduated from Homestead High School in 2012 and arrived at Dyess May 2, 2014. Today we remember these heroes who are gone, but will never be forgotten. Its a job that very few do, but the work done has an impact on every community. That is the job of police officers. Its a job that is, at times, thankless, demanding and rewarding and often subject to intense public scrutiny. On Sept. 21, a group of 18 Midstate residents, including myself, enrolled in the Citizens Police Academy put on by Hampden Township Police in an effort to get a better understanding of law enforcement and policing. The class consists of people ranging from high school aged to retired, individuals from varying walks of life. I am fascinated and interested in the law enforcement field, Celeste Harlacher said. I majored in it in college and had a couple jobs in it before I had my kids, and I still have an interest in it. For Chief Stephen Junkin, the eight-week academy is a way to peel back the veil of law enforcement and show residents what it means to put on the uniform. We are the thin blue line that stands between evil and a civilized society, Junkin said. Were not a platoon deep. Typically, its a single guy out in a single car in a township. The academy is also a way for Junkin to reconnect to the residents and become more responsive to their needs, a point that quickly came to fruition within the first hour. During the class, Junking fielded questions about suspicious solicitors that some of the residents had encounters with in their community. He responded to concerns the residents had in this case advising that all solicitors must have a valid permit to operate in the township. The first class was dedicated to understanding the role of a police officer, the structure of the police department and better acquaint attendees with what they would learn in the coming weeks. Junkin talked about the difficulties faced by modern law enforcement with the proliferation of mass media. For us, when you do a good job, your boss says good job, Junkin said. When you do a bad job, CNN tells everybody what a bad job you did. Thats where we live right now. Before taking the class on a tour of the station, Junkin spoke of the realities the toll of police work can have on officers. We deal with people on their worst days, and we typically deal with the worst in people, Junkin said. We deal with people on their worst moments. We do not show up to peoples homes to wish them a happy birthday, or happy birthday. We dont deliver good news. I came on because I wanted to help people, he added. I wanted to make a difference, and I still do. Every Saturday, Sentinel Reporter Joshua Vaughn will be documenting his eight-week experience in the Hampden Township Citizens Police Academy. Email him at jvaughn@cumberlink.com. The Fashion Archives and Museum of Shippensburg University will host its first Fashions Night Out, featuring the movie The September Issue, from 6:45 to 8 p.m. Thursday in Grove Hall Auditorium at the university. A VIP social hour beginning at 6 p.m. will precede the program in Room 101 at the museum, which is located next to the auditorium at 501 N. Earl St., Shippensburg. The primary goal of the event is to screen the movie, but the VIP is a social (gathering) to generate more interest (in the archives) among the younger generation, said Heidi Marino, a graduate student at Shippensburg who is organizing the program as part of her thesis. According to Marino, The September Issue is a documentary starring Anna Wintour, editor-in-chief of American Vogue. Archives director Karin Bohleke said the current display at the archives and museum is Wedding Gowns, Walking the Aisle in the Latest Style: Wedding Fashions of the 18th Century to Today. She said the collection of 55 mannequins and five cases of accessories features a variety of wedding attire including wedding gowns, bridesmaids dresses and ring bearer clothes that is unique to small museums. Its a very large collection, Bohleke said. The oldest dress is from the 1760s. Marino said the archives has held special gatherings in the past, but this is the first time it has hosted a movie screening. Bohleke called it a win-win situation that will provide publicity for the archives following its March 29 reopening. I get the benefit of marketing, and she (Marino) gets the benefit of pre-professional practice as she completes her degree program, Bohleke said. This is a critical time. Were reopening after a hiatus due to relocation and building renovation. Cost for general admission tickets is $10 ($5 for students). VIP tickets are $20 each. Tickets can be purchased at the Fashion Archives or online at fashionarchives.org/online_store.html, or by calling 477-1239. Directions are also available online. The website states, in part, The Fashion Archives and Museum (FA&M) is a unique educational laboratory and museum that enhances our understanding of society through the study of dress. Since its establishment in 1980, the Archives have served as a teaching, research and exhibition resource for university students, faculty, and for members of the greater South Central Pennsylvania community and nearby states. It operates in association with Shippensburg Universitys College of Arts and Sciences and the Institute for Public Service. The primary function of the Archives is to preserve and exhibit its collection of clothing and accessories and to make those materials available for teaching and research purposes to persons and groups both on- and off-campus. Perhaps still reeling from whats widely viewed as the bruising he took in a debate watched by more than 80 million people on TV earlier this week countless more online Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump on Wednesday opened a campaign rally with a previously discredited attack. Trump began his speech at the Waukesha, Wisconsin, event by touting an online Google poll that showed him up two points nationwide but then followed that by saying Googles search engine was biased in favor of his Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton. Google was manipulating search results to suppress negative stories about her, Trump claimed. Trump did not elaborate on the basis for his accusation or indicate whether his campaign had made any formal complaint about the issue. Campaign officials did not respond to our request for further details. Debunked Conspiracy Theory The allegation echoes a conspiracy theory that surfaced after Clinton clinched the Democratic nomination earlier this year. In brief, it accuses Google of meddling with its autocomplete algorithm to prevent negative results from turning up in response to searches of Hillary Clintons name. However, Googles autocomplete feature is designed to avoid completing name searches with offensive or inappropriate material regardless of who is the subject of the search, explained Tamar Yehoshua, vice president of product management for Google Search, in a post published in response to those charges. Autocompletion is not an exact science, and the output of prediction algorithms depends in part on the popularity and freshness of search terms, Yehoshua wrote. Those making the accusations had suggested there was a conspiracy between the Clinton campaign and Eric Schmidt, chairman of Google parent Alphabet and a supporter of President Obama. A Google spokeperson declined to comment on Trumps Wednesday remark but pointed to the companys earlier denials of bias and its explanation of the autocomplete feature. Clinton campaign officials did not respond to our request to comment for this story. Difficult to Pin Down Trumps accusation is so vague, it is hard to say just what we are talking about, let alone whether it has any merit, Rick Edmonds, media business analyst at the Poynter Institute, told the E-Commerce Times. It is unlikely that an outside party can predict with any degree of accuracy whether Googles algorithms are biased one way or the other, suggested Kevin Krewell, principal analyst at Tirias Research. Googles news aggregation service also is based on algorithms, as are a great many online information services. Its impossible to make a definitive analysis of whether Googles news feed has a bias against Donald Trump, Krewell told the E-Commerce Times, but Googles news feed is based on an algorithm which likely weighs the relative importance of the sources. The news algorithm, therefore, would favor widely read sources and more reliable sources over smaller, less established niche sites. Facebook Brouhaha A controversy over Facebooks alleged algorithm-tampering erupted earlier this year, following publication of an inside story accusing staff of manipulating its Trending Topics. Human team members were curating the feed, according to the report, downplaying certain information that came from politically conservative outlets. The company conducted an internal investigation and found no systematic effort to manipulate trending topics. However, after sitting down with a group of conservatives, including media pundits and officials, CEO Mark Zuckerbergagreed to make several changes in how it compiled the Trending Topics. For example, Facebook ended the policy of relying on outside websites or news outlets to determine whether stories were worthy of inclusion. 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About 30 Syrian refugees, including 15 minors, arrived in mainland Spain by ferry as a measure to alleviate the situation of saturation of the Spanish government-run temporary immigrants holding centre in Spain's north African enclave Melilla, according to local media. Spain has two enclaves in Morocco, Ceuta and Melilla, and migrants from all over Africa regularly try to reach them, mostly by climbing the triple fences that separate them from Morocco. Migration is not a new occurrence but recently in Europe it has become difficult and risky says Doris Peschke the head of a European churches organization that assists migrants and refugees. "In recent history however, crossing borders from outside the European Union has become rather difficult and risky, while inside the EU citizens and long-term residents have the right to move to another EU country. "Thus we see both, progress and setbacks with regard to migration in Europe," said Peschke who is general secretary of Churches Commission for Migrants in Europe. The 19th general assembly of the Churches' Commission for Migrants in Europe held from June 26 to 28 in Sigtuna, Sweden. The assembly was held at the Sigtuna Foundation and was hosted by the (Lutheran) Church of Sweden and the Christian Council of Sweden, which both belong to the church commission. World Council of Churches president in Europe, Rev. Anders Wejryd, said, "For fifty years CCME has served modern societies and old churches, which both have to face the needs of uprooted people in respect for their individuality and traditions. "Churches are vital for integration and they are among the most efficient tools for integration. "We, as church people, can affect the use of this vital and efficient tool. If we are inspired by Jesus, we do see 'the Other' and when we see 'the Other' we may see Jesus. "In times of growing xenophobia the churches have an immense task of underscoring the rights of the individual, who has seen him or her forced to migrate. The churches can also, as no-one else, lift up the values of the new land." (Photo: WCC) World Council of Churches president in Europe, Rev. Anders Wejryd. One the opening day participants discussed how the churches can influence European countries to take greater responsibility for what they said was a refugee crisis in the region. "One important issue in the General Assembly will be how the churches can influence European countries to take greater responsibility for the refugee crises in our vicinity - not least the humanitarian disaster that the civil war in Syria has entailed," said Kristina Hellqvist, advisor on refugee and integration issues in the Church of Sweden. The assembly elected a Dr. Victoria Kamondji from the French Protestant Federation unanimously CCME moderator. CCME was founded in 1964 by the World Council of Churches (WCC) and today also has close cooperation with the Conference of European Churches (CEC). The commission includes in its work: Europe's responsibility for the protection of refugees Human dignity for migrant workers Work to prevent human trafficking Uniting in diversity and strong ecumenism between domestic and migrant-led churches Churches' work on integration and inclusion (Photo: REUTERS / Erik De Castro)Residents look at a ship that was swept by Typhoon Haiyan nearly two weeks ago, in downtown Tacloban city in central Philippines November 21, 2013. Typhoon Haiyan smashed into the central Philippines on November 8 killing at least 4,000 people and reducing most of what was in its path to matchwood and rubble. Supporters of the worldwide Fast for the Climate movement say they will join together in a New York vigil highlighting their own climate action after writing to government leaders around the world. They have invited heads of government who will be meeting in the city at the United Nations to join them., the movement said in a statement from London on Thursday. Thousands of people began to Fast For The Climate last year to support victims of extreme weather events such as Typhoon Haiyan, and to show strong public will for urgent and decisive action on climate change. There will be a one-hour fasting vigil and photo op, parallel to the Climate Summit in the Church Center for the United Nations at the UN Plaza 777, New York on 23 September. Fasters and supporters will meet for a short presentation on two concrete climate actions - by a secular and a religious organization involved in the fast. The movement includes many environmentalists, youth groups and people of faith who are showing the strength of their commitment by going without food one day a month. This is part of a call for world leaders to do more to solve the climate crisis. In the run up to the Climate Summit in New York the movement is making a special appeal to heads of governments, and will be meeting in New York for a vigil at the UN at time of the summit. There will be a one-hour fasting vigil and photo op, parallel to the Climate Summit in the Church Center for the United Nations. The meeting will close with the lighting of candles which will form the words "ACT NOW!" The lighting will be done in silence with a musical accompaniment, allowing religious people to pray and all to partake in a symbolic call to governments. Throughout the Climate Summit proceedings will be projected on giant screens in the Church Center and this will be interrupted for one hour for the fasting vigil to take place. Many participants in the Fast for the Climate gathered in NY will be present including religious delegations who will have taken part to the Interfaith Summit on Climate Change. (UN Photo / Eskinder Debebe) U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (centre right) addresses a meeting of the Committee African Heads of State and Government on Climate Change, held on the margins of the African Union Summit in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea. He is flanked by Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma (left), chairperson of the AU Commission; and Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, president of Tanzania and coordinator of CAHOSCC. Church leaders and other prominent fasters will be present. The Fast for the Climate movement has active supporters worldwide including: Nicolas Hulot, Special Envoy of the President of France for the Protection of the Planet Martin Junge, General Secretary, The Lutheran World Federation Yeb Sano, Climate Commissioner, The Philippines Wael Hmaidan, Director, Climate Action Network The Metropolitan Emmanuel of France, President of the Assembly of Orthodox Bishops in France Imam Ebrahim Saidy, Muslim Cleric, Norway Somboon Chungprampree, Executive Secretary, International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB) Pastor Francois Clavairoly, President of the French Protestant Federation Claudia Florentin Mayer, Deputy Director and Editor of the Spanish news service of ALC Archbishop Serafim Kykotis, Representative of the Greek Orthodox Archbishopric of Zimbabwe and Angola Bishop Geoff Davies, Southern African Faith Communities' Environment Institute Gloria Ulloa, Presbyterian Church of Colombia, Latin American President of the World Council of Churches Rafael Soares de Oliveira, Director of KOINONIA and Ogan priest of the Afrobrazilian Religion, Brazil Ekedy Sinha, Priestess of the Afrobrazilian Candomble Religion, Brazil Laura Vargas, Representative of the Inter-Religious Council of Peru Fast for the Climate sent direct appeals to the following heads of State: Chancellor Merkel of Germany; President Hollande of France; President Humala of Peru; President Roussef of Brazil; President Fernandez de Kirchner of Argentina; President Aquino of the Philippines; Prime Minister Modi of India; President Zuma of South Africa; President Kabila of the Democratic Republic of Congo The Mount Holly Springs Police Department recently became a victim of a cyber attack that forced the deletion of some files but did not jeopardize active criminal cases, Police Chief Thomas Day said Friday. Department secretary Nancy Ewanek was on her computer reviewing email Thursday morning, Sept. 22, when she noticed what appeared to be a message from FedEx, according to Day. The message asked department staff whether they wanted to reschedule after missing a delivery, the chief said. Nancy didnt know if someone had ordered something. Its not unusual for the department to get packages. It looked legit. It looked like it came from FedEx, Day said. Once she opened it, another email popped up right away saying they had installed a virus. This virus automatically encrypted a number of files saved on Excel and Microsoft Word. It did not affect our police records, Day said. No cases are in jeopardy. He explained how the officers in the department input case information directly into the Pennsylvania Public Safety and Criminal Justice Portal, which is protected from hackers. The affected files include spread sheets and crime statistic reports to borough council, Day said. He added the secretary is in the process of reconstructing the files that had to be deleted. The follow-up email gave the department three days to pay $500 worth of bitcoin online or face the permanent loss of the affected files on the secretarys computer, Day said. He said only her computer was affected by the attack because none of the computers within the department are connected to a server. I refused to pay the ransom, Day said. It has been fixed. We basically had to delete everything out of the system and reboot our files. It was a learning lesson. It was a wake-up call for me and the borough. Day immediately contacted a technician at the Cumberland County information technology department. That person suggested that Day contact 3rd Element Consulting of Mechanicsburg. The chief followed through and a staff person with 3rd Element inspected the department computer network on Tuesday, Sept. 27. In the course of his visit, the staffer discovered another problem with the borough computer network. Computers serving the borough water authority and administrative office were not backing up information onto an off-site server, Day said. Instead the information from each day was being backed up onto the work station hard drive. The water authority has 1,400 clients, Day told council Thursday. If the hard drive crashes, we just lost all of our accounts. This surprised Council President James Collins III and Councilman Leroy F. Shildt who thought the borough had an arrangement in place where files are backed up on the off-site server. Borough Council Thursday gave Day the authorization to hire 3rd Element to troubleshoot the borough computer system as needed at a cost of $125 per hour. The alternative was to pay 3rd Element $6,000 a year to provide 24-7 emergency services. The issue with backing up the files has since been resolved, Day said. It is believed that the connection between the computers and the off-site server was disrupted when the borough recently changed over to a Comcast digital phone system. Either the connection was disconnected or the function needed to be reset, the chief said. His advice to readers is to never open an email if the source of the message is in doubt or if the message causes you to be skeptical. The email message the department received looked convincing and included the FedEx company logo. Day also sought advice from a computer forensic expert in the Cumberland County District Attorneys Office. The forensics expert, the county IT staff person and the representative from 3rd Element all told Day the same thing: There is no way to really track back the email to its source and identify the perpetrator for prosecution. Its virtually impossible to get these guys, Day said. His advice to small business owners is to hire a computer technician to keep your system free and clear of hackers. At Solar Preparatory School for Girls here, there is no presumption that boys are better at science than girls. In fact, dispelling such stereotypes and nurturing science, math, leadership, and other skills often deemed to come more naturally to boys is central to the mission of the K-8 public school. That kind of environment is what Brandy Markey wants for her daughter, Orlaith. The bubbly 6-year-old, her mother believes, might be more apt to gain confidence and interest in STEM subjects in a school where the clear message is that girls can, and do, excel in such male-dominated fields. Single-gender was a big highlight for mealong with the social and emotional component, Markey said, explaining why she chose to send Orlaith to a school outside her neighborhood. Single-gender schools have long held appeal for students and parents who believe they provide a learning environment with fewer distractions and devoid of biases about what academic pursuits are best for boys or girls, but their numbers are relatively small. Several urban districts, however, opened new single-gender public schools this school year, including three in Dallas, as a way to provide more options for families, attract parents who might otherwise leave for charter, private, or suburban schools, and increase access to specialized academic programs. Dallas new single-gender schools are part of the districts push to provide parents with options. A Public School Choice program, an initiative started last year, allows parents and students to select school models that they think best fit their needs. Choice school models can include Montessori, International Baccalaureate, military academies, dual-language schools, STEM or STEAM (umbrella terms for science, technology, engineering, the arts, and math), and business schools. The choice schools can be completely new, or startups, with no enrollment boundaries, such as Solar Preparatory, which admits students through a lottery. They can also be existing neighborhood schools that apply to the district to redesign their academic model. The district hopes to open 35 choice schools by 2020. Other districts, including Los Angeles and the District of Columbia, have new single-gender schools as well, and Austin and Fort Worth, Texas, have added such schools. Legal Challenges While single-sex schools have their advocates, they have proven controversial and raised questions about their effectiveness. A 2014 meta-analysis of 184 studies on single-gender education found modest advantages in math performance, but not in science, for boys and girls in single-sex settings in the uncontrolled studies the authors reviewed. The analysis, by Erin Pahlke of Whitman College and Janet Shibley Hyde and Carlie M. Allison of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, also found trivial differences in performance in math and science between the students in co-educational settings and those in single-gender settings in controlled studies. Single-gender schools have also fueled legal challenges. The American Civil Liberties Union, a major opponent of single-gender schools and classes, warns districts against going down that route because they are likely to bump up against civil rights and education laws, including Title IX, which bars sex discrimination in education programs that receive federal funds. The organization has challenged assertions that boys and girls learn differently and need different educational methods, one of the justifications districts make for creating such schools. We believe that the public school system should not be in the business of teaching boys and girls differently or reinforcing notions about purported differences between boys and girls, said Galen Sherwin, a senior staff lawyer at the American Civil Liberties Unions Womens Rights Project. As the number of single-gender classrooms and schools has grown in the past decade, the Public school districts are not barred under federal law from offering single-sex schools, but districts have to provide comparable opportunities to both sexes. Rebecca Bigler, a professor of psychology and womens and gender studies at the University of Texas at Austin, who has followed the growth of single-gender schools in her state, said that districts in recent years have shifted their rationale for single-gender schools away from the academics to arguing that they are providing choice to low-income communities of color. The growth of single-gender schools in Texas, however, was not a result of a groundswell of support from communities and students, but because of the support of private donors, she said. The first two single-gender schools in Dallas, Irma Lerma Rangel Young Womens Leadership School, which opened in 2004, and Barack Obama Male Leadership Academy, which opened in 2011, are magnet schools with waiting lists. In considering the school models, the combination of the single-gender approach and strong instructional programsespecially additional programming around STEM, leadership, dual-language, and other areasappealed to district officials, said Mohammed Choudhury, the districts director of transformation and innovation. The three new schools have different areas of emphasis. Young Mens Leadership Academy at Fred F. Florence Middle School will focus on leadership. The Young Womens STEAM Academy at Balch Springs Middle School will emphasize science, technology, engineering, the arts, and math. Solar Preparatory School for Girls at James P. Bonham School is a dual-language program with a STEAM focus. Solar Prep has an additional layer. The district used the school to pilot a socioeconomic-diversity program to ensure half the students would come from low-income families and half would not. (Because attendance boundaries generally reflect neighborhood lines, schools often reinforce segregation: About 85 percent of schools are at least 80 percent low-income, and wealthier and middle-class students tend to go to magnet schools or those in wealthier attendance zones.) Forty percent of the students at Solar Prep identify as Hispanic, 30 percent as white, and 30 percent as black. (Some students checked more than one box.) Building Confidence, Leadership While academics are the foremost concern of the educators at Solar Prep, Nancy Bernardino, the schools founding principal, said they also aim to help the girls celebrate who they are as women. The school uses Project Lead the Way curriculum, which features hands-on and project-based-learning experiences. Coding will be part of the curriculum. Every student uses the makerspace room every day. Each classroom has adopted a fierce female whose photograph is posted on the door. (Fierce females include first ladies Laura Bush and Michelle Obama and Sarah Martinez Tucker, the CEO of the National Math and Science Initiative and a former undersecretary of education.) The school also has an extended day. We have a mantra that we are not just preparing them for school, Bernardino said. We are preparing them for life. So the experiences that we give themHow do we problem-solve? How do we ask questions? How to be those leaders and that voice for others?we think thats whats preparing them for the real world. In that makerspace room one recent day, an art teacher turned to about two-dozen girls who were adroitly contorting neon plastic straws into the shapes of animals. What other kinds of animals do we have? she asked. Giraffe! Snake! Lion! I am going to make a lizard, another girl said. At the back of the room, meanwhile, a group of five girls were using LEGO pieces to build a castle. About a dozen others were scattered at computer stations around the room, using a Google program to create architectural and other designs. The hope is that they start using their creative skills to build things, said Maria Marin, a music teacher who was helping out. A lot of times, they are not given that opportunity. They are being told what to do. Although it may seem like chaos, there is a lot of creativity and imagination going on at the same time, she said. The Young Mens Leadership Academy at Fred F. Florence and the Young Womens STEAM Academy are about two miles apart. Co-ed institutions last year, they both ran pilot programs in which a select number of grades and students took core classes in single-gender environments. The results were extremely promising, according to Clarita Rivera, the principal of girls academy, and Dawn Walker, the principal of the boys. Students in the single-gender classrooms scored higher than their peers in co-ed environments in Balch Springs and the district in nearly all academic measures, Rivera said. Significantly fewer disciplinary incidents were also reported, Rivera said. In the states English arts and reading assessment, for example, 62 percent of the Balch Springs 6th graders in the single-gender environment passed reading, compared with 36 percent of 6th graders in the co-ed classes at the school, according to Rivera. In 7th grade reading, it was 64 percent to 50 percent. Similar differences were seen in math: 75 percent of 6th graders in single-gender students passed, compared with 52 percent of students in co-ed. At the 7th and 8th grade levels, the differences were 2 percentage points and 4 percentage points, respectively. On a recent afternoon, Rivera popped in and out of classrooms, chatting with students and teachers and showing off the refurbished rooms that students will use as part of the new STEAM focus, including for the schools robotics program. The walls are decorated with uplifting signs like Girls Rock! and others pointing out careers that require knowledge of math, such as architecture, and professions not necessarily associated with the subject such as member of Congress, police officer, or fitness instructor. Bridgett Ladipo, who teaches astronomy, said so far shes found her female students far more engaged than they were last year in the co-ed school where she taught. We are definitely trying to break the stereotypes that some already have instilled in them, Ladipo said. An Appealing Choice for Some Some of the boys at the Young Mens Leadership Academy say the school is calmer and less disruptive this year. They like the emphasis on leadership, forging stronger relationships, and helping each other become better students and citizens. I see a lot more friendship between us, a lot more cooperation, said Adrian de la Cruz, a 7th grader. Barry Jacobs, a lawyer, appears to be the kind of parent the Dallas district was targeting when it embarked on its public school choice program. Jacobs, who already has a 3rd grader enrolled in the district, was seriously considering sending his 6-year-old daughter, Jane, to a private school. But when he heard about Solar Preparatory School, he decided to give it a shot. Jacobs, who lives in an affluent Dallas neighborhood, said he liked the idea that parents across the city opted to send their children to the school, a factor that suggests there likely will be greater parental engagement and an increase in the possibility that the school will succeed. But even if Solar turns out to be a resounding success, the district may not be able to replicate it, he said. Can they translate that to the rest of the district, I think the answer is probably no, he said, but that is not going to keep me from trying to get the advantage for my daughter, because I think its a great opportunity. To build the largest and most complete Amateur Radio community site on the Internet - a "portal" that hams think of as the first place to go for information, to exchange ideas, and be part of whats happening with ham radio on the Internet. eHam.net provides recognition and enjoyment to the people who use, contribute, and build the site. This project involves a management team of volunteers who each take a topic of interest and manage it with passion. The site will stand above all other ham radio sites by employing the latest technology and professional design/programming standards, developed by a team of community programmers who contribute their skills to the effort. The site will be something of which everyone involved can be proud to say they were a part. We welcome your comments. The eHam.net Team, Revision 07/2020. Veracruz, Mexico, Oct 1 (EFE).- A car accident in the early hours Friday left 13 people dead in the eastern Mexican state of Veracruz and another two seriously injured, local authorities reported. "Up to the moment the deaths of 13 people have been confirmed; the injured have been taken for medical attention," Veracruz State Gov. Javier Duarte said on his Twitter account. Official sources told EFE that the two who were badly injured are being attended at medical centers of the region. The accident occurred at 3:30 a.m. on the Mexico-Veracruz Expressway when a bus of the ADO Platino line, one of Mexico's most important, got into a crash while carrying a number of passengers. The bus crashed at kilometer 300 (mile 185), a few meters (yards) from the place known as Rancho Trejo in the municipality of Amatlan de los Reyes, in the mountainous area of central Veracruz. The bus involved in the crash had set out from Mexico City headed for Villahermosa, capital of the southeastern state of Tabasco, and collided with a trailer loaded with rails. Immediately after the crash, the passenger vehicle caught fire and burned 13 people to death inside it. Two passengers survived but are currently in critical condition. The expressway was closed to traffic for almost six hours so the bodies could be recovered. EFE eap/cd Apartado, Colombia, Oct 1 (EFE).- A plastic sheet stuck to a wall with the names of the 35 people slain by the FARC on the night of Jan. 23, 1994, is the only visible record of one of the worst massacres perpetrated by that guerrilla group; the bloodshed occurred in the La Chinita neighborhood of the Colombian city of Apartado. "Today in La Chinita, a poor neighborhood with dirt roads that in the rainy season turn into a quagmire, everyone remembers what happened that night, either because they lived through it or, in the case of the youngsters, because they've so often heard the sad tales of their parents. "I remember many things because my neighbor's boy...they killed him because he was putting music on a record player. There was a party that night," La Chinita housewife Alba Rosa Gomez told EFE. In an act of apology this Friday at the scene of the murders, the chief FARC negotiator in the peace talks, Luciano Marin, alias "Ivan Marquez," said that "what happened that night must never happen again," and in speaking of the 34 slain men and women, he acknowledged "their innocence and love of life." The victims, gathered in a street that today is named 103B, were having a party to collect funds for the beginning of the school year - until guerrillas of the FARC's 5th Front showed up and opened fire on the crowd. "The guerrillas said nothing...right away it was pum pum pum," the woman said, adding that the attackers closed off the streets to stop anyone from escaping. "The people had nowhere to run," she said. The result could not have been more tragic: 35 dead and 17 wounded, whose only wrong was to attend community festivities at a place where the FARC happened to come looking for demobilized guerrillas of the Popular Liberation Army (EPL) that had laid down their arms almost three years before to form the political party Hope, Peace and Liberty (EPL). "Inside this house they found the boy playing records, while outside the street was full of bodies," Gomez said, indicating the ground outside the house where the party began. The rich Uraba agroindustrial region, one of the chief producers of bananas in the country and where Apartado is located, was then, as it continues to be today, a territory disputed by different armed groups due to its strategic position on the Panamanian border facing the Caribbean Sea. Caracas, Oct 1 (EFE).- At least 600 Venezuelans are taking part here Saturday in a chocolate sampling event that will earn them a mention in the Guinness World Records, which last year certified an 874-kilogram (1,925-pound) chocolate coin made in the South American country. The Nuestra Tierra Foundation organized the mass chocolate tasting to mark the National Day of Cacao in Venezuela, bringing together hundreds of participants to sample 36 kilograms (79 pounds) of the tasty treat supplied by three cacao manufacturers. The participants received a year's worth of training at various sampling events, where they gained familiarity with a "sensory analysis" method that puts an element of science into the experience, the foundation's chef, Yorkman Silva, told EFE. "Guinness World Records didn't ask us to do these (prior) samplings, but we said no. It can't be just a matter of I got some people together, did a sampling and they gave me a Guinness Record, but instead we wanted to do it at a high level," Silva said, noting that the event involved setting a record as opposed to breaking an existing one. All of the participants are adults at the insistence of Guinness; there are young and middle-aged adults and senior citizens, and each will receive a total of nine grams of Venezuelan cacao, regarded as among the world's finest, Silva said. "(The samplers) will be seated, sample their chocolate, one three-gram portion, fill out a form and must cleanse their palate with a soda cracker and a bit of water before they can sample the next chocolate, and so on," he explained. The chocolate used is 70 percent cacao, as required by the foundation, and was provided by the companies Herencia Divina, +58 (both family-run operations) and Cacao Macuare (a union of several cooperatives) from fields they operate in the north-central state of Miranda. The sampling is taking place at Caracas' Poliedro, a 15,000-person-capacity stadium where the fourth annual International Chocolate Expo & Fair is being held through Sunday. "We want it to be clear there are people working in Venezuela; there are people who are doing things well," he said of that South American country currently racked by a severe economic and political crisis. The idea is that people "start to realize that Venezuelan chocolate is going to become export-quality," Silva, who also coordinated the manufacture of the giant, Guinness World Record chocolate coin, said. Relacionados Hundreds of Haitians stuck in Mexican border city Carlisle Barracks will host its 42nd annual Military Retiree Appreciation Day Oct. 8 from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at various locations on post. The event features a variety of presentations and information sessions throughout the day for retiree ID card holders, said Thomas Zimmerman, post public affairs officer. Retirees and their families are a vital part of the Army family, he said. We truly believe every retiree is a soldier for life and that its important for us to keep them informed. Being the only active duty military installation in the area, Carlisle Barracks provides services to about 24,000 retirees in Pennsylvania, Maryland and West Virginia. This includes about 4,000 retirees living in Cumberland County, according to Jack Lentz, post retirement services officer. Registration for the event begins at 7:30 a.m. There will be a keynote address at 9:20 a.m. by Maj. Gen. Bill Rapp, Army War College commandant. There will be a mini-health screening all day in the Root Hall gym and a TRICARE representative will be available in Reynolds Theater to answer questions. There will be briefings during the day on health care, legal issues, Veterans Affairs benefits and updates on commissary and Post Exchange projects. Tables will be set up in the Root Hall gym where retirees and their families can talk one-on-one with experts on topics that include local veterans organizations, voting assistance and health programs. The Dunham pharmacy will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Oct. 8. Commissary hours will be from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. while Post Exchange hours will be from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Below is an event schedule: ID cards: Anne Ely Hall, 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dunham Army Health Clinic briefing, 10:10 a.m. TRICARE briefings (TRICARE-FOR-LIFE, Bliss Hall; Under-65, Reynolds Theater): 10:45 a.m. Retiree council presentation: 1:05 p.m. Exchange and commissary updates: 1:20 p.m. Legal briefing: 1:50 p.m. Veterans Affairs benefits briefing: 2:05 p.m. SAPR office hosts trauma, grief and resiliency training The 28th Bomb Wing Sexual Assault Prevention and Response office hosted a trauma, grief and resiliency training session inside the base theater, Sept. 21. Taught by Tami Haug-Davis, a certified clinical trauma professional from the South Dakota Network Against Family Violence and Sexual Assault, the training educated both military and civilian members about the effects trauma and grief have on overall health. "Usually we cater trainings to our victim advocates," said Krista Sheridan, a sexual assault prevention and response victim advocate assigned to the 28th Bomb Wing. "But because most of us have personal experiences and a connection to the topic, we decided to open the training up to all members of Ellsworth. In addition, real-life examples of resiliency tools were provided to help relax and eliminate stressors. When someone cuts you off in traffic what do you do? Asked Haug-Davis, a trauma professional with over 25 years of experience. We take deep breaths and try to relax. We use these stress relief tools all the time. Haug-Davis added that relaxation is key when dealing with stress. She noted its when people are dysregulated, or not regulating emotional responses well, that they experience the symptoms of traumatic stress. You cannot experience symptoms of traumatic stress in a relaxed body, Haug-Davis said. The training emphasized that giving people time to heal is the best thing one can do, when helping those who are grieving. Its so important that you allow five years, 10 years or however long they may need to cope with grief, Haug-Davis said. Putting a time limit on the healing process is never good. The SAPR staff provide trainings like these throughout the year and are open to all members of the Ellsworth community. Take advantage of these opportunities, said Bernie McFarling, the sexual assault response coordinator assigned to the 28th Bomb Wing. Learn about additional tools to add to your toolbox to enhance resilience and learn how to deal with grief and loss. Hopewell Community Park remains a 'labor of love' for local community The lush green park is a product of the combined efforts of the Hopewell Township community and a symbol of decades of conservation efforts in Beaver County. A vote for Bartoli Dear Editor: When landowners in Cumberland County looked to State Rep. Stephen Bloom for help when Sunoco was grabbing their land against their wishes, Bloom looked the other way. When Bloom had a chance to vote against allowing business development in our state parks, he happily voted against our parks. His constituents who have elected him twice should ask him why he voted to block community representatives and health services representatives from serving on the Pennsylvania Grade Crude Development Council and why he voted against the Clean Power Plan that protects the very air we breathe in this valley. Clean air, clean, quiet state parks and rights to ancestral farmland mean little to him. Citizens in the 199th have a chance to show Bloom the door and to elect a friend of the environment and a representative who has the best interests of people of Cumberland County at heart, Jill Bartoli. For the sake of clean air, clean state parks, and basic land rights protections, I hope this November gives us a much-needed change. Cece Viti Mechanicsburg OPEC agrees on modest oil production curbs Published: October 1, 2016 The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) reached an agreement to cut oil production for the first time since 2008 after an informal meeting in Algiers, Algeria. It was decided that OPEC would reduce output to a range of 32.5 to 33.0 million barrels per day (bpd) from its current output at 33.24 million bpd. However, how much each country will or reduce its output will be decided at the OPECs next formal meeting scheduled in November 2016. In this meeting, special invitation will be sent to Russia (non-OPEC member) to join cuts in production. Impact on India India, being the 3rd largest importer of crude oil imports 85% of total oil and 95% of natural gas from OPEC nations. In recent time due to cheaper oil prices in international market due to overproduction and non-coordination among OPEC countries Indian economy had immensely benefited. However, this decision may result in spike in oil prices which can have major implications for the Indias current account deficit and overall economy in general. In recent times, lower oil prices kept the Indian economy on the shining path and managed to keep inflation under control making it fastest growing economy in G20 countries. About Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) The OPEC is an intergovernmental organization of 14 oil-exporting developing nations that coordinates and unifies the petroleum policies of its member countries. Established: 1960 in Baghdad, Iraq by the first five members. 1960 in Baghdad, Iraq by the first five members. Headquarters: Vienna, Austria. Vienna, Austria. OPEC Members: Algeria, Angola, Libya, Nigeria and Gabon (from Africa); Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia (the de facto leader) Kuwait, Qatar, United Arab Emirates (from Asia); Ecuador and Venezuela (from Latin America). Algeria, Angola, Libya, Nigeria and Gabon (from Africa); Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia (the de facto leader) Kuwait, Qatar, United Arab Emirates (from Asia); Ecuador and Venezuela (from Latin America). As of 2015, these 14 OPEC member countries accounted for an estimated 43% of global oil production and 73% of the worlds oil reserves. Two-thirds of OPECs oil production and reserves are in its six Middle Eastern (west Asian) countries that surround the oil-rich Persian Gulf.` Month: Current Affairs - October, 2016 Topics: Algeria International Oil Sector OPEC Latest E-Books A recent UFO sighting has managed to beguile both believers and skeptics alike. Last Saturday, police in South Wales flying in a helicopter detected something very unusual on their thermal cameras. Across the Bristol Channel at around 9:30 p.m. local time, the officers spotted a mysterious object flying hovering against the wind. "It's difficult to judge the size but we filmed it for just over seven minutes," the South Wales police stated. What was very unusual about the sighting, however, was the fact that the object only appeared on the thermal camera. When the officers looked into the sky, they spotted nothing. The police helicopter was flying at about 1,000 feet when the incident happened. The police later asked air traffic control about any flying objects that were in the area at the time. Air traffic control stated that they were not able to detect anything from the sky, too. Thus, with the mysterious flying object being invisible to the naked eye and air traffic controllers, UFO aficionados are speculating that the UFO captured by the police helicopter's thermal camera was equipped with a cloaking device, allowing the device to hover above the Earth practically undetected. Skeptics initially tried to debunk the thermal image as something explainable, with some stating that the mysterious object was nothing more than a weather balloon. The police, however, were quick to debunk the theory, as the mysterious object was flying against the wind. Weather balloons would also show up in the air traffic controller's records. The same rebuttal was used when other skeptics suggested that the object was simply an airplane, since the machine would have easily showed up in the air traffic controller's sensors as well. What is even more remarkable, however, is the fact that numerous commenters in YouTube videos about the incident state that similar thermal sightings have been happening in other places around the globe, as well. Even before the surgical strike by the Indian Army along the Line of Control (LoC) on 28-29 September, the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) meeting in Islamabad slated for 9-10 November became a casualty. India announced that cross-border terrorism by one country had created an environment that was not conducive to the successful holding of the 19th SAARC summit while Pakistan blamed India for trying to divert world attention away from Kashmir. The meet has now been postponed. Bangladesh, Bhutan, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka and the Maldives too had announced that they would stay away from the summit. Indias decision to inflict a surgical strike against Pakistan indicated that the spirit of SAARC to work out things in a mutually agreeable manner had already taken a backseat. The decision to not attend the meeting in Islamabad seems to be another bid to isolate Pakistan which has accused India of delaying or deferring the meet in the past too. Already Indias most favoured nation (MFN) status to Pakistan is in danger of being revoked and there are similar noises being made about scrapping the Indus Waters Treaty. Many sections including the media in India have been clamouring for action, openly endorsing hostility over dialogue, and the attack on Uri cantonment on 18 September seems to have tilted the balance. Indias policy of strategic restraint gave way in the face of specific intelligence that armed militants were poised in launch pads to attack various locations in the country as Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) Lt General Ranbir Singh announced on 29 September. The celebrations post the surgical strike publicity were reminiscent of the drum- beating when India conducted five nuclear tests in May 1998, sparking off fresh tensions in the subcontinent and matching tests in Pakistan. Dissenters who have been critical of the Indian Armys surgical strikes are being frowned upon as peaceniks and even being stalked by jingoists. Already Indias action is being compared to the stealth operation by Navy Seals in Abbottabad in May 2011 which killed Osama bin Laden. Hostility has been a constant leitmotif in Indo-Pak relations. The latest attack to avenge the death of 20 soldiers in the Uri cantonment only takes India and Pakistan to the next level of relations, a more ominous phase, even if diplomatic efforts are going on while we have retaliated. The new mantra seems to be a mix of retaliation and diplomacy which could prove to be as pretentious as the British gunboat diplomacy of the olden days. While Pakistan has dismissed the strike and called it another instance of unprovoked cross border firing and ceasefire violation, a day earlier its defence minister Khwaja Asif openly invoked the nuclear option. Back to Square One So we seem to be back to square one from a glimmer of peace and amity to enmity. Not even the so called low-hanging fruit like the Siachen glacier or the Sir Creek issues have been resolved. Since the Narendra Modi government took over in 2014, a series of events have had a cascading effect. The comprehensive dialogue at the secretary level had a setback when on 2 January the Pathankot Air- Force base was struck allegedly by the Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists. A Pakistani investigation team did visit India and the attempt at a joint investigation was a good move, but it only worsened the blame game to some extent and resulted in little concrete action. Two months later came the arrest of Kulbushan Yadav who the Pakistani authorities claimed is a RAW agent. This set off a fresh series of accusations and counter accusations. Another neighbour and key player in this regional game is Afghanistan where President Ashraf Ghani at first tried to make friendly overtures to Pakistan. He changed his stance later and accused Pakistan of harbouring terrorists on its land and launching attacks. Pakistan has also been at the receiving end from the US which has repeatedly asked it to do more to tackle the Haqqani Network which is targeting its troops on Afghan soil. Pakistan steadfastly maintains it does not favour any terror group but the deaths of two key Afghan Taliban leaders on its soil points to the contrary. It is not only Kashmir and terrorism, but aspects of regional cooperation and water sharing which are mired in this Indo- Pak wrangling. The Indus Waters Treaty often held to be the only good news between the two countries, seems to be in trouble with Modi saying that blood and water cannot flow together. In despair, Pakistan has approached the World Bank, a signatory to the treaty. The Treaty has worked in a spirit of cooperation but in 2005 Pakistan went for arbitration for the first time over the Baglihar Dam on the river Chenab. Since then Hafiz Saeed, founder of the Lashkar-e-Taiba, who has carte blanche in his country, has held several rallies accusing India of water aggression, an accusation that seems to be gaining ground. Pakistan once again looked to arbitration in 2010 over the Kishenganga Project (on the Kishenganga/Neelum river) and in 2013 the Court of Arbitration asked India to ensure a minimum flow of water into the river downstream of the project at all times. The Indus Waters Treaty cannot be dismantled at whim. In the interest of river basin developmaent, it is a valuable resource for both India and Pakistan. A study released in May 2014 shows that the impression that India was stealing Pakistans share of water was not based on any real empirical evidence. The report, Pakistans Water Discourse, Attitudes on Water Management Practices, by the Jinnah Institute and Chatham House, based on interviews with experts indicate broad- based support for the efficacy of the treaty. Experts from all over Pakistan felt that India was entitled to its share of water, including the building of dams under the treaty. However, what was of concern was the unverifiable water flow data provided by India and a joint mechanism to measure water was missing. Only a few felt that India was engaging in water aggression and not obeying the treaty in letter or spirit. In the absence of an informed political debate on the treaty and water sharing, it was easy to misguide people about water terrorism or aggression. Many felt it offered a broad scope for cooperation between Pakistan and India, and also helped in successful arbitration in the two cases involving Baglihar and Kishenganga. In the background of the usual hostility, this was a welcome voice which rooted for debate and cooperation. Similarly in terms of trade, despite all the controversy over the MFN status, informal trade between the two countries accounts for $ 4.2 billion, according to a study by the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) in Islamabad. Clothes, medicines, alcohol and a host of items, ---even betel leaves--- are taken from India through informal couriers or khepias and many shops sell Indian goods in Pakistan. However the informal trade affects the local automobile parts industry negatively and Pakistan loses considerable revenue as no customs duty is paid for most of these goods, says the study. Mutual and Assured Destruction? These crucial issues find little place in the discourse of hostility that overpowers Indo-Pak relations and as Stephen Cohen rightly said, mutual and assured destruction is alive and well in South Asia (p 55 Cohen, 2013 Shooting for a Century). That alarming statement rings true now, with the threat of nuclear weapons being bandied around casually in the name of revenge. The dynamics of regional cooperation seems to be fluid more than ever, with the US and India coming closer in terms of military cooperation. It is difficult for Modis isolationist policy to be effective in a world where polarisation begins in the subcontinent itself with big powers like China and Russia not wanting to keep Pakistan out of the way. When push comes to shove, few will back an all-out aggression by India or Pakistan, as history has shown us in the past, and that cannot be a solution to the tensions. Before he was elected, Indias Prime Minister Modi had said on television that Pakistan needs to be tackled in the language it understands. There was also the recurring theme of terror and talks not being a harmonious mix. While the language was friendlier in the beginning when Modi had just taken over the reins as prime minister, things soon seem to fall apart. Earlier however, even before he assumed office, feelers of goodwill had been sent in the form of an NRI friend who visited Islamabad. In 2013 Pakistan installed a democratically elected government for the second time running and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was careful not to indulge in India-bashing while campaigning. He extended an open hand of friendship to his neighbour. There was great hope that Modi, if elected, would do one better than the seemingly dilly-dallying Congress. Pakistans Expectations from the BJP After former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee who is fondly remembered for his bus ride to Lahore, it is the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to which most people in Pakistan looked to for peace and a solution in Kashmir. In the television debates on this issue in Pakistan then, the discussions largely favoured Modi. The invitation to Sharif to attend his swearing-in ceremony in New Delhi, and subsequent events only buttressed that feeling of warmth. Sharif, expectedly, was not enjoying a smooth run at home. In mid-2014 Imran Khans Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and cleric Tahir ul Qadris party Pakistan Awami Tehreek jammed a high security area in Islamabad for days, demanding that Sharif step down for his various acts of omission and commission. Khan had mounted a sustained campaign against Sharif for rigging the general elections. The Pakistani Army was said to be behind these democratic protests, something it has strenuously denied. Democracy seems to have its limits in Pakistan and there is always the uniformed oversight committee to check it does not go overboard. So while the Pakistan cabinet was set to approve the most favoured nation (MFN) status for India in early 2014, there was a dampening announcement by Sharif that it was going to be deferred since India was going in for elections and Pakistan did not want to be seen as favouring any party. Furious debates followed in the Pakistan National Assembly and Senate over granting India the MFN status. There was even a proposal to change the term to non- discriminatory market access (NDMA) in order to mollify the opposition. Farmers, traders and their political leaders were dead set against India being given trade access as the balance of trade was already in Indias favour and they could not compete on a level playing field, especially with Indias agricultural subsidies. Jugular Vein of Pakistan Zulfikar Ali Bhutto had pitched for Confrontation, confrontation, confrontation, as the key to the India-Pakistan dispute in his Lahore speech of December 1970. Subsequent leaders, however, favoured negotiation and dialogue. Indeed, Sharif too has spared no effort to show his goodwill for India but unfortunately, goodwill alone cannot make peace. In his first address to the nation after he took over (in August 2014), he made it clear that Kashmir was indeed the jugular vein of Pakistan. That was not a major departure in foreign policy or a conciliatory statement but the need for friendship and cooperation was emphasised. The Prime Ministers of India and Pakistan met in Paris in November 2015. Later, in Bangkok there was a meeting of the National Security advisors and foreign secretaries. At the Heart of Asia conference in Islamabad in December 2015, the two countries agreed to a comprehensive bilateral dialogue substituting for the earlier composite dialogue. This was a step ahead of the earlier eight-point composite dialogue during Vajpayees time which was wrecked by the November 26, 2011 terror strike. The topics discussed were peace and security, confidence building measures (CBMs), Jammu & Kashmir, Siachen, Sir Creek, Wullar Barrage / Tulbul Navigation Project, economic and commercial cooperation, counter-terrorism, narcotics control and humanitarian issues, people-to-people exchanges and religious tourism. The national security advisors of the two nations were supposed to meet and discuss Terrorism while the foreign secretaries too were scheduled to work out the details of the Comprehensive Bilateral Dialogue in January. In a surprise gesture Modi, on his way back from Kabul, made a stopover at Lahore to meet Sharif on his (the latters) birthday. This was unprecedented. The bonhomie ended when soon after, the Pathankot strikes in January were blamed on the Jaish-e-Mohammad. That put a hefty spoke in the comprehensive dialogue. Bilateral relations between the two countries move in fits and starts and get stalled for a while. This has been the pattern over the years and peace talks are quickly jettisoned following a heinous attack. This is followed by the usual speculation that India engineered these attacks. For instance, one of the unfounded statements made is that the Uri incident was an accidental blast in the oil depot, and that India was passing it off as a terror attack by Pakistan and so forth. Difficulty in Establishing the Truth The lack of a third party investigation, by the UN for instance, is a lacuna in this context and India has always resisted this approach. In the face of denials and accusations, it is very difficult to establish the truth behind some incidents and even in the 26/11 attack, doubts have been raised during the on-going trial in Pakistan of the veracity of the Indian charge that it is the Lashkar-e-Taiba which masterminded the entire terror strike. Pictures of the terrorists, the confession of Ajmal Kasab and the two visits by the Pakistan Judicial Commission are yet to convincingly nail the case which is meandering since 2009. Every time India rakes up the need for closure in this attack, Pakistan has a counter demand in the form of the Samjhauta Express blasts in 2007. Evidence in the Uri attack shared with Pakistan too has been dismissed as a piece of paper. In the face of recalcitrance on both sides, peace has a rather slim chance and statesmanship has not often come to its rescue from either side. On Kashmir, the huge outpouring of grief following the killing of the young Hizbul Mujaheedin commander Burhan Wani on 8 July and the subsequent use of pellet guns to staunch protests has given Indias image a beating that will not fade away soon. Even if there are repeated allusions to the number of Indian security personnel who were injured or killed in the protests in Kashmir, the overpowering images and stories of people (especially the young) blinded and maimed by a crude technology that should never have been used in the first place, takes precedence. What is Indias Policy on Kashmir? The BJP has always wanted to be in the drivers seat in Kashmir but the coalition governments actions and the tears of chief minister Mehbooba Mufti cannot wash away the monumental failure in handling the situation. What is the Modi governments policy towards resolving the Kashmir dispute? The answer is: status quo, much like the preceding governments, a generous dose of oppression, and repeated statements that Kashmir is an integral part of India, capped by a complete lack of dialogue. With no policy in sight, the situation has gone out of hand as was witnessed. Not only is there no policy on Kashmir but for the first time India dropped her restraint in another direction- Balochistan. Previously, the only time it was mentioned was in the joint statement in 2009 issued by then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Pakistani counterpart Yousaf Raza Gilani on the sidelines of the Non Aligned Movement summit in Sharm el-Sheikh. Singh was criticised by the BJP for paving the way for Pakistan to accuse India of fomenting trouble in Balochistan. Since then Pakistan has stepped up the accusation of Indias involvement there and more recently it has submitted a dossier to the United Nations outlining Indias alleged subversive activities in that province. The arrest of Yadav in March 2016, has given Pakistan what it thinks is the necessary evidence to nail Indias dubious role. India has denied Yadav is a RAW agent while Pakistan claims it has uncovered a network of RAW spies acting to destabilise Balochistan. It is tempting to think that the surgical strike was the only option left to tackle an intractable country but India has fallen back on dialogue and not moved from the status quo situation over Kashmir which has proved costly. The alienation in Kashmir has been left unresolved and instead of putting our own house in order, there is an attempt to intensify the blame game by dragging in the human rights violation in Balochistan. The sense of foreboding can only deepen with the directionless approach of the Indian government in either resolving the Kashmir dispute or the terror question in a way that will not lead to more attacks, surgical or not. At the same time, no one can question the need for an end to terror and loss of life and a solution to the festering Kashmir problem. The action of the US and the Navy Seals is not worthy of emulation at any cost. Taking out the enemy in a selective way could have consequences which India might find difficult to sustain in the long run. But in the wake of near universal endorsement of his actions, Modi will rest content that he has found an appeasing formula to keep his legions content for now. Pakistan announces postponement of 19th SAARC Summit in Islamabad Published: October 1, 2016 Pakistan has postponed the 19th South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Summit after India and four other countries announced to boycott the Summit. The summit was schedule to be held on November 9th and 10th, 2016 in Islamabad, capital city of Pakistan. Besides, it was also announced that new set of dates for holding the summit at Islamabad will be announced soon by Nepal, the Chair of SAARC. Comment Pakistans decision is a boost for Indias diplomatic efforts to corner Pakistan over the terror attack at Ur. It also comes a day after Pakistan suffered humiliating Indian cross-border raids (surgical strikes) on terrorist launch pads in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Background Earlier India and three other countries Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Bhutan in a synchronized effort, had informed the SAARC Secretariat that their leaders will not attend the summit citing concerns over cross-border terrorism in the region. Later, Sri Lanka also expressed its unwillingness to attend the Summit. The move by the five countries means the Summit cannot go ahead as the SAARC charter mandates that all decisions of the regional bloc must be made unanimously. The absence of even one member-state leads to the automatic postponement or cancellation of a Summit. About the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) SAARC is regional intergovernmental organization and geopolitical union in South Asia. It promotes development of economical and regional integration. As of 2015, SAARC member countries compromise of 3% of the worlds area, 21% of the worlds population and 9.12% of the global economy. Member Countries: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan (joined in 2007). Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan (joined in 2007). Nine observer states : Australia, China, European Union, Japan, Iran, Mauritius, Myanmar, South Korea, and United States. : Australia, China, European Union, Japan, Iran, Mauritius, Myanmar, South Korea, and United States. Formation History: The idea for the SAARC was proposed by Ziaur Rahman, the then President of Bangladesh on May 2, 1980. The idea for the SAARC was proposed by Ziaur Rahman, the then President of Bangladesh on May 2, 1980. The seven founding countries had met for first time in April 1981 and then for second time in 1985 creating SAARC Charter. The first SAARC summit was held in Dhaka (Bangladesh) in December 1985. The SAARC Secretariat was established in Kathmandu (Nepal) on 16 January 1987. Month: Current Affairs - October, 2016 Topics: International National Pakistan SAARC Terrorism Latest E-Books Yes, but your case is likely to be referred to Home Office for approval when you give notice (because you don't have a marriage-specific visa), which can attract a period of up to 70 days for a response. So make sure you start your marriage move well before the visa expiry. There are plenty of good clinch u an sure but before any of them would start treatment they will either demand the money up front or his insurance details, which he is unlikely to get an a non-spousal dependent with s pre-existing condition. Unless you can pay in full, one way or another then there is no advantage to bringing him here. Sorry. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk mesrk said: I am in Dubai having residence visa for the last 3 years and working with the same company. Now I need to change my job. The query is that I have some loan and outstanding credit card payments still with the banks and in this scenario will there be an issue if my current employer cancels my visa. Can I get a visa from my new company without any issues ? Hope somebody can guide me on this process and how to have a smooth transition from my old company to the new company and keep paying my dues regularly. Thanks Click to expand... Hi,There are two ways this can go - easy way or the hard way (depending on how your existing company treat your last salary payment).Easy way.Your existing company pay your last salary as normal and don't mark it as "final salary payment". 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I cannot find clear answers anywhere I know if you are driving a car that is not under your name you need NOL and copies of passports/visa/ID nut I am talking about the insurance papers, inspection etc... There are certainly dog grooming salons in the Indre. But there are also some mobile groomers across the Indre that will come to your place (sometimes they are cheaper) - so when you do the search suggested by DejW (with Indre added in of course), be sure to scroll down past the map that indicates the salons. It seems there are some 16 in your Departement Hello, I was informed that I had missed a regular (two-yearly) vehicle inspection (May 2016) and am returning to Italy from Portugal to get that done and eventually sell the vehicle in Italy. I have a few questions regarding this scenario: 1. Can I get the vehicle inspected anywhere in Italy? i.e. I do not have to go back to the area that was my original address? 2. Is there a fine for being late? 3. Does the inspection have to be done before selling the vehicle? 4. What does it involve? Do I go to a local mechanic to get it inspected, then take the inspection report to the PRA or transport department? Thanks in advance! PS - I could only get back into this Italian forum by using my Portugal forum username. Currently, this website does not allow me to regenerate the password, or offer the correct verification window. I have written to the organisers of this site about this but have received no reply. : , FIR Friday, September 30, 2016 Valeri Bocage, CEO Powerful Women International Connections Community Friday: Divine Meetings For A Reason Meeting Magic When you meet someone new, and recognize an instant connection between the two of you, pay attention. As the conversation develops, it may seem as if you have known that person for years. This is what I refer to as a divine meeting. Intuition tells you that you will one day work together, but it isnt evident how that might be, just yet. Sometimes it takes years for the right moment to unfold. And then one day, an idea and timing unexpectedly unfold like magic. But like anything else, the initial undertaking may not be quite right. Stay the course. Trust that the right time will reveal itself to produce a far better result. It will happen! Developing the Team Some of my team members and I have known each other for years. Elinor Stutz and I met when I first came to San Francisco, about 10 years ago. We both had the belief that one day we would work together. Today, she is the Chief Development person for PWIC. Pam Terry and I connected right away. We have been working together for about nine years. Pam once told me, Valeri I believe God arranged for us to meet in order to make a difference in the world. Pam became our Chief Operating Officer. Carrie Nikitin and I met years ago. It was said that she had raised many millions of dollars for a company in relatively little time. Whether or not that was true, that was all I knew. However, I had an inkling that one day I would work with Carrie. When she and I first met, it was clear the time wasnt right to approach the possibility of working together. Finally, I knew it was time to reconnect with Carrie. I confided that I wasnt familiar with her work. I just intuitively knew that the time was right to learn more. The hope was we would find a way to work together. After a thorough conversation, and hearing the details of her work, I asked Carrie to become our Chief Business Strategist. Richard and Sally Crawford and I met in 2011. It was evident on that initial meeting that one day we would do something together. They are now PWICs Communication Team and produced the inspirational movie for our GoFundMe page. The intuitive encounters produced our executive team. A few others also came onboard to help PWIC change lives and make the world a better place. Female leaders who are building their humanitarian projects are the people with whom we collaborate. Worldwide Projects Our National Company project is to change the lives of prisoners by helping them to build their self-esteem and confidence. The plan is to teach them how to become home and businesses owners. Carrie Nikitin is heading up this project. Our Global project is to rebuild a school/orphanage in Nairobi, Kenya. I oversee that project. PWIC members come together to share ideas and information. The idea is to build out each humanitarian project in order to reach more people. Together we are changing lives. Consider joining us today to take part in this Movement for Societal Change. Visit our PWIC Project Page. Should you decide to make a Contribution large or small, your name will appear on our website. PWIC Second Global Conference Mark your calendars: August 10-11, 2017 for our next Global Impact Conference San Francisco, CA PWIC s Global Project- School/Orphanage in Nairobi, Kenya. Chairwoman Valeri Bocage Carrie Nikitin Chairwoman of PWICs Prison Project Sharing with attendees. Sponsored by One Productions Richard and Sally Crawford Carlsbad, CA For Business Consultation and Conference Speaking Schedule an Appointment to Learn More: elinor@smoothsale.net Sponsored By googleplus Friday, September 30, 2016 Hazel Juco, a 17-year-old student at John Glenn High School in suburban Detroit, went to the schools bathroom to wash her hands. When she turned on the faucet, ugly brown water came out. She then used her cell-phone to take the picture above of the discolored water and posted it to Facebook and Twitter. Juco says she was soon called to the principals office shortly after she posted the photo.They told me I was being suspended Its inappropriate use of electronics in the restroom. And every girl takes selfies in the bathroom and makes it their profile pictures and no one has gotten in trouble, she said. Indeed, that policy, it has been noted, didnt seem to apply to the many students in the school whose cell phone use didnt involve exposing health hazards that school administrators should not allow to exist. Thanks to social media, the schools outrageous conduct didnt remain an internal matter, as it would have in an earlier era. Hazels photos were widely circulated, and eventually the news media became involved. After all, this is Michigan, and there was that little episode involving inept elected officials and agency administrators poisoning the Flint water supply just a few months back. Hazel Juco was hardly being an alarmist. When reporters called Wayne-Westland Community Schools Superintendent Dr. Michele Harmala, and she said school administrators made a mistake by not reporting the water issue to maintenance, and the rule against students taking pictures in bathrooms was misapplied, since Juco was taking photos of polluted water rather than students using the toilet. Its an easy mistake to make! Anyone could make it! Sure. The deteriorating pipe leading to the faucet is being replaced, and the suspension has been expunged from Jucos record. How nice. Nonetheless, the fascist, incompetent and abusive administrators remain in their jobs, and though Hazels unjust punishment has been retracted, the message sent by it remains. The school has taught the lesson that it is dangerous to speak out, perilous to blow the whistle, and risky to point out the deficiencies of those with power. Unless the counter-message is sent that Hazel did the right thing, and that serious career consequences await administrators and teachers who seek to cover up their own ineptitude by intimidating students, these episodes will continue. Anyone who has done business with a company and felt like the service or product was poor may feel compelled to let other consumers know with an online review. It happens all the time. Review-based websites such as Yelp are everywhere, giving consumers an opportunity to publicly reveal their experiences with companies. But a few words of advice now apply: Bad reviewer beware. More and more companies are slipping non-disparagement clauses, or gag clauses, into the fine print of service or product contracts. The Better Business Bureau office serving the San Antonio area recently shared an example. A Plano couple recently posted a negative review on Yelp about a Dallas company named Prestigious Pets. The company responded with a lawsuit seeking up to $1 million in damages, saying the comments violated a non-disparagement clause in their contract. Another consumer who complained online about a leasing company she was looking to rent from received a demand of removal letter that also threatened legal action. In both cases, the consumers did not see the non-disparagement clause in contracts they had signed before they posted their comments online. Such clauses often appear in professional service and property agreements but are not limited to any specific industry, University of Houston Law Center Professor Emeritus Richard Alderman told the Better Business Bureau. The threat that if you dont take this down you would owe me $50,000 has a tendency to work, Alderman said in the BBB report. St. Marys University law professor Ramona Lampley said the non-disparagement clauses put a chill on consumers free speech. In my view, that is one of the most important developments of the internet market, the power for consumers to critique, review and coalesce through the online forum, she said. Shes backing legislation that would void the clauses. California passed such a law in 2014, and I think Texas should do the same. While gag clauses stop consumers from posting untrue information, they also prevent consumers from posting anything negative, even if true. To me, that is a big difference, Lampley said. It is an attempt by the company to silence the consumer market. The Federal Trade Commission began filing legal complaints against companies with non-disparagement clauses last year. One complaint was made against Florida-based Roca Labs Nutraceutical USA Inc. and its related companies that market weight-loss supplements. When consumers complained with negative online reviews and testimonials, Roca Lab responded with warnings, threats and lawsuits based on the companys gag clause. Roca Labs had an adversarial relationship with the truth, said Jessica Rich, director of the FTCs Bureau of Consumer Protection, a year ago. Not only did they make false or unsubstantiated weight-loss claims, they also attempted to intimidate their own customers from sharing truthful and truly negative reviews of their products. Voter Guide: What to know for the midterm election Your guide to the Texas and San Antonio races and candidates on the Nov. 8 ballot. Remarkably, the FTC said it found in its investigation that the weight-loss marketers compensated users to post positive reviews, mainly by cutting the price of the products in half. We all depend on consumer reviews positive and negative when we are researching a company. To me, if a company has a good product or service, they have no need for a non-disparagement clause. Instead, they would want their product to be reviewed. So if I saw a non-disparagement clause in a purchase agreement or services agreement, for dental services for example, I would take my business elsewhere, Lampley said. A federal law banning gag clauses could come someday. The U.S. Senate approved a Consumer Review Freedom Act last December. The U.S. House approved a similar Consumer Review Fairness Act on Sept. 12. Final passage remains to be seen. Better Business Bureau-accredited companies are not allowed to use non-disparagement clauses. The organization advises consumers to be on the lookout for such clauses in contracts. If they find the clauses, consumers can ask the companies why the clauses are there and whether they can be removed. I do think the BBB advice is sound advice, Lampley said. dhendricks@express-news.net (The attached photograph) is (of) the original German-English School. I believe it was located close to the Alamo, behind the old Joskes. This was the original location of the school, close to the Alamo. I am looking for information about it. The school was moved from this location to its current location near La Villita. I believe my great-grandfather, Martin Keller, who had the blacksmith shop off Nogalitos Street, attended this school. Laura Ikels It was a school for a German community and it was in San Antonio, but if your great-grandfather grew up here, he didnt go there because the school in your photo was more than 5,000 miles away. The German-English School (covered here April 14, 2013) was founded in 1858 by German immigrants who wanted to provide a bilingual (English and German) education for the children of their community. It first occupied rooms in the old Kleeper Hotel on West Commerce Street (on the north side) between Navarro and St. Mary(s) streets, says the San Antonio Express, June 9, 1936, in a story about an alumni reunion. This school and its supporters started raising funds the year it opened; construction on a simple but substantial stone structure, according to the Handbook of Texas, started in 1859 on South Alamo Street, just south of La Villita. The German-English school opened in 1860 in its new quarters and remained there until it was sold for debt in 1897. The photograph you sent shows a brick building not typical of San Antonio architecture. The bricks, window surround and sashes are all very different from any building represented in our photo collections, says Tom Shelton, senior curator of the Institute of Texan Cultures photo collection at the UTSA library. Thats because the school was not built in San Antonio as we know it. Courtney Jacobs, special collections librarian at the University of North Texas, found your picture on the website of the Center for Volga German Studies at Concordia University in Portland, Ore. The Volga Germans were ethnically German colonists who lived along Russias Volga River, and many of them emigrated to the Americas during the 19th and early 20th centuries. Some chose North America and landed in Portland and elsewhere in the Pacific Northwest, others went to California, Illinois, Kansas, Nebraska, North and South Dakota; to Manitoba and Saskatchewan, Canada. Others headed to South America, and settled in Brazil and Argentina. According to the Centers site, your photo shows Students in front of the German school in San Antonio (1912). Thats San Antonio, Departamento Gualeguaychu, Entre Rios Province, Argentina, where 19 families from Huck, Russia, established a new village in 1889. Theres a list of those colonists on the sites San Antonio page; the Keller name is not there. Your great-great-grandfather, also Martin Keller, was at that time in San Antonio, Texas, where he established a blacksmith shop in 1878, as cited in an Express story, May 30, 1941, about his son. According to a death certificate available on Ancestry.com, your great-grandfather was born here, Feb. 7, 1880. In the 1941 story, he seems to be looking back on a career spent entirely in San Antonio, Texas. Its possible that the younger Martin Keller attended the German-English School or maybe a parochial school. According to other newspaper stories about the family of both Martin Kellers, they were members of St. Henrys Catholic Church, a parish founded in 1892 upon request of the German-speaking Catholics residing in the Southwestern part of the city, at that time members of St. Josephs parish, according to a history of the Catholic Archdiocese of San Antonio provided by archivist Brother Ed Loch. Named for Father Henry Pfefferkorn, pastor of St. Josephs, and St. Henry, a German Holy Roman Emperor, the church established a school the same year. St. Henrys Academy started out in Fests Hall, 1423 South Flores St., and moved to a fine, two-story brick building at 1705 South Flores St. For its first year, St. Henrys shared a commencement ceremony with St. Josephs both conducted by the Sisters of Divine Providence but by the next year, it had 170 students and five teachers, who celebrated independently. A commencement program in the San Antonio Light, June 25, 1894, shows that many St. Henrys students had German names (Gittinger, Lessing, Rohmer, Ruhnke), and a short play was performed in German. Your great-grandfather sent at least one of his children to St. Henrys, which could be described as a German school, although it was later opened to all Catholics who lived in that area. A story in the Light, Sept. 12, 1910, about the death from tetanus of the third Martin Keller - who would have been your great-uncle - says the eight-year-old boy had attended St. Henrys school, a block away from the family home at 1521 S. Flores St. Its possible that St. Henrys also was your great-grandfathers alma mater, although since he was 12 when the school opened, he might have been past the age to attend parochial school, which traditionally taught students from primary classes through eighth grade. The secular German-English School had advanced classes, but its seven-year curriculum covered roughly the same age group as parish schools. As we corresponded, you mentioned that you have living relatives in Argentina maybe they recognize the German school in San Antonio as one with significance to another branch of your family. historycolumn@yahoo.com Twitter: @sahistorycolumn Facebook: SanAntoniohistorycolumn This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Americas war in Afghanistan reaches its 15th year Friday. American and British troops officially launched the attacks on the country on Oct. 7, 2001, a month after the 9/11 attacks killed almost 3,000 people and brought down the World Trade Center in New York City. In the days after 9/11 and in the months after the invasion of Afghanistan, the San Antonio Express-News provided its readers with illustrations to explain the war. Felipe Soto, an artist at the Express-News at the time, remembers the energy in the newsroom at the time as the art staff sought to explain the news visually. Many of the questions explored by Express-News illustrators find their echo in todays discussion. You have to make sense of it all, Soto said. What are people going to be asking? What are drones? Where is Afghanistan? Who are these people, and what are their faiths? These illustrations provide a portrait of a moment in time. Readers were just getting introduced to names and concepts that would later define the decade: al-Qaida, Osama bin Laden, Predator drones. Before widespread use of the internet, creating these illustrations involved working with libraries and atlases. I always prided myself on having a number of atlases, Soto said. We had four, five huge atlases. Artists often had only a few hours to make an explanatory map. First, a map would be scanned, Soto said, then its borders redrawn, and then information drawn in. In explaining the war in Afghanistan, Soto said the most tedious part was getting the names right in both spelling and geography. You could easily misplace towns that you never heard of, Soto said. You could easily misplace boundaries, the cities have to be spelled right and located in the right side of the mountain range. Demand for graphics dried up as the internet took hold, Soto, who retired in 2008 and now teaches drawing and watercolor painting, said. Illustrations about the war in Afghanistan soon gave way to explanations of another conflict. Five months after the 9/11 attacks, and four months after entering Afghanistan, President George Bush coined the term "Axis of Evil" referring to Iraq, Iran and North Korea. The next year, America began its invasion of Iraq, leaving Afghanistan for many years as The Forgotten War. San Antonio College and Palo Alto College, two of the five Alamo Colleges, have each won nearly $3.9 million from the U.S. Department of Education for new science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM initiatives. The federal government awards grants to designated Hispanic-Serving Institutions to increase the number of Hispanic and low-income students attaining degrees in STEM fields. Both community colleges will receive $775,000 Saturday, and the rest of the money will be administered annually over five years. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate At a state district court in Austin next week, Bexar County Democrats will seek to remove an independent Texas House candidate from the Nov. 8 ballot, a party official said Friday. Party Chairman Manuel Medina said the party is contesting dozens of signatures that helped interim state Rep. Laura Thompson, D-San Antonio, qualify for the ballot in House District 120 on the countys East Side. Thompson, who took office Aug. 16 after winning a special election to fill the unexpired term of state Rep. Ruth Jones McClendon, D-San Antonio, is challenging Democrat Barbara Gervin-Hawkins, who has no GOP opponent. Thompsons surprise win as an independent emboldened her to mount a signature-gathering campaign to challenge the otherwise unopposed Gervin-Hawkins. Now the issue is whether she submitted 500 valid signatures to the Texas secretary of state, which initially ruled she hadnt but conducted a review and declared she had met the requirement with 510 valid signatures out of 616 submitted. On Friday, Thompson acknowledged flaws in some of the petitions but insisted she belongs on the ballot. Gervin-Hawkins, however, said Thompson had committed voter fraud in submitting dozens of signatures that will be legally challenged in Austin on Thursday. Appearing with Thompson on Friday before the San Antonio Express-News Editorial Board, Gervin-Hawkins said the evidence is quite clear that she got on the ballot illegally. Gervin-Hawkins and Thompson are listed on hundreds of ballots that already were mailed to members of the military and some civilians. If Thompson were disqualified next week, other mailed ballots would be modified with a sticker to reflect the change. Electronic voting devices set for use when early voting starts Oct. 24 could be updated rapidly, said Elections Administrator Jacque Callanen, but election workers are already about 10 days behind equipment-testing and other schedules, due to the ballot uncertainty. Its really putting us behind, said Callanen, whos waiting for a court determination whether the ballots must be changed. Medina said Callanen verified that numerous petition signers apparently did not meet state requirements to endorse an independent candidate because they had voted in a party primary, werent registered to vote, or lived outside District 120. Medina also will challenge entire sheets of signatures, citing questions about who gathered them. He claimed one of the petition circulators, who are responsible for the accuracy of the petitions, had denied signing five sheets that bore her name. These sheets represent a total of 50 fraudulent signatures, Medina asserted Friday. Those were in addition to at least a dozen other questionable signatures that, if disallowed by the court, would take Thompson below the required threshold of 500 valid signatures. Thompson, who denied Medinas assertion that she was in cahoots with Republican leaders to derail the Democratic candidate, remains confident shell survive the challenge. In a statement, she said her opponent and the Democratic party were invoking fear in an attempt to cause confusion. Her fear is that I am the incumbent state representative, Thompson said. jgonzalez@express-news.net Twitter: @johnwgonzalez This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A state judge has ordered the cleanup of a massive tire dump that once received local tax breaks with hopes the business would create 30 jobs on the South Side. The judge ordered the current owner, Eclipse Renewables LLC, to remove almost all of the 2 million tires heaped at 11150 Applewhite Road within 180 days except for 500 that can lawfully be left on the ground or 2,000 in locked containers, according to the ruling. The tire dump has essentially sat abandoned since former owner Safe Tire Disposal Corp. of Texas walked away in 2005, despite some intial cleanup efforts by the state. In 1992, Safe Tire Disposal Corp. secured a 10-year property tax abatement from Bexar County, according to a San Antonio Express-News report. A former manager of the company told the newspaper that the operation would create jobs and spur local investment by companies that would buy 2-by-2-inch rubber chips from the tire shredding operation, though that never materialized. Ten years later, records show that Safe Tire was receiving $1,366 in county, flood fund, hospital and school district abatements, according to Albert Uresti, Bexar County tax assessor-collector. It paid $7,790 in property taxes in 2002, he said. The citys Economic Development Department has no records of any similar abatements for city taxes, spokeswoman Jeannette Garcia said. The city did not annex the land until 2007, according to Uresti. We have to be very careful when there are environmental problems on these properties because we dont want it to end up in the countys hands, Uresti said. Our goal is to make sure the owners take care of the problem. The now-defunct tire disposal company was once a major player in disposing of millions of tires, but now many are left in abandoned dump sites all over Texas. In the 1990s, the state paid at least $13.4 million to the company, which besides San Antonio had sites in the Texas cities of Atlanta, Cleveland, Midlothian and Odessa, according to a 1994 article in Tire Business magazine. The Applewhite property is among the five largest known tire dumps in Texas, according to a list of more than 100 maintained by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. In inspections over the past three years, TCEQ officials repeatedly cited fire hazards and an infestation of mosquitos that breed in rainwater that collects in the tires. Eclipse Renewables bought the 36-acre property in 2009 and has racked up $261,568 in unpaid property taxes. Eclipse failed to appear in court to defend itself, the order states. The true owners of the company have been difficult to identify. Information filed with the state lists a previous director who is no longer involved, according to Eclipses registered agent, Houston attorney Brian Bro. Bro did not comment Friday on the ruling or reveal the current owners. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued the landowner in August for violating waste disposal and health laws. The lawsuit is the third by the state involving the property over 14 years. When the property changes hands, you literally start over, said Maia Corbitt, a governmental consultant representing the nonprofits Texans for Clean Water and Texas Heritage Protection who has done extensive research on Texas tire dumps. Well see what happens, she said. Obviously, theres this time stamp on this judgement to see if they can get some movement on cleanup. State Rep. John Lujan, R-San Antonio, who raised the issue earlier this summer, praised the ruling but said he wants to sponsor legislation to address the issue more broadly. It is not right that this major fire hazard and health risk has been left unattended for years in our community, he said in a statement. bgibbons@express-news.net GALVESTON A federal judge on Friday rejected Texas Attorney General Ken Paxtons attempt to block an Obama administration plan to allow a contract with a nonprofit that manages the internets address book to expire. U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks Jr. turned down the request for a preliminary injunction by Paxton and attorneys general from Arizona, Oklahoma and Nevada, saying they had relied on hearsay to fuel arguments that ending a federal government contract with the nonprofit would jeopardize government websites. The plaintiff, he ruled, lacked sufficient evidence to clearly convince the court that irreparable harm would come from giving up oversight of the nonprofit Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers. A Paxton spokesman hinted the office may appeal the judges ruling. Were disappointed with the ruling, said Marc Rylander, spokesman for the attorney generals office. Its a dire day in our country when the president is allowed to unilaterally give away Americas pioneering role in ensuring that the internet remains a place where free expression can flourish. We will continue to weigh our options as the suit moves forward. The contract in question was set to expire at midnight Friday. The issue had garnered attention from U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz and Paxton who said the decision to let the contract with the U.S. Commerce Department expire could jeopardize government websites and give control of the internet to unfriendly foreign governments who could disrupt the free flow of information and clamp down on First Amendment rights. Those arguments were absent from the eleventh-hour court hearing Friday afternoon as attorneys argued whether the court had proper jurisdiction and whether harm would be done to government websites once the federal government no longer has veto power over ICANNs decisions. The states filed the lawsuit late Wednesday. California-based ICANN manages the internet domain naming system, which is what allows users to locate websites and find information. It includes representatives of 162 countries. Once the U.S. government loses oversight on the keepers of the internet address book, there is no getting it back, attorneys representing the states argued. Assistant U.S. Attorney Keith Wyatt dismissed the states concerns, saying they had not provided one scintilla of evidence that something adverse would happen to the governments websites. andrea.zelinski@chron.com twitter.com/andreazelinski This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate San Antonio must develop more than 500,000 new housing units to accommodate the projected influx of 1.1 million additional residents by the year 2040, city officials estimate. How to best accomplish this was a major focus of Mayor Ivy Taylors Housing Summit, which drew a capacity crowd of 350 people to the Convention Center on Friday. Having an adequate supply of safe, decent housing for residents of diverse income levels benefits the community as a whole, several housing industry officials said. Housing needs to be financed like infrastructure like roads and bridges and electric systems, said Austin Board of Realtors CEO Paul Hilgers. Because the payback to the community is long term. To have a good, safe, sustainable community with a strong economy, you have got to have housing available for people where they need it. If you have good, safe, decent, affordable housing, you have a chance to be healthier. You have a chance to get a better education. According to a city staff presentation last fall, San Antonio needs at least 153,000 affordable housing units. San Antonio and Austin, like many cities, are seeing a dwindling supply of federal housing grants. That is forcing communities to get more creative on how they address their housing needs, said Mandy De Mayo, executive director of HousingWorks Austin, a nonprofit that works to preserve affordable rental housing. Austin had to take a hard look at safeguarding the affordability of older apartment complexes built in the 1960s, 70s and 80s that no longer commanded high rents, De Mayo said. What were seeing is a lot of developers coming in, either tearing down apartment complexes or upgrading the apartment complexes and increasing the rent so they are no longer affordable, she said. In 2006, Austin voters approved $55 million in affordable housing bonds, the first such measure in Texas. Those funds were used to build or rehabilitate more than 3,400 homes in that city, De Mayo said. Austin voters approved another $65 million in affordable housing bonds in 2013. Such a funding mechanism cant be pursued in San Antonio anytime in the near future because the current city charter only permits bonds to be issued for public works projects. But San Antonio voters will get to consider a proposed $850 million bond program in May that includes $20 million for neighborhood improvements, which would allow the city to buy deteriorated properties and prepare them for development. Those preparations could include demolition and cleanup, extending utilities to such sites and constructing sidewalks and curbs. We expect that the $20 million will allow us to ... demonstrate to voters that the city can accomplish an even larger housing bond in the future, San Antonio City Manager Sheryl Sculley told the audience during the summits opening remarks Friday morning. The proposed neighborhood improvements are an exciting step forward, Taylor said. Were looking to innovative programs and techniques from around the country, she told the crowd. And Im personally committed to these changes because I recognize that theyre essential to realizing that vision for San Antonio as a globally competitive city, where each and every person has an opportunity to prosper not just some of us. pohare@express-news.net This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate On a recent rainy Saturday afternoon, Mohammed watched his six children, ages 4-16, pore over donated books and toys as if theyd dug up nuggets of gold. Watching as his boys happily tipped cowboy hats, the Syrian refugee talked about the warm reception hes received from strangers in San Antonio since they arrived about six weeks ago. The welcome is a sharp contrast to some of the political rhetoric that has been circulating in election campaigns across the country. But Mohammed said he doesnt pay any mind to that kind of talk; hes just glad to be living in a country where people can speak freely without reprisal. What surprises the 46-year-old immigrant is the peace and quiet of his new home. I can go 24 hours without hearing screaming or crying, he said, through Abdul, an Iraqi who volunteers as an interpreter. Theres no struggle and people respect each other here. I feel like Im one of them. After terrorist attacks overseas last year, a wave of fear swept the nation; some elected officials and citizens alike worried whether the screening process of refugees was stringent enough to keep out terrorists. Gov. Greg Abbott joined more than 20 other governors saying the process wasnt strong enough and, on Friday, Texas announced its withdrawal from the federal refugee resettlement program. Meanwhile, refugee advocates in Dallas and Houston have been outspoken about denouncing Abbotts position and have emphasized they will continue to help resettle refugees in their communities even without state support. In San Antonio, Catholic Charities, the primary official refugee agency in the area, has declined comment on the controversy, but its staff and other refugee advocates have quietly continued to open their doors to refugees. According to the national Refugee Processing Center, 29 Syrians have arrived in San Antonio this fiscal year. Mohammed and his family are among 897 Syrian refugees who have resettled in Texas since Oct 15. Syrians arent the only refugees from Muslim countries settling in San Antonio and Texas, of course. Saif and Abdul, both of whom worked with American military forces in Baghdad during Operation Iraqi Freedom, for example, also have made new homes here. Catholic Charities has helped resettle more than 8,000 refugees from around the world in the San Antonio area in the past 12 years. The San Antonio agency helps the newcomers with securing an apartment, food assistance, furnishings and getting their kids enrolled in local schools. Jann Fractor with the Center for Refugee Services, another nonprofit that helps resettle people in San Antonio, said that in recent weeks, many San Antonians have donated items on behalf of Syrian refugees. The 6-year-old center helps with basic needs such as clothing, educational classes, furniture, food and referrals to social services. Four years ago, Mohammed felt helpless. Civil war had broken out between the Syrian government and rebel forces, ushering a storm of bombs and bullets across the country. As violence grew in the city of Aleppo, Mohammed had to make life-or-death choices for his wife, who declined to be named for this report, their six children and himself. He decided the family would take a 303-mile bus ride to Jordan, leaving all of their belongings behind in the embattled city where friends disappeared, never to be seen again. Twenty checkpoints lie between Aleppo and the Jordanian border, he said. At each stop he couldnt tell if rebels or government soldiers manned the roadblocks. During the 18-hour trip, passengers answers determined whether they would get to move on or be detained. News reports have said those who are detained face interrogation, torture and even death. It's like gambling with your life, he said. There is no safety, no hope for living there. Its your choice: You can die or live. Refugees werent allowed to work in Jordan, he said, in or outside of the refugee camps. The United Nations and international agencies provided some food and clothing. He was able to find work, admittedly illegally, as a barber. I had to, he said. I had to provide for my family. After four years of paperwork, checks and waiting, he said, his resettlement application sped up when President Barack Obama pledged that the United States would take in 10,000 Syrian refugees. It took from February to August for Mohammed and his family to be cleared to leave Jordan. They flew to Rome, then Miami and finally San Antonio. Fractor said many U.S. citizens dont understand the thorough screening process refugees must go through, including some 20 security checks that can take up to two years. Syrians go through additional vetting steps that include several personal interviews, several fingerprint screenings and multi-agency security checks. While Saif, 32, didnt endure the same extended process Syrians have undergone recently, he did have similar safety concerns. As an interpreter at the U.S. Embassy in Baghad and an escort for VIPs who traveled outside the safe Green Zone, he feared reprisals after his contract was up three years ago. He and his wife left Iraq for Turkey, where an Air Force captain he had worked with helped him with immigration paperwork. A local Iraqi doctor sponsored him to come to San Antonio. Today, life is promising for Saif and his family. It involves hard work, which he doesnt mind because there are also opportunities, for which hes grateful. He rises at 4:45 a.m. to drive to the technology job where he works six days a week to provide for his wife, Zian, and their 7-month-old son. Before his current job, he worked as a security guard for a year. And hes taking classes at San Antonio College. He said he doesnt listen to negative news reports about emigres; hes focused on becoming a U.S. citizen and enlisting in the U.S. Navy. I cant believe what I hear, Saif said. But I have no worries about talk of refugees. Neither does Abdul, 39, who has interpreted for fellow Iraqi and Arabic-speaking refugees for the past eight years in San Antonio. Its a lot like what he did for the U.S. Army for five years in Baghdad. When he arrived in San Antonio with his wife and children, he found a job with the Family Services Association, working with his mentor, Pamela Espurvoa-Allen, interpreting for families of refugee children in the Head Start program. Abdul and Espurvoa-Allen devoted days and nights to helping clients handle a range of problems including eviction notices, school needs and cultural differences. After moving on to other jobs, Abdul and Espurvoa-Allen are still looking out for new refugees, their children and families, offering them truck loads of donated food each month. And, like Mohammed, Abdul has one wish for his children: that theyll never remember the sound of gunfire in the streets. I dont care what happens to me. I care that my kids are sleeping with the sound of no bombs and no violence, Abdul said. You do anything to protect your kids. vtdavis@express-news.net A police presence was visible at many area schools Friday after a clown scare was discovered on social media Thursday evening. Washington County Sheriff Department Captain Zach Jacobsen said Kingston School Superintendent Alex McCall contacted him Thursday night saying, One of the teachers had received a threat on Facebook, but it was not directed to the teacher nor the school. After the threat was found the superintendent and I both did a little research. We found that the clowns making the threat originated from St. Joseph, Missouri, said Jacobsen. The article about the clowns didnt have very credible information because the article was very short. "This other Aint Clowning Around page basically explained that they had no involvement with this and this wasnt them. The title of the name wasnt even typed in the same punctuation, so it was clear it wasnt them. Jacobsen added he wasnt able to find the Aint Clownin Around page or anything related, but there were local high school students who had also seen the post and they were sharing it. The parents were sharing the law enforcement's and other agencies' reactions to this post, said Jacobsen. Then I made the decision to make an announcement about it and to (take extra) steps to prevent anything. We had deputies stationed at every school in the county. Jacobsen went on to say that Friday morning one student made a claim of spotting a clown at one of the busiest intersections in the city limits. There is a park next to it that leads right to the school at the intersection of Lead Street and Jefferson, said Jacobsen. One student, to my understanding, observed a man with black pants and a white shirt with face paint resembling a clown or a clown mask and no hair, standing in the park. Jacobsen stressed no one else reported it and there were officers about 15 seconds away when the call went out and nobody could find the person. Im pretty sure it a hoax just playing into this Facebook post, but at this point we cant take anything for granted, said Jacobsen. We are going to have officers stationed at school just like what we did this morning. We are just taking an overabundance of caution. At this point we dont have anything credible, its just a social media threat. Jacobsen repeated that all this was done in abundance of caution and he cant emphasize this enough. There was no credible information outside of the threat. It was not directed at any school in particular, it was just directed at schools in general, said Jacobsen. So this was specifically in an abundance of caution. I have released everything we know at this point. This is just a fad, this clown thing going around, people dont realize when they hit the send button what they truly are affecting. It would have been really, really nice of all those folks who were sharing that original post to go to their local law enforcement instead of waiting until an administrator of a school at 10 p.m. at night found it, explained Jacobsen. The post that I saw was from a couple of hours earlier from when I saw it, so people had seen it but chose not to do anything with it other than share it instead of calling local law enforcement. In addition to Washington County taking precautionary measures, the Central School District also had an added police presence at their schools on Friday. Central High School Principal Brad Coleman said they had a couple students who reported that somebody else had seen a clown around the school outside one of the classrooms Thursday afternoon. "We immediately investigated and we did not find a clown or substantiate the accusation," said Coleman. "So that was the end of it as far as I was concerned, until we started seeing these posts last night." Coleman said students were sending around another post and he investigated it last night from home. "It was something that actually started across the country and from what I understand South Carolina is one of the first to report incidents of that post," said Coleman. "It then went around the country. Some of our students sent it to me last night, so I did a little bit more investigating and called our resource officer and she said they had no reports and they couldn't substantiate any of the allegations." Coleman said this morning when they came into the school they reiterated to the students that it was a hoax. "I asked the students this morning that if anybody had any credible evidence to please come forward ... nobody had," said Coleman. "We tried to assure them of their safety and security here at school the best we could. We did have a police presence at the school this morning because I contacted our resource officer last night and told her about the post." Coleman said he also called the superintendent as well just because he wanted parents to feel safe and secure and know they were going to do anything they could to protect the students. "So we wanted some officers here and the resource officer made sure she was here early," explained Coleman. "The Park Hills Police Department was patrolling the school just to make sure. This post is not credible, it's another wannabe post perpetuated to try to scare our students and parents." Coleman stressed he hoped law enforcement could find the source of the posts and punish those people making the crazy accusations (and threats). "Some people get scared when people make those kinds of threats against students and I can understand that," said Coleman. "I just hope our parents know that we do everything we can to provide our students with the safest and (most secure) environment we can." Texas will withdraw from the federal refugee resettlement program, the state Health and Human Services Commission announced Friday, after federal authorities declined to fund the states demands for tweaks to screening protocol. After today, the current plan will no longer be in effect, and we will begin exiting the program, with benefits and services ending Jan. 31, 2017, said HHS spokesman Bryan Black. Texas has taken more refugees than any other state in the nation in recent years. The states withdrawal does not actually affect the number of refugees settled in Texas or the services provided to them, including medical assistance, social services, preventative health and the unaccompanied refugee minors program. Rather, Texas will no longer play steward of the federal funds it previously distributed to various charities and private agencies that ran the programs for refugees. Federal agencies will now lead those efforts directly in Texas. Map: Which governors want to keep out Syrian refugees? Meanwhile, the Office of Refugee Resettlement will begin the search for a private nonprofit agency to take over the states role in administering the federally funded refugee services. ORR is working to prevent disruption in the delivery of services and benefits to refugees and entrants in Texas, the agency said in a statement. Refugees will continue to be resettled in Texas only after extensive screenings are conducted by the State Department and Department of Homeland Security. In a Sept. 21 letter to the ORR, Texas had pledged to exit the program Friday unless Washington unconditionally approved the states new plan. That plan would place heightened requirements for security screening of refugees admitted to Texas. Federal officials contended that the country already had a robust vetting system in place. Since we have not received federal approval of our plan, we are moving forward with our transition out of the Refugee Resettlement Program, Black said. Tensions over the countrys decades-old refugee resettlement program have hit a fever pitch this year, which has seen the number of refugees globally surpass the record levels of the era of World War II, according to the United Nations. The massive outflow has been fueled in large part by the six-year Syrian civil war, which has killed a half-million people and made refugees of 13.5 million people. Other major outflows stem from violence in Afghanistan and Iraq, which have weathered more than a decade of war. The U.S. admitted almost 70,000 refugees in 2015, according to the U.S. State Department. Federal plans would put about 11,000 in Texas in fiscal year 2017. Lawmakers in Washington, D.C., and Texas have cited concerns that members of terrorist organizations, currently operating in the Middle East and Afghanistan, could exploit refugee resettlement programs to enter and launch attacks in the U.S. Gov. Greg Abbott has repeatedly called for vigilance in admitting refugees and has called for heightened screening protocol for admitting refugees. RELATED PAST COVERAGE: Paxton: Texas can conduct background checks on refugees This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate While serving as a Texas state representative, Philip Cortez pitched a proposal to consult for a developer, L.H. Devco, emphasizing his political connections to clinch the deal. With my relationships developed as Chief of Staff to San Antonio Councilman/Mayor Ed Garza for six years, Cortez wrote in February 2014, relationship with Mayor Julian Castro, my two terms as an elected San Antonio City Councilman, and now as a Texas State Representative, it is my belief that the relationships developed over the last 14 years will ensure the goals outlined in this plan of action. Among those goals, Cortez, a Democrat, promised to introduce and educate various decision making individuals and elected officials to LH Devco and its goals and objectives. Proposing a salary of $7,500 a month, Cortez scored the contract. As a legislator, Cortez was paid $7,200 a year, plus $150 per diem for every day the House was in session. Now, Republican state Rep. Rick Galindo, who wrested the District 117 seat from Cortez in November 2014 and will defend it from him on Nov. 8, charged that the consulting deal is evidence that his opponent sold his office. Thats a flagrant abuse of the public trust, Galindo said. At the tail end of a six-month deployment in the Air Force Reserve, Cortez denied the charge from abroad Friday. Thats absolutely untrue, Cortez told me. They are obviously desperate. They know theyre losing, and theyre trying to throw anything to see what sticks. This could stick, according to Buck Wood, an Austin elections lawyer and Texas ethics expert. You cant do that, Wood said. You cant receive money for legislative efforts. You just cant do it. You cant be a lobbyist and a state rep at the same time. You cant be paid while youre in the Legislature to advance the interests of a third party. The question is, Wood added, was he really being a lobbyist? Cortez insisted he wasnt. I never did lobby for them, he said. There was nothing to lobby. They had no business before the Legislature. He added, If you look at the whole sentence (in the proposal), what Im saying is I have a strong network of people that I know, and my experience in government helps to, can bring a good perspective in terms of any type of goals that we were trying to reach. But it had nothing to do with the state or the Capitol. Yet, elsewhere in the proposal, Cortez promised to deliver more than just perspective to L.H. Devco. He pledged to begin researching the various types of funding opportunities (grants/contracts/public-private funding sources) available to LH Devco in the area of growth, housing development, water infrastructure, and other potential business options and to continue to establish and strengthen working relationships with all critical decision makers. If hes saying hes going to be an advocate for them and hes getting paid for it, then hes lobbying, Wood told me. And he cant do that. The veteran attorney added: The bad thing about this is this happens. You just dont see it put into writing very often. Cortezs consulting proposal surfaced last year in bankruptcy court. When the lawmaker was hired in 2014, L.H. Devco was developing Lerin Hills, a sprawling, upscale subdivision being built off Texas 46 in Boerne, according to a previous San Antonio Express-News article. The developer secured county approval that year for a phase one plat. Within a year, L.H. Devco had defaulted on a loan agreement for the development, and soon after the firm filed for bankruptcy. It left behind a guard house that new developers called ill-conceived, with rooms not wired for phone or internet, several large closets and an abundance of bathrooms, according to another Express-News article. I dont know what the previous developers intended it to be, said Kendall Countys development manager. When you look at it, it didnt make any sense. To claim money owed to him by the developer under their consulting agreement, Cortez filed a claim in court for nearly $50,000 for work done from December 2014 to June 2015. Along with the claim, he attached his original proposal for consulting services. Cortez received a $30,000 judgment, according to court records. bchasnoff@express-news.net ASHTABULA, Ohio If All the Sky Were Paper by Andrew Carroll is now being performed at the Ashtabula Arts Center. The final dates for the play are Sept. 30, Oct. 1-2 and 7-9. Carroll is the founding director of the Center for American War Letters at Chapman University in Orange, California. The play is based on a global search for war letters. Carrolls search amassed approximately 100,000 previously unpublished letters and emails from every war in U.S. history. There is heart, horror and even humor in these letters, and together they reveal the ways war affects people throughout history and across the globe. Ashtabula Arts Center did its own war letters search to complement the play. Over the summer, they collected from 24 donors items such as letters, emails and images totaling more than 600 individual pieces. Advance sale tickets are $15 for adults, $13 for seniors, students and military and $11 for children 12 and under; for tickets at the door add $2. There are free tickets are still available for active-duty and veterans, which were purchased by American Legion Posts 103 and 151 and VFW 943. Call to purchase or claim free tickets 440-964-3396. Check back next week for more on the free exhibit at the Ashtabula Arts Center, 2928 West 13th Street, Ashtabula. RAGERSVILLE, Ohio Firefighters from nine departments, including the Sugarcreek Fire Department, responded to a barn fire that destroyed a hay barn at the Swihart Dairy Farm near Ragersville, Ohio, just south of Sugarcreek (Tuscarawas County). The hay barn was attached to the dairy barn and milking parlor, but family and fire crew members were able to save the two dairy buildings and around 700 head of cattle that were inside. No injuries to people or livestock were reported. The fire Firefighters responded to the call around 7 p.m. Sept. 29 and continued to battle the flames until around 5 a.m., Sept. 30. Sugarcreek Fire Chief Kevin Miller said wet hay that had been stacked in the barn for a month was the cause of the fire. The Times-Reporter reported that Crews were hampered by the large volume of fire, as well as intermittent rain, which made the area muddy. About 300 square hay bales, which were on fire, had to be removed from the barn. Sawdust also created problems. Damage was estimated at $150,000 to the barn and some contents. Chief Miller said the family was able to pull a combine, gravity wagons and few other pieces of equipment out of the building before fire crews arrived. The Sugarcreek Fire Department was assisted at the scene by departments from Baltic, Dover, Wayne Township, York Township, Stone Creek, New Philadelphia, the East Holmes Fire District and Bakersville. NFU Cymru Deputy President John Davies has welcomed Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Lesley Griffiths, to an on-farm meeting to discuss issues affecting the Welsh agricultural industry. The meeting, held at John Davies Pentre Farm in Merthyr Cynog, near Brecon, saw Lesley Griffiths take part in a tour of the farm. She met NFU Cymru members and farm staff, and learnt how the family farm business has diversified. She also saw a range of environmental work carried out in the area by farmers. As part of the visit, the Cabinet Secretary was able to meet agri-students from Builth High School, who along with their counterparts from Gwernyfed High School, regularly visit Pentre Farm as part of a course run by Coleg Sir Gar. The visit also gave John Davies and his NFU Cymru colleagues the opportunity to discuss a range of topics with the Cabinet Secretary including bovine TB, the Wales Rural Development Plan and access to the single market post-Brexit, over a lunch prepared with local produce. Other issues raised during the meeting included the challenges facing the tenanted farm sector and the need to maintain local authority farms, public food procurement and the launch of the new NVZ consultation. Dafydd Jones, Wales YFC Senior Member of the Year, was also present to ask the Cabinet Secretary about future support for young entrants to agriculture. 'Importance of working together' Following the meeting, NFU Cymru Deputy President John Davies said: "It was fantastic to be able to welcome the Cabinet Secretary to the farm today and give her an insight into the day-to-day running of the business and the important role that agriculture plays for the Welsh economy, employment, the environment and rural communities. "I was particularly pleased to be able to show her the environmental work we have undertaken here and how productive agriculture and environmental management can go hand in hand. "Farmers across Wales have undertaken similar measures through the support of historic and current schemes in order to enhance the landscape and support local species. "Throughout the visit, the Cabinet Secretary stressed the importance of working together, particularly as the UK approaches a future outside the European Union. "We are committed to working with her and her Welsh Government colleagues to secure a profitable, progressive and productive future for agriculture in Wales," Mr Davies concluded. Brexit offers a new opportunity for landowners to provide more forestry by incentivising the sector for the environmental services delivered by trees, according to the CLA. In advance of a panel discussion hosted by Confor at a Conservative Party Conference fringe event next week (3 October), CLA President Ross Murray said a new post-Brexit food, farming and environmental policy post-Brexit should put forestry on a more equal footing to agriculture by offering better incentives to change the use of land from farming to forestry. Mr Murray said: "There is an underlying presumption that the primary purpose of rural land is to produce food. "We want to be much more radical in our approach to developing a new food, farming and environmental policy to replace the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) because we understand the public benefits trees bring. "Woodlands provide a wide range of important environmental services for society such as wildlife habitat, carbon sequestration, soil protection, water quality and flood alleviation. "A new policy should place greater emphasis on supporting woodland creation and management which gives land managers wishing to take a longer term view on their land use activities a much more profitable and competitive option than is currently available." CLA President Ross Murray takes part in Confors The Future of Forestry Post-Brexit: A Green and Profitable Future? on 3 October (4pm 5.15pm at the Birmingham ICC in Executive Room 7) The CLA President is also taking part in a fringe panel discussion with Farming Minister George Eustice MP and RSPB Chief Executive Mike Clarke examining farming and the environment outside of the EU, chaired by EFRA Select Committee Chairman Neil Parish MP. As he prepared for the crucial first presidential debate, Donald Trump knew moderator Lester Holt would bring up the birther issue. He knew Holt would raise Trump's tax returns. And his old position on the Iraq war. None are among the voters' top concerns, but it was eminently predictable that they would be part of the debate -- not least because if Holt had not brought them up, Hillary Clinton would have. But Trump might not have predicted that Holt would leave some equally, if not more, important topics untouched. There was Obamacare, currently veering towards crisis. Immigration, including a proposed wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. The Clinton Foundation. Benghazi. Certainly a moderator can't cover everything, but those were some pretty big omissions. Holt deserves blame for not bringing them up. But on the other hand, that is where a candidate's preparation comes in. If the moderator doesn't raise a key issue, the candidate does. And Trump didn't. "The wall is a very important issue, and I am surprised that it wasn't brought up, frankly," one of Trump's key supporters and advisers, Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Alabama), said after the debate. "Also, they didn't bring up the Clinton Foundation. I mean, goodness gracious. So I thought there were a number of issues that could have been brought up that would have been troubling for Secretary Clinton that were not brought up." Later, I pressed Sessions a bit, asking why Trump didn't raise them himself. "Look, whenever I've done a debate, I can't sleep at night thinking of things I shoulda, coulda said," Sessions said with a laugh. "So if you think you're so good at it, you try it. I mean, it's no fun." Trump began the debate well. He approached Clinton aggressively and made his case on the issue of lost American jobs. Clinton countered with a tired-sounding critique of what she called "Trumped-up trickle-down" economics, and an equally tired spiel on policies like heavily-subsidized clean energy as a partial fix for an ailing economy. Things were moving in Trump's direction. "Independents are closer to Trump than to Hillary," tweeted GOP strategist Frank Luntz, who was holding a focus group watching the debate in Philadelphia. "Trump is doing better with undecideds than even with Trump-leaners. He is actually winning." But not for long. Early on, Clinton included her first personal jab at Trump, slipped into an answer on the economy. "Donald was very fortunate in his life, and that's all to his benefit," Clinton said. "He started his business with $14 million borrowed from his father ... " Now, Trump's team knew going in that Clinton would try to get under his skin. And the easiest way to get under Trump's skin is to cast some sort of aspersion on his business, his brand, or his career. The question was whether Trump would have the discipline to ignore or brush off such attacks and stay focused on his message. He didn't. Trump took the bait, saying his father in fact gave him "a very small loan" in 1975. And after that Trump took virtually every other morsel of bait the Clinton, or Holt, offered him the rest of the night. Trump went on and on about his taxes, revealing that "I'm extremely underleveraged," which surely cannot be an issue of great voter interest. Worse, Trump did not refute Clinton's charge -- reminiscent of Harry Reid's no-evidence attack on Mitt Romney in 2012 -- that Trump pays no federal income taxes. "That makes me smart," Trump said, which sounded, if anything, like a confirmation of Clinton's accusation. Then Trump took the bait on birtherism. And then Iraq. On the birther question, there wasn't a lot Trump could say, so a debater's instinct would be to cover as little as possible and move on. On Iraq, Trump actually had a case against Holt's charge, but again went on and on, adding the relatively new wrinkle that he told Sean Hannity about his opposition to invading Iraq before the fact. Trump said Hannity's name seven times. As the debate progressed, Trump got more and more bogged down, and less and less disciplined. "Trump could be crushing Hillary right now if he wasn't so thin-skinned," Luntz tweeted from the focus group in Pennsylvania. Just a few hours earlier, before the debate began, Trump's team exuded confidence. Well, confidence with one caveat. Trump knew what to do to win, they said, and he was prepared to do it, and doing it was well within his capabilities. The only question was whether Trump would actually do it. "How confident are you?" I asked a member of the Trump circle about an hour and a half before the debate. "On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being he crushes it, and 1 being the campaign ends tonight -- a 7.5 or 8," the person said. Others in TrumpWorld, at least the extended circle around the Trump campaign, expressed an even higher level of confidence. Some close to the campaign suggested that Trump had pulled off a successful rope-a-dope operation, hinting to the world that he hadn't done much preparing when in fact he had prepared intensely, if unconventionally. And besides, they said, Trump didn't have to match Clinton fact-for-fact in an old-fashioned face-off. What he really had to do was appear serious, sober, and -- yes -- presidential. He was ready, they said. But he wasn't, really. Yes, Trump had some good moments. He scored on the two highest voter-interest issues, jobs and national security, and that's no small accomplishment. He also hit Clinton hard when she pulled out her talking point that she had made "a mistake" by creating a secret, unsecure email system as Secretary of State. "That was more than a mistake," Trump said. "That was done purposefully, OK? That was not a mistake ... when you have your staff taking the Fifth Amendment, taking the Fifth so they're not prosecuted ... " Trump's problem was that he didn't have a lot of really good moments like that because he spent so much time talking about taxes, birtherism and Iraq. The Clinton team wanted to distract him, to keep him on topics that hurt him -- and away from topics that hurt her. They succeeded. "We were very happy with the debate," campaign manager Robby Mook said shortly afterward. "I think he was totally unprepared." Meanwhile, those topics that could have done Trump a lot of good if handled well -- Obamacare, immigration and the wall, the Clinton Foundation, Benghazi -- were left untouched. Yes, blame Lester Holt for not bringing them up. But blame Donald Trump more for not taking matters into his own hands. Weights provided on the day for all sheep were taken four weeks ago, however Elders auctioneer Gary Preston said the sheep had put on roughly five kilograms per week since that date, ensuring they were at an ideal mating weight and condition. Did Cumberland County Commissioners break the NC Open Meetings Law? The commissioners met behind closed doors to discuss a pay raise for the vice chair position. To many women, the Donald Trump who debated Hillary Clinton was painfully familiar. They've encountered men like him all their lives: fathers and husbands, boyfriends and brothers, bosses and teachers. Faced with the first woman to win a major party's presidential nomination, Trump treated her with palpable disdain. He smirked and sneered, erupted and interrupted (39 times in all, including nine times in one 2-minute period). He used barely disguised code words like "stamina" to imply that a woman, poor dear, simply couldn't hack it as president. But here's the irony. The missile Trump aimed at Clinton wounded him instead. His performance demonstrated that he -- not his rival -- was unsuited for the Oval Office. Republican pollster Frank Luntz conducted a focus group among 21 undecided voters in Pennsylvania. Sixteen said Clinton had won the debate; only five backed Trump. In a CNN focus group in Florida, 18 of 20 swing voters picked Clinton as the winner. In a CNN flash poll, 62 percent said the Democrat had done a better job; only 27 percent favored Trump. "Donald Trump just got nuked," Luntz told reporters, "and I don't know if he can recover from this debate." Of course he can. Luntz was over-reacting. Trump's core support reaches about 44 percent, according to the latest RealClearPolitics averages. Those folks are going to stick with him, no matter how badly he got "nuked." And Clinton faces huge problems of her own, especially a party base that fails to find her exciting or inspiring. Barack Obama she is not. Still, the debate could prove to be an important moment in the campaign. On the eve of the event, according to the ABC/Washington Post poll, 53 percent of registered voters said Trump was not qualified to be president; 58 percent said he lacked the temperament to govern effectively; 55 percent doubted his credentials to be commander-in-chief. Trump's main objective was to ease those concerns, fill the profile of a president, reassure wavering voters, pass a threshold of credibility. He clearly failed the test. When Trump asserted that he has a "much better temperament" than Clinton, the audience at Hofstra University openly snickered, and so did Luntz' swing voters. That comment, reports RealClearPolitics, earned Trump "the lowest overall score of the night among the focus group, with all participants rating it very negatively." Garrett Thacker, a 30-year-old in Galloway, Ohio made a similar point to the Wall Street Journal: "I feel the way he talks to other people, the way he addresses other people, can be extremely rude and extremely disrespectful, and I don't think that's the temperament we should be looking for in a president." Trump's problem is particularly acute with one key voter group: college-educated white women, especially those living outside cities like Philadelphia and Cleveland. Many are natural Republicans -- Mitt Romney won the cohort by 6 points four years ago -- but in the ABC/Post poll, Clinton beats Trump by 25 points with this group, 57 to 32. Her margin was 10 points only a month ago, and Trump made few converts with his dismissive debate demeanor. "Trump needed to conceal his temper ... and appear ready to be president," wrote conservative blogger Jennifer Rubin. "He didn't. There were too many instances in which the real Donald Trump showed through." Clinton has another post-debate target as well: the coalition that elected Obama but refuses to fall in love with her. They likely never will. But she doesn't need them to go gaga; she just needs to them to appreciate the stakes in the election. She needs them to realize that the election is a choice between two real, flawed candidates, and neither one is named Bernie Sanders, Gary Johnson or Jill Stein. The debate could crystallize that choice. Only two candidates stood on that stage. Only one will name the next Supreme Court justice. Who do you want that to be? The bully or the nerd? The good girl or the bad boy? There is no third option. Before the debate, the political landscape was littered with warning signs for Clinton. The polls were tightening. The trend line was against her. Even states that once seemed safe -- Colorado, Pennsylvania -- were suddenly in play. It's still not clear whether the debate will reverse that trend, or even halt it. But one thing is clear: Trump did not pass the credibility test, especially with well-educated women. They saw him for exactly who he is -- the man who never took them seriously. For the nine period ended August 31, 2016, sales including VAT at Swedish apparel retailer H&M climbed by 5 per cent to SEK 161,767 million as against SEK 153,444 million in the corresponding period of the prior fiscal. Revenues however grew 7 per cent in local currencies, while sales excluding VAT totalled SEK 139,547 million compared to SEK 132,167.Gross profit for the reporting period reached SEK 16,630 million, down from SEK 20,094 million, while net profit also fell to SEK 12,722 million, vis-a-vis SEK 15,372 million in the comparable nine month period of earlier fiscal. For the nine period ended August 31, 2016, sales including VAT at Swedish apparel retailer H&M climbed by 5 per cent to SEK 161,767 million as against SEK 153,444 million in the corresponding period of the prior fiscal. Revenues however grew 7 per cent in local currencies, while sales excluding VAT totalled SEK 139,547 million compared to SEK 132,167.# The clothing retailer has planned a net addition of around 425 new stores, while also entering three new markets in the current fiscal.H&M opened its first outlet in Puerto Rico this June and in September in Cyprus, while the first New Zealand store will open in October. (AR) Fibre2Fashion News Desk India Bangladesh has ratified the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA), becoming the 94th member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and 12th least developed country (LDC) to do so. Concluded at the WTO's 2013 Bali Ministerial Conference, the TFA contains provisions for expediting the movement, release and clearance of goods, including goods in transit. Bangladesh has ratified the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA), becoming the 94th member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and 12th least developed country (LDC) to do so. Concluded at the WTO's 2013 Bali Ministerial Conference, the TFA contains provisions for expediting the movement, release and clearance of goods, including goods in transit.# The TFA also sets out measures for effective cooperation between customs and other appropriate authorities on trade facilitation and customs compliance issues. It further contains provisions for technical assistance and capacity building in this area. Bangladesh has ratified the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA), becoming the 94th member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and 12th least developed country (LDC) to do so. Concluded at the WTO's 2013 Bali Ministerial Conference, the TFA contains provisions for expediting the movement, release and clearance of goods, including goods in transit.# It will enter into force once two-thirds of the WTO membership has formally accepted the Agreement. Bangladesh's acceptance means over 85 per cent of the ratifications needed for entry into force have now been received. Bangladesh has ratified the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA), becoming the 94th member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and 12th least developed country (LDC) to do so. Concluded at the WTO's 2013 Bali Ministerial Conference, the TFA contains provisions for expediting the movement, release and clearance of goods, including goods in transit.# The TFA broke new ground for developing countries and LDCs in the way it will be implemented. For the first time in WTO history, the requirement to implement the Agreement was directly linked to the capacity of the country to do so. In addition, the Agreement states that assistance and support should be provided to help them achieve that capacity. Bangladesh has ratified the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA), becoming the 94th member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and 12th least developed country (LDC) to do so. Concluded at the WTO's 2013 Bali Ministerial Conference, the TFA contains provisions for expediting the movement, release and clearance of goods, including goods in transit.# A Trade Facilitation Agreement Facility (TFAF) was also created at the request of developing and least-developed country members to help ensure that they receive the assistance needed to reap the full benefits of the TFA and to support the ultimate goal of full implementation of the new agreement by all members. Bangladesh has ratified the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA), becoming the 94th member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and 12th least developed country (LDC) to do so. Concluded at the WTO's 2013 Bali Ministerial Conference, the TFA contains provisions for expediting the movement, release and clearance of goods, including goods in transit.# Implementation of TFA has the potential to increase global merchandise exports by up to $1 trillion per annum, according to the WTO's flagship World Trade Report released in October 2015. Significantly, the Report also found that developing countries will benefit significantly from the TFA, capturing more than half of the available gains. (RKS) Bangladesh has ratified the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA), becoming the 94th member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and 12th least developed country (LDC) to do so. Concluded at the WTO's 2013 Bali Ministerial Conference, the TFA contains provisions for expediting the movement, release and clearance of goods, including goods in transit.# Fibre2Fashion News Desk India NEW ORLEANS, LA--(Marketwired - September 30, 2016) - Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC ("KSF") and KSF partner, the former Attorney General of Louisiana, Charles C. Foti, Jr., remind investors that they have until November 15, 2016 to file lead plaintiff applications in a securities class action lawsuit against Twitter, Inc. (NYSE: TWTR), if they purchased the Company's securities between February 6, 2015 and July 28, 2015, inclusive (the "Class Period"). This action is pending in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California. What You May Do If you purchased shares of Twitter and would like to discuss your legal rights and how this case might affect you and your right to recover for your economic loss, you may, without obligation or cost to you, call toll-free at 1-877-515-1850 or email KSF Managing Partner Lewis Kahn (lewis.kahn@ksfcounsel.com). If you wish to serve as a lead plaintiff in this class action, you must petition the Court by November 15, 2016. About the Lawsuit Twitter and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period, violating federal securities laws. The alleged false and misleading statements and omissions include, but are not limited to, that: (i) by early 2015, daily active users had replaced the timeline views metric as the primary user engagement metric tracked internally by Twitter; (ii) the trend in user engagement growth was flat or declining; (iii) new product initiatives were not having a meaningful impact on Monthly Active Users ("MAUs") or user engagement; (iv) Twitter's stated acceleration in MAU growth was the result of low-quality MAU growth; and (v) defendants lacked a basis for their previously-issued projection of approximately 20% MAU growth. About Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC KSF, whose partners include the Former Louisiana Attorney General Charles C. Foti, Jr., is a law firm focused on securities, antitrust and consumer class actions, along with merger & acquisition and breach of fiduciary litigation against publicly traded companies on behalf of shareholders. The firm has offices in New York, California and Louisiana. To learn more about KSF, you may visit www.ksfcounsel.com. Contact: Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC Lewis Kahn Managing Partner lewis.kahn@ksfcounsel.com 1-877-515-1850 206 Covington St. Madisonville, LA 70447 NEW ORLEANS, LA--(Marketwired - September 30, 2016) - Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC ("KSF") and KSF partner, the former Attorney General of Louisiana, Charles C. Foti, Jr., remind investors that they have until November 21, 2016 to file lead plaintiff applications in a securities class action lawsuit against MGT Capital Investments, Inc. (NYSE MKT: MGT), if they purchased the Company's securities between May 9, 2016 and September 20, 2016, inclusive (the "Class Period"). This action is pending in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. What You May Do If you purchased shares of MGT and would like to discuss your legal rights and how this case might affect you and your right to recover for your economic loss, you may, without obligation or cost to you, call toll-free at 1-877-515-1850 or email KSF Managing Partner Lewis Kahn (lewis.kahn@ksfcounsel.com). If you wish to serve as a lead plaintiff in this class action, you must petition the Court by November 21, 2016. About the Lawsuit MGT and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period, violating federal securities laws. The alleged false and misleading statements and omissions include, but are not limited to, that: (i) MGT was engaging and/or had engaged in conduct that would result in an SEC investigation; (ii) the SEC investigation and the underlying conduct would cause the NYSE to refuse to list MGT's 43.8 million shares required for the pending acquisitions of D-Vasive, Inc. and Demonsaw LLC; (iii) as a result, the mergers would likely not be completed. About Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC KSF, whose partners include the Former Louisiana Attorney General Charles C. Foti, Jr., is a law firm focused on securities, antitrust and consumer class actions, along with merger & acquisition and breach of fiduciary litigation against publicly traded companies on behalf of shareholders. The firm has offices in New York, California and Louisiana. To learn more about KSF, you may visit www.ksfcounsel.com. Contact: Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC Lewis Kahn Managing Partner lewis.kahn@ksfcounsel.com 1-877-515-1850 206 Covington St. Madisonville, LA 70447 Even as we wait for part two of Baahubali to hit the theatres, there's something else for fans to enjoy, from the same franchise. On Friday, 30 September, Amazon Prime Video announced a collaboration with filmmaker SS Rajamouli, Graphic India and Arka Mediaworks, for a new multi-episode animated series titled Baahubali: The Lost Legends. The trailer for the series has been launched on the Amazon.in site. What we managed to showcase in the film was just the tip of the iceberg, said director SS Rajamouli explaning why the animated series has been conceptualised. From the minute I started working on this story, I knew the world of Baahubali cant be encompassed into a film or two, simply because theres so much more to tell and animation is another way to do that. Graphic India's Sharad Devarajan promised the new series would be filled with "political intrigue, betrayal, war, action and adventure" and would take audiences on "new adventures beyond the film, as we learn for the first time the events that shaped Baahubali from a young prince into a legendary hero". Baahubali: The Lost Legends is set before the Kalakeya invasion depicted in the movie, when Baahubali and Bhallaladeva are still both young princes of Mahishmati. Two brothers competing to rule the greatest kingdom of its age and the epic adventures they must endure to prove they are worthy to one day wear the crown, form the crux of the new series. Under the watchful eye of Sivagami, and the warrior, Katappa, one shall rise to be king of the throne, while the other shall become king of the people. The animated series will feature new stories about the characters from the film including Prince Baahubali, Bhallaladeva, Kattapa and Sivagami as well as introducing characters not part of the original film. The series will follow the relationship between the two cousins as they journey across the kingdom of Mahishmati, uncovering hidden mysteries, stopping ancient terrors and defending their people from danger. Meanwhile, the official logo of Baahubali: The Conclusion, the second and final part of the franchise, was released in Hyderabad on Friday. The logo, with the tag line "Why Kattapa Killed Baahubali" was released by Rajamouli. "We will wrap up the shoot by December. Some scenes and two songs are pending as of now. The film will release on 28 April 2017," Rajamouli told reporters. The first look of Baahubali 2, according to Rajamouli, will be released on the eve of actor Prabhas's birthday on 22 October. The film also stars Rana Daggubati, Sathyaraj, Tamannaah Bhatia and Ramya Krishnan. With IANS inputs Pop culture and information gleaned from news reports would have us believe that this is what hackers do: Challenge the world order. Bring down evil corporations. Snoop into your personal life; dig up dirt. Get access to your financial details. Clean out your bank account(s). Wage a technological war the likes of which have never been seen. But putting paid to those notions and making us believe that such a thing as altruism may exist, a hacker allegedly got into actress Kareena Kapoor Khan's income tax account online and filed her quarterly returns. Of course, the hacker may have been motivated by pure mischief. But we'd like to believe the altruism theory. Reports in The Asian Age, Hindustan Times and The Indian Express confirmed that the incident had indeed occurred. It came to light when Kapoor-Khan wished to file her income tax returns, and found that someone else had already done the same in August. The actress and her chartered accountant didn't take too kindly to the hacker's presumption and promptly lodged a complaint with the Cyber Crime Cell of the Mumbai Police. On a serious note, to access the actress' IT account online, the hacker would have needed to get access to her PAN number and password. The hacker can (if he or she so desires) file false income statements for the actress, forcing her to pay higher taxes than she is required to, the police pointed out. Access to her PAN number also means that the hacker could misuse her other financial details. The police has registered an offence under Section 419 of the Indian Penal Code and Section 66C of the Information Technology Act. First, lets put this out in very clear terms: Pakistani actors should not be banned from working in our film industry. Yes, despite the harm the Pakistan State has done to our country over many decades. Yes, howsoever much you love your country, banning Pakistani actors is no solution. Yes, Salman Khan is right. Its unnecessary and nonsensical. And yet, what is also nonsensical is the amount of coverage and attention the issue is getting from our mainstream media. A day after India successfully and openly conducted a surgical strike against Pakistan by crossing the LoC, there are having prime time debates over Fawad Khan and Mahira Khan. Really? Yes, it's true that most Indians have been uneasy over the past few days because of the terror attacks and Indias earlier tepid response. Many had felt (until the strike) that we might be losing this strategic battle against our neighbour. Hence, it's not surprising that many Indians feel that banning actors from Pakistan is a step in the right direction. And to be fair, they are not wrong. Until recently, the Indian government had no answer to Pakistans constant and repetitive aggression. All they saw was dossiers being exchanged and phone calls being made to the United States. Many felt (and rightly so) that Pakistan needed to be paid back in a language it would understand. And that happened. About forty-eight hours ago. Indians openly accepted that it carried out a strike against Pakistan. Against terror launch pads in Pakistan. Yes, these strikes may not be new but accepting it is. And thats an incredibly courageous move by the Prime Minister. It sends out a strong message not only to Pakistan but also acts, as a relief to the people that - yes their government will not take the killing of their citizens and soldiers lightly and can retaliate when it has to. Look at what we are being made to watch on our news channels: Film critics and film associations fighting over Pakistani actors? Our freedom fighters would have been heartbroken had they seen the state of affairs today. This is not only annoying and frustrating for the general audience but it is also disrespectful and insulting to the many who gave up their lives for the nation. Our media should have been more sensitive and focused more on our soldiers, their sacrifices and the misery their families go through. But this isnt entirely unexpected. It has become a new normal of sorts where we are kept busy and distracted with irrelevant issues. The issue of Pakistani actors should probably be the least of our concerns right now but here we are debating and discussing them. People, there are more important problems in our country that need our attention. This strange phenomenon isnt just restricted to our borders. Consider the United States for instance. Recently, there were terror attacks in New York and New Jersey. Terrible and shocking news, right? But this is not what the American media was busy arguing about. It was about Donald Trump and how he mentioned the word bombing without first checking the facts. It seemed as if the media was more annoyed that Donald Trump got it right than the fact there were terror attacks on their soil. The main issue of the threat by radical Islam well, who cares? Or consider the recent burkini ban in France. Yes, no liberal country should prohibit it. Let people wear or do what they want to do. But it got so much attention that people (especially liberals) completely sidestepped the primary issue of immigration. Yes, there is no threat from a burkini but open borders do. And no one was willing to discuss that. And then they wonder and crib about the rise of extreme right-wing parties across Europe. In essence, what it eventually does is that we ignore the real problems and get upset about the issues that we should least care about. And because we ignore the problems in this case how to deal with Pakistan we also are unable to have a proper civil discussion over how we could find a solution and what the public opinion over this is. But now that the media has made Fawad Khan and Mahira Khan household names across India, it will be great if the names of our soldiers who laid down their lives in Pathankot and Uri are discussed with same passion, intensity and patriotism. New Delhi: In signs of fracture, the Centre and states on Friday disagreed on decisions reached at the first meeting of the GST Council on service tax assessment although they reached a consensus on area based exemption in the new tax regime. The second meeting of the all-powerful GST Council, headed by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, agreed on five subordinate legislations dealing with issues ranging from registration to invoicing under the new Goods and Service Tax (GST) regime. It also agreed on the treatment of exemption from GST. Currently, the Centre gives exemption to 11 states mostly in North East and hilly regions from excise duty as also many states give the same as incentive for setting up industry. The council decided that under GST, which will subsume excise duty and VAT among other levies, taxes will have to be collected and it can be reimbursed from the annual budgets to the exempted categories. But there were divisions over ratifying or approving the minutes of the first meeting of the Council, held last week, after at least two states disagreed with what was documented as decided on the Centre's assessing 11 lakh service tax filers in the new dispensation. "Obviously the first item has to be approval of minutes of the last meeting. With regard to one item recorded in the minutes with regard to the service tax assessments in the new dispensation, there was a long discussion on the interpretation on the decision taken in the last meeting and that discussion consumed a lot of time today. "That discussion was inconclusive and therefore it will continue in the next meeting on 18th (October)," Jaitley told reporters. Non-ratification of even one item on the minutes means the whole minutes are not agreed. Initially, it was thought that the minutes should be put to vote as those objecting to them were far less than those agreeing but Jaitley wanted to take decisions with consensus and so it was postponed. Uttar Pradesh's Minister for Vocational Education and Skill Development Abhishek Mishra said the minutes were not approved in entirety. The second meeting of the GST Council finalised rules for registration, rules for payments, returns, refunds and invoices. With this as many as 6 issues have been settled by the Council, that has representatives of all the states, in two meetings in a span of one week. Discussions on service tax assessment and the formula for calculating compensation to be paid to states in case of revenue shortfall as a result of implementation of the GST regime, possibly from April 1, 2017, would be taken up at the next meeting on October 18-20. It will also decide on the all important GST rate, Jaitley said, adding that the government is targeting November 22 for completing major work on deciding tax rate, exemptions and draft legislation by the Council. There were two items regarding draft GST rules on agenda of today's GST Council meeting, he said. "Now these rules are with regard to registration, rules for payments, return, refund and invoices. These rules are notified once the Act is passed... These 5 sets of rules were taken up for consideration and have been approved. So we are in a state of readiness with the subordinate legislation once the act itself is approved," he said. The rules approved will form part of the supporting legislations needed to rollout GST. "So once the act is passed by Parliament or by the state legislatures as the case may be, we want the draft rules to be ready so that the rules can be notified immediately," he said. Stating that the second item on agenda was treatment of existing tax incentives by the Centre, he said, has given some exemptions from excise duty to 11 North-East and hill states. Similarly, states too give out a series of incentives. "It is possible that some of the exemptions may get phased out. But for the exemptions which may remain how will these exemptions fit into the GST system. So the Council took up for discussion the management of these exemptions. And it was agreed that there would be a levy of tax under the GST system on all exempted entities. "Once the tax is levied, the central govt or state government, which gets that tax, would then reimburse from the budget, that quantum of tax back to exempted entity," he said. Under the GST system, everybody will have to pay tax but those exempted would be entitled to be reimbursed the levy they pay. On the issue of service tax assessment, he said the central government's understanding is that an arrangement as been finalised for continuing with the existing system and transferring it to states when their officers are trained. On services that are taxed partly by the Centre and partly by states, he said experts will examine and report it in next meeting for a final decision. Asked if tax exemptions would be grandfathered, Jaitley said: "It is not necessary to grandfather everything but if you do grandfather it then the process of payment of tax and reimbursement, it will be like a direct benefit cash being returned. Today, we discussed the principle by which exemptions would be dealt with." There will be a levy under the GST tax on exempted entities, he said. "Once the tax is levied, the central government or the state government which gets that tax would then reimburse from the Budget that quantum of tax to the exempted entity. "So you will have the GST system in operation where everybody has to pay the tax but if you are an exempted entity and the state or Centre decides to continue that exempted entity then they would be entitled to that amount being given back to them," he said, adding that the details in each case will be worked out. Which exempted entities will remain or not will be decided by states and the Centre, he said, adding that states would have to decide on exempted entities as they will reimburse tax to them. Jaitley said there were discussions on interpretation of service tax, division of authority between centre and states, but they were inconclusive. "Now after this, two items remain. The rates would be the big item to discuss and then after we will go to draft rules of GST law," he added. Explaining how the area-based exemptions would be doled out, Jaitley said the centre gives incentives to North Eastern states. But the tax that comes to the central kitty, 58 per cent belongs to Centre and 42 per cent is devolved to the states. "Hence, we (Centre) will reimburse only 58 per cent. How the remaining 42 per cent will be reimbursed that arrangement has to be worked out. I can't get 58 per cent tax and reimburse 100 per cent," he said. The 14th Finance Commission in its report has scaled up devolution to states from the central pool of taxes to 42 per cent from 32 per cent. "We are trying to build every decision through consensus. And as far as possible there is no voting because in that way federal spirit is maintained. Wherever possible dissent should not arise and wherever there is dissent it should be taken up in next meeting," Jaitley said. Asked how the supply contracts, where both goods and services components are there, would be taxed in the GST regime, Revenue Secretary Hasmukh Adhia said that has been referred to the officers committee. "So the question is what happens to those kind of cases where there is both goods and services. Now it will become supply contracts. Now the officers committee will look into this and come back to GST Council," Adhia said. United Nations: India has said Pakistan approaching the UN over the issue of surgical strikes in PoK has not found any resonance in the world body and rejected claims that the UN mission monitoring ceasefire "has not directly observed" any firing along the LoC. India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin dismissed remarks made by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's spokesperson Stephane Dujarric that the UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) "has not directly observed any firing across the LoC related to the latest incidents", a reference to the surgical strikes conducted by India on September 29 targeting terror launch pads in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Akbaruddin told reporters at the Indian Permanent Mission here on Friday that the facts on the ground do not change whether somebody has "observed" it or not. "I have nothing to say because what (Dujarric) said was 'directly observed'. It's a call that they have to take. I cannot place myself in their boots and directly observe something," the Indian envoy said when asked to comment on Dujarric's remarks. Akbaruddin said the "facts on the ground do not change whether somebody acknowledges or not. Facts are facts, we presented the facts and that's where we stand." India on Thursday carried out surgical strikes on seven terror launch pads across the LoC with the Army inflicting "significant casualties" on terrorists preparing to infiltrate from PoK. When pressed at the daily press briefing to explain how UNMOGIP can say it did not observe any firing even as India said it has conducted the surgical strikes, Dujarric repeated that UNMOGIP has not "directly observed" any of the firings. "They are obviously aware of the reports of these presumed violations and are talking to the relevant concerned authorities," he had said. Akbaruddin said while Pakistan has reached out to the UN Chief and the 15-nation Council over the issues of the surgical strike and Kashmir, it's call for intervention by the world body has not found any resonance as there was no further discussion on the matter. "Yesterday there was some action. You are also aware of the reaction," Akbaruddin said referring to Pakistan's envoy Maleeha Lodhi meeting New Zealand's UN Ambassador Gerard van Bohemen, president of the Council for the month of September, and raising in the UNSC the issue of the action by India. "On Friday, the Pakistan ambassador did approach New Zealand. What they didn't tell you after that was what happened. Did anyone raise anything after what was explained to in the UN Security Council? The answer that I know of is that there was no further discussion of this (surgical strike and Kashmir matter)," Akbaruddin said. He said Pakistan had raised the issues through the New Zealand ambassador in "informal consultations" of the Council. "Was there a resonance. I didn't hear that, nor did anybody else in those informal consultations. We are a responsible state. It is not our intention to aggravate the situation. "However as a responsible state we will not tolerate any impunity. We will not be indifferent to territory being used to kill innocent citizens of our country," Akbaruddin said adding that India hopes and expects "support from Pakistan also in that endeavor". "Ultimately they are committed to a bilateral understanding on this." The Indian envoy also added that Pakistan had raised the Kashmir issue in the General Assembly but asked how many nations "supported" it. "By my count there were none," he said adding that there is "no resonance" among UN member states for Pakistan's claims on Kashmir. "At the high-level General Debate, there was a specific and long Pakistani submission (on Kashmir). I did not hear any resonance of that among any of the member states who took the floor. Ultimately 193 of them took the floor. There was no resonance. If you find anything contrary I'm willing to listen," Akbaruddin said. Akbaruddin stressed that as a responsible state, India will not be "indifferent to impunity" as an option. "Our approach is that the response (surgical strike) we undertook yesterday...was a measured, proportionate, counter-terrorist strike. It was reflective of our desire to stop a clear and imminent threat. Our objectives have been met and that effort has since ended," he said. He reiterated that India's effort as a "responsible state" is to respond proportionately and in a measured manner and achieve its objectives. "In that case, we consider our objectives fulfilled. What spin somebody puts, whether somebody has seen it or not seen it, is not a germane to the issue. That it was undertaken, that we feel that it achieved our objective is important for us as a country," he said. On whether India has been approached by the office of the Secretary General or the Security Council regarding de-escalation of the situation, Akbaruddin said, "I did not hear any response to the submission (by Pakistan) yesterday." He said as a normal diplomatic practice, if there are any requests to him or other Indian diplomats on any matter, "it is our job as diplomats to respond to them." "In the UN we have a very expansive agenda. We have an agenda that deals with peace and security and also climate change, sustainable development goals. It also deals with having a culture of peace integrating and working together with others. "We are focused on that expansive and extensive agenda. We are not a one agenda state," he said. The surgical strike by India came just days after the attack by Pakistan-based terror outfit JeM on the Indian army camp in Uri in Kashmir that killed 18 jawans. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said that the attackers will not go "unpunished" and the sacrifice of the jawans will not go in vain. In her meeting with the UN chief, Lodhi said India's "claim" of carrying out a surgical strike across the Line of Control was "false" but added that India had by its own admission "committed aggression" against Pakistan. According to a release by the Pakistan mission here, Lodhi told the Secretary General that Pakistan has exercised maximum restraint but would respond forcefully to any acts of aggression and provocation. She added that the responsibility for the "escalating crisis rests entirely on India", the release said. Briefing him about the escalating situation, Lodhi said "India has, by its declarations and actions, created conditions that pose an imminent threat to regional and International peace and security." She said India provoked the crisis to divert international attention away from the "Indigenous Kashmiri uprising" and asked the Secretary General to intervene in bringing an end to the alleged grave human rights in Kashmir. The Secretary General repeated his offer of extending his good offices to both countries, which the release said Pakistan has always welcomed but India has consistently declined. Lodhi also asked the Secretary General to ensure that UNMOGIP is able to report independently about the facts of the situation on the ground to the Security Council. Lodhi further said the Secretary General is "bound by the UN Charter" to "intervene boldly and unequivocally" by calling on India to halt its "aggressive actions and provocations", lest these lead to an even more dangerous situation. During the briefing, Dujarric had said that Lodhis meeting with Ban was held at her own request and added that Ban's office does not give readouts of his meetings with Permanent Representatives. Dujarric reiterated that the Secretary General is following the situation along the Line of Control between India and Pakistan with "great concern and the increased tensions along the LoC as well as the escalating rhetoric" between the two countries. He stressed that the UN Chief would welcome any proposals to de-escalate the tensions between the nuclear-armed neigbours. Amid heightened tensions between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, over the former's reluctance to comply with the Supreme Court order, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has called an all-party meeting at 5 pm on Saturday to discuss future course of action. #TopStory Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah calls for an all party meet at 5pm, today including all MPs from the state to discuss #CauveryIssue ANI (@ANI_news) October 1, 2016 The chief minister has convened an all-party meeting of floor Leaders of both Houses, MPs, including central ministers representing the state, and ministers concerned of Cauvery basin and district in-charge Ministers, CMO officials said. Taking Karnataka to task for its repeated "defiance" by flouting its orders over release of, the apex court on Friday had asked it to release 6,000 cusecs water from Saturday till 6 October to Tamil Nadu, warning "no one would know when the wrath of the law" would fall on it. Former Karnataka prime minister HD Deve Gowda has also go on an indefinite hunger strike in Bengaluru against the Supreme Court's order, reports ANI. Bengaluru: Former PM HD Deve Gowda sits on a indefinite hunger strike against SC's order near Gandhi statue in Vidhana Soudha #CauveryIssue pic.twitter.com/stCCQCIZk5 ANI (@ANI_news) October 1, 2016 Karnataka is hoping that the BJP and the Centre would intervene in the matter to find a political solution to the apex court's order directing Karnataka to release 6,000 cusecs of Cauvery water per day till 6 October to Tamil Nadu, reported The Economic Times. A bench of Justices Dipak Misra and UU Lalit had also directed the Centre to constitute the Cauvery Water Management Board by 4 October. After the apex court verdict, sporadic protests were reported from Mandya and Mysuru districts where police have made elaborate security arrangements. Speaking in New Delhi, Karnataka Water Resources Minister MB Patil had said the government will decide further course of action after going through the judgment and discussing with the legal team headed by advocate Fali Nariman. Nariman told the bench he has unequivocally said he would not argue for Karnataka till the orders of Supreme Court are complied with. Karnataka has maintained its inability to release water to Tamil Nadu citing low storage in its reservoirs and drinking water needs of Bengaluru and neighbouring districts. Both the Legislative Assembly and the Council on 23 September had also adopted a resolution not to provide water for any other purpose except to meet drinking needs, citing "acute distress" and "alarmingly low levels" in dams. The opposition BJP and JD(S) had expressed disappointment over the Supreme Court's order and the stand taken by Nariman, representing the state in the case. Terming court order as "shocking", BJP state president BS Yeddyurappa had said the order to release 6,000 cusecs till 6 October, does not note of the ground realities. With inputs from PTI Beijing: Refusing to yield on its all-weather ally, China on Saturday announced the extension of its "technical hold" on India's bid to get Pakistan-based JeM chief Masood Azhar designated as a terrorist by the UN, days before it was to expire. The Chinese technical hold was set to lapse on Monday, and had China not raised further objection, the resolution designating Azhar as a terrorist would have been passed automatically. The hold has now been extended for another six months. "The technical hold on India's listing application submitted to the 1267 committee in March, 2016 has already been extended," Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told PTI. "There are still different views on India's listing application. The extended technical hold on it will allow more time for the Committee to deliberate on the matter and for relevant parties to have further consultations," Geng said. On March 31 this year, China, a veto-wielding permanent member of the UN Security Council, had blocked India's move to put a ban on the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) leader and Pathankot terror attack mastermind under the Sanctions Committee of the Council. China was the only member in the 15-nation UN organ to put a hold on India's application with all other 14 members of the Council supporting New Delhi's bid to place Azhar on the 1267 sanctions list that would subject him to an assets freeze and travel ban. Geng said the 1267 Committee of the UNSC "organises its work as mandated by relevant resolutions of the Security Council." "China always maintains that on the listing matter, the 1267 Committee should stick to the main principles of objectivity, impartiality and professionalism, base its judgments on solid evidence and decide upon consensus among the members of the Security Council," he said in a written reply to a question. Following the decision, the hold now has been extended in the midst of Indo-Pak tensions over the Uri terrorist attack, which was blamed on the JeM group.. China's technical hold coupled with its move to block India's membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) cast a shadow on the Sino-India ties. Both the countries have held several rounds of talks on the issues in recent months. China's move to extend the technical hold comes ahead of the expected meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Goa during the BRICS Summit on 15 October and 16 October. In June last year, China had blocked India's demand for taking action under the Council's anti-terrorism resolutions against Pakistan for releasing Lashkar-e-Taiba commander Zaki-ur-Lakhvi -- the mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai attacks. India had raised the issue of blocking by China of Azhar's designation as a terrorist at various levels with Prime Minister Narendra Modi also taking up the matter with the Chinese leadership at different fora. The hijab and modernity have been considered antagonistic ever since the West began to view Islam and its components in a negative light. The bizarre doublespeak is evident while it objects to the use of hijab, it is silent about other such accouter worn by members of other religious communities such as orthodox Jews, nuns etc. With Frances iron-handed approach towards the burkini, the discourse has turned turbulent. Interestingly, the inventor of the burkini Aheda Zanetti, mentioned in an interview: When I invented the burkini in early 2004 it was to give women freedom and not take it away. In an advanced society such as France, women would certainly like to wear what they feel comfortable in and not what they were forced to wear. In a contrasting and equally interesting development in the conservative Iran, there is a growing trend of Muslim men wearing hijab (ie a head and neck wrap worn without covering the face) or burqa (ie the loose black coat with a face veil) in the public domain to protest against compulsory hijab for women, adopted in 1983 following the Iranian Revolution in 1979. This is the outcome of the noted journalist Masih Alinejads campaign on social media asking women to exercise their choice in wearing hijab. France banned such clothing including hijab in public schools in 2006 as it was observed to be a conspicuous sign of religious affiliation. Hijab and burqa, however, have since then been linked to the argument of choice by the protesters in Iran than compulsion by State. For some, it was the case of assault on the religious difference and diversity which is located in the hijab as the Islamic symbol of modesty. What confirms the choice factor of modest clothing is a noticeable trend of voluntary rise in the wearing of hijab or burqa by the Muslim women in certain countries like Egypt, Pakistan, Turkey, India and many more Middle East and European countries where there is no law declaring the veil as compulsory for women. There can be various aspects of the discourse revolving around the hijab. One, there are people who link hijab and burqa with public display of religious signs and symbols by Muslim women, and uphold the point of Joan Wallace Scott raised in her book, Politics of the Veil, that individualism and gender equality are both threatened by a population of seemingly subordinate girls wearing at the seeming insistence of religious orthodoxy what appear to be uniform modesty garments. Second, it is argued that the reason for public display of hijab and burqa is rooted in the cultural logic of a society often dominated by the belief that Muslim women are forced by the males at home to wear these garments which translates to the denial of freedom to women in deciding what to wear in public spaces by cultural patriarchs. Third, hijab or burqa is often stereotyped as deeply embarrassing; often linked with middle class backwardness, indecency, poverty, retrograde mindset and illiteracy. In my empirical study at Hyderabad while interviewing hundreds of burqa/hijab led girl students, I noted an interesting pattern which is quite in opposition with the earlier propositions. I found that many Muslim women appeared obsessed with hijab and burqa and the obsession was becoming popular even in highly educated, urban and higher class Muslim girls. Many said that hijab provides a sense of security to them. However, this argument does not hold ground as there is a rising incidence of sexual harassment against veiled women too. Similarly, very few female students gave excuses of family pressure, religion, patriarchy or societal force as a cause for their hijab or burqa. Interestingly, there were many who argued that wearing of hijab or burqa for them is an exercise of choice made by them, that too without being affected by the religious orthodoxy and cultural patriarchy. There were girls who also argued the benefit of the veil in terms of its ability to hide their economic status. It was surprising for me to note that wearing of hijab as a reflection of religious orthodoxy or patriarchal collectivity or middle class mentality was rejected by the majority of the girls as an intellectual misconception. There were some girls who completely rejected parda and argued that its a reflection of mental instability and a tool of male domination, subjugation and an instrument of exclusion. One recited the poetry of Akbar Allahabadi: Beparda Kal Jo Aayin Nazar Chand Bibiyan, Akbar Zameen Mein Ghairat-e-Qaumi Se Gad Gaya; Poochha Jo Unse Aapka Parda Wo Kya Hua, Kahne Lageen Ke Aql Pe Mardon Ke Pad Gaya. It was also argued by those who do not like hijab or burqa that it is not against the Quran to wear the contemporary style of theses attires. Parda is all about controlling your senses and especially your eyes, as described in Sura Noor of the Quran. The ignorance of many women is perpetrated in the name of religion. Another girl argued that hijab is misogynist in the very first instance. Be that as it may, the pattern of burqa and hijab is altogether transposed now with Middle Eastern flair and new Islamic modernity taking over the last decade or so. What one wears and how one chooses to express oneself has become a matter of personal choice, and one thats guaranteed to all as part of the constitutional claims. A significant shift is also noted in India among the younger generation Muslim women as compared to earlier times. Today, it is not unusual to find veiled Muslim women in voguish spaces like the coffee shops, shopping centres, movie theatres, educational institutions, corporates and so on. These veiled women announce their conspicuous presence more suavely and with a strong sense of consciousness. It has to be recognised as a new modernity carved out within the boundaries of Islam and without losing Islamic identity as quite vividly the rising tendencies are no longer confined to the low-income and poorly educated Muslim women, rather it is gaining wider acceptability among educated middle class Muslim women. The popular perceptions of Muslim women on their preferred choice of attire are fast changing. They are rising to the situations when they are faced with an arbitrary ban on modes of dress called for by a religion, culture, society or state. With this articulation, hijab and burqa got a dual meaning in relation of freedom of attire both as liberating and dis-empowering. First, the veil has emerged as liberating attire in those societies where there is no legal ban but a cultural, religious and patriarchal pressure to wear it. There are Muslim girls in such societies who opted for hijab and burqa deliberately to defeat the designs of patriarchy and religious limitations and came out from the clutches of their household not only to enjoy the luxuries of liberty but to educate and employ themselves. At the same time, the veil is treated as dis-empowering in those societies where the ban is exercised through legal means. In both situations, choice is the ultimate value as well as a great casualty. In a word, no country is justified in banning the symbols of choice in relation with hijab or burqa or categorically declaring it as compulsory attire in the name of social/political/religious morality and modesty. Coercion in any sense is unjustified, logically and religiously. Let the emerging subjectivities of veiled/unveiled Muslim women defy the classical logic of modernity by their conspicuous invention of an alternative modernity through their exercise of sexual freedom in socio-economic and cultural spheres. Seen in the light of developments in the West which are fast percolating across its countries now, passing laws on What to Wear and What Not is bound to take it back to the Dark Ages from which it emerged not more than a few centuries ago. The writer is an associate professor and head of the department of Political Science at the Maulana Azad National Urdu University Country 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 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Ireland United States Minor Outlying Islands United States of America Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe Editor's note: This is the first part of a paper presented at the National Seminar held in Bengaluru by the Indian Council for Philosophical Research in September 2016. Two features become immediately evident in any study about India: One, it is the only surviving non-Abrahamic ancient culture and civilisation, and two, its cultural and civilisational continuity dating back to such antiquity. And this continuity has been more or less maintained intact in almost all realms of human activity in India: in dress, family life, social interactions, basic ethical conceptions like dharma, religious rituals, institutions, places of worship, traditions, art, music and so on. The reason why this continuity has been preserved owes to Indias fundamental philosophical conceptions rooted in the Vedas and the numerous Dharmashastras. The aforementioned realms are, in a way, the practical or outward manifestations of these fundamental conceptions. In brief, stress must be laid on the phrase that India is the only surviving non-Abrahamic ancient culture and civilisation for the purpose of contextualisation and clarity of discourse, terminology etc. Dr S Radhakrishnan in his preface[i] to the fifth volume of P V Kanes History of the Dharmashastras holds that True religion should have three sides to it: State of Mind Relationship to reality and A way of life And PV Kane himself, in the same volume notes[ii] that our ancient sages laid the foundation [for philosophical and social harmony] by insisting upon this that there is and must be harmony between mans spirit and the spirit of the world and mans endeavor should be to realize in his actions and his life this harmony and unitysocial reforms and politics have to be preached through our age oldphilosophy. If our leaders and people throw away or neglect religion and spirituality altogether, the probability is that we shall lose both spiritual life and social betterment. And to realise this harmony of spirit and the world, ancient India realised that a fundamental attitude or state of mind was required. This attitude, to put it in simple terms, is how one regards life itself. Our ancients regarded life as one of celebration in all its variegated aspects; life was worth living to the fullest with all enjoyments for example, as the celebrated Chamaka Prashna shows us as long as our enjoyment didnt violate Dharma. Or as Kane himself quotes Sitas address to Hanuman holding that Joy rushes to surviving men even though he has lived for over 100 years. This adage appears to me to be true and auspicious.[iii] The key here is the note on over 100 years as opposed to the widespread notion of waiting for death in the sunset of our years and so on. In a line, what this shows is that one of the central features of Indias philosophical underpinnings is the near-total absence of pessimism. Both happiness and sadness are but mere phases, which attitude in turn is rooted in our conception of time as cyclic. However, both the major Abrahamic religions stand out in sharp contrast in this fundamental conception of life, and in the sense of Dr Radhakrishans relationship to reality. While Christianity conceives birth and life itself as sinful, the core doctrines of Islam take this to violent and extreme ends. And from this conception arises the need to convert violently if necessary the entire world to their respective religions. Which then brings us to an even more fundamental point: the definition of the term religion itself. From what we have seen so far, there can be no fundamental congruence if we include the Vaidika or Dharmic system of ancient India (henceforth referred to as Hinduism or Sanatana Dharma) in the same definitional bracket as that of the Abrahamic religions. And yet, in almost all of contemporary discourse on comparative religions etc, Sanatana Dharma is given the label of religion in the sense of Abrahamic religions. And this incongruent discourse become mainstream in the media, TV, talk shows, and so on and has almost become received truth so to say. Needless, this state of affairs has a long history and in the specific case of India, it is a case of history that continues to repeat itself in the facets of colonialism, economic oppression, societal fissures, and especially, after World War II, driven by alien ideologies. The approach to studying the history and consequences of colonialism in India is perhaps best given by Prof RC Majumdar that Real historyteaches us that the major part of India lost independence about five centuries before, and merely changed masters in the eighteenth century, referring to the first external Muslim invasions into and subsequent imperialism over large parts of India. Yet, a key difference between the protracted Muslim rule in India and the British rule is the fact that while Muslim Sultans settled in India, the British never made India their home. Their purpose, it appears, was one of relentless economic exploitation of the country for the enrichment of England at untold cost and suffering of generations of Indians. One may refer[iv] to the chapters, Rape of a Continent and Economic Destruction in Will Durants A Case for India, and Madhushree Mukherjis Churchills Secret War, among other notable works for a more comprehensive discussion. Along with this, the British also spearheaded a fundamental change that in one stroke profoundly altered the national and social character of India. The introduction of English education which was simultaneously accompanied by the comprehensive destruction of our traditional modes of learning and a massive impetus to Christian missionaries, who not coincidentally, came to monopolise the educational sphere. Without going into too many details, one may recall Ananda Coomaraswamys early warning that an English-educated Indian would be cut off from his roots and become an intellectual pariah who does not belong to the East or the West, the past or the future. The greatest danger for India is the loss of her spiritual integrity. Of all Indian problems the educational is the most difficult and most tragic. [v] And when we observe the ideological battles being fought in the education establishment today, we notice how this tragedy has escalated almost irreversibly, if I may add. As a sort of a handmaiden of giving English education to Indians, Indology began making steady but massive forays in the realms of higher learning especially when British rule was at its height. The biggest contribution of Indology over the last two-odd centuries is undoubtedly the Aryan Invasion Theory, which may rank as one of the worlds greatest intellectual hoaxes in the service of colonialism. Of course, in our own time, the AIT has been repeatedly shown to be false from multiple angles: archeology, genetics, Vedic textual evidence and so on. Offshoots of Indology include the current attempts to politicise and offer spurious interpretations of the Vedas, epics, Puranas, the Sanskrit language, folklore and indeed, anything that can be considered native, and valuable. And as is well known, the Communists who began gaining prominence in the mid-1930s employed the Western Indology and missionary discourse about India with destructive zeal and consequences. Indeed, they elevated historical and colonial distortions to an art form as documented copiously by Sita Ram Goel, Arun Shourie, Ram Swarup, Dr K S Lal, Shatavadhani Dr Ganesh among other scholars. This distortion in the early years after India attained freedom took the two-pronged approach of whitewashing medieval Islamic atrocities on Hindus and portraying Hindus as oppressors, and reached the nadir when the Marxists began to deny history, most notably during the Babri Masjid affair.[vi] Equally, on contemporary events, Marxists or their new self-description as liberals continue to act as apologists for Islamic terrorism. Curiously, but understandably, India is perhaps the only country in the world where the mutually hostile troika of Islamism, Christian Evangelism and Marxism are friends with each other because their goals remain the same as we shall see. Both the Evangelical West and the Middle East do not make a distinction between the varna of Hindus because the core doctrines of their religions enjoin treating both a Brahmin and a Dalit as a heathen or Kaffir. Logically, nothing else explains why various Christian denominations continue to invest massive resources in converting say, Dalits en masse, or use subtle discursive techniques to convert, say the mostly-urban upper castes. Most notably, the Christian West never gave up studying India and Hinduism in all its aspects. As the concept note of this seminar states, scholars like Sheldon Pollock continue to undertake this study for achieving purely political ends. When we observe the fairly recent history of say South Korea, Philippines and East Timor, it becomes clear that India is the last non-Abrahamic bastion to be subverted and bloodlessly conquered by the West. The aforementioned countries have now become mere Christian outposts of powerful nations of the West. *** [i] PV Kane: History of the Dharmashastras Vol 5, Part 2: Preface by Dr. S Radhakrishnan, pp 2 [ii] PV Kane: History of the Dharmashastras Vol 5, Part 2: pp 1708-09 [iii] Valmiki Ramayana. Sundara Kanda: 34.6 [iv] Will Durant: A Case for India: pp 7, pp 44 [v] Ananda Coomaraswamy: Education in India, Essays in National Idealism [vi] Koenraad Elst: Negationism in India New Delhi: India is all set to ratify the Paris climate deal tomorrow, with President Pranab Mukherjee giving his assent to a proposal approved earlier by the government, making India one of the key countries to help bring the pact into force. "We will ratify the Paris deal in the UN tomorrow. The President has signed it. The Union Cabinet has already approved it," Environment Minister Anil Madhav Dave told reporters. He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced on 25 September that India will ratify it on 2 October on the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. "This (decision) was taken after a lot of deliberations and with a view to give the world a messege...India is fast becoming a super power," Dave said. "Call it international pressure or a sort of competition, this morning European Union has also decided to ratify it, which is a good thing," Dave said. The Union Cabinet had given its nod to ratifying the Paris climate deal on September 28, days after Modi announced this at BJP's National Council meet in Kozhikode. The move is expected to give momentum to the implementation of measures at the international level to control global warming. India's ratification tomorrow will further underline its responsive leadership, which is committed to global cause of environment. The pact will come into force after it has beenratified by at least 55 countries which account for 55 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions. So far, 61 countries have deposited their instruments of ratification, acceptance or approval accounting in total for 47.79 per cent of the total global greenhouse gas emissions. India's decision to ratify the agreement will take the number of cumulative level of emission of countries that have ratified the agreement so far to 51.89 per cent as its total emissions is 4.1 per cent of the global emissions. Dave said after EU has decided to ratify it, the total emissions amongst countries which have ratified the agreement will go up to 61 per cent. Paris Agreement was adopted by 185 nations last year on 12 December and India signed it in New York on 22 April this year. A total of 191 countries have signed the Paris Agreement so far. Anbuarasu moved to Apollo Hospital in Chennai last week, soon after Jayalalithaa was admitted on the night of 22 September, reportedly with fever and dehydration. Except, that while the Tamil Nadu chief minister recuperates inside the hospital, the footpath outside the complex has been Anbuarasu's resting place for the night. "I left my tea shop in my father's care and have been camping here, because I am very worried about Amma. I will be here till Amma is discharged. I have to see her hale and hearty,'' says Anbuarasu. The 30-year-old keeps a tab on every bit of information that trickles out of Apollo's gate, including the medical press releases and eats at the Amma canteen nearby. Anbuarasu is the typical Amma bhakt and the AIADMK cadre for you. One who displays unflinching loyalty, despite not given any access to the supreme leader, pushed around by security men a mere face in the crowd that adds to the Amma aura. It is difficult to explain this bent of mind. Or mindlessness. Another regular fixture at the hospital is Ezhumalai, who runs a souvenir shop outside the AIADMK office in Chennai. The 55-year-old swears by MGR and Jayalalithaa and says all those who say she is critical are lying. "I report to the Chennai police about rumours floating on Whatsapp,'' says Ezhumalai. He comes to the hospital twice every day to find out, taking time off his shop. It is 10 days since Jayalalithaa has been in hospital. And a sense of unease is prevailing in Chennai. With very little information put out in the public domain about the actual state of the CM's health, no one knows if there is more than what meets the eye. It is common sense that fever and dehydration does not call for 10 days of hospitalisation, but reluctance to part with details has only led to rumour mongering. The decision of Apollo Hospital to fly in Dr Richard John Beale, an intensivist at the London Bridge Hospital, on Friday, has given the first real indication to Jayalalithaa's condition. An intensivist, by definition, is a doctor trained to treat critically ill patients. On Friday, a Supreme court lawyer Reegan S Bell sought the intervention by the President of India. In a three-page letter to Rashtrapathi Bhavan, Bell asked him to seek a report from the Governor on the actual situation. "I request you to invoke Article 356 of the Constitution and call for a report from the Governor of the state on the prevailing situation pertaining to the chief minister's health and her ability or otherwise to discharge her constitutional obligations,'' he wrote. The plea also asked for Jayalalithaa to be examined by an independent doctor or a panel of physicians from AIIMS. The question that arises is how justified is the world in demanding to know what ails Jaya. After all, like anyone else, she is entitled to her privacy. But then the big difference is that Jayalalithaa is the elected chief minister of Tamil Nadu, expected to discharge her duty as per the Constitution of India. With secrecy of an unprecedented nature that has been the hallmark of her personality and her administration, many in Tamil Nadu now wonder if the CM is indeed in charge. The government and the party have been trying to send out the message that she indeed is, by stating that Jayalalithaa chaired a meeting on Cauvery and also announced Rs 476 crore bonus for PSU employees this week. Apart from that, the party has released lists of candidates for the local bodies elections. The man on the street is, however, confused when messages forwarded to his smartphone suggest that all is not well. Most believe the truth may well be somewhere between what the hospital is saying and what the Whatsapp forwards suggest. Which is why DMK leader Karunanidhi has demanded that a photograph of the CM be put out to scotch all rumours effectively. Expelled AIADMK MP Sasikala Pushpa who has a score to settle with her former leader and the coterie around her says she plans to file a habeas corpus on Jayalalithaa's health. The AIADMK cadre does not take kindly to this kind of "outside interference". Since Friday, party functionaries, especially those from its IT wing have been tweeting pictures of Jayalalithaa with the hashtag #MyCMisfine. This is to counter the "mischief" doing the rounds on social media. Maharashtra Governor Vidyasagar Rao who is holding additional charge of Tamil Nadu will visit Chennai on Saturday. That may give some clarity on what really is happening behind the heavy security cordon that has been thrown around the hospital complex. AIADMK is in prayer mode. All its leaders are busy organising pujas at places of worship all over Tamil Nadu and even outside the hospital. With most of them also devoid of access to credible information beyond the hospital's two-line press release, no one really knows. So he has done it; done what he had said he would. The Prime Minister that is. Lived up to his pre-election pledges that an attack on India would not go unpunished, that he would teach Pakistan a lesson it would not forget in a hurry and do it in such a way that it wouldnt be able to cry mummy and hide behind Americas protective skirts. In a 2011 television interview, Narendra Damodardas Modi had said, "Pakistan should be given an answer in the language they understand," and we must create "international pressure" to do so. The Indian Express reports that all Indians everywhere are convinced their leader has delivered. The video of this interview was retweeted on Friday over 3000 times. I wonder. Its not nice to be a party pooper I know, but from all accounts including those of revered former Indian Army generals, this is not the first time India has mounted a surgical strike along the Line of Control in Pakistan occupied Kashmir where terrorists in "significant" numbers seem to have been waiting to be mowed down by the Indian Army. In fact, so routine is this sort of skirmish, retaliation, exchange of fire power, lightning attacks, surgical strikes, call it what you will, along the Line of Control or LoC, which in any case is not an internationally-recognised border, that LoC deployments are termed "no war, no peace" postings by Indian Army officials. Rather, such conflicts are seen as almost an inevitable outcome of the heightened troop mobilisations by both countries on either side of this unofficial border ever since the 1949 ceasefire that have reached dizzying heights since the 1999 Kargil conflict. What is novel though is the public confession or admission and celebration of such an attack this time round. Of course, there is nothing wrong in owning up to ones acts of commission or omission; rather it is the honourable thing to do, especially when it leads to loss of life and limb, whatever the colour of the passports of the dead and wounded. Still, earlier governments did not crow about such acts of semi-war, maybe because some vestiges of Gandhian beliefs an eye for an eye makes the world go blind remained somewhere in the recesses of their minds. Or probably they just did not want to provoke a disproportionate reaction from an enemy that is armed with more than its fair share of the dirty bomb. But the Narendra Modi government is not so easily deterred. And the way it went about its business is what Donald Trump would call "something beautiful" to behold. First, the recourse to the more-than-willing media to mount a campaign to convince the nation (read opposition parties) that something truly horrendous and unforgiveable had happened. How well that worked is evident from the way the Congress was practically begging the government to go to war and was left with no choice but to sing paeans in its praise once it did, or almost did. Alongside, an all-out diplomatic move to win regional neighbours over to ones side and neutralise world opinion, even if the move to get Pakistan declared a pariah state could not fructify in the short time at its disposal. Then the period of false truce, with the Prime Minister giving the impression that he was resigned to going down the same old diplomatic route and reposing faith in the people of Pakistan to do the needful on his behalf. For Modi bhakts that was the unkindest cut of all. They were either shattered at their heros feet of clay or left fuming with frustration that Pakistan was getting away with it again. Uri would not be avenged. If Modi cant do it, who can. And then, suddenly, like a thunderclap heard in those mountains often enough, there was a "successful" surgical strike against "terrorist launchpads" in PoK that the Army came on television to declare publicly! Overnight, the tried and tested strategy of "strategic restraint" was replaced with a loud and clear announcement of "strategic strikes". Overnight, the national mood changed from despondency to euphoria. So much so that a minor incursion was hailed as an enormous military victory that had put Pakistan in its place. It was, it is being said, an act of such courage and decisiveness that it has restored the nations flagging self-esteem and refurbished the prime ministers strong-man image to its pristine state. Actor Paresh Rawals tweet echoed not just Bollywoods but the sentiments of all loyalists that "Bhakts 2 saal se bhare baithe the... aaj jaakar unki aatma ko 'thodi' shaanti mili hogi". In short, an unquestionable, categorical, humongous public relations triumph for Narendra Modi and his government. A resounding political victory at home, a diplomatic tour de force abroad. And at not too high a cost at that. Not yet anyway. Fortune, it is said, favours the brave. The timing, certainly, couldnt have been better for Modi. The international community, which basically means the United States, has less and less use for Pakistan these days. The same American campaign against the "evil empire" that had made it wage a proxy war in Afghanistan against the Russians and led to the rise of Osama bin Laden had also seen it nurture the Pakistan Army and its dirty tricks department, the ISI, in the delicate task of handling non-state actors such as the Taliban. Tricks of trade Pakistan used not just in the service of its American masters but in its unremitting covert war against its neighbour too. India cried, no one cared. But now these terror groups are biting the hand that once fed them and Pakistan either wont, or cant, rein them in. No wonder its become the bad boy of the Western world and cant find anyone to stand by it once India decided to bare its teeth. So far so good. But will this, can this, one well-timed, well-executed, well-supported surgical strike cow Pakistan into submission and make it give up its despicable, lawless ways? It would be a miracle if it did. Earlier, such attacks had also not seen any reduction in the innumerable "non-state" actors that have turned Pakistan into a "rogue state". But because there were no drum rolls announcing them, they had not led to any loss of face of the government and people of Pakistan, and caused them to seethe in righteous indignation. They remained limited military exercises with no wider ramifications. Hillary Clinton, no fan of Pakistan (she had chastised her hosts in no uncertain terms for failing to curb "extremists" within their borders during a 2011 visit to Islamabad as US Secretary of State), has expressed fears that "therell be a coup [in Pakistan], jihadists are going to take over the government, theyre going to get access to nuclear weapons, and youll have suicide nuclear bombers. So, this could not be a more threatening scenario". She did manage US foreign affairs for four whole years, has travelled to 112 countries by her own admission and could well become the next US President. She may know what she is talking about. If so, will India take credit for pushing Pakistans buttons beyond endurance? Chennai: Amid rumours about her health condition, Tamil Nadu Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao on Saturday visited Chief Minister Jayalalithaa at a hospital in Chennai and was happy to note, she was "recovering well". Upon his visit to the Apollo hospital where he stayed for about 30 minutes, Rao was briefed by its chairman Pratap C Reddy on the treatment being given to Jayalalithaa, a Raj Bhavan release said. Rao visited the Chief Minister in the ward where she is being given treatment and stated he was "thankful" to the doctors who took him there and for explaining in detail the treatment given to her, it said. Jayalalithaa was admitted to the hospital on 22 September after she complained of fever and dehydration. "The Governor was happy to note that the Honourable Chief Minister is recovering well. The Governor appreciated the doctors for providing the best medical care and treatment," to Jayalalithaa, the release said. Rao presented a basket of fruits and wished Jayalalithaa a speedy recovery, the release added. He was received at the hospital by a number of AIADMK leaders including Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker M Thambidurai, and state Finance Minister O Panneerselvam, among others, it said. DMK chief M Karunanidhi had on Friday wished Jayalalithaa a speedy recovery, but urged the government to "put an end to the "rumours" surrounding his arch political rival's health. The state administration should work to put an end to such rumours and the Governor should take due steps in this regard. I insist upon this since this is the desire of the people," he had added. The Apollo Hospitals has flown in UK-based Richard John Beale to examine the 68-year-old Jayalalithaa. Dr Priyamvada Natarajan is a professor of astronomy and physics at Yale University. She is a theoretical astrophysicist interested in cosmology, gravitational lensing and black hole physics. In particular, she has focused on making dark matter maps of cluster of galaxies, the largest known repositories of dark matter. She is also deeply interested in the history of science and is an active advocate of communicating science to public at large. Her book Mapping the Heavens has recently been published, and Priyamvada talks to Firstpost about her starry beginning, history of cosmology and if Planet Earth's the only one with intelligent life in the Universe. What were your growing-up years like? I was born in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, and grew up in Delhi. I have the privilege of being born into a highly intellectual family my dad is an eminent educationist, and my mother is a geographer and sociologist. I grew up in a home full of books. Given my parents' social circle, I grew up meeting many writers, artists, musicians, scientists and academics. I loved maps and was deeply interested both in terrestrial and celestial maps and atlases from a very young age. We had a computer at home really early and I learned to program the Sinclair ZX spectrum and the Commodore 64. All of this of course dates me! How did you get started on your starry journey? As I mention in my book, I got my first taste of research while in high school working with Dr Nirupama Raghavan at Nehru Planetarium where I was active as an amateur astronomer. We tracked Halleys comet avidly and I was busy making star-maps for the night sky over Delhi. What is it about science, and more specifically about astrophysics, that gets you excited? What excites me about science is the process of figuring things out. I t is so thrilling to understand a phenomenon, something that is observed in nature and have an explanation that de-mystifies it and allows us to comprehend it. As scientists we need to be really nimble and open open to changing how we think. This very active way of engaging with the natural world that science offers is irresistible to me. What is the basic premise of your research? I have always been attracted to the invisible and the elusive, so naturally gravitated toward working in cosmology where the big open questions center around the nature of dark matter, dark energy and black holes. Dark matter constitutes the majority of the matter in the universe; however, it is not made of the ordinary atoms in the periodic table that we are made of. Dark matter, as we infer it, is rather lazy; its presence is felt only via the gravitational grip that it exerts on stars and galaxies. It does not emit, absorb or reflect light in any wavelength; it merely deflects and is therefore unseen. My research involves mapping the detailed distribution of dark matter in the universe exploiting the bending of light en-route to us from distant galaxies. In particular, I have focused on making dark matter maps of clusters of galaxies, the largest known repositories of dark matter. Could you explain how you got the idea of chronicling the history of cosmology? As I mentioned earlier, I am interested in how science works the process of discovery as well as the human side of science. The psychological motivations of the scientists are not discussed as they are meant to be objective pursuers of the truth. However, we are human and are driven by passions and personal motivations that inform how we think. I was particularly interested in how and why scientists themselves often resist radical new ideas, even when they are trained to be open and flexible. Even Einstein believed in the idea of a static and steady universe, and refused to accept the astronomer Edwin Hubbles finding of the expansion of the universe, in consonance with Einsteins own theoretical predictions. It was only when the data was overwhelming did Einstein finally accept that the universe was expanding. I also wanted to show how this is a special moment in cosmology, when there is a grand convergence of ideas, instruments and computation leading to a very rapid pace of progress. My book provides a glimpse of some of the greatest cosmological discoveries radical ideas that have reshaped our comprehension of the universe over the past century. Do you think our planet is an aberration? What makes us small yet significant? Well, it appears now, with the discovery of planets around other nearby stars both using ground-based telescopes as well as the Kepler space telescope that there are likely more planets than stars in the universe! This is so, as in several instances multiple planetary systems are detected around the parent star. Since this is the case, I believe that it is quite likely that there exists life in some shape or form, likely unrecognisable to us perhaps on other planets. We are unlikely to be the only life-forms around, although it does appear that intelligent life might be rare since no one has yet tried to get in touch with us. I think the discovery of these numerous exoplanets is humbling, we are but one pale blue dot as Carl Sagan put it beautifully. How have Indian astrophysicists contributed to the field; you mention Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar... how can they continue to compete globally? India, has a long and illustrious tradition in astronomy and mathematics. So we are not lacking in role models! As for what India needs to do to compete globally more generally in science is to re-integrate research and teaching at the undergraduate level. The Indian Institutes for Science Education and Research (IISERs) are an excellent initiative to do so and steps in the right direction. We also need to value the work that scientists do, we are getting a little too caught up in a very narrow definition of what it means to innovate. So I believe that scientific research should be supported and India should invest in what are referred to as blue-sky ideas. In 1543, when Copernicus shifted the pivot from the Earth to the sun, he could hardly have imagined that by 2015, we humans would create a spacecraft the Voyager that would actually leave the confines of our solar system. What would your advice be to young scientists? Just stay curious, learn as much as you can, and build a strong foundation in the basic sciences, mathematics and computers. Learn coding as early as you can. Computation is a powerful tool, one that is critical to all new discoveries in every field. And especially to the younger generation: read and learn by doing. Lastly, you are a proponent for scientists to be good communicators. Why is that important? I think science is amazing and we are learning so much about the natural world, the cosmos, our bodies, the brain we are making such tremendous progress that it is imperative for scientists to share the excitement with the public. At some level, we as scientists, everywhere in the world are supported by governments and funded by the public so its incumbent upon us to show we are putting these resources invested in us to good use. I think as my one of poet friends, the late Becky Elson put it eloquently, we as scientists have the responsibility to awe. Mapping the Heavens is published by Yale University Press Sanjaya Baru was media adviser to Manmohan Singh during his tenure as Prime Minister. His experiences in the PMO became the subject of Baru's 2014 book on Singh, The Accidental prime Minister. Now, Baru has turned his gaze to another Indian PM, Narasimha Rao. In 1991: How PV Narasimha Rao Made History, Baru examines how Rao steered the country towards economic reform. Excerpts from an interview with Firstpost: Manmohan Singh and P V Narasimha Rao are the subjects of your previous and current books, respectively. You were well acquainted with both of them and knew them personally. Was there is a specific reason for choosing them as subjects? Sanjaya Baru: Frankly, that was not part of any plan. I wrote my earlier book because I felt that there was a story to tell and I wrote this one as (I have mentioned in the book itself) we are now in silver jubilee year of 1991. In the last several months, there were many articles that appeared in various publications about 1991. But I found that most of the writings were about what the economist did, whether it was Dr Manmohan Singh, Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Rakesh Mohan or Rangarajan . Many in the media also gave out awards like Economic Times did, for Reformer of the Year. However, many of them forgot that the political leadership at that time was provided by PV Narasimha Rao. When I started reading about it, I realised that even Chandra Shekhar had played an important role, as he was the Prime Minister for the first six months (from November 1990) and the crisis actually started developing from October 1990. I started reading about his role and what happened during his tenure and I realised that both Rao and Chandra Shekhar played important roles. The book, in a sense, is not just about Rao. It is also about Chandra Shekhar. At the end of the day, the fact is that Rao became Prime Minister and succeeded, while Chandra Shekhar lost his job. But at the book launch, most of the speakers devoted more time to Chandra Shekhar. Did you find that jarring? Naturally Yashwant Sinha spoke about Chandra Shekhar, because he was in his government and I was expecting him to do that. I expected Chidambaram to be critical of Narasimha Rao. I wanted someone there to disagree with me. Normally, at book launches, there are speakers who just praise the author. That becomes boring. So I decided that there should be some controversy. After reading my book, he (Chidambaram) called me and told me that he was going to disagree with me and that he would point out some mistakes. I was worried what mistakes had I made in the book? so I read it again. I found that whatever I had written is authentic reality, as far as I am concerned. For example, at the book launch we discussed his resignation and he questioned the way I have written it. And he gives a different version. But let me tell you, I have not written all the details as it would have been more damaging. The reason why I mentioned the resignation episode was to use it as an example of how Narasimha Rao chose to punish people who were close to Rajiv Gandhi. The only two resignations he accepted were of Chidambaram and MR Scindia. Both of them thought that they were close to the Gandhi family, hence safe. By accepting their resignations, Rao was sending a bigger political message. So I mentioned the resignation episode as part of the larger politics that was being played out at that time and not to get in details. If you get in the details, what Chidambaram said at the book launch was not correct. The fact is that Chidambaram met Narasimha Rao along with his wife and explained what had happened. And Narasimha Rao did not say anything. Chidambaram thought that the issue has been resolved. When he reached home, he was told that his resignation had been accepted. You see, Rao used to play such games. It was partly to send a message that no one should take him lightly. Anyway, I expected Chidambaram to be negative about Rao. And I was not surprised. Naresh Chandra was there and he did speak about his interaction with Rao and made an interesting point which many in the audience did not register (which I have also mentioned in the book): Raos address to the nation immediately after he became the PM. He became PM on 21 June, and on 22 June he addressed the nation. I have quoted from the address. His speech was written by Naresh Chandra. In the speech, Rao talked about economic reforms, the need to tighten our belt. He talked about opening up the economy. The fact that this speech was not written by an economist like Manmohan Singh or Montek Singh Alhuwalia is important. That speech was written by Naresh Chandra and some joint secretaries. What Naresh Chandra wanted to say was that Rao knew what he wanted. [We] knew what should be done. As a cabinet secretary, Chandra was briefing the press regularly and everyone was fully prepared for the change. So he was saying, give us some credit. I do that in my book. I give credit to IAS officers like Naresh Chandra, AN Verma, Suresh Mathur. So you are saying that the script for economic reform was written by bureaucrats and politicians? No, Im saying that a lot of people played important roles. I dont want to underplay the role played by the economists. The fact remains that Rakesh Mohan wrote that note on industrial policy. Similarly, Montek Singh Ahluwalia wrote that paper on reforms when VP Singh was PM. Manmohan Singh provided leadership as finance minister. Dr Rangarajan was deputy governor; he played an important role. So all of them played important roles, Im not denying that. Im just saying the popular thinking, the press in particular, seems to project only economists as heroes. Im saying that this was not right. Let us recognise the role of political leadership. Im just trying to be balanced. Is that true then that the foundation of the reforms was laid down by the Chandra Shekhar government and Narasimha Rao walked in on it? It is true. If Chandra Shekhar had the majority, he would have done the same thing as Rao. However, two important things that Rao did were not on Chandra Shekhars agenda: one, devaluation of the rupee. Chidambaram told me that then in fact, Chandra Shekhar was very critical in Parliament when the rupee was devalued. Devaluation of the rupee was very important for trade policy reform but Chidambaram had argued that Chandra Shekhar would not have done it. Two, Chandra Shekhar would not have gone in for de-licensing. But the fact is that there was a programme with the International Monetary Fund which was being negotiated in December 1990 by Yashwant Sinha. That programme required certain changes in policy which Chandra Shekhar would have had to do. 1991 was the same period when VHP launched its movement of building the Ram Mandir. In your book you have ignored that completely. Was that deliberate? Firstly, my book is titled 1991 and all of this happened in 1992. So there was no question of my discussing these events. I end with the first two months of 1992 because I had to mention the AICC election which happened in 1992. But in my book, in the last chapter, I have stated that Narasimha Rao had written a book on the way he saw the whole issue of Ayodhya and Babri Masjid. He is the only Prime Minister who has written a book on a policy matter which he had dealt with. At the book launch everyone, including you, spoke of the Machiavellian streak in Rao. But of late, there have been attempts to praise him. In 1996 he emerged as a villain of peace. Why the recent attempts to praise him then? Firstly, when you say that he was seen as a Machiavellian figure, I dont see it as a criticism. That is praise. Politicians are supposed to Machiavellian. You dont succeed in politics unless you have that streak. In fact, I used to say that Manmohan Singh was Machiavellian. For Manmohan Singh's birthday, I gifted him a copy of The Prince. In one of his parliamentary speeches, he even quoted from the book to defend one of its policies. So when you say a PM is Machiavellian, that is praise. Second the way we saw him in 1996 was because the Congress party chose to put the entire blame of the Babri Masjid demolition and defeat on Rao. This is what Rao had written in his book as well: that if things go wrong, he would be blamed, but if they go right, the party would take credit. In fact, I have written in Accidental Prime Minister that even with Manmohan Singh, the arrangement was the same. So Im not surprised that he was criticised so much. As the Congress needed someone to hang, they hanged Rao. But I think the re-assessment that is happening today is happening for a different reason. That is because Narendra Modi has shocked the Congress Party by adopting one-by-one, various Congress leaders. He adopted Sardar Patel, Subhash Chandra Bose, Lal Bahadur Shastri. He has not given the Bharat Ratna to Rao. I think he may do so. How much of subjectivity has influenced your book? As in one case you were associated closely with the subject and in the second, you had some kind of rapport with the subject. Look, all books are subjective. Let us not fool ourselves by saying that something is objective and something isnt. It depends upon how the author looks at it. It is the way I look at it. It is my subjective view. All you can do is to draw on the existing information to support that view. Ive quoted from various people and various biographies, interviews and various reports. But at the end of the day, this is the view of the author. Now you can disagree with it. And my view is that in a democracy, everyone has the right to write a book. Every book is subjective as it is based on ones own understanding. Even in disciplines like economics you can easily manipulate numbers to get your desired results and conclusions. So it is a theoretical framework and preconceptions that influence your work. Being closely associated with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh you must have seen the manner in which the first family influenced the decision. Is this the reason why the demand to divorce the Congress from the family is made? I make a large point, which for me is very very important: The Indian National Congress was the party of the national movement. A large number of political leaders from across the country joined the national movement and INC. There were many in the INC before Independence who left the party after (we gained freedom) and formed other parties. They went into communist and socialist movements. But at the end of the day, the Congress was a national party until 1980. Even in Indiras time, it was a national party. In 1980, when Indira Gandhi returned to power, she started the whole dynasty business; [Sanjay] first, and then Rajiv. After that, we have this interlude when Rao became PM. Many of us thought that the Congress had gone back to being a normal political party and will not be ruled by one family. BJP is a regular political party where you become a member; you go up the ladder and become a leader. You have the communist parties which have the same process. The Congress was like this. Rao also became PM following this process. You see, all the regional parties have become dynastic. For the Congress to become a family party is shocking. I come from a Congress family, but today, I cannot say that I am a Congress supporter. Raos tenure gave us the hope that Congress would become a national party. During Raos time, a lot of regional leaders did come out: Sharad Pawar in Maharashtra, Digvijay Singh in Madhya Pradesh and SM Krishna in Karnataka are few examples. There were many regional leaders who went on to become chief ministers not because someone in Delhi wanted them to but because of the political support they had. Dont you think that cases like that of Lakhubhai Pathak and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha will always be among the reference points in any analysis of the political life of Narasimha Rao? First of all, in none of the cases was he implicated. He and many of his supporters see it as an attempt to discredit him. It was a systematic attempt from 1996 onwards to distance Rao. You have to seriously look at how many of these cases were genuine. I give a simple answer to this: you look at the wealth of his children and grandchildren and compare it with any politician of that time or today. Things become clear. Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday tendered an unconditional apology after a cartoon in the Shiv Sena mouthpiece Saamana provoked a strong reaction from a section of Maratha community, which even led to an attack on the newspaper's office. Addressing a press meet at Shiv Sena Bhavan, the party president said, "Our intention was never to hurt or offend anyone through that cartoon. However, as the party president and editor of the newspaper, I tender an unconditional apology to the people of Maharashtra." "Many have tried to hatch controversies since the cartoon was published last week, however, I am glad to see that the people of Maharashtra didn't give into this or didn't say anything against the party," he said. I apologise for the cartoon (on Maratha rallies) made in Saamana paper: Uddhav Thackeray pic.twitter.com/svkPawujxP ANI (@ANI_news) October 1, 2016 When asked why there was a six-day delay in tendering an apology as the issue wouldn't have escalated this far, Thackeray said, "We didn't escalate this issue. This issue was hyped by the conspirators. I will reveal who all are behind this ploy at the right time." "As far as resolving the reservation issue concerned, I have requested CM Devendra Fadnavis to hold a special session and he has agreed for the discussion," the party chief added. On Friday, the party delegation led by Uddhav Thackeray met Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to demand a special session of the state Legislature to discuss reservation for Maratha community and amendments to the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. "I have requested the CM to set a particular time frame so that the issue is resolved sooner. It is after many years that the Maratha community has come together for a cause now this is why the conspirators are trying to disintegrate us. We will consistently follow up on the matter," Thackeray said. However, Sanjay Raut, executive editor of Saamana, has not yet apologised and is currently in Goa prepping for the state's upcoming assembly elections. Raut had, however, on Wednesday said that there was no reason for him to tender an apology. Backing cartoonist Shrinivas Prabhudesai as "non-political and innocent", Raut said that Prabhudesai had already tendered an apology for the cartoon. Raut, a Rajya Sabha member, also denied media reports about Sena legislators from the Maratha community handing over resignation to the party leadership over the issue. "The cartoon has not caused any kind of dent or electoral damage to the party. We are neither hurt nor have we suffered any loss. The Sena does not believe in caste and I do not see any reason for tendering an apology," he said. "The Sena has seen many storms in its fifty years of existence and weathered them, we shall come out of this also," he said, reiterating the party's support for the silent marches of the Maratha community for demands such as reservation. Without naming Mumbai BJP president Ashish Shelar and others who have lashed out at Sena over the controversial cartoon, Raut had said, "Those who envy us and want to play politics are speaking against us." Opposition Congress and Nationalist Congress Party leaders were pulling the strings from behind the scenes, he alleged. Last Sunday, a cartoon on "silent march" was published in Saamana, which drew criticism from various political quarters. Incidentally, three youths on Tuesday arrived in a vehicle at the Saamana printing press building located in Sanpada in Navi Mumbai, and allegedly pelted it with stones and fled. Shiv Sena's office in Navi Mumbai was also attacked by the workers of Sambhaji Brigade, a Maratha outfit. Advocate Vishnu Navale filed a case against the Shiv Sena chief and editor of Saamana Uddhav Thackeray, executive editor Sanjay Raut, cartoonist Ravindra Prabhudesai and printer and publisher Rajendra Bhagwat at the Nanal peth police station in Marathwada's Parbhani district. The Marathas have been organising silent marches across the state following the Kopardi rape and murder incident, in which the victim was a member of the community. Some more such rallies are also planned in the state in the coming days. With inputs from PTI New Delhi: Even as the nation finds itself in nationalistic fervor in the wake of the tensions post the terror attack on the Uri brigade with Pakistan, Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar is embroiled in a controversy for passing an anti-national remark. His remark on Indias big brother attitude towards its neighbours has not only sparked controversy in Tripura but in West Bengal as well. The protests that began in Tripura on 25 September after BJP and Trinamool Congress workers burnt effigies of Sarkar, soon spread over to West Bengal which also witnessed similar protests. The Sentinel, an English Daily published from Guwahati reports that more than a hundred effigies of the Tripura Chief Minister were burnt in the state. The newspaper report said that BJP workers also demonstrated in front of CPMs state party office in Kolkata by burning Sarkars effigy. Similar protests were held in various parts of West Bengal. Sarkar in the Connect North-East Summit held in Agartala last week, allegedly said, "India should not play a big brother with its neighbours." The summit also hosted delegates from Bhutan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Japan, Russia and Myanmar. Trinamool Congress even likened the Tripura Chief Minister with Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and burnt their effigies together. A spokesperson of the party reportedly said that Sarkar actually was serving Sharifs purpose and hence they decided to put their effigies together. His voice corroborated the stand of Pakistan. He said it at a time when Pakistan sponsored terrorists killed 18 Indian soldiers. We demand an unqualified apology from Sarkar and demand that he withdraw the statement, Sudip Roy Barman of Trinamool Congress Party told The Indian Express. Beijing: China has blocked a tributary of the Brahmaputra river in Tibet as part of the construction of its "most expensive" hydro project, which could cause concern in India as it may impact water flows into the lower riparian countries. The Lalho project on Xiabuqu river, a tributary of Yarlung Zangbo (the Tibetan name for Brahmaputra), in Xigaze in Tibet involves an investment of 4.95 billion yuan ($740 million), Zhang Yunbao, head of the project's administration bureau was quoted as saying by Chinese state-run Xinhua news agency on Saturday. Xigaze also known as Shigatse is closely located to Sikkim. From Xigaze, the Brahmaputra flows into Arunachal Pradesh. Terming it as the "most expensive project", the report said the project, whose construction began in June 2014, was scheduled to be completed in 2019. It is not clear yet what impact the blockade of the river will have on the flow of water from the Brahmaputra into the lower riparian countries like India and Bangladesh as a result. Last year, China had operationalised the $1.5 billion Zam Hydropower Station, the largest in Tibet, built on the Brahmaputra river, which has raised concerns in India. But China has been maintaining that it has taken into consideration India's concerns and allays apprehensions of restricting the flow of water, saying its dams are run of the river projects not designed to hold water. The outline of China's 12th Five Year Plan indicates that three more hydropower projects on the mainstream of the Brahmaputra river in Tibet Autonomous Region have been approved for implementation. In March, Union Minister of State for Water Resources Sanwar Lal Jat said in a statement that India had expressed its concerns to China about the likely impact of the dams. While there is no water treaty between the countries, India and China established an Expert Level Mechanism (ELM) on trans-border rivers and in October 2013 the two governments signed a memorandum of understanding on strengthening cooperation on trans-border rivers under which Beijing provides data to India on the water flows. The blockade of the Brahmaputra river tributary comes at a time when India's reported decision to suspend talks with Pakistan under Indus Water Treaty as part of its efforts to hit back at Pakistan in the aftermath of the Uri attack. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang gave a guarded reply when asked on 27 September about India's reported move. "As a friendly neighbour to both India and Pakistan, China hopes that India and Pakistan can properly address disputes and improve relations through dialogue and consultation, maintain and enhance all-round cooperation and join hands to promote regional peace, stability and development," Shuang told PTI. Some of the rivers under the Indus Waters Treaty originate in China. Washington: Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton has expressed concern over the possibility of Pakistan's nuclear weapons falling into the hands of jihadists, which she said was "a threatening scenario", according to a media report. "Pakistan is running full speed to develop tactical nukes in their continuing hostility with India," the former secretary of state told a closed-door fundraiser in Virginia in February, The New York Times reported, citing 50-minute audio being hacked from the Democratic Party's computers. "But we live in fear that they're going to have a coup, that jihadists are going to take over the government, theyre going to get access to nuclear weapons, and youll have suicide nuclear bombers. So, this could not be a more threatening scenario," the daily quoted Clinton as saying in the audio that appeared on The Washington Free Beacon website. During the fund raiser, responding to a question on modernisation of nuclear weapons, the daily said, Clinton went beyond the question to warn of an emerging nuclear arms race, naming Russia and China as well as Pakistan and India. "This is one of the most dangerous developments imaginable," Clinton said. Such remarks from the former secretary of state gains significance in view of an interview of Pakistani Defence Minister Khwaja Muhammad Asif to the local TV channel in which he threatened to unleash nukes against India. "If our safety is threatened, we will annihilate them (India)," Asif had said. The United States appears to have taken a strong note of Asif's recent statements on use of nuclear weapons. "Nuclear capable states have the responsibility to exercise restraint regarding nuclear weapons and missile capabilities," a state department official told PTI when asked about the statements being made by the Pakistani leader. Earlier, Defence Secretary Ashton Carter had said while India has generally shown responsible behaviour with nuclear technology, China conducts itself professionally, nuclear weapons in Pakistan are entangled in history of tensions. Meanwhile, in an opinion "Consequences of Pakistani Terrorism: Raids signal that India wont tolerate more attacks in Kashmir", The Wall Street Journal warned that Pakistan increasingly risks becoming a "pariah state" if it continues with such policies. It said if Pakistan wants to prevent an escalation of violence it needs to shut down the terror groups it continues to support. "That should start with Jaish-e-Mohammad and Lashkar-e-Taiba, two major jihadist groups that operate openly in Pakistan and are prime suspects in these attacks," it said. "Both groups are supported by its military despite being on United Nations lists of terrorist organisations," the daily said in the hard-hitting opinion piece, a day after India carried out surgical strikes in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir against terrorists planning to sneak into the country. The Journal noted that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has consistently offered closer economic and diplomatic ties to Pakistan as long as it stops supporting terrorism. Pakistan, it argued, needs a new vision centered on improving the lives of its people. Hillary Clinton, the Democratic US Presidential nominee has gone on record to voice concern over the possible threatening scenario of Pakistans tactical nuclear weapons falling into the hands of jihadis. According to media reports, Hillary said, "Pakistan is running full speed to develop tactical nukes in their continuing hostility with India ..we live in fear that they're going to have a coup, that jihadists are going to take over the government, they're going to get access to nuclear weapons, and you'll have suicide nuclear bombers". Fears expressed by Hillary have been expressed by many in the past as well, but coming from her, a former Secretary of State and now Presidential nominee, they have special meaning. However, given the recent record of activities of the Pakistani government, the jihadist takeover of Pakistan is already underway. In fact, the midpoint may have been crossed already taking a cue from from Pervez Hoodbhoy, Professor of Nuclear and High Energy Physics, Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad, who wrote in August 2011. "An extremist takeover of Pakistan is probably no further than five to 10 years away. The common belief in Pakistan is that Islamic radicalism is a problem only in FATA, and that madrassas are the only institutions serving as jihad factories. This is a serious misconception. Extremism is breeding at a ferocious rate in public and private schools within Pakistans towns and cities. Left unchallenged, this education will produce a generation incapable of co-existing with anyone except strictly their own kind. The mindset it creates may eventually lead to Pakistans demise as a nation state." Today, radical mullahs like Hafiz Saeed, Masood Azhar and Salahuddin are not only intimately linked to the Pakistani military as advisors and coordinating terror attacks in India and Afghanistan, they have become de-facto foreign policy spokesmen holding open rallies to preach jihad through terror; Hafiz Saeed despite US bounty on his head. What other proof is needed about jihadi takeover? It is no more a question of jihadis getting hold of tactical nukes as Hillary fears, they could be 'given' tactical nukes and tasked. At the same time, the Pakistani Army, though rashly exporting terror, is not stupid to use a nuclear weapon (whether tactical or nuclear crossing the nuclear threshold) during war, for they know that consequences for Pakistan will be catastrophic. The frequent nuclear threats are because of their fear of conventional war with India, window for which exists, however limited. But conventional wars of yester-decades have been overtaken by hybrid wars, which raise the possibility of jihadi nuclear threat that may be orchestrated by Pakistan in the hope it would not be traced back to them. Chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear (CBRN) terrorism is a reality, what with the 1995 Sarin Gas attacks on Tokyo Subway, anthrax attacks in the US in 2001, and Sarin gas use in Syria now. A study by the Center for Nonproliferation Studies reveals that during 2013 only, there were 153 cases spanning 30 countries where radiological and nuclear materials were lost, including 141 involving dangerously radioactive materials, albeit not usable in nuclear weapons. The platforms for nuclear terrorism can be any from 'lone wolf' to 9/11-type aerial ones. The military-feudal-politico clique ruling Pakistan with intimate terror links represent the hidden jihadi face of Pakistan. The Pakistani military has never won a war, albeit they have fooled the public that they won the 1965 War, the 1999 Kargil conflict and didnt even lose the Quaid-e-Azam post on the Saltoro Range in the Siachen glacier area, which was captured by India and renamed Bana Post. The Pakistani military hierarchy has been strutting on the strength of terrorist power although they faced severe criticism when Osama bin Laden was killed by US Special Forces in Abbottabad. But now, Indian Special Forces have struck in PoK, even as Pakistan is in denial and their media says it is Pakistan that has killed eight to nine Indian soldiers, whose bodies Indians have not been able to retrieve yet. Raheel Sharif, Pakistani Army chief rumoured to be promoted to field marshal, is obviously smarting after the surgical cross-LoC strikes by India. He and Nawaz Sharif mentioned-in-dispatches in Panama Papers would be looking to demonstrate to the Pakistani public they still hold the aces to destabilise any country directly or indirectly. Pakistan has no legal claim to PoK under the Indian Independence Act of 1947 and the Radcliffe Boundary Commission Accord. Besides, the UN Resolution on Kashmir had asked Pakistan to vacate PoK (clearly marking her aggressor) before any plebiscite, this resolution itself not being binding and rendered redundant after the 1972 Shimla Agreement. Yet Musharraf, who should have been court martialled for his Kargil misadventure and jailed for the killing of Nawab Bugti and the genocide unleashed in Balochistan that continues to-date says, "Even if the Kashmir issue is resolved, jihad against India will continue." Musharrafs successors are no different. The chances of Pakistan reforming itself and giving up terror are practically zero. US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter had earlier said while India has generally shown responsible behaviour with nuclear technology, China conducts itself professionally and nuclear weapons in Pakistan are entangled in a history of tensions. But it is conspicuous to note that Pakistani-sponsored terrorism both in India and Afghanistan has escalated exponentially, post Chinas announcement of $46 billion investment in the China-Pak Economic Corridor (CPEC) and PLAs covert deployments in Gilgit-Baltistan. Chinas economic interests in Afghanistan are protected through Pakistani proxies and her own links with Taliban, but China is using Pakistan to keep India boxed in within South Asia and to curb Indias economic development in line with her ambition for a multipolar world but a China-centric unipolar Asia. The Pakistani military hierarchy has been strutting on the strength of terrorist power although they faced severe criticism when Osama bin Laden was killed by US Special Forces in Abbottabad More significantly, Thomas Reed, former US Air Force Secretary (himself having designed two nuclear devices) in his book The Nuclear Express: A Political History of the Bomb and its Proliferation wrote that China under Deng Xiaoping decided to proliferate nuclear technology to Communists and Muslims in the third world based on the strategy that if the West started getting nuked by Muslim terrorists or another Communist country without Chinese fingerprints, it would be good for China. That is how Pakistan and North Korea became the nuclear talons of the Chinese dragon. What reinforces Chinese denials is that while China raised a host of objections to exposures in Reeds book, all were withdrawn after Reed quoted his discussion with Chinese scientists. Also, though China declared in 1997 that she had dismantled her 'offensive' chemical warfare (CW) programme, the US maintains that China has an 'advanced' CW program under the cover of research and development. Three years before the terrorist attack on our Parliament, the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) had done a comprehensive pan-India study listing out possible terror targets in case of Delhi, the Parliament was top priority. Yet when the attack occurred, we were quite unprepared. The explanation of NSCS was that they only make recommendations but cant execute them; lack of coordination on such vital security issues being the bane of India. The Modi government would do well to review our response to possible Pakistan-sponsored CBRN terror attacks not only for an effective crushing reply to the perpetrators, but also for establishing early warning systems, prevention (as possible), emergency health care, antidotes, quarantine and the like. The world would do well to unite against such possibility, the target not being India alone. The author is a veteran Lieutenant-General of the Indian Army who has served in Kashmir Washington: The United States has strongly objected to threats of nuclear warfare made by Pakistan against India and has conveyed its displeasure to that country in this regard. "We made that (American objection on nuclear threat) clear to them (Pakistan). Repeatedly," a senior State Department official said. The official who spoke on condition of anonymity, however, would not reveal the level at which the message was conveyed to Pakistan. "It is very concerning. It is a serious thing," the official said when asked about Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif's assertions, twice in the last 15 days, that his country could use nuclear weapons against India "We will destroy India if it dares to impose war on us," Asif had told a Pakistani news channel in his latest interview. "Pakistan army is fully prepared to answer any misadventure of India." "We have not made an atomic device to display in a showcase. If a such a situation arises we will use it (nuclear weapons) and eliminate India," Asif had said. The statements raised eyebrows in the Obama Administration and are seen as "irresponsible" behaviour by top Pakistani leadership. In a tacit acknowledgement that it has concerns over the safety of nuclear weapons in Pakistan, the official said the US is closely monitoring the safety and security of those weapons of mass destruction. "The safety of these weapons is always a concern for us. So we are always monitoring it, regardless of what they said on this particular occasion," said the State Department official. Meanwhile, Deputy State Department Spokesman Mark Toner told reporters at his daily news conference that nuclear-capable states have "a very clear responsibility to exercise restraint regarding nuclear weapons and missile capabilities". The United States, meanwhile, continued to urge both India and Pakistan to take steps to de-escalate tension following the Uri terror attack that has claimed the lives of 19 Indian soldiers. "At the same time we have made it very clear that what happened in the Indian army base (Uri) is an act of terror," the senior State Department official said. According to another official of the department, "everyone knows" where the perpetrators of the Uri terrorist attack came from. At his news conference, Toner said the US continues to follow the situation on the ground very closely. "From our perspective, we urge calm and restraint by both sides. We understand that the Pakistani and Indian militaries have been in communication and we believe that continued communication between them is important to reduce tensions. "I think we certainly don't want to see any kind of escalation and certainly any kind of break in that communication. We have repeatedly and consistently expressed our concerns regarding the danger that cross-border terrorism poses for the region, and that certainly includes the recent attacks - terrorist attacks in Uri," he said. "We continue to urge actions to combat and de-escalate - "We continue to urge actions to combat and de-escalate - and delegitimise terrorist groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba, Haqqani Network, as well as Jaish-e-Mohammad," Toner said. 2000 - 2022 24 .- . focus-news.net, () . 24 . 24 . . 24 . "Our jobs are fleeing the country. They are going to Mexico," said Donald Trump during his first answer of the presidential debate on Monday. "So, Ford is leaving ... Thousands of jobs, leaving Michigan, leaving Ohio. They are all leaving." It's a little ironic that Donald Trump, who grew his persona greatly in the mid-2000s by slinging the catchphrase "You're fired," has consistently, and mostly incorrectly, called out Ford Motor Company (F 2.00%) for slashing jobs in Michigan and sending production of small cars to Mexico. Trump is right about one thing, but let's put some context around the subject. Trump is right about small-car production moving Here's what we know: Ford is moving all of its small-car production to Mexico over the next two to three years. That's because, as we also know, producing cars in the United States is more expensive, and small cars carry smaller margins than Ford's bread-and-butter full-size trucks, SUVs, and Lincoln luxury vehicles. In an increasingly interconnected world, it makes sense to send U.S. production of smaller-margin products to an environment with lower costs: It's a smart business move. Furthermore, investors need to consider that Ford can build a small car in Mexico and import it to Europe without facing a tariff; that same car built in the U.S. would face a 10% tariff. That's a huge difference for a $15,000 to $20,000 vehicle with historically low margins. The ability to import from Mexico to Europe without a tariff is even more important because of Brexit. Ford, and many other automakers, have significant operations in the U.K. and had previously exported vehicles cheaply to surrounding European Union countries. Now, depending on trade negotiations, their exports from the U.K. could face tariffs because the U.K. opted out of the EU. The segment's decline forced a timely strategy Through August, sales of new cars in the U.S. are down 8.4% compared to the prior year, while sales of SUVs and crossovers are up a combined 7.4%. Sales of light-duty trucks, which include the previously mentioned SUVs and crossovers, as well as minivans and pickup trucks, are up 8.1% compared to the prior year. So, not only are small cars less profitable than SUVs and trucks, but the segment's sales are spiraling downward. Ford needed to make a smart business decision, and it did. Trump's latest accusation prompted Ford to quickly fire back: Ford has more hourly employees and produces more vehicles in the U.S. than any other automaker. pic.twitter.com/k15cqknsvX Ford Motor Company (@Ford) September 27, 2016 With Trump and Ford squaring off against each other, surely the United Auto Workers union has Trump's back, as its members stand to lose these valuable U.S. jobs, right? Fact Check: @Ford is not moving jobs out of Michigan. Our agreement secures future product commitments for affected plants. #Debates2016 UAW (@UAW) September 27, 2016 Well, that's embarrassing Whether or not Trump understands the automotive industry and this particular situation correctly -- after all, he may have just been trying to make headlines with the comment -- the fact is that although Ford may be moving production of its small cars out of the U.S. and into Mexico, those jobs aren't disappearing. Rather, the production capacity lost from those small cars will be filled with higher-margin vehicles, rumored to be a new Ford Bronco and a return of the midsize Ranger truck. In addition, why Trump continues to overwhelmingly call out Ford -- the sole Detroit automaker to trudge through the Great Recession without a bankruptcy -- is a mystery, because the Blue Oval is far from the only automaker producing vehicles in Mexico. General Motors has multiple plants in Mexico, and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles announced earlier this year that it would end production of all cars in the U.S. by the end of 2016. Ford still makes the iconic Mustang and the Taurus, and will soon produce the new Lincoln Continental, in the States. Moving automotive production to Mexico is an industrywide phenomenon. Mexico has surpassed Canada in annual automotive production, and that appears to be a trend that will continue. According to Yahoo! Finance, the Center for Automotive Research predicts Mexico's vehicle production will rise from about 3.5 million units this year to more than 5 million by 2020. Despite Trump making a splash by accusing Ford of sending jobs to Mexico, the truth is that Michigan will keep its jobs, and Ford will return more value to shareholders as it creates higher-margin production in the States. Everybody wins. Everybody except, perhaps, for Trump. You'd struggle to find an industry with faster growth potential than marijuana, which generated an estimated $5.4 billion in legal sales during 2015. Cannabis research firm ArcView projects the industry could grow at approximately 30% per year through 2020. If this were to happen, legal marijuana sales would be knocking on the door of $22 billion in annual sales by 2020. It's not hard to see why marijuana is expanding so quickly, either, with public opinion on the drug rapidly shifting over the past two decades. Following California's medical marijuana approval in 1996, Gallup found that just a quarter of the American population approved the idea of legalizing marijuana nationally. By 2015, the number of respondents who want to see cannabis legalized nationally has jumped to an all-time high of 58%. Of course, the marijuana industry is still disadvantaged in a variety of ways. For starters, cannabis remains a schedule 1 drug, meaning it's considered illegal at the federal level and has no perceived medical benefits. A recent ruling from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency backed up that finding. Because of its scheduling, marijuana businesses have minimal access to basic banking services since many financial institutions fear federal prosecution at a later date. Most marijuana businesses are paying tax on their gross profits instead of net profits since normal business deductions are disallowed in instances where the primary product being sold is federally illicit. Yet in spite of its many challenges, marijuana's expansion continues. Half of all U.S. states have legalized medical marijuana, four (along with Washington, D.C.) have legalized recreational marijuana, and residents in nine states will be going to the polls next month to decide if marijuana initiatives or amendments in their state will become law. This is great news if you support the expansion of marijuana, but it's not such great news if you're an employee or investor in the $200 billion alcohol industry. Should the alcohol industry be worried about cannabis? According to a 110-page report released by Cowen and Co. senior analyst Vivien Azer earlier this month, entitled "The Cannabis Compendium: Cross-Sector Views on a Budding Industry," cannabis could begin chipping away at alcohol sales in the United States. For the time being, the marijuana industry is still in its infancy. For instance, tax revenue generated from legal marijuana sales totaled just $2 million in Washington state in 2014, but jumped to $65 million in 2015. Comparatively, beer tax revenue in Washington rose from just $30 million in 2014 to $31 million in 2015. Admittedly, two completely different tax structures and rates are being compared here, but the point is that, over the long term, alcohol sales growth could be slow or suffer as a direct result of marijuana's rapid growth. Azer notes in the report, "Over the last decade, while we have seen a rise in drinkers who use cannabis, we have also seen declines in cannabis users who drink." In other words, we could continue to see this trade-off of consumers putting down the bottle in favor of picking up pot. Just how much could the legal marijuana industry be worth? According to Cowen & Co.'s report, the legal marijuana market is currently generating about $6 billion in legal sales with 8 million daily users and 32 million adults who've admitted to using cannabis. Cowen analysts believe there's another $25 billion in annual sales from the underground black market. Once black market sales transition into legal sales, and as more states legalize marijuana, Cowen anticipates the legal marijuana market could grow to $50 billion by 2026. That's a compound annual growth rate of nearly 24% over the next decade. Big Tobacco could play a key role Azer also believes that Big Tobacco companies could benefit from the rapid ascension of the cannabis industry, which is contrary to popular opinion that tobacco sales could suffer if marijuana were to become legal nationally. It's no secret that Big Tobacco is struggling, especially in the United States. Tougher smoking laws and an ongoing campaign by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to get adults off of smoking tobacco has pushed U.S. smoking rates from more than 40% in the mid-1960s to just 16.8% of adults in 2014. The only solace for Big Tobacco companies like Altria (MO 1.96%) and Reynolds American (RAI) has been the addictive nature of nicotine, which has allowed for big price increases to make up for declining cigarette volume. Big Tobacco has been looking for alternatives to supplement its growth, and marijuana could be the answer. Azer notes that vaping has become quite popular for both nicotine and cannabis, which could provide Big Tobacco a way to infiltrate the marijuana industry, assuming an eventual federal legalization of the drug. By 2036, Azer and her team of analysts believe Big Tobacco (i.e., Altria and Reynolds American) could have 20% market share in the U.S. cannabis industry. It's worth noting that in Colorado, arguably the best example of the successes of legalized marijuana in its early stages, a few big cannabis players purchased a majority of the business licenses available. Combined with an extended moratorium on new license issuances, this has allowed the industry to be concentrated in the hands of a much smaller group of marijuana businesses than initially expected. It would appear that cannabis is already leaning in favor of big business, making it seem even more plausible that Big Tobacco could enter the picture. Marijuana still isn't investment-worthy Despite Azer's rosy forecast, betting your hard-earned money on marijuana stocks is probably not the smartest move at this point. A lot of Azer's figures count on the federal government's legalizing marijuana, which the DEA profoundly rejected in August. It takes a considerable amount of time for petitions to make their way to the DEA for reconsideration, so you can pretty much count on the DEA standing firm on its ruling for at least the next couple of years. This should keep those aforementioned industry disadvantages for cannabis businesses firmly in place for the foreseeable future. Another big issue for investors is transparency. The vast majority of marijuana stocks aren't listed on reputable exchanges, meaning obtaining accurate financial information can be difficult. Furthermore, most cannabis companies are losing money and will likely continue to do so until federal laws change. This creates an ongoing funding concern for a number of these businesses. Until the federal government changes its tune and transparency improves at the investor level, marijuana looks to be an off-limits investment -- despite its rapid growth. Ford might be shipping small-car production to Mexico, but the jobs are staying put. Image source: Ford Motor Company. "Our jobs are fleeing the country. They are going to Mexico," said Donald Trump during his first answer of the presidential debate on Monday. "So, Ford is leaving ... Thousands of jobs, leaving Michigan, leaving Ohio. They are all leaving." It's a little ironic that Donald Trump, who grew his persona greatly in the mid-2000s by slinging the catchphrase "You're fired," has consistently, and mostly incorrectly, called out Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) for slashing jobs in Michigan and sending production of small cars to Mexico. Trump is right about one thing, but let's put some context around the subject. Trump is right about small-car production moving Here's what we know: Ford is moving all of its small-car production to Mexico over the next two to three years. That's because, as we also know, producing cars in the United States is more expensive, and small cars carry smaller margins than Ford's bread-and-butter full-size trucks, SUVs, and Lincoln luxury vehicles. In an increasingly interconnected world, it makes sense to send U.S. production of smaller-margin products to an environment with lower costs: It's a smart business move. Furthermore, investors need to consider that Ford can build a small car in Mexico and import it to Europe without facing a tariff; that same car built in the U.S. would face a 10% tariff. That's a huge difference for a $15,000 to $20,000 vehicle with historically low margins. The ability to import from Mexico to Europe without a tariff is even more important because of Brexit. Ford, and many other automakers, have significant operations in the U.K. and had previously exported vehicles cheaply to surrounding European Union countries. Now, depending on trade negotiations,their exports from the U.K. could face tariffs because the U.K. opted out of the EU. The segment's decline forced a timely strategy Through August, sales of new cars in the U.S. are down 8.4% compared to the prior year, while sales of SUVs and crossovers are up a combined 7.4%. Sales of light-duty trucks, which include the previously mentioned SUVs and crossovers, as well as minivans and pickup trucks, are up 8.1% compared to the prior year. So, not only are small cars less profitable than SUVs and trucks, but the segment's sales are spiraling downward. Ford needed to make a smart business decision, and it did. Trump's latest accusation prompted Ford to quickly fire back: With Trump and Ford squaring off against each other, surely the United Auto Workers union has Trump's back, as its members stand to lose these valuable U.S. jobs, right? Well, that's embarrassing Whether or not Trump understands the automotive industry and this particular situation correctly -- after all, he may have just been trying to make headlines with the comment -- the fact is that although Ford may be moving production of its small cars out of the U.S. and into Mexico, those jobs aren't disappearing. Rather, the production capacity lost from those small cars will be filled with higher-margin vehicles, rumored to be a new Ford Bronco and a return of the midsize Ranger truck. In addition, why Trump continues to overwhelmingly call out Ford -- the sole Detroit automaker to trudge through the Great Recession without a bankruptcy -- is a mystery, because the Blue Oval is far from the only automaker producing vehicles in Mexico. General Motors has multiple plants in Mexico, and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles announced earlier this year that it would end production of all cars in the U.S. by the end of 2016. Ford still makes the iconic Mustang and the Taurus, and will soon produce the new Lincoln Continental, in the States. Moving automotive production to Mexico is an industrywide phenomenon. Mexico has surpassed Canada in annual automotive production, and that appears to be a trend that will continue. According to Yahoo! Finance, the Center for Automotive Research predicts Mexico's vehicle production will rise from about 3.5 million units this year to more than 5 million by 2020. Despite Trump making a splash by accusing Ford of sending jobs to Mexico, the truth is that Michigan will keep its jobs, and Ford will return more value to shareholders as it creates higher-margin production in the States. Everybody wins. Everybody except, perhaps, for Trump. 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. Daniel Miller owns shares of Ford and General Motors. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Ford. 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. Deutsche Bank executives are heading to the United States in the coming days to negotiate a settlement over a fine of up to $14 billion for misselling mortgage-backed securities, the Frankfurter Allegemeine Zeitung reported. The potential fine, announced two weeks ago, has sent shares in Germany's biggest lender into freefall. On Friday, the stock partially recovered after a media report that the two sides were close to a settlement of $5.4 billion. The FAZ did not cite any sources for its report. Deutsche Bank did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Chief Executive John Cryan's travel plans. (Reporting by Georgina Prodhan; editing by David Clarke) Alcoa is moving forward with cutting itself into two separate companies. Image source: Getty Images. For more than a year, the board ofAlcoa Inc(NYSE: AA) has been making plans and taking steps toward splitting the company up. And on September 29, it became official: Alcoa is scheduled to become two companies -- Alcoa and Arconic -- on November 1. Here's a closer look at exactly what Alcoa's split means, how it's going to work, and what it means for investors -- both current and prospective. Here's how Alcoa is splitting The best way to describe this split is that the legacy Alcoa mining and upstream business is being spun out as a tax-free distribution to shareholders of record as of October 20, 2016. The "new" company -- that is, the company being spun out -- will be named Alcoa Corporation, while the existing company -- currently named Alcoa Inc. -- will be renamed Arconic.Arconic will retain 19.9% of Alcoa after the spinoff, with the other 80.1% being distributed to shareholders of record via a stock distribution. Upcoming reverse stock split prior to separation Alcoa has scheduled a shareholder vote on a 1-for-3 reverse stock split on October 5, with the outcome of that vote affecting the total share count of the "new" Alcoa that will be distributed. Here's how it will work out, depending on the outcome of the vote: If the reverse split is approved, shareholders of record will receive one share of the spun-out Alcoa for each three shares held in the existing company. If the reverse split is not approved, one share will be distributed for every nine shares held in the existing company. On the surface, it may appear that somehow existing shareholders are getting a raw deal by not approving the 1-for-3 reverse stock split, but that's not really the way the math works. Think about it this way:If you owned 300 shares of Alcoa before the split, you'll own 100 after, and you'd get 33 shares of the "new" Alcoa when it was separated from the company on November 1, whether the reverse stock split was approved or not. It's also worth noting that, during both the reverse split and the separation, no partial shares will be issued. So if your ownership of Alcoa shares won't divide evenly into three, you'll be getting cash for any fractional shares that would result. Why is Alcoa splitting up? In short, management and the board think that, by separating the mining and production business and the high-performance materials and engineered products business into separate companies, there will be multiple benefits, including: More clear and targeted companies for investors. More clear and direct access to capital and equity markets for each company. Both companies will have better ability to allocate financial and management resources. These are just some of the reasons touted by management, and in short, uncoupling the slow-growth, commodity-driven legacy upstream business (Alcoa) from the higher-growth, higher-margin engineered products manufacturing business (Arconic), is likely a major reason why it's happening. Important dates to know October 5: Shareholder vote on the reverse stock split. Shareholders of record as of August 3, 2016 will be voting on this reverse split. November 1:Scheduled date for separation to become effective and the two companies to begin trading as separate stocks. The existing Alcoa will be renamed Arconic and trade under the ticker ARNC, while the new spun-out company will be named Alcoa and trade under the AA ticker. This is important to note because your existing AA shares will become ARCN, and your new shares will show up in your brokerage account, and be named AA. October 20:The shareholder of record date for the spin-out of the shares of the new Alcoa. If you plan to sell or buy shares of Alcoa around or after this date, make sure you check with your broker to know how it will affect your rights to a distribution of the new Alcoa on November 1. What to do now? Frankly, it's hard to predict any upside to buying shares of Alcoa today, at least based on trying to profit from the split. Between the two future companies, Arconic looks the most attractive, with huge aerospace demand in the coming decade likely to provide a tailwind for that company. The new Alcoa will be heavily affected by the ups-and-downs of bauxite and aluminum prices, like any other raw and basic materials producer. Furthermore, there's not likely any benefit to selling now if you're interested in owning either of the two future companies following the split. As the separation is currently structured, your tax basis should follow both holdings, meaning you'll have the same profit/loss implications whether you sell now or following November 1. So if you intend to hang on to one of the two companies post-separation, it's probably best to stand pat for now, and sell the company you don't want once the separation is complete. A secret billion-dollar stock opportunity The world's biggest tech company forgot to show you something, but a few Wall Street analysts and the Fool didn't miss a beat: There's a small company that's powering their brand-new gadgets and the coming revolution in technology. And we think its stock price has nearly unlimited room to run for early in-the-know investors! To be one of them, just click here. Jason Hall 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. Image source: Getty Images. If you're a retiree worrying over the high cost of healthcare, you're not alone. Healthcare costs are increasing faster than prices for other goods and services and that's taxing seniors, especially those who are relying heavily on Social Security income. In the past year, medical costs are up 4.9%, yet Social Security income is unchanged. Therefore, rising costs are pressuring retiree budgets. To relieve some of that pressure, consider these money-saving tips. They may just help you stretch your healthcare dollars further in 2017. Capitalize on a younger spouse If your spouse isn't signed up for Medicare yet and he or she is insured via a high-deductible health insurance plan, consider the benefits associated with your spouse establishing a health savings account, or HSA. Although you can't contribute to an HSA once you're on Medicare, your spouse can. In 2017, your spouse can contribute up to $7,750 to an HSA account ($6,750 plus a $1,000 catch-up contribution) and as long as that money is used for your qualified medical expenses, it will be tax free. Unused money in an HSA can be rolled forward into future years, too. That means that an HSA can reduce the risk of needing to draw down taxable retirement savings, such as traditional IRAs, for future healthcare expenses. HSAs can also allow more money to grow tax-deferred for heirs. It can prevent IRA withdrawals from spiking your income and causing your future Medicare Part B premiums to be subject to income-related premium adjustments, too. Prepare for the future Baby boomers are living longer than ever before and while that's great news, it also means that more baby boomers will require long-term care at some point during their lifetime. Unfortunately, long-term healthcare is outlandishly expensive, and in most cases it isn't covered by Medicare. A home health aide or assisted living can cost $3,800 per month and a semi-private room in a nursing home can cost $6,800 per month, according to Genworth Financial. Moreover, while Medicaid can pay for long-term care, qualifying for Medicaid means spending down virtually all of your savings and Medicaid can put a lien on your home to recoup any expenses incurred on your behalf. Instead or rolling the dice on long-term care, abetter strategy could be to get a long-term care insurance policy. Long-term care insurance isn'tcheap, but neither is long-term care. Since 70% of people turning 65 can expect to require at least some long-term care during their lifetime, the odds are that this insurance will pay off at some point. If you do decide to sign up for a long-term care policy, sign up when you're younger, rather than when you're older. You're more likely to get approved when you're younger and you could end up paying less for your coverage. Close Medicare's gaps Medicare Part A and Part B plans provide a vital safety-net for seniors, but they don't pay all of a retiree's healthcare expenses. Part A covers hospitalization costs, but it requires a $1,288 deductible for each hospitalization benefit period and after 60 days of hospitalization, patients are subject to co-insurance. After 90 days, co-insurance rates double until an individual's 60 reserve days are used up, and after that, patients can be on the hook for all of their hospital costs. Part B pays for basic healthcare services, such as doctor visits and lab work, but it also requires a small annual deductible and 20% patient cost-sharing. Neither Part A or Part B cap the out-of-pocket spending for recipients in a given year, either. Since no one knows when an illness or an injury may strike and Medicare has "gaps" in its coverage, it could pay-off to purchase a Medigap plan. There are 10 different types of Medigap plans and each offers slightly different coverage. The most common plan chosen by retirees is Medigap Plan F, which is the most comprehensive. The coverage that's provided to original Medicare recipients by Plan F has to be the same from insurer to insurer, but prices of these plans vary depending on which premium calculation method is used by the insurer. For example, Medigap Plan F premiums in New Hampshire range between $173 and $357 per month. That's a pretty big range, so make sure to shop around. Dig into the details Medicare allows you to change Medicare Advantage and Part D plans during open enrollment and that open enrollment period runs between Oct. 15 and Dec. 7 this year. Medicare Advantage and Part D plans are offered by private insurers and that means your insurance coverage provided and premiums can change significantly from year to year. If your plan premium is set to increase in 2017, now's a great time to take a look at your other options. When you do,pay particular attention to whether or not any changes have been made to how your insurer will cover the cost of your medications. How much you pay for prescriptions depends on where medicines are placed within insurer's drug tiers. New drug approvals and negotiated discounts can lead to that placement changing every year. Insurers are also turning increasingly to coinsurance from flat-rate co-payments for prescriptions, which can cause your drug costs to spike. To avoid unwelcome surprises at the pharmacy counter, compile a list of all your medications and then dive into the details of the various plans available to you. Doing so could end up saving you more money. Hunt for bargains If you've been relying on the same pharmacy for years, you might want to call around to check prices charged by competitors. Some big box retailers, including Costco and Wal-Mart offer special prices on many generic drugs. A Consumer Reports study of prices of popular drugs found that Costco had the lowest cash prices overall, so that may be a good place to start. Another option is to visit GoodRx.com, an online website that provides local price information as well as coupons. Paying for your prescriptions,rather than running them through your insurance, could end up saving you a bundle. Similarly, you may be able to reduce your out-of-pocket Part B expenses by shopping around for healthcare services. For example, in-store healthcare clinics can provide less costly care than an emergency room visit for non-emergencies that happen outside of doctor's hours. The $15,834 Social Security bonus most retirees completely overlook If you're like most Americans, you're a few years (or more) behind on your retirement savings. But a handful of little-known "Social Security secrets" could help ensure a boost in your retirement income. For example: one easy trick could pay you as much as $15,834 more... each year! Once you learn how to maximize your Social Security benefits, we think you could retire confidently with the peace of mind we're all after.Simply click here to discover how to learn more about these strategies. Todd Campbell has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Costco Wholesale. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Image source: 3D Systems. A few weeks ago, 3D Systems (NYSE: DDD) hosted an event at the International Manufacturing Trade Show (ITMS) in Chicago, outlining its future strategy and solutions to drive long-term profitable growth. It marked a pivotal moment for the company's new CEO, Vyomesh Joshi, who was appointed in April after the company's former CEO abruptly departed. The reveal gave investors a better sense of Joshi's management style and vision. But while there were notable takeaways from the event, there weren't many groundbreaking developments. Most of what 3D Systems revealed was already known to investors. Rehashing the present Joshi spent a considerable amount of time talking about the 3D printing industry's current transformation and 3D Systems' positioning. According to Joshi, the 3D printing industry is undergoing a massive transformation, and over the next three years, it will transition from mostly prototyping uses to a viable manufacturing platform. For 3D printing companies, this transition represents a tremendous opportunity because users who increase the utilization of their machines to accommodate larger volumes of parts consume more materials, and this stream of recurring revenue tends to command a higher profit margin than 3D printing hardware. Prior to ITMS, 3D Systems began emphasizing three of its 3D printing technologies -- stereolithography, direct metal printing, and selective laser sintering -- to meet users' manufacturing needs. Additionally, 3D Systems previously announced its plans to build out a suite of end-to-end solutions -- from conceptualization to final product -- that cater to industry-specific use cases, much in the same way it's done for healthcare --a notable bright spot amid 3D Systems' recent earnings struggles. Its focus will be on automotive, aerospace, defense, and durable goods industries. New developments 3D Systems demonstrated its Figure 4 printing platform earlier this year, a repackaged version of its stereolithography technology geared toward higher-volume manufacturing, competing directly with injection molding manufacturing. Thanks to automation, a modular structure, and deep integration into a manufacturing line, 3D Systems claims Figure 4 is up to 50 times faster than conventional stereolithography systems, capable of producing millions of parts per year. Video source: 3D Systems. At ITMS, 3D Systems showcased an updated version of Figure 4, which featured automated inspection technologies to monitor print jobs in real time and provide instant feedback. On the software front, 3D Systems made two major announcements: the launch of 3DXpert and a partnership with PTC, a design software company. As an all-in-one solution, 3DXpert simplifies and streamlines the metal 3D printing process, while the PTC partnership more deeply integrates 3D Systems' ecosystem into the software maker's design products. Putting it all together After ITMS, 3D Systems' plan is the same: to own the entire digital workflow that surrounds 3D printing. This entails building out end-to-end solutions for specific use cases, taking on a more consultative approach with customers, and becoming an authority on 3D printing for direct manufacturing. While the company's presentation at ITMS may have fallen short of groundbreaking new developments, the company improved its messaging around how it's equipped for what it believes is a coming boom. 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. Steve Heller owns shares of 3D Systems. The Motley Fool recommends 3D Systems. 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. President Obama is doing anything but closing out his lame duck term quietly. On the contrary hes doing yet another end run around both the U.S. Congress and all 50 states, imposing yet another mandate that will cost money and jobs, possibly forcing states to raise taxes as well. Twenty-one states have filed a federal lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Sherman, Texas, to stop him. Hours after the states filed their lawsuit, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other business groups filed a similar lawsuit with the same federal court. Obamas new mandate would force employers in all states to pay overtime to certain state employees. These employees include bona fide executive, administrative, or professional workers as they are not covered by the federal law that requires states to pay overtime for work performed beyond 40 hours in a week. The mandate applies to both private and public sector employers. On the surface this sounds somewhat sensible. Why shouldnt any state worker or private sector worker contracted by the state be eligible for overtime if they work more than 40 hours in a week? One reason why this hasnt happened yet is many states are strapped just trying to balance their current budgets. Mr. Obamas lack of hope and change, much less his promised economic recovery, hasnt helped. The law says it should be up to the individual states first to decide if, and when, they should make such a change. Then they can ask Congress to change the law, and its up to Congress to have the final say. This action by the Obama administration violates the Fair Labor Standards Act only Congress has the power to establish a federal hourly minimum wage. It also violates the Constitution as it forces states to pay their workers higher wages at the expense of state budgets, services and governmental programs. Obama actually put this in motion a couple of years ago when he told his Labor Department to change this exception for white collar state employees. The department has now raised the minimum salary cutoff for overtime by more than double. The new rule also forces states to raise that cutoff even higher every three years. As of now, starting December 1, 2016, all state employees will be entitled to overtime if they earn up to $913 per week regardless of whether they have executive, administrative, or professional responsibilities. State government estimates peg the number of workers impacted at a minimum of 500 and reaching into the thousands, per state. Iowa projects its budget hit to be over $19 million, other states likely a lot more. States such as Nevada dependent on its tourism industry would be hit very hard. According to the National Federation of Independent Businesses nearly half of all small businesses in Nevada employ at least one person whod be affected by this new rule. Not coincidentally, Nevada through its Attorney General Adam Laxalt is the lead plaintiff in this lawsuit. In filing the suit Laxalt said: This rule, pushed by distant bureaucrats in D.C., tramples on state and local government budgets, forcing states to shift money from other important programs to balance their budgets, including programs intended to protect the very families that purportedly benefit from such federal overreach. Federal overreach is already one of Obamas legacies as he prepares to leave office. The courts have reined him in before and hopefully will do so again. Washington Democrats strong bid to take control of the Senate by defeating several Republican incumbents is showing signs of struggling in the final weeks of the election cycle. In Florida, Democrats targeted first-term GOP Sen. Marco Rubio, considering his failed effort to fix the countrys problematic immigration system and him frequently abandoning Capitol Hill responsibilities to run for president made him unpopular among voters. But with less than six weeks before Election Day, Rubio is maintaining a roughly 6-percentage-point lead. And the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee is cutting back a planned advertising blitz in Florida, which includes canceling ads into early October. The group, whose primary goal is to keep and win Senate seats, says it stands behind candidate Patrick Murphy. However, such a move late in the election cycle usually means a change in strategy in which such groups reallocate remaining money to states where TV advertising costs far less and they have better chances in November. Democrats must win at net total of four or five seats to retake control of the Senate. At the start of start of the cycle, Democrats targeted the seat occupied by Rubio as well as those of GOP incumbents Sens. Rob Portman, Ohio; Kelly Ayotte, New Hampshire; Ron Johnson, Wisconsin; and Pat Toomey in Pennsylvania -- all battleground states where they had hoped, at the very least, Republican president nominee Donald Trumps sometimes divisive campaign would help their cause. However, Ohio, a so-called rust belt state with a large number of older, white middle-class voters seems poised to swing Republican on November 8, with Trump doing well against Democratic rival Hillary Clinton and Portman now pulling away. Portman leads Democratic challenger, former House member and Gov. Ted Strickland, by 13 percentage points, according to the RealClearPolitics polls average. Were very proud of the robust organization weve built over the past two years across all of Ohios 88 counties," Portman campaign manager Corry Bliss recently told The Wall Street Journal, while also highlighting outreach efforts to Hispanic and black voters, challenging voting blocs for Republican candidates. In New Hampshire, Ayotte, a first-term senator, is clinging to a 2.5 percentage point lead over Democratic challenger Gov. Maggie Hassan. And in Pennsylvania, which has voted for the Democratic nominee in the past six presidential elections, Toomey is in a dead heat with Democratic challenger Katie McGinty. In Indiana, former Democratic senator and Gov. Evan Bayh is having a harder-than-anticipated time trying to win the open Senate seat held by Republican Dan Coats, amid reports about recent years working as a consultant at a Washington lobbying firm, as reported earlier this week by The New York Times. The popular Bayh purportedly also entered the race with $10 million to spend, but attack ads by outside conservative groups have in recent weeks essentially cut in half his double-digit lead over GOP Rep. Todd Young. Different states, same bad headlines, the Natioanl Republican Senatorial Committee, the DSCCs counterpart, said after several stories earlier this year on the race. Still, in Wisconsin, former Democratic Sen. Russ Feingold is nearly 10 percentage points ahead in his bid to unseat GOP incumbent Sen. Ron Johnson. The RCP average now has Democrats winning a net total of four seats. Bayh isnt the only Democratic candidate getting hammered by ads from outside conservative groups, including several that have clearly stated their intentions of trying to save the Senate for Republicans instead of backing Trump. In Florida, Rubio and outside Republican groups have recently outspent the lesser-known Murphy and Washington Democrats more than 3-to-1 with ads blasting Murphy for embellishing his resume, calling him "untrustworthy." Murphy said he's not worried, confident of overcoming the ad onslaught though he trails in polls and many Florida voters have barely heard of him. Republicans for Rubio are hitting Murphy for overstating claims on his resume to be a certified public accountant, small business owner and a college graduate with two degrees. Murphy was a licensed CPA in Colorado but not Florida, where he worked for an accounting firm. He was part-owner of a business established by his wealthy father, and though a double major at the University of Miami, he earned just one degree. Murphy has received help from the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees and the Senate Majority PAC, but those advertising buys have been dwarfed by outside Republican groups. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Hillary Clinton is back on the campaign trail locking arms with former Democratic rival Bernie Sanders to tout debt-free college education. But Clinton has privately distanced herself from such promises and other progressive ideals championed by Sanders, instead describing herself as a center-left to the center-right candidate, according to a recently released audiotape. Clinton, the Democratic presidential nominee, made the comments in February, at a private fundraiser in northern Virginia. The audio tape was purportedly included in a Clinton campaign staffers email that was hacked, then given to The Washington Free Beacon, which reported the story Friday. In the roughly 49-minute tape, Clinton suggests the 2016 presidential race has been divided into two camps: the far-right populist, nationalist, xenophobic, discriminatory kind of approach espoused by many Republican candidates and Sanders democratic-socialist vision that includes free college, free healthcare and go as far as Scandinavia, whatever that is. I am occupying from the center-left to the center-right, continued Clinton, who warned about over-promising potential voters. She also characterized disaffected young Americans -- particularly the many college students who joined the so-called Sanders political revolution -- as living in their parents basement and feeling their post-graduate jobs are not at all what they envisioned for themselves. They dont see much of a future. If youre feeling like youre consigned to being a barista then the idea that maybe, just maybe, you could be part of a political revolution is pretty appealing," Clinton also says in the audio tape, reflecting on a recent conversation with an African-American millennial. The release of the tape comes at a difficult time for Clinton, who continues to struggle to connect with young voters and secure their vote. A Quinnipiac University poll released Sept. 14 shows 55 percent of likely voters 18 to 34 voting for Clinton, compared to 34 percent for Trump, compared to a poll released a month earlier by the university that showed Clinton with 64 percent, compared to 29 percent for Trump. With about five weeks to go before Election Day, Clinton holds a slight, single-digit lead over Republican rival Donald Trump, according to most recent polls. Clinton, in the tape, also seems to suggest that some young voters are naive about politics and the working world, saying, Some are new to politics completely. Theyre children of the Great Recession. Clinton spokesman Glen Caplin told FoxNews.com on Saturday: As Hillary Clinton said in those remarks, she wants young people to be idealistic and set big goals. She is fighting for exactly what the millennial generation cares most about -- a fairer more equal, just world. Thats why she worked with Sen. Sanders on a plan to provide students with debt-free college and its why shes traveling the country listening to their concerns and talking about not only whats at stake in this election, but her plan for the generation. Theyve helped her craft and promote the most progressive platform in Democratic party history. The Clinton campaign also pointed to tweets by Sanders spokesman Mike Casca, who called at least one of the stories about the tape misleading and completely inaccurate." "She's clearly saying she gets why Bernie's supporters are frustrated, Casca tweeted Friday night after a story by Politico. Also on Saturday, Clinton supporters argued the candidate has publically stated such a position several times this election cycle, including in the CNN debate last fall when she said, We are not Denmark. I love Denmark. We are the United States Of America. Clinton said Wednesday at a rally with Sanders at the University of New Hampshire: None of you have more at stake in this election than young Americans Bernie and I are excited about what he can do together. Clinton said she wants a moratorium on repaying student debt and the debt to be forgiven for those who go into public or national service. If Hillary Clintons homebrew server ever got the Mary Shelley treatment, IT specialist Bryan Pagliano would make a fine Dr. Frankenstein FBI documents reveal new details about how he painstakingly created the machine over a series of months while working in a room along Washingtons storied K Street. According to files released last Friday evening, Pagliano worked to design and build the now-infamous server inside a room once used as part of Clintons campaign headquarters. On the street known as Washingtons power corridor, Pagliano even used computer remnants from Clintons failed 2008 presidential bid, where he had worked as an IT specialist. The story of how the server came into existence became clearer thanks to witness interviews known as 302s. Though they were highly redacted, the bureau files include new details Pagliano revealed in a June 24 interview with the FBI. In that interview, Pagliano said it was longtime Clinton Foundation aide Justin Cooper who asked him to build the server in the fall of 2008 and that Pagliano completed the work in early 2009. (Pages 155, 163) After the servers completion in the makeshift lab on K Street, Pagliano stated that he rented a minivan and drove to Chappaqua New York to install the email server in the Clinton residence. Pagliano and Cooper were separately interviewed by the FBI five times during the bureaus investigation into Clintons use of private server and private email for government business while secretary of state. According to the reviewed documents, Pagliano was interviewed first on Dec. 22, 2015 and again six months later on June 21, 2016. Cooper was interviewed three times -- once in 2015 and twice in 2016 -- and appeared before Congress. Pagliano was one of five people who received limited immunity from the Justice Department, has taken the Fifth and refused to testify before Congress. In his interviews with the FBI, Pagliano said that he could not recall any existing computer systems at the Chappaqua residence other than the Apple server described previously to the FBI. Widely published reports including one in the New York Times indicated that Clinton was informally announced as Obamas choice of secretary of state on Nov. 22, 2008, with her formal nomination on Dec. 1. After working in her 2008 presidential campaign, Pagliano joined Clinton in the State Department as an employee and IT specialist, but he also continued to work on the homebrew server he built. Pagliano, though, insisted to the FBI that he believed the email server he was building would be used for private email exchange with Bill Clinton aides. In addition, it was during his second interview with the FBI in June, that Pagliano suddenly recalled being given a list of user names and passwords that Cooper asked to be transferred from Coopers Apple server to Paglianos system. (Page 164) The 302 continued, Pagliano did not recall transferring an account for Hillary Clinton and does not know how her account was installed on the server he built. Justin Cooper did not work for the State Department but stated in his March 2016 interview that he registered the domain, clintonemail.com, because he handled financial issues for the Clintons. Cooper continues to works for Clinton Foundation entities which include Teneo. Despite handing out limited immunity deals to five people including Pagliano, FBI Director James Comey has stated that Clintons actions with her email practices were extremely careless -- but not criminal. As a presidential candidate once again, Hillary Clinton continues to refer to the server and her use of private email as a mistake. Strikingly, Cooper also said in his March interview that Hillary Clinton had Sensitive Compartmented Information Facilities (SCIFs) in both her New York residence as well as her residence in the District of Columbia (DC). In his last interview with the FBI in June, Cooper suddenly remembered there were also two identical iMac computers inside what were supposed to be tightly secured rooms used to review classified materials. The interview states, Cooper recalled a personally-owned iMac computer in the Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility (SCIF) of both the Washington, DC and Chappaqua, NY residences of Hillary Clinton. Cooper added he did not have the combination to open the SCIF and admitted: The SCIF doors at both residences were not always secured. This on its face is a direct violation of security protocol. Cooper added further insight into close aide Huma Abedins access to the SCIFs by stating Abedin was frequently there but did not know if Abedin could access the SCIF when it was secured. The Commission on Presidential Debates admitted Friday there were indeed issues with Donald Trumps audio at Mondays debate four days after the Republican nominee complained about sound issues inside the venue and was mocked for it by Hillary Clinton. Regarding the first debate, there were issues regarding Donald Trump's audio that affected the sound level in the debate hall, the CPD said in a short statement Friday afternoon. While Trump already has taken a drubbing from political analysts for aspects of his performance Monday, the unusual -- and belated -- statement from the commission boosts his claim that he was having microphone problems. "I was a little bit upset that the microphone in the room wasnt working," Trump told reporters Monday night. The next day, he continued to bring up the sound issues. "My microphone in the room, they couldnt hear me," Trump said on Fox and Friends. "I wonder if it was set up that way, he added. It was terrible." Trump said there had been no issue with the microphone before the debate, and suggested a more sinister motive at play. I dont want to believe in conspiracy theories of course, but it was much lower than hers and it was crackling, he said. Clinton mocked the complaints at the time. Anybody who complains about the microphone is not having a good night, she told reporters Tuesday. Some in the Trump campaign also have suggested the audio problems are why Trumps microphone picked up on his breathing so acutely. During the early part of the debate, he was mocked on social media for what sounded like sniffling. Former Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean even questioned whether it was a sign he's a "coke user" (for which Dean was also ridiculed). However, the CPDs short statement only referred to issues inside the hall, and not how it came across on television. Trump mentioned the issue again late Friday, telling a crowd in Michigan: "When you have 100 million people watching, what do you do, stop the show? It was bad, I wonder why." @realDonaldTrump's problem isn't that he couldn't be heard on Monday night. His problem is we all heard him quite clearly. Jennifer Palmieri (@jmpalmieri) September 30, 2016 Clinton campaign Communications Director Jennifer Palmieri tweeted in response to the CPD announcement that the mic wasn't Trump's problem. You could almost imagine them skulking around the shadows of the U.S. Capitol the past few days. They carried stethoscopes. They dressed head-to-toe in stage black and donned domino masks that looked like something borrowed from the Riddler. Lawmakers had a congressional safe to crack. They had to figure out how to fund the government by Friday night to avoid a government shutdown, approve money for the Zika crisis, address the toxic-water catastrophe in Flint, Mich., and simultaneously help flood victims in Louisiana. Its not clear if the safe in question read Hamilton, SentrySafe or Honeywell. But the vault was fortified with diamond hardplate locks, devices to relock the bolts and anti-pry doors. This wouldnt be easy. Safecrackers sometimes use a stethoscope or other audio amplification devices to listen for the click of tumblers falling into place as they determine the combination to open a safe. It was all a matter of just figuring out which digit fell where before lawmakers could solve their parliamentary puzzle. As it turns out, aid to Flint was the crucial part to cracking this safe. Once lawmakers unlocked that issue, the tumblers aligned and they settled the host of issues. Late Tuesday night, House Republican and Democratic leaders forged a deal to allow debate on an amendment crafted by Rep. Dan Kildee, D-Mich., to provide $170 million in emergency relief for Flint. Democrats threatened to withhold support for a stopgap spending bill to fund the government unless Republicans addressed Flint. That put House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., in a pickle. The speaker risked a government shutdown unless he could engineer enough votes to pass an interim bill to keep the lights burning through mid-December. A chunk of House Republicans wouldnt vote yea simply because they failed to secure any of the items in the bill important to conservatives. The other option for Ryan was to latch Flint aid to the spending bill. That would court Democrats and avert the shutdown. But Ryan knew he couldnt go there. Former House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, deployed that strategy on various occasions. Even conservatives chastised Boehner for bills that garnered a healthy mix of Democrats and Republicans -- but failed to address conservative priorities trumpeted by influential outside groups such as Heritage Action and the Club for Growth. In some respects, cracking a safe and finding a political solution to a legislative problem is a lot like Goldilocks principle. None of the tumblers can be out of alignment at all. The lock wont open. Its not too hot. Not too cold. But just right. Ryan and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., finally hit their mark. The duo carved an agreement moving the Flint money to a water policy bill, and Democrats would help support the interim spending bill. Congress would fund the government, and Ryan wouldnt have to face onerous, internal political consequences. What happened is what I was hoping and planning on happening all along, said Ryan about the resolution. I thought it was important to get Flint out of the continuing resolution debate and where it belongs in the water resources bill. Flint is a water resources problem that therefore should be addressed in water resources legislation. Pelosi knew she held the combination to the safe. There's no question the fact that they did not have the votes gave us leverage. But we were prepared, Pelosi said. The children of Flint could not be neglected any longer by this Congress. Contrast this to what Pelosi said the day before when asked about Flint and the stopgap bill. They could help themselves a lot by putting Flint in there, she said. They have problems on this bill unless they have the votes on their side. Perhaps, this was the only plausible outcome available. Late Wednesday afternoon, the House OKd the Flint amendment 284-141. On its face, that looks like a big bipartisan vote. It was. 101 Republicans and 183 Democrats voted aye to attach Kildees amendment to the water policy bill. All noes came from Republicans. The GOP often mentions that it likes to secure a majority of the majority on issues. With 247 Republican House members, 101 yeas is a far cry from 50.1 percent of that majority. But no matter. Pelosi and Democrats got what they wanted. Speaking generally, conservatives did not. Late Wednesday night, the House approved the interim spending bill funding the government through December 9 and avoiding a shutdown. The vote: 342-85. There was overwhelming bipartisan support for the package from Democrats and Republicans. Republicans supplied 170 yeas. Democrats slightly outpaced their colleagues with 172 ayes. And, the GOP secured a majority of the majority. But Republicans couldnt have advanced the plan without Democrats -- to say nothing of solving the Flint puzzle. So, some may ask why 11 months into his speakership does Ryan still need assistance from Democrats to approve spending bills? And how is this not different from the conundrum which weighted down his predecessor, John Boehner? Well, the speaker may have changed, but not the membership. I think people in our caucus understand the reality of the moment that this divided government presents us with, Ryan said. Ryan also took a swipe at retiring Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, and Senate Democrats whom the speaker accused of slowing down annual spending bills. My hope is that after the election, they'll drop their political shenanigans and we'll get on at doing the serious business of actually appropriating. If we don't, we'll do another continuing resolution, Ryan said. By their nature, continuing resolutions, or CRs, fund the government at existing levels if lawmakers fail to craft a broader agreement. This is what drives some Congressional conservatives up a wall. First, they hoped the House would advance individual spending bills this year under Ryans stewardship. The House adopted several. But thats why they relied on a CR now, glomming everything together. Secondly, the House didnt even manage to approve a budget, the first step in the annual spending process. Conservatives hoped for a lower spending level for the bill. The total spending figure for this bill is $1.067 trillion. Conservatives advocated $1.040 trillion. Many members of the House Freedom Caucus aimed to tuck policy provisions into the legislation. Those riders included a prohibition for Planned Parenthood-affiliated clinics to receive Zika aid. They also wanted to super-vet Syrian refugees coming to the U.S. None of those elements made it into the final package. Establishment Republicans have once again partnered with Democrats to ignore our fiscal crisis, rather than join conservatives determined to restore fiscal sanity, complained Rep. Raul Labrador, R-Idaho. Our new Republican leadership vowed to complete the regular appropriations process, passing the 12 bills that fulfill the duty of Congress to take good care in spending taxpayer dollars. Today, they punted. This is why some members of the Freedom Caucus wonder if things are really that different under the Ryan regime versus Boehners. Moreover, one House conservative told Fox they should have just let the government shut down last night. We won seats in 2014, didnt we? asked the Republican who asked to remain anonymous. After the 16-day government shutdown in 2013, Republicans padded their House majority by winning 13 seats in the 2014 midterm elections. That propelled the GOP to its biggest House majority since the late 1920s. Some conservatives simply dont think going to the mat over a government shutdown is that bad a strategy. After some haggling, Democrats and Republicans managed to pick the combination lock and avoid a shutdown this fall. Its likely there could be another safe that needs cracking just before Christmas. Perhaps the most-robust safe could arrive at the capitol next March as lawmakers wrestle with raising the debt ceiling. The debt limit battle is always an ambitious enterprise. One wonders how skilled the safecrackers will have to be to crack the code on that challenge next year. Donald Trump is on the campaign trail Saturday with a stop in eastern Pennsylvania, a swing state critical in his path toward trying to win the White House and another opportunity for the Republican presidential nominee to steady his campaign after a solid debate performance was undone by final-minute accusations about demeaning women. Democratic rival Hillary Clintons accusations during the debate Monday that Trump demeaned a former Miss Universe winner from Venezuela had Trump, for much of the remainder of the week, publically discrediting the woman, including a pre-dawn Twitter rant Friday in which he dismissed her as a con and suggested she had appeared in a sex tape. For those few people knocking me for tweeting at three o'clock in the morning, at least you know I will be there, awake, to answer the call! Trump tweeted later that morning. One of Trumps biggest supporters, former GOP House Speaker Newt Gingrich, said on Fox New Channels the Hannity show: "You can't tweet at 3 o'clock in the morning. Period. There's no excuse. Ever. Not if you're going to be president of the United States." Clinton also criticized Trump's behavior, telling a campaign crowd Friday in Coral Springs, Fla.: Who gets up at 3 in the morning to engage in a Twitter attack against the former Miss Universe? On the campaign trail Friday night in Michigan, a state Clinton lost in the primary, Trump appeared back to business, telling the crowd, "I am going to fight so hard for all of you. And I am going to bring back the jobs that have been stripped away from you and your country." Trump on Saturday will be in Manheim, Pa., Amish country where roughly 91 percent of the population is white. Clinton has pulled slightly ahead in polls after the debate, after Trump in recent weeks brought the race to essentially a dead heat. A Fox News poll released Friday has Clinton leading by 5 percentage points among likely voters, 49-to-44 percent. Winning Pennsylvania will be difficult for Trump, considering the state has voted for the Democratic nominee in the past six presidential elections, despite its reputation as a battleground or swing state. Clinton will almost assuredly do well in the Democratic-leaning cities of Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. However, Trump could perform well in the surrounding Pittsburg counties of western Pennsylvania, known as coal and steel country, in which Trumps promise to bring back manufacturing jobs appears to resonate with voters. Some political analysts think the Clinton-Trump race in Pennsylvania could be decided by who wins suburban Philadelphia, include the wealthy western part known as the Main Line. However, Trump will likely need more support from women in those and other communities. The recent Fox News poll shows he trails Clinton among such likely voters 33-to-53 percent. Trumps oldest daughter, Ivanka Trump, is trying to help her father among female voters. The most important job any woman can have is being a mother, and it shouldnt mean taking a pay cut, the entrepreneur and mother-of-three says in a 30-second TV ad released Friday. "Donald Trump understands the needs of a modern workforce. Two American sisters found dead in their tropical island villa while vacationing in Seychelles died of excess fluid in their lungs, according to police in the African archipelago nation. The bodies of Annie Marie Korkki, 37, and Robin Marie Korkki, 42, were found last week by hotel staff at the Maia resort on Mahe, Seychelles' main island. Autopsies conducted Wednesday determined that the Minnesota natives died from acute pulmonary edema, or having fluid in their lungs, according to a police report obtained by Minnesota television station KARE. Cerebral edema, or fluid in the brain, was also cited in Anne Korkki's death. The report said no visible signs of injuries were found. Police said the autopsies were conducted by a forensic pathologist in the neighboring Indian Ocean island of Mauritius. The investigation is ongoing and toxicology tests are pending, police said. Many things can cause acute pulmonary edema and cerebral edema, said Dr. Patrick Lank, a Northwestern Medicine assistant professor of emergency medicine in Chicago. Emergency rooms commonly see it in drug overdoses, he said, but it might also come from a viral infection. "Two people at the same time is odd," Lank said. "It suggests more of a toxicologic or environmental cause, or a potential infection if they're traveling together." An itinerary found at the Maia hotel indicated the sisters had been touring Africa since Sept. 1, and that they had visited Kenya, Tanzania and Zanzibar before arriving in Seychelles on Sept. 16. Annie Korkki lived in Denver, while Robin Korkki lived in Chicago. Their brother, Chris Korkki of Lakeville, Minnesota, told The Associated Press on Thursday that his sisters were adventurous women who wanted to experience life to the fullest. "They were frequent travelers both domestically and internationally," he said. "They were kind and generous and compassionate, and were wonderful people that had a positive impact on a huge number of people." He didn't immediately return phone and email messages seeking comment Friday. A spokesman for Seychelles police was unavailable for comment Friday. The Maia hotel released a statement confirming the sisters were discovered by a hotel employee who tried to wake them, adding: "Our thoughts are with the family and friends." A Florida man is behind bars after he was busted with a milk crate, according to a report. The crate was attached to a bicycle that Timothy Troller was riding when he was stopped in Auburndale Thursday night by a deputy with the Polk County Sheriffs Office, WFLA-TV reports. Troller was arrested and charged with possession of a dairy crate, a misdemeanor, the station reported Friday. As of Saturday the 34-year-old man was still being held at the Polk County Jail. Trollers grandfather Edward Hale told the station he didnt know having a milk crate was a crime. I never heard of it, he said. This is the first time ever. He didnt know it was against the law or he wouldnt have put it on the front of the bicycle and rode up and down the road. Polk County Sheriffs Office spokeswoman Carrie Horstman defended the arrest. Youre possessing something that is stolen from a business, whether its as small as a milk crate, or a shopping cart, Horstman told WFLA. He was charged with possessing stolen property. He may pay a fine or spend a few days in jail. The milk crate was the property of Sunshine Dairy Farms. Troller claimed he found it on the side of the road, the station reported. Hale admitted his grandson has a long rap sheet but still disagreed with the arrest. Wait until he does something wrong, he told the station. Thats the way I feel about it. Its silly to me and besides if it was (illegal) it shouldnt be enough to carry you to jail. next Image 1 of 2 prev Image 2 of 2 The Latest on a Mormon conference in Salt Lake City (all times local): 12:05 p.m. A Mormon leader is cautioning members not to succumb to rebellion, which would keep them out of heaven. J. Devn Cornish of the faith's second-tier of worldwide leaders spoke Saturday during a church conference in Salt Lake City about sin and repentance. Cornish said members can be forgiven for sins if they sincerely repent, but reminded that consequences of their actions sometimes linger. He spoke sternly about rebellion, saying Satan was cast of heaven for rebelling. He also told members that "the worst kind of sin is premeditated sin where one says, I can sin now and repent later.'" Cornish delivered his speech during a twice-yearly conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in which leaders provide spiritual instruction and guidance to members in attendance or watching live broadcasts. ____ 11:15 a.m. A Mormon leader is urging members of the Utah-based religion not to be timid about defending church founder Joseph Smith's story. Craig Christensen of the faith's second-tier of worldwide leaders spoke Saturday during a church conference in Salt Lake City about members struggling with "erroneous, misleading or superficial information" about Smith. He told members to remember the many benefits that have come in the nearly 200 years since Smith, then a teenager, says he had a vision of God and Jesus Christ in the woods of upstate New York that led to the formation of the church 10 years later. Christensen didn't reference any specific misinformation about Smith, though critics have long questioned Smith's accounts of his visions and his account that God helped him translate gold plates engraved with writing in ancient Egyptian into the Book of Mormon. Leaders give speeches of spiritual guidance and sometimes announce new church initiatives during the twice-yearly conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints'. ____ 12:11 a.m. Mormons are gathering in Salt Lake City to listen to speeches from church leaders at a twice-yearly conference. More than 100,000 members of the faith are expected to attend five sessions in Salt Lake City that span Saturday and Sunday. Thousands more will listen or watch around the world on television, radio, satellite and internet broadcasts. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' conference comes amid an intense presidential election in the U.S. and as members around the world grapple with the increasing needs of refugees. Church leaders could talk more about their push to be welcoming toward refugees at a time when some others are tightening the hatches. Mormon leaders are not expected to mention presidential candidates by name, but they could advocate again for public civility and compassion. Alfred Olango, the unarmed black man shot and killed by police in a suburb of San Diego, will be remembered in a demonstration Saturday organized by clergy members and supporters of Olango's family. The event comes a day after two videos of the shooting were released by authorities, something the family and community leaders in El Cajon had urged. The videos show the officer fired four times at close range almost immediately after Olango, 38, suddenly raised both hands to chest level and took what was described as a shooting stance. The shots came less than a minute after police arrived at the scene in response to Olango's sister calling 911 and reporting he was acting erratically. The videos were released after nights of unruly and, at times, violent protests in El Cajon, On Thursday night, an officer was struck in the head by a brick hurled by a protester. "Our only concern at this point was community safety," police Chief Jeff Davis said. "We felt that the aggression of some some of the protesters was escalating to the point where it was necessary to release some information and truly, it was my hope to relieve some of that concern." A fourth night of protests on Friday remained peaceful at least for the first few hours, with about 200 people blocking intersections and at one point attempting to walk on to a freeway before police stopped them. The Rev. Shane Harris of the civil rights organization National Action Network said the low-quality videos, shot at a distance, didn't clarify what led to the shooting and said they're likely to make people angrier. "What we saw today, that isn't enough," said Harris, who is assisting Olango's family. In addition to the videos, police showed the 4-inch electronic cigarette device Olango had in his hands when he was shot. A lawyer for the family said they welcomed the release of the videos, but he questioned the tactics used by Officer Richard Gonsalves. Olango had been reported to be mentally disturbed and unarmed and yet Gonsalves approached with his weapon out, Dan Gilleon said. "It shows a cowboy with his gun drawn provoking a mentally disturbed person," Gilleon said. The incident is the latest in a series of fatal shootings of black men that have roiled communities across the U.S. It came weeks after fatal shootings by police in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Charlotte, North Carolina. Olango, a Ugandan refugee who arrived in the U.S. as a boy, had a criminal record that included drug and weapon charges but no violence. His family described him as a loving father and a joyful, happy person. His mother said he suffered a mental breakdown recently after the death of his best friend. On Tuesday, his sister called 911 and reported he was acting strangely and walking into traffic by a strip mall. The longer of the two videos released by police came from a surveillance camera in the drive-thru of a restaurant. It is roughly a minute, has no sound and police blurred out the heads of everyone in it. Olango is seen walking through the parking lot and then stopping suddenly as Gonsalves approached, his weapon drawn at his side. Olango, his right hand in his pants pocket, moved side to side and backed up toward a white pickup truck. As Gonsalves moved in from the front, a second officer, Josh McDaniel, got out of a cruiser and approached from the side. In the second video, taken on a cellphone by a witness in the drive-thru, Olango's sister is seen approaching Gonsalves from behind and a woman can be heard screaming at Olango to put up his hands and telling police not to shoot. Olango then bent over and assumed the shooting stance and Gonsalves quickly fired four shots at close-range. A woman shrieked loudly as Olango fell forward. That night, as an angry crowd protested outside police headquarters, Davis released a single image from the video showing Olango with his hands clasped in front and in the shooting stance. Police said he had ignored repeated orders to show his hands. Davis defended the release and said it was intended to de-escalate tensions and correct what he felt was a "false narrative" that was developing. Some witnesses said Olango had his hands in the air and was begging not to be shot. Andre Branch, president of NAACP San Diego, commended the city for releasing video. "Full disclosure to the public builds trust, and it demonstrates respect," Branch said. next Image 1 of 3 prev next Image 2 of 3 prev Image 3 of 3 Mormons are gathering in Salt Lake City to listen to speeches from church leaders at a twice-yearly conference. More than 100,000 members of the faith are expected to attend five sessions in Salt Lake City that span Saturday and Sunday. Thousands more will listen or watch around the world on television, radio, satellite and internet broadcasts. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' conference comes amid an intense presidential election in the U.S. and as members around the world grapple with the increasing needs of refugees. Church leaders could talk more about their push to be welcoming toward refugees at a time when some others are tightening the hatches. Mormon leaders sent a letter a year ago urging its members to help and launched a refugee relief effort campaign in March called "I Was A Stranger." Last month, the church posted a new video on its website showing how members can mentor refugees. Mormon leaders are not expected to mention presidential candidates by name, but they could advocate again for public civility and compassion. Their mostly Republican members are trying to decide how to vote in November amid a general distaste for the brash Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. Trump's inability to connect with Mormon voters has led to significantly fewer Latter-day Saints identifying as Republicans this year compared with four years ago when Mitt Romney, a Mormon himself, was the party's presidential nominee, according to a recent Pew Research Center survey. Leaders may also advocate for religious liberty protections, a popular topic in recent years for the faith. Mormon leaders have been preaching the importance of preserving religious liberty while also calling on members to accept and adhere to the legalization of same-sex marriage by the U.S. Supreme Court. next Image 1 of 3 prev next Image 2 of 3 prev Image 3 of 3 Almost four years after Superstorm Sandy pummeled his neighborhood so badly that Britain's Prince Harry had to stop by for a look at the damage, Paul Jeffrey is ready to sleep soundly again. His Ortley Beach community in Toms River, New Jersey, called itself ground zero of the 2012 storm that washed entire neighborhoods off the map and in some cases, into the bay. It is among shore towns in a 14-mile stretch of coast that will soon be getting protective sand dunes as part of a $150 million project that has been repeatedly delayed by litigation from some property owners. New Jersey officials solicited bids this week for the project, which should begin in the spring. But opponents vow to keep fighting it in court. Kerrville, TX (78028) Today Partly cloudy this evening with more clouds for overnight. Low 48F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight Partly cloudy this evening with more clouds for overnight. Low 48F. Winds light and variable. A new sentencing date has been set for an Ohio man who pleaded guilty to plotting attacks against a U.S. military official and a local police station. Charging documents say Munir Abdulkader (moo-neer ab-duhl-KAH-der) pleaded guilty in March to attempting to kill officers and employees of the United States, material support of a foreign terrorist organization and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a violent crime. Abdulkader, of West Chester in southwestern Ohio, was arrested in May 2015. He was scheduled for sentencing Tuesday. Cincinnati federal judge Michael Barrett on Friday reset the date to Nov. 18. Investigators say Abdulkader communicated with a member of the Islamic State and plotted to abduct and kill a military employee and attack a police station that was not identified. A wildfire burning in Northern California's Santa Cruz Mountains has destroyed a dozen homes and 16 other structures. Cal Fire said Saturday afternoon that 12 homes and 16 structures were destroyed by the fire. That compares to eight homes and nine other structures on Friday reported destroyed. The blaze has charred about 6 square miles and is 56 percent contained. It is still threatening 325 structures. Hundreds of residents were evacuated from both Santa Cruz and Santa Clara County neighborhoods after the blaze started Monday. Mandatory evacuations were lifted for Santa Cruz County but they remain in effect for Santa Clara County, where most of the threatened structures are located. Fire officials expect full containment by early next week. Police in South Carolina are investigating a possible murder-suicide involving three people, one of them a 10-month-old baby. Lt. Raul E. Denis of the Horry County Police Department said in an email that officers were called to a home in Conway shortly after midnight on Saturday and found three people dead a man, a woman and a baby. Denis said a 2-year-old child found at the scene was transported to a nearby hospital. His condition was unavailable. The cause of the deaths is under investigation. About half a million refugees in Germany received social security benefits in June, almost twice as many as a year earlier, potentially fueling tension among voters over the recent influx of refugees and heaping pressure on Chancellor Angela Merkel. The Federal Employment Agency said 469,403 immigrants from asylum seekers eight most common countries of origin received benefits in June, a 93% increase from a year earlier. The number of Syrians tripled to 292,326 while the number of Iraqis rose by almost a quarter to 68,813. The influx of some 890,000 asylum seekers into Germany last year has turned into a challenge for Ms. Merkel, who had initially welcomed them with open arms. Unease among voters about public expenses for asylum seekers and criminal offenses committed by some immigrants has eroded support for her Christian Democratic Party in recent regional elections. Refugees become eligible for social security benefits or permitted to work in many cases months after their arrival because they have to go through a bureaucratic process first, during which authorities decide whether they are allowed to stay in the country. In total, 5.9 million people received social security benefits in June, of which 1.6 million were foreigners, according to the Federal Employment Agency. The number of refugees with regular employment rose by a third to 104,736 in July. Most refugees struggle to find jobs because of insufficient German language skills, poor education and bureaucratic hurdles. The majority of job-seeking refugees qualify only for entry-level positions, but an advanced economy like Germanys needs mainly skilled staff. Click for more from The Wall Street Journal. next Image 1 of 2 prev Image 2 of 2 A judge in El Salvador is reopening a probe into one of the most notorious massacres in recent history: the murder of hundreds of people in the village of El Mozote. Human rights advocate Ovidio Mauricio told The Associated Press on Saturday that Judge Jorge Guzman Urquilla has accepted his organization's request. It's based on a ruling by the country's Supreme Court that overturned a law that granted an amnesty for war crimes during El Salvador's 1979-1992 civil war. A postwar truth commission concluded that the army massacred at least 500 people in El Mozote and surrounding villages in three days in December 1981. Victims' rights advocates put the number closer to 1,000. Researchers say the villagers had tried to remain neutral, but the army suspected them of rebel sympathies. A man has confessed to killing 19 people in one village after an argument with his parents over money. The Xinhua news agency, quoting police, said Yang Qingpei first murdered his mother and father, then went on a killing spree of their neighbors to prevent them reporting his crime. A list of the victims' names circulating online showed they included 11 males and eight females, with the youngest a three-year-old girl and the oldest 72. Four names were minors under 18. The mass killing took place in the village of Yema in China's mountainous Yunnan Province. Yunnan police said 27-year-old Yang was arrested more than 120 miles away in the provincial capital of Kunming after 33 hours of "arduous investigation". But video footage circulating online reportedly from Yema itself showed police and heavily armed officers walking the streets and a young man in jeans handcuffed on the ground. Click for more from Sky News. Russia warned the United States Saturday against carrying out any attacks on Syrian government forces, saying it would have repercussions across the Middle East as government forces captured a hill on the edge of the northern city of Aleppo under the cover of airstrikes. Meanwhile, airstrikes on Aleppo struck a hospital in the eastern rebel-held neighborhood of Sakhour on Saturday, putting it out of service, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and the Local Coordination Committees. They said at least one person was killed in the airstrike. Russian news agencies quoted Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova as saying that a U.S. intervention against the Syrian army "will lead to terrible, tectonic consequences not only on the territory of this country but also in the region on the whole." She said regime change in Syria would create a vacuum that would be "quickly filled" by "terrorists of all stripes." U.S.-Russian tensions over Syria have escalated since the breakdown of a cease-fire last month, with each side blaming the other for its failure. Syrian government forces backed by Russian warplanes have launched a major onslaught on rebel-held parts of Aleppo. Syrian troops pushed ahead in their offensive in Aleppo on Saturday capturing the strategic Um al-Shuqeef hill near the Palestinian refugee camp of Handarat that government forces captured from rebels earlier this week, according to state TV. The hill is on the northern edge of the Aleppo, Syria's largest city and former commercial center. The powerful ultraconservative Ahrar al-Sham militant group said rebels regained control Saturday of several positions they lost in Aleppo in the Bustan al-Basha neighborhood. State media said 13 people were wounded when rebels shelled the central government-held neighborhood of Midan. In the rebel-held portion of Aleppo, opposition activist Ahmad Alkhatib described the hospital, known as M10, as one of the largest in Aleppo. He posted photographs on his Twitter account showing the damage including beds covered with dust, a hole in its roof and debris covering the street outside. A doctor at the hospital told the Aleppo Media Center, an activist collective, that thousands of people were treated in the compound in the past adding that two people were killed in Saturday's airstrikes and several were wounded. "A real catastrophe will hit medical institutions in Aleppo if the direct shelling continues to target hospitals and clinics," said the doctor whose name was not given. He said the whole hospital is out of service. Opposition activists have blamed the President Bashar Assad's forces and Russia for airstrikes that hit Civil Defense units and clinics in the city where eastern rebel-held neighborhoods are besieged by government forces and pro-government militiamen. On Friday, the international medical humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders demanded that the Syrian government and its allies "halt the indiscriminate bombing that has killed and wounded hundreds of civilians--many of them children," over the past week in Aleppo. "Bombs are raining from Syria-led coalition planes and the whole of east Aleppo has become a giant kill box," said Xisco Villalonga, director of operations for the group. "The Syrian government must stop the indiscriminate bombing, and Russia as an indispensable political and military ally of Syria has the responsibility to exert the pressure to stop this." It said from Sept. 21 to 26, hospitals still functioning in Aleppo reported receiving more than 822 wounded, including at least 221 children, and more than 278 dead bodies--including 96 children--according to the Directorate of Health in east Aleppo. Sweden's Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom criticized attacks on civilian targets writing on her Twitter account: "Unacceptable to bomb civilians, children and hospitals in (hash)Aleppo. No humanity. Assad & Russia moving further away from peace." In the eastern province of Deir el-Zour, warplanes of the U.S.-led coalition destroyed several bridges on the Euphrates river, according to Syrian state news agency SANA and Deir el-Zour 24, an activist media collective. The province is a stronghold of the Islamic State group. SANA said that among the bridges destroyed was the Tarif Bridge that links Deir el-Zour with the northern Syrian city of Raqqa, the extremists' de-facto capital. The sons of imprisoned drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman were likely behind a brazen ambush on a military convoy using grenades and high-powered guns that left five soldiers dead and 10 wounded on Friday, officials said. The attack in Mexico's northern Sinaloa state left two military vehicles completely burned out and dead soldiers scattered across a highway. It was apparently launched to free a wounded drug suspect being transported in an ambulance guarded by the convoy. "Up this point we are not certain about this group, but it is very probable that it was the sons of Chapo," said local military commander Gen. Alfonso Duarte. The pre-dawn ambush was the worst attack on military personnel since 2015, when drug cartel gunmen in the state of Jalisco shot down an army helicopter with a rocket launcher, killing 10 people. Friday's attack on the outskirts of Culiacan, the capital of Sinaloa state, was unusual for the Sinaloa cartel, which Guzman headed until he was re-arrested in January. Some believe his sons are now running the gang and have changed the rules of engagement long practiced by the father, who kept a low profile until last year. However others say "El Chapo's" longtime partner Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada is in control. The fierceness of the attack suggested that whoever was travelling in the ambulance escorted by the convoy was a high-ranking member of the cartel, or a person of interest to the gang. "These groups acted with cowardice, in a premeditated manner, and the carried out the attack with weapons, with grenades," while the soldiers had only automatic weapons, said Duarte. Duarte said the attack was launched to free the suspect, who he identified as Julio Oscar Ortiz Vega, though he acknowledged the name might be a pseudonym. Duarte said the wounded man had been picked up by soldiers following a gun fight in Badiraguato, Guzman's hometown. Duarte said that Guzman's brother, known by his nickname as "El Guano," has been fighting a turf battle against the Beltran Leyva cartel in the area "to control the means of drug production," which include opium poppy fields. The Defense Department said in a statement that an army patrol had been attacked in Badiraguato and returned fire; the wounded man was taken into custody when the rest of the attackers fled. Because local hospitals couldn't give him the care he needed, an army patrol was taking him to Culiacan when it came under attack. The attackers took the ambulance and the wounded suspect before fleeing. Among those wounded in the convoy were the ambulance driver and one soldier who suffered severe injuries. Meanwhile, authorities in Jalisco said Thursday they have found a total of nine bodies near a lake popular with tourists. Jalisco state Attorney General Eduardo Almaguer said the bodies of eight men and one woman have not yet been identified, in part because of the rural nature of the area and the lack of witnesses. The bodies have been found over the last few days in a river that leads out of the eastern end of Lake Chapala, near the border with the state of Michoacan. In 2013, 64 bodies were found in mass graves in area nearby. That is the opposite end of the lake from the town of Chapala, popular among tourists and American retirees. next Image 1 of 3 prev next Image 2 of 3 prev Image 3 of 3 Turkey's president says the European Union wants to back out of lifting visa restrictions for Turks a key incentive offered Turkey in a deal to stop thousands of migrants from crossing the Aegean Sea to Greece. Speaking Saturday in parliament at the opening of the legislative year, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan criticized the stalling of the visa liberalization deal, which was supposed to come into force this month. He says "this stance is a declaration that the European Union does not wish to keep the promise it made Turkey." Plans to loosen visa restrictions have run into trouble over Turkey's refusal to amend its anti-terror laws as it fights heightened threats from Kurdish rebels and the Islamic State group. The EU wants Turkey to narrow its definition of terrorism. A blog about life under, and resisting, a dictatorship Privacy Overview This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful. Gemini 2 Software Is Launched By Brandon Lewis CEO Of Gemini Holdings For Winning Binary Options Trading Signals Gemini 2 Review - Gemini 2 software by Brandon Lewis has been released for those who want reliable binary trading signals in binary trading industry can download Gemini 2 Free. -- Gemini 2 Review recently launched by The Daily Harrison offers a concise description of the new binary options trading app developed by Brandon Lewis. The price for the Gemini 2 Binary trading signal software download is zero. Understanding the binary options trading industry is a matter of extensive study and constant monitoring of the price action. Many people do not have the time or knowledge to follow all of the market moves. The Gemini 2 Binary trading app is a beneficial solution for such individuals, since the trading is done automatically, according to carefully identified algorithms and signals. The initial release of the Gemini2 software occurred in September, 2016 and has been receiving positive reviews since that time. The Gemini 2 APP download is easy to do and has no costs associated with the download. The Gemini 2 website offers additional bonuses which increase the value and effectiveness of the trading app. The bonuses are valued at more than $1000 and are also provided at no cost to the trader. The Gemini 2 software app provides signals which are the notice to make a trade in the binary options market. Traders using the app may set it to make the trades automatically. The Gemini 2 Binary signals are based on proprietary algorithms which follow the movement of the prices in the trading marketplace. Binary options trading industry are designed to be a simple decision about upcoming market movement: either higher than the trade implementation price or lower than the price. The Gemini 2 results are determined quickly, sometimes in a matter of seconds. Brandon Lewis has been trading binary options for about 7 years. Over the last three-plus years, he and his associates designed Gemini 2 software to become the go-to auto-trading app for a thousand or beta testers using the new binary trading software. Because the Gemini 2 Binary software is designed for simplicity and ease of use, even those inexperienced with trading methods and definitions, can take advantage of the features. For more information, please visit http://www.centumentltd.com/gemini-2-software-scam-brandon-lewis-best Contact Info: Name: Brandon Lewis Organization: Gemini 2 Source: http://marketersmedia.com/gemini-2-software-is-launched-by-brandon-lewis-ceo-of-gemini-holdings-for-winning-binary-options-trading-signals/134656 Release ID: 134656 For more information visit r Recent Press Releases By The Same User Agarwood Essential Oil Market Expected to Grow at CAGR 4.2% During 2016 to 2022"> (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Cyber Weapon Market by Type, Product, Application, Region, Outlook and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Landscaping and Gardening Expert Trevor McClintock Launches New Locally Optimized Website (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Sleep apnea devices Market is Evolving At A CAGR of 7.5% by 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Agriculture Technology Market 2017 Global Analysis, Opportunities and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Global VR Helmet Market by Manufacturers, Technology, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Richard Celler Legal Welcoms Attorney Noah E. Storch To The Florida Employment Law Firm The new lawyer will practice law in employee claims in on behalf of Florida employees. -- Richard Celler Legal, P.A. is proud to welcome attorney Noah E. Storch to their contingency-fee employment law practice. Mr. Storch joins the law office with extensive experience, having worked at the largest and most distinguished global management-side defense firm. Knowing all the tricks and tactics employers use, he now brings his unique insight to the fight on behalf of employees victimized in their workplace. His practice focuses on family medical leave act protections, unlawful workplace retaliation claims, whistleblower law protections, on the job harassment, discrimination and unpaid wage litigation. He will be helping Florida workers victimized by their employers restore their financial security and protect their rights. For more information about family medical leave act violations visit: http://www.floridaovertimelawyer.com/practice-areas/family-medical-leave-act-protection-attorney/ Mr. Storch was named a Florida Super Lawyers "Rising Star" consecutively from 2014 to 2016 and is licensed to practice in all Florida state courts, including the Southern, Middle, and Northern District of Florida as well as the 11th Circuit. Originally from NY state, he moved to Florida in 4th grade with his family. "We are very proud to welcome Mr. Storch to the team - his passion and skill will be a great asset for our clients - defending and advocating for individuals who have suffered unlawful employer actions," stated trial attorney Richard Celler. Mr. Storch's nuanced skill in his practice areas will undoubtedly be put to great use at the nationally recognized and leading Florida employment law firm popular among workers seeking representation across Florida. Office Expansion in South Florida Richard Celler Legal, P.A. has seen significant growth since it's inception in 2013. Based in Davie Florida, the office now has a location in Tampa, in the Sun Trust Tower on 401 E. Jackson Street, as well as an address in Orlando in the Lucerne Executive Center, and a location at 301 W Bay Street in Jacksonville Florida. Firm founder Richard Celler addressed the growth, stating: "Our multiple locations allow us to best serve our local clients across the State and in different communities are looking for the best lawyer 'near me'." Their contingency-fee practice has recovered including resolutions between $1,000,000 to in excess of $9,500,000.00 and client verdicts in excess of $1,100,000.00 in employment law trials on behalf of victimized workers. For more information, visit: http://www.floridaovertimelawyer.com For more information, please visit http://www.floridaovertimelawyer.com Contact Info: Name: Richard Celler, Esq. Organization: Richard Celler Legal, P.A. Address: 7450 Griffin Road, Suite 230 Davie, Florida 33314 Phone: 866-344-9243 Source: http://marketersmedia.com/richard-celler-legal-welcoms-attorney-noah-e-storch-to-the-florida-employment-law-firm/134677 Release ID: 134677 For more information visit r Recent Press Releases By The Same User Agarwood Essential Oil Market Expected to Grow at CAGR 4.2% During 2016 to 2022"> (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Cyber Weapon Market by Type, Product, Application, Region, Outlook and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Landscaping and Gardening Expert Trevor McClintock Launches New Locally Optimized Website (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Sleep apnea devices Market is Evolving At A CAGR of 7.5% by 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Agriculture Technology Market 2017 Global Analysis, Opportunities and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Global VR Helmet Market by Manufacturers, Technology, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Glendale CA UnDead Prom and Murder Mystery Author Assaph Mehr Team Up Nikki McFarling created the concept in July 2016 for the UnDead Prom & Murder Mystery that will take place on October 29th 2016 in Glendale, California. The UnDead Prom Newsletter will be featuring an original work from international murder mystery author Assaph Mehr. -- The UnDead Prom & Murder Mystery is proud to announce that international murder mystery author Assaph Mehr is providing the UnDead Student Newsletter with an exclusive first release of his undead short story Shade's Shadow. The story is his darkest work to date and will be available for free to subscribers of the UnDead Student Newsletter which is released weekly. Mehr is a sponsor of the UnDead Prom and has provided two autographed copies of his book Murder in Absentia to the winners of the UnDead Prom King & Queen. Assaph Mehr lives in Sydney, Australia, and like any true mystery writer he does his best writing after midnight. He has published the first book in his Felix the Fox historical fantasy mysteries, and is currently working on the next Felix mystery. Mehr has also published numerous short stories, freely available on egretia.com. He is known for creating fantasy worlds based on real historic places that fascinate him. His addiction to reading allowed him to expand beyond just writing, and he now interviews characters of other stories for his own website TheProtagonistSpeaks.com. The UnDead Student Newsletter will release the first part of Shade's Shadow on the first Monday of October. The newsletter is released every Monday at an ungodly hour, and showcases exclusive short stories along with other undead articles. The featured short story in October is Shade's Shadow and showcases Mehr's skilled talent writing of ancient times featuring mystery, magick and the undead. Alongside his short story will be other undead articles, such as recipes to make desserts to die for, and drinks. Another special article being released in October is a top ten Halloween music list to dance to and make the undead feel alive again. Businesses or individuals interested in becoming sponsors of the UnDead Prom & UnDead Student Newsletter can go to http://www.UnDeadProm.com for more details or can contact Nikki McFarling by emailing info@undeadprom.com. For more information, please visit http://www.undeadprom.com/ Contact Info: Name: Nikki McFarling Email: info@undeadprom.com Organization: UnDead Prom & Murder Mystery Address: 120 E Colorado St Phone: (727) 644-3105 Release ID: 134710 For more information visit r Recent Press Releases By The Same User Agarwood Essential Oil Market Expected to Grow at CAGR 4.2% During 2016 to 2022"> (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Cyber Weapon Market by Type, Product, Application, Region, Outlook and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Landscaping and Gardening Expert Trevor McClintock Launches New Locally Optimized Website (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Sleep apnea devices Market is Evolving At A CAGR of 7.5% by 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Agriculture Technology Market 2017 Global Analysis, Opportunities and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Global VR Helmet Market by Manufacturers, Technology, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Senator Tom Daschle With Accumen, Inc. And American College Healthcare Executives Of Middle Tennessee Convene For Executive Roundtable Senator Tom Daschle, Accumen Health Care Advisor, Cindy Murphy, Vice President Healthcare Strategy and Performance Excellence for Accumen, and the American College Healthcare Executives of Middle Tennessee (ACHEMT) will host an executive roundtable in Nashville. -- On September 28, 2016, Senator Tom Daschle, Accumen Health Care Advisor, Cindy Murphy, Vice President Healthcare Strategy and Performance Excellence for Accumen, and the American College Healthcare Executives of Middle Tennessee (ACHEMT) will host an executive roundtable in Nashville. The main focus of the roundtable is an interactive, out of the box healthcare strategy discussion with industry leaders, innovators and professionals. Healthcare experts will come together to discuss the shift from treating illnesses to treating patients. Insights will be shared on the transition to a patient-centric, value-based care delivery model. Senator Daschle and Murphy share Accumen's passion for better patient care and will discuss the pressing issues for hospital leadership to achieve this elevated level of care. With constantly evolving policies, top level management will have to handle issues including rising consumer expectation of service, patient engagement strategies, financial accountability, and controlling avoidable utilization. Participants of the roundtable will receive insights from industry experts that reflect how the upcoming election will impact healthcare policies and proactive measures health systems can take to be successful in the changing environment. Legislative changes continue to drive hospital and health system executives to seek opportunities for new revenue sources that impact the bottom line. During this event, proven solutions and out of the box ideas including, how hospital laboratories can provide better patient care while simultaneously reducing costs will be captured. Senator Tom Daschle is one of the longest serving Senate Democratic leaders in history. He was involved in creating the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC), which is an organization that is committed to finding common ground on important public policy issues of the time. Cindy Murphy is a nationally recognized speaker and published author in Laboratory Transformation, Healthcare Reform and Patient-Centered Care. If you are interested in attending the event or want to receive more information, please RSVP to Akniery@accumen.com by September 27th. About Accumen-Chi Accumen and Chi form a leading healthcare transformation company that provides end-to-end services and laboratory solutions in consulting, execution, utilization, and outreach support. We partner with hospital and health system laboratories to set new standards of performance in clinical laboratory management--driving higher quality, patient safety, better service, and unprecedented value. Accumen and Chi deliver proven results in laboratory operations, outreach, and patient blood management using a proven blueprint, innovative approach, and insight-driven proprietary technology to create healthier labs, healthier hospitals, and ultimately, healthier communities. Accumen-Accelerating Breakthrough Performance. Find out more at www.accumen.com or www.chisolutionsinc.com For more information, please visit http://www.accumen.com Contact Info: Name: Cindy Judd Organization: Accumen Address: 9246 Lightwave Avenue, Suite 320, San Diego, CA 92123 Phone: 847.404.9962 Source: http://marketersmedia.com/senator-tom-daschle-with-accumen-inc-and-american-college-healthcare-executives-of-middle-tennessee-convene-for-executive-roundtable/133060 Release ID: 133060 For more information visit r Recent Press Releases By The Same User Agarwood Essential Oil Market Expected to Grow at CAGR 4.2% During 2016 to 2022"> (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Cyber Weapon Market by Type, Product, Application, Region, Outlook and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Landscaping and Gardening Expert Trevor McClintock Launches New Locally Optimized Website (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Sleep apnea devices Market is Evolving At A CAGR of 7.5% by 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Agriculture Technology Market 2017 Global Analysis, Opportunities and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Global VR Helmet Market by Manufacturers, Technology, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) The Ledger Law Firm Emery Brett Ledger Achieves Perfect 10.0 Rating On Avvo Avvo is the internet's finest resource for identifying the best lawyers in America, and The Ledger Law Firm Emery Brett Ledger has achieved a perfect 10.0 rating from over fifty independent reviews. -- Getting the right legal help and advice is essential to anyone who has been victim to an injustice. When it comes to personal injuries and wrongful death, people need to know they have the best support possible. Avvo is an online review site for people to find client-rated legal professionals, together with comprehensive information on their background and experience. This enables users to decide which lawyer could best represent their claim. Ledger Law's own Emery Brett Ledger has now received over 50 reviews on the site, and has a perfect 10.0 rating. The 10.0 rating is the highest a lawyer can achieve on the site, and requires flawless reviews from every client. With over fifty clients reviewing, the consistency of excellent feedback for Ledger is second to none. Each client has shared their personal experiences with The Ledger Law Firm, describing how the service went above and beyond their expectations. Avvo has gone deeper than just experiential feedback to create its ratings, with a detailed breakdown of practice areas, fees, a full resume and even endorsements from other legal professionals, so that people have a comprehensive view of the lawyer, as well as the top-line score. A spokesperson for The Ledger Law Firm explained, "We are thrilled that Emery has received such an abundance of positive feedback from clients - it is doubtless a recognition of his passion for understanding each individual's needs. We believe Avvo is a superb resource and would recommend anyone interested in finding legal representation should consult the site. Fortunately for those in Newport Beach, they need look no further than The Ledger Law Firm. This incredible rating is a reflection of the standards we hold ourselves to, and the results we aim to get on behalf of every client we work with." About The Ledger Law Firm: The Ledger Law Firm is home to some of the finest injury and wrongful death attorneys in California. The professional and dedicated team, led by Emery Brett Ledger, stop at nothing to get their clients the full amount of compensation their . Their legal team offers a passionate, personalized service to every client, offer no win, no fee representation with a free initial consultation. For more information, please visit https://www.avvo.com/attorneys/92660-ca-emery-ledger-252531.html Contact Info: Name: Matthew Kovach Email: media@ledgerlaw.com Organization: The Ledger Law Firm Address: 811 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90017 Source: http://marketersmedia.com/the-ledger-law-firm-emery-brett-ledger-achieves-perfect-10-0-rating-on-avvo/135038 Release ID: 135038 For more information visit r Recent Press Releases By The Same User Agarwood Essential Oil Market Expected to Grow at CAGR 4.2% During 2016 to 2022"> (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Cyber Weapon Market by Type, Product, Application, Region, Outlook and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Landscaping and Gardening Expert Trevor McClintock Launches New Locally Optimized Website (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Sleep apnea devices Market is Evolving At A CAGR of 7.5% by 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Agriculture Technology Market 2017 Global Analysis, Opportunities and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Global VR Helmet Market by Manufacturers, Technology, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Reputation Media TV, Division Of Circle Consulting Agency - New Service WiFi ROi WiFi ROi is a new business service by Reputation Media TV - a division of Circle Consulting Agency, for upgrading new or existing WiFi in businesses to capturing social media data from customers, re-target free WiFi users and automatically generate an email list for future -- Reputation Media TV - a division of Circle Consulting Agency, has come up with an innovative brand marketing solution for businesses that will allow them to build a loyal network through their free WiFi service. With their new service WiFi ROi, a free Wifi service can be transformed into an automated lead generation machine which can be used to engage customers and create repeat and new traffic. Even if a business does not currently offer free WiFi this service will make it possible to create lasting relationships with customers. To see how it works, click the following link: WiFi ROi Daemon Rutledge, Founder & CEO of Circle Consulting Agency, and Executive Producer of Reputation Media TV is excited about the many opportunities this new service will provide for businesses to increase their revenue and foot traffic. "It's very common to see restaurants, bars, retail stores, hotels, night clubs, and more, offering free WiFi to attract customer and keep them happy, so why shouldn't your business also take benefit from it. Our WiFi ROi service will capture social media data from your customers who use your free WiFi. This data will allow re-targeting people, who use your WiFi, to be more effective. In addition, the business will automatically generate an email list; get more reviews, and referrals, easier and on autopilot; push app downloads and promotions, or even host a sponsorship network for other local businesses to market on their WiFi. This type of WiFi Marketing is the lowest cost and most effective advertising system that produces amazing constant return of investment!", says Mr. Rutledge. In this age, more than 62% of customers make a choice of where to eat and drink based on the availability of free WiFi; and over 75% of consumers are influenced by the availability of WiFi when shopping, so it is an important component to the consumer traffic that comes for the product or service a business is offering. With WiFi ROi, when customers connect to a business's free WiFi, they will be directed to a landing page which will request them to log-in with their social account like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google, or Instagram, or the customer can use their email account or mobile phone number to access the Free WiFi. Businesses can then increase social customer engagement by encouraging users to 'Share' and 'Like' the Facebook business page, or send out a tweet, for which they will be rewarded by being redirected to the in-store promotions and special offers page of the business. This WiFi upgrade service is a win-win situation for both customers and businesses because through WiFi ROi, customers are able to enjoy free WiFi without the hassle of long passwords and using their own mobile data. While the businesses can automatically gather valuable consumer analytics, grow social media fans, increase sales and leverage future marketing campaigns. Reputation Media TV has developed 4 different packages to meet the needs of different businesses, based upon needs and goals. However, the WiFi ROi service is capable of being customized to any size business that wants to reap maximum benefit from this high ROI marketing opportunity. WiFi ROi will also enable businesses to limit the amount of bandwidth, and time frame, that each user can consume which ensures that all customers are able to enjoy the free WiFi service. To request a demo go to http://www.wifiroi.net/request For more information, please visit http://www.reputationmedia.tv Contact Info: Name: Daemon Rutledge Email: info@reputationmedia.tv Organization: Reputation Media TV - a division of Circle Consulting Agency Address: 11 Thistleton Road Sicklerville NJ Phone: (856) 441-0470 Release ID: 135017 For more information visit r Recent Press Releases By The Same User Agarwood Essential Oil Market Expected to Grow at CAGR 4.2% During 2016 to 2022"> (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Cyber Weapon Market by Type, Product, Application, Region, Outlook and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Landscaping and Gardening Expert Trevor McClintock Launches New Locally Optimized Website (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Sleep apnea devices Market is Evolving At A CAGR of 7.5% by 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Agriculture Technology Market 2017 Global Analysis, Opportunities and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Global VR Helmet Market by Manufacturers, Technology, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Military Electro Optical Infrared (EO/IR) Systems Market 2025: Competitive Landscape and Strategic Insights The Global Military Electro Optical Infrared (EO/IR) Systems Market 2015-2025 - Competitive Landscape and Strategic Insights: Market Profile report is available at RnRMarketResearch.com. -- This report shows the leading Military Electro Optical Infrared (EO/IR) Systems market segments in various regions across the world. Details of top companies active across the global Military Electro Optical Infrared (EO/IR) Systems market are provided, together with market size and forecast 2015-2025 for the main players across those areas. Complete report on Military Electro Optical Infrared (EO/IR) Systems market spread across 46 pages, providing competitive landscape and 20 Tables is available at http://www.rnrmarketresearch.com/the-global-military-electro-optical-infrared-eoir-systems-market-2015-2025-competitive-landscape-and-strategic-insights-market-profile-market-report.html. Key Findings The report provides a detailed analysis of the competitive landscape of the Military Electro Optical Infrared (EO/IR) Systems market. It provides an overview of key Military Electro Optical Infrared (EO/IR) Systems companies catering to the Military Electro Optical Infrared (EO/IR) Systems sector, together with insights such as key alliances, strategic initiatives and a brief financial analysis. The global military Electro Optical Infrared (EO/IR) Systems industry is highly competitive. The US and various European countries are among the leading spenders and have well-developed EO/IR system suppliers, making these territories self-reliant. Reasons to Buy The Global Military Electro Optical Infrared (EO/IR) Systems Market 2015-2025 Competitive Landscape and Strategic Insights: Market Profile" allows you to: Gain insight into the competitive landscape of the global Military Electro Optical Infrared (EO/IR) Systems market. Provides detailed company profiles of leading Military Electro Optical Infrared (EO/IR) Systems companies and related systems manufacturing companies across the world. Analyse the activity of key Military Electro Optical Infrared (EO/IR) Systems companies, together with insights such as key alliances, strategic initiatives, and a brief financial analysis. Order a Copy of Report at http://www.rnrmarketresearch.com/contacts/purchase?rname=381117. The Global Military Electro Optical Infrared (EO/IR) Systems Market 2015-2025 - Competitive Landscape and Strategic Insights: Market Profile Table of Contents 1 Introduction 1.1 What is this Report About? 1.2 Definitions 1.3 Summary Methodology 1.4 About Strategic Defence Intelligence 2 Competitive Landscape and Strategic Insights 2.1 Competitive Landscape overview 2.1.1 Lockheed Martin Corporation: overview 2.1.2 Lockheed Martin Corporation: products and services 2.1.3 Lockheed Martin Corporation: alliances 2.1.4 Lockheed Martin Corporation: recent contract wins 2.1.5 Lockheed Martin Corp.: financial analysis 2.1.6 BAE Systems Plc: overview 2.1.7 BAE Systems Plc: products and services 2.1.8 BAE Systems: alliances 2.1.9 BAE Systems: recent contract wins 2.1.10 BAE Systems Plc.: financial analysis 2.1.11 FLIR Systems: overview 2.1.12 FLIR Systems: products and services 2.1.13 FLIR Systems: alliances 2.1.14 FLIR Systems: recent contract wins 2.1.15 FLIR Systems: Financial Analysis 2.1.16 DRS Technologies: Overview 2.1.17 DRS Technologies: products and services 2.1.18 DRS Technologies: alliances 2.1.19 DRS Technologies: Recent Contract Wins 2.1.20 Cubic Global Defense: overview 2.1.21 Cubic Global Defense: products and services 2.1.22 Cubic Global Defense: recent contract wins 2.1.23 Cubic Global Defense: financial analysis 2.1.24 Elbit Systems: Overview 2.1.25 Elbit Systems: Products and services 2.1.26 Elbit Systems: Alliances 2.1.27 Elbit Systems: Recent contract wins 2.1.28 Elbit Systems: Financial analysis 2.1.29 L-3 Communications: overview 2.1.30 L-3 Communications: products and services 2.1.31 L-3 Communications: alliances 2.1.32 L-3 Communications: recent contract wins 2.1.33 L-3 Communications: financial analysis 2.1.34 Selex ES: Overview 2.1.35 Selex ES: Products and Services 2.1.36 Selex ES: Recent Contract Wins 2.1.37 Raytheon: Overview 2.1.38 Raytheon: Products and Services 2.1.39 Raytheon: Products and Services 2.1.40 Raytheon: Recent Contract Wins 2.1.41 Raytheon: Financial Analysis 2.1.42 Thales: Overview 2.1.43 Thales: Products and services 2.1.44 Thales: Alliances 2.1.45 Thales: Recent contract wins 2.1.46 Thales: Financial analysis 2.1.47 Corning: Overview 2.1.48 Corning: Products and Services 2.1.49 Corning: Alliances 2.1.50 Corning: Financial Analysis 2.1.51 Chess Dynamics: Overview 2.1.52 Chess Dynamics: Products and services 2.1.53 Chess Dynamics: Alliances List of Tables Table 1: Lockheed Martin Corporation - Alliances Table 2: Lockheed Martin Corporation - Recent Contract Wins Table 3: BAE Systems - Alliances Table 4: BAE Systems - Recent Contract Wins Table 5: FLIR Systems - Alliances Table 6: FLIR Systems - Recent Contract Wins Table 7: DRS Technologies - Alliances Table 8: DRS Technologies - Recent Contract Wins Table 9: Harris Corporation - Recent Contract Wins Table 10: Elbit Systems - Alliances And more Get Discount on The Global Military Electro Optical Infrared (EO/IR) Systems Market 2015-2025 - Competitive Landscape and Strategic Insights: Market Profile Report at http://www.rnrmarketresearch.com/contacts/discount?rname=381117. About Us: 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. With comprehensive information about the publishers and the industries for which they publish market research reports, RnRMarketResearch.com help in purchase decision by mapping the information needs with the huge collection of reports. For more information, please visit http://www.rnrmarketresearch.com/the-global-military-electro-optical-infrared-eoir-systems-market-2015-2025-competitive-landscape-and-strategic-insights-market-profile-market-report.html Contact Info: Name: Ritesh Tiwari Email: sales@rnrmarketresearch.com Organization: RnRMarketResearch Phone: + 1 888 391 5441 Source: http://marketersmedia.com/military-electro-optical-infrared-eoir-systems-market-2025-competitive-landscape-and-strategic-insights/135100 Release ID: 135100 For more information visit r Recent Press Releases By The Same User Agarwood Essential Oil Market Expected to Grow at CAGR 4.2% During 2016 to 2022"> (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Cyber Weapon Market by Type, Product, Application, Region, Outlook and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Landscaping and Gardening Expert Trevor McClintock Launches New Locally Optimized Website (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Sleep apnea devices Market is Evolving At A CAGR of 7.5% by 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Agriculture Technology Market 2017 Global Analysis, Opportunities and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Global VR Helmet Market by Manufacturers, Technology, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Breast Health Awareness Month Reminder From The Girls At Eagle Mountain Realty The girls at Azle,Texas-based Eagle Mountain Realty urge women to get a mammogram in October during Breast Health Awareness Month. -- Breast Health Awareness Month is here in October and with that a reminder from the girls at Azle,Texas-based Eagle Mountain Realty to have a mammogram performed every year. Gwen Gibbons and Debra Jenkins, co-owners of Eagle Mountain Realty, have played an important role in the promotion of breast health awareness in the Azle/Eagle Mountain Lake area. As past chairs of the Texas Health Azle Levis and Lace Galas, they have been instrumental in raising money for a Digital Breast Tomosynthesis machine that was installed in April at the Azle hospital. Gibbons, also an Eagle Mountain Realty Broker, stated, "The 3D mammography equipment allows doctors to find cancerous lesions in an earlier stage, because the images are easier to read." This new technology for screening and diagnostic mammography helps identify abnormalities easier in dense breast tissue than with 2D mammography. The equipment takes multiple high resolution images in an arc while the breast is held in compression and allows the radiologist to "see inside the breast" in layers. This advanced technology improves the capacity to detect nodules that might otherwise go undetected. The machine came with a price tag of almost $300,000, $90,000 of which was raised at the 2015 Levis and Lace Gala, in addition to support from the Lockheed Martin AERO Club. Jenkins shared, "The support of the community was overwhelming. When you give Azle an opportunity to raise money for a good cause; this town will never let you down." "The price tag was worth it," added Gibbons. "Radiologists say it improves breast cancer detection by 27-50% with fewer call backs and unnecessary biopsies." Doctors and scientists agree that early detection is the key. The American Cancer Society recommends that every woman over 40 be examined for breast cancer once a year. For those who haven't scheduled a yearly mammogram, the girls at Eagle Mountain Realty urge women everywhere to make that call. For more information, please visit http://www.eaglemountainrealty.net/ Contact Info: Name: Debra Jenkins Email: debrajenkinsrealtor@gmail.com Organization: Eagle Mountain Realty Address: 8401 Jacksboro Hwy. #145 Phone: (682) 841-1235 Release ID: 135240 For more information visit r Recent Press Releases By The Same User Agarwood Essential Oil Market Expected to Grow at CAGR 4.2% During 2016 to 2022"> (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Cyber Weapon Market by Type, Product, Application, Region, Outlook and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Landscaping and Gardening Expert Trevor McClintock Launches New Locally Optimized Website (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Sleep apnea devices Market is Evolving At A CAGR of 7.5% by 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Agriculture Technology Market 2017 Global Analysis, Opportunities and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Global VR Helmet Market by Manufacturers, Technology, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Sadeq Larijani Fearing a popular uprising, the regime leaders step up social clampdown, executions Mullah Sadeq Larijani, the criminal Chief Justice of the Iranian regime, emphasized that it is not the Judiciary's policy to eliminate executions for drug smugglers. He said, "When did we have such an inclination? ... This claim that executions were not useful is irrelevant. I urge all prosecutors across the country not to delay the implementation of the verdicts, and carry them out once they are issued. We are not allowed to delay carrying out the verdicts for 3 years and let the criminals begin praying in prison and then argue that since they pray we should cancel their executions. We cannot do away with executions in general because it undermines the judiciary's deterrence." The regime's chief justice admitted that executions are a means for establishing security in society. Larijani stressed, "One of the reasons for the effectiveness of these punishments is their prompt, expeditious and decisive implementation. It is against the interests of society and the Judiciary to prolong the prosecution process." He criticized "giving opportunity during the prosecution" to those accused of drug smuggling and said, "The prosecutor offices must establish security on all levels and take this task seriously." The cruel remarks by the Iranian regime's Chief Justice on the need to continue implementation and expedition of the death penalty come while there have 29 executions in the past 3 days, alone, and the average number of executions per day has amounted to 10. The notion of moderation is a mirage in the medieval clerical regime ruling Iran. Stepping up repression, torture and executions has been the barbaric regime's only way to confront the rising tide of popular discontent, amidst massive domestic and international crises, and to prevent another popular uprising which would uproot the regime. Executions against drug traffickers will remain in place: Iran Iran: Barbaric and medieval punishments Iran's Judiciary Chief Sadeq Amoli Larijani said on Thursday that it is not the Judiciary's policy to cancel executions for drug traffickers, Mehr reported. "The claim that executions have not been useful is irrelevant," said Larijani during a judicial conference in Mashhad. The senior judge said drug traffickers have inflicted a great deal of harm on the country, noting that an immediate action is needed in response to such crimes. The judiciary chief further urged all prosecutors across the country not to "delay the implementation of verdicts, and carry them out immediately after they are issued." He went on to say that the prosecutors are not allowed to delay the verdicts for 3 years. "We cannot do away with executions in general because it undermines the judiciary's deterrent effect," Larijani remarked. He also urged the prosecutors to "impose other forms of punishments, if possible, instead of death penalty". Iran has been under pressure by the UN Human Rights Council for its use of death penalty against drug traffickers. However, Iranian officials denounce such pressures as interference in the country's domestic affairs and call on the UN officials to "refrain from politicizing the issue of human rights" in the Islamic Republic. The Iranian High Council for Human Rights has responded to criticisms against the country's Judiciary, saying that the structure of Iran's judicial system guarantees the process of a fair trial. | 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! Source: NCRI, September 30, 2016Source: Tehran Times, September 30, 2016 Amazon Ranking Booster Service via PPC Campaigns SEO Optimized Content Launched A new Amazon listing improvement service has been launched by Jeremy Standiford, the former chemist from Albuquerque, New Mexico. He offers content editing and marketing campaign creation to generate more sales and get more traffic to the page. -- A former chemist from Albuquerque New Mexico has launched a new Amazon listing improvement service for clients in any retail business niche. Jeremy Standiford explains that getting started on Amazon can be a daunting task, and its for this reason that he aims to help people to navigate through the maze, growing their business quickly and ensuring their products are found by targeted customers in their niche. More information can be found on the Jeremy Standiford website at: http://jeremystandiford.com. When companies and individuals sell their products on Amazon, they are able to reach more customers by listing their goods on numerous marketplaces automatically, getting them seen by audiences around the world. The website design of Amazon makes it easy for visitors to find a business's products, and with tools like 1-Click purchase, they can be bought quickly and efficiently. Meanwhile, customer reviews showcase the best aspects of the products and help to drive more sales and spread word of mouth about the business. Jeremy Standiford explains that he can help store owners sell their products on Amazon in a variety of ways, highlighting his listing improvement services on his website. The first service he offers is feedback and review management. He goes on to say that he can remove negative feedback from an Amazon page listing and help to nurture positive five star reviews. He has helped his clients achieve over 500 positive verified reviews, which can help improve sales and brand awareness. In addition to this, Jeremy can provide copywriting and product listing edits to help ensure that the content on the page is as enticing to customers as possible. He emphasises that one of the most common problems he sees on Amazon are listings where the content hasn't been optimized, which can stop it appealing to millions of potential buyers. Further to this, he can help to organize PPC campaigns to drive traffic to the Amazon page, and create marketing campaigns through Facebook and email to ensure that as many potential customers as possible are reached for any product. For more information, please visit http://www.jeremystandiford.com Contact Info: Name: Jeremy Standiford Email: info@jeremystandiford.com Organization: Jeremy Standiford Consulting Address: 2139 Silver Ave SE Release ID: 135262 For more information visit r Recent Press Releases By The Same User Agarwood Essential Oil Market Expected to Grow at CAGR 4.2% During 2016 to 2022"> (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Cyber Weapon Market by Type, Product, Application, Region, Outlook and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Landscaping and Gardening Expert Trevor McClintock Launches New Locally Optimized Website (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Sleep apnea devices Market is Evolving At A CAGR of 7.5% by 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Agriculture Technology Market 2017 Global Analysis, Opportunities and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Global VR Helmet Market by Manufacturers, Technology, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Aurora Expeditions Celebrates 30 Years Of The Kimberley's Wilderness Couple This year Aurora Expeditions will be celebrating 30 years of the legendary Kimberley adventurer Mike Cusack's 'Year in the Wilderness'. -- Celebration will be in the air aboard Aurora Expeditions' Kimberley Coast voyages in 2017 as they mark the 30th anniversary of legendary Kimberley adventurer Mike Cusack's 'Year in the Wilderness'. Over four exclusive voyages, travellers will have the chance to join Mike in celebrating 30 years since he and his wife Susan spent 12 months living in the isolated west Kimberley. Known as the 'Wilderness Couple', Mike and Susan were selected from over 500 couples in 1987 for the ambitious social experiment developed by Aussie adventurer Dick Smith to see if a modern urban couple could survive in the harsh extremes of Australia's outback. They organised their own transport and supplies and headed off on an adventure that would change their lives forever. Although the couple encountered extreme conditions, Mike remembers his time in the west Kimberley fondly. "Our year in the Kimberley wilderness was tough. We experienced one of the driest wet seasons in 30 years, dealt with bush fire and had to make daily treks to keep our water supplies full. But as hard as it was, the Kimberley is one of the most beautiful and special places in the world. Looking back 30 years on, both Susan and I would do it all over again in a heartbeat." Mike will return to the Kimberley Coast for his 20th season as Aurora Expeditions' expedition leader in 2017. He will be sharing his Year in the Wilderness story as well as offering passengers the unique chance to walk in the footsteps of the 'Wilderness Couple' on the 11-km rock-hopping trek back to Kunmunya's abandoned Presbyterian Mission where the couple set up their camp during their Year in the Wilderness. Travelling aboard the 42-passenger Coral Expeditions I, each intimate journey will travel between Broome and Darwin and feature daily excursions and shore landings to some of the region's most spectacular sites including ancient Wandjina and Gwion Gwion rock paintings on Bigge Island or Swift Bay, the powerful Horizontal Waterfalls and Western Australia's highest falls, King George Falls. Aurora Expeditions' 11-day Kimberley Coast voyages depart Broome on 12 June and 3 July 2017, and Darwin on 2 and 23 June 2017. Each voyage includes accommodation and meals on board Coral Expeditions I, all shore excursions, educational lectures and guiding services. For more information, please visit http://www.auroraexpeditions.com.au/ Contact Info: Name: Emma Savage Organization: Aurora Expeditions Video URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XurRrQOlYgY Source: http://marketersmedia.com/aurora-expeditions-celebrates-30-years-of-the-kimberleys-wilderness-couple/135313 Release ID: 135313 For more information visit r Recent Press Releases By The Same User Agarwood Essential Oil Market Expected to Grow at CAGR 4.2% During 2016 to 2022"> (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Cyber Weapon Market by Type, Product, Application, Region, Outlook and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Landscaping and Gardening Expert Trevor McClintock Launches New Locally Optimized Website (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Sleep apnea devices Market is Evolving At A CAGR of 7.5% by 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Agriculture Technology Market 2017 Global Analysis, Opportunities and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Global VR Helmet Market by Manufacturers, Technology, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Free Freightnet Membership List your company in the Freightnet directory. It's Free, it's Easy and your company can be displayed in front of potential freight buyers within 24 hours. Pavla Zakova-Laney of Albany took her 17th trip to Cameroon in May and June to support schools in the country through her Albany-based non-profit group, Educare-Africa. Zakova-Laney raises funds to purchase school supplies, additional science lab equipment and other items for public high schools in a rural northwest region in that country. This year, 113 students from seven schools were given school supplies as prizes, and solar lamps, toothbrushes, toothpaste, clothing additional school supplies and other donations were given to more than 360 others. About 22 staff members from seven schools were given pens for encouragement and each school received four boxes of chalk. Thanks to donors, new science lab equipment was purchased for schools G.H.S. Ntumbaw, G.H.S. Mbu-Warr, G.H.S. Lus and G.S.S. Kuintar. Thanks to the Labdoo nonprofit group of California, eight laptop computers were donated to rural secondary/high schools. Nine rural secondary/high schools received new short wave radios donated by the Ears to Our World NGO from North Carolina. Science laboratory equipment, purchased thanks to the VWR Foundation, was donated to G.B.H.S. Ndu. Two Wellesley College Book Awards were given to the best female science students from G.B.H.S. Kumbo and G.B.H.S. Ndu. Zakova-Laney said her group secured a piece of land, where the Educare-Africa Resource Center will be built, which will contain a public library, computer lab with internet, several guest rooms, dormitories, Educare-Africa office, bakery and much more. Foundation for the first building has been completed. As a side project, Zakova-Laney and Justin Tagne from the Cameroon Baptist Center in Bamenda, also a member of a NGO called Born Free Cameroon, handed out donations from Reid Veterinary Hospital in Albany. They rented a car and visited dog owners and breeders in Bamenda to check on dogs and assist with some basic medical care and equipment. In the coming year, Zakova-Laney says her group hopes to assist 180 secondary/high school students and about 20 university students in Cameroon. For more information, call Zakova-Laney at (541) 924-9290 or email her at pavlazl@comcast.net, or check the Educare-Africa website at http://educareafrica.blogspot.com/. Donations can be made to Educare-Africa, P.O. Box 3278, Albany, OR 97321. All donations are tax deductible. PS4 Pro Release Date, News & Update: 4.2 Teraflops Not Enough For True 4K, Says Microsoft; Windows 10 Nagware Removes from Windows 7,8 PS4 Pro's 4.2 teraflops is not adequate to do true 4K. This was according to Microsoft's Albert Penello, who generally stated that Sony's claims about its 4K feature comes with a number of doubts. The PS4 Pro games are reported to be upgraded up to 4K contrary to being rendered natively at such mark. On the other hand, Microsoft's Xbox Scorpio games are going to be rendered at native 4K, as confirmed by the company's general manager Shannon Loftis. According to Penello, Sony is going to take six teraflops of power to do what they believe is best for their game. However, he also believes that 4.2 teraflops will not be enough to do true 4K. This could suggest that Microsoft's product aspired a little higher, and that the company will likely have fewer doubts about the 4K experiences they deliver. As for the performance, Penello believes that the advantage of Xbox Scorpio against PS4 Pro will be very evident. PS4 Pro is set to go on sale in November and will be priced at $400, while Xbox Scorpio is expected to come in holiday 2017. Although a price point for Xbox Scorpio is yet to be announced, Microsoft has already called it a premium product, which could mean it is unlikely to be offered cheap, GameSpot reported. Meanwhile, Microsoft has reportedly excised quietly the free upgrade offers for Windows 10 from Windows 7 and 8 or the GWX.exe. Based on reports, PCs that run Windows 8.x or 7 and Windows Update will quietly remove the nagware with the help of the new update called KB3184143. In an article posted by Microsoft, it stated that the update deletes the Get Windows 10 app, including other software connected to the Windows 10 free upgrade promo that already expired on July 29, 2016. Furthermore, the software company also recommends no action to be taken except for a restart, The Register reported. Microsoft AIO Surface Release Date, Latest News & Update: Surface Ergonomic Keyboard Included? Microsoft reportedly has an All-In-One (AIO) device in the works though is no official word on when it will actually hit the market. While mostly a rumor, hints of a possible coming stem from the fact that Microsoft is working with a company called Bluetooth Special Interest Group. Both companies are reportedly working together to bring forth a special Surface Economic Keyboard. The piece appears on the SIG website though it is not clear whether it was designed for use with the rumored AIO Surface or some other Microsoft-related product such as the Surface Phone. More likely for Microsoft Surface AIO Of the two Microsoft products, seeing a Bluetooth-powered ergonomic keyboard makes more sense for the Surface AIO. If so, it somehow confirms the fact that Microsoft does have a machine in the works. The only thing certain right now is that Microsoft is indeed working on an AIO PC, despite the limited information tied up to it. The meager points tied up to a potential Microsoft AIO Surface is that it will come in three variants (21, 24 and 27-inch display sizes) that boast of 4K resolution. Taking aim at Apples iMac The obvious target of a Microsoft AIO Surface is Apples iMac. Checking through the grapevine, there are rumors tying up the iMac 2016 to a potential release this October. If true, it could debut alongside the much-awaited MacBook Pro 2016. Assuming however that Microsoft is nowhere near a possible Microsoft Surface AIO release, the next one in line is the Surface Phone. Hard as it may picture, a separate keyboard for use with it can somehow be put to good use, MSPowerUser reported. The size of the alleged Bluetooth keyboard could provide a better understanding. Paired with a phone, however, it seems to see how an ergonomic keyboard can be shrunk and used alongside a potential Surface Phone. As mentioned by Windows Mobile Power User, the Surface Phone sport a 5.5-inch AMOLED display to go with some impressive specs. That includes an Intel Atom x3, 4 GB of RAM, 64/ 128 GB of internal storage, a 21 MP main camera and an 8 MP front-facing camera. Would it make sense to use a keyboard on such small-screened device? Sex And The City News & Updates: HBO Show May Still Return? Sarah Jessica Parker Almost Didnt Do TV Series? "Sex and the City" may long be over but the obsession lives even after two feature films. The need for more Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte and Samantha may just live on forever in the hearts of most women. This need may just be satisfied as latest speculations state "Sex and the City" may return to the big screen. 'Sex And The City' To Return? In a recent interview with Press Association, Sarah Jessica Parker teased fans that there's a possibility of a "Sex and the City" series or movie. "I think that remains an open question and discussion that will continue until it's been resolved," she told the publication. "I don't think any of us have said no... I think that's always a possibility, definitely." While Sarah Jessica Parker may not have fully confirmed the "Sex and the City" movie or series revival, fans can't help but create a frenzy over the Internet this week. While Parker's words may be too vague to spark any hope for a reboot, some fans can't help but feel a little excited. Most especially at the prospect of seeing Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte and Samantha on their screens again since none of the cast actually turned down the idea. Sarah Jessica Parker Is Now Designing Little Black Dresses. pic.twitter.com/bTIJ3Cqtag Sarah Jessica Parker (@SJP_Daily) September 29, 2016 Sarah Jessica Parker Almost Turned Down 'Sex And The City?' Meanwhile, Sarah Jessica Parker sat down with Jimmy Kimmel on Wednesday and discussed further the possibility of a "Sex and the City" reboot. She revealed that she almost didn't take her famous role in the series, Time reported. While she fell in love with the script for the show's pilot episode, she completely forgot about it after they filmed. After the pilot episode was well-received, Parker's doubts sink in. However, she peopled talked her out of it and proceeded to the set of "Sex and the City" the first day. Since then, she never looked back. Of course, she admitted that she was foolish to consider not committing to the show. Watch the full interview below. 'Zelda: Breath of the Wild Amiibo' News & Update: Release Date Leaked? The release date of "Zelda: Breath of the Wild Amiibo" appeared on the official website of Nintendo UK. According to Gamespot, Nintendo's European websites may have possible leaked the release date of "The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Amiibo". First spotted by Reddit, they validated and proved that the UK website had shown the March 4 release date under "Discover more Amiibo" section of the webpage. The exposure of Amiibo release date could also possibly suggest that the release date of "Breath of the Wild" comes prior or on the exact, same day as March 4. However, no Amiibo has ever released prior to its supported game. Also, this does not confirm the said release date. Apart from that, the leak could also mean that this is when the NX releases. However, it is not officially announced yet that both NX version of the "Breath of the Wild" and the Wii U will be launched on the same day. Based on the report of Gamespot, they have tried reaching Nintendo to get their statement regarding the issue and will provide updates as soon as they hear back from them. It is essential to note that March 4, 2017, falls on a Saturday, and the extensive range of Amiibo figures came out on Fridays. In addition, Saturday is also considered as an irregular day when it comes to game launch. Nintendo's Wii U, however, did release on a Sunday, November 18. Earlier this year, Nintendo has made widely known to the public that the NX is set to launch in March 2017 along with "Breath of the Wild" coming in the same year. It was even delayed for a couple of times and also appeared as the sole playable Nintendo game during the ER 2016. "Zelda: Breath of the Wild Amiibo" figures were unveiled in June. Watch video for more details: We know people who made the trip to Salem last week to take in the meeting convened by a pair of legislators to kick around options for reforming the state's Public Employees Retirement System. People like Nancy Brewer, the city of Corvallis' longtime finance director, who's been tracking PERS for years. She was curious about the meeting, convened by Democratic Sen. Betsy Johnson and Republican Sen. Tim Knopp. Johnson and Knopp call themselves the Bipartisan PERS Solutions Workgroup. At the time the senators convened their meeting, they were the only members of the group. That may still be case. And their meeting last week was not an official gathering. In large part, that's because the state's political leadership Gov. Kate Brown, Speaker of the House Tina Kotek and Senate President Peter Courtney have expressed little interest in the work of Johnson and Knopp. Which seems odd, seeing how the system is running a $22 billion deficit. Rate increases coming due next year will add up to $885 million over the next two years. Increases of a similar scale are expected in future two-year budget cycles. It's all money that will be spent on the pension system instead of schools or social services or public safety or other priorities. Brown and the legislative leaders are saying that there's little they can do about this, since the state Supreme Court overturned most of the reforms passed by a previous session of the Legislature. But Knopp and Johnson worked up a short list of possible reforms, and ran the list by the Legislature's attorneys. The attorney said that most of them likely would withstand a legal challenge, although (of course) they couldn't say for sure. Legislative leaders shrugged and said, well, the proposals won't save that much money and they're probably not legal, regardless of what our attorneys say. Maybe that's true. But that doesn't mean Oregon's political leaders get a free pass to do nothing on the issue. This silence from leadership is helping to fuel the theory that the real purpose of Measure 97, the proposed corporate sales tax on the November ballot, is to fund these growing PERS liabilities. That's not how the measure is being pitched to voters, but if legislators gather next February with a new pot of additional money, the temptation might prove irresistible to use the dough to help fill that PERS gap. Among the ideas that drew the most attention last week, and one that Brewer spoke about in the meeting, was a proposal to reinstitute employee contributions to the pension system. Since 2003, public employees have made no contribution to the pension system. Instead, as The Oregonian explained in a recent story, their required 6 percent retirement contributions go into a supplemental retirement account that belongs to the employee. Those accounts replaced some of the other benefits members lost as a result of earlier pension reforms. Employers cover those contributions for most employees, as part of labor contracts that were negotiated years ago in lieu of a pay raise. Brewer said she thought employees should contribute to their pensions and recommended that the Legislature add some sort of cost share for future benefits. But she added a caution: About 40 percent of city of Corvallis employees are eligible to retire, and she worried that any major change in benefits might prompt those workers to retire earlier rather than later, before changes kick in. It's another angle of what has become an extraordinarily difficult and emotional issue. But that's no excuse for the silence. (mm) Katie Holmes Yelling At Tom Cruise Over Daughter Suri? What Jamie Foxx Has To Say? Katie Holmes allegedly yelled at Tom Cruise over the phone when the actor asked his daughter Suri if she wants to join him in one of his movies. Rumors said that after Cruise and Suri talked, the 10 year old excitedly went to her mom and said that her daddy offered her a movie role. Katie Holmes was reportedly mad and called Tom Cruise yelling and telling him that the idea of offering a movie to their daughter Suri was the actor's worst thought ever. Cruise defended his gesture saying that it was all hypothetical according to the rumors. The report continues to say that the actress was not very pleased with the incident saying that Cruise made her look like a bad mom. However, rumors of Katie Holmes yelling at Tom Cruise have no truth to it according to Gossip Cop. The website, in fact, reports that the actor has no communication with his daughter Suri for the last three years. Meanwhile, Katie Holmes was seen bonding with her daughter Suri minus the presence of Tom Cruise according to a report by Daily Mail. The mother daughter tandem was seen holding hands as they enjoy their favorite drink from a local coffee shop in Calabasas, California. Tom Cruise has reportedly gave his blessings to the relationship of Katie Holmes and Jamie Foxx. Holmes and Foxx, after hiding their relationship in the limelight for the last three years, might settle down in November according to Headlines and Global News. According to some reports, the divorce contract of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes forbids the actress from dating other men so she can fulfill her mothering duties to daughter Suri. Holmes was reported to have received $5 million while Suri gets $4.8 million support from her daddy. Stay tuned to GameNGuide for the latest news and updated on Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise! Nintendo NX Release Date, News & Update: Console Arriving in December; Preorder & Launch Date Revealed; Impressive Specs & Features Nintendo's upcoming console, the Nintendo NX, is definitely making some noise in the gaming industry for quite some time now. However, the lack of details about the new gaming system's development and release is making fans wary about its scheduled launch date this year. Despite the hype, the Japanese tech giant has remained mum with regard to providing concrete information about the device. Nonetheless, rumors and speculations have continued to surface all over the Internet every now and then. New reports revealed the Nintendo NX's price and preorder date. The new information apparently came from an alleged leaked by a British online retailer, Tesco, which accidentally published the details publicly. According to the report, the leaked contains the schedule of the company's supposed preorder announcement of the Nintendo NX console. It also has the price and the exact release date. If rumors prove to be true, the new Nintendo NX will arrive in the market on Dec. 31, 2016. According to the website, the console will have a price tag of $400, which is the same as Sony's upcoming PlayStation 4 Pro gaming system. Industry experts suggest that fans should not take the new leaked details seriously as this could be a major mistake on Tesco's part. The alleged Nintendo NX leaked information has since been removed by the online retailer. Some tech media outlets believe that the new leaked is nothing but a mistake since Nintendo itself have already announced that the upcoming Nintendo NX will arrive in March 2017. As of the moment, the company has yet to provide an official statement with regard to the issue. Meanwhile, in a report by Express, the emergence of the new game, "Beyond Good and Evil 2," is an indication that the release of Nintendo NX console is just around the corner. It has already been reported that the sequel of 2003's hit action-adventure video game will arrive as an NX-exclusive title. Stay tuned for more news and update about Nintendo NX. Rotary got started in Long Beach in 1917 when seven local businessmen met with a New York Rotarian who talked about his club there. Dec. 18, 1934 Sept. 28, 2016 E. Ray Clontz Jr. was born on Dec. 18, 1934, in Kellogg, Idaho, to Esten Sr. and Laura (Bradley) Clontz. Ray was the oldest of three children. He is survived by sisters Janice Weinzinger of Portland and Barbara Briggs of Ontario. His parents preceded him in death, as well as stepfather Charles Ruth. His family later moved to Fruitland, Idaho, where they took up farming. His maternal grandparents, Loren and Minnie Bradley, and great-aunt Cora were a very important part of his life growing up, and remained very loved and important to Ray until their deaths and beyond. In 1954 Ray joined the armed forces and served in the 11th and 82nd Airborne as a paratrooper. Upon discharge in 1957, he met and married Glenda Hope Loudermilk. She preceded him in death on Aug. 27, 2016. He worked as a police officer in Payette, Idaho, before moving to Oregon in 1960 to work as a correction's officer on death row at the Oregon State Penitentiary. Ray was held hostage by prisoners in a riot in 1968, a very scary time for the family. Soon after, he began working at the Corvallis Post Office as a clerk until his retirement in 1991. Ray and Glenda called Corvallis home from 1968 to the time of their death. Ray and Glenda are survived by their three children, Larie Trivett (Tim, son David and Daughter Mary Ignacio) of North Albany, Lysa Philipson (Howard, sons Christopher and Matthew) of North Albany, and son Terrell Clontz, as well as numerous grandchildren and great grandchildren. Ray is also survived by his longtime friend and prior fellow postal worker, Ted Krowpman of Corvallis. Ray will always be remembered for his love of animals, and also his passion for motorcycles, which he rode most of his life. His children, especially daughter Lysa, were able to share this passion with him. During the last several years of his life he had macular degeneration, which left him nearly blind, as well as other health problems. He was able to live independently until recently because of the dedicated, loving care from his daughter, Larie, who arranged doctor's appointments, managed his medicines and medical care, did his shopping and helped him to live independently. The family owes Larie a tremendous amount of thanks and recognition for the selfless loving care she devoted to both Ray and Glenda for so many years, while also working full time as a nurse at the Mennonite Home, where dad received superb care for the last few months. His son, Terrell, also checked on him daily, and daughter Lysa maintained his beloved cats, Kitty Jo and Ladybug. Ray will be remembered by many for his simple philosophy of life according to Ray, that if anything can go wrong, it will twice on a Tuesday. It is never goodbye, but until we meet again, so keep the Harley running smoothly, dad. There must be motorcycles in heaven. Services will be held at a later date in Idaho. Please leave your memories and condolences for the family at www.mchenryfuneralhome.com. This log includes incidents in which there might have been a public disturbance or a risk to the public. Information comes from the Corvallis Police Department, Oregon State Police and Benton County Sheriff's Office. It does not include all calls for service. The status of incidents might change after further investigation. Locations are approximate. People arrested or suspected in crimes are considered innocent until proven otherwise. Corvallis Police Department THURSDAY, SEPT. 29 BURGLARY: 3:28 p.m., 200 block of Northwest 21st Street. An officer responded to a reported burglary at an apartment. Dispatch advised that the alleged victim of the burglary was following a female suspect. The officer arrived and located Jacqueline Marie Orr, 48, no address listed. The officer reported that Orr had a video game on her that belonged to the victim and that she had thrown two handheld games systems while fleeing from the house. Orr was arrested and charged with first-degree burglary and second-degree theft. She was booked into the Benton County Jail. CAR PROWL: 1:52 p.m., 1113 N.W. Ninth St. An officer responded to the parking lot of Days Inn for a report that someone broke four windows on an SUV. The officer located Michael Adam Campbell, 38, no address listed, who reportedly admitted to breaking the windows. Campbell was arrested and charged with second-degree criminal mischief and unlawful entry into a motor vehicle. He was booked into the Benton County Jail. Syrian refugee trial : He should live alone and hopefully die Lohmar/Bonn In the trial against a Syrian refugee accused of throwing his children out the window, the two oldest children testified about their horrific ordeal. Teilen Teilen Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Tweeten Tweeten Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Drucken He put his five-year-old son on the windowsill in the bathroom and whispered to him that he didnt need to be scared. Then he threw him down to the ground. The two oldest children of the Syrian father who threw his children out the window painted a picture that is hard to imagine. On Friday, videos of the children's testimony were shown to the courtroom. In February, the 35-year-old refugee allegedly threw his three children out the window of the shelter where they were staying in Lohmar. Partially serious injuries were incurred. My father asked me to come in the bathroom, recalled the son, who is now six-years-old. His younger sister was playing with the water in the bathtub. Suddenly, his father grabbed him and put him on the windowsill before throwing him over. Shortly afterwards, he threw the one-year-old sister out the window as well, and she landed on top of her brother. Before the incident occurred, the young boy had heard his parents fighting. His father planned to sell him and his siblings and go back to Syria. So he could find a new wife there, said the young boy without reservation. In contrast, his eight-year-old sister sat sunken and timid in her chair. She looked now and again at the colorful tablecloth. The female police officer asked her several times what had happened but the girl answered, I dont know. She did recall very well, however the day when the father hit the mother with a pan in her face and he was ordered to leave the apartment for ten days. When he returned, she asked him angrily, Why do you come back again? She didnt want him to come back, she only wanted her mother. Both children painted the same picture the wife had described for the court. Long before their mother had charged him with hitting her, he had beat her and the oldest daughter repeatedly. Always without reason - with the hand, with sticks or slippers, once with a Cola bottle, recalled the son. When asked if they like their father, both kids answered directly, No. The six-year-old boy said, If he comes home again, he will slaughter us. His father should go to jail, there he would for sure behave. The sister also said that no-one liked the father any more: He should live alone and hopefully die. Abbas P. showed no emotion even during these words. During the last meeting in the courtroom, he cried and complained. Only at the end, he chimed in with conviction, The kids are still young, they dont know what theyre saying. The trial will continue next week. 'Ghost Rider' in the sky: B-52 departs Tinker in historic flight By John Parker, 72nd Air Base Wing Public Affairs / Published September 30, 2016 TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. (AFNS) -- The first B-52H Stratofortress to be resurrected from long-term storage at the Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (AMARG) to rejoin the active strategic bomber fleet soared into the sky from Tinker Air Force Base Sept. 27. The historic flight, which the aircraft is nicknamed "Ghost Rider," marked the end of the warbird's 19-month transformation from a mothballed, 55-year-old, eight-engine jet parked in the Arizona desert to a fully updated conventional- and nuclear-capable global strike bomber platform. Tinker's 76th Aircraft Maintenance Group handed over the plane 90 days ahead of schedule to Air Force Global Strike Command. Ghost Rider will join the 5th Bomb Wing at Minot AFB, North Dakota. "I am extremely proud of the team that was able to deliver Ghost Rider back to Air Force Global Strike Command," said Brig. Gen. Mark Johnson, the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Complex commander. "This is really a testament to accomplishing the art of the possible. It shows that when there is a common goal, team members from across multiple organizations can rally behind the objective and deliver their team's full impact to the project." Tinker's 565th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron completed the overhaul, modernization and restoration work in 272 calendar days. Charles Alley, the 565th AMXS director, said maintainers, engineers and support teams were excited to work on the historic project, spending approximately 45,000 man-hours restoring Ghost Rider to fighting shape. Alley said pilots of Tinker's 10th Flight Test Squadron flew the B-52 six times to verify system functionality and ensure a safe and reliable aircraft before declaring the plane ready for delivery Sept. 13. The jet needed an extra 7,000 hours over normal programmed depot maintenance to "get it up to speed with all the other B-52s in the fleet," Alley said. "I told people during test flight that because the aircraft sat in the desert so long, we're knocking all the ghosts out of it," he said. "It seemed like every time it came back it had two or three different things wrong with it." Lt. Col. Darrel Hines, a B-52 flight commander with the 10th FTS, flew the plane from Arizona to Barksdale AFB, Louisiana, in February 2015, and flew in part of the six final functional test flights. The plane arrived at Tinker AFB on Dec. 14, 2015, with overhaul and maintenance work beginning Dec. 31, 2015. The plane was due to be delivered later this year on Dec. 23 but was delivered 90 days early. Hines praised all the organizations involved in the restoration, including the 309th AMARG, the OC-ALC, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, and above all the maintainers whose skilled hands-on work made the difference. "This was a great team effort from multiple commands and it was a great success," Hines said. "Now this plane is going to come out of Tinker back to the warfighter, and it's going to be a huge asset to the guys going out in combat." Ghost Rider will join 75 other B-52Hs in the Air Force's operational bomber fleet. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address UN Sees 'Unparalleled' Suffering in Africa's Lake Chad Area By Lisa Schlein September 30, 2016 The United Nations warns that conditions in Central Africa's Lake Chad basin are threatening the lives of hundreds of thousands of people, among them many children. Food is short throughout the region, which has been ravaged by the Boko Haram insurgency. Millions of people living in the basin are in the grip of an ever-deepening humanitarian crisis brought on by violent conflict, abject poverty and climate change. More than 20 million people live in areas around the lake in four countries Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria. The United Nations says nearly half of them are in need of emergency aid. Toby Lanzer, U.N. assistant secretary-general and regional humanitarian coordinator of the Sahel, said an estimated 6.5 million people in the region are food insecure barely surviving on one meal a day. He said the ever-growing number of severely malnourished children is of particular concern. Across Lake Chad, he notes, there are 568,000 severely malnourished children, the bulk of them in northeast Nigeria. "We know that in the next 12 months, 75 [thousand] maybe as many as 80,000 children will die in the northeast of Nigeria unless we can reach them with very specialized therapeutic food." Lanzer told VOA the violence perpetrated by Boko Haram militants in northeast Nigeria and in the region is the single biggest factor in creating this emergency. "People were displaced, forced from their land. They could no longer tend to their livestock. This has really paralyzed things for the population across the region," he told VOA. "Trade itself was stopped because of the security operation to counter Boko Haram ... I've worked in many crises settings, [and] the scale and the depth of suffering that I have seen is unparalleled in my experience." Lanzer said U.N. operations in the Lake Chad basin are in a deep financial hole and the international community must come up with the money to support humanitarian activities. He said U.N. agencies are seeking $739 million to deal with the crisis. But the response has been tepid with only $197 million less than one third of the total needs has been raised. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iranian Theme Park Teaches Children War Tactics By Mehdi Jedinia September 30, 2016 Iran opened a military theme park this week, designed to educate children as young as eight-years-old on how to fight in a war and fire weapons at its perceived Western enemies. Located in a western suburb of the city of Mashad, the "Park of the Revolution's Children" marks "Sacred Defense Week," an annual commemoration of the Iran-Iraq war of the 1980's, according to a park brochure. "The participant children are trained in shooting virtual fixed and moving targets including moving objects decorated with the U.S. and Israeli flag," Hamid Sadeghi, the managing director of Children and Future Cultural House, which supervises the activities of this park, told Raja News. The conservative Raja media outlet is affiliated with Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards, which has thousands of troops fighting in Syria on behalf of the government of Bashar al-Assad. The opening ceremony of the park held this week featured several speakers including the family of a high-ranking Revolutionary Guards commander killed in Aleppo this month. Sadeghi did not respond to calls from a VOA reporter seeking comment. In a photo essay released the state-run Iranian News Agency, children at the park are pictured carrying weapons in field drills, navigating an obstacle course and gathering around bonfires while wearing military apparel similar to Revolutionary Guard uniforms. The children learn how to defend a sacred monument that resembles a Shi'ite holy site in Damascus which Iran says it is protecting in Syria's civil war, Sadeghi told Raja News. "Children divide into groups of eight to ten upon their arrival to the park and one picks a group leader," he said. "They say goodbye to a model shrine at the beginning and engage in war games, training and teaching and will defend the Syria shrine at the end of this 40-minute track." Human rights activists in the city say they are quietly trying to dissuade families from allowing their children to participate in park activities. "But since we do not carry any weight in terms of authority, our efforts are not very fruitful and we can be face hardship if we push more," one activist leader told VOA. "We urge international organizations to take these issues more serious as it may contribute to the future of extremism. Their propaganda is very strong and targeting low budget and uneducated families. this can really twist children's future and push them toward violence and make them keen to display violence." The activist asked for anonymity fearing retribution from authorities if her name became public. Roya Boroumand, executive director of the Abdorrahman Boroumand Foundation, which monitors and tracks human rights in Iran, called the theme park "a vivid violation of international protocols and misuse of children's emotions." "They are playing with the future and faith of these kids by seeding the excitement of war in them which might affect them all their life and their decisions in the future," Boroumand said in an interview with VOA. "Boys are inherently interested in war games and consider this as a game but do not know what is waiting for them in war zones. Enticing them with these kind of games is despising and not acceptable." The Iranian government often glorifies war and its alleged military might. State-run television released a propaganda video in April aimed at encouraging young people to join Iranian forces in Syria. The video showed children taking up arms and singing a song about "martyrs who defend the sacred shrine." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Pakistan: SAARC Summit Postponed By Ayaz Gul October 01, 2016 Pakistan has announced it will postpone a November meeting of the heads of South Asian countries, blaming arch-rival India for derailing the process of regional cooperation. The move Friday comes amid escalating border and diplomatic tensions between Islamabad and New Delhi over allegations Pakistan was behind a deadly assault earlier in September on an Indian army base in the divided Kashmir region. India earlier decided not to attend the summit of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, or SAARC, citing what it called cross-border terrorism, charges the Pakistan government rejects. Pakistan, which was to host the summit, said it deplored India's decision not to attend, according to a foreign ministry statement issued in Islamabad. "The spirit of the SAARC Charter is violated when a member state casts the shadow of its bilateral problems on the multilateral forum for regional cooperation," it said. UN urges calm The United Nations on Friday said it was deeply concerned about the increase in tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is urging both sides to exercise maximum restraint and take immediate steps to de-escalate the situation, according to a statement issued in New York "He calls on the Governments of Pakistan and India to address their outstanding issues, including regarding Kashmir, peacefully through diplomacy and dialogue. His good offices are available, if accepted by both sides." Diplomatic isolation India has vowed to try to diplomatically isolate Pakistan for its alleged support of Islamist groups on its soil, groups India says are behind terrorist attacks in neighboring countries. Staying away from the SAARC meeting appears to be part of India's efforts. Three other members of the group, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Bhutan, have pulled out of the summit, backing Indian concerns. The rivalry between India and Pakistan, the two largest members of SAARC, has long been blamed for keeping the organization from becoming an effective forum to deal with the challenges facing the poverty-stricken region. "The decision by India to derail the summit effectively contradicts Prime Minister [Narendra] Modi's own call to fight against poverty in the region," the Pakistan foreign ministry statement said. While New Delhi blamed the September 18 attack on Pakistan-based militants, Islamabad denied any role and called it an attempt to deflect attention from alleged human rights abuses by Indian security forces in the disputed Himalayan region. Tensions on the rise Tensions escalated further Thursday when the Indian military said its soldiers crossed into Pakistani Kashmir and conducted predawn strikes against terrorists there. Islamabad swiftly rejected India's claims as "falsified, concocted and irresponsible statements" and said the Indian strikes are another incident of cross-border firing in which two Pakistani soldiers were killed while nine more were wounded. Exchange of fire across the Kashmir frontier broke out again early Saturday and continued for several hours, the Pakistani military said, blaming India for initiating the incident. There were no reports of casualties. The border skirmishes have raised fears of another conflict over Kashmir. The region is claimed by both countries and has sparked two of the three wars between India and Pakistan since they gained independence from Britain in 1947. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Fewer than 30 doctors left in war-torn Aleppo, UN health agency warns 30 September 2016 There are now less than 30 doctors working in Aleppo city, down from 35 several days ago, a senior official of the United Nations health agency said today, highlighting the deteriorating healthcare capacity in the war-battered area. "Up until the last few days, there had been eight hospitals partially functioning in Aleppo, but a few days ago, the two largest hospitals [were] deliberately targeted and are now not functioning, drastically reducing the capacity of health workers in the city to provide life-saving medical care for many innocent civilians," Dr. Rick Brennan, the Director of Emergency Risk Management and Humanitarian Response of the World Health Organization (WHO), told reporters in Geneva. "There has been a reduction in the number of health workers able to stay at their posts, and those who did are exhausted, drained physically and emotionally," he said. "The work they are doing is beyond heroic. For them to stay at their post under those conditions deserves unending admiration and respect," he added. Because the supply lines are cut off, and with 270,000 people besieged in east Aleppo it is difficult to get medical supplies, equipment and fuel to the remaining health facilities, and no patients are able to get out. Dr. Brennan said that he has been working in humanitarian assistance for 23 years, has been to conflict zones on four continents, but has rarely seen conditions as severe as those in east Aleppo today. Out of over 100 public hospitals throughout the country, only 45 per cent are fully functional now, another 35 per cent are partially functional, and 25 per cent are not working, he said. In Aleppo, the situation is significantly worse, he said. A few days ago, with the two main hospitals still functioning, there were 135 hospital beds available in east Aleppo. With the recent destruction of the two hospitals, the capacity to treat patients has been drastically reduced. Children and other civilians treated in corridors Children and other civilians are being treated on the floor in corridors, he said. There are not enough intensive care beds. Four children have died in the last few days according to medical representatives on the ground, because the intensive care unit in one of the hospitals was full, he added. WHO is also calling for the sick and injured to be let out. There are more than 800 injured people in Aleppo, including many children, many of them with life-threatening injuries, in need of access to essential health care. Access is needed to east Aleppo to bring in drugs, essential medical equipment and other medical personnel to relieve the brave doctors, nurses and other health care providers who have stayed at their posts throughout this recent escalation, Dr. Brennan said, expressing hope that this appeal will not fall on deaf ears, as it consistently did in the past. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia's Syria Campaign Seen Purely as Bid to Prop Up Assad By Victor Vladimirov September 30, 2016 The Russian air force's bombing campaign in Syria marked its first anniversary Friday, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov saying there was no "time frame" for the operation. The Kremlin has officially declared the main objectives of its air campaign in Syria to be eliminating radical Islamic extremists in Syria and protecting Russia from the spread of international terrorism. However, independent experts and other observers both inside and outside Russia say that Moscow is using any means necessary to keep the regime of Bashar al-Assad in power. The Syrian Observatory of Human Rights reported Friday that about 3,800 civilians, almost a quarter of them children, had been killed in Russian airstrikes in Syria since the start of Moscow's air campaign. Kremlin spokesman Peskov dismissed the observatory's casualty estimates as unreliable. Meanwhile, the World Health Organization said Russian and Syrian government bombardment of rebel-held eastern Aleppo had killed 338 people, including 106 children, over the past week alone. 'Goal' questioned In an interview with VOA's Russian service, Alexei Malashenko of the Carnegie Moscow Center recalled that at the outset of the air campaign in Syria a year ago, Moscow declared that its goal was "victory over ISIS," an acronym for the Islamic State group. "On June 30, ISIS celebrated the second anniversary of its existence," Malashenko said. "Therefore, the question arises: Who was the operation directed against after all? The answer is obvious: It was an action in support of Bashar al-Assad." In Malashenko's view, Russia's military campaign in Syria has achieved almost nothing. "Yes, Bashar has survived," he said, noting that before Russia launched its air campaign in Syria, 50 percent of the personnel in Assad's army had "run off" and 60 percent of its armored vehicles had been destroyed. "What is different now?" he asked. "Imagine for a second that the [Russian] operation were suddenly curtailed. Where would Assad be?" Malashenko said the Assad regime was "pathologically weak" and "capable of absolutely nothing without the support of Russia," while "Moscow does not know what to do next." "To support Assad eternally is impossible," he said. "There are also no prospects for establishing some kind of post-Assad, pro-Russian lobby in Syria." The situation in Syria looks good only when looked at in Kremlin propaganda reports, Malashenko added. "By the way, if you count as I have, the number of militants who the [Russian] national [TV] channels say have been killed [in Russian airstrikes in Syria], there shouldn't be any left at all," he said. "Then who's fighting?" No disincentives seen for Russia Still, Nikolay Kozhanov, an associate in the Russia and Eurasia Program at Chatham House, a London-based international affairs think tank, said neither the growing number of civilian casualties in Syria nor the growing losses among its personnel there would push Russia to curtail its military operation in Syria. Kozhanov told VOA that he didn't foresee a situation in which the Russian army would suffer "intolerable losses, at least when it comes to the officially declared troops there." He noted that these personnel consist mainly of a relatively small number of jet pilots, unmanned drone operators and missile crews. Kozhanov added that losses among Russian servicemen fighting in Syria under the guise of being "volunteers" would have no impact on Moscow's will to continue its operation there. He also said he thought the Russian propaganda machine would be able to succeed in justifying any such casualties. "Any such losses will be presented as holy sacrifices that prove the righteousness of this war, or they will simply be covered up, as has happened before," he said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address 576th FLTS realigns administratively under 20th Air Force By Carla Pampe, Air Force Global Strike Command Public Affairs / Published September 30, 2016 BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. (AFNS) -- The Air Force Global Strike Command Operations Directorate will transfer administrative control of the 576th Flight Test Squadron to the 20th Air Force Commander effective Oct. 1. According to Col. Craig Ramsey, the 576th FLTS commander, the purpose of this realignment is twofold: provide a clear administrative chain of command in a more typical military construct (a commander working for another commander), and realign the Intercontinental Ballistic Missile test unit under the ICBM Numbered Air Force. Previously, the unit was administratively aligned under the Operations Directorate at AFGSC. "Administratively and functionally, this aligns the squadron with the professionals within the ICBM Numbered Air Force," Maj. Gen. Anthony Cotton, the 20th AF Commander, said. "While the operational-level mission of the squadron differs from the other 20th (Air Force) units (test unit versus operational), the tactical-level actions and problem sets of the 576th (FLTS) parallel those of sister units." Aside from a new senior rater signing administrative documents, this change should be transparent to the members of the 576th FLTS, and while administrative control will realign under the 20th Air Force, test mission activities will remain under AFGSC. "Test management and oversight will continue to be provided by the AFGSC Operations Directorate in accordance with existing instructions," said Brig. Gen. Ferdinand Stoss, the A3 director. "This provides the dual benefit of 'commanders working for commanders' in an administrative control relationship with 20th (Air Force) while executing the command's operational test program in a streamlined relationship with the headquarters." The 576th FLTS is the United States' only dedicated ICBM test squadron, "professionally executing tests that accurately measure the current and future capability of the nation's ICBM force," Ramsey said. The 576th FLTS was originally activated in 1943 as the 576th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) under the 392nd Bombardment Group and 8th Air Force, where they flew B-24 Liberators during World War II. Following a post-war inactivation, the 576th Strategic Missile Squadron was reactivated in 1958 at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, under U.S. Strategic Air Command. Ramsey said the squadron, under various names, has been launching ICBMs since September 1959, including Atlas, Minuteman and Peacekeeper missiles. "As an Air Force Global Strike Command unit, I think it's very fitting that we have a tie to 8th Air Force and bomber heritage as well as the early days of ICBM testing," Ramsey said. "We are very proud of our long legacy." As the only operational test unit for all Minuteman III operational testing, the 576th FLTS works with the AFGSC Operations Directorate's test branch to plan, schedule, execute and report results on all manner of ICBM tests. "The 576 FLTS has a responsibility to the nuclear community to thoroughly test all components, equipment, and facets of the ICBM weapon system and support infrastructure to ensure it meets the needs of the warfighter," Ramsey said. "Before it ever reaches the field, we're supposed to make sure it's right!" NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Prairie Creek 2016 Technical Report Annual Information Form CZN-TSX CZICF-OTCQB VANCOUVER, Sept. 30, 2016 Canadian Zinc Corporation (TSX: CZN; OTCQB: CZICF) ("the Company" or "Canadian Zinc") reports that the Company has re-filed the Prairie Creek 2016 Technical Report, originally filed with SEDAR on May 12, 2016, to correct an overstatement of the gross smelter revenue in the life-of-mine economic model included in its 2016 Preliminary Feasibility Study. (See Canadian Zinc News Release dated September 14, 2016.) All other inputs into the economic model and all technical aspects of the 2016 Preliminary Feasibility Study remain unchanged, including all mineral resource and reserve estimates, mining plans and production rates and estimates of capital and operating costs and assumptions on concentrate treatment charges and penalties. The revised base case economic model continues to indicate a robust project at consensus forecasts for the long-term prices of lead and zinc and there remains good potential for additional project optimization, enhanced economics and further extending the life of the Prairie Creek Mine. The revised financial results remain strongly positive and indicate a pre-tax undiscounted cumulative cash flow of $710 million at metal prices of US$1.00/lb for zinc and lead and US$19/oz for silver. The revised financial model yields a pre-tax NPV of $284 million at an 8% discount rate, with an IRR of 23%, and a post-tax NPV of $155 million, with a post-tax IRR of 18%. The 2016 Preliminary Feasibility Study and the Prairie Creek Property Prefeasibility Update NI 43-101 Technical Report (filed on SEDAR on May 12, 2016) and the Prairie Creek Property Prefeasibility Update NI 43-101 Technical Report (Amended and Restated) (filed on SEDAR on September 30, 2016) were completed by AMC Mining Consultants (Canada) Ltd., and Tetra Tech Inc. with input from Canadian Zinc personnel and consultants. Canadian Zinc personnel were primarily responsible for the financial model and inputs and the financial analysis and for Section 22 "Economic analysis" of the Technical Report. The Company has also re-filed its Form 20F (Annual Information Form) for the year-ended December 31, 2015, to reflect the correction of the information extracted from the Technical Report referred to in this document. This news release has been reviewed and approved by Alan Taylor P.Geo. COO & VP Exploration, who participated in the preparation of the Prairie Creek Property Prefeasibility Update NI 43-101 Technical Report (Amended and Restated) and is a Non-Independent QP under National Instrument 43-101 ("NI 43-101") for Canadian Zinc. The following Qualified Persons have reviewed and approved the content of this news release as it pertains to their areas of expertise and project responsibility. G. Z. Mosher, P.Geo Global Mineral Resource Services H. A. Smith, P.Eng. AMC Mining Consultants (Canada) Ltd. H. Ghaffari, P.Eng. Tetra Tech Inc. J. Huang P.Eng. Tetra Tech Inc. T. A. Morrison P.Eng. Consulting Mining Engineer About Canadian Zinc Canadian Zinc is a TSX-listed exploration and development company trading under the symbol "CZN". The Company's key project is the 100%-owned Prairie Creek Project, a fully permitted, advanced-staged zinc-lead-silver property, located in the Northwest Territories. Canadian Zinc also owns an extensive land package in central Newfoundland. Cautionary Statement Forward-Looking Information This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (collectively, "forward-looking statements"). Forward-looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to: statements with respect to the extent and impact of the overstatement described in this news release; expectations regarding the filing of an amended technical report and the expected content of that technical report; statements with respect to the Company's proposed Prairie Creek Mine operations, including life-of-mine, cash flow and other economic projections; the future mine grades, recoveries and production rates expected from the Prairie Creek Mine; the estimation of mineral reserves and mineral resources; the realization of mineral reserve and mineral resource estimates; the terms of any contracts the Company may ultimately enter with respect to the sale of zinc, lead, silver or copper concentrates; and the outlook for future prices of zinc, lead, silver and copper. Such forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Since forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those reflected in the forward-looking statements, including risks relating to, among other things: the preliminary nature of the calculations contained in this news release, mineral reserves, mineral resources (including with respect to the size, grade and recoverability of mineral resources), results of exploration, reclamation and other post-closure costs, capital and construction costs, mine production costs, the timing of exploration, development and mining activities, commodity prices and the terms of commodity sales agreements, and all of the other risks described under "Forward Looking Statements" in the Company's Annual Report filed on SEDAR or EDGAR.. These forward-looking statements are based on certain assumptions which the Company believes are reasonable, including: that the preliminary calculations of the overstatement described in this news release, and the impact of that overstatement, are correct and will not be materially different from the complete calculations contained in an amended technical report; that the Company will file an amended technical report on the Prairie Creek Mine; sustained zinc, lead, silver and other commodity demand and prices, and that such prices will be materially consistent with those anticipated; the proposed development of the Company's mineral projects will be viable operationally and economically and proceed as planned; the actual nature, size and grade of the Company's mineral reserves and resources are materially consistent with estimates; and all of the assumptions described under "Forward Looking Statements" in the Company's Annual Report filed on SEDAR or EDGAR. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements that may be made from time to time by the Company or on its behalf, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. Mineral resources that are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. Inferred mineral resources are considered too speculative geologically to have economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be categorized as mineral reserves. There is no certainty that mineral resources will be converted into mineral reserves. Cautionary Note to United States Investors The United States Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") permits U.S. mining companies, in their filings with the SEC, to disclose only those mineral deposits that a company can economically and legally extract or produce. We use certain terms in this press release, such as "measured," "indicated," and "inferred" "resources," which the SEC guidelines prohibit U.S. registered companies from including in their filings with the SEC. SOURCE Canadian Zinc Corp. Vancouver, British Columbia (FSCwire) - Ximen Mining Corp. is pleased to announce that it has arranged a non-brokered private placement of three million flow-through units at a price of $0.15 cents per unit for gross proceeds of $450,000. The flow-through units will comprise one common flow-through share and one non-flow-through share purchase warrant, which may be exercised for a period of five years at a price of $0.20 per share. The term of the warrants may be accelerated in the event that the issuer's shares trade at or above a price of $0.25 per share for a period of 10 consecutive days. In such case of accelerated warrants, the issuer may give notice, in writing or by way of news release, to the subscribers that the warrants will expire 30 days from the date of providing such notice. The offering is subject to approval by the TSX-V. On behalf of the Board of Directors, Christopher R. Anderson Christopher R. Anderson, President, CEO and Director Ximen Mining Corp. 604 488-3900 This News Release may contain forward-looking statements including but not limited to comments regarding the acquisition of certain mineral claims. 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 and Revolver undertakes no obligation to update such statements, except as required by law. Forward-looking statements are based on the then-current expectations, beliefs, assumptions, estimates and forecasts about the business and the industry and markets in which the Company operates, including that: the current price of and demand for minerals being targeted by the Company will be sustained or will improve; the Company will be able to obtain required exploration licences and other permits; general business and economic conditions will not change in a material adverse manner; financing will be available if and when needed on reasonable terms; the Company will not experience any material accident; and the Company will be able to identify and acquire additional mineral interests on reasonable terms or at all. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions which are difficult to predict. Investors are cautioned that all forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, including: that resource exploration and development is a speculative business; that environmental laws and regulations may become more onerous; that the Company may not be able to raise additional funds when necessary; fluctuations in currency exchange rates; fluctuating prices of commodities; operating hazards and risks; competition; potential inability to find suitable acquisition opportunities and/or complete the same; and other risks and uncertainties listed in the Companys public filings. These risks, as well as others, could cause actual results and events to vary significantly. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and information, which are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. There can be no assurance that forward-looking information, or the material factors or assumptions used to develop such forward looking information, will prove to be accurate. The Company does not undertake any obligations to release publicly any revisions for updating any voluntary forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable securities law. 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. To view this press release as a PDF file, click onto the following link:public://news_release_pdf/Ximen09302016.pdfSource: Ximen Mining Corp. (TSX Venture:XIM) To follow Ximen Mining Corp. on your favorite social media platform or financial websites, please click on the icons below. Maximum News Dissemination by FSCwire. http://www.fscwire.com Copyright 2016 Filing Services Canada Inc. SHARE AUSTIN Douglas Wilde receives state grant Tom Green County farmer Douglas Wilde of Wall is one of 20 young farmers and ranchers set to receive grant awards from the Texas Agricultural Finance Authority Board totaling more than $175,000 through the Texas Department of Agriculture's Young Farmer Grant program. These grant awards are part of a larger effort to promote and sustain the Lone Star State's position as an agricultural powerhouse by supporting younger agricultural producers, Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller said. "Our young farmers are the future of agriculture in the great state of Texas, and I'm pleased to announce these grant awards to help our young producers continue to put food on our plates for years to come," Miller said. The young farmers and ranchers receiving these grant awards reflect the changing nature of agriculture across the state. Of the 10 grants awarded, recipients will use the money toward the following ag-related projects: beekeeping operations, hydroponic or aquaponics crop production, grass-fed beef production, heritage breed pigs, vineyard diversity, traditional cattle operations and crop production for onions, mushrooms, coastal hay and Pima cotton. Besides Wilde, other grant recipients include: Brandon Lee, Erath, Hood counties; Bryan Zoch, Williamson County; Casie Buck, Franklin County; Christopher Clopton, Llano County; Jason Morgan, Brazos County; Jason Oliver, Liberty County; Kristen Craig, Titus County; Krystal Hodges, Brazoria County; Michael Wright, Jones County; Nicole Godwin, Rusk County; Paul Wills, Upshur County; Samantha Ullrich, Fayette County; Stacie Eggleston, Cooke County; Stephen Smylie, Matagorda County; Tera Waldroup, Rockwall County; Tina Weldon, Blanco County; Travis Johnson, Cameron; William Wiebe, Harris County; and William Wingo, Austin County. COLLEGE STATION 4-H youth focus on community service Texas 4-H youth throughout the state will participate in hundreds of community service project Saturday as part of National 4-H Week activities, according to Chris Boleman, Texas 4-H Youth Development director at College Station. "One Day 4-H is a statewide community service initiative of Texas 4-H, which is administrated by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service," Boleman said. "The One Day 4-H event is the culmination of annual National 4-H Week activities." Last year, 12,487 4-H youth and adults were involved in 275 projects throughout the state, according to Toby Lepley, assistant state director for Texas 4-H Youth Development. Combined, they provided 14,094 hours of community serve to benefit 418,407 Texas residents. For more information on One Day 4-H and how to participate in its community service opportunities, go to http://texas4-h.tamu.edu/events/oneday/. UVALDE Group to talk about water in ranching The Texas Section Society for Range Management set its annual meeting for Oct. 11-13 at the SSGT Willie de Leon Civic Center in Uvalde. The meeting's theme is "Water: How can TSSRM Lead its Stewardship?" and will focus on water stewardship in ranching operations. Rangelands serve as the largest land use on watersheds in Texas. Stewardship through sustainable management from ranching and agriculture throughout the state is critical to ensuring sustainable water supplies throughout Texas. Technical experts, research scientists, ranchers, and government agencies will address watershed management, stewardship and other agricultural related topics. Those interested in attending can contact Dandy Kothmann at forked_lightning_ranch@yahoo.com or by phone at 325-212-8944. Hotel reservations are available at Hampton Inn at 830-278-1300 or Holiday Inn Express at 830-278-7300. Please request the TSSRM block for special room rates. Compiled by Jerry Lackey Depression related documents and drugs. (Fotolia/TNS) SHARE By Jenny Gold Kaiser Health News (TNS) Kieley Parker never imagined she would need an antidepressant. I always win those stupid sunshine and happiest person awards. People see me as an incredibly joyful person, she said. But in fall 2014, Parker left her job as a third-grade teacher and moved to Tulsa, Okla., with her fiance. Starting over in a new city was an enormous transition. I couldnt feel joy or even negative emotions like sadness. I couldnt eat I lost 25 pounds, Parker recalled. I was just anxious, which spiraled into depression. WHATS HAPPENING About 1 out of 5 women in America will experience depression in her lifetime, twice the number of men. Some are depressed throughout the course of their lives; others, like Kieley, become depressed following a big change. Over the past decade, people have increasingly treated depression with medication: Starting in 1994, the number of antidepressant prescriptions written by doctors went up 400 percent over a 10-year period. And today, about 15 percent of women take an antidepressant. Among women age 40 to 59, that number is nearly 23 percent, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. With so many people popping pills, its easy to wonder: Are they being overprescribed? The answer is complicated. I suspect we have the right number of people taking antidepressants, said Dr. Karen Swartz, a psychiatrist at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore. The question is whether we have the right people taking them. One answer could be that some women are incorrectly given antidepressants after brief evaluations with primary care physicians even if theyre not experiencing clinical depression. (Most prescriptions are written by doctors who do not specialize in mental health care.) Others who may need medication are never diagnosed because they dont discuss their feelings due to fear of prejudice or lack of access to medical care. And, some women who could benefit from antidepressants may be self-medicating with alcohol instead. THE SAFETY FACTOR Overall, doctors consider antidepressants a safe treatment. They often bring fast relief, and millions of people have been using them for 30-plus years, without evidence of serious harm, Swartz said. Though research on long-term use is scarce, generally, studies show that there are no side effects of using antidepressants for an extended duration, said Dr. Renee Binder, immediate past president of the American Psychiatric Association. However, there can be short-term side effects, including weight gain and insomnia. So no one wants to be on a medication they dont need, Swartz said. These three women are sharing their stories to spur dialogue around the subject and to encourage others to speak out. Their message: You are not alone. Barb Patrick, 46, experienced postpartum depression At least 1 in 7 women suffer from postpartum depression following the birth of a child Patrick was diagnosed after her second baby in 2000. I couldnt sleep at all because of my anxiety. People tell you to relax, but if I could relax, I would! Patrick, who now runs a quilting business in Newtown, Conn., worried she couldnt take care of her newborn and 20-month-old toddler, so she called her OB-GYN office. At first, they didnt offer any helpful solutions, Patrick said. After five sleepless nights, she called the office again and the on-call nurse midwife answered. She changed my life. She said, Oh, honey, you have postpartum. Come in, and well take care of it. The midwife referred her to a psychiatrist, who put her on Zoloft and Ativan to quell anxiety. Patrick stopped the medication about a year later, but as soon as she gave birth to her third baby in 2003, the symptoms returned and worsened. She went back on her medications and began to feel better. Since she assumed the depression was specific to childbirth, she tried to go off again several times. On every occasion, the symptoms returned. Today, 13 years later, she remains on antidepressants. I had to go through this process to realize this is something I cannot control. My mother said to me, if you had a heart problem, you would take medicine. You cant control it, so take the medicine. I function perfectly, I have a family and run a business, I have three great kids, I have a house. I manage it all and just accept that medication is part of my life. What you should know: Some women are able to come off antidepressants when their children get older, while others stay on. Postpartum depression is often traumatic enough to an entire family that it takes a while for them to even consider going off, said Swartz. Tonja Myles, 51, has had multiple depressive episodes Myles was not dealt an easy hand. She experienced years of childhood trauma and at the age of 18, she was hospitalized for depression and a suicide attempt. She started taking an antidepressant but soon stopped because she felt ashamed. Some people in the faith community frown upon it because they think you should just pray and ask God, and He will heal you from depression, said Myles, who is an ordained minister. I pray, but there are days when I have trouble getting out of bed, and thats the truth. Eventually, at 45, after several episodes of major depression, Myles grew tired of the emotional roller coaster. She went to see a therapist, who recommended again that she take medication. This time, she agreed. I have to do whats best for myself, she said. It took a long time for Myles doctor to find the right combination of drugs, but she ended up on a medication called Lexapro, then transitioned to Lamictal (taken as a mood stabilizer) and a pill to help with insomnia. For Myles, taking antidepressants has become a part of her life, along with her faith, exercise, healthy eating and therapy. Today, she counsels others with mental health issues and speaks publicly to reduce prejudice against depression; she also hosts her own community radio show. What you should know: Doctors recommend that women who have three or more episodes of depression stay on antidepressants. If you stop using antidepressants even after you get well, the risk of relapse is very high between 50 percent to 75 percent within six months, said Dr. Lee Cohen, director of the Center for Womens Mental Health at Massachusetts General Hospital. Kieley Parker, 30, went through a big life change When Parker first became ill, even asking for help seemed like more than she could manage. But she gathered her courage and told her mother she was struggling. Right away, her mom was supportive. She scheduled an appointment with a psychiatrist for Parker and drove her there. Parker, a typically bubbly person, was immediately diagnosed with depression, brought on by her move and all the other transitions in her life. The psychiatrist put her on Zoloft, an antidepressant, and Valium for her anxiety. I felt better almost instantly, she said. Every day it got a little bit easier and I could feel myself slowly coming back to the person I was before this rocky transition. She stayed on antidepressants for two years, as she built her life in Tulsa. Parker tried to go off them briefly, but recently went back on at a lower dose when her anxiety began to creep back in. What you should know: If you were put on antidepressants because of symptoms related to a specific stressor like a divorce and youre feeling better a year or so later, you can talk to your physician about whether you still need to be on them, said Binder. Depression vs. grief: Diagnosing people with depression following a big life event can be tricky because it looks similar to grief, which can include sadness, appetite loss and exhaustion. An estimated 20 percent of women will have a depressive episode over the course of their lives, but 100 percent will grieve, Swartz said. Feeling sad and being tearful is not the same as depression. The difference: People with depression have a real change in their feelings about themselves and about the future. Depression can also include thoughts of suicide, which is not usually part of grief. Kaiser Health News (KHN) is a national health policy news service. It is an editorially independent program of the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. SHARE By Sharon Randall On the first day of fall, I sat by a window in Redding, California, looking out on a pond that mirrored a blue sky, watching squirrels and geese and clouds and trees do what they do best. I wish you could've seen them. I believe all God's creations are put on Earth for a purpose. If their purpose that day was simply to delight me, they knocked it out of the park. Have you ever noticed how most things in Nature seem to know why they are here? Humans are the exception. As soon as we can talk, someone will ask us, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" When I was 6, I wanted to be a forest ranger in a lookout tower. Somedays, I still do. Animal babies are never asked what they will be. Birds grow up to be birds. Dogs grow up to be dogs. Jack rabbits grow up to eat everything in my yard. Humans grow up to be human. Most of us. But some of us spend our lives trying to figure out why we are here. My reason for being in Redding was pretty clear. In three days, I spoke at three events, two of which were fundraisers for the Women's Fund of Shasta Regional Community Foundation. Those talks were easy. I talked about some of the kindnesses I have known: As a child whose family fell on hard times; as a teenager hoping to go to college; as a wife and mother whose husband was dying with cancer. I've had vast experience on the receiving side of kindness. I can talk about it until the cows come home. And so I did. Kindness, I said, is love in action: The love of God. The love of family and friends. Even the love of strangers. It comes in all sorts of shapes and sizes. A canned ham when you're hungry. A college scholarship when you need it. The prayers of someone's children for your children. And in countless other strange and wondrous ways. Sometimes, I said, it's an organization like the Women's Fund, that makes hard times a little easier for women, like my mother, and families like mine, who never want a "handout," but need a helping hand. There are many organizations like the Women's Fund, neighbors helping neighbors all around the country. Or there should be. If there's not one in your town, maybe you can start one with your friends? At the third event, I met with some journalism students from local colleges. I told them my story of how I became a reporter (through the grace of God and the back door of a newsroom) and a few things I've learned in my 25 years as a columnist. Like all good journalists, they asked excellent questions. I wish you could've heard them. There are days when I worry about the future of journalism. Something about the light in their eyes made me worry a little less. For three days in Redding, I shook hands, hugged necks and met hundreds of "friends" I'd not met before and may never see again this side of heaven. I got to know the gorgeous land they call home, the birds and trees, the mountains and the river and especially the people. They made me feel like it was my home, too. I listened to them talk about the things they love, the hopes and fears and dreams they share for themselves, their children and their community. For a while, I got to be one of them. What a gift. Best of all, I heard them say that my stories are their stories, too. We are all more alike than we are different. What is your purpose, your reason for being here? After all these years, I'm still not sure of mine. But I do know what I want to be when I grow up. I want to be kind. A truly kind wife, mama, nana, sister, auntie, cousin, neighbor, friend, writer, speaker and forest ranger in a lookout tower. If you hear of any openings, let me know. Russian grand prix promoter Sergey Vorobyov has denied that Sochi is another race that could be endangered for 2017. The FIA has now released a 21-race 2017 calendar that showed only provisional dates for Canada, Germany and Brazil. But the latest reports from Russia have suggested waning support from the local Krasnodar region, and financial problems being tackled by track operator Omega, is also endangering the Sochi round. Race rromoter Vorobyov, however, told Ria Novosti news agency: "Recently, the formula one calendar was published and the grand prix of Russia was confirmed. "We are sceptical of these reports about the race because it is not in danger," he insisted. (GMM) Although the top seats are mainly secured, the driver silly season is now in full swing. The key to the market, it seems, is Sergio Perez. Indeed, the Mexican sounds so confident of his position that he has even declared a one-week deadline. But even Force India, his existing team, sounds relaxed. "It will happen -- we're very confident Checo will be with us next year," said deputy boss Bob Fernley. "If it takes a week, that's wonderful, if it takes a couple of weeks, so be it. " If the deal does fall through, Auto Bild suggested the Mercedes-backed Pascal Wehrlein is front of the queue to replace him. "It's in Mercedes' hands," the young German is quoted as saying. Perez, meanwhile, would be expected to go to Renault. Indeed, the French works team is pushing hard for a top candidate for 2017, not even limiting itself to drivers who don't already have a contract. The latest names being mentioned are Nico Hulkenberg and Valtteri Bottas, while Carlos Sainz could be traded by Red Bull in exchange for a better engine deal. "Red Bull knows there are plenty of people who also want me," Sainz told the Spanish media at Sepang. "We'll see if that somehow propels me towards Red Bull, because Toro Rosso is fine but I want something more," he added. Sainz's friend Fernando Alonso, however, has recommended Sainz to McLaren for 2018. When asked about that, Sainz told AS newspaper: "It is always good news that Fernando wants me there because he sees me as a potential world champion, so thanks for the comment." As for the places at Renault and Force India, it is holding up the rest of the market, including Williams, Sauber, Haas, Manor and potentially Toro Rosso. Sauber's Felipe Nasr told UOL: "There are many drivers who are just waiting." (GMM) Niki Lauda has insisted that Mercedes' two race drivers take part in Pirelli's 2017 tyre testing. Germany's Auto Motor und Sport claims that, with Pascal Wehrlein having done the running in Mercedes test mule so far, Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg did not want to do any of the running as Pirelli tests its wide slicks for next year. But the report said both Hamilton and Rosberg will be at the Barcelona test later this month. "A driver can always learn something, even if it might be limited in a tyre test. Honestly, Niki put more pressure on than me," Mercedes team boss Wolff said. F1 legend and team chairman Lauda confirmed: "It is important that the regular drivers test. "They are the fastest and can do a better job than a replacement driver to help Pirelli with this tyre development." Red Bull's race drivers will also test the 2017 slicks in October, after Sebastien Buemi did the running so far. "Verstappen and Ricciardo will do the test in Abu Dhabi," team official Dr Helmut Marko confirmed. (GMM) GREENWICH State officials from the Emergency Response and Spill Prevention Division said they were just in time to help prevent a rush of spilled diesel fuel into Binney Pond. The team responded Thursday afternoon to a caller complaining that fuel appeared to be seeping into the stream that feeds into pond, and placed booms before the ponds entrance just hours before what has been predicted as a four-day rain storm hit the area. If that citizen hadnt called it in, tomorrow you would have had a pond full of fuel. Kenneth LeClerc, Emergency Response Coordinator with the ERSP, said Thursday. LeClerc, was first made aware of the problem Thursday. That day he, along with six officials and two fire engines from the Greenwich Fire Department, followed the stream north from Binney Pond and traced the source of pollution to a drain though a bridge over I-95. The minute we got to the highway and saw it clean above and dirty below, we just knew, LeClerc said. Sean Goldrick, a former member of the Greenwich Board of Estimate and Taxation who lives near the pond, called the state after noticing the leak. He said he had been smelling gasoline and spotted an oily sheen around the pond for about a week. He said he had been noticing similar sheens regularly all summer long. LeClerc identified the oily sheen in the stream as red-dyed diesel fuel, intended for off-road use in farm equipment or as heating oil. Red-dyed fuel has not been taxed to the extent normal diesel fuel. The red dye serves as indicator to help enforcement authorities know when someone is illegally running untaxed fuel in on-road vehicles, LeClerc said. Vehicle operators caught are subject to a $1,000 fine from the Internal Revenue Service. LeClerc said he suspected someone driving a tractor trailer with an exposed saddle tank hit some debris in the road, which punctured the tank and drained the fuel along the side of the road. He and other team members found a pool of the red fuel near a drain over the stream that feeds in to Binney Pond. Rain last week probably flushed out the drain and pushed the fuel into the stream and then into the pond, he said. This weekends rain could flush the rest of the fuel into the pond if the booms hadnt been placed, LeClerc said. The booms were placed Thursday evening and are designed to act as filters to soak up the oil. LeClerc said the state visits the pond and installs booms at least twice a year whenever someone reports an oil slick. Similar slicks are spotted regularly on coastal ponds throughout Connecticut, although this year seemed to have more spills than usual, he said. He said residents who smell gas or see an oily sheen on bodies of water in town should call the state at either 860-424-3338 or 1-866-337-7745. The oil sheen is only one problem that has been spotted at the pond this summer. At least twice, large numbers of small fish have been found dead in the water. Those fish kills are not related to the problem with oil in the pond, experts have said. The fish, which are saltwater species, died when they were washed into the shallow, fresh-water ponds. Usually the fish dont die from the sheen, because it floats on the top, LeClerc said. pfrissell@hearstmediact.com; @PeregrineFriss Job Archive July 2021 (524) June 2021 (681) May 2021 (698) April 2021 (659) March 2021 (688) February 2021 (615) January 2021 (699) December 2020 (714) November 2020 (671) October 2020 (631) September 2020 (690) August 2020 (713) July 2020 (713) June 2020 (690) May 2020 (713) April 2020 (690) March 2020 (713) February 2020 (667) January 2020 (713) December 2019 (713) November 2019 (687) October 2019 (711) September 2019 (689) August 2019 (711) July 2019 (707) June 2019 (688) May 2019 (2002) April 2019 (1979) March 2019 (2039) February 2019 (1689) January 2019 (2253) December 2018 (2100) November 2018 (1933) October 2018 (1986) September 2018 (1915) August 2018 (39) July 2018 (72) June 2018 (44) May 2018 (76) April 2018 (65) March 2018 (16) February 2018 (32) January 2018 (201) December 2017 (352) November 2017 (381) October 2017 (600) September 2017 (1211) August 2017 (1655) July 2017 (1590) June 2017 (1506) May 2017 (1902) April 2017 (1965) March 2017 (1417) February 2017 (1808) January 2017 (1807) December 2016 (1593) November 2016 (1376) October 2016 (1408) September 2016 (1317) August 2016 (1499) July 2016 (1505) June 2016 (1421) May 2016 (1391) April 2016 (1340) March 2016 (1476) February 2016 (1396) January 2016 (1474) December 2015 (1409) November 2015 (1367) October 2015 (1478) September 2015 (1442) August 2015 (1468) July 2015 (1465) June 2015 (1410) May 2015 (1057) April 2015 (1269) March 2015 (1132) February 2015 (1152) January 2015 (1153) December 2014 (1156) November 2014 (1268) October 2014 (81) Haiti - Europe : The EU puts EUR 25 million in the Public Treasury Thursday, in accordance with disbursement schedules of budget support program of the European Union (EU) for the consolidation of the Haitian state, the 3rd and final disbursement of fixed and variable installments for the year 2015-2016 has been finalized. A total of just over 25 million has been disbursed to the 2015-2016 budget including 15 million for the installment and 10 million euros for the variable installment, or 83.75% of the maximum amount. This disbursement made after an analysis of the request of the Haitian Government submitted in June 2016, documenting the achievement of general and specific conditions of budget support program for the consolidation of the State. This program will continue throughout 2017 on the component of institutional strengthening to support the extensive process of public finance reform and of the administration, in which the Haitian government committed. This is for Haiti to strengthen the management system and of mobilization of its public resources with a particular emphasis on transparency and the fight against corruption, essential for the implementation of development policies and poverty reduction. Recall that it was in 2014 that Haiti and the European Union launched the budget support program for the consolidation of the State valued at 112 million [from the 10th EDF] deployed over 3 years. HL/ HaitiLibre Haiti - News : Zapping politics... Jude Celestin in Grand'Anse In the Grand'Anse, Jude Celestin, candidate for the presidency under the banner of "Alternative League for Progress and the Haitian Emancipation" (LAPEH) began his campaign to Duchity to go then to Marfranc, Mahotiere, Chambelan and in the city of Jeremie, where a large crowd awaited him. The strategy of Jude Celestin remains the same : door-to-door and athering with a message adapted to the reality and potential of the area. 2,850 SmartPhones to shoot the minutes 2,850 SmartPhones will be used by supervisors and deputy supervisors of the voting centers, to photograph the minutes displayed. These photos will be published on the CEP website to enable political parties and candidates to estimate a few hours after the closing of polling stations and also sent to CTV. This procedure will allow to compare Minutes photographed with those received https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-18554-haiti-news-zapping-politics.html Jovenel Moise in Artibonite Friday, Jovenel Moise, presidential candidate under the banner of PHTK party, continued his election campaign tour in the Artibonite department, specifically in the communes of La Chapelle, Desarmes, Verettes, Liancourt, Grande Saline and Saint Marc. So far Jovenel Moise is the only presidential candidate to have traveled 8 departments and 118 communes. RNDDH against the transfer of Danton Leger Pierre Esperance, the Executive Director of the National Network for the Defense of Human Rights (RNDDH) said that the decision to transfer to Jacmel, the Government Commissioner of Port-au-Prince, Jean Danton Leger, is "a very bad decision" to him, a government commissioner, who works and gets results, should not be transferred. https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-18761-haiti-flash-danton-leger-sanctioned-for-insubordination-transferred-to-jacmel.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-18776-haiti-news-zapping-politics.html Maryse Narcisse to Petite Riviere On the occasion of the Feast of Petite Riviere de L'Artibonite. Maryse Narcisse, the presidential candidate under the banner of the party "Lavalas" welcomed priests and some pilgrims come celebrate their patron saint, Saint Jerome. 7th Binational eco-tourism fair Friday, Maryse Noel, the Director General of Ministry of Tourism and Creative Industry, accompanied by officials of the ministry and of Ministries of Planning, Interior, Public Works and the Mayor of Lascahobas, conducted an exploratory visit in this commune of upper central plateau as a prelude to the organization of the 7th ecotourism Binational Fair scheduled from 3 to 11 December. HL/ HaitiLibre Published on 2016/10/01 | Source Added episode 4 captures for the Korean drama "Shopping King Louis" (2016) Advertisement Directed by Lee Sang-yeob-I Written by Oh Ji-yeong-I Network : MBC With Seo In-guk, Nam Ji-hyun, Yoon Sang-hyun, Lim Se-mi, Kim Young-ok, Kim Sun-young,... 16 episodes - Wed, Thu 22:00 Also kwon as " Shopping King Louie" Synopsis "Shopping King Louis" is a romantic comedy drama about shopping King Louis and Ko Bok-sil. Louis was a man who would buy anything and everything with money until he met Ko Bok-il, an angel with no wings and experiences love he can't buy with money. Broadcast starting date in Korea : 2016/09/21 More EXECUTIVE SUMMARY From Hawaii DoH, August, 2016 With Hawaii Smiles, the Hawaii State Department of Health takes its first in-depth look at the oral health status of a representative sample of third grade children throughout the state. During the 2014-2015 school year, a total of 3,184 third grade children in 67 public elementary schools on six islands received a dental screening. Third grade children were screened because third grade is the target elementary school population for the National Oral Health Surveillance System. The findings presented in this report support the need for culturally appropriate community-based prevention programs, screening and referral services, and restorative dental care to improve the oral health of Hawaiis children. The results of Hawaii Smiles confirm that Hawaiis children have the highest prevalence of tooth decay in the United States. The results also demonstrate that the burden of oral disease is significantly greater in certain segments of the population. For example, tooth decay is disproportionately experienced by low-income children, defined as those who are eligible for the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). About 31% of children eligible for NSLP have untreated tooth decay compared to 13% for those not eligible. The disparities gap is even more pronounced when looking at urgent dental needs due to pain and/or infection. The need for urgent dental care is more than five times higher in low-income children compared to their higher-income peers (13% vs. 2% respectively). There are also oral health disparities based on race/ethnicity with Micronesian and Other Pacific Islanders (Guam, Samoa, Tonga and Other Pacific Islands) having the highest prevalence of untreated decay. About 56% of Micronesian and 41% of Other Pacific Islander children have untreated decay four times higher than the prevalence among White (13%) and Japanese (11%) children. As with income, the race/ethnicity disparities gap is more pronounced when we look at the need for urgent dental care. Thirty percent (30%) of Micronesian and 23% of Other Pacific Island children have dental pain and/or infection compared to only 3% of White and 2% of Japanese children. With this report, the Hawaii State Department of Health builds upon the oral health data in the 2015 Oral Health Key Findings report to inform policy development and program planning. Based on the findings of this study, Hawaii must strengthen oral disease prevention efforts and implement strategies that lead to improved access to both preventive and restorative dental care for all children. Everyone has a role in improving and promoting the oral health of Hawaiis children. Several key strategies have been identified to improve the oral health of children in Hawaii. The strategies are grouped into three general categories highlighted in the key findings: community-based prevention programs, screening and referral services, and restorative dental care. Teeth develop before birth and start to appear in the mouth when a child is about 6 months of age. Therefore, the strategies listed below demonstrate efforts to prevent tooth decay starting from the prenatal period all the way through childhood. read Full Report HNN: Report: Hawaii has highest prevalence of tooth decay among kids A junior doctor was unable to carry out CPR and didn't understand common medical conditions, a medical hearing has been told. The doctor, who is facing 24 allegations at an Irish Medical Council inquiry, was allegedly unable to perform basic medical examinations and once prescribed a medication without knowing what it was for. Indian national Dr Muthulingam Kasiraj (36), who prefers to be known as Dr Sripathy, has been accused of poor professional performance, or professional misconduct. One consultant told the council hearing he had "never seen that volume of errors from one doctor in all my years". Incorrect The council heard that on numerous occasions Dr Sripathy wrote incorrect medicine dosages on letters for patients' GPs. It was alleged he didn't know what herpes simplex was, that malignant melanoma was a skin condition or how to preform CPR. On an occasion in August 2013, he prescribed a drug to a patient and later admitted he did not know what the drug was for. Dr Sripathy submitted that he was told by a nurse that a consultant had phoned and instructed her to tell him to write the prescription. There was no evidence heard about any ill-effects suffered by patients cared for by Dr Sripathy, as a result of his actions. The doctor qualified in Bulgaria in 2005 and registered in Ireland in 2012. He worked for Child and Adolescent Services in Mullingar, Co Westmeath, for the first six months of 2013 and then for St Loman's Hospital, in Mullingar, from July until December that year. Dr Ciaran Corcoran, who was Dr Sripathy's supervising consultant at St Loman's, referred the junior doctor to the council after he became increasingly concerned about patient safety. Dr Corcoran told the council he tried to help Dr Sripathy in every way he could and even gave him final-year medical books to study. He gave evidence about how he initially became concerned and said the difficulties came despite the doctor's polite, friendly and punctual manner. "I asked what steps would you take if someone collapsed in front of you in the supermarket or in the community? "You get help, you call an ambulance. I was surprised he did not have that knowledge," Dr Corcoran said. Dr Sripathy had no legal counsel at the hearing and represented himself. He put it to Dr Corcoran that regarding one allegation, rather than saying he didn't know how to preform a basic neurological exam, he meant he didn't know how it was performed in St Loman's. "What was communicated to me was 'I don't know,' rather than 'here's how I do it'. The sense was of not knowing," Dr Corcoran told the council. "I've never seen that volume of errors from one doctor in all my years," he said. Difficulties Dr Corcoran told the council he suspected there may have been a psychological reason for Dr Sripathy's difficulties, such as ADHD. But he said he was conscious he wasn't Dr Sripathy's doctor and wasn't going to diagnose him. He did try and help his colleague and even searched for ADHD specialists in India who he might visit for help. The council was told Dr Sripathy was subsequently diagnosed with anankastic personality disorder, which is an obsessive compulsive condition. Dr Enda Hayden, also a consultant at St Loman's, gave evidence that he didn't agree that the doctor had obsessive personality traits. Dr Sripathy chose not to cross-examine the consultant. The hearing reconvenes on Monday. Transcription 1 Putting Peru on its Feet Again 8 Day Itinerary Cusco, the land of the Incas, was hit by heavy rains in early February, which devastated about 16,000 farming hectares, destroyed about 30 bridges and 5,000 houses were rendered uninhabitable. The news went out all around the world and almost 90% of the bookings for tours were cancelled, meaning that, apart from the destruction, the local people lost a vital source of income. This is a great opportunity to come a visit this exotic place, while there are not many tourists around, and you can also leave a Positive Footprint. As part of your meaningful adventure in Peru, we visit Cachicatta, a small Andean community which was affected by the heavy rains, and that, with your help will achieve a better way of life by helping with the restoration of houses and funding a new irrigation system. You will leave Peru with new friends, and enduring memories you will cherish. Duration Locations Minimum Maximum : 8 Days / 7 Nights : Lima / Cusco / Sacred Valley/ Machu Picchu : 2 Passengers : 12 Passengers 2 Price per passenger = US$2,455 (based on two people sharing a room) plus internal flights from Lima-Cusco-Lima of $220 (subject to change). This is based on a minimum of 2 participants. Single Supplement: US$ 898 (this is a surcharge if you prefer not to share a room, or if there is no one to share with you) Volunteer activities: Cachicatta community is a small traditional Andean Village with no more than 50 families. Its economy is based on agriculture and cattle farming. Here you participate in helping get this community back on its feet. The community service activities have been carefully chosen to provide benefit to basic necessities, based on community member s requirements. Volunteering activity: Local House Restoration This activity will take place from days 4 to 7. The idea is to restore the basic items in a house with the help of the local villagers; we are not building a new house. Donation: US$ 600 per house (included in your trip price) which includes all materials Activities: Roof repair Wall repairing with adobe (dry clay, sand, straw and manure) bricks Painting walls New wiring for lighting Kitchen repair Itinerary Description: Day 1 Lima (arrival) Upon arrival at Lima s International airport you are met by your Hands Up Holidays representative who escorts you to your hotel conveniently located near the airport. Meals on your own. Hotel in Lima: Costa del Sol Ramada: Day 2 Lima / Cusco (City and Surrounding Inca Sites Tour) After breakfast, you are escorted to the airport counter in order to board your flight to Cusco. Upon arrival to Cusco (10,496 ft), you are met by your Hands Up Holidays representative who directs to your private vehicle that will transfer you to your hotel. In the early afternoon, you enjoy a City and Surrounding Inca Sites Tour of Cusco. This tour will give you an introduction about the history and culture of this fascinating city. We start visiting the Cathedral of Cusco, with its massive stone pillars and You have lunch on your own account. elaborate religious works of art, 3 including sculptures of the saints and religious frescoes. Later, you will visit Koricancha (the Temple of the Sun,) which is the main religious centre of the Incas dedicated to the Sun cult, with some of the best Inca stonework in the city. The Santo Domingo Convent, with its elaborate carvings, paintings and other colonial-style works of art, was built on top of it by the Spanish Conquistadors. Later, you'll go to Sacsayhuaman (which is shaped as the head of a Puma,) Tampumachay (the sacred water site of the Incas,) Puka Pukara, known also as the Tambo (or the resting place) and Qenqo, where you can see the Inca altar that was used for animal sacrifices. You are then transferred back to your hotel. Dinner on your own account. At night you are met by Hands Up Holidays representatives to discuss your volunteer work on the following days. Planning is a very important issue. B Hotel in Cusco: Picoaga Hotel or similar: Day 3 Cusco (Buy materials for house restoration) After an early breakfast, you are met by your guide at the hotel lobby to go to Cusco s commercial areas to buy items needed for the volunteer work. The group may split to buy specific Items. Lunch will be served at a local restaurant. After lunch, we will continue buying the items needed for the house repair. After buying all the items, these must be taken to be stored, and then you have the rest of the day at leisure. Dinner is on your own account. B/L Hotel in Cusco: Picoaga Hotel or similar: Day 4 Cusco / Sacred Valley (Guided Tour of Ollantaytambo + Volunteering in Cachiccata) Early in the morning, you are met by your guide at the hotel s lobby and driven by private vehicle to the Sacred Ollantaytambo. Here you enjoy a guided tour of this Inca site. After this guided tour, you are transferred to Valley of the Incas and on to Cachiccata, located just 10 minutes by 4 car from Ollantaytambo. Upon arrival at Cachiccata, you are met by representatives of the community who will receive the Water Pump that your trip fee has funded, in order to have enough water during the dry season for their crops, due to the destruction of their water channel because of the heavy rains in early February. After this you are directed to the houses that are going to be repaired. Here we proceed to carry all materials to the house, and we meet the family members who will help us with the restoration. Today we start with the cleaning of the house, getting out everything that the family may consider unnesesary for them. We take every item that will not be replaced to a safe place where it will be stored during the time we spend repairing. A box lunch is provided to sustain you. In the afternoon, you are transferred back to your hotel in the Sacred Valley. Dinner is on your own account. B/BL Hotel in the Sacred Valley: Casa Andina Private Collection: Casa Andina Private Collection - Valle Sagrado 5 Day 5 Sacred Valley (Volunteering in Cachiccata Walls and Windows restoration) After an early breakfast, you are transferred to Cachiccata and walk to the house you are helping to restore. You begin by repairing the walls, doors and windows of the house. A box Lunch is provided. After finishing with today s work, you are transferred back to your hotel. Dinner is on your own account. B/BL Hotel in the Sacred Valley: Casa Andina Private Collection: Casa Andina Private Collection - Valle Sagrado Day 6 Sacred Valley (Volunteering in Cachiccata: House painting and roof repairing) After an early breakfast, you are transferred to Cachiccata and walk to the house you are restoring; painting walls and fixing the roof. A box Lunch is provided. This task needs to be completed today. After finishing with today s work, you are transferred back to your hotel, where you have the rest of the day to relax in stunning surroundings. Dinner is on your own account. B/BL 6 Adventures That Count Hotel in the Sacred Valley: Casa Andina Private Collection: Casa Andina Private Collection - Valle Sagrado Day 7 Sacred Valley (Volunteering in Cachiccata Wiring and New Furniture) After an early breakfast, you are transferred to Cachiccata and walk to the house you are restoring, where we will check everything is ready to continue with the new wiring and furniture instalation. A Box lunch is provided. Today we end our task, clean up and then the highlight: give the owners the key to their restored house. You have the option to participate in an offering to Pachamama Mother Earth. You can also share with the family owners a special celebratory dinner. After dinner you are transferred back to Cusco and on to your hotel. B/BL/D Hotel in Cusco: Picoaga Hotel or similar: Day 8 Cusco / Lima / Out (Fly back to Lima and home) You have a free morning to explore the city and buy some souvenirs. In the early afternoon we transfer to Cusco s airport in order to board your flight back to Lima, and then your flight back home. Changing lives through travel...including your own UK: ; NZ: ; USA/Canada ; RoW: 7 Adventures That Count Alternatively, you might like to explore more of this gorgeous country, such as the Amazon jungle, Colca Canyon and its condors, or Lake Titicaca. We are only too happy to make any or all of these experiences happen for you. B The Price Includes: Professional English speaking guide Private Transportation as mentioned in the itinerary Entrance fees to all attractions mentioned in the itinerary All Tourist activities mentioned in the the itinerary Vistadome train to and from Machu Picchu Tourist Shuttle to and from Machu Picchu after Vistadome train ride Volunteer materials and transfers Assistance while volunteering Hotels as mentioned in Itinerary. Hotels may change depending on availability, alternative hotels will not increase the price and will have same standards Meals mentioned as Included: B=Breakfast, BL=Boxed Lunch, L=Lunch, D=Dinner Carbon offsetting for your flights Internal Flights (Lima / Cusco / Lima) although this price is subject to change A donation of $300 per person The Price Does Not Include: Optional activities Meals not specified as included Items of a personal nature such as laundry, phone bills Alcoholic beverages Tips Any extras that are not mentioned in the itinerary Changing lives through travel...including your own UK: ; NZ: ; USA/Canada ; RoW: Transcription 1 India-Vietnam Relations India-Vietnam relations have been exceptionally friendly and cordial since their foundations were laid by Prime Minister Nehru and President Ho Chi Minh more than 50 years ago. The traditionally close and cordial relations have their historical roots in the common struggle for liberation from foreign rule and the national struggle for independence. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru was one of the first visitors to Vietnam after its victory against the French in President Ho Chi Minh visited India in February 1958on state visit. President Rajendra Prasad visited Vietnam in In recent times, political contacts have strengthened as reflected in several high-level visits by leaders from both sides. Trade and economic linkages continue to grow. India's thrust under the 'Act East' policy combined with Vietnam's growing engagement within the region and with India has paid rich dividends. Vietnam is an important regional partner in South East Asia. India and Vietnam closely cooperate in various regional forums such as ASEAN, East Asia Summit, Mekong Ganga Cooperation, Asia Europe Meeting (ASEM) besides UN and WTO. Vietnam is also an important pillar amongst India s CLMV partners. Exchange of High Level visits: There have been several high-level visits from both sides in recent years. From the Vietnamese side, these include General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Mr. NongDucManh in 2003, Prime Minister Mr. Nguyen Tan Dung, in 2007, Vice-President Mrs. Nguyen Thi Doan in 2009, Chairman, National Assembly of Vietnam Mr. Nguyen PhuTrong in 2010, President Mr. Truong Tan Sang in October 2011, Prime Minister Mr. Nguyen Tan Dung in December 2012 and General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Mr. Nguyen PhuTrong in November From the Indian side, high-level visits include Prime Minister Mr. AtalBihari Vajpayee in 2001, LokSabha Speaker Mr. SomnathChatterjee in March 2007, President Mrs. PratibhaPatil in November 2008, PM Dr. Manmohan Singh in October 2010, LokSabha Speaker Mrs. Meira Kumar in May 2011 and Vice President, Mr. Md. Hamid Ansari in In September 2014, President of India H.E. MrPranab Mukherjee visited Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. The Prime Minister of Vietnam, H.E. Mr. Nguyen Tan Dung paid a State Visit to the Republic of India in October During the visit, the following Agreements were signed:- (i) MoU on the Establishment of Nalanda University; (ii) MoU on Conservation and Restoration of the World Heritage Site of My Son, Quang Nam Province, Vietnam; (iii) MoU on Establishing the Centre for English Language and Information Technology Training at the Telecommunications University; (iv) Cultural Exchange Programme ;(v) MoU on Exchange of Audio-Visual Programmes; (vi) MoU between OVL and PetroVietnam; and(vii) MoU between ONGC and PetroVietnam. Ministerial-level exchanges in the last few years include: (i) External Affairs Minister Mr. S.M. Krishna visited Hanoi in September 2011 for the 14th India-Vietnam Joint Commission Meeting on Trade, Economic, Scientific and Technological Cooperation. Minister of State for External Affairs; (ii) Mr. E. Ahmed visited in January 2012 for the inauguration of the India-Vietnam Year of Friendship marking the 40th anniversary of establishment of full diplomatic relations; (iii) Minister of Commerce and Industry Mr. Anand Sharma visited in March 2012; (iv) Minister for Agriculture Mr. SharadPawar visited in October 2012; (v) Minister of State for Tourism, Dr. K. Chiranjeevi visited in January 2013; (vi) Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Dr. D. Purandeswari to Ho Chi Minh City in April 2013; (vii) Minister of Shipping Mr. G.K. Vasan visited in May 2013, during which the bilateral Maritime Shipping Agreement was signed. External Affairs Minister of India visited Vietnam in August During her visit, she held delegation level talks with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Vietnam, Mr. Pham Binh Minh. Bilateral, regional and multilateral issues of mutual interest were discussed. The Minister also called on President Truong Tan Sang and Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung on August 25, Both sides agreed to further strengthen and deepen the Strategic Partnership between India and Vietnam. 2 From the Vietnamese side, these include: (i)deputy Prime Minister Mr. Nguyen ThienNhan in March-April 2012; (ii) Deputy Finance Minister Mr. Tran Van Hieu in August 2012; (iii) Deputy Prime Minister Mr. Vu Van Ninh in January 2013; (iv)minister for Information and Communication Mr. Nguyen Bac Son in July 2013; (v) Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr. Pham Binh Minh in July 2013 for the 15th meeting of the Joint Commission; (vi) Minister of Public Security Gen. Tran Dai Quang in November 2013; (vii) Minister of Health Mrs. Nguyen Thi Kim Tien in December Regular meetings between the leadership of the two sides have also taken place on the sidelines of multilateral meetings. Recently President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Nguyen Thien Nhan visited India in March 2015.Defence Minister General Phung Quang Thanh visited India from May Institutionalized mechanisms for bilateral exchanges: The Joint Commission Meeting at the Foreign Ministers' level and the Foreign Office Consultations (FOCs) and Strategic Dialogue at Secretary-level provide the larger framework for bilateral cooperation in various areas. There is an annual Security Dialogue at Defence Secretary Level and a Joint Committee on Science and Technology that meets periodically. The India-Vietnam Joint Working Group on Educational Exchange was set up in 2012 and a Sub-Committee on Trade set up in November The 2 nd meeting of the Sub-Commission was held in Hanoi from January Commerce Secretary led an official plus business delegation to Hanoi and HCMC during this visit. Economic and Commercial Relations India's relations with Vietnam are marked by growing economic and commercial engagement. India is among the top ten trading partners of Vietnam. Vietnam is ranked as the 28 th trading partner of India. Bilateral trade between India and Vietnam has seen continuous growth over the past few years. According to Vietnam's official data, total trade volume touched US$ 5.23 billion in 2013, an increase of 32.8 % over the last year. In 2014 the total trade turnover was USD 5.60 billion (India s export $3.1 bln, import $2.5 bln). According to the data from General Statistics Office of Vietnam, during January-October, 2015, bilateral trade was US$ 4.28 billion which included $ billion export from India and $2.07 billion export from Vietnam. However if commodities of temporary import are included, total value of trade was more than US$ 9.2 billion in as per the data from Indian side. During the visit of Party General Secretary H.E. Nguyen PhuTrong to India in November 2013, both sides revised the trade target from US$ 7 billion by 2015 and to US$ 15 billion by We are well on the track to easily achieve this target.vietnam continues to be an attractive investment destination for Indian companies. India is ranked as the 27 th largest investor in India with 111 projects and with the registered capital of $530 million. However iff investments by Indian companies from third countries are included as well, India s estimated total investment capital cross the figure of US $ 1 billion. Indian companies are investing in oil and gas exploration, mineral exploration and processing, sugar manufacturing, agro-chemicals, IT, and agricultural processing. Additionally TATA group has been allotted a project of $2.1 billion in thermal power plant in SocTrang province. Vietnam has three investment projects in India with total investment of US$ 26 million. ONGC Videsh Ltd. (OVL), NIVL Ltd, KCP Industries Limited, Ngon Coffee Manufacturing, Tech Mahindra, CCL are some of the major Indian investors. Direct Flight and Indian Banks: The Air Service Agreement was signed in Nov 2013 during the visit of Party General Secretary H.E. Mr Nguyen PhuTrong to India. Jet Airways has started the code sharing direct flight between Ho Chi Minh City and Delhi/Mumbai w.e.f Since 2007, two Indian Banks i.e. Bank of India and Indian Overseas Bank have operated Representative Offices in Vietnam. Bank of India has already been given the license to open its branch in Ho Chi Minh City. A Bank of India Branch will be in operational soon in Ho Chi Minh City. 3 Defence Cooperation: The Indian Armed Forces have been engaged with the capacity building of the Vietnamese Armed Forces particularly the Navy. The areas of focus have been training, repairs and maintenance support, exchanges between think tanks, study tours and ship visits. Four India Naval ships which included the indigenously built stealth frigate INS SATPURA and fleet tanker INS SHAKTI with a complement of around 1200 officers and sailors visited Da Nang from 6-10 June Recently a Coast Guard ship Sarang visited Ho Chi Minh City from August, Assistance and Capacity Building: Lines of Credit: Since 1976, India has offered several Lines of Credit (LoCs) to Vietnam over the years on concessional terms and conditions. So far, India has extended 17 LoCs worth more than US$165 million to Vietnam. The last major LoC extended by India was in July 2013 for US$ 19.5 million for execution of a Nam Trai-IV hydropower project and Binh Bo Pumping station. In addition, India has also extended lines of credit of US$100 million for infrastructure and Defence procurement. India has also agreed to consider earmarking an amount of up to USD 100 million under the Buyer's Credit of the National Export Insurance Account (BC-NEIA) for use by Vietnam. India has offered to extend new LoCs to Vietnam for infrastructure projects. Scholarships: Vietnam has been a large recipient of training programmes under Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) programme. Presently, 150 ITEC slots are being offered to Vietnam every year along with 16 scholarships under the General Cultural Scholarship Scheme (GCSS), 14 scholarships under the Educational Exchange Programme (EEP) and 10 scholarships under the Mekong Ganga Cooperation Scholarship Scheme (MGCSS). ARC-ICT: A US$ 2 million Advanced Resource Centre in Information and Communications Technology (ARC-ICT) was inaugurated by External Affairs Minister in Hanoi in September The Centre has been set up by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (CDAC) and trains students and Government officials in various areas such as web designing, network systems, java, GIS applications and e-governance. A MoU between Centre for Development of Advanced Computing, Department of Electronics and IT, Government of India; and Posts and Telecommunications Institute of Technology (PTIT), Ministry of Information and Communications, Government of Vietnam has been signed for setting up of a sustainable IT infrastructure for advanced IT training under India- ASEAN Cooperation. This will be established in PTIT Ho Chi Minh City. Gift of High Performance Computer: On 12 November 2013, the High Performance Computing facility at the Hanoi University of Science & Technology was inaugurated. The 16-node cluster with basic visualization laboratory and a 5-node Grid Computing facility at an estimated cost of Rs. 4.7 crore has been gifted to Vietnam by India. Cu Long Rice Research Institute was set up in Mekong Delta under ITEC assistance in Assistance was provided in setting up of equipment and training to experts. 4 Assistance to Vietnam within the ASEAN framework: India has set up the Vietnam-India Center for English Language Training in Danang in July 2007 and the Vietnam-India Entrepreneurship Development Centre in Hanoi in May 2006 as part of its support to the Initiative for ASEAN Integration providing technical assistance to the Government of Vietnam. It has been decided to open a new Vietnam-India Centre for English Language Training at the National Defence Academy of Vietnam. Both sides have also agreed to consider setting up a Vocational Training Centre in Ho Chi Minh City. A proposal to set up a Centre for Satellite Tracking and Data Reception and an Imaging facility in Vietnam under ASEAN-India Cooperation mechanism is under consideration. The Centre will be fully funded by India and ISRO will be the implementing agency. It will utilise data provided by Indian remote sensing satellites and harness it for multiple developmental applications. A MoU between Centre for Development of Advanced Computing, Department of Electronics and IT, Government of India; and Posts and Telecommunications Institute of Technology (PTIT), Ministry of Information and Communications, Government of Vietnam has been signed for setting up of a sustainable IT infrastructure for advanced IT training under India- ASEAN Cooperation Cultural Relations and People to People Exchanges: The year 2012 marked the 40th anniversary of the establishment of full diplomatic relations between India and Vietnam. The year 2012 also marked the 20th anniversary of partnership between India and ASEAN. The two sides celebrated it as the 'Year of Friendship between India and Vietnam' with activities such as commemorative seminars, business events, performances by cultural troupes, organizing film festivals, culinary week and art exhibitions. An international conference on Cham dynasty civilizational linkages between India and Vietnam was organized by the Embassy with Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) s support in Danang in June A Sail Training ship INS Sudarshini paid a goodwill visit to Danang from December 31, 2012 to January 3, 2013, cultural programmes and a business seminar were also held to coincide with the ship s visit. India has decided to open a Cultural Centre in Hanoi in The Centre will strengthen India s cultural presence in Vietnam and constitute an important dimension of the friendly partnership between the two countries. Conservation and restoration of Cham monuments: The Archaeological Survey of India will execute a conservation and restoration project at the UNESCO heritage site of My Son in Vietnam. The project will highlight the old linkages of the Hindu Cham civilization between India and Vietnam. A MoU is under discussion, project duration would be 5 yrs. An exhibition on India & Vietnam for Peace and Development was inaugurated on 28 August in War Remnant Museum, Ho Chi Minh City which was exhibited for two months. This was to commemorate the 125 th birth anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh, 40th anniversary of reunification of Vietnam, 70th anniversary of Vietnam Declaration of Independence and 43rd anniversary of establishment of full diplomatic relations between India and Vietnam. On 14 August 2015 a Painting competition on India-Vietnam Friendship was organized in cooperation with Ho Chi Minh City Union of Friendship Organisation..A fashion show on Ao Dai-Saree (Vietnamese and Indian dress) was organized on 16 October, 2015 in the War Remnant Museum with the cooperation of eminent designer Mr Le Sy Hoang.International Yoga Day was celebrated on 21 st June, 2015 which was attended to about 5000 participants.hindi Day was celebrated with the cooperation of University of Social Sciences and Humanities and Ho Chi Minh Union of Friendship Organisation.Indian film festival was organised in Hanoi, Danang and Ho Chi Minh City from December, 2015. 5 Indian Community Estimated population of Indians living in Vietnam is 2000, mostly in HCMC. The Indian Business Chamber (INCHAM) is an organisation of Indians living in Vietnam, primarily to promote trade and business interactions. The Indian community is vibrant, law-abiding, well-educated and prosperous. A vast majority of them are professionals working in Indian and multinational companies. They retain strong family, cultural and business ties with India. With the ongoing increase in bilateral trade, investment and tourism, the Indian community in Vietnam is set to grow and prosper further in the years ahead. Indian Yoga Association and Indian Women Association have been formed in Ho Chi Minh City. Useful Resources: Embassy of India, Hanoi website: ***** January 2016 The days are shorter, but not the list of things you can do. things-to-do This site uses cookies from Google to deliver its services, to personalize ads and to analyze traffic. Information about your use of this site is shared with Google. By using this site, you agree to its use of cookies. Learn more here Grand Prize Winner: Donna Rickey Blog Winners: A Song for her Enemies by Sherri Stewart: Mary Ann Hake Spies & Sweethearts by Linda Shenton Matchett: Connie Ruggles Sword of Trust by DebbieLynn Costello: Brenda Walters Justice for Julia by Donna Schlachter: Natalya Lakhno Party Prize winners: Sherri Stewarts Winners A Song for her Enemies: Angie Pool Bottle of Dutch Syrup: Carol Koch Alscheff Corrie ten Boom book: Deb Gramie Burgess Linda Shenton Matchetts winners: $5.00 gift card to online retailer or choice (Kobo, B&N, AppleBooks, Amazon): Karen Hadley A Bride for Seamus: Carol Osterhouse Wotring DebbieLynn Costellos winners: Sword of the Matchmaker: Melissa Planas Sword of Forgiveness: Paty Hinojosa Gomez Shattered Memories: Charlene Zall Capodice Sword of the Perfect Bride: Licha Haney Donna Schlachters winner: Leather Journal: Lisa Turley GIVEAWAY RULES Winners must leave their email address and will be notified by email and the winners name will be announced in the days comments. No one under 18 can enter our giveaways. No purchase is necessary. All winners have one week to claim their prize. USA shipping only. Offer void where prohibited. Odds of winning vary due to the number of entrants. A man dries unhusked rice on a road in front of his home. Photo by Reuters/Samrang Pring Shipments to African countries surged while the Chinese market became more and more challenging. The Vietnam Food Association (VFA) is planning to increase rice exports to African countries to make up for a sharp decline in the Chinese market. China remains the biggest buyer of Vietnamese rice, accounting for a third of all shipments. However, exports to this market in the first eight months fell 21.4 percent year-on-year to 1.18 million tons, according to the agriculture ministry. Sales to some African markets, on the other hand, increased significantly. Exports to Ghana, now the second largest buyer of Vietnamese rice, surged nearly 37 percent to 343,000 tons during the period. Shipments to Angola, another potential market, rose 4.6 times in volume and 3.6 times in value. According to VFA, Ghanas demand for rice is around 1.6 million tons per year and the country depends on imports to cover more than half of that amount. Among its suppliers, Vietnam offers lower prices than Thailand and India. Hoang Lam, manager of Hung Lam Joint Stock Company, one of the first Vietnamese rice companies that sell to Ghana, said the West African nation as well as other African countries favor affordable, medium-quality varieties. This means Vietnamese companies have good chances to expand their market share in Africa over the next few years. VFA said its necessary to turn to Africa to ease the dependence on the Chinese market, where the management of border trade has been tightened and theres a strong competition from a number of suppliers. Preliminary data from the agriculture ministry showed that Vietnams rice exports fell 16.4 percent year-on-year to 3.76 million tons in the first nine months. The value also went down by 12.5 percent to $1.69 million. For the first time in eight years, VFA has lowered its annual forecast for rice exports. Shipments of the whole year are now expected to be around 5.6 million tons, compared 6.6 million tons last year. Related news: > Vietnamese rice struggles to find buyers > Rice exports to EU: making the most of zero tariff This domain has expired. If you owned this domain, contact your domain registration service provider for further assistance. If you need help identifying your provider, visit https://www.tucowsdomains.com/ In his thought-provoking book Climate Change, The Great Derangement, Amitav Ghosh writes of Western Modernitys enormous intellectual commitment to the promotion of its supposed singularity. To singularity I would add superiority. This effort to convince countries like India of Western singularity and superiority has done enormous damage. Read: Amitav Ghosh says India-China ties are hit by mutual ignorance If we look back at the fundamental changes brought about by the industrial revolution and the creation of the carbon economy, we find there is no reason why similar developments should not have taken place in India if it were not for the heavy hand of the British Raj and Indians willingness to believe the Western singularity myth imperialists peddled. Take two of the most important industries responsible for the industrial development which took place with the discovery of steam shipping and railways. Ghosh describes the successes of the Bombay shipyards before they were strangled by the British Registry Act, which placed severe limitations on Indian shipping. He also points out that there was no shortage of Indian technicians whose traditional skills could be employed in shipyards. Before the dawn of Indias railway age, Karl Marx had prophesied that when the railways came they would become truly the forerunner of modern industry. This he said because he foresaw that trains could not run without introducing all those industrial processes necessary to meet the immediate and current wants of railway locomotion. But India did not reap the benefits Marx had foreseen because so many of its railway requirements were manufactured in Britain. Sir Frederick Upcott, commissioner for the Railways, provides us a prime example of the promotion of Western singularity and superiority. When told that Dorabji Tata had raised the money to start manufacturing steel in India, he committed himself to eat every pound of steel rail they succeed in making. He would have had severe indigestion if he ate the 1,500 miles of steel rails the Tatas sent to Mesopotamia during the First World War. All that is history but I think it is history that could be relevant today. If Indians were to be more aware of the fact that they were conned into believing they were incapable of industrialising, that they had to have the British to build their railways and the trains to run on them, they would not fall victim to another myth perpetuated by those who go on about the countrys 1,000 years of oppression. They give the impression that there was a golden Hindu age, after which it was all Islamic darkness, followed by submission to the British. India succumbed and there were no worthwhile Indian achievements. Instead of rummaging in the Vedas to unearth Vedic pilots and nuclear scientists of doubtful authenticity, it would be more uplifting to sing the praises of those who contradicted the idea of Western singularity people like Dorabji Tata, those ship-builders, and the Kerala School of Mathematics, which was working on Newtons laws 250 years before the apple fell on his head. Read: Tata Steel board put sale of UK steel business on hold The Western intellectual commitment to the promotion of its supposed singularity and superiority was not just a feature of its policy towards its colonies. The effort continues today, particularly in economics. After the Second World War, statism became the doctrine of the Western world. So Jawaharlal Nehru was persuaded that statism was the only way ahead. Now this is not to say that statism was a disaster. Writing in The Guardian, Martin Jacques, who foretold the rise of neo-liberalism, pointed out that the most dynamic era of Western growth was from 1947 to the early 1970s the era of socialism. But statism was taken too far in the West and in India. Governments became too intrusive, and labour too powerful. This opened the door for the entry of Thatcher and Reagans neo-liberalism. It took India some years to react to the problems created by statism. The economic crisis of 1991 forced Narasimha Rao to accept what he was told was the singularity of neo-liberalism. Ever since then India has come under Western pressure to become more and more neo-liberal. Read: Living in an unequal world Now the singularity of neo-liberalism is being questioned because of the long-running economic crisis which has led to almost a decade of stagnation in Western economies. There is also the chronic inequality neo-liberalism has led to. And there is the revolt against that inequality by the supporters of Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders in America as well as the Brexiteers in Britain. At the recent G20 summit in the Chinese city of Hangzhou, Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, a former Goldman Sachs banker, warned of the need to civilize capitalism. Christine Lagarde, managing director of the IMF, said growth has been too slow, too long for too few. The Chinese president set the tone for the meeting in an address to business executives in which he said, Development is for the people. It should be planned by the people and its outcomes should be shared by the people. Will the West come up with a new economic system for which it will claim singularity? Will India fall for that claim? The views expressed are personal Navratras are here. But when in Delhi, one doesnt need to worry about fasting and abstaining from non-vegetarian Theres the world of Gujarati and Rajasthani cultures that brings with ii Dandiya and Garba nights to the Capital. And with it comes the opportunity to hang out the desi-way! As you think of ditching a boring dinner with friends to try and match dance steps at a festive night, we give you all the ideas you need to perfect your look, dress up and head to places which let you celebrate the Gujarati and Rajasthani culture in Delhi itself. Gujarati Thali - Food (HT Photo) Eat 1. Authentic taste At the Gujarat Bhawan restaurant inside the state bhawan in Chanakyapuri, its an economical delight for all those who want a taste of the authentic Gujarati cuisine. The appetizers include fafda, khaman dhokla and fried mirch vada. And there is the quintessential Gujarati thali for Rs 140/- which comprises delicacies such as Gujarati dal and Kathod alongwith Chass and achaar. Where: 11, Kautilya Marg, Chanakyapuri Timings: 8am 10am, 12.30pm 2.30pm, 7.30pm 10pm 2. Spiced-up stall From the crisp pyaaz ki kachori to mirchi bada (green chilli pakoda), theres a lot thats offered at this small stall. Alongside a Rajasthani Thali, theres a Missi Roti Thali, Mewadi Thali, Bajra Roti Thali and Bikaner Parantha Thali. To seal these tastes, theres Matka Kulfi and jalebi, which often see children and adults together making a beeline to the stall. Prices range between Rs 50 to 300. Where: Dilli Haat, INA Timings: 11am 10pm 3. Monday isnt blue Every Monday the lunch at Rajasthan Houses canteen is a full-filling treat. Ramesh Sharma, catering incharge, says, Most of the Rajasthani delicacies are offered during lunch time on Monday. We make dal, baati, churma along with two vegetables including gatte ki sabzi and dahi or raita. All this costs just Rs 165 per person. Where: 7, Prithviraj Road Timings: 12.30 2.30pm Ladies out for shop ahead Navratri celebrations. (Jasjeet Plaha/HT ) Shop 1. Traditional look From traditional ghagra-choli to dandiya sticks and even dupattas and pagris, everything that you need for your attire is available in Lajpat Nagars Central market. Few shops are dedicated to selling Rajasthani and Gujarati dresses whereas some others provide a plethora of option to choose a leheriya or bandhej dupatta, which can be paired up with your regular Indian wear, to match the look. Where: Central Market, Lajpat Nagar Timings: 11.30am 9pm 2. Trinklets How can the look for a dandiya or garba night be complete without bangles and other accessories, matching the outfit? So head to either Old Delhis Chandni Chowk or come to Central Delhi where colourful bangles will make you shop your heart out. In the vicinity of the temple complex there are also artists who make intricate henna tattoos, which will add to your traditional avatar. Where: Hanuman Mandir, Connaught Place Timings: 12noon 8pm 3. Foot it right Since these nights are all about dance, one needs to ensure that a perfect footwear is part of the wardrobe. From the casual mojari to designer sleeper and embroidered Jaipuri jutti to mirror-work ballerinas, theres a lot to choose from at this city market. But make sure you try it on before you finalise lest it gives you shoe-bite later. Where: Kamla Nagar Market, near North Campus Timings: 11am 8pm Girls during the practice session of garba. (Shankar Mourya/ HT) Prepare 1. Garba in the city With perfect looks, perfect moves can add some charm to your personality. Richa Gupta, who teaches garba and dandiya in several parts of the city says, For most of us dandiya is about playing with sticks. We try to teach them basic steps in our two days crash course which starts from 1st October. Where: Green Park near Arya Samaj Mandir Charges: Rs 1000 per head for a two day workshop Contact: 9810083273 2. Dancing Mantra With a twist of Bollywood, Dancing Mantra will make you move on Bollywood style garba and dandiya beats. The classes will be taken in two batches, 10 am to 11am and 6pm to 7pm. There is a special discount for couples and the batch is from October 2 to October 7. Where: Noida Stadium Charges: Rs 999 per head, for couples Rs. 1700 for a six day workshop Contact: 9650524555 3. Modern Performing Art Centre The basics for dandiya can be learnt in three to four sessions, says Jasleen Kaur , director of the centre. Youngsters above fourteen can attend the two hour workshop. We teach both garba and dandiya during the workshop.This year too we are teaching clubs and individuals for dandiya nights, adds Kaur. The classes will continue till October 9. Where: B 292 Second Floor, Dwarka Sector 7 Charges: Rs. 500 for four days Contact: 9999320519 The Venice Biennale, perhaps the biggest bi-annual event on the international art calendar, saw 5 lakh visitors in the six months of its 56th edition last year. Another biennale closer home can boast a better turnout. The homegrown Kochi-Muziris Biennale, which held only its second edition in 2014, in Kerala, saw roughly the same number of people in its three-month run. As the art festival prepares for its next edition from December 12, 2016 to March 29, 2017, artist Riyas Komu, the events co-founder and director of programmes, expects the number to go higher still. About 10 lakh are likely to catch new shows, rare exhibits, talks, films, residencies and other projects. This means Indias fledgling biennale a non-profit, artist-driven and determinedly individualistic enterprise will have an audience equal to that of the worlds top 20 art fairs put together, says a report by the Skates Art Market Research. And yet, seeking funds has been a struggle, almost from the start. We closed the first edition of the biennale in 2012 with a loss of Rs 6.5 crore, says Komu. They were promised Rs 5 crore by the Kerala government, but could only secure Rs 4 crore a year later despite a legal battle. It left them in Rs 2.5 crore debt. In addition, the biennale ran into controversies over allegations of not employing enough labour from Kerala. This work by LN Tallur was a part of the previous edition of the Biennale, which attracted massive crowds The biennale went on with a second edition, nonetheless, with support pouring in from unexpected quarters. A young artist from Kerala offered us his wifes mangalsutra, says Bose Krishnamachari, co-foumder and director of the event. All our vendors, including auto rickshaw and taxi drivers, waited for a year to get their money. Another member of the Kochi Biennale Foundation, TK Hormis Tharakan, donated Rs 10 lakh that he had saved to build a house. One professor from Kerala, whod attended the childrens exhibits, gave Komu Rs 2,500 as his way of protesting those who opposed the event, Komu says. Komu and Bose went almost bankrupt, staking their properties and digging into their savings. Many artists and gallerists, including Jitish Kallat, Vivan Sundaram, Sudhir Patwardhan and Shireen Gandhi, contributed. But a huge, undisclosed amount came from the art world itself. Kiran Nadar, an art collector, founder of Kiran Nadar Museum of Art and wife of HCL Technologies Shiv Nadar, gave the biennales finances a shot in the arm. Read: Online gallery- Internet gives artists a new marketplace Across the world, biennales are important platforms that have the potential to positively impact our relationship with art, says Nadar. The Kochi Muziris Biennales efforts are in the same direction, to create a space for arts in the everyday life of people of India. Im inspired with the way the event is impacting not just the local art scene in Kochi and in Kerala, but also the sub-continent. It has become one of the most important venues for international museum curators and artists. Over just two editions, public contribution has eclipsed government aid. The government input in 2012 amounted to 63%. In 2014, it was the individuals, art and cultural institutes and corporate houses that accounted for 67% of the contribution. Bose still finds it unbelievable. When we began, many of our friends critiqued the idea of a biennale in India, he says. Some said wed never be able to get people who havent engaged with contemporary art to visit it. I think people now know what an installation is and no longer dismiss contemporary art. It has educated people about art. That is one of its great achievements. Read:Surprise, surprise: 12 artists interpret the act of gifting This time around, the Kerala government has promised Rs 7 crore, a permanent space and a massive advertising campaign. More corporate houses, consulates and a bank have offered patronage. This editions theme merges traditional and contemporary art forms in Forming in the pupil of an eye, for which 89 fine artists, dancers, philosophers, poets and writers from 30 different countries will collaborate. Works will be created during the biennale and after, says Sudarshan Shetty, curator of the biennale and an acclaimed artist. Scottish artist Hanna Tuulikki, whose work focuses on her countrys folklore and bird sounds, will collaborate with Kutiyattam dancer Kapila Venu on a project. On the agenda are ballets, dramas and poetry recitals all through the biennale. A lot of these will emerge as the event unfolds and the way artists experience it, says Shetty. So no day will be like another, urging audiences to return for a new experience. Read: Writing on the walls- Delhis brush with graffiti Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan held wide-ranging discussions with government and industry representatives in the UK during his visit to-day visit to the country for strengthening trade and economic ties, especially in developing of smart cities. The UK-based Purico Foundation has agreed to establish a skill development centre on a PPP model in the state. The foundations chairman Ramnath Puri met the CM during the latters visit to the United Kingdom earlier this week and proposed to establish a skill development facility under the hub-and-scope model after identifying suitable land near Bhopal and Indore before next months Global Investors Summit (GIS) at Indore. Puri also agreed to sign a memorandum of understanding with the state government and has confirmed his participation at the GIS. The chief minister also held a one-on-one meeting with Magahi Tamilarasan of the Rolls Royce company and discussed investment possibilities in critical sectors, including defence technology and energy. The company held discussions on development and investment possibilities in smart city projects in Madhya Pradesh besides exploring the possibility of setting up of a waste-to-energy generation plant through global tendering. Chouhan also held discussion with Martin Sutherland and Robin Mackenzie of the De La Rue Company on setting up of a security paper mill and a research and development centre of identity software in Madhya Pradesh. The CM told the duo that Madhya Pradesh was an ideal destination for investment for setting up of a security paper mill. This apart, Chouhan also met the representatives from the Indo-UK Health Institute and proposed to establish a medical college, a nursing college and a multi-super speciality hospital in the state at the cost of `350 crore. Representatives of the institute have assured to initiate the next step after identifying the land near Bhopal next week. The chief minister held separate meeting with Tim Buxto, Norman Moltu and Prasad Bhav of the First Group on the public transport system run by the group in Britain and the US. State urban development commissioner Vivek Agarwal informed the First Group team about the public transport system projects in Madhya Pradesh. Representatives of the First Group expressed their interest to participate in the projects. Chouhan also discussed prospects of investment in Madhya Pradesh with representatives of JCB Philip Boveret. The CM assured the company of all possible help on the proposal. He visited the London River Front development work in Nine Elms and the restoration project at the Kings Cross station. The wife of Nawazuddin Siddiquis younger brother has filed a police complaint against Bollywood actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui and his parents in Muzaffarnagar, alleging torture, an official said on Saturday. The woman has made serious charges on the film actor, saying he kicked her in the stomach when she was three months pregnant. In a complaint given to Superintendent of Police (Rural) Rakesh Jolly, the woman who married the actors younger brother Minauzzidin Siddiqui on May 31, 2016, has alleged that her in-laws have been asking for dowry and misbehaving with her. She has also alleged that Nawazuddin beat her up on September 28. The woman had first approached the Kotwali police station, but when they did not entertain her complaint, she met the superintendent of police (rural) along with her mother, father and uncle. Read: Nawazuddin denies assaulting woman Police said they will investigate the matter and act accordingly to law. Read: The misuse of molestation charges Earlier, in January this year, a case was filed at the Versova police station in Mumbai alleging that Nawazuddin had assaulted a woman in his residential complex. Arun Chavan, assistant commissioner of police, said, We registered a case against Nawazuddin under IPC section 354 (assault or criminal force on woman with intent to outrage her modesty) based on the complainants version. As of now we have not arrested any person, and are in the process of verifying the facts. Read: Can you recognise Nawaz in these films? According to the complainant, who is the granddaughter of the chairman of the society where both she and Siddiqui live, she was sitting in the society office at around 1.30 pm when a person came and tried to park his motorcycle in the society compound. Nawazuddins bodyguards who were standing at the spot asked the person not to park his motorcycle there. The complainant said that when she heard the commotion, she came out of the office and started clicking photographs on her mobile phone. The motorcyclist left the society and at the same time Nawazuddin came down and asked the complainant not to click photographs which led to an altercation. The complainant alleged that when she refused, Nawazuddin pushed her following which she called the police. Follow @htshowbiz for more Actor Radhika Aptes choice of films is often tagged as intelligent and bold but she does not believe in branding herself . I am not in favour of labels. The more you run away from one kind of label, the more people will try to put another label on you. There is no ambition of becoming anybody. When I do a certain kind of a role, it can be path breaking for somebody else but for me its conventional. The whole point of being an actor is that we need to do different roles, says Apte. The actor, who has been part of films such as I Am (2010), Badlapur (2015) and Manjhi: The Mountain Man (2015), asserts that her career graph reflects her personal journey. My career is my personal journey. I came here because I wanted to act and my work gives me joy. That is the whole point of why I do films, she says. Asked if her choices of roles are a conscious effort behind building the image of a content-driven actor, Apte says, Its very instinctive. There is no planning behind it. The more challenging the roles are, the more attractive they are for me. The kind of roles I have done so far are quite real, you see such people around you. The actor was recently seen in filmmaker Leena Yadavs film, where she plays the role of a woman who is trying to conceive and is also battling domestic abuse.My role in the film is not giving any kind of a message. This is not an issue based film and we dont want to portray this as one, she says. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON By now, Ive worked so much with the Hindustan Times, that people often mistake me for the editor, or at the very least as the head of marketing or occasionally the fleet-in-charge. (You know the person who organises cars for staff.) This brings me to the problem that has irked me since childhood. Well, actually, now that you brought it up, 27-and-a-half things irk me since childhood. They include pimples, acne of the back, finding two socks of the same colour, the Aam Aadmi Partys leadership in Punjab, and one of modern Indias most pressing questions who will be Arnab Goswamis successor? The other problem Ive had is how to be taken seriously. Not to give myself too much self-importance, but when I enter a room, the meeting thats going on abruptly ends and inadvertently someone or the other ruffles my hair or pulls my cheeks. Its the kind of treatment the bosss three-year-old cherubic daughter would get, if she was to storm in without attendants. To understand what lurks beneath, I once again turned to psychiatrists. But since all the psychiatrists I know, including Carl Jung and Sigmund Freud, are dead, I had to turn to something else my childhood. Lets remember what the famous monk Benedict the seven-and-a-half said just before he was pushed off a cliff. He said, Can I have a rope please? Oh, actually it was what he said a few years before that, that Id like to refer to, All answers to the personality lie in the first eight years of ones life, which basically meant if you passed away at the age of four youd have the honour of being an enigma for life, so well done! Three incidents shaped my thinking since my childhood. Apparently, I wasnt a very good-looking child. This is not based on the fact that the photographer insisted on applying make-up on me before taking my baby photos, but because the nurse who was attending to my mother, a nurse who was a veteran of 27 years, quit her job 42 minutes after being handed over a new-born me. You want worse news? Hitlers nurse lasted 47 minutes; Chengiz Khans 49; and Cambodian revolutionary Pol Pots 52. But Pol Pots doesnt count because his was a male nurse. The second incident was in the class plays. In all these plays, I was always given the role of the tree, even if the play didnt have a tree. Such as class 3As Space The Final Frontier, a tribute to Star Trek set on a planet sans trees. Yet, keeping with the government order that all must play a part, I was once again the tree. And bear in mind, the tree was deep at the back of the stage. In other words, a real tree would not be caught dead playing a tree in any of class 3As lavish productions. Then there was that problem with being allowed to answer questions in class. Through all my school and college years, Id find myself with my hand up, but no response by the teacher to my raised hand. They just wouldnt take me seriously. It may have had something to do with the fact that whilst in class 3A, on four consecutive occasions of hands-up in response to questions I had asked to go to the toilet. Although all four times were mere coincidences, I was branded for life as someone who wont answer questions seriously. So much so that one particular teacher would first request me to leave the class and go to the toilet before she asked us any questions. And yes, the scars remain. My wife still doesnt know were married. She knows shes married, she just hasnt decided on my role yet. My children are making a plan for me as we speak. You know the typical kids stuff, as in defining my position in the family: What days should I work? When should I stay home? Whether I should be allowed an ATM card? Of course, there are perks of being in this situation. The other day a parking attendant didnt charge me for parking, purely on the grounds of my obvious immaturity. And when I abused a motorcyclist for breaking a one way and almost banging into my car, his response was typical urban 2016. He took a selfie with me. Then he took one more, this time insisting that I sit on his motorcycle, holding him tight. Like the camel lives with its hump, or the rhino with his horn, Im lumped with this label of being a child, not capable of ageing like wine. The first nail on the coffin was from this very newspaper, when I suggested to the powers that I be about writing a column on being myself. They laughed and said ...err seriously? The writer is a TV anchor, comedian, columnist, political satirist and author of 23 Ways to Make a Girl Fall for You From HT Brunch, October 2, 2016 Follow us on twitter.com/HTBrunch Connect with us on facebook.com/hindustantimesbrunch A farmer carries rice on his shoulder during the harvest season on a paddy field in Vinh Ngoc village, outside Hanoi, Vietnam. Photo by Reuters 6 percent of families in the country are now under the poverty line. More than one million Vietnamese people are not having enough food to eat, according to a new official report, which has blamed severe drought and the recent toxic spill scandal for worsening the nation's poverty problem. The General Statistics Office has found that around 6 percent of all Vietnamese families, or 1.4 million households, are living under the poverty line, or earning less than VND4.8 million ($215) a year per capita. Last year's poverty rate was 4.5 percent. Among them, more than 251,000 families are in extreme poverty and have to suffer hunger on a daily basis. That translates to over 1 million persons in hunger, up 15.4 percent compared to this time last year. The statistics office's report blamed the situation on severe drought and salt intrusion in many areas. The worst drought in the country in 100 years destroyed nearly 260,000 hectares of rice and vegetables, more than 160,000 hectares of orchards and cash crops and more than 4,500 hectares of seafood farms in southern and central Vietnam in the first four months. The damage has been estimated at $250 million. Mass fish deaths caused by the toxic spill from Taiwanese steel firm Formosa along the central coast in April were also a factor in pushing many families into poverty, the report said. The environment disaster created a seafood scare across the country and hit tourism in beach towns, harming the livelihoods of thousands of people. Nguyen Bich Lam, head of the statistics office, said the Formosa scandal is going to affect Vietnams economy in the long run. The impacts of the incident will last for years, affecting a number of industries including tourism," he was quoted by local media as saying. Vietnam has been universally praised for its efforts to tackle poverty over the past decades. But even after the economy has moved up and achieved the middle-income status, hunger and poverty continue to hurt many people. A new policy effective later this year will redefine poverty as earning less than VND8.4 million ($374) a year per person. This new threshold is expected to raise the ratio of poor families in the country to 10 percent, or more than 2.3 million. Related news: > Where Vietnams poor go to borrow > Why can't Central Highland ethnic minorities seem to escape poverty? With the right ideas and an unmatched record, Vir Sanghvi is betting that Rakesh Sarna can take the Taj to the top once again Though we now tend to think of it as just one division of the giant Tata empire, the Taj Group of Hotels is one of the great corporate success stories of 20th Century India. The original Taj in Bombay was built by Jamsetji Tata over a century ago as a grand rival to the Whites-only places (no Indians were allowed into, say, the Yacht Club or any top Bombay hotel), but by the early Sixties it had deteriorated so much that even JRD Tata famously remarked that the only reason he didnt fix it was because there was so much wrong with the Taj that he wouldnt know where to start. After negotiations with the Hilton group fell through, JRD Tata put his faith in a young catering manager called Ajit Kerkar. It was Kerkar who turned the hotel around and then oversaw the opening of the new wing in 1972. The Tatas were not convinced there was a future in hotels so Kerkar created the chain, almost by stealth, without any money from Bombay House. The Madras property (Taj Coromandel) was funded by a businessman who used to stay at the Bombay Taj, the Goa hotel (Fort Aguada) was financed by a group of businessmen (RV Pandit, Manubhai Madhvani, etc), the Delhi Taj was part-owned by the New Delhi Municipal Corporation and the palace hotels (Lake Palace, Rambagh, etc) were run on management contracts. It was through such means that the Taj Group (comprising different companies with different investors) was created and became, by the end of the 1970s, Indias greatest hotel chain, eclipsing the older, better-established Oberoi Group. All this happened on JRDs watch and he let Kerkar run the company like an entrepreneur because, in that era, that was how the Tata Group was managed. In the mid-1990s, when Ratan Tata adopted a more centralised approach, ending the autonomy of JRDs viceroys (men like Russi Mody and Darbari Seth), Kerkar found himself out of sync with the new management style and in 1997, the Tatas threw him out, after a short but ugly struggle. In retrospect, nobody can deny that Ratan Tata acted with the best intentions or that, in the new order, there was simply no room for entrepreneurial managing directors. But it is as hard to deny that since Bombay House took control, the Tajs fortunes have been mixed. On the plus side the company is run more transparently with better processes and less jugaad. There have also been some solid successes: the acquisition of the Bombay Regent, which became the Lands End, a management contract at Jodhpurs magnificent Umaid Bhavan and some important restaurants: Varq, Wasabi and the Konkan Cafe. But equally, the Tajs greatest successes came in the Kerkar era: the creation of Goa, Rajasthan and Kerala as destinations, the iconic restaurants (House of Ming, Southern Spice, Karavali, Orient Express, Paradise Island, Raintree and Thai Pavilion), the triumphant push into Delhi, the acquisition of the President in Bombay, the lease for the Spencer hotels (Connemara in Madras, the West End in Bangalore and Ootys Savoy), and the groups global reputation for Indian hospitality. To Bombay Houses credit, it managed to preserve the spirit of the Taj (chefs and staff took bullets for their guests during the 26/11 attacks). On the other hand, it vacated the Tajs prized slot of warm and personalised Indian hospitality leaving the field clear for ITC to make that market niche its own. And there was a series of terrible management decisions including a disastrous branding exercise (Vivanta and Gateway), unsuccessful and expensive purchases of American hotels and an abortive bid for Orient Express Hotels that bled the company of its Indian profits. Sadly for the Taj, this phase coincided with the emergence of Biki Oberoi at the helm of his familys company. A battle between a hoteliering genius and a stumbling corporate behemoth was always going to be one-sided and today, nobody in the hotel business disputes that the Oberois are well ahead of the Taj. I imagine some of these calculations went through Cyrus Mistrys head when he took over the Tata Group. His solution was to hire the worlds best-known hotelier of Indian origin and to ask him to fix the Taj. Rakesh Sarna is a legend within the Hyatt Group where he worked for 35 years, rising from the ranks to first become head of Hyatt International and then of Hyatt in the US. Sarna was 57 and ready to retire to Miami within three years when the Taj tapped him. His plan was to be near his two daughters and to go back to school: his wife and he were looking forward to taking courses in culture, history and other subjects. (Only because we really enjoy learning!). The big challenge: For Rakesh Sarna, the chance to clean up what is potentially one of the worlds great hotel companies was irresistible. So why did he take the Taj job? Ego, he says, self-deprecatingly. More seriously, he adds, I grew up in Malviya Nagar in Delhi. We couldnt afford to eat at the Taj. But it was a very big deal when my father once took me for a cold drink at the lobby lounge. Like many Indians of his generation, Sarna believed the Taj symbolised the best in Indian hospitality. I always thought of the Taj as being, you know, somehow, noble, he says. And the chance to clean up what is potentially one of the worlds great hotel companies may have been irresistible. Hes been at the Taj for nearly two years and the consensus is that Sarna has repaired some of the damage of the last decade. Revenues are rising and the groups sorry international investments have been cleaned up. There is a long overdue push into digital sales and marketing and while Sarna has still not abolished the disastrous rebranding, he has gone back to the regional management structure of the pre-Bombay House days. My guess is that all the Vivanta/Gateway nonsense will go by the end of the year. He concedes if you push him that as impressive as the achievements of the last 20 months are, they have still to translate fully into an enhanced experience for guests. But he says that the Taj is now ready to offer guests something different. Suppose you were to be blindfolded and taken to a hotel, he says. When they removed the blindfold and told you to look around, would you able to tell that you were in a Taj hotel? My short answer is no. In fact, not only has the Taj lost its distinctive character, the quality of the hotels is also uneven. Some of its properties have declined (including the Bombay flagship which is now sloppily managed with depressingly poor F&B service) while others (such as Bombays Lands End) have improved dramatically. Sarnas solution is to unify the experience through Tajness a concept that harks back to the core values of the group: distinctive hospitality, luxury that is Indian inspired without being in-your-face Indian and a sense of warmth. Tajness is still being unveiled but some of the outlines are clear. There will be rituals that embody the distinctive luxury of the Taj experience so guests can go away with special memories. The lobbies will vanish. They will be replaced by drawing room-like spaces where guests will be received by elegant men and women who look like they belong there and not like costumed receptionists. There will be a quantum leap in F&B over the next year or two. Some of the (really bad and outdated) restaurants will go. They will be replaced by modern eating places, each of which will be planned in association with the best global consultants. (Sarna has a reputation for creating great F&B from his Hyatt days.) More attention will be paid to every detail, from the fragrancing of the public spaces to the manner in which staff interact with guests (more style, less servility). Having run huge global chains before (the Taj is tiny compared to Hyatt), Sarna is not being reckless in making promises. He knows that all this wont happen overnight. More significantly he is determined to do this by motivating the Tajs own staff rather than by bringing in outsiders so that the changes reflect in the culture of the company. He is holding Town Hall style meetings with General Managers to convey his vision of Tajness and has made it his mission to personally clarify any doubts or questions they may have. Will it work? In an era when the Oberois are so strong, when ITC has emerged as a major player and the big luxury foreign chains are beginning to dominate the space, can Sarna really save the Taj? I am hesitant about making predictions. But I will stick my neck out this time. If anyone can turn the Taj around, its Rakesh Sarna. He has the right ideas, an international record that is unmatched and a historic opportunity to regain the glory that once was the Taj. I am betting he can take the Taj to the top once again. From HT Brunch, October 2 Follow us on twitter.com/HTBrunch Connect with us on facebook.com/hindustantimesbrunch SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Indias biggest auction of telecom spectrum kicked off on Saturday with seven operators in fray for a total of 2,354.55 MHz across seven bands, towards which a reserve price of Rs 5.66 lakh crore has been fixed by the government. The companies that have qualified for the auction are Bharti Airtel, Vodafone India, Reliance Jio Infocomm, Reliance Communications, Idea Cellular, Aircel and Tata Tele, who have furnished total earnest money of Rs.14,653 crore. Given that earnest money deposit is roughly 10% of what a telecom operator can bid for, experts said the expectations of Rs.5.66 lakh crore was already far-fetched. Top investment banker Goldman Sachs has predicted that total proceeds from the auction will be around $7 billion -- less than half of $16 billion that was fetched in the 2015 auction, and sharply below $85 billion if all spectrum was sold at the reserve price. Ahead of the auctions, telecom secretary JS Deepak has said the process would be transparent and the award of airwaves quick. One new bidding-friendly measure we have adopted this year is that spectrum won will be assigned within 30 days from the date of upfront payment. Interest on deferred payment will be 9.3% this year against 10% in 2015. For the auctions -- which will be an Internet-based, online process -- the government has hired the services of mjunction services. The government said the mock auctions conducted earlier this week went off well. The auction timings are from 9 am to 7.30 pm, Monday to Saturday. Read: Vodafones $7.2 billion cash injection turns up the heat on airwave auction The 2,300-plus MHz of airwaves on the block for telecom operators are in seven bands -- 700 MHz, 800 MHz, 900 MHz, 1,800 MHz, 2,100 MHz, 2,300 MHz and 2,500 MHz. In the previous auction 470.75 MHz was on offer, which was set to fetch the exchequer $17 billion during its tenure. The government has decided to allot the right to the spectrum won through auction for 20 years. The operators will have the choice of both upfront and instalments payment options. The service providers who win airwaves below 1 GHz bandwidth will have to pay 25% upfront, and for those winning above that, the upfront payment will be 50%. For the successful bidder, the lock-in period of equity in the company has been reduced to one year instead of the earlier stipulation of a minimum period of three years or completion of roll out obligation, whichever is later. In a meeting of the cabinet in June, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, an official nod was given for the reserve price and the auction norms. The spectrum usage charge was subsequently fixed at 3 per cent of the adjusted gross revenues of an operator. Coming to the finer points of the auction, and going by the earnest money deposited, four players appear to be serious -- Reliance Industries (Rs 6,500 crore), Vodafone (Rs 2,740 crore), Idea (Rs 2,000 crore) and Airtel (Rs 1,980 crore). We expect the auction to be very important for Vodafone and Idea as they have their 3G plus 4G footprint in just nine and seven circles, respectively, said the Goldman Sachs analysis. Bharti and Jio have much wider network coverage for wireless broadband versus Vodafone and Idea and we believe operators will use the upcoming auction to plug 3G/4G gaps. We also expect Bharti and Jio to buy additional 3G and 4G spectrum to augment data capacity on their networks. Read: Datagiri: RILs Jio a game-changer, could fuel all-out price war On September, 23 at 7:53 PM, the human resource department of AstraZeneca Pharma India sent a letter to around 50 employees, inviting them to Bangalore to participate in a discussion regarding restructuring of the firms business. The letter said the UK-headquarter pharma major has globally launched the Focus to Win initiative to align its resources with strategic objectives. The mail had attached flight tickets, airport pickup-and-drop details, hotel booking receipts at Clarks Exotica Resort and Spa. Most of the invited employees were in the companys sales department. The invite seemed like a bigger professional opportunity, but on September 29, during the course of the discussion things turned upside down when employees were asked to resign. Two of them resigned, but the others resisted. By the end of the day, the rest of them were sent resignation letters, said Partha Rakshit, treasurer of Federation of Medical and Sales Representatives Association of India (FMSRAI), who was present at the venue. How can the company where I have been working for the past five years ask me to go away without any prior notice, said an employee, who was sent his termination letter by email, after being given one-and-half months of remuneration. A source still employed with the company confirmed that AstraZeneca has already fired 60 people in the past four months, and another 50-52 pink slips will be given out. This news comes after AstraZeneca sold its antibiotics business to Pfizer in August, after the company decided to focus on its core area of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, respiratory and autoimmunity, and oncology. About 134 employees working in the antibiotic division are also likely to be laid off. The lay-offs will bring down the firms total headcount of 1,200 by one-fourth. In line with the global strategy, AstraZeneca is consolidating its investments in India We have implemented a number of initiatives which include prioritising investment, reduce discretionary spends, accelerating business capabilities and manpower rationalisation, the company said in an email. The laid-off employees, along with FMSRAI, will file a petition in court and a dispute order with the Labour Department. In order to protest against the companys move, employees still working with the firm will go on a mass casual leave on October 3, confirmed Rakshit. Indians may be perceived as shy about their sex lives, but their demand for sex toys and aides, a nascent and as yet clandestine industry in the country, is going up by leaps and bounds. While the metros of Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore top the list of buyers across e-commerce platforms that sell adult products, the business of pleasure is gaining popularity in smaller cities such as Ahmedabad, Chennai, Faridabad, Pune, Roorkee and Hyderabad. The share of orders from non-metro big cities and small towns is going up, the vendors say. While across-the-board average is not forthcoming as it is a fragmented industry, websites say that for some products demand from small towns is 3 times the demand from metros. Massage creams, lubricants, male performance products, womens arousal and pleasure enhancement products, lingerie, masturbators, personal grooming products and handcuffs are among the most popular items in these cities. According to sources working in the industry, the total market is estimated to hit 2,500 crore in 2016. These are not cheap products by any means. Last year, for instance, IMBesharam, one of the popular e-commerce websites in this line, delivered a custom order (products they source from the manufacturer and sell it through their sales channel as a one-off item) of a product called Sybian, a masturbation device for women, worth 4.5 lakh to a customer in Bilaspur. In April 2016, a customer in Warangal, Telangana bought a gold-plated version of Lelo, a vibrator, worth 74,000. Raj Armani, co-founder of IMBesharam, which was set up in 2013, told HT: Indian men and women are now far more in tune with the western lifestyle due to the easy availability of the internet. There has been an overall acceptance of a lifestyle that is more liberal and less judgemental. About 37% orders at IMBesharam, which is endorsed by actor Sunny Leone, are from non-metros, which together contribute 46% of the companys revenues. Orders from the tier-II and tier-III cities are generally of higher ticket size and they are more adventurous with their shopping, Armani confirms. IMBesharam is pacing to cross 36 crore sales by end of this fiscal against 29 crore last year. Six-month old Naughtyme gets 60% of its orders from small cities. We are generating anywhere between 4.5-6 lakh per month with an average increase of 15% to 20% every month from these cities, says VS Harikumar, CEO, Naughtyme. In the past six months, Naughtyme has fulfilled 2,106 orders. At ThatsPersonal, another popular startup, orders from small cities have grown more than 300% over the past year. These cities contribute almost half of the companys revenues. Our strategy is to educate people so that they understand how these products shall help them enrich and spice up their sex lives. Educating via interesting content is the key, says Vishal Lodaya director-marketing at ThatsPersonal. The popularity of the products aside, the business is not exactly legal -- or illegal. According to section 292 of the India Penal Code, activities including sale, distribution, public exhibition and circulation of anything obscene is a punishable offence. But the definition of obscene is a grey area. So most e-tailers are taking careful steps to promote and deliver their products. Products on our sites do not resemble any body parts, says Lodaya. Naughtyme, which has actor Poonam Pandey as their brand ambassador, deliver products in discreet packages and is mulling tie-ups with stores from where people can pick their orders. Masala Toys, another e-tailer, which sees 10% of orders coming from tier-II and tier-III cities says, Indian government must liberalise the policies related to sale of sex toys, and sexual health and wellness products to help people access these products at lower prices, said Amit Sharma, senior manager, Masala Toys. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Rashtriya Dalit Adhikar Manch (RDAM) called off Saturdays rail roko protest after the Gujarat government called them for talks. Dalit groups in the state began protesting after four men from the community were flogged publicly in Una on suspicion of cow slaughter. The protesters demanded that five acres of land be given to every Dalit family in the state under the poverty line. Rail roko programme has been called off. The government approached us on the eve of the stir, said Subodh Parmar, convener of RDAM. Minister of state for home Pradeepsinh Jadeja has approached Jignesh Mevani (who has been leading the agitation). Talks are likely to be held on October 5, added Parmar. Read | Academic and activist: Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani rises in Gujarat This is the first time the state has approached the agitating Dalit groups for a discussion. Led by Mevani, Dalits announced they would stop trains in Maninagar, an assembly constituency in Ahmedabad earlier represented by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Among others, Delhis Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union president, Kanhaiya Kumar, was expected to participate in the rail roko. After self-proclaimed cow vigilantes attacked the four Dalits in Una in July, a series of protests began, snowballing into statewide unrest. In August, Dalit groups came together for a 10-day march from Ahmedabad to Una. Also read | Dalit uprising may have contributed to Anandiben Patels ouster Weve done what we had to do and by all accounts weve done it well. An anti-terror strike across the Line of Control has been efficiently executed even if Pakistan insists no such strike took place. Diplomatically weve taken sure-footed steps to embarrass Pakistan and force a postponement of the Saarc summit. Both of these were well-considered measures. Whilst we dont have confirmed details of the military action we do know two things. It happened simultaneously in seven or eight separate areas, which suggests it was well-planned and sizeable in scale. Second, if Pakistan insists these strikes did not happen, one can also hope they may not retaliate. After all, you cant take reprisal action against what hasnt happened! Read: India-Pak tensions bring back war memories, fears: Where will we go? However, the key question is a different one. What now? Whilst steps in response to the Uri terror attack were understandable and even inevitable, we still need to look ahead and keep our focus on how we sort out the Indo-Pakistan problem. Will our strong response to Uri ensure there is no further terrorist action by Lashkar or the Jaish? Or, because Kashmir has become too dangerous to repeat, will we see attacks on vulnerable targets in places like Kabul, Jalalabad or Herat? It will be a while before we know and till then we have to hold our breath. Our hope must be a simple one. Once the LeT and Jaish know well hit back it could raise the bar so high they might hesitate to strike again. And this could also put pressure on their Pakistani patrons. Knowing that India will respond swiftly, toughly and effectively may lead them to rein in these groups. Of course, its possible this message may have to be conveyed two or three times before its correctly heard and believed but I hope not. The bigger question is: Will our tough response make it easier to find a solution to the Kashmir problem? It could if we play our cards correctly. Standing up to your enemy and showing you have the courage and conviction to fight back could lead to a mutually acceptable compromise. It doesnt always have to lead to escalation and war. Read: India and Pakistan are doomed to conducting an eternal dialogue of the deaf So, yes, Im mentally prepared for further terror attacks followed by decisive responses by our troops. Being realistic we have to grit our teeth and accept this is possible. But it would be unwise to forget that the bigger problem requires a solution and the present terror and military response is not that. After a suitable gap we need to let Islamabad know that if they heed our message were willing to sit down and talk. This may be the moment for Narendra Modi to publicly tell the Pakistanis that theres a change in India they must recognise. We will hit back every time you hit us. If its a test of resolve and strength you want were prepared to match you. But if youre willing to put aside terror were ready to sit and talk and find a sensible political solution. The choice is yours. Weve entered a new and disturbing phase of the relationship with our troublesome neighbour. No one can deny that. But the paradox is that hope of a solution has not been smothered by the present tension. Oddly enough, it may have been nurtured by it. Read: In Pathankot, many want to stay back to assist forces That sounds paradoxical but life is full of contradictions. History proves a show of strength can sometimes lead to a peaceful solution. The views expressed are personal SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON MODE/DAOKE/RORANWALA: Thous-ands across India may be celebrating the armys surgical strikes against Pakistan but villagers near the Line of Control are upset with a lack of government support in evacuation and say they fear for the safety of their homes. Local residents in Punjabs Attari sector say they feel abandoned by the local administration with little support in getting transportation or choosing possible destinations, more than 24 hours after the government announced evacuation of villages in border areas. No officer has reached the village. Just an announcement was made. I sent my children and wife. I am staying back to ensure my house is safe, said Angrej Singh, a resident of Daoke village that is metres away from the LoC fence. Two-thirds of the villages 3,000 people have left. The evacuation was ordered as relations between New Delhi and Islamabad nosedived following the armys announcement of surgical strikes against terror launchpads in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, amid fears of retaliation by the neighbouring country. But people in the vulnerable regions say they are forced to lug around luggage and call up relatives for asylum as the local administrations promises of tents, shelters and transport hasnt come through. Many families have sent the women and children away but the men are staying back to ward off thieves, often standing in fields with swords to guard their property. Anyone can take an advantage of such a situation. People in border villages are under stress and thefts will break them. People are worried of their houses, cattle and crop, said Saab Singh of Daoke. We did not sleep. We stood in the villages with swords in hand all night, said Kashmir Kaur of Daoke. In addition, many fear that widespread looting may break out soon if police and officials dont arrive to direct the evacuation efforts. The government says leave but what about our belongings? How much can we carry? Anyone can break into our home and loot, said Sukhdev Singh of Mode village. But the administration has rebuffed the allegations, saying it needs some time before informing villagers about the location of shelters and arranging transport. We are on the job and have already identified places for shelters that will be operational by Friday evening, said deputy commissioner Varun Roojam. We are very serious and for transportation 20 buses have been taken. Tie up has been done with the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabhandhak Committee for food. Transport has emerged as a major problem and many say people with no relatives in faraway places have nowhere to go. People are making their own arrangements to leave. What about those with no relatives in cities? How do they go if they dont have own transport? Public transport does not reach here, said Surjit Singh, a resident of Mullakot village, which was captured by Pakistan in the 1971 war. Dyal Singh, who had gone to evacuate his daughter Baljit Kaur from Daoke, said he had arranged everything by himself. The Border Security Force said it was on high alert and didnt let farmers go near the LoC fence. We do not know till when this order stays. But till that time, we are asked to stay away from the fence, said villager Harjap singh in Daoke. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON PATNA: Total prohibition in Bihar ceased to exist from Friday with the Patna high court striking down a ban on Indian made foreign liquor (IMFL) in the state, dealing a body blow to chief minister Nitish Kumars pet initiative. But tipplers joy may be short lived as the state government plans to go ahead with a modified version of the prohibition law with more stringent measures on Sunday, despite questions about its legality. In a 150-page judgment, the HC quashed an April 5 notification that banned the manufacture, consumption and sale of IMFL, saying the order was ultra vires to the Constitution, hence not enforceable. Sources said the government is planning to approach the Supreme Court against the HC order. At the moment, with the new act not notified yet and the old act quashed, Bihar is without prohibition of IMFL until Sunday. However, the ban on country-made liquor continues. Enforcing prohibition has proved to be a minefield for Nitish Kumar, who promised the measure during his assembly poll campaign. The move has won accolades from womens groups but has outraged many, who say prohibition attacks their livelihoods and stringent penal measures for even possessing alcohol are unconstitutional. Kumar has toured many places in Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab, championing the cause of prohibition. Bihars additional advocate general Lalit Kishore said that the Patna HC ruling was on the old act, which came into force in April. It will have no impact on the new act. The legislature passed the act and there is no need for gazette notification. In any case, cabinet has already taken a decision for its implementation from October 2, he added. But experts say the new law which contains many of the provisions of the old law that was scrapped will immediately be challenged in court. The new measures had received the governors assent. The April notification of the government had been challenged in the court by the Liquor Trade Association and a bunch of other individuals. Allowing the writ applications, the court in its 142-page judgment said: Section 19(4) of the Bihar Excise Act, 1915, as amended with effect from April 1, 2016 is ultra vires to the Constitution and unenforceable. The impugned notification, dated April 5, 2016, issued by the state under section 19(4) of the said amended act is also ultra vires to the Constitution and consequently, unenforceable. The penal provisions of enhanced sentence and provisions, with regard to confiscation of property, as introducedwith effect from April 1, 2016 are also held to be ultra vires to the Constitution. The petitioners challenging prohibition had argued that it creates unreasonable restrictions on the choice of livelihood of a person which is protected under Article 21 of the Constitution. We will study the court order and take action in that light, said principal secretary, home department, Amir Subhani. NEW DELHI: Delhi Police arrested a 22-year-old man who allegedly opened fire on a police constable in Tilak Nagar, on Friday. The accused, Sunny alias Ghoosh, is a resident of Harijan Nagar. Police said that with his arrest, they solved three cases of motor vehicle thefts and one case of attempt to murder. On July 21, Sunny and his friend who were riding a scooter were stopped by a constable for rash-driving and got into an altercation him. Sunny took out weapon and fired at the constable Jaidev. He was hurt in his stomach and was taken to the hospital. Another constable, Naveen tried to catch them, but they fled leaving their scooty behind. A senior official said that during interrogation, Sunny confessed that he and accomplice was trying to escape with stolen two-wheeler when he was stopped by the constable. It is then that he fired at him. Sunny was already involved in five cases of robbery, snatching and illegal possession of weapons. NEW DELHI: A man wanted in criminal cases in Kolkata was arrested from Kalkaji by the West Bengal Police with the assistance of the Delhi Police, on Friday. The accused Rahim Ali alias Lal Chand is a resident of DC Dey Road Kolkata. Police said Rahim was wanted in various cases of robbery in Kolkata, who escaped from police custody in Howrah on August 26 during police remand. To catch him, a team was constituted in Howrah which came to know about his presence in Delhi. An overpowering smell keeps attacking the senses of thousands of people in Ho Chi Minh City, with no end in sight. It has been their worst nightmare, one they are doomed to relive again and again. Over the past few months, many people in the southern districts of Ho Chi Minh City have put up with the unbearable odor, which is strongest in residential areas such as Phu My Hung, My Khanh and Phu My. They are worried that whatever is causing the smell may be affecting their health. We are getting sick both physically and mentally from the smell, said Hong Ha, a resident in one of the affected areas. Others said the stench is particularly strong from midnight until morning and things get worse during the rainy season between July and September. Just like the saying, it stinks to high heaven. Locals said the odor is so bad they are left with only two options: move home or keep breathing in. My family can hardly sleep," said My Thanh in Phu Gia residential area. "We cant open the windows because the strong smell will get into the house and stay for up to two hours. Local authorities have recently identified the Da Phuoc landfill site as the source of the odor. They plan to move waste disposal facilities out of the inner city to a new site that is under construction in Long An Province, about 60 kilometers southwest of Ho Chi Minh City. Trinh Vinh, a resident in Phu Hoang Gia residential area, said he hopes the problem will be resolved quickly as thousands of lives have been turned upside down. I'm thinking of leaving. The smell is making us sick, he said. Another resident, Hong Ha, said the smell has been around for so long but no one has been held accountable. This has been going on for many years and thousands of people have been affected. We want to talk with the operator of Da Phuoc, she continued. The Da Phuoc landfill, which is one of the citys two major landfill sites, is located south of the city on an area of 128 hectares (316 acres). Vietnam Waste Solution Inc., which owns and runs the landfill, said it is working diligently to control the odor emanating from the landfill. The volume of waste in the city has been rising at a very fast pace. The city discharges around 8,000 tons of waste a day and currently buries 75 percent of it, a method officials have described as temporary. Related news: > Saigon stench culprit identified as landfill site > Saigon residents suffer from stinking landfill site > Free insurance and clean water for residents living near Da Nangs stinking landfill site > Sandy beach turns into landfill site during public holiday NEW DELHI: Indias diplomatic encirclement of Pakistan appeared to bear fruit on Friday, with even Islamabads traditional allies refusing to take its side over New Delhis surgical strikes on militant shelters across the Line of Control (LoC), their de-facto border. While the United States, a long presence in Pakistans corner, hastened to underline the importance of its alliance with India, others who could previously have been relied upon to take Islamabads side, at least in rhetorical terms, chose to maintain a studiously neutral line. In South Asia, Pakistans isolation deepened as Afghanistan openly backed Thursdays strikes as an act of self-defence, and Sri Lanka became the fifth country to pull out of the eight-nation Saarc Summit in Islamabad, citing concerns about terrorism an unsubtle reference to Pakistan. But perhaps Chinas markedly restrained reaction comes most fraught for its all-weather ally. Neither did any voice of support ring out of the Organisation of Islamic Countries that has traditionally backed Islamabads stand on Kashmir. Russia, despite currently conducting military exercises with Islamabad, joined South Korea to speak out against terrorism and call on Pakistan to do more to fight the menace on its soil. And in what reflected growing global impatience with Pakistans self-defeating stand on fighting terrorism, Washington chose the moment to focus on the dangers of such policies in South Asia. Weve repeatedly expressed our concerns regarding the danger that terrorism poses to the region and we all know that terrorism in many ways knows no border, said State Department Spokesman, John Kirby. The reply came to a question on the surgical strikes that New Delhi said took out seven militant launchpads across the LoC and inflicted heavy casualties on militants. For that matter, Washington also used the occasion to underscore a new high in ties with India, with Defence Secretary Ashton Carter saying their military relationship was the closest it has been ever. Islamabad, which deferred the Saarc Summit on Friday, would have probably wanted Beijing to be more vocal about the strikes. But then again, Pakistan has denied those took place. Chinas reaction to the strikes came two days after Pakistan dispatched two special envoys on Kashmir to Beijing to drum up support for its position. As shared neighbour and friend to both India and Pakistan, we are concerned about continuous confrontation and tensions between India and Pakistan, foreign ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang told a regular news briefing on Friday. We call on all relevant parties to exercise restraint and refrain from actions that would escalate tension. Russias foreign ministry also signalled support for Indias stand, saying Moscow stood for decisive struggle against terrorism in all its manifestations. We expect that the Government of Pakistan should take effective steps in order to stop the activities of terrorist groups in the territory of the country, it said in a statement. In Seoul, President Park Geun Hye told Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan that South Korea stood against terrorism in all forms. To compound matters for Pakistan, prominent internal groups pointedly took Indias side. Baloch nationalist leaders and activists across the world have welcomed the cross-border surgical strikes and called for such operations to continue. Meanwhile, government sources said Indian forces along the LoC had stepped up vigil to thwart any retaliatory attack. India moved extra troops along the LoC ahead of the surgical strikes, and on Friday deployed the air-borne defence system, AWACS. Sources said leave was being restricted for military personnel. They are unlikely to sit quiet, a government source with knowledge of Indias military preparedness told Hindustan Times, referring to a possible retaliation from across the LoC. NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Friday sought response from the Centre and Delhi government on a petition filed in public interest seeking directions to increase the size of statutory warnings on liquor bottles and packaging. A bench comprising Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Sangita Dhingra Sehgal asked both governments to file their response by December 7. The petition, filed by Delhi resident Ved Pal, also sought direction from the government to come up with a policy and plan about the nature, size and contents of the mandatory statutory warnings on liquor bottles and their packaging. The plea said that statutory warning of a larger size when visible shall be more effective in discouraging people from consuming alcohol. It also said that the larger format would work better in preventing health-related issues and even leave a positive impact by reducing addiction and dependency on alcohol thereby positively impacting family life of everyone concerned. NEW DELHI: The Delhi Police crime branch arrested two members of a murder-cum-extortion gang of Shalimar Bagh on Thursday. Basant Verma (30) and Naveen (30) were part of a gang that demanded extortion money from families. Police said that specific information was received on September 28 that some of the identified culprits involved with the gang would gather near Nyay Chowk in Swaroop Nagar to meet their other associates for search of new hideouts and making arrangements for expenses. Police apprehended Basant and Naveen here on September 29. Both confessed to their crimes. They also revealed the names of their accomplices, Harsimran, alias Badal. Further efforts are being made to nab Harsimran and other remaining gang members, said Ravindra Yadav, Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime). Earlier, two complainants from Shalimar Bagh had lodged an FIR stating that in broad day light, Harsimran along with at least 10 accomplices had tried to ransack their premises, created chaos and terrorized their families. Harsimran had reportedly extended threats to kill for daring to file case against him. He demanded Rs 10 lakh and Rs 7 lakh from the complainants. A case under sections 451 (house trespass), 387 (putting person in fear of death or of grievous hurt in order to commit extortion), 34 (common intention) of the IPC was registered on September 16 at the Shalimar Bagh police station. Basant has been previously arrested in two cases- attempt to murder and possession of illegal arms. He is working as a newspaper advertisement commission agent. Naveen is unemployed. His father is a retired sub-inspector of the Haryana Police and his brother is serving as a constable. NEW DELHI: The Delhi police will launch a mobile phone app for the security of elderly residents in the city. The app is aimed at helping senior citizens contact the police during emergencies. The app will be available from Saturday afternoon for Android users and be extended to Apple and Windows phone users in the coming weeks. Named Mobile app for senior citizens, an officer said that with this app, senior citizens will be able to connect with the police at the click of a button. If any elderly resident uses this app, he/she need not go to the local police station for registration. They can just key in their details and the local police officer will be in touch with the user , said an officer. Around 27,000 elderly residents living alone are registered with the police across all police stations in Delhi. Local beat constables visit the elderly living alone, at least once a week to ensure that they are not harassed. The elderly also get regular calls from the local police station to inquire after their well-being. Post its launch by Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung on Saturday afternoon, the app can be downloaded by any user in the city. Police said the senior citizens app has been launched following many crime incidents against senior citizens in Delhi, over the years. In July this year, within a fortnight, at least five senior citizens were murdered across the city. The app works like an SOS service. If there is an emergency, the registered elderly citizen needs to press a button and a local police officer will call back immediately. Once the SOS button is pressed, an ambulance service with local police officers will also be at their door step at the earliest, said an officer. A death row convict in the Jigisha Ghosh murder case was sentenced to life imprisonment on Saturday in another case of killing a cab driver by a Delhi court. Additional sessions judge Sandeep Yadav awarded life term to Ravi Kapoor and Ajay Kumar, who was convicted of kidnapping and killing Mohd Nadeem in January 2009, while observing that the case does not fall under rarest of rare category. In August, Kapoor was also awarded death sentence for killing 28-year-old IT executive Jigisha. The court had also held two other accused - Aarif and Ajay Sethi - guilty of the offence under section 413 (habitually dealing in stolen property) of the IPC. The court sentenced them to imprisonment already undergone during the trial. While the prosecution demanded death for Kapoor, his counsel Deepak Sharma argued that the case does not come under the rarest of the rare category. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 on Kapoor. According to the prosecution, on January 8, 2009, police received an information that a body with bullet injuries was found in a forest area near Vasant Kunj area of South Delhi. An FIR was lodged at Vasant Kunj police station against unknown persons under sections 302(murder) and 201(destruction of evidence) of the IPC. On March 23, 2009, when Kapoor was arrested in another murder case, he disclosed his involvement in Nadeems killing. At Kapoors instance, three other accused were arrested for killing Nadeem, who was kidnapped in his Tavera car and shot dead by the accused. A chargesheet was filed on July 1, 2009. In 2010, the court framed charges under sections 302, 364 (kidnapping or abducting in order to murder) and 397 (robbery, or dacoity, with attempt to cause death or grievous hurt) of the IPC. Kapoor, along with another convict, was awarded death penalty on August 22 for killing Jigisha, by a court which had observed that the murder was committed in a cold-blooded, inhuman and cruel manner and victim was brutally mauled to death. Kapoor and three others are also facing trial for allegedly killing journalist Soumya Vishwanathan in 2008. A 61-year-old former pilot shot himself dead with his licensed revolver at his east Delhi home on Saturday afternoon. Police did not recover a suicide note from the crime spot. Before shooting himself in the head, Anand Kumar Singh tried to pump a bullet in his chest but missed, police said. Singh had retired as a pilot with Jet Airways six years ago. His wife and daughter with whom he reportedly had an argument before the suicide were outside the flat when he killed himself, said police. Police said it appears that Singh was depressed because of his prolonged illness and loneliness. Singh was suffering from a kidney ailment and had a kidney transplant around six months ago. His wife Raj Laxmi and younger daughter, Abhilasha, shifted to his elder daughters home in Germany around one and a half month ago. They returned from Germany around 1am on Saturday, police said. Neighbours said the family lived in a two-bedroom flat at the Mavilla Apartments in Mayur Vihar Phase-1 for the past 25 years. Singh had taken voluntary retirement, citing poor health, said police. Rishipal Singh, deputy commissioner of police (east), said the police was informed around 4pm. A neighbour called the police control room and informed about firing at Singhs flat. A police team reached the flat and found Singh lying on the floor in his bedroom. Singhs licensed revolver was found lying next to him. Two bullets were fired from the gun, said the DCP. A forensic team combed the crime scene and the body was sent to the Lal Bahadur Shastri (LBS) Hospital for autopsy. The gun has also been sent for ballistic examination. A senior police officer said Singh was upset as his wife and daughter had left him to live in Germany. The police spoke to his wife and daughter. Police quoted them as saying that Singhs deteriorating heath had left him disturbed and aggressive. Around 4pm, the couple had an argument after which Singh took out his revolver and loaded it. When his wife and daughter went outside, Singh shot himself. The first bullet missed the target and hit a wall. Hearing gunfire, the wife and daughter rushed inside. But by the time they reached, Singh had shot himself in the head. They raised an alarm and alerted neighbours, the officer said. If all goes well, students from Hindi-medium schools who gain admission to the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) will no longer face the language barrier in class. IIT authorities are setting up a support system to ensure that study material otherwise taught in English is put across in a way that students from Hindi-medium schools can understand. The institutes are using their Hindi cells, which handle administrative work such as translating texts and organising seminars, to assist them. As the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) is conducted in both Hindi and English, many students from Hindi-medium schools manage to enter IITs across the country. It is after classes begin that things get tough they fail to understand the study material and lectures, which are predominantly made in English. Read | IITs lower the bar for applicants to fill up vacancies Sources said many IITs, including the ones in Delhi and Roorkee, have witnessed a large number of such students failing or performing poorly due to this issue. Incidentally, the IIT council the highest decision-making body of the prestigious institutes had commissioned a study in August to assess the performance of Hindi students who appeared for the JEE. Admitting that students from a Hindi background have trouble understanding subjects taught in English, IIT-Delhi director V Ramgopal Rao said: If they dont grasp the basic concept, they face difficulties in exams. Hence, we have formed a support system, through which staffers of our Hindi cells explain the subject to them. We have launched it for first-year students. Read | DU circular makes Hindi test compulsory for graduation degrees IIT-Roorkee, for its part, is holding extra classes where professors fluent in both the languages explain scientific concepts to such students in chaste Hindi. This will help clear their doubts, ensuring that they dont lag behind, said Pradipta Banerji, director of IIT-Roorkee. Sources said language was a major reason why many such students fail to achieve the required cut-off marks for getting promoted to the second year. A large number is also expelled from the premier institutes due to their inability to grasp the concepts taught in class. An analysis of JEE results also showed that students who took the examinations in English performed much better than their Hindi-medium counterparts. For instance, while the success percentage of English-medium students who appeared for the Advanced exam in 2016 was 24%, only 15% who picked the Hindi option made it through. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Losing visual and spatial abilities, finding himself stuck in a frozen stance and unable to move are few of those struggles, which much-loved actor Robin Williams went through in his final months before the suicide, reveals his wife in a heart-wrenching essay. Williams fans havent even properly moved on from the actors suicide in 2014, and the latest details of his condition before he took his life only deepen those wounds. In a piece titled, The Terrorist Inside My Husbands Brain, Susan Schneider chronicles the couples battle to arrive at a proper diagnosis. Robin was losing his mind and he was aware of it, Schneider writes in the journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Can you imagine the pain he felt as he experienced himself disintegrating? And not from something he would ever know the name of, or understand? Neither he, nor anyone could stop it no amount of intelligence or love could hold it back. At times, he would find himself stuck in a frozen stance, unable to move, and frustrated when he came out of it. He was beginning to have trouble with visual and spatial abilities in the way of judging distance and depth. His loss of basic reasoning just added to his growing confusion. She notes that his conditions were so severe that he said he wanted to reboot his brain. [Robin] kept saying, I just want to reboot my brain. Doctor appointments, testing, and psychiatry kept us in perpetual motion. Countless blood tests, urine tests, plus rechecks of cortisol levels and lymph nodes. Everything came back negative, except for high cortisol levels. We wanted to be happy about all the negative test results, but Robin and I both had a deep sense that something was terribly wrong. Schneider recalls that the actor had trouble remembering just one line while filming Night at the Museum 3. On May 28th, he was diagnosed with Parkinson disease. We had an answer. My heart swelled with hope. But somehow I knew Robin was not buying it. It wouldnt be until the results of the autopsy came in that Schneider would have a diagnosis she felt confident in-- a little-known but deadly disorder known as Lewy Body Disease, a type of degenerative dementia closely associated with Parkinsons disease. This likely caused the acute paranoia and out-of-character emotional responses he was having. How I wish he could have known why he was struggling, that it was not a weakness in his heart, spirit, or character. Robin hanged himself on August 11, 2014, at his home in California, dying from asphyxiation, an autopsy report concluded. He and third wife Susan Schneider Williams were married in 2011. Schneider ends her essay with an appeal to the neurological community. It is my belief that when healing comes out of Robins experience, he will not have battled and died in vain. Follow @htshowbiz for more On the Line of Control (LoC), life is no picnic. Yet a year ago, soldiers could break the monotony of keeping the troubled border under watch with occasional leisure. Sometimes, this meant, a game of chess or carrom. Or, flipping through a Bollywood glossy. Soldiers would even soak in the breathtaking beauty of the treacherous mountains. Back then, when this correspondent toured the LoC for a week, things may not have been rosy but they werent this tense. Pakistani provocations had compelled India to shed a culture of restraint and lift a self-imposed restriction on using artillery guns. Border violations peaked in intensity and numbers last September, leaving the 2003 ceasefire in tatters. Read:Dispatches from one of the most volatile borders in the country But the LoC was never as volatile as it is now in the aftermath of Thursdays surgical strikes by Indias Special Forces, the first direct military response to the Uri attack that left 19 men dead. The strikes across the LoC are only the first step. It is an ongoing operation and we expect and are preparing for a retaliation, a Valley-based officer said. Life of men guarding the de facto border has undergone a sea change, as the army is on highest alert level to deal with a counter-offensive from Pakistan. There are serious concerns about hostilities escalating. So theres absolutely no question of soldiers tossing a volleyball around, watching TV or finding time to prepare for a promotion exam. Apart from leave restrictions amid heightened tensions, they are also getting less sleep, say army officers serving at the LoC. Leisure activities are totally ruled out. The focus is on operational readiness and nothing else, points out an officer on the condition of anonymity. Read:Indias fallen heroes: The 18 soldiers who lost their lives in Uri attack If soldiers were getting six hours of sleep before hostilities grew, they are now making do with barely four hours. Another officer explains, Sleep is a casualty as we want maximum manpower available at all times. We have to guard all flanks, given the build-up on the other side. The army has intensified patrolling along the LoC and is keeping a cautious watch on a maze of routes infiltrators could take. Rogue border action teams could strike anytime --- remember Hemrajs beheading and the cold-blooded killing of five Indian soldiers in Poonch three years ago. When the situation is normal, you can sometimes afford to man infiltration routes selectively. That could be suicidal now, says the officer. Indian Army soldiers move to a forward post on the LOC near the India-Pakistan border in Shaujian area near Poonch. (Gurinder Osan/HT) The armys contingency plans are in place and the possibility of a flare up has been factored in. How Pakistan reacts is anybodys guess. A senior army officer in Delhi says no matter what course the adversary takes, the army is prepared to deal with it. But the shadows of Pathankot and Uri loom large. We will dominate the conflict at any level of the escalation ladder, he says, adding Pakistan may respond now, in a week or several months later. Battle readiness is constantly being reviewed. India cannot afford another Uri. The biggest challenge for commanders on the ground is to strike a balance between keeping the troops battle ready and ensuring they arent worn out. You cant keep them on highest alert level for a year. We are monitoring how things unfold, he says. Read:Surgical strikes: A face-saving move or planned retaliation? Last September, this correspondent visited several posts along a 224-km stretch of the 740 km-long LoC. At one such post in Poonch sector, I met a 22-year-old Gorkha soldier who had just returned from a punishing patrol. There was chicken and rice for dinner but he was keener on reading some current affairs magazines tucked under his pillow. He was trying to make time to study for an exam that could fulfil his dream of becoming an army officer. His commanding officer called me a few months later breaking the news that the soldier had passed. Some of those dreams may be on the back burner. A lot has changed at the LoC except the stunning landscape dotted with towering ridges, dense pine groves, lush valleys and maize fields. Defence minister Manohar Parrikar on Saturday threatened Pakistan with a befitting reply again if it continues to sponsor terrorism, the tough talk coming a day after the US bluntly told Islamabad to stop its rhetoric on nuking India. Parrikars warning came two days after New Delhi said Indian forces carried out surgical strikes on terror launch pads across the Line of Control the de facto border between the two countries in Jammu and Kashmir. The Indian strike was in response to a militant attack on an army camp at Uri that left 18 soldiers dead. Pakistan has no idea what happened because its condition is like that of an anaesthetised patient post-surgery, who has no idea what has happened, the minister said at Pauri in Uttarakhand. Islamabad has denied New Delhis claims about conducting surgical strikes in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. PM Narendra Modi met President Pranab Mukherjee and is understood to have briefed him about the surgical strikes. According to TV reports, Parrikar gave an analogy of Lord Rama, the protagonist in the epic Ramayana, who won Lanka and gave it to Vibhishana. Read | The choice now is Pakistans: Terror or talks We did the same in Bangladesh. We do not want to harm anyone, but if someone harms us, a befitting reply will be givenLord Hanuman did not know of his powers before going to Lanka, I made our armed forces realise their power, he was quoted as saying. India was instrumental in the bifurcation of Pakistan and creation of Bangladesh in 1971. Parrikars tough talk against Pakistan comes when New Delhis diplomatic encirclement of Pakistan seems to be paying off. The international community, including Pakistans traditional allies, has maintained a studied silence on Indias surgical strikes, while underscoring the need to act against terrorism, indirectly bracketing Pakistan. In a blunt message delivered publicly on Friday, the United States told the Pakistani government to exercise restraint regarding the use of nuclear weapons, or the talk about it. I would just say nuclear-capable states have a very clear responsibility to exercise restraint regarding nuclear weapons and missile capabilities, US state department spokesman Mark Toner said at the daily briefing in response to a question, about some of the rhetoric from the Pakistani government. And thats my message publicly and thats certainly our message directly to the Pakistani authorities, he added. Read | Indian diplomacy at work, Pakistan allies go silent on surgical strikes On Monday, Pakistans defence minister Khawaja Asif had threatened to destroy India in the event of a war. We have not made an atomic device to display in a showcase. If such a situation arises we will use it and eliminate India, he told a TV channel, raising alarm in capitals around the world already worried about Pakistans nuclear arsenal falling into the hands of terrorists. Read | Pakistan ready to defend itself: Nawaz Sharif after Indias strikes across LoC On Saturday, Indian army chief General Dalbir Singh also reviewed military preparedness at the northern and western borders. He visited the Udhampur-based Northern Command and interacted with the special forces men who destroyed seven terror launch pads in PoK, killing at least 35 terrorists and their handlers. He later visited the Chandimandir-based Western Command to take stock of the armys readiness along the Punjab border. (With inputs form HT Correspondent, New Delhi) Full coverage of Indias Pakistan offensive Gujarat is Mahatma Gandhis birthplace but Delhi is where he spent the last 144 days of his life before his assassination on January 30, 1948. In many nooks and corners of the capital, you can spot statues and murals of the Father of the Nation, a quiet reminder of our freedom struggle and the ideas of ahimsa. Read | Meet Indias new-age Gandhi who goes to the mall, takes the Metro Just ahead of Mahatma Gandhis birth anniversary on October 2, we bring you a trail of the Mahatmas presence in Delhi and its suburbs. Gyarah Murti (Vipin Kumar/HT PHOTO) The iconic statue is installed at the head of Sardar Patel Marg, near Presidents Estate. Sculpted by celebrated artist Deviprasad Roychowdhury, the statue was independent Indias tribute to generations of Indians who struggled for freedom, with Gandhi leading the way. The 10 statues behind Gandhis depict people of different religions and economic status moving forward as one India. Look carefully, and youll see Gandhis pair of glasses missing. Its said they were stolen over a decade ago though the local police could not confirm it. An image of this statue graces the back of Rs 500 note. Parliament House (Ajay Aggarwal/ HT Photo) Made in bronze by sculptor and painter Ram Vanji Sutar, the statue was installed on the Parliament premises near gate number one on Gandhi Jayanti in 1993. It is 16 feet high and shows Gandhi in a pose of meditation . Sutars son, Anil Sutar, says the statue was originally to be installed under the canopy at India Gate. But the plan was shelved and the statue, that took two years to make, was then installed at the Parliament. The idea was to place it in a way that when Parliamentarians leave the building, they can see Gandhi in a state of peace. Gandhi Smriti (Ravi Choudhary/HT PHOTO) A fibre glass work by Ram Vanji Sutar, the statue of Gandhi with a boy and a girl holding a dove in their hands standing on either side, emerging out of a globe, greets visitors at the main entrance of Gandhi Smriti. Housed in the Old Birla House on 5, Tees January Marg, this is where Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated on January 30, 1948. The Old Birla House was acquired by the Centre in 1971 and was converted into a National Memorial that opened to the public on August 15, 1973. Over 2,500 visitors come here on a daily basis to see the room where Mahatma lived in his final days and breathed his last. The building and the landscape have been preserved as they were in those days. Police Headquarters (Arun Sharma/HT PHOTO) At the congested intersection of ITO, this 150-ft mural leaves makes passersby crane their necks to get a good look. The mural is the handwork of German artist Hendrick Beikirch and Indian painter Anpu Varkey for St+art, a street art festival. Delhi Police and the organizers discussed the use of the blank wall and finally commissioned Gandhis mural. Shanti, Seva, Nyay (Peace, Service, Justice) the slogan of Delhi Police were also ideas that Gandhi believed in. It was completed on January 30, 2014, after 5 days of relentless work. In an interview to HT a couple of months later, Varkey remembered how they had to keep going to the rooftop of the mosque nearby to get a full view of their work. Gurgaon (Praveen Kumar/HT Photo) This Gandhi bust in the middle of the district Police Lines is perhaps the only one in Gurgaon. Every year politicians, district police and administration officials pay tribute to the Mahatma by garlanding this statue. There is no record about the date of installation but old timers say it was here before the 1970s. Recently, the portion on which the bust stands was renovated. Ghaziabad (Sakib Ali/HT Photo) Installed at Gandhi Park in Lohiya Nagar, it is the only statue of the Mahatma in Ghaziabad. The park is close to the old bus stand and witnesses massive traffic over the main road which connects to NH-58. The statue is covered on four sides with glass, but the upper portion is open, leading to a film of dust accumulating over the statue. The base is in shambles and the plaster is peeling off. The statue was inaugurated by former UP chief minister ND Tiwari in August 1985. It is one of the 30 statues at the park and private agencies have been hired to maintain them in lieu of free advertising rights. But it remains unkempt. Deputy municipal commissioner SK Tiwari says if there is anything lacking or maintenance is required, it will be expedited. (With inputs from Ritam Halder, Vibha Sharma, Gulam Jeelani and Peeyush Khandelwal) SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Amid heightened tension with Pakistan, the army on Saturday asked the forces to be prepared for any eventuality and maintain very high level of alert, as its Chief Gen Dalbir Singh visited Jammu and Kashmir to assess the military preparedness. The situation on the Line of Control (LoC) and hinterland was discussed at a meeting held by Northern Army Commander Lt Gen DS Hooda and attended by Srinagar-based Corps Commander Lt Gen Satish Dua, state Chief Secretary B R Sharma and DGP K Rajendra Kumar. During the meeting, Lt Gen Hooda stressed upon the need for maintaining a very high level of alert and vigil and to remain prepared for any eventuality, an army spokesman said. Read | Top army generals review security preparedness along LoC The Chinar Corps Commander, Lt Gen Satish Dua reviewed the entire gamut of operational readiness with the Army Commander and briefed him on all security measures along the LoC as well as the hinterland, the spokesman added. The review of security was undertaken against the backdrop of surgical strike carried out by the Indian army against terror camps across the LoC two days back. The army made an earnest appeal to the people of Kashmir to ensure calm and peace in these sensitive times and strengthen the government and security agencies in meeting the challenges emanating from across the borders. Earlier, Lt Gen Hooda briefed the Army Chief at Northern Command Headquarters at Udhampur about the overall security situation along the borders. The Army Chief then visited the Kashmir valley. Lt Gen Hooda and Lt Gen Dua also called on Governor N N Vohra and apprised him about the overall security situation in the state and preparedness of the army. Read | Army chief visits Northern, Western Command post surgical strikes Lt Gen Hooda assured the Governor of complete synergy amongst all the agencies towards facing any kind of security challenges. He also conveyed his compliments to 15 Corps for the high degree of professionalism shown by all ranks involved in the planning and execution of surgical strikes across the LoC. Meanwhile, a Raj Bhawan spokesman said the Governor congratulated the Northern Army Commander and all his officers and men concerned for their outstanding success in executing a crucial counter-terrorism operation across the Line of Control in the areas of responsibility of the 15 and 16 Corps. The Governor particularly complimented Lt Gen Hooda for the brilliant efficiency with which he had planned and carried through this milestone initiative, the spokesperson added. Army Chief Dalbir Singh visited the Northern Command in Udhampur and the Western Command, headquartered at Chandimandir, on Saturday to review operational preparedness in wake of surgical strikes across the Line of Control in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir recently. Gen Singh arrived at Northern Command headquarters this morning and chaired a high-level meeting to review the situation and operational preparedness in Jammu and Kashmir, including along the Line of Control, a defence official said. The surgical strike, seen as a reprisal for Uri terror attack, was planned and executed by the Northern Command. Singh also personally complimented officers and men who successfully targeted seven terror launch pads located in Leepa, Tattapani, Kel and Bhimbar, the official said. The army chief interacted with senior commanders, including Western Command general officer commanding-in-chief (GOC-in-C) Lieutenant General Surinder Singh, and exhorted them to continue to maintain highest vigil and alertness on the western borders. Earlier, he had visited the Northern Command. A senior official of the Western Command said: There is no troop mobilisation or deployment along the border, but routine army exercises are continuing. At present, it is Border Security Force (BSF) that is manning the International Border with Pakistan in Punjab. But no army official HT talked to has denied that an alert has been sounded to all forward posts and cantonments. In the past seven days, Lt Gen Surinder Singh has twice reviewed security arrangements along the border. On September 23 and 24, he had visited forward areas in Jammu, Samba and Pathankot, where he interacted with field commanders and troops, besides meeting the northern army commander. On September 29 the day the news of the surgical strikes broke out in the morning -- the army commander embarked on a two-day tour to the Vajra Corps headquarters in Jalandhar besides forward locations in Gurdaspur and Amritsar to review the troops preparedness. Sources had said the decision on the surgical strike was taken soon after the attack on the Uri army base on September 18. They said India was ready with contingency plans considering the possibilities that Pakistan may retaliate in the wake of the surgical strike. It has been estimated that number of casualties was at least 40 on Pakistani side but there was no official confirmation. The Army has also trashed reports in Pakistan about Indian casualties during the operation, saying one member of the special forces received minor injury while returning but it was not due to any enemy or terrorist action. (with HTC inputs) Unidentified criminals shot dead a Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader in the Jewar area of Bulandshahr district on Saturday evening, and injured his driver and a person travelling with him in the car. The slain BSP leader, known as Israel, was the former chairman of the Jahangirpur Nagarpalika and political rivalry is suspected to be the motive for his murder, sources said. We are investigating the incident from all possible angles, said Anees Ansari, Bulandshahr senior superintendent of police. The incident took place around 8pm, when the BSP leader was on his way to Jewar after meeting a few people in Khurja. The moment he crossed the railway tracks, two motorcycle-borne assailants overtook his car and open fire at him from point-blank range. The driver and a person travelling with him also sustained minor injuries. Passersby took Israel to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared him dead after examination. Hundreds of his supporters arrived at the mortuary of the district hospital and expressed their anger against the deteriorating law and order situation in the district. Additional force was deployed in Jahngirpur in order to prevent escalation of the situation. India will keep a close watch on the flow in the Brahmaputra river in coming weeks after China announced it was blocking one of its tributaries in Tibet to construct the countrys most expensive hydroelectric projects. On Friday, China said it was blocking the Xiabuqu river, one of the many tributaries of the Yarlung Zangbo, (which is how the Brahmaputra is known in China) to build a dam as part of the Lalho hydroelectric project at Xigase in the Tibet Autonomous Region. The Brahmaputra, one of Indias major rivers, originates in Tibet and flows into Arunachal Pradesh and Assam before going into Bangladesh. The impact of the blocking of the river wasnt immediately clear or whether it would have any impact at all but coming against the backdrop of the spat between New Delhi and Islamabad over the Indus Waters Treaty, the news is expected to ruffle more than diplomatic feathers in India. Like the Brahmaputra, the Indus too originates in the Tibetan plateau in China. Read | India must treat water as strategic resource, fight Chinas throttlehold Tibet on Friday blocked a tributary of the Yarlung Zangbo River as part of its most expensive hydro project, the official Xinhua news agency reported. The project is located in an area close to Sikkim. The Lalho project on the Xiabuqu River in Xigaze involves an investment of 4.95 billion yuan ($740 million), said Zhang Yunbao, head of the projects administration bureau. The project was scheduled to be completed in 2019. Construction began in June 2014. The report added, The reservoir was designed to store up to 295 million cubic metres of water and help irrigate 30,000 hectares of farmland. It wasnt immediately clear what impact the dam will have on the Brahmaputra when it enters Arunachal Pradesh. There is no evidence so far to suggest that the blocking of the river will have any major impact on water flows downstream. Read | The old man river: Escaping Brahmaputras fury Since the 185-km Xiabuqu river isnt a trans-border one, it doesnt fall under the ambit of a bilateral mechanism to discuss rivers between China and India. The two countries have a memorandum of understanding on flood data sharing. India and China have had several rounds of talks on the water issue since 2007 and Beijing has always attempted to play down New Delhis fears that it could use strategically positioned dams to regulate water flows into India. India provides money for maintaining three hydrological centres on the Chinese side. Data on water flows is provided from May 15 to October 15 each year. Keeping a watch and measuring the flow of water is important for India as it would give an idea about what could happen if China holds water and releases it suddenly. In 2015, China operationalised the largest dam in Tibet located on the Yarlung Zangbo river. All six units of the Zam hydropower station on the middle reaches of the river were switched on in October. The operatioanlisation of the project caused concern in India. Read | Chinese dam project worries India The cooperation and communication we have (with India on trans-boundary rivers) is sound, and we are bearing in mind the bigger picture of the China-India good relationship, foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying had said at the time. We have been providing hydrological data and emergency management to the Indian side, which has played an important role in flood prevention and disaster relief of downstream areas. The facts have shown that our assistance in these areas is effective, and the channels are smooth, she had said. Read | With Beijing, does Delhi have a Tibet card? Ties between India and China are set to take a hit after Beijing on Saturday said it has extended the decision to block New Delhis appeal to the United Nations to label Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar a terrorist. Beijings move to extend the technical hold imposed in April comes a day before it was to lapse, giving Azhar an accused in the Pathankot Indian Air Force base attack in January another six-month breather. Earlier this year, China, in collaboration with Pakistan, had blocked Indias bid to ban Azhar. Reports then said 14 out of 15 countries were willing to designate Azhar but China, with its veto powers, took the decision to block the move. Beijings decision in the backdrop of the attack in Uri less than two weeks ago brings into focus its stand on terrorism, on which, it has repeatedly said the West has double standards. Though Beijing argued on Saturday as before in April that its decision was based on facts and procedures, the latest decision brings into focus the close ties between China and Pakistan, who consider each other all-weather allies. It is also telling that the decision comes within days of the first ever counter-terrorism and security meet between China and India held in Beijing. Late on Saturday night, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) shared the statement on extending the technical hold with the Hindustan Times. The technical hold on Indias listing application submitted to the 1267 committee in March, 2016 has already been extended, the English translation of the response said, using the formal procedural protocol terms under which New Delhi appealed for Azhar to be designated a terrorist. Read: Masood Azhar cant be considered a terrorist, says China after veto The MFA said China maintains that countries have to be objective when matters to be decided by the 1267 committee come up. The 1267 committee of the UN Security Council organises its work as mandated by relevant resolutions of the Security Council, the MFA said. China always maintains that on the listing matter, the 1267 committee should stick to the principles of objectivity, impartiality and professionalism, base its judgements on solid evidence and decide upon consensus among the members of the Security Council, it said. The Chinese government argued that differences of opinion remained on Indias appeal against Azhar. There are still different views on Indias listing application. The extended technical hold on it will allow more time for the Committee to deliberate on the matter and for relevant parties to have further consultations, the MFA said. This decision coupled with Chinas role in blocking Indias Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) bid earlier this year will continue to hamper bilateral ties. It could also cast a shadow on the BRICS summit to be held in Goa later this month where Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping will meet. Curfew was lifted from Srinagar on Saturday as the situation improved in the city, but normal life remained affected in the Kashmir Valley as the separatist-sponsored strike continued for the 85th consecutive day. Curfew has been lifted from the areas of Srinagar where the restrictions were in force on Friday. There is no curfew in Kashmir, a police official said. He said the curbs that were imposed on the movement of people in some parts of the summer capital were lifted this morning in view of the improvement in the situation. There was increased movement of private cars in and around the city centre here. Authorities had on Friday imposed curfew in seven police station areas of the city due to the protest called by separatists, and apprehensions of violence after the Friday prayers. However, the official said restrictions under Section 144 of the CrPc were in place throughout the Valley as a precautionary measure to maintain law and order. Meanwhile, normal life continued to remain affected in Kashmir for the 85th consecutive day on Saturday. Shops, petrol pumps and other business establishments remained shut, while public transport remained off the roads. Schools, colleges and other educational institutions also continued to remain closed across the Valley. The separatist groups have been announcing weekly protest programmes with periodic relaxation on some days and extended the strike till October 6. The separatists have asked people to occupy all inter- district routes towards Srinagar on Saturday. 82 people have been killed in the ongoing unrest that started a day after Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani was killed in an encounter with security forces in south Kashmir on July 8. Two months after a large-scale flooding created panic, Kaziranga National Park, the biggest refuge for one-horned rhinos in the world, opened for tourists a month earlier than scheduled on Saturday. The decision to open the park on October 1 instead of the usual practice of opening on November 1- after it remains closed for six months every year due to flooding - was taken by chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal. There was a demand from local residents and the hospitality sector to bring forward the opening dates and the chief minister also wanted it, forest minister Pramila Rani Brahma said. Several cabinet ministers, including Brahma, were present at Kaziranga for the opening ceremony, which follows negative publicity due to floods, poaching and an anti-encroachment drive last month. The Orang National Park and Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary too were opened on Saturday ahead of their usual schedule. But the sudden move to reschedule hasnt found many takers as several of the resorts and hotels located near Kaziranga reported a lukewarm response from both domestic and foreign tourists. Only two of our 66 rooms are booked for Saturday. But we are getting inquiries for the coming weeks, Belinda Hazarika of Borgos, one of the bigger resorts in the area, said. Hotel operators blamed inadequate publicity about the change in schedule as the prime reason for very few tourists turning up. Many people are not aware the national park will open a month earlier. We hope more tourists will come soon, Arunav Das of Iora, where only 10 of the 42 rooms were booked on Saturday, said. This years floods had submerged nearly 80% of the parks 430-sq km area. Over 300 wild animals, including two dozen rhinos, died due to floods. Movement of the animals towards higher ground for safety encourages poaching as well. This year too, some of the dead rhinos were found with their horns missing. There were allegations against the previous Congress government of remaining blind towards poaching of rhinos. In contrast, the BJP-led coalition government in Assam has launched a drive against poachers. Kaziranga is Assams pride. Action against poachers will continue, local MLA and agriculture minister Atul Bora said. In a bid to manage the park better and ensure the safety of animals, there is a plan to divide Kaziranga into two forest divisions and also set up a special rhino protection squad. Last month, acting on a Gauhati high court order, the state government had evacuated hundreds of residents from three villages set up inside the park. Two people were killed during the drive. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Rights activist Irom Sharmila, who has decided to fight Manipur assembly elections, on Saturday said she has no specific plans for the polls and her only strategy would be to connect the hearts of people in the state. Sharmila is in Delhi for the first time after breaking her hunger strike. The Manipuri Iron Lady said that she will be addressing a group of students at the Jawaharlal Nehru University on Sunday on the Afspa issue. We have been fighting to repeal Afspa for so long now. Electoral politics is just another democratic tool for change, so I have decided to enter the fray. But, I have no specific plans, and my only strategy is to connect the hearts of people, she told PTI. The 44-year-old activist, who ended her 16-year-old hunger strike in August, had met chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on September 26 and sought his advice on how to defeat major political parties in her home state. She was speaking on the sidelines of a press conference, organised by a group of women rights bodies, which she addressed here this afternoon. Co-organiser of the press conference and women rights activist Vani Subramanian said, We jointly launched a campaign Stand With Irom Sharmila: Repeal Afspa in March and over 1,000 women activists, and professionals from top to grassroots level have endorsed this. We have sent a request to the Rashtrapati Bhawan and we are expecting to meet the President tentatively on October 3 and submit the petition drawn up in the campaign. Since Sharmila is leaving Delhi on October 3, we wanted her to be present with us at the Rashtrapati Bhawan. But, we hope to submit it to him sometime soon anyway. Vani said Supreme Court lawyer Vrinda Grover would also be participating in the JNU event to be held at Shipra Hostel. An emotionally overwhelmed Sharmila broke down during the middle of the conference while recalling the Malon firing incident in Manipur in which 10 people were gunned down in a small town in Manipur in 2000, which prompted her to begin her fast that moved the entire nation. She yesterday addressed students at the Delhi University and sought the support of the youth to make a difference. I spoke to students at DU and tomorrow will talk to them at JNU. I and our volunteers are meeting students and activists and seeking their support, Sharmila said. The activist has already announced that she would soon float a new regional party under the banner of which she will contest the polls. The AIADMK on Saturday dismissed all rumours surrounding the health of their leader and chief minister J Jayalalithaa, saying she was recovering well and that there was no need to release pictures in a clear snub to the DMK. A British doctor has been called in to consult, and we are satisfied with his diagnosis, party spokesperson Panruti S Ramachandran said. She is recovering well. There is no need to release any photos because she is answerable to the people, not the opposition, he added. On Friday, DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi demanded that the state government should provide regular updates as well as Jayalalithaas photographs and called on the governor Vidyasagar Rao to intervene in the matter. Dr Richard John Beale, a consultant critical care physician at London Bridge Hospital, was flown into Chennai on Friday night to examine Jayalalithaa. He specialises in treating cases of acute lung injuries, multiple organ failures, and general intensive care, Dr Beale said the 68-year-old was receiving the best course of treatment and that he would be on hand for the next few days as a consultant. Meanwhile, the mood outside Apollo Hospital, where Jayalalithaa was admitted on September 22, was tense after the doctors visit. The usual crowd of AIADMK party cadres and wellwishers was joined by additional security with a number of vans from TV channels crowding Greams Lane following Saturdays press statement. Rumours about her demise have persisted despite regular press releases by the AIADMK and a warning by Chennai Police commissioner S George that those spreading false information about the CM would be arrested under the provisions of the IT Act. The AIADMKs IT wing on Friday registered a case against self-described author Tamizhachi, who in a Facebook post on Thursday alleged that the CM had been dead for two days and that the RSS may be responsible. What exactly ails Jayalalithaa is unknown, especially given her official policy of secrecy and reticence to release information to the public, even at the best of times. While doctors insist that she was admitted because of high fever and dehydration, sources inside the hospital say she is on a ventilator. Despite being hospitalised, Jayalalithaa has still made it clear she is in charge, holding meetings about the Cauvery crisis and issuing orders through her party functionaries. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A milestone for the government's campaign for recognition as a global economic power. China's yuan joins the International Monetary Fund's basket of reserve currencies on Saturday in a milestone for the government's campaign for recognition as a global economic power. It is the first time that a currency has been added to sit alongside the U.S. dollar, the euro, the yen and the British pound in the IMF's special drawing rights (SDR) basket, which determines the currencies countries receive as part of IMF loans. The IMF is adding the yuan, also known as the renminbi, or "people's money", on the same day that the Communist Party celebrates the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949. The IMF announced last year that it would add the yuan to the basket, so actual inclusion is not expected to impact financial markets. But it puts Beijing's often opaque economic and foreign exchange policy in the international spotlight as central banks add yuan assets to their official reserves. Critics argue that the yuan does not fully meet IMF reserve currency criteria of being freely usable, or widely used to settle trade or widely traded in financial markets. U.S. Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has said he will formally label China a currency manipulator if he wins November's election. China stunned investors by devaluing the currency last year and the yuan has since weakened to near six-year lows, adding to worries about already feeble global growth. Photo by Reuters/Jason Lee Some China watchers also fear that Beijing's commitment to further market opening and financial sector reforms will fade after its diplomatic success, despite repeated reassurances from Beijing it will continue with the process. U.S. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew said on Thursday the yuan was "quite a ways" from true global reserve currency status. While recognizing "enormous" change in China in the last 10 years that had made the currency more open, Lew said the government still had work to do. "Being part of the SDR basket at the IMF is quite a ways away from being a global reserve currency," he said. Capital Economics said inclusion of the currency in the IMF's SDR basket will have minimal impact on foreign demand for yuan assets, so "offers little support" for the currency. "If anything, the risk is that official intervention to keep the renminbi stable ahead of its inclusion will subsequently be paired back, allowing for renewed deprecation," it said in a research note. Related news: > Vietnam fines 'Chinese' store for dealing in yuan and dollars > China fixes yuan at over five-year low against dollar Four villagers were killed early Saturday when police opened fire on protesters whose land was acquired by the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) in Chirudih area in Jharkhands Hazaribagh district. The police had to resort to extreme measures since the protestors abducted our men on duty and started thrashing them. Few of our officials were severely injured. As many as four protestors died in the incident, said police spokesperson, inspector general MS Bhatia. The police also issued a press statement saying MLA Barkagaon, Nirmala Devi and her husband Yogendra Sahu and their supporters had been on dharna outside Pakri-Barkagaon mining area from September 15 demanding the stoppage of mining in the area. On Saturday morning in order to diffuse the situation, the administration deputed magistrates and police force to the area. Team successfully arrested MLA and was retreating. On the way back in village Dandikala, the vehicle was stopped by the crowd which snatched the detenue. Both magistrates and addl SP were in the next vehicle. Crowd made them deboard the vehicle and tried to take the officers with them, the police statement said. According to the police, director DRDA was saved by the PSOs but the addl SP and circle officer, Barkagaon, were abducted and taken to the adjoining fields where they were so badly beaten that they lost consciousness. The SP and DDC who were monitoring the development from Barkagaon police station, rushed reinforcements including crowd control units after getting an emergency call. Crowd was warned but did not budge despite of using tear gas shells and rubber bullets. Then as a last resort, director DRDA ordered opening fire as self defence and in view of the grave threat of losing lives. It is reported that 4 protesters have died in the police firing, the statement said. Seven officials are among the injured including addl SP and CO who are said to be critical and have been aerially evacuated to Ranchi for treatment, police said. Of the 15 injured, nine have been referred to RIMS while six are undergoing treatment in the hospital, said Dr AK Singh of Sadar Hospital. Singh added that two bodies had been brought for postmortem. Police said that they had recovered one body while the other was still with the villagers. Authorities have clamped prohibitory orders in Barkagaon in a bid to avoid further violence. The deputy inspector general of police, Hazaribagh is camping at Barkagaon where aditional forces and officers have been sent. More than 500 villagers from different villages of the Barkagaon had been staging Kafan (shroud) satyagrah for last 10 days in Chirudih area of the NTPC site. However, they become aggressive when police and administrative officials arrived and asked them to end their agitation. The villagers alleged that police first lathi-charged them to break up their agitation, and on being opposed they opened fire. The NTPC had acquired 8,056 acres of land for one of its biggest projects the Pankri-Barwadih coal mining project in 2010. But work could not start due to the villagers demanding higher compensation, employment and rehabilitation. The agitation of the villagers intensified after NTPC reportedly initiated the mining work. Jayant Sinha, union minister of state for civil aviation, on September 29 had come up with a rehabilitation and resettlement (R&R) package to end the impasse. His proposal suggested mining be done only on land acquired voluntarily and on non-controversial government land. In August, two persons were killed and 40 were injured in clashes between villagers and the police in Gola in Jharkhands Ramgarh. The villagers were protesting over a power plant for which they stood to lose their homes, when the violence broke out. The Karnataka government moved the Supreme Court on Saturday seeking a review of its order directing the state to release Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu amid strident calls from Opposition parties not to release the water at any cost. The Karnataka government filed a review petition in the apex court against its three recent orders on Cauvery water release to Tamil Nadu and direction for the constitution of Cauvery Water Management Board by the Centre, saying it would cause undue hardship to the state. In the petition, Karnataka said grave miscarriage of justice has been caused to it pursuant to three orders of the apex court dated September 20, 27 and September 30, by which it directed the state to release 6,000 cusecs of water till October 6 and constitution of board by Centre till October 4. It said that the apex court has committed an error in directing the Centre to constitute the Cauvery Management Board, without considering the fact that three judges of apex court has held in 2013 that direction to constitute the board can wait and may be heard along with the Civil Appeal. The court has not taken the cognizance of the fact that the constitution of the Cauvery Management Board, being Legislative in character, depends upon the authority exercising the power as well as the nature of the function and obligation arising from the Legislation, it said in the review plea. The plea moved by Karnataka said further water release orders from the reservoirs of Karnataka would cause irreparable injury to Karnataka as once the release are made from the reservoirs of the state, the water cannot be retrieved in case of good normal northeast monsoon. The apex court had yesterday taken Karnataka to task for its repeated defiance by flouting its orders for release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu and had directed it to discharge 6,000 cusecs water from Saturday till October 6. It had warned Karnataka that no one would know when the wrath of the law would fall on it. Emerging out of a more than a three-hour long all-party meeting in Bengaluru, BJP and JDS leaders said they told the government to stick to the resolution passed by both the Houses of state legislature on September 23 that water should be used only for drinking purpose, and not be spared for any other use. The opposition parties also asked the Siddaramaiah government to oppose the formation of the Cauvery Water Management Board. We should not obey the Supreme Court order at any cost as it is unimplementable. The House (legislature) decision should be upheld. Government should stick to the decision, Opposition BJP leader in the assembly Jagadish Shettar told reporters in Bengaluru. JDS leader YSV Datta said the state should not release 6,000 cusecs of water as directed by the apex court at any cost. Whatever may be the consequences, we will all face it together. We are with the government, he said. Meanwhile, former prime minister and JDS supremo HD Deve Gowda who on Saturday morning had begun an indefinite fast seeking justice for Karnataka in the ongoing row with Tamil Nadu, called it off after an all-party meet with CM Siddaramaiah later in the day. A separatist activist, who became an internet sensation for his lyrical protests during the ongoing unrest in Kashmir, was arrested in Anantnag district on Saturday. Ummat e Islami leader Maulana Sarjan Barkati, a resident of Shopian, was arrested from Wanpoh area of the district, a police official said. Barkatis videos of lyrical and rhythmic sloganeering had gone viral on Facebook and other social networking sites, gaining him the sobriquet freedom chacha. He has been booked under the Public Safety Act, the official said. Barkati was declared a proclaimed offender and police had announced a reward for information leading to his arrest after several raids to nab him had failed. His house in Reban in Shopian district was sealed by the authorities on Thursday. Kashmir is a resolved issue, all it requires now is for people to sit at the table with India and let go of Pakistan, said Baloch activist Mir Mazdak Dilshad Baloch on Saturday. Asserting there is no comparison between the Baloch struggle for independence and the demand for self rule in the Kashmir Valley, Dilshad said Kashmiris should recognise Pakistan is not a good friend, you can see the examples of Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Balochistan. Dilshad, who has been camping in India since July to garner support for the Baloch struggle for freedom, disagreed with the perception that Narendra Modi raised the issue of human rights violations in Balochistan in his Independence Day address to divert attention from the turmoil in Kashmir or to peeve Pakistan. The ongoing struggle in the Valley has claimed over 80 civilian lives. Kashmiris should see the expansionist plans of Pakistanthey tried to do the same with Balochistan, they tried to do this is Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. They have already sold it (PoK) to China. They have sold their boots on the ground in Gilgit, Baltistan, Dilshad told Hindustan Times. Son of noted author-activist Naela Qadri Baloch and filmmaker Mir Ghulam Mustafa Raisaini, Dilshad also spoke at a seminar on Balochistan organised by an RSS think-tank Indian Policy Foundation. He said the difference between Baloch struggle and that of Kashmiris demand for self rule is that Balochistan was a free country and unlike the Valley not a princely state that was part of India. Modiji has already revised his strategy, hes started to see Kashmir differently; his strategy on Kashmir on Kashmir is different from Pakistanthis will help resolve Kashmir. It is a resolved problem, they just need to sit on the table with India and let go of Pakistan, he said. On whether the free Baloch representatives will form a government in exile in India, he said, a decision is yet to be taken. Yesterday (Friday) our elders have announced itwe hope all parties will come together on the issue of free Balochistan. Soon we will have a government in exileit can be even in Dhaka. Dilshad said apart from India which has focused the worlds attention on the problems of the Baloch people, their struggle is being supported by Bangladesh and Afghanistan. These countries are the affected by terrorist activities of Pakistan, he said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Liquor outlets on the porous India-Nepal border ran dry on Friday as tipplers from Bihars Raxaul and other villages crossed into the neighbouring country to have their fill after the Patna high court lifted the alcohol ban in the state. Quashing the April 5 notification of the state government which banned the manufacture, consumption and sale of IMFL, a high court division bench comprising chief justice Iqbal Ahmed Ansari and justice Navaniti Prasad Singh held the prohibition to be ultra vires to the Constitution, hence not enforceable. Ramesh Bhatt, a shop owner at Bara in Nepal, said his stock of liquor exhausted within four hours of the high court verdict. At all entry points in Raxaul, Adapur and Ghorasan blocks under East Champaran district of Bihar, a large number of people were seen crossing over to Nepal, having a drink there and returning with two-three bottles of alcoholic beverages. For the first time in the last five months, there was no sense of fear among them of being caught, Anil Kumar Sinha, a social worker at Raxaul, said. Having already apprehended more than 2,000 people for violating the liquor ban, Sashatra Seema Bal (SSB) personnel and other security men patrolling the border with mobile breath analysers remained only mute spectators, he said. District officials, however, declined to comment on the impact of the high court order in the border areas. New liquor shops had sprung up in Nepal along the border and many enterprising Indians set up small restaurants in border towns to specially target Indian tipplers after the liquor ban in Bihar came into effect on April 5. Many ended up spending the night in Nepal police lockups and pay hefty fines. In May, police in Rautahat district of Nepal said at least 70 Indian nationals have been fined Rs 1,000 each for drinking in dozens of shacks that mushroomed in the Nepalese territory along Bihars border with the Himalayan nation. The Indian side had asked Nepal authorities to take stringent action against the booze lovers. In September, local administration along the border started dismantling the booze shops and issued several notices to the Indian nationals. Mahatma Gandhi was cremated at Delhis Rajghat but a few hundred metres away lives a modern-day Gandhi complete with round glasses, a crisp white dhoti and a message to transform the society. Meet 68-year-old Mahesh Chaturvedi, who says he travels across the country spreading his ideas about a reformed social system that will wipe out poverty. He says he walks around Delhi mostly on foot and travels ticket-less on buses and trains as people let him sit on their seats out of reverence. The body of Gandhi may be gone but can you kill his soul, he asks. But does he consider himself Gandhi? He only smiles. On first glance, the resemblance is striking he even impersonates the voice. He folds his hands in greeting and says Ram Ram, rebuffing arms outstretched for a handshake. Over the phone, every conversation begins with Vande Mataram. He says he used to be a professor but in 2002 felt a higher purpose. Gandhi came to me one night and I left everything with one dhoti and a gamcha (towel). But theres a difference. This Gandhi often ditches his stick for an escalator, goes to the mall for powdered milk and takes the Metro. He rebuffs queries about his past life and doesnt say how he sustains himself without a job. Locals say he has some devotees who put money in his bank account Chaturvedi has an ATM card and have helped him print business cards and pamphlets. Many say he has an alternative residence in Ghaziabad, where a local builder is a follower. He says he doesnt feel hunger. I used to live a lavish life but have never needed money since. I live to only spread my message. The thrust of that message is social transformation his leaflet screams in bold letters, Leave India, brown Englishmen and he says he wants freedom from a toxic political system. The British left India but their influence remains. I dont oppose English language but the feudal mindset needs to go for the poor to prosper. But how? He has no answers. He has written letters to various prime ministers and presidents but all unsuccessfully. One person can change the world, he says, explaining how he travels to various parts of the country to spread his message. The farmer is god as he feeds you. But on one count, this modern Gandhi has surely evolved. He says military action is necessary and doesnt flinch from praising soldiers. But what about the Mahatmas famous non-violent methods? Times have changed. If you extend one cheek after a slap, people will hit you thrice. (This article was first published on October 01, 2016) Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi had a narrow escape on Saturday when his head apparently came in contact with an electrical wire during a programme in Agra, described as the second security breach during his ongoing farmers march in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh. However, it was not clear if it was a live wire. State Congress president Raj Babbar said Gandhis head did not touch a live wire but an overheated halogen lamp. The incident, coming a few days after a shoe was thrown at him, sent security personnel into a tizzy and sparked discussions on social media. A series of photographs available with HT shows Gandhi ducking in shock and then gesticulating to a priest who was with him during the garlanding of a statue of Maharaja Agrasen at Favara crossing. It was a halogen lamp which was overheated and as Gandhis hand touched it, he was forced to withdraw his hand. It was not an electric shock, said Babbar, an actor-turned-politician. Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi ducks in shock after coming contact with an electrical wire. (HT Photo) Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi gesticulates to the priest at the Agra event. (HT Photo) Amateur video footage showed Special Protection Group (SPG) personnel lifting up the wire for Gandhi to pass even as the priest continues to shower flower petals on the Congress leader. When Babbar asked Gandhi if he was okay, the Congress vice-president responded in jest: Aapne to mujhe current lagwa di (You got me electrocuted). Gandhi continued with the road show. The electricity wire was apparently being used to power the shops in the market. Gandhi is on a 2,500 km Kisan Mahayatra that will pass through 223 assembly constituencies in the state. Last week, a man threw a shoe at him in Sitapur. The footwear missed Gandhi narrowly but sent jitters through the security agencies. With inputs from IANS SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Pakistan Army has informed its Indian counterpart that it is not aware of the whereabouts of Chandu Chavan, the soldier who inadvertently strayed across the Line of Control, according to a media report. Chavan, a 22-year-old soldier from 37 Rashtriya Rifles, had mistakenly crossed the de-factor border in Kashmir hours after Indias surgical strikes on terrorist bases across the LoC on Thursday. The Indian Army, in a communication with the Pakistan Armys military operations directorate, asked for the release of Chavan as it believes he is in Pakistani custody, the Dawn daily quoted a military source as saying. The Pakistani military operations directorate, in its reply, expressed ignorance about the whereabouts of Chavan, the report said. The contact took place at the level of duty officers and the Indian side was told the soldier was being traced. The Indian Army reiterated on Saturday that Chavan had inadvertently strayed across the LoC and was being held captive by the Pakistan Army. A senior official said the Indian director general of military operations had taken up the matter with his Pakistani counterpart. Soon after the Indian side said that Chavan had mistakenly cross the LoC, Reuters had quoted two unnamed Pakistani officials in Chhamb sector as saying that the soldier was captured with weapons at 1.30pm local time on Thursday. Under a bilateral arrangement, soldiers who inadvertently cross the LoC are handed over to their side. However, the level of tensions between the two countries, particularly after the Indian claims about surgical strikes, precludes any possibility of cooperation, the Dawn reported. Read | Grandmother of Indian soldier, captured by Pakistan, dies of shock Pakistan violated the ceasefire again on Saturday as its troops targeted Indian posts and villages with mortars and heavy machine guns in Pallanwala sector of Jammu and Kashmirs Akhnoor, triggering a fresh migration of over 12,000 villagers. Around 3:30am Pakistan troops opened small arms fire and then switched to heavy machine gun fire. Subsequently, around 4.30am they started firing 82 mm mortars at Darkote, Platan and Channi Dewanu villages, a police officer at Khour police station said. The guns eventually fell silent around 7.30am. The Indian Army responded in equal measure, he said. No loss of life was reported in the Pakistani shelling as most of the villages along the Line of Control (LoC) were evacuated in the past 48 hours after the Indian Army conducted a surgical strike on militant launchpads across the de-facto border in Poonch sector on September 29. This is the fifth violation of the 2004 ceasefire by Pakistani troops along LoC in J-K in the past four days. The ceasefire violation came on a day of army chief General Dalbir Singhs visit to the Northern Command in Udhampur to take stock of Indias preparedness along the border in the wake of heightened tension in India-Pakistan ties following the surgical strike. The strike, seen as a reprisal for Uri terror attack, was planned and executed by the Northern Command. The police officer at Khour said 7,500 people from Darkote and Channi Dewanu villages and 2,890 from Platan village left for their relatives houses in safer areas in Akhnoor. At least 490 families from these three villages comprising 1,882 members have taken refuge at the Government Higher Secondary School in Khour, he added. Jammu deputy commissioner, Simrandeep Singh, also confirmed the firing in Pallanwala, some 70 km northwest of states winter capital. Pakistan has stepped up cross-border firing after the Indian Armys attack. On Friday, Pakistani troops resorted to small arms firing along the LoC in Pallanwala, Chapriyal, Samwan areas of Akhnoor sector of Jammu district during the night. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Pakistan is in a state of coma after the armys surgical strikes on militant bases across the Line of Control and shouldnt take Indias silence for weakness, defence minister Manohar Parrikar said on Saturday. In a press conference reported by television channels and agencies, the defence minister spoke out publicly for the first time since the armys cross-LoC operation inflicted heavy casualties early Thursday. Read: US tells Pak to shut down its nuclear talk amid regional tensions with India If Pakistan continues with such conspiracies, we will give them a befitting reply again, the minister was quoted as saying by ANI. He was possibly referring to an attack on an army base in Kashmirs Uri by suspected Pakistani militants last month that left 19 soldiers dead. Pakistan didnt probe the matter as it is still in shock after the surgical strikes. Relations between New Delhi and Islamabad have nosedived following the announcement of the strikes in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. India has increasingly isolated its neighbor diplomatically both in the south Asian region and globally, with many of Pakistans old allies such as the United States and China refusing to take its side. India and five other countries have pulled out of a Saarc summit, forcing Islamabad to defer the event. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON There have been 349 Zika cases since January in Thailand. Thailand reported on Friday the first confirmed cases in Southeast Asia of microcephaly linked to mosquito-borne Zika, as the World Health Organization urged action against the virus across the region. The confirmation of two cases of microcephaly, a birth defect marked by small head size, came a day after U.S. health officials recommended that pregnant women postpone non-essential travel to 11 Southeast Asian countries because of the risk of Zika. "We have found two cases of small heads linked to Zika, the first cases in Thailand," Prasert Thongcharoen, an adviser to the Department of Disease Control, told reporters in Bangkok. He declined to say where in Thailand the cases were found but officials have said they were not in Bangkok. The World Health Organisation (WHO) said the cases were the first of Zika-linked microcephaly in Southeast Asia and the virus infection represented a serious threat to pregnant women and their unborn children. "Countries across the region must continue to strengthen measures aimed at preventing, detecting and responding to Zika virus transmission," Dr. Poonam Khetrapal Singh, the WHO's regional director, said in a statement. U.S. health officials have concluded that Zika infections in pregnant women can cause microcephaly, which can lead to severe developmental problems in babies. Virus spreading The connection between Zika and microcephaly first came to light last year in Brazil, which has confirmed more than 1,800 cases of microcephaly that it considers to be related to Zika infections in the mothers. Zika has spread extensively in Latin America and the Caribbean over the past year or so, and more recently it has been cropping up in Southeast Asia. Thailand has confirmed 349 Zika cases since January, including 33 pregnant women, and Singapore has recorded 393 Zika cases, including 16 pregnant women. Some health experts have accused Thai officials of playing down the risk of Zika to protect its thriving tourist industry, but Prasert dismissed that. "Thailand is not hiding anything and is ready to disclose everything," he said, adding that other countries in Southeast Asia might also have cases of Zika-linked microcephaly that they have not disclosed. The WHO said Thailand's response was an example for the region. "Thailand's diligence underscores the commitment of health authorities to the health and wellbeing of the Thai public, and provides a positive example to be emulated," Singh said. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Thursday people should consider postponing travel to Brunei, Myanmar, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Philippines, Thailand, Timor-Leste (East Timor), and Vietnam. The CDC has already issued a "travel notice" for Singapore, and said such a warning would be considered for the new countries if the number of cases rose to the level of an outbreak. Thailand's confirmation of Zika-linked microcephaly comes ahead of China's week-long "Golden Week" holiday with Thailand expecting 220,000 Chinese visitors, up from 168,000 for the week in 2015, Tourism Authority of Thailand governor Yuthasak Supasorn told Reuters. No vaccine There is no vaccine or treatment for Zika. An estimated 80 percent of people infected have no symptoms, making it difficult for pregnant women to know whether they have been infected. There are also no specific tests to determine if a baby will be born with microcephaly, but ultrasound scans in the third trimester of pregnancy can identify the problem, according to the WHO. Zika is commonly transmitted through mosquitoes but can also be transmitted sexually. Another Thai health ministry adviser urged everyone to work to stop the spread of mosquitoes but said people should not panic. "Don't have sex with a Zika-infected person. If you don't know if they are infected, then use a condom," the adviser, Pornthep Siriwanarangsan, told reporters. "We can't stop women from becoming pregnant ... but we mustn't panic." Health authorities in the region said they were stepping up monitoring, but there has been little testing and officials said the real number of cases was bound to be higher than the confirmed figure. "We do not test everybody, we test only those who are symptomatic," said Paulyn Jean Rosell-Ubia, health secretary in the Philippines, which has reported 12 Zika cases. "Yes, we are positive that the number is higher because we are not testing everyone." Malaysia, which has reported six cases of Zika, including two in pregnant women, said it would seek information from Thailand on the particular strain of the Zika virus there. "We are taking serious notice of the reports in Thailand, and we will reach out to the Thai authorities for more information ... so that we can be more prepared," Malaysia's health minister, Subramaniam Sathasivam, told Reuters. Authorities in Vietnam, which has reported four cases of Zika, ordered stepped up monitoring of pregnant women. In Indonesia's capital, Jakarta, head of disease outbreak and surveillance Dwi Oktavia said there had been no sign of any increase in birth defects there. Indonesia had one Zika case in 2015 but has confirmed none since then. Microcephaly in babies can lead to respiratory problems related to malformation of the brain, a serious threat to the lives of babies. Children with microcephaly face lifelong difficulties, including intellectual impairment. Zika was first identified in Uganda in 1947 and first isolated in Asia in the 1960s. It was unknown in the Americas until 2014. Related news: > Vietnam on alert as Zika virus threatens to spread from neighbors > Malaysia confirms first Zika case, victim had visited Singapore > Singapore steps up Zika prevention effort as confirmed cases rise to 56 India has said Pakistan that has approached the UN over surgical strikes in PoK has not found any resonance in the world body and rejected claims that the UN mission monitoring ceasefire has not directly observed any firing along the LoC. Indias Permanent Representative to the UN, ambassador Syed Akbaruddin, dismissed remarks made by secretary general Ban Ki-moons spokesperson Stephane Dujarric that the UN military observer group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) has not directly observed any firing across the LoC related to the latest incidents, a reference to the surgical strikes conducted by India on September 29 targeting terror launch pads in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Akbaruddin told reporters at the Indian permanent mission here on Friday that the facts on the ground do not change whether somebody has observed it or not. I have nothing to say because what (Dujarric) said was directly observed. Its a call that they have to take. I cannot place myself in their boots and directly observe something, the Indian envoy said when asked to comment on Dujarrics remarks. Akbaruddin said the facts on the ground do not change whether somebody acknowledges or not. Facts are facts, we presented the facts and thats where we stand. India on Thursday carried out surgical strikes on seven terror launch pads across the LoC, with the army inflicting significant casualties on terrorists preparing to infiltrate from PoK. When pressed at the daily press briefing to explain how UNMOGIP can say it did not observe any firing even as India said it has conducted the surgical strikes, Dujarric repeated that UNMOGIP has not directly observed firing. They are obviously aware of the reports of these presumed violations and are talking to the relevant concerned authorities, he had said. Akbaruddin said that while Pakistan has reached out to the UN chief and the 15-nation Council over the issues of the surgical strike and Kashmir, its call for intervention by the world body has not found any resonance as there was no further discussion on the matter. Yesterday there was some action. You are also aware of the reaction, Akbaruddin said referring to Pakistans envoy Maleeha Lodhi meeting New Zealands UN ambassador Gerard van Bohemen, president of the Council for the month of September, and raising in the UNSC the issue of the action by India. Yesterday, the Pakistan ambassador did approach New Zealand. What they didnt tell you after that was what happened. Did anyone raise anything after what was explained to in the UN Security Council. The answer that I know of is that there was no further discussion of this (surgical strike and Kashmir matter), Akbaruddin said. Indias membership to the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) is not linked to ratifying Paris climate agreement, said environment, forest and climate change minister Anil Madhav Dave, a day before India ratifies the pact. While taking the decision to ratify (the Paris deal), this subject (NSG membership) was not there. There is no connection (between them), Dave said. Referring to earlier statements of the external affairs ministry and Niti Aayogs vice chairman Arvind Pangariya that linked the ratification of Paris deal with the countrys membership to the NSG, Dave said the leaders spoke in their own capacity. The subject of ratification is looked after by the prime minister and the environment ministry. And whatever happened, it is there in front of everybody. India is set ratify the Paris Agreement on Climate Change on Sunday after prime minister Narendra Modi announced last week that India will enter into the deal to fight global warming on Mahatma Gandhis birth anniversary. The agreement requires member countries to make binding commitments to curb carbon emissions by 2100. After India failed to get the NSG membership in June, the external affairs ministry had said An early positive decision by the NSG would have allowed us to move forward on the Paris Agreement. At the G20 Summit, last month, Pangariya said India was not ready to commit to ratify the Paris agreement in terms of domestic actions till the end of this year, even after the US and China, the top two carbon emitting countries in the world, decided to enter the deal. The sources in the external affairs ministry had told HT that the US was putting pressure on India for an early ratification of the Paris agreement. Dave, however, denied any pressure. There were two things on our minds before we reached the decision to ratify. First we want to do internal consultations on how will this decisions effect our laws etc. We also wanted to see whether our interests are taken care of when we go forward to implement the Paris deal in the future, Dave said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Tamil Nadu police on Saturday cracked down on people allegedly speculating about Jayalalithaas health, even as the ruling AIADMK refused to release photos of the reticent chief minister undergoing treatment at a private hospital for over a week. The Apollo Hospital authorities flew in multi-organ failure treatment specialist and acute lung injury expert from London, Richard John Beale, on Friday night, adding to the confusion over Jayas health condition. The 68-year-old CM, whose health condition has always been a highly-guarded secret, was admitted to the private hospital on September 22 with complaints of fever and dehydration. Jayalalithaa, a former actress, is known to be a chronic diabetic and suffers from high blood pressure and arthritis. The AIADMK and the hospital continued to issue identical statements, saying the CM was fine and responding well to treatment. Read | Jayalalithaa is recovering, there is no need for photographs: AIADMK Dr Beale, a consultant critical care physician at London Bridge Hospital, also said the CM was receiving the best course of treatment and he would be on hand for the next few days as a consultant. However, in the absence of visual evidence to back the assertions of AIADMK spokesperson CR Saraswathi and senior leader Panruti Ramachandran, wild speculations spread fast on social media and by word of mouth. Outside the hospital, supporters of Amma as she is popularly known among her followers milled around the gate, hoping for the latest news on her. Some of them were visibly worried as they spoke in hushed tones about what could be ailing the leader. Acting governor Vidyasagar Rao also visited the hospital on Saturday evening to enquire about the CMs health and told the media that she was recovering well. Jayalalithaa followers outside Apollo Hospital in Chennai. (V Srinivasulu / HT Photo) Police arrested one DMK worker on Saturday and booked three others, including a France-based blogger, for allegedly spreading rumours about her health. The blogger, identified as Tamizachi, was booked for allegedly writing that Jayalalithaa has been dead for days, police said. Read | UK doctor flown to Chennai to consult on CM Jayalalithaas health On Friday, DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi demanded release of Jayalalithaas pictures to scotch the rumours. However, AIADMK senior leader Ramachandran said the party and the chief minister are answerable to the people and not to the opposition. Karunanidhi, as well as BJP leader Subramanian Swamy, are facing defamation cases for speculating on her health earlier. A spate of publications that speculated on her health too were slapped with defamation cases. In December 1872, the Calcutta National Theatrical Society staged Nil Darpan, a play written by Dinabandhu Mitra, that exposed the atrocities committed by British indigo planters on Indian farmers. While the play received glowing reviews in most newspapers with nationalistic leanings, it was expectedly criticised by the British press. There was a demand that the play be banned. Other plays followed, criticising and making fun of the white rulers. Finally, in 1876, came the Dramatic Performances Act, putting restrictions on the public performance of plays. Cut to 2016. Nearly seven decades after the countrys independence from British rule, actor-director Amol Palekar moved the Mumbai high court in September, challenging rules framed under provisions of the Bombay Police Act, 1951, which make pre-censorship of drama scripts mandatory by the Maharashtra State Performance Scrutiny Board. In his petition, Palekar said the rules framed under the provisions of the Act were arbitrary and violated citizens fundamental right to freedom of expression, guaranteed under the Constitution. However, on September 26, the state government told the Bombay High Court that in March this year, the then commissioner of police had repealed the rule which required prior scrutiny of theatre scripts. Palekar has not replied to HTs email requesting an interview. But veteran theatre personality Alyque Padamsee who had filed an affidavit in support of Palekars petition said he is not surprised by the court proceedings. It is the way bureaucracy works, he says. Read: No more censorship in films, govt may opt only for certification What the law says Censorship of theatre in Maharashtra dates back to 1948 when a need was felt to have laws to stop the exploitation of women who performed in tamashas. In 1951, the Board for Prior Scrutiny of Tamasha came into being. Later, with a few amendments, it was renamed the Maharashtra Rangbhoomi Parinirikshan Mandal or the Maharashtra State Performance Scrutiny Board. Theatre groups have to submit two copies of the script to the Board for clearance before it can be staged. The Board acts as a watchdog, because the kind of scripts we get have elements that can upset society. Our job is to avoid that, says Arun Nalavade, chairman, Maharashtra State Performance Scrutiny Board. The cleared script had to then obtain a performance license from the Mumbai Polices license department. This step has been discontinued since March. However, a no-objection certificate from the local police station is still required. If the scriptwriter or director is unhappy with the Boards decision he may request a meeting. If no consensus is reached, he may move court. Court proceedings, however, often take time. And the verdict, even if in favour of the scriptwriter or director, is not always able to do justice. Padamsee gives the example of Partap Sharmas A Touch of Brightness. Years back the play was to be performed abroad as part of a commonwealth arts festival. The Board ruled that it cannot be performed abroad. I was the director of the play. Sharma filed a court case against the Board decision and eventually won the case. But by then the event was over, recalls Padamsee. Down the years In a previous newspaper article, Palekar gives the example of Vijay Tendulkars play Gidhade or The Vultures. In August 1970, the Board had banned the play claiming that the realistic portrayal of perverted socio-familial complications in the play, was unsuitable for a public performance. After the producer and the director of the play protested against the ban, the play was finally allowed to be staged after a few cuts. But the theatre group, and the audience of course, had the last laugh. The play began with the announcement that in compliance with the objection from the censor board, the red stain on the rear of the sari of a particular female character who leaves the stage with her back to the audience, will henceforth be blue in colour. In 1974, another Vijay Tendulkar play, Sakharam Binder, became the target of the moral police. The concept of having a censor board now is absurd because it is a live performance. There is bound to be on-stage improvisations and technically even if one word is changed from the approved script, we are breaking the law. As for the law and order aspect, there is a whole set of other laws to take care of it, says theatre director-producer Sunil Shanbag. In 2009, Shanbag directed Sex, Morality and Censorship, which at its core presented the well-documented history of Sakharam Binder and the discomfort it had caused many. Playwright-director Ramu Ramanthan remembers how his plays Comrade Kumbhakarna (2011) and Cotton 54, Polyester 86 (2006) ran into trouble with the Board because they had named famous politicians. That had to be changed. After that, I had to use allegories to get my point across to the audience without naming people. What is worrying is how the censor board seems to be getting more teeth after Independence, he says. The concept of censorship, many feel, is especially meaningless today, when the Internet makes every kind of content easily accessible to everyone. A scene from the play Comrade Kumbhakarna written by Ramu Ramanathan, directed by Mohit Takalkar and produce by NSD repertory school. (S. Thyagarajan (NSD) ) And elsewhere... And yet, pre-censorship of theatre is not restricted to Maharashtra. Gujarat is another state which has a law for censorship of theatre. We do have a censor board, but the members are all playwrights and theatre actors and directors. The board members are elected by the Gujarat Sangeet Natak Akademi and the state government. But the Board is very liberal. We are even free to stage anti-establishment plays, but we dont name people or parties, says Shailesh Tevani, a dramatist and drama critic in Gujarat. Outsiders going to Gujarat with their plays though, have a different story to tell yes, even if your company is based outside Maharashtra or Gujarat, and you have staged a particular production across the country, you need an approval from the censor boards in these two states to stage the play there. Delhi-based theatre director Sayeed Alam remembers the run-in that he had with the censor board in Gujarat. We had already had already staged a play called Maulana Azad across the country. We wanted to stage it in Gujarat. But the censor board there objected to a line in the play where Maulana Azad says Sardar Patel was perhaps the founder of Indias partition. I explained to them that it was not a line written by the scriptwriter, but had been taken from Maulana Azads book, India Wins Freedom. The censor board wanted us to cut out that line. We didnt agree, so we couldnt stage it. A few years later we did stage the play in Gujarat, but that was at a private show, says Alam. A scene from the play Maulana Azad, directed by Sayeed Alam that ran into trouble with the censor board in Gujarat (Photo courtesy: Sayeed Alam) Not that Alam, or other Delhi-based theatre groups enjoy complete liberty in the national capital. In Delhi, any performance needs a license from the Delhi Polices licensing unit, one of the requirements of which is that a brief synopsis about the performance containing details of the artist and contents of the programme be mentioned. Organisers also have to give an undertaking that the show does not have any profanity, impropriety of language, indecency, anything likely to cause riot or excite feelings of sedition or political discontent etc. If the synopsis gives us the feeling that something in the play may lead to a law and order problem, we withhold license and ask the local police station under whose jurisdiction the performance is taking place to investigate. Even after the license has been granted, if we get a complaint or find out that the terms of the undertaking are being violated, we serve the organisers and auditorium owners a show cause notice. Their license may be cancelled too, says a senior cop working in the licencing unit. In recent years though, Alam feels, the ease of performing in Delhi has improved. Much of it is because of the Sheila Dikshit government. Earlier, we had to approach at least five-six agencies of the Delhi Police traffic, licencing, local police etc before being allowed to perform. Now we can just apply at one place and they get the necessary documents. Even the Aam Admi Party government is supportive to theatre groups, he says. Anasuya Vaidya of Delhis Akshara Theatre, who has made a film on theatre censorship, remembers a time when laws were stricter in Delhi and how her parents, Jalbala Vaidya and the late Gopal Sharman, always fought against them. Since we had our own auditorium, it was easier for us to not comply with unfair rules. We never submitted a script or even a synopsis of the play to any authority, nor did we ask any group that was performing at our theatre to do it. There were phone calls and visits by officials, but our shows were never stopped, says Vaidya. In Mumbai though, since the group has to perform at a theatre not owned by them, they do have to send their scripts to the censor board. At one of our plays the Board had said we cant use the word balls. We felt it was an integral part of the script and the humour would be lost if we replace the word. So we just went ahead and performed without any changes. Thankfully no censor police was sent to check whether we had made the changes, says Anasuya, with a laugh. Read: Government gearing up to clip censor board wings Apart from the ridiculousness of such censorship, there are also practical pitfalls of censorship. It encourages a parallel economy of agents or touts whom you pay to get the license or censor approval quickly and easily, says Delhi-based theatre director Aamir Raza Husain. Sometimes, if you are in a hurry, these agents will get you approval in a day. One feels then that the Board is not really reading the script. So what is the point then? he questions. Then there is the eternal question of whether cops or a state-appointed or elected committee have the merit to judge what is not right in a script. They say if you do not agree with the decision of the Board, you can move court. Then let whoever has a problem with the play also move court against it. Why this system of pre-censorship, questions Alam. Amol Palekars case at the Mumbai High Court is pending decision. (A bench of Chief Justice Manjula Chellur and Justice MS Sonak felt that after the relevant rule was repealed, nothing was left to hear. However, it posted the petition for further hearing on next Tuesday after the defence counsel sought time to check on the state claim that the law on censorship has been repealed.) Unless the case manages to strike down censorship completely, it would have achieved little apart from fanning the debate on the issue again. (With inputs from Anesha George) SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Top generals of the armys northern command on Saturday held a security review meeting with senior administrative and police officials of the state following Indias surgical strike on terrorist launch pads across the LoC. They took stock of the security preparedness and the prevailing situation along the LoC, army sources said. Lt Gen DS Hooda, the Northern Army Commander, GOC 15 Corps Lt Gen Satish Dua, state chief secretary, DGP and other senior officials were present at the meeting. Earlier, General Hooda discussed the entire gamut of operational readiness along the LoC with General Dua, said an army spokesperson in a statement. They also reviewed the security measures taken along the LoC as well as the hinterland, the statement added. The army on Saturday said its strategic 15 Corps, the Chinar, was responsible for planning and executing the surgical strikes across the LoC. The army spokesperson said Lt Gen DS Hooda rushed to Kashmir Valley soon after briefing the Army Chief Gen Dalbir Singh on the overall security scenario along the northern borders, earlier in the day in Udhampur. The statement said during his meeting with GOC 15 Corps Lt Gen Hooda stressed upon the need for maintaining a very high level of alert and vigil and to remain prepared for any eventuality. The general also lauded the 15 Corps for the high-degree of professionalism shown by all ranks involved in the planning and execution of the strikes across the LoC, the statement said. The army said that General Hooda also appealed to the people of Kashmir to ensure calm and peace in these sensitive times and strengthen the government and Security agencies in meeting the challenges emanating from across the borders. The army commander, accompanied by Lt Gen Satish Dua later met governor NN Vohra and apprised him of the overall security situation along the de-facto border and preparedness of the army. He assured the governor of complete synergy amongst all the agencies towards facing any kind of security challenges, the spokesperson said. Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray apologised on Saturday for a cartoon published in Saamana alluding to the Maratha rallies that had sparked a controversy, with the party drawing the ire of the community, political parties and an attack on an office of the newspaper. The controversial cartoon had appeared in last Sundays edition of Sena mouhtpiece and apparently referred to the silent marches being taken out all over the state by the Maratha community to press for their demands like quota in jobs and education. The controversy over the cartoon may have died down, but my heart is still in a state of turmoil. I am deeply hurt because a Shiv Sainik can never humiliate women, whom we worship. I am thankful to the people who did not let their trust in the Sena dwindle due to the controversy that had been generated, Thackeray told a press conference in Mumbai. As president of Shiv Sena and editor of Saamana, I apologise to all mothers and sisters, who may have been inadvertently hurt by the cartoon. But, the cartoon never intended to disrespect anybody, he said. Notably, the Maratha rallies stood out for overwhelming participation of women from the community. Asked about the delay in tendering the apology, he said, I was watching who all will try to take political advantage out of this controversy and was waiting to see if the peoples trust in us will get eroded. Quizzed if the apology came in the wake of Sena being cornered by its ally BJP and Opposition parties, Thackeray said he does not get pressurised by anybody and he was only bowing down to women who have been hurt by the cartoon. Whatever I said today is from my heart and there was no pressure on me to apologise, he added. On Tuesday last, the office of the Sena mouthpiece in Navi Mumbai was stoned with a pro-Maratha social outfit, Sambhaji Brigade, claiming responsibility for the attack. Thackeray said a Sena delegation led by him met chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday and submitted a written demand for a special one-day session of the state legislature to discuss the demands of Marathas, including reservation in jobs and education. The chief minister said he was of the view that Marathas should be given reservation. But, he failed to specify when. If he does not do it, it will be like playing with their emotions. We want legislators from all political parties to put on record their stand over the issue, he said. Taking a dim view of Thackerays statements, Congress said if his apology was indeed heartfelt, he would have done so immediately after the cartoon was published. Uddhav Thackeray has understood the gravity of the situation very late. His apology now only shows his exasperation over the reaction of the Maratha community. Instead of apologising only to the womenfolk, he should have apologised to the entire community, leader of opposition in assembly and Congress member Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil said. The Apollo Hospital flew in a British consultant to assess the health of Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa, and said the CM was receiving the best course of treatment. Dr Richard John Beale, a consultant critical care physician at the London Bridge Hospital, reached Chennai on Friday, and will be on hand over the next few days. Jayalalithaa had been admitted to the private hospital with complaints of high fever and dehydration on September 22. Despite regularly providing press notices, the hospital and the ruling AIADMK party have been unable to prevent speculation about her condition. Chennai police commissioner S George on Thursday warned that those spreading rumours of Jayalalithaas health could be detained under the IT Act. A case was filed by the AIADMK IT wing against self-described author Tamizhachi, who made a Facebook post alleging that the party leader had died because of the Rashtriya Swayam Sevak. Read | End rumours about Jayalalithaas health, show her photos: Karunanidhi On Friday, the opposition DMK party chief, M Karunanidhi asked the state government to release a photo of the chief minister, and called on the governor to intervene in the matter. Recalling 1984, when the then CM MG Ramachandran was hospitalised, Karunanidhi said that the public had regular health updates from the health minister. So far it is unclear what ails Jayalalithaa. She is known to suffer from diabetes, cellulitis, and hypertension. Also read | Even from hospital bed, CM Jayalalithaa keeps reins firmly in hand SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon on Friday offered to act as mediator between India and Pakistan to defuse rising tensions over disputed Kashmir. The offer came after Pakistans ambassador met with the UN chief and urged him to personally intervene, while India said it did not want to aggravate the situation. Ban called on both sides to exercise maximum restraint and take immediate steps to de-escalate the situation, a statement from his spokesperson said. The UN chief said India and Pakistan should address differences through diplomacy and dialogue, and offered to mediate. His good offices are available, if accepted by both sides, the UN spokesperson said. Tensions between the two arch rivals have been boiling since the Indian government accused Pakistan-based militants of launching an assault on an army base in Kashmir earlier this month that killed 19 soldiers. India on Thursday said it had carried out surgical strikes several kilometers (miles) inside Pakistan-controlled Kashmir on terrorist targets. This is a dangerous moment for the region, Pakistans ambassador Maleeha Lodhi told AFP after meeting with Ban at UN headquarters in New York. The time has come for bold intervention by him if we are to avoid a crisis, because we can see a crisis building up. Lodhi accused India of creating conditions that pose a threat to regional and international peace and security. UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric earlier said the UN chief would welcome all proposals or initiatives aimed at de-escalation. Ban is following the situation with great concern, said Dujarric, citing the escalating rhetoric between the two countries and the increased tensions along the Line of Control that separates Kashmir between the nations. India says no desire to aggravate tensions A UN military observer mission (UNMOGIP) is looking into reports of ceasefire violations along the line of control and will report to Ban, he added. UNMOGIP has not directly observed any firing across the line of control related to the latest incident, he added. In a statement to AFP, Indias mission to the United Nations said India has no desire to aggravate the situation, and that our response was a measured counter terrorist strike. It was focused in terms of targets and geographical space, the mission said. It is reflective of our desire to respond proportionately to clear and imminent threat posed by terrorists in that instance. With our objectives having been met that effort has since ceased. The Pakistani ambassador said she had suggested to Ban that plans for a visit to India and Pakistan expected in November could be brought forward to avert a crisis. Lodhi also met this week with the current Security Council president, New Zealand ambassador Gerard van Bohemen, to ask that the top UN body keep a close eye on developments. India and Pakistan have fought three wars since they gained independence from Britain seven decades ago, two of them over the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir. Top US lawmakers came out in support of Indias surgical strikes across the Line of Control in the aftermath of the Uri terror attack which killed 19 soldiers. Uri attack against India was horrific. Prayers are with victims families. I will continue to follow Indias subsequent counter terrorism op closely, Congressman Steny Hoyer, Democratic Whip in the US House of Representatives wrote on Twitter on Friday. Read | How world powers reacted to Indian Armys strikes across LoC Our sympathy and support go out to India as they work to counter the terrorism they faced in the Uri Attack, Congressman Pete Olson said in a tweet. Olson, from Texas, is vice chair of House Energy and Power Committee. Condolences to the victims of last weeks terrorist attack on the Indian Army base in Kashmir. We stand with India fighting terrorism, said Senator Jeff Flake from Arizona. The Indian army announced that it had carried out surgical strikes about 1-3 kilometres into Pakistan-occupied Kashmir along the de-facto border that separates the two neighbours in the intervening night between September 28-29. The army said it had attacked seven militant launchpads, which their intelligence had indicated were planning attacks in several locations in the country. Read | PM Modi hits out at Pakistan, says India wont forget Uri attack The strike was Indias response to an attack on an army base in Uri, located in Kashmir -- a matter that has spiralled into a diplomatic tussle between the two countries. India blamed Pakistan for being a sponsor of terror at the recently concluded 71st United Nations General Assembly, and a week later, pulled out of the Saarc summit. Meanwhile, a public petition to the White House to designate Pakistan as a terror state has gained more than 3,90,000 signatures. Organisers of the petition said they have set a target of getting the support of more than a million people, which would reflect a growing sentiment against Pakistan in the United States and globally. For more stories on the India-Pakistan issue and surgical strikes, click here Is the right to drink alcohol a fundamental right? The division bench of chief Justice Iqbal Ahmad Ansari and justice Navneeti Prasad Singh differed on this count while declaring Bihars prohibition law illegal. While Singh ruled in favour, Ansari differed, though the two judges were unanimous on all other points. The right to consume alcohol is not a constitutional right, and reasonable restrictions on consumption of alcohol, or complete prohibition on consumption of alcohol, can be imposed by the State in order to carry forward the goal set by the Constitution in the form of directive principles of state policy, but such implementation of the policy shall be in accordance with law and not in violation thereof, observed justice Ansari. He dwelt at length on why he differed from his fellow judge on one count. My learned brother has concluded that the right to bring alcohol within the confines of a persons house is his fundamental right and any intrusion thereto is violation of the right to privacy. I am in disagreement with it, observed justice Ansari, adding though justice Singhs answer was affirmative, it was not the reasons for the writ petitions filed by various parties to be allowed. Citing Article 37 of the Constitution, which relates to application of the directive principles of the State policy, he observed: The provisions contained in this Part shall not be enforceable by any court, but the principles therein laid down are nevertheless fundamental in the governance of the country and it shall be the duty of the State to apply these principles in making laws. It would mean that it is the duty of the State to apply these principles in making laws and taking executive actions in terms of a defined policy or otherwise. Obviously, when the laws are made, they are not meant for being kept in statute books, but to be enforced. So, when the Legislature of a State makes the Directive Principles applicable in the governance of the State, one cannot be heard to complain that they are violating the fundamental rights. What the order says The division bench of the Patna high court, in its 142-page order dwelt on a whole range of issues while trying to give answers to every argument, before quashing the governments notifications. It concluded that section 19(4) (enforcing total prohibition) of the Bihar Excise Act, 1915, as amended with effect from April 1, 2016 (passed by the State Legislatures on March 31, 2016), was ultra vires the Constitution and unenforceable. Penal provisions The impugned notification, dated April 5, 2016, issued by the state under section 19(4) of the amended Act is also ultra vires the Constitution and, consequently, unenforceable and the penal provisions of enhanced sentence and provision, with regard to confiscation of property, as introduced by the amendments on March 31, 2016, with effect from April 1, 2016, are also held to be ultra vires the Constitution, the bench observed. Arrest on possession The bench said that mere possession of liquor by an individual was not banned either by the Bihar Excise Act, 1915, or the April 5 notification. If mere possession were to be so prohibited, it would give rise to serious problems. All persons, having legitimate stocks even for personal consumption, would on the next day ipso facto, become criminals, in violation of law, the Beverages Corporation included, it added. The court also found the punishment as prescribed by the recent amendment to the act with effect from April 1, on all three counts, i.e., the personal punishments, both physical and monetary, punishment of confiscation of premises and punishment to the community, were quite unreasonable and draconian and cannot be justified in a civilized society. It may be justified in a Police State, which surely we are not. I would, therefore, declare the provisions, as aforesaid, to be ultra vires and violative of Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution, the order said. Arrest during travel Another aspect of unreasonableness of the effect of the notification is its application to various other aspects. A person travelling by car or by train and traversing the territory of Bihar, he is caught in a predicament that he is going from a State, where there is no prohibition, and going to State, where there is no prohibition. He may be an army or defence personnel carrying his liquor ration or an ordinary citizen carrying his drink to his destination, the court said. The court asked: Neither of them consumed the same in this State; still they are to be persecuted and prosecuted. Why? Their only sin is that they chose or perforce traversed the territory of Bihar. Similar would be the case of liquor being transported from one State to another, but crossing through Bihar. Right to privacy It said that a citizen has a right to enjoy his liquor within the confines of his house in an orderly fashion and that right would be a part of right of privacy, a fundamental right, under Article 21 of the Constitution and, any deprivation thereof would have to withstand the test of Articles 14 and 19 of the Constitution as well. The court dealt with all the arguments given in favour of prohibition. I may notice one argument by State. It submits no one has a right to eat poison. But, as the courts have held, what one eats is his personal affair and a right under Article 21; but that surely does not include right to eat poison. Liquor is not poison per se, it cannot be disputed. If what one eat is his right surely, what one drinks has to be treated similarly, the bench observed. It said that in its opinion, right to drink alcohol, like a responsible citizen, is a part of right to privacy included under Article 21 of the Constitution. It is not the case of the state nor any material placed on record that drinking alcohol per se as a responsible citizen is bad or injurious to health. It is abuse thereof that is injurious. On the plea of mere possibility of abuse by some persons, the right of others cannot be abrogated. Not obligatory upon state Citing Article 47 of the Constitution, the court said, it does not mandate, in positive terms, making it obligatory upon the State to impose prohibition. The expression State shall endeavour clearly leaves it to the State to decide whether to impose prohibition or not if so, when. If what was argued by the State, that it was a constitutional mandate to impose prohibition, is correct, then, by now, almost after 65 years of the Constitution, the entire country should have imposed prohibition, which has never happened. Can it be said that all the States are in violation of the constitutional mandate? Continuing further, the bench said, The answer is obviously no. The second argument, canvassed by the State, was that once State decides to act pursuant to Article 47 of the Constitution, then, no citizen can claim any right, much less right under Part-III of the Constitution. If I have correctly understood the argument of the State, the submission would be that the directive principles, if sought to be implemented, would override the fundamental rights. The argument is noted only to be rejected. In an apparent re-assertion of authority, chief minister Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday took away two departments from the charge of his uncle, Shivpal Singh Yadav, and denied Gayatri Prasad Prajapati the key mining ministry. Akhilesh Yadav gave Prajapati the transport ministry instead and took away the social welfare and minor irrigation departments, while allocating portfolios to the 10 recently sworn-in cabinet ministers. Shivpal continues to hold charge of 12 departments, including irrigation, revenue, cooperatives, medical education, etc. Prajapatis dismissal on September 12 had triggered a feud in the Samajwadi Partys first family, and the chief minister stripped Shivpal of the key PWD portfolio the next day. Prajapati faced charges of corruption in the mining department. Although Prajapati was re-inducted on SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadavs instructions, the chief minister has denied him the mining department. Akhileshs re-assertion of authority is also reflected in his decision to take away the social welfare and minor irrigation departments from Shivpal. The CM had given Shivpal these departments to make up for depriving him of the key PWD portfolio. The allocations were: Manoj Kumar Pandey - electronics and information technology Shivakant Ojha - medical and health Ziauddin Rizvi - animal husbandry Yasser Shah - tax and registration (trade tax) Riyaz Ahmed - fisheries and public sector undertakings Ravidas Mehrotra - family welfare, mother and child welfare Narendra Verma - cane development and sugar mills Shankh Lal Majhi - scheduled caste and tribe welfare and ex-servicemen welfare Abhishek Mishra - vocational education and skill development Mehboob Ali - minor irrigation portfolio A Raj Bhawan communique said governor Ram Naik had approved the allocation of portfolios to the 10 ministers on the recommendation of the chief minister. Read | Akhilesh woos Brahmins with cabinet expansion ahead of UP polls SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Hospitals cannot charge patients more than Rs600 for the two essential tests that help detect and confirm dengue in its initial stages. September saw nearly 300 confirmed cases of dengue in Mumbai; across the state, hospitals have reported a rise in the number of cases. As patients rushed to get tested, state officials said they noticed many laboratories were charging between Rs900 and Rs1,500 for them. The government has now issued a blanket cap of Rs600 for the NS1 and MAC ELISA tests. The NS1 test is usually administered on the day a patient reports fever. The test helps detect dengue before antibodies appear in the body. The MAC ELISA test is a more advanced one that doctors use to confirm dengue. A dengue case is confirmed only when both tests return positive. The state officials said the government took the step to stop laboratories from overcharging. Seeing the monetary exploitation of poor patients by laboratories, state officials were thinking to control prices of NS1 ELISA and MAC ELISA tests, reads government resolution released on September 28. The decision comes days after other states such as Haryana and Delhi, both battling a huge number of dengue cases, issued a blanket cap on prices charged at private diagnostic laboratories. Doctors in Delhi are also trying to find the cause of twin attacks - of chikungunya and dengue - where patients are showing symptoms of both mosquito-borne diseases. At least 20 people have died of such symptoms in the capital so far this year. One private diagnostic laboratory in the city said they charge Rs800 for the rapid tests and Rs900 for the ELISE one, but like many other private labs in the state, welcomed the decision. We have already notified our branches about the decision and from Saturday morning onwards, we will charge Rs600 for both tests. Even practically, when the number of patients coming for tests is high, I dont think the decision is unfair or will affect profits, said Dr Nilesh Shah, the president of Science and Innovation, Metropolis Healthcare Ltd. Most city labs HT spoke to said it was their moral responsibility to assist patients in the time of need. The laboratory lobby in Delhi, however, had opposed their governments decision, calling it unfair. According to the instructions of the treating manual for vector borne diseases, the cells at city and district level are recording cases only tested positive by NS1 ELISA test. State officials have now reiterated the decision by giving clear instructions to not use IgM or IgG antigen tests, used as rapid testing tool to diagnose dengue. Two more people have been arrested by the Thane anti-extortion cell in connection with a shootout case at Ulhasnagar. The accused were allegedly informers for gangster Suresh Pujari in connection with the shooting at a builder from Ulhasnagar in July. The Mumbai police have already arrested five people, who are accused of firing at the builder, Sumit Chakravarty, at Ulhasnagar on July 7. The two were taken into custody on Wednesday. They were identified as Mithun alias Vilamani Karmokar,36, and Vishnu alias Soni Chandumal Tejwani,47. Both of them are labourers and are residents of Kalyan. They were arrested from Ulhasnagar after the police came to know about them through their sources. According to police, two people wearing helmets barged in to his office and fired two rounds when they were told that the owner of the office was not there. However, both the accused fled away from the spot after firing and no one was injured. Senior police inspector N Kadam said, A total of seven people have been arrested. After investigation by the Mumbai police, we will take the other five accused into our custody. The police have recovered firearms from them. The accused has given the names and numbers of more than 40 people who work for Pujari. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Looking to put an end to the cartoon controversy that left the party politically isolated, as well as assuage the partys own cadre from the Maratha community, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday apologised for hurting sentiments of the Marathas, especially women from the community. Thackeray said the intention of the cartoon published in the partys mouthpiece, Saamna, on Sunday was not to hurt anyone, and apologised in the capacity of Saamanas editor. The contentious cartoon was a three-paneled caricature published in a Saamana supplement last Sunday. The caricature lampooned the ongoing Maratha protests, playing on the words muk morcha (silent protests) as muka morcha or kissing protests. The Marathas, who constitute 32 per cent of Maharashtras population, have been protesting for reservations in government jobs and education and amendments to the atrocities act, alleging its misuse. The entire episode has deeply hurt us. Although the atmosphere has now cooled down, my mind has not. Any person who disrespects a woman can never be a Shiv Sainik. I am expressing these feelings today remembering my own mother, Thackeray said, addressing a press conference with senior Sena leaders Subhash Desai, Diwakar Raote and Sada Sarvankar. Samanas executive editor, Sanjay Raut, was not present. Both Thackeray as well as Raut have been under immense pressure with leaders across political parties criticising the Sena for the cartoon and demanding apologies. The party also felt tremors from within as several of its own leaders across ranks were disgruntled. Three senior leaders from the Buldhana districtMP Prataprao Jadhav, and legislators Sanjay Raimulkar and Shashikant Khedkareven threatened to quit the party, only to be soothed later by Thackeray. While Thackeray apologised, he also said that the controversy was politically instigated and the party has been in the process of identifying the forces behind it. We will give a befitting reply to those who have been attempting to politically corner the Sena on the whole issue. I will elaborate more on this during our Dussehra gathering on October 11, Thackeray said. Party sources said, the leader is expected to stress on the Senas history about how the party has always been very inclusive and never played caste politics or caste favouritism. We have never looked at a persons caste while selecting candidates for election or while appointing office bearers at all levels. The cartoon went unnoticed for nearly two days after it was published, and then suddenly caused an uproar. This was definitely an attempt by some forces to draw the party into casteist politics and corner it, a Shiv Sena leader said. In face of widespread protests against the Sena during which copies of Saamana were burnt across the state and the publications office in Navi Mumbai was vandalised, the party initially tried to put the blame for the cartoon on the caricaturist Srinivas Prabhudesai by publishing his front-page apology in the mouthpiece. However, demands for a direct apology from Raut and Thackeray continued to persist. A senior Sena leader said, There was discontent among people, though it was never our intention. At a gathering in Mumbai to discuss Maratha protests in the city, there were also talks of how all Marathas should boycott the Shiv Senas upcoming Dussehra rally. Sensing the extreme sentiments among the Marathas, our chief decided to apologise and put the matter to rest. Nationalist Congress Partys (NCP) Dhananjay Munde who was one of the leaders to strongly criticise the Shiv Sena for the cartoon and demand Thackerays apology said the apology has come too late. It is too little, too late. Besides, the party itself is responsible for starting the controversy. Thackeray should not point fingers at others, said Munde, also the leader of opposition in the legislative council. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Ten days after seven children were killed at Muhawa in Amritsar, 20 were injured in another school-bus accident around 8.30am at Dhota village, 10 kilometres from here on Friday. The Guru Amardas Canadian School bus from Goindwal Sahib was overloaded with 50 students aboard and racing to Nagoke village when the driver lost control of it and the vehicle toppled over a field. Instead of rescuing the children, the driver ran away, eyewitness Joga Singh said. Another passerby, Jaspal Singh, and I pulled the weeping children out by breaking the window glasses and called their parents. Bus of Guru Amardass Canadian School that overturned. (HT Photo) The children, who are between 5 an 12, were put in different hospitals. All are out of danger. Eyewitness Joga Singh is from Sangar Kot village near Dhota. Police found that the bus seats to be too small. The owner had replaced the original seats to adjust more children, assistant sub-inspector Kewal Singh said. These seats caused most of the injuries. No senior officer of the police or district administration reached the spot. Even the school principal and managements representative arrived late. Satnam Singh, Harjinder Singh, Jagir Singh, Angrej Singh, Karam Singh, and Dharam Singh fathers of some of the children demanded the drivers arrest and investigation against the school management. Tarn Taran district transport officer (DTO) Angrej Singh Hundal said all schools had orders to follow the transport safety rules under the Safe School Vahan policy. Also read | 7 children die as school van falls into drain in Amritsar; 20 hurt Did Chandigarh deserve the award for achieving 100% open defecation-free city status, which mayor Arun Sood and MC commissioner B Purushartha received from Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday? People have reservations going by the sequence of events prior to the visit of the Centres inspection committee. As per records, in a meeting held on September 20, the municipal corporation decided to park 200 relocatable toilets and 20 mobile toilets vans at designated locations in view of the September 25 visit of the committee constituted by the government of India. The toilets were placed at the locations on September 24, a day before the panels visit. A senior officer of the MC on condition of anonymity said, We have hired 20 mobile toilet vans from Delhi and Ludhiana as we were unable to provide re-locatable toilets by the time the panel was to visit the city. We will replace these mobile toilets vans with relocatable toilets within three months. The committee members from New Delhi arrived on September 25 and were taken to the designated places where the mobile toilet vans and relocatable toilets had been placed in and around colonies in Sectors 25, 38 and other parts of the city. Interestingly, there is no round-the-clock water supply in these toilets, a must to maintain cleanliness. Sources say for lack of water, people still go out in open to relieve themselves. Also, there is no provision of power supply in the said toilets. A resident of Sector 38, Rajesh Sharma, said, MC officials didnt apply their minds and placed the mobile toilet van at the light points. Who will go there? It was an eyewash. MC commissioner B Purushartha said, The process of providing toilets was going on for over a month. As far as the committee is concerned, they have to see the current status. We have been creating awareness among people about why they should use toilets. We should be feel proud for the award. Former mayor Pardeep Chhabra said merely placing toilet vans a day before the panels visit doesnt make the city 100% open defecation-free. The facility should have been in use for a year before assessment. MC has misled the committee by showing them designated places only. What about other areas? he said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Beginning Saturday, Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal will kick-start a four-day tour of six border districts to personally monitor the arrangements being put in place for people evacuated from the border villages in the wake of Indian Armys Wednesday midnight surgical strikes inside Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. People living within 10km distance along the 553km international border from Fazilka to Pathankot in about 1,000 villages are being shifted to safe locations in coming days. Read | As tensions escalate, help yet to reach ground zero in Punjab Sources say on Saturday Badal will visit Pathankot and Gurdaspur villages where camps have been set up besides villages close to the border. On Sunday the CM will tour camps and villages in Amritsar and Taran Tarn and on Monday he will take stock of arrangements in Ferozepur and Fazilka districts. Even as the chief minister is unwell, he himself wants to see if proper arrangements are in place for the evacuated people. The objective of his tour is to express solidarity with the security forces and to reassure displaced villagers that the government will make every possible arrangement to help them, a close aide of the chief minister said. FARMERS CAN ENTER FIELDS ACROSS FENCE Badal spoke with Union home minister Rajnath Singh on Friday evening and informed him about concerns of border farmers, whose movement near the fence has been restricted by the Border Security Force (BSF). The border village farmers own land that is near or across the fence and the paddy crop is ready for harvest. The BSF, due to security reasons, has stopped farmers entry across the fence to harvest paddy. Also, people have been stopped from entering within five-acre belt along the fence on the Indian side. Read | Harvest due, hard to leave: War fear in Punjab, a ground reality The home minister agreed with the concerns Badal aired and took up the matter with the BSF chief. The BSF chief has told the Punjab government that farmers will be allowed to enter their fields across the fence under the BSF security cover, said the CMs aide. The CM also urged Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee chief Avtar Singh Makkar to supervise the SGPCrun langar facilities for the evacuated people. The SGPC will depute its managers in other districts and wherever the religious body is providing langar in the camps being set up for the displaced villagers. Incidents of mass evacuation of elderly, women and children living in border villages are being reported in Ferozepur and Fazilka districts on Friday. As per conversation with district authorities and villagers, about 15,000 persons of 365 villages (touching Pakistan in 85km) in Ferozepur and 10,000 persons of 125 border villages in Fazilka district have moved to safer places. The administration of duo districts has set up rehabilitation camps with 40 at Ferozepur and 30 camps at Fazilka. According to the last information 250 people have reported at camps in Ferozepur and 1,500 in Fazilka. From last two days we have not heard sound of azzan, which earlier used to be held daily across the line by Pak residents.There is an evident escalation in enemys security agencies, revealed Jaswant Singh, 58, of Hazara Singh wala village, located less than a kilometer from Indo-Pak border in Ferozepur. Due to cattle and ripe paddy crop, most of men and youngsters are staying back. We are also assisting security agencies to keep guard at night, said Satnam Singh, another border resident. We are setting up a cluster system at Ferozepur to monitor and coordinate relief work for affected villagers, revealed an official pleading anonymity. In the meantime, senior functionary of state government including principal secretary R Venkat Ratnam along with Ferozepur divisional commissioner VK Meena, and AVenu Parshad held separate meetings with senior civil, police and army authorities of Ferozepur as well as Fazilka districts on Friday. They took stock of the situation and pressed upon officials to frequently review the situation. Inspector general Bathinda zone, SK Asthana accompanied by Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Ferozepur RK Bakshi, claimed that patrolling parties have been formed to ensure security of gurudwaras and other religious places. Meanwhile Deputy inspector general of police (DIG) Ferozepur range Ranbir Singh, and SSP Fazilka Narinder Bhargav, inspected border areas of Fazilka. It may here be said that during 1965 and 1971 Indo-Pak war, enemy had housed in areas vacated by Indian villagers. Petrol pumps have dried due to huge rush, said a petrol pump owner on the condition of anonymity. The retreat ceremony at the Indo-Pak border has been cancelled. A Punjab and Haryana high court bench on Friday dismissed the bail plea of industrialist Paramjit Singh Chahal, an accused in the Jagdish Bhola drug racket case, for the second time in the past six months. Paramjit and his brother Jagjit Singh, who owned pharmaceutical companies in Baddi, were booked in May 2013 under the NDPS Act and other provisions of the law at the Banur police station in Patiala, for their alleged complicity in the racket. Rejecting the plea, the bench of justice Surya Kant and justice Sudip Ahluwalia said the court was unable to hold that there was any material change in the circumstances after the rejection of the petitioners first bail plea in March warranting his release. The brothers are accused of misappropriating two controlled substances, ephedrine and pseudoephedrine, supplied to them at concessional rates, for illicit manufacturing and illegal trade of narcotics and synthetic drugs. In a long legal battle to save his land from influential people, Canada-based Nirmal Singh is back in Moga to face fresh challenge from the Punjab cops. Police have submitted a new inquiry report in the court, which bails out the accused and pins down the complainant when the case has reached the final-evidence-and-cross-examination stage. The accused Kuldeep Singh, former Akali sarpanch of Choorchakk and an associate of NRI minister Tota Singh, besides Mohinder Singh of Lalton Kalan and three others are charged with grabbing the NRIs 14 acres by forging the revenue record in connivance with a patwari. The case was registered in November 2014. NRI Nimral Singh is clever, assistant subinspector Hari Singh begins his two-page inquiry report with this remark. The concluding remarks say the expatriate cheated Mohinder Singh of Rs 1.5 crore but have no mention of the two land-grab FIRs (first-information reports). On August 22, the ASI appeared as a defence witness in favour of Kuldeep Singh and others. I dont know the outcome of the two FIRs, he stated in his cross examination, which means he was unaware of the challan filed in the State versus Mohinder Singh case a year ago. Moga senior superintendent of police Snehdeep Sharma said he had assigned the case to a senior official (SP-detective Amarjit Singh Ghuman). Ghuman said police could entertain a cross complaint from the accused. On Friday, the NRI approached inspector general (NRI wing) Ishwar Singh, who wrote to the Moga SSP to ensure his safety and wrote to the additional IG (NRI wing), Ludhiana, for review. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) has rapped UT inspector general of police (IGP) Tejinder Singh Luthra on his knuckles for what it called his defiance for not appearing before the tribunal on September 29 in a case involving denial of pension to a UT constables widow. The CAT on September 16 had directed Luthra to appear in person to explain non-compliance and disobedience of its order dated December 14, 2015. There is a general perception in public that police officials behave as if they are above the law while dealing with the public. That perception appears to be correct looking into the circumstances of this case, the CAT observed. The respondent had the courage to send a reply to the legal notice got issued by the applicant for compliance with the order of the tribunal, asserting that family pension cannot be granted to the applicant. He acted in a manner as if he is above the law and courts. The very system of the administration of justice seems to be crumbling by such behaviour, the CAT observed. The tribunal in December last year had directed the officer to issue revised pension payment order for family pension to Jaswinder Kaur, widow of UT constable Sohan Singh, of Ludhiana within six weeks and to pay arrears in next four weeks. The petitioner had averred that after the death of her husband, she was denied family pension by the UT home department. Instead of complying with the order, the police department on June 23 this year sent a reply to the legal notice of the applicant stating that her request for family pension cannot be exceeded. The UT administration counsel had sought exemption for the IGP from appearing in person stating that the tribunals order was complied with by issuing letter to the accountant general for issuing family pension to the applicant. A day after Indian special forces entered Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) and decimated at least seven terrorist training camps, Umer Ahmed Ilyasi, chief Imam of All India Imam Organisation, who was in Ludhiana, said that no imam should offer final prayers for any terrorist killed by Indian army. Ilyasi also met Shahi Imam of Ludhiana Jama Masjid Habib-Ur-Rehman and discussed issues concerning the community in Ludhiana. Ilyasi said that soldiers of army have done a brave act by entering PoK and destroying terror camps. As per reports, many terrorists have also been killed during the strike. We welcome the step taken by our troops, said Ilyasi. He also appealed to the Imams of entire country not to offer final prayers for terrorists who have been killed by Indian army. These terrorists are enemy of our country and should be treated like one. They should not be treated as Muslims by offering prayers as per Islamic rituals, Ilyasi stressed. Amid talk of war, peaceniks hold on The shadow of war threatened to eclipse the effort of the local peaceniks organising an event called Global Peace Fest. Despite the TV anchors hyperventilating about the mombattiwallas, the peaceniks are holding on. Youngsters from 33 nations took part in the event and they were involved in their peace discussions and conferences, unmindful of the tension pervading the air. The highlight of the conference was the girls from Pakistan who held their nerve and went about enjoying the trip. On a day when some newspapers and channels reported they might cut their trip short, they were actually travelling to Shimla. Read | Pak women decide to stay put, visit Shimla Tricitys got wings The residents of tricity have suddenly got global wings with the airport finally going international. They are flying to destinations like Dubai and gleefully posting their selfies on social media. On Thursday, Sector 44 shopkeeper Dinesh Malhotra posted a selfie with his wife and wrote: Going to Dubai first time. The couple followed up with a series of pictures during the next two days having fun in Desert Safari and other places. The other day, another localite Dr GS Kochar flew to Dubai to celebrate his birthday. With fares well within reach, the international flights have indeed opened new vistas for the residents. Why has the IGP gone quiet? UT inspector general of police (IGP) Tejinder Singh Luthra (HT File Photo) Tajender Singh Luthra is an interesting inspector general of police (IGP). IPS officer-poet-authorthats how he describes himself on his Twitter account. But what all we want to know is why has he gone suddenly quiet? On social media, that is. He posted 17 tweets (including retweets) in the month of July. Most of these were able to engage a decent number of people as well. But surprisingly in the past two months he hasnt updated his account. No post, no retweet. Read | CAT says UT IGP acting above law; summoned on October 17 The Rs 3,500 challan Sometime back the Chandigarh municipal corporations decision to challan cars parked at unauthorised places in Sector 17 had shocked the residents mainly because of the hefty fine of Rs 3,500. The rule was brought in to ensure that people park in the citys first multilevel parking set up in the sector. The law is very much in force but they are not challaning many. Officers say they are going easy on its enforcement. Our staffers are deployed at the no-parking zones and they request the drivers not to park in those areas. Still we do end up challaning a few offenders who dont listen, reveals an officer. Perhaps, the MC elections due in two months are a reason for MCs soft approach. Health is wealth Many people believe that epipremnum aureum, better known as money plant, brings prosperity or wealth in ones life. And people love growing them inside their houses in bottles. But suddenly the myth has turned on its head. The reason is dengue, transmitted through Aedes aegypti mosquito which breeds in clean water, including in money plant bottles. With awareness about the menace spreading among residents, they are destroying their money plants. It seems residents know that health is the biggest wealth. Read | Chikungunya in Chandigarh: From lone case in 26 years, to 44 this year, so far Income declaration schemes buzz Surveys being conducted by the income tax department are quite a talking point in the tricity. The surveys increased particulalry towards the last days of Income Declaration Scheme, 2016, which ended on Friday. It allowed people to declare their income and avoid going to jail. Industrial units, shops, even educational institutions -- all are under the radar. The other day tax sleuths landed on the premises of chain of a prominent school in the tricity. arvind.chhabra@hindustantimes.com SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The evacuation drive started by the district administration in border villages has fallen flat as most residents have refused to leave their homes until there is firing from across the border. Residents who had vacated their houses on Thursday were also seen returning, claiming they cannot afford to leave their livestock and crops. Seeking cooperation of residents, additional director general of police (ADGP, law and order) Hardeep Singh Dhillon, additional chief secretary Jagpal Singh Sandhu, deputy inspector general (DIG) AK Mittal and Batala senior superintendent of police (SSP) Daljinder Singh visited the border villages asking them to move to safer places. The team also visited villages that falls across the Ravi. Most families, however, refused to leave their homes, said sources. The administration is claiming that 30% of the villages have been evacuated, but sources say only about 10% of the people have agreed to move. Our repeated requests have had no effect on villagers, said a senior district official, on the condition of anonymity. Harbant Singh, an octogenarian from Ghianeke Bet village, said he had lost too much during the 1965 and 1971 wars, and will not leave his home at any cost. Its not easy to vacate our places. We have to make arrangements for our cattle and crop, he said. The administration has also appealed to the residents in border villages to switch off their lights during the night. ALL FACILITIES AT RELIEF CAMPS Speaking to the villagers at Ghanieke Bet near Dera Baba Nanak, Jagpal Singh Sandhu said that the state government had made all the requisite arrangements for the safety of border residents. In the wake of possible military action by Pakistan after surgical strike by the Indian Army across the LOC, the state government has taken all requisite precautionary steps to ensure safety of the people of the border area, he said. Sandhu said border people of Punjab are brave and hardworking and they have already undergone wars between India and Pakistan.Sandhu said the state government has set up relief camps for those who are migrating from their houses and they will get every facility including fodder for their cattle at these camps. Sandhu said the district administration has set up 13 camps at Dera Baba Nanak and Gurdaspur blocks. As the crucial night of Thursday passed off peacefully, the border residents expecting no retaliation from Pakistan now wish to return to their villages. Even as security forces are not allowing people to return, those who remained back with their livestock are against vacating the villages, as they know the topography better and could help the army in case of any intrusion. Sardar Singh, a resident of Simbal Sakol village on the zero line, said hell prefer to stay back to assist the armed forces. Meanwhile, some more people arrived at camps, where the local administration and gurdwara committees are serving food and providing shelter. Pathankot senior superintendent of police (SSP) Rakesh Kaushal said his force is looking after the vacated village and residents moving to camps should not fear for their property. PRINCIPAL SECY TAKES STOCK OF ARRANGEMENTS Principal secretary, planning, SR Laddar on Friday visited Pathankot and adjoining areas to take stock of arrangements for the displaced residents. He also visited some camps and asked officials to ensure all possible help, including health facilities, for them. Earlier, Laddar chaired a meeting with the Pathankot administration, including deputy commissioner Amit Kumar. He asked the DC to seek help from the Chandigarh office if Pathankot had shortage of officers and vehicles. We will supply the required items including manpower, said Laddar. The DC said he is personally looking after round-theclock arrangements, including telephone lines. He said 20 buses ferrying people out of villages are being guarded by the police. As he surveyed his largely deserted village along Indias border with Pakistan, Kuldeep Singh cast his mind to his childhood when his home was on the frontline of a full-blown war between the two arch rivals. All of this reminds me of when I was a boy back in 1971, and I can now understand what my father must have felt like, sending me away to live with his relatives back then, said the father of three. My wife and kids are already getting restless to come back home... Im also missing them but we dont yet know whats going to happen, so its better to wait another day or two. The 54-year-old farm labourer sent his wife and three children to live with relatives after a dramatic escalation of tensions between the two nuclear armed-rivals this week which saw India carry out a series of strikes on the Pakistani side of the Line of Control, a de facto border, in Kashmir. Residents of Naushehra Dhalla village near the India-Pakistan border in Amritsar, just after the government ordered evacuation for the fear of war after its strike across the LoC in kashmir, on September 29. (Gurpreet Singh/HT) The evacuation order was delivered over the loudspeaker from the local gurdwara (Sikh temple) in what is a mainly Sikh village. The familys village of Naushehra Dhalla is around 40 kilometres from Amritsar and barely a kilometre from the border. Like Kashmir, Punjab, which was also divided between India and Pakistan when both gained their independence at the end of British colonial rule seven decades ago, became a battlefield when the two countries went to war in 1965 and 1971. Also read | Balloons with sword message in Urdu for PM land in Punjabs Dinanagar While the Indian government says it has no desire for a further escalation in the situation, it has nevertheless ordered thousands of villagers to move away from the border in case they once again become a theatre of war. While most of Naushehra Dhallas 4,500 residents have sought shelter elsewhere, a few male residents have stayed behind to look after their land and livestock and protect their property from potential looters. Speaking to a reporter while huddled in the centre of the village, those who have remained all said they felt they couldnt afford to do otherwise but had no illusions about what was at stake. Theatre of war Lakhvinder Singh, a 58-year-old tailor, said he too had vivid memories of the 1971 war when Naushehra Dhalla also emptied in a matter of hours and soldiers took over their mud-hut homes. The shelling and firing started around 5.15pm in the evening and we left by around 9.30pm the same night, he said. We could see the light of bombs and gunfire in the dark night from both the sides. It is tense at the moment but I dont think there will be war there shouldnt be a war. Residents of Naushehra Dhalla village leaving after evacuation orders on Thursday, September 29. (Gurpreet Singh/HT Photos) But if there is, its people like us who will lose the most. Even though we are happy for what our government has done with an attack on terrorists, we dont think war will do us any good. Since the 1971 war, which led to Bangladeshs (formerly East Pakistan) independence, both countries have become nuclear powers, which means that any sharp downturn in relations sends alarm bells ringing in diplomatic circles. Dont miss | Harvest due, hard to leave: War fear in Punjab, a ground reality Sohan Singh talks about the fears and possibilities of war. (AFP Photo) In another village even closer to the border, Sohan Singh said he could remember way back to partition when Punjab became the main setting for the largest mass migration in history before becoming a war zone. Sohan Singh, who gave his age as about 85, said there was no way that he would take to his heels and desert the small village of Danoi Khurd also close to the border. Where will we go? If we leave, we will starve, said Sohan, surrounded by around two dozen male villagers who were all discussing the tensions. Ill be here for as long as I am alive. The Punjab Heritage and Tourism Promotion Board has initiated repair work of old and historic monuments here to make the city a heritage town of the state. The tourism department is set to spend over Rs 20 crore on the renovation of the Gol Kothi, Moorish Mosque, Buggi Khana and Bhoot Bangla and Durbar Hall, a monument of Indo-Saracenic architecture in the city. Anjali Bhawra, principal secretary of tourism, on Friday visited the city for inspection of the ongoing work at the 126-year-old Darbar Hall and Moorish mosque, built by Maharaja Jagatjit Singh of Kapurthala. Bhawra, accompanied by local administration officials and a team of officials from Chandigarh, visited Durbar Hall, Moorish Mosque, and Goal Kothi to take stock of the dilapidated condition of the heritage structures. She said that her visit was focused on reviewing the ongoing work at heritage buildings and need for the preservation of the old monuments after seeing their historic importance. The city is known for its prominent buildings based on French and Indo-Saracenic architecture. Deputy commissioner (DC), Jaskiran Singh said that after the visit of the tourism secretary, the district administration has started preparing the budget plan for conservation of other important heritage buildings. We have discussed the Kanjli wetland park project for renovation and she has told me to send a proposal for it soon so that the state government can also release funds for it in coming weeks, Singh said. Presently, the repair work is going on at Durbar Hall and Moorish mosque and would be completed in five months. The work on Darbar Hall is being carried out by the Rajputana Constructions Private Limited, a form from Jaipur, at a cost of Rs 5 crore, funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB). The DC said that after conservation of historical monuments, the city once known as Mini Paris of Punjab would be promoted as a heritage town of the state, to boost tourism in the city. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON On the first day of his visit to border districts in Punjab on Saturday, chief minister Parkash Singh Badal assured farmers, who have moved to safer places leaving behind their ripe paddy, that the Border Security Force (BSF) will be helping them in harvesting their crop by providing adequate security. During his four-day tour to monitor arrangements in place for people evacuated from border villages in the wake of Indian Armys surgical strikes inside Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, the CM visited Pathankot and Gurdaspur districts. Read | Harvest due, hard to leave: War fear in Punjab, a ground reality A migrant labourer left behind spraying pesticide over a field near the zero line on Thursday. (Gurpreet Singh/HT Photo) Read | As tensions escalate, help yet to reach ground zero in Punjab Addressing the displaced villagers at a relief camp at Gurdwara Barth Sahib in Pathankot district, Badal said they will be able to go to their fields to harvest their crops under the protection of the security forces. I discussed the issue with Union home minister Rajnath Singh, who allowed us to get the BSFs assistance, he said. On villagers concern over repeated displacement and need for permanent alternative shelter away from the border during such exigencies, Badal said once the situation normalises, he would take steps in this direction. The CM later visited border villages in Bamyal sector to know about problems being faced by people who have stayed back to guard their crop and livestock. Alternative arrangements for students by Oct 3 Chandigarh: The Punjab education department on Saturday asked its officials to make temporary arrangements to ensure studies of children affected due to evacuation along the International Border are not hampered. Director of public instruction (DPI, secondary education) Balbir Singh Dhol said all divisional and district education officers have been told to coordinate with the students in affected areas and put in place the alternative academic arrangements by October 3. Students have also been exempted from wearing school uniform, he said. Passing another gurmata (religious decree) outside the Akal Takht, parallel jathedars appointed by the radicals stated on Friday here that they will take action against Punjab deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal on October 26 for not appearing before them with action-taken report in the sacrilege cases. After a brief meeting at the highest temporal seat of the Sikh faith, acting Akal Takht jathedar Dhian Singh Mand, and jathedars Amrik Singh Ajnala (Kesgarh Sahib) and Baljit Singh Daduwal (Damdama Sahib) said they had summoned Sukhbir as home department head and extended the deadline twice. Sikhs are hurt that those behind sacrilege havent been caught. Well ask Sikh public how to treat Sukhbir, Mand told the media. Union minister and Punjab Bharatiya Janata Party chief Vijay Sampla has called upon the partys district units of border areas to jump into action and help local residents evacuate their homes following a threat of attack from Pakistan. Chairing an emergency meeting of the core group and state office-bearers at the Circuit House here, Sampla asked party workers to ensure every possible help to those being shifted to safer places by the state government. BJP leaders and activists should collaborate with the administration in whatever manner possible so that the evacuation process is carried out with ease. Also, it should be ensured that the displaced people do not face any food, shelter and medical care-related problems, he said. Read | As tensions escalate, help yet to reach ground zero in Punjab Sampla, BJPs core group and state office-bearers also praised the Army and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for conducting surgical strikes on terror camps across the LoC. Indians now have a sense of increased selfesteem and have started believing themselves. The whole nation is rallying behind Modi. State secretary Vineet Joshi said owing to the changed circumstances, it was decided to change the venue of the state executive meeting October 2 from Pathankot to Chandigarh. The meeting was attended by BJP national vice-president Avinash Rai Khanna, leader of BJP legislature party and cabinet minister Bhagat Chunni Lal, former state BJP president and cabinet minister Madan Mohan Mittal, MLA Manoranjan Kalia, former state president Brij Lal Rinwa, former president Rajinder Bhandari, former president and MLA Ashwini Sharma and other state functionaries. It is always good to increase your wealth and holdings, and one sure way to achieve this is by buying property. Since money and investments mean security, the more the better. If the time of investment coincides with a festival or a particularly auspicious time, then it is the icing on the proverbial cake! Go ahead and invest! The Navratra (nine nights) beginning today are part of one of the most auspicious periods of the year in India. Beginning from the first day of the waxing moon fortnight of the Hindi calendar month of Asvin, this period is also known as Sharad Navratra after the Hindi season of Sharad (the beginning of winter coinciding with the months of September and October). Navratra are dedicated to the worship of Shakti as mother goddess Durga in her nine manifestations Shailputri, Brahmacharini, Chandraghanta, Kushmanda, Skandmata, Katyayani, Kalratri, Mahagauri and Siddhidhatri. The stories of the Goddess narrated in the Durga Saptshati ( Hindu religious text describing the Goddess as the supreme power) signify victory of good over evil. Celebrated across the country, the Navratra, it is believed, is auspicious for any initiative started in this period. For many people this means buying property. Developers hope to make maximum sales in this season. The Navratra days are determined as per the Hindi calendar and continue for nine days, though one day has been added this year with the pratipada ( the first day by the Hindi calendar ) being observed over two days. So Navmi or ninth day is on October 10 and Vijayadashami on October 11. Navratra is celebrated four times in a year. These are Vasant Navratra, which falls in the spring season in the Chaitra month around March- April, the Ashada Navratra, which is in the summer during June-July, the Sharad Navratra ( which starts today) and the Magh Navratra in January- February. Out of the four Navratra in the year the Sharad Navratra starting today is considered to be the most auspicious one and is known as Mahanavratra. Delhi-based astrologer Pandit Navin Sharma says that its believed that all the dasham dwar (ten gates of the ten directions) to divinity are open during this time, with the all pervading environment of devotion and prayers. This leads to the belief that any venture or work started now will be lucky for them. If youve been following the teasers for MasterChef Indias latest season, you may have figured that the current edition is all about showcasing glocal food with a molecular gastronomy twist. That explains why Zorawar Kalra the man behind Farzi Cafe and Masala Library is set to replace Sanjeev Kapoor as one of the three judges on the show. The other two judges are chefs: Vikas Khanna, and Kunal Kapur (who returns after Season 3). Read: MasterChef Australias Gary Mehigan loves dosas and Indian spices I plan to bring a more rounded perspective to the table right from the taste and presentation to the salability of the dish, says the restaurateur. Kalra, who is often referred to as the prince of Indian cuisine, plans to mentor contestants on the different aspects of opening a successful restaurant, such as understanding food costing and sourcing ingredients. Smoke on water However, considering that all the contestants are amateur cooks, we wonder if theyll be able to handle the complexities of molecular techniques. A lot of my chefs (from my restaurants) are helping us behind the scenes. The contestants are passionate about food and eager to learn, he adds. The show, in its fifth season, features contestants from cities such as San Francisco (US), London (UK) and Dubai (UAE), apart from different corners of India. The contestants will also travel to different parts of the world to carry out various challenges. #masterchefindia #vikaskhanna #chefkunalkapur #starplus #notjustahobby A photo posted by Zorawar Kalra (@zkalra) on Sep 28, 2016 at 2:38am PDT Big shoes to fill Was Kalra nervous replacing Sanjeev Kapoor, who is considered the biggest name in Indian cuisine? I dont feel any kind of pressure. I went into the show without preconceived notions. Youve seen the promos. Do I look nervous? he asks. This will be Kalras first TV appearance, and he certainly seems to be at ease. Till recently, people in metros had heard of Kalra and his restaurants. Now, being on the show will put him on TV screens across the country. But he asserts, The food will remain the star of the show. Not the contestants or the judges. Tune in MasterChef Australia will air on Star Plus every Saturday and Sunday at 8pm, starting October 1. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON He may surround himself with new staff and even listen to their advice for a while. He may stick to a scripted, more measured message if it looks to be working. But hell always be the man who cant let go of a grudge, whether its with a judge who ruled against him or a military father whose son was killed fighting for the United States overseas. Hell always be the man who embarrassed a young beauty queen about her weight, then defended his comments two decades later when Hillary Clinton raised them in a debate. And the man who on Friday just 38 days away from potentially being elected president of the United States deepened his highly personal criticism of former Miss Universe Alicia Machado in a pre-dawn Twitter tirade. Read | Not an ordinary election: News media rewrites playbook for liar Trump Did Crooked Hillary help disgusting (check out sex tape and past) Alicia M become a US citizen so she could use her in the debate? Trump wrote in a message timestamped 5.30 am. Some voters may applaud Trumps moves. Some may prefer his stubborn refusal to censor himself. Enough voters may ultimately elect him president. But Trumps pattern of abrasive behaviour has left him deeply unpopular with many Americans, particularly women and minorities, who hold significant sway in presidential elections. If Trump does win in November, hell have to figure out a way to lead a country where many people believe hes racist, sexist and uncivil. Most Republican leaders long ago gave up hope that Trump would make a full-scale pivot into a more palatable politician in the general election. But theyve still found ways to rationalize their support for him, to look past his most volatile moments and offensive rhetoric. Some Republicans hinge their hopes on a belief that if Trump is elected president, hell surround himself with high-quality experts to help guide his decision-making. House Speaker Paul Ryan and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, both of whom have their own designs on the White House, argue a Trump presidency would at least give them a chance of implementing conservative legislation in Congress, while a Clinton White House would be nothing more than an impenetrable roadblock. Read | Trump injects Bill Clinton-Monica Lewinsky sex scandal into 2016 race Protesters display placards outside the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi, Michigan on Friday, during a campaign rally by US Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. (AFP Photo) But Republicans might also worry that Clintons ability to get under Trumps skin so easily has provided a blueprint that world leaders like Russias Vladimir Putin could use to rile him as president. And they should have no illusions that the brash businessman can control his belligerent behaviour and avoid offending many Americans. Trumps decades in the public eye are littered with examples of long-held grudges with business associates and demeaning comments about women. One of his first moves after clinching the Republican nomination was to start a feud with US District Court Judge Gonzalo Curiel, claiming his Mexican heritage made him biased against Trump in a legal case. Trump emerged from the party conventions this summer locked in an ugly fight with Khizr Khan, an American Muslim whose son was killed serving the US Army in Iraq. The latest controversy came at one of the most critical stages of the campaign on the debate stage in front of a televised audience of 84 million people and with early voting already underway in some states. Trump struggled in Monday nights debate to fend off Clintons criticism of comments he made about Machado two decades earlier. When Clinton accused him of calling the former Miss Universe Miss Piggy, he said, Where did you find this? Where did you find this? Rather than let the matter go, he defended himself the next morning, apparently blind to how offensive his comments seemed. She gained a massive amount of weight, said Trump, who owned the pageant at the time she won. It was a real problem. We had a real problem. Surely by weeks end, Trump was aware that his criticism of Machado risked damaging his campaign and giving Clinton fresh fodder to argue that he is too thin-skinned to serve as commander in chief. That made his decision to keep the story alive Friday and deepen his denigration of Machado all the more perplexing. Using Alicia M in the debate as a paragon of virtue just shows that Crooked Hillary suffers from BAD JUDGEMENT! Hillary was set up by a con, Trump wrote in one of three early morning messages about the Venezuelan-born Machado, who is now an American citizen. Clinton advisers can hardly believe their good fortune as the race barrels toward the finish line. The Democrat has been dragged down by decades of her own baggage and has struggled to persuade voters she is honest and trustworthy. And the race with Trump is far closer than most Clinton supporters expected. But the core of Clintons case against Trump has always been that the Republican is too hypersensitive to be trusted in the Oval Office. And just over five weeks from Election Day, Trump is giving her more evidence. When something gets under Donalds thin skin, he lashes out and cant let go, Clinton wrote in her own Twitter message Friday. This is dangerous for a president. When something gets under Donald's thin skin, he lashes out and can't let go. This is dangerous for a president. Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) September 30, 2016 Five weeks from election day, the gloves are off between Donald Trump and the media, with American news outlets going so far as to call the Republican White House nominee a liar on their news pages. Trump is facing a new level of scrutiny in the domestic press, including investigations into his charitable foundation and his business dealings, and checks of his multiple distortions of facts. The normally restrained New York Times recently decided to call out Trump on its news pages for lies after the billionaire blamed his opponent Hillary Clinton for starting the birther movement questioning whether President Barack Obama was born in the United States. It was demonstrably and unequivocally false and he had to know it, Times editor Dean Baquet said in a recent interview with his newspaper. To have not called it a lie would have been odd, it would have been false on our part. CNN broke with its editorial custom on the same occasion by plainly stating in an on-screen banner that Trump had falsely accused his Democratic rival. While Trump has up to now appeared to have used the US media to his benefit -- accruing hundreds of hours of exposure to voters -- that may be changing, analysts say. The media have slowly come to understand this cannot be covered like a normal presidential campaign, said Dan Kennedy, a journalism professor at Northeastern University. Trump has repeated falsehoods often enough that they clearly are lies. He is perpetrating falsehoods deliberately. Weve never seen that before from a presidential candidate. Newspaper endorsements The tougher media approach comes against a backdrop of unprecedented acrimony between Trump and segments of the news media, said Allan Lichtman, a political historian at American University in Washington. The Manhattan billionaire has attacked members of the media personally, calling reporters sleaze and scum. Of course candidates have criticised the media before, but no candidate has ever savaged the media as Donald Trump has, making it a fundamental part of his message, Lichtman told AFP. Trumps credibility with the media is so low that dozens of traditionally conservative outlets have either endorsed Clinton or called Trump unfit to be president. The Dallas Morning News and Arizona Republic broke new ground by endorsing a Democrat. USA Today, the large national daily which has never before taken a position on a presidential race, called the Republican a dangerous demagogue, without endorsing Clinton. Protesters display placards outside the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi, Michigan. (AFP Photo) The staunchly Republican Chicago Tribune meanwhile endorsed Libertarian Gary Johnson, and called Trump not fit to lead. Trump has responded -- by stepping up his attacks on the media. On Twitter, he sought to downplay recent investigative reports, saying, dont believe sources said by the VERY dishonest media. If they dont name the sources, the sources dont exist. He then went after newspapers refusing to endorse him, tweeting, the people are really smart in cancelling subscriptions to the Dallas & Arizona papers & now USA Today will lose readers! He said, she said Brendan Nyhan, a Dartmouth University political scientist, said Trump has forced the media to test its limits on objectivity. Nyhan argues that to simply say the media is going up against Trump -- as his supporters routinely claim -- plays into a liberal bias story and fails to take into account the lack of scrutiny Trump has received so far. Trump has forced the media to reckon with the limits of he said, she said coverage that bends over backwards to avoid any possible bias, Nyhan said. The way Trump has been covered to this point doesnt do justice to the repeated inaccurate claims he has made. Angelo Carusone, executive vice president of the left-leaning watchdog group Media Matters for America, sees the greater scrutiny -- both of Trumps statements and his track record -- as positive. What the media are doing now is good, but I would say its too little, too late, he said. They showered him with uncritical coverage for over a year that allowed him to steamroll through the primary process. Counter-narrative As the roller-coaster White House campaign barrels on, Trump appears to follow the old adage that any publicity is good publicity, Carusone argued. Even if some of his claims are outrageous, he is controlling the terms of the debate, he said. In a fragmented media environment, Trump has also managed to solidify his base by reaching voters directly through Twitter and conservative online media outlets, said Carusone. His supporters, for example, were able to spread the message #TrumpWins after last weeks debate, making that a trending topic, even though scientific polls showed Clinton as clear victor. His ability to tell a counter-narrative has been jarring for members of the press corps, Carusone said. Lichtman noted however that Trumps ability to circumvent the mainstream media -- while it helped for the Republican primaries -- wont help him in a tight general election. He is stuck in the low 40s and he has to go beyond his core supporters to win, Lichtman said. He cant do that through alternative media. An Afghan air force strike killed five soldiers and a police officer in western Afghanistan, an official said on Saturday, the latest in a series of so-called friendly fire incidents. Afghan helicopters mistakenly bombed their own forces after calling in air support as they battled the Taliban in the Kensk area of Farah province late on Friday, Dawlat Waziri, a defence ministry spokesperson, said. Because of the wrong coordinates, helicopters bombed an Afghan forces checkpoint that unfortunately left five soldiers and a police officer dead, he said. An investigation into the incident has been launched, he added. Last month a US air raid killed eight Afghan policemen in the southern province of Uruzgan, in the first such incident since American forces were given greater powers to strike at insurgents. The US military in Afghanistan, however, said its forces were not involved in the air strike in Farah. Civilian and military casualties caused by NATO and Afghan forces have been one of the most contentious issues in the 15-year campaign against Taliban insurgents, prompting harsh public and government criticism. A US air strike killed up to 10 Afghan soldiers in July last year at an army checkpoint in Logar province south of Kabul, one of the deadliest episodes of friendly fire by foreign forces in recent years. Afghanistan has a tiny air force compared to NATOs fleet, which carried out supply operations, air strikes and emergency evacuations until the drawdown of foreign coalition forces in 2014. The air force has recently began bombing Taliban militants as the fighting rages in several provinces across the country. Bulgaria on Friday banned wearing Islamic veils in public that cover the face, joining a small number of EU countries as the debate on religious freedoms rages across Europe. Parliament approved the law that bans wearing in public clothing that partially or completely covers the face, referring to the burqa or the more common niqab. Infringements carry fines of 200 leva (approximately Rs 7600, $114), rising to 1,500 leva for repeated offences. Bulgarias mostly centuries-old Muslim community, dating back to conversions during Ottoman times, makes up around 13% of the population, mostly in the Turkish minority. Muslim women in Bulgaria have generally worn just a simple scarf to cover their hair. But in recent times, there has been a small rise in the number of women wearing the niqab among ultra-conservative Muslim communities of the Roma minority. The often impoverished and marginalised Roma make up just under 10% of Bulgarias population, around a third of whom are Muslim. Several Bulgarian towns had already banned the niqab at a local level. The legislation was approved despite opposition from the MDL Turkish minority party which accused the other parties of sowing religious intolerance. Rights group Amnesty International strongly criticised the ban. This law is part of a disturbing trend of intolerance, xenophobia and racism in Bulgaria, the groups Europe director John Dalhuisen said in a statement. France and Belgium have both banned the burqa or niqab and Switzerlands lower house this week narrowly approved a draft bill on a nationwide ban. In August, Germanys interior minister came out in favour of a partial ban. France was also this summer embroiled in a row over bans on the burkini, a full-body Islamic swimsuit, in resorts around the Riviera. A poll published earlier this month showed Britons are strongly in favour of a burqa ban. Also read | Disdain in Britain, US for French burkini ban Californias governor on Friday signed a measure mandating prison time for people who rape unconscious or intoxicated victims, the fallout in the case of an ex-Stanford student athlete that sparked widespread outrage. Governor Jerry Brown signed the legislation just weeks after 21-year-old Brock Turner, formerly on the Stanford swim team, was released from jail. Turner served just three months of his six-month sentence for raping an intoxicated and unconscious 22-year-old woman behind a dumpster at a fraternity house. Brown said in a statement that he is generally opposed to adding more mandatory sentences. However he believes this legislation brings a measure of parity to sentencing for criminal acts that are substantially similar, he said in a statement. Mandatory minimum sentence critics often say that these measures disproportionately affect minority and low-income defendants, and result in prison overcrowding. Brown also signed into law a bill expanding the legal definition of rape to include all forms of nonconsensual sexual assault. The judge who handled the Turner case, Aaron Persky -- himself a Stanford alum -- set off a firestorm of outrage in June when he sentenced the swimmer to just six months in prison followed by three years of probation, ignoring prosecutors call for a six-year prison term. The case threw a spotlight on the problem of rape and sexual assault on US college campuses, amid criticism that handling of these cases is often lax and has given rise to a climate of impunity. Turners victim, identified as Emily Doe, made a powerful statement at his sentencing that drew international attention. Rapists like Brock Turner shouldnt be let off with a slap on the wrist, said Evan Low, a state assemblyman and co-author of the legislation, in a statement. Judge Perskys ruling was unjustifiable and morally wrong, the lawmaker said. However, under current state law it was within his discretion. While we cant go back and change what happened, we can make sure it never happens again. China has blocked a tributary of the Brahmaputra river in Tibet as part of the construction of its hydro project, which could cause concern in India as it may impact the water flow into the country. The Lalho project on Xiabuqu river, a tributary of the Brahmaputra in Tibets Xigaze, is being constructed with an investment of 4.95 billion yuan (USD 740 million), making it the most expensive project in China, according to the state-run news agency, Xinhua. The project began construction in June 2014, and was scheduled to be completed in 2019. Also known as Shigatse, Xigaze is closely located to Sikkim. From here, the Brahmaputra flows into Arunachal Pradesh. It is not clear yet what impact the blockade of the river will have on the flow of the river into the lower riparian countries India and Bangladesh. In March, Indias Union minister of state for water resources, Sanwar Lal Jat, said in a statement that the country had expressed its concerns to China about the likely impact of the dams. But China has been maintaining that it has taken into consideration Indias concerns and allays apprehensions of restricting the flow of water, saying its dams are run of the river projects not designed to hold water. Last year, China had operationalised the USD 1.5 billion Zam Hydropower Station, the largest in Tibet, built on the Brahmaputra river, which has raised concerns in India. Also, the outline of Chinas 12th Five Year Plan indicates that three more hydropower projects on the mainstream of the Brahmaputra river in Tibet Autonomous Region have been approved for implementation. While there is no water treaty between the countries, India and China established an Expert Level Mechanism (ELM) on trans-border rivers, and in October 2013 the two governments signed a memorandum of understanding on strengthening cooperation on trans-border rivers under which Beijing provides data to India on the water flows. The blockade of the Brahmaputra river tributary comes at a time that India is considering reviewing the Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan, which considers China its all-weather ally, in the aftermath of the Uri attack. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang gave a guarded reply when asked on September 27 about Indias reported move. As a friendly neighbour to both India and Pakistan, China hopes that India and Pakistan can properly address disputes and improve relations through dialogue and consultation, maintain and enhance all-round cooperation and join hands to promote regional peace, stability and development, Shuang told PTI. Some of the rivers under the Indus Waters Treaty originate in China. Serzh sargsyan visits the Embassy of China in Yerevan On the occasion of the National Day of the Peoples Republic of China, Serzh Sargsyan visited today the Embassy of China in the Republic of Armenia. On the occasion of the 67th anniversary of creation of the PRC, the President congratulated on behalf of the Armenian people and his own behalf Ambassador Tien Erlong, the staff of the Embassy and in their person the friendly people of China. On the occasion of the holiday, Serzh Sargsyan sent also a congratulatory message to the President of China Xi Jinping which reads: Excellency, I cordially congratulate you and send you and the friendly people of China my best wishes on the 67th anniversary of creation of the Peoples Republic of China. I note with great satisfaction that the friendly relations between Armenia and China recently have registered a steady progress. We are witnessing how step by step the agreements reached at our meeting during my 2015 state visit to China are being implemented while the subsequent numerous high-level reciprocal visits are giving a new impetus to the further deepening of our relations. Distinguished Mr. President, I am ready together with you to work for further deepening and strengthening of the friendly relations and cooperation existing between our countries for the benefit of our peoples. I wish Your Excellency great health and success, as well as happiness and prosperity to the friendly people of China. The army has often played a prominent role in the governance of Pakistan as democracy has not been tailored to its environment, the countrys former president Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf said. Army has always had a role since our independence. It has played a very prominent role in the governance of Pakistan, mainly because of misgovernance by all the so-called democratically-elected governments, Musharraf said in an interview at the Washington Ideas Forum on Thursday. He said the inherent weakness of Pakistan is that democracy in the country has not been tailored in accordance with the dictates of the environment. There are no checks and balances within the system. The constitution doesnt provide those checks and balances. Therefore, the military is forced and pulled, sucked into the political environment, especially when misgovernance is going on and Pakistan is going down in all socioeconomic indicators. The public and the people massively run towards the army chief, and that is how the army gets involved, Musharraf said, justifying the frequent military coups in the country. He said this was the reason for Pakistan having military governments and the army enjoying high stature. The people of Pakistan love the army and demand a lot from it. So Im very proud of the fact that army has backed me because Ive been with them for over 40 years. I fought wars with them, Ive fought two wars and Ive fought a number of actions with them. So I know they are my constituency, he said in response to a question. So, therefore, we have to maybe tailor the political structure in accordance with the dictates of Pakistan, introduce checks and balances so that misgovernance does not take place and the army does not have to come into politics, Musharraf said. The former president also said that if he was in power, he would be counter-threatening India in the wake of the recent surgical strikes in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Read | PM Modi hits out at Pakistan, says India wont forget Uri attack ...they are threatening us that they are going to strike us at the time and place of their choosing. Now, this has been said by nobody less than Prime Minister, defence minister and the director general of military operations. This is a very serious matter, he said. I think the war hysteria that is being created in India, I repeat, India, not in Pakistan, is an issue. They do that always. This is not the only time. Every time they do that, Musharraf said He further alleged that the United States has used his country at its convenience and ditched it. Pakistans electronic media regulator has warned it will begin cracking down on satellite TV channels and cable networks airing excessive Indian content and the beaming of Indian channels on illegal direct-to-home (DTH) platforms. The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) said in a statement issued on Thursday that it had received numerous complaints against Indian content.PEMRA chief Absar Alam said after October 15, the regulator will start a drive against Indian channels airing in Pakistan and give exemplary punishment. PEMRA said all satellite TV channels and distribution networks should follow the law of the land and voluntarily discontinue all illegal activities immediately. The move came a day after cinema exhibitors announced they would not screen Indian movies for the foreseeable future to express unity with Pakistans armed forces amid a tense standoff with India. Nadeem Mandviwalla, head of the exhibitors union, told reporters that it was taking some time to bring everyone on the same page since the ban was an initiative by cinema owners and not the government. The crackdown on Indian movies and serials comes against the backdrop of heightened tensions between the two countries. India said on Thursday its special forces had carried out surgical strikes on terrorists across the Line of Control in Kashmir. Pakistan denied the raids but said two of its soldiers were killed in cross-LoC firing. PEMRA said it was receiving numerous complaints on illegal Indian content on TV channels and cable networks. The removal of Indian content will send a positive signal to the public about commitment to rule of law, it said. Read| Indian cinema will face losses: Pahlaj Nihalani on banning Pakistani artists The spike in tensions has had an impact on the film and television industries in both countries. Pakistani actors in India received threats from hardline groups and were asked to return home. Some Indian channels have taken Pakistani content off the air. The ban on the screening of Indian movies followed a move by the Indian Motion Pictures Producers Association (IMPPA) to prohibit Pakistani actors and technicians from working on Bollywood sets. It is deeply regrettable that a film trade body, the IMPPA, has passed a resolution to ban Pakistani stars and technicians from working in India, said a statement from Pakistans Film Exhibitors and Distributors group. It added the screening of Indian films would be suspended until normalcy returns. We were taking things lightly initially, since the so-called ban (on Pakistani artists in India) was just a few mischief-mongers hurling anti-Pakistan slogans Mandviwalla said. But things have gotten serious after the official (IMPPA) declaration. Cinema employees in Karachi were seen removing giant posters advertising Indian films over the weekend and replacing them with banners for Pakistani and Hollywood movies. Read| Pakistan theatres ban Indian films after Bollywood shuns Pak artistes Film exhibitors demanded the ban be expanded to TV channels. A ban wont be effective if confined to just cinemas. Going to a cinema is a choice, but TV channels air content from India all the time, said one exhibitor. We must completely black out Indian content. Remove it from TV channels and from DVD shops. Otherwise, theres no point. Cinema owners said the ban should continue until the Indian government offers Pakistani films a level playing field and Pakistani artists complete protection. Pakistans largest network of cinemas, Cinepax, announced on Friday it had decided to feature only Pakistani content in October. Cinepax believes art transcends boundaries and that Pakistani artists should not be held hostage to political events. To support our artists and the defenders of the nation, we are only exhibiting the best of Pakistani content, said a statement on its Facebook page. Cinepax will celebrate Pakistani cinema in partnership with the armys media wing, the statement added. Indian movies are screened in a majority of Pakistani cinemas as the countrys filmmakers produce far fewer movies. Indian content is also aired on cable channels in most Pakistani cities and pirated copies of Bollywood movies are usually available in Islamabad and Lahore within days of their release. Indian DTH dishes and set top boxes, which are smuggled into Pakistan, are sold at a premium in most cities. To counter the proliferation of Indian DTH platforms, PEMRA is trying to put into effect a DTH licensing scheme. PEMRA has issued several directives in the past on restricting illegal Indian content on Pakistani TV channels and cable networks. For more stories on the latest tensions between India-Pakistan, click here (With inputs from agencies) Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte should not be compared to Adolf Hitler, and his reference to the Holocaust was an oblique deflection of claims he is a mass murderer, his spokesman said on Saturday, as anger smouldered over his incendiary remarks. Dutertes comments on Friday that he wished to kill millions of drug dealers as part of his anti-narcotics war, and those he made about the deaths of millions of Jews, were two entirely different things, Ernesto Abella said in one of two statements, which stopped short of an apology. The presidents reference to the slaughter was an oblique deflection of the way he has been pictured as a mass murderer, a Hitler, a label he rejects, Abella said. He likewise draws an oblique conclusion, that while the Holocaust was an attempt to exterminate the future generations of Jews, the so-called extrajudicial killings, wrongly attributed to him, will nevertheless result in the salvation of the next generation of Filipinos. The maverick 71-year-old president appeared to liken himself on Friday to the Nazi leader, and said he would be happy to slaughter three million Filipino drug users and peddlers, adding that he had been portrayed by critics as a cousin of Hitler. If Germany had Hitler, the Philippines would have..., he said, pausing and pointing to himself. More than 3,100 people have been killed since Duterte Harry, as he has been dubbed, took office on June 30 and kicked off a drugs war that was the bedrock of his election campaign. Most of those killed were drug users and dealers, with some deaths during shootouts in police operations and others the work of vigilantes, police say. Shock and anger The near-daily tide of astonishing remarks from Duterte has caused outrage in the West, although he is popular among Filipinos for delivering on promises as president and as mayor of the city of Davao for 22 years before that. The Hitler comments triggered shock and anger among Jewish groups in the US, which pressured Washington to take a tougher line with the unpredictable leader of a country that has long been a dependable US ally. Abella said Duterte recognised the deep significance of the Holocaust and that the initial comparison to Hitler did not originate from the president. The (presidential) palace deplores the Hitler allusion of President Dutertes anti-drug war as another crude attempt to vilify the president in the eyes of the world. Duterte was elected in May on the back of a vow to end endemic problems of drugs and corruption in the country of 100 million people. When challenged about the drugs deaths, he has insulted US President Barack Obama, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, among others, and the bulk of his criticism has been levelled at Washington. US defence and diplomatic officials have responded by saying their relationships with their Philippine counterparts will remain business as usual. Many analysts say Dutertes meteoric rise to the presidency will not only change the status quo in the Philippines, but may also impact geopolitics and how far he is willing to test partnerships with countries like Japan, the US and, most recently, Vietnam. Closely watched will be the extent of his overtures towards China. Duterte has said the Philippines, a longtime US treaty ally, was seeking to build many news alliances and could turn to Russia and China for help, including on tackling his countrys drug problem. Saarc member nation Maldives has urged that the 19th summit be held at an early date than was scheduled, going against the majority view in the grouping. India followed by Bangladesh, Bhutan, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka had pulled out of the summit, which was set to be held in Islamabad on November 9 and 10, citing the atmosphere prevailing in the region as not conducive. Read | Pakistan postpones Saarc summit, new dates to be announced soon The Maldives encouraged States to provide a valuable opportunity for the leaders to discuss critical issues facing the region and expressed hope that the required measures will be taken by relevant member states to convene the Summit at an early date, the island nation said in a statement. The government of Maldives urged the member countries of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) to create an environment conducive for holding the 19th Saarc Summit. The appeal by the government of Maldives follows the decisions by some of the Saarc member states who have expressed their inability to attend the Summit scheduled for November due to terrorism, and threats to regional and international peace. The Maldives condemns international terrorism, especially those originating from outside, the statement said. The developments come amidst tensions between India and Pakistan, the host country for this summit, after India blamed its neighbour for harbouring the militants it believes had carried out attacks on an army camp in Uri last month. Read | Pakistan is a terrorist state, carries out war crimes: India at UNGA India had linked regional cooperation to terrorism and opted out of the summit. Within a day, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Bhutan also announced they would be unable to attend the meet, later followed by Sri Lanka. The move by the five countries meant the summit cannot go ahead as the Saarc Charter states all decisions must be made by unanimity. The absence of even one member state leads to the automatic postponement or cancellation of a summit. Saarc was founded in 1985 for regional and economic integration. Its eight member states are Afghanistan, India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and the Maldives. The last Saarc summit was held in 2014 in Kathmandu where the bodys secretariat is. The Maldives last hosted a Saarc summit in 2011, the 17 such meeting of member states. Also read | Why pulling out of Saarc meeting will not solve Indias Pakistan problem SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A petition launched on a government website, urging Britain to strongly condemn Pakistan for providing safe haven to terrorists, clocked more than 3,000 signatures on Saturday . If the petition, launched by one Naman Paropkari in the backdrop of the Uri attack, receives 10,000 signatures, the British government will respond to it. At 100,000 signatures, it will considered for debate in Parliament. The petition states: Pakistan continues to double speak on issue of terrorism. It has aided & abetted enemies of the international coalition (of which Britain is a leading partner with the US) against terrorism. It added, Osama Bin Laden's hideout was in Pakistan. Pakistan continues to harbour UN sanctioned terror networks. The Inter-Services Intelligence has often been accused of playing a role in major terrorist attacks across the world including the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States, terrorism in Kashmir, Indian Parliament attack and Mumbai terror attacks. The petition further said it had been noted by many that several militant & criminal groups are backed by senior officers in the Pakistani army & the country's ISI intelligence establishment. The map of signatories so far indicated it had been signed by people across Britain, but mostly from areas with concentrations of people of Indian-origin. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON In a blunt message delivered very publicly on Friday, the United States told the Pakistani government to exercise restraint regarding the use of nuclear weapons, or the talk about it, alluding to the rhetoric coming out of Islamabad lately. I would just say nuclear-capable states have a very clear responsibility to exercise restraint regarding nuclear weapons and missile capabilities, US state department spokesman Mark Toner said at the daily briefing in response to a question, about "some of the rhetoric from the Pakistani government". "And thats my message publicly and thats certainly our message directly to the Pakistani authorities," he added. He didn't elaborate but the United States has been concerned about Pakistan's nuclear arsenal, said to be the fastest growing in the world, for a while and not only in the regional context but, and mostly, about terrorists getting access to them. There had been a sharp rise in Islamabad in talk about using nuclear weapons to prevent India from carrying out a retaliatory strike against the Uri attack by Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Muhammad on September 18. Read | Surgical farce, drama: How Pak media reacted to Indias strikes across LoC "We will destroy India if it dares to impose war on us. Pakistan army is fully prepared to answer any misadventure of India," Pakistani defence minister Khawaja Asif told a Pakistani TV channel last Monday. "We have not made an atomic device to display in a showcase. If such a situation arises we will use it and eliminate India," he had added, raising alarm not only New Delhi but capitals around the world already worried about Pakistan's nuclear arsenal, which is growing rapidly, falling into the hands of terrorists. The defence minister had made a similar threat on September 17, the day before the Uri attack. If his intention was to scare New Delhi, he failed. Two days after Asif's interview, Indian special forces crossed the Line of Control to hit a string of launchpads in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in what have been called "surgical strikes"; the extent of damage inflicted remains unclear. Read | Indias claim of surgical strikes fabrication of truth, says Pakistan army Islamabad has not fully acknowledged them yet even tried to dismiss it as a routine exchange of fire across the border and, it is feared, it may rush into something rash to thwart criticism at home of allowing a humiliating infringement of its sovereignty go unanswered. But a nuclear strike? Pakistan has talked publicly about using "low-yield, tactical nuclear weapons" (also called battlefield nuclear weapons) that are less devastating than strategic nuclear weapons that can destroy entire towns and cities. Pakistani officials have also been remarkably open about the purpose of these tactical weapons. Our nuclear programme is one dimensional: Stopping Indian aggression before it happens. It is not for starting a war. It is for deterrence, foreign secretary Aizaz Chaudhry said during a visit to the US in 2015. The United States was planning to offer Pakistan a nuclear deal then that would have capped its nuclear arsenal in exchange for access to nuclear equipment and supplies it had facilitated for India in 2008. But it didn't work out. For more stories on the latest tensions between India-Pakistan, click here The White House rushed Friday to correct a diplomatic blooper after an official transcript listed Jerusalem as part of Israel, contradicting a delicate US policy that takes no position on the citys status. The mix-up came in a transcript of President Barack Obamas eulogy at the funeral for former Israeli President Shimon Peres. The funeral took place at Mount Herzl, Israels national cemetery, in Jerusalem. The White House press office routinely issues transcripts of Obamas speeches and includes the location of the speech at the top. A transcript released shortly after the funeral listed the location as Jerusalem, Israel. Hours later, while Obama was still flying back from Israel, the White House issued a corrected transcript listing merely Jerusalem and with Israel crossed out with a line. For decades, Jerusalems status has been one of the most difficult and emotional issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The Palestinians claim east Jerusalem, captured by Israel in 1967, as the capital of their future state, but Israels government considers a united Jerusalem to be its eternal capital. Mount Herzl is on the western end of the city. US policy refuses to recognize any nations sovereignty over Jerusalem until Israelis and Palestinians resolve the citys status through negotiations. Although Israels parliament, high court and government offices are in Jerusalem, the American Embassy in Israel is in Tel Aviv, as are the vast majority of embassies in Israel. The tortured nature of a US policy that tries to avoid taking a position about a heavily populated city has occasionally caused the US headaches. Government officials have occasionally had to correct public statements in which they unwittingly lumped Jerusalem in with the country that surrounds it. Last year, the Supreme Court ruled that Americans born in Jerusalem cant list Israel as their birthplace on their passports, despite legislation Congress passed in 2002 allowing Americans to list Jerusalem in passports and calling for the U.S. Embassy to be moved to Jerusalem. Minor corrections to White House transcripts are not uncommon, and the mistake in the eulogy transcript appeared to be a clerical oversight. The White House declined to comment on the error, but pointed to a statement reiterating official US policy that Jerusalems status should be addressed in a way that respects both Israeli and Palestinian rights. We believe that through good-faith direct negotiations, the parties should mutually agree on an outcome that realizes the aspirations of both parties for Jerusalem and safeguards its unique religious status for people around the world, the statement said. Nancy Harkness Love proved her mettle in the air and gained recognition for women pilots in a mans world. It had gotten to be something of a lark for young Nancy Harkness. For quite a while, she had evaded the no flying rule of Milton Academy, the prestigious New England boarding school where she was attending high school. No one knew that she had a pilots license, so it was simply a matter of coming up with a good excuse for her to leave the lush Massachusetts campus. Once away, Harkness headed straight into Boston, and later Cape Cod, to rent an airplane for an afternoon of flying. A decade later, the young girl who would rather risk expulsion than give up flying became the head of the first group of women pilots to fly for the U.S. military. Five years later still, with World War II over, Nancy Harkness Love, like hundreds of thousands of American women who had joined the countrys war effort, returned home and started a family. Nancy Harkness Love was born to Robert Bruce and Alice Graham Harkness on February 14, 1914, in Houghton, Mich. Her father was a successful physician in that small town, home of Michigan Tech, in the northwestern corner of the state. The family enjoyed the privileges of modest affluence. Nancy and her older brother Robert were encouraged to pursue their own interests. Her biggest love was horseback riding, and she especially loved wilderness trips involving overnight camping. Dr. and Mrs. Harkness insisted that their children get a good education, and Nancy went to schools in Houghton and later in Massachusetts. In 1927, she spent a year abroad traveling and studying in Europe and was among the multitudes who witnessed Charles Lindberghs triumphant landing at Le Bourget after his successful trans-Atlantic solo flight. It was a pair of intrepid barnstorming pilots who made their way to Houghton in the summer of 1930 who really captured Nancys attention. A penny a pound and up you go, was their pitch to first-time customers. Gathering up her pennies, Nancy was among those who decided to go for a ride. Something magical happened during that flight. Even before she landed, Nancy was figuring out how to scrape up the cash for another flight and how to convince her parents to let her take flying lessons. Dr. and Mrs. Harkness were ambivalent about Nancys great plan. While Dr. Harkness had always encouraged his children to show spunk, even he was hesitant. Her mother was genuinely opposed to the idea; it simply did not mesh with her idea of how to raise ones daughter to be a well-bred lady. Nancy was persistent, however, and she ultimately won her parents indulgence. Nancy began taking lessons at age 16 in a decrepit old Fleet. Her instructor, Jimmy Hanson, was only two years older than she was and had very little experience. She stated later, I dont think he knew what made the plane stay in the air. At least he never told me. My instructions were just to keep up the flying speed.' Nancy was determined to solo before she had to return to school in Massachusetts, but that left only a month to cram in all the necessary lessons. She took to it naturally. On November 7, 1930, at age 16 1/2, Nancy Harkness was issued her private pilots license. She was ecstatic and promptly set off on her first crosscountry flying trip. She loaded up two passengers and luggage for a flight from Boston to Poughkeepsie, N.Y., in order to visit friends at Vassar College. The weather went from bad to worse, and with only 15 hours of solo time she had not yet learned how to read the aircrafts compass. Then the oil gauge broke and Nancy knew that she must land. In her own words, she made a precarious landing, but the passengers and the airplane were intact. She knew she had made a serious mistake and immediately vowed to devote more time to flying and developing her skills. Never again would she overestimate her skills. Thirty-one women held pilots licenses in January 1929. By December 1930 that number had grown to 300. More than 600 women were registered in flying schools and taking lessons. The Ninety-Nines, a women pilots organization, had been founded in late 1929 by such well-known women as Amelia Earhart, Louise Thaden, Ruth Nichols, Fay Gillis, Marjorie Stinson, Teddy Kenyon, Blanche Noyes and Bobbi Trout. These women were acutely aware of their minority status in the world of aviation (when the group was founded, only about 150 of the nations 9,800 licensed pilots were women), and they wanted to encourage more women to get involved. They believed that aviation was the way of the future and that it was important for women to be equal participants in the coming air age. It was not an auspicious time to begin their mission. The stock market crash ended societys tolerance of a decade of feminist activism. When men could no longer be the breadwinners, a new tension between the sexes erupted. The women pilots of the period were strong, resourceful women who did not conform to the traditional social expectations, a resource that proved critical in preserving their organization and their enthusiasm. Nancy Love had started college in the fall of 1931 at Vassar. She was more focused on her flying skills than her academic work, however. She earned a limited commercial license at Poughkeepsie Airport by the end of her freshman year in 1932. Her aeronautical activities received national news coverage, and Nancy was dubbed the Flying Freshman. Nancys family was not immune to the effects of the Depression. Her father, while a successful doctor, had not invested his wifes family inheritance well. By the beginning of Nancys junior year, the familys finances were really tight, and at semesters end in January 1934, it was clear that the family could not afford to send her back for her spring semester. By the fall of 1934, Nancy Harkness had found a flying job in Boston with a fledgling enterprise called Inter-City Air Service. The company had been founded by Robert Love (with financial help from his sister Margaret) in 1932. Robert Love had attended Princeton University before transferring to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge, Mass. Love learned to fly at MIT, and he decided to abandon school in favor of starting his own company. Inter-City offered every service from flight instruction to aerial surveying. This included a scheduled passenger service running from East Boston Airport (known today as Logan International Airport) as well as charter flights. Nancy was hired to help sell new airplanesa new market that Inter-City was trying to enter. It was the oldest gimmick in the book, but women pilots were used not only to persuade reluctant buyers of new aircraft but also to sell the idea of aviation to the nationafter all, the logic went, if a woman can do it then it must not be so difficult. As might be expected, given the economic condition of the United States during the early 1930s, Inter-Citys sales were slow. In 1935, a new opportunity presented itself to Nancy. Phoebe Omelie selected Harkness along with four other outstanding women pilots to staff the Bureau of Air Commerces National Air Marking Program. Air markers were intended as an auxiliary, albeit vital, navigational aid to the nations airway system of lights and radio beacons. Omelies program was to aid what we today call general aviation, whereas the sophisticated technological research efforts of the Bureau of Air Commerce were intended to support commercial flying. Each woman was assigned a specific section of the United States; Nancys assignment was the eastern seaboard stretching from Maine to Florida. The Boston Post reported in October 1935 that she had worked with Massachusetts officials to place 290 markers throughout the commonwealth. The article also noted that Nancy had recently become engaged to Robert Love. When her mother became ill in the fall of 1935, Nancy submitted a letter of resignation to the bureau in late November. She helped care for her mother, but she also focused on her upcoming wedding She and Bob Love were married on January 11, 1936, and promptly set off on a three-week flying honeymoon to California. Back in Boston after the honeymoon, Nancy worked as a charter pilot for Inter-City. Later that same year, in September, the Loves returned to California to attend the National Air Races, which were being held in Los Angeles. Unbeknown to Nancy, Beechcraft had entered her in the Amelia Earhart Trophy race. Despite never having participated in a pylon race before, she placed fifth, winning $75, but she came in more than three- quarters of an hour behind the winner, Betty Browning. Later that month she participated in a race in Detroit and came in second, flying a Monocoupe. Love gave up air racing after that. By then she had become a methodical pilot, known for her care and close attention to the details of flying. She used written checklists for her preflights and disliked the rush and chaos that were a part of air racing. When she returned to Boston, Love began working with the Bureau of Air Commerce again. In the fall of 1937, the board of directors of a new firm called the Gwinn Aircar Company, of Buffalo, N.Y., was casting about for the right woman to sell its new product, a small airplane with tricycle landing gear. But instead of being put on the board she was offered a job as a test pilot. The tricycle landing gear represented an entirely new technology and a real change for pilots who had spent their entire flying careers in tail-wheel aircraft. At Gwinn, Love learned how to push the envelope, to test the limits of an airplanes performance. In 1938, while war clouds darkened over Europe, Love moved back to Boston. By 1940, Love was a member of the Massachusetts wing of the Civil Air Patrol. She helped ferry an airplane from the United States to France via Canada. She earned her instrument rating. And she answered a query from Lt. Col. Robert Olds of the Ferry Command (later known as the Air Transport Command) as to how many women pilots might be capable of flying military craft. Olds was very interested in Nancy Loves information, and he passed to General Henry H. Hap Arnold the idea of using experienced women pilots to help ferry military aircraft. Arnold rejected the idea, arguing that it would be better to hire qualified women as copilots for domestic airlines and thereby release those men for military service. Jacqueline Cochran, Americas newest rising star in the world of aviation, had also been thinking about the possibility of using women as pilots. In September 1939, Cochran wrote to Eleanor Roosevelt about a plan for the use of women pilots during wartime. Jackie was committed to the concept of creating a separate military corps of women pilots who would fly military aircraft domestically. A central feature of this plan was the establishment of a training school. Jackie wanted desperately to be in charge of such a program. Clayton Knight, who was acting head of the American recruiting committee for the British Ferry Command, upon hearing Cochrans idea, suggested that she instead recruit American women to serve in Britains Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA). Britain had already had great success with Pauline Gowers women recruits, but Knights real motive was his belief that the inevitable global publicity would bring much needed relief. Just as women had been used to sell aviation in the 20s and 30s, Knight thought the image of Britain desperately welcoming American women pilots would galvanize men into participating also. To further convince Cochran, Knight suggested that her first task might be to ferry a Lockheed Hudson bomber from the United States to Great Britain. It was intended as a publicity stunt, but, Knight argued, it would also allow Cochran to meet with Pauline Gower. When Cochran came back from her famous ferry flight in July 1941, she went straight to Hyde Park to report to Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt. Jackie had gained her connection to the Roosevelts through her millionaire husband, Floyd Odlum, who had been one of FDRs biggest financial supporters. President Roosevelt was intrigued with her idea and suggested that she conduct more research. Robert Lovett, assistant secretary of war for air, arranged for Cochran to be officially appointed to work (with out pay) on the matter. She, along with a staff of seven assistants, combed the Civil Aeronautics Administration records to identify all women with at least a commercial rating. Using the data from returned questionnaires as well as information about military aircraft, Cochran was able to demonstrate, at least on paper, that even without training there were women pilots capable of flying any aircraft in the military inventory. The results of Cochrans findings were given to Olds, who was by then a general. Olds had retained his interest in using women pilots, but he had a serious difference of opinion with Cochran over the issue of the training program and the creation of an all-female corps. Tensions between the two mounted until Olds flat-out refused to even forward the proposal to General Arnold. Cochran was enraged and resigned her position. She presented her side of the dispute to Arnold before she left, however. Arnold, wanting to salvage a truce lest Cochran go ranting to Roosevelt, promised that if there was any change in the future concerning the use of women pilots, she would be the first to know. Having heard Arnolds promise, Cochran turned all her energies toward recruiting a group of women pilots to send over to Great Britain. Progress toward the creation of the other womens military groups was moving equally slowly. Congresswoman Edith Nourse Rogers introduced a house resolution, H.R. 4906, to establish a civilian organization known as the Womens Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) in May 1941, but the legislation sat undiscussed until after Pearl Harbor. The Rogers bill finally passed in May 1942. The Navy WAVES (Women Accepted for Voluntary Emergency Service) was not authorized until July 1942. The Coast Guard followed in November 1942, but the Marine Corps did not start up its Womens Reserve until February 1943. In July 1943, the Army converted the WAAC into an official branch, the Womens Army Corps (WAC). By June 1942, both the Army and the Navy had committed to the idea of using women. The administrative officers of the newly reorganized Air Transport Command (ATC) had changed when Robert Olds left to head the Second Air Force; Brig. Gen. Harold George and Colonel William Tunner were put in charge. The pilot supply situation was exceptionally bleak, when one morning Tunner chanced to meet the newly arrived ATC deputy chief of staffRobert Love at the water cooler. In the conversation, Love mentioned that his wife was making a daily commute by air between Washington and Baltimore to her job and that the weather that day had delayed her. Tunner, who had not been part of the earlier discussions concerning women pilots, had never even thought of using women. But lightbulbs went on in his head when he heard about Nancys aviation activity. Tunner quickly arranged to meet with Nancy Love, who outlined her ideas for recruiting outstanding women pilots. Tunner forwarded a report of this meeting to General George. Unlike Cochran, Love recognized the need for flexibility and compromise. Essentially, she acted on the belief that experienced women pilots could offer modest assistance to the war effort, but that they could not do so as long as the top brass squabbled over the details. In her mind, it was far better to get the flying started and then work out the details. This attitude reveals one of the fundamental distinctions between Cochran and Love. Cochran wanted to administer a training program that produced women pilots for the military; Love knew she and others already had an exceptionally high level of flying experience and that this might be useful to the military. Tunner wanted to abandon the idea of identical standards for men and women. Instantly, Love modified the admissions requirements for women. Women were then required to have 500 hours of flight time (50 in the past year), be a high school graduate, and be between the age of 21 and 35. Male candidates, on the other hand, had to have only 200 hours, three years of high school, and be between the age of 19 and 45. Tunner had thought the women would be hired as civilians for a 90-day trial period and then commissioned through the WAAC. Oveta Culp Hobby, WAAC director, offered enthusiastic support for the idea. Unfortunately, the legislation already under consideration by Congress concerning WAAC pay did not authorize additional flight pay, and when Hobby became aware of this, it was too late to amend the legislation. In light of this legislative quagmire, Love argued that it would be pragmatic to abandon, albeit temporarily, the idea of commissioning women. Again, she gambled that it would be easier to win Congress over after its members were able to see the results of women pilots service. To further convince Tunner and Olds that she was serious, Love stiffened the entrance requirements yet again. In addition to previously stated requirements, a woman then had to have a 200-hp rating and two letters of recommendation. Love recommended that women be limited to flying only the smaller class of military planes and that, consequently, their salary could be set at $250 a month, $130 less than male civilian pilots received. General George forwarded the revised proposal to General Arnold on July 18, 1942. On July 30, Arnold stated that he wanted more up-to-date information on women pilots based on any new data that might exist from the Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) and the Civil Air Patrol. It was not an outright letter of rejection, but it was clearly a stalling tactic. Arnold had met with Cochran during a visit to England earlier that month, and he knew how keen she was to be part of an American program. Love went back to the files, dejected. She sensed an intense dislike of Cochran by the ATC, and she thought her plan would get lost in a bitter battle between Arnold, Cochran and George. The one factor Love had forgotten to consider was the effect of the pilot shortage on Georges disposition. George genuinely needed the women pilots that Love had offered, so he took a chance, resubmitted the plan (with up-to-date statistics) on September 3 and told Love to prepare telegrams to go out to potential candidates. On September 5, George told her that he believed Arnold had given him the go- ahead to activate the plan. The group would be called the Womens Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron (WAFS) and would consist of 25 members. Love was named director by Secretary of War Henry Stinson on September 10. Although Love was only 28 years old, George had come to respect her judgment. Her flying credentials were impeccable, and she came from a social background similar to that of other womens corps leaders. Mildred McAfee, head of the WAVES, had been the president of Wellesley College. Oveta Hobby, wife of the former governor of Texas, was a well-known newspaper and radio executive. All were described as possessing considerable diplomatic abilities, as well as high levels of personal energy and a strong sense of idealism. Jackie Cochran was cut from a different social cloth. Having pulled herself from the depths of poverty, she had an acute sense of what it meant to be powerless in American society. In her mind, power was derived from ones economic class. Because of this background, Jackie saw the complexities of life in black and white terms. When she returned from England on September 10 and read the evening headline announcing the womens pilots program with Love at the helm, she felt wronged. She met with Arnold the next day, and it was not an exercise in diplomacy; it was a display of rage and raw political power. It was clear to Arnold that Cochran was not playing games and that he had to make good on his promise. On September 15, Arnold announced the formation of a second womens program, the Womens Flying Training Detachment (WFTD), with Jackie Cochran at the helm. Arnold had quenched Cochrans wrath by blaming the ATC for the events that had infuriated her. In a meeting shortly after formation of the training detach meet, Cochran made it quite clear that she was holding the ATC accountable for its actions, and she would do everything possible to take control of the WAFS away from it. Captain James Teague wrote a blistering memo to Colonel Tunner detailing the nature of her challenge and his conviction that Arnold would probably back Cochran, further undercutting the ATCs authority. Teagues memo was the first salvo in a war of authority and jurisdiction between the ATC and the Army Air Force headquarters. The two womens pilots programs were highly visible pawns in this struggleCochran had recognized this fact during her first encounter with Robert Olds. Love was not ignorant of the dynamics involved, but she did not believe it was appropriate or useful to exploit the situation. Cochran had no qualms about pressing her views, however, and the subsequent restructuring and merger of the two programs in July 1943 into a single group known as the Womens Air Force Service Pilots (WASP) with herself as the leader was a remarkable display of political savvy and determination. Cochrans success in playing hardball politics came at stiff cost. She had alienated the people and organizations who should have been her most important allies: Love, the ATC, Oveta Hobby, and the WAC. Later, when she was wrapped up in the day-to-day details of planning and executing the WASP program, Cochran failed to take note of the shifting political climate that would ultimately doom her ability to militarize the WASP. While Cochran had always been aware that the pass/washout rate of each successive WASP class was established according to the combat casualty rate among pilots overseas, she had no consciousness of the long-term political implications this might have. Her personal animosity toward Oveta Hobby knew no bounds after Hobby made it clear that she felt no special deference toward aviators, male or female. Hobby, echoing the sentiments of General George Marshall, did not believe a separate womens pilots corps was required. Just as there was no separate corps for male pilots, she believed it was administratively wasteful to create a separate WASP corps. Love washed her hands of the matter. Patriotism and love of flying had been her motivation for suggesting the use of women pilots. However, she was deeply troubled by the fact that the lack of a military commission made it difficult for women to be perceived as equal participants by their male colleagues. She also was outraged that womens civilian status exempted them from receiving any death benefits. The greatest indignity for Love was having to pass the hat for funds to transport a womans body to her home following a crash. Love had extensive administrative responsibilities, first for her cadre of 25 pilots, and later for the women graduates assigned to the ATC by Cochrans training program. But she hated the office and worked hard to spend a significant amount of time ferrying planes. As the ATC expanded its aircraft options from trainers and liaison aircraft to even the most powerful fighters and bombers, Love was first in line to check out and qualify. Like all women pilots, she understood that airplanes do not recognize the sex of the pilot. Love was feeling generally pleased with the WAFS program, even with its expanded scope. The women had maintained a successful record, and statistics were pouring in that indicated male/ female performance was equal. The womens future still remained uncertain, however, because combat pilot casualties in Europe were much lower than expected. In January 1944, General Arnold closed all primary flight-training schools and terminated the War Training Service (formerly the Civilian Pilot Training Program) schools. The 35,000 young male officers who had been on the waiting list for flight training were transferred to the ground forces. Then Arnold submitted a bill to Congress in February to militarize the WASP; he wanted the women pilots to take over domestic flying to release the remaining men for overseas duty. The plan seemed eminently logical to Cochran and Arnold. They completely ignored the possibility that the recently fired male instructors and displaced officers would not want to give up flying for an infantry role. The men launched a public assault on the women pilots, arguing that it was unfair for a woman with 35 hours of flight time (the requirements of Cochrans program had been drastically reduced) to undergo expensive training to learn how to fly military planes when there were men already capable of doing so. A conservative Congress was exceptionally sympathetic and the matter was turned over to Robert Ramspecks Civil Service Committee for investigation. Preliminary queries were made in April. Love was called in to testify. She was neutral on the matter. She clearly stated the original conception for the WAFS and her satisfaction with womens accomplishments. Love was vitally concerned that the reputations of the women pilots remain untarnished, and was less concerned with the verdict on the militarization question. Cochran, as one ATC memorandum stated, was determined to take the WASP program down with her if she is turned down in her efforts to militarize the WASPs. She is the main factor in the congressional criticism. On December 20, 1944, the WASP program was officially disbanded. Ironically, Cochrans much-hated Ramspeck Committee never intended that the WASPs who were already trained be fired. The committee strongly recommended that women pilots continue to be used and that provisions for hospitalization and insurance be extended to them. With equal vigor, however, they recommended that the WASP training program be terminated. The committee could find no economic logic in Cochrans plan when there was a surplus of experienced pilots. Further, it rejected Arnolds argument that women were more useful than men because they were more easily manipulated to serve motivational purposes. The continued reliance on the technique of using women to sell aviation that was popular among men during the 20s and 30s was viewed as sexist even then. These events represented the ultimate endorsement of Loves vision, and her male colleagues at ATC were quick to point this out to her. Although many women would continue to fly and a few would even manage to earn a living in aviation, the overwhelming majority, including Love, made the transition to the only socially acceptable occupation of the immediate postwar periodmotherhood. Nancy gave birth to three daughters and took up flying Beechcraft Bonanzas. Her husband founded a new airline, All American Airlines (later Allegheny). She loved her family, but even they would later sense that she was frustrated by not having been able to do more in aviation. Loves plan for the WAFS, both in conception and execution, remains an important model for the integration of women into the military. One important factor was that the WAFS program was never a matter of ego. It was absolutely critical to her that both men and women believed that members of either sex had something to contribute. The presence of one sexeven in non-traditional occupations such as flyingshould not be viewed as diminishing the contributions of the other. That she convinced othersboth in the military and the civilian worldsof this idea represented her most profound and lasting legacy. The gender debate in the military has never been the same since. And that makes Nancy Love one of the more productive historical figures of the first half of the 20th centurya heroine with the real stuff. Author Deborah G. Douglas is a Smithsonian Institution Predoctoral Fellow at the National Air and Space Museum. Her book, United States Women in Aviation, 1940-1985, was published by the Smithsonian Institution Press in 1990. Suggestions for further reading include Sally Van Wagenen Keils newly revised and expanded edition of Those Wonderful Women in Their Flying Machines: The Unknown Heroines of World War II (Four Directions Press, 1991) and Marianne Verges On Silver Wings: The Women Airforce Service Pilots of World War II, 1942-1944 (Ballantine Books, 1991). This article originally appeared in the January 1999 issue of Aviation History. For more great articles subscribe to Aviation History magazine today! SpaceX plan agenda is to zoom off into space, according to Elon Musk Tuesday. He said that he was aiming to colonize Mars by 2022. Hence, he will make 100 people get into a spaceship and then send it off to the Red Planet. The long-term plan is to set up a permanent settlement in Mars. "I think the first journeys to Mars are going to be really very dangerous. The risk of fatality will be high; there's just no way around it," Musk said at International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in Guadalajara, Mexico. "It would be, basically, 'Are you prepared to die?' If that's OK, then, you know, you're a candidate for going," he said. But other experts are not as blase about the plan as he is. Space agencies have taken care to protect other planets from the Earth's germs. There is a NASA department called the Office of Planetary Protection, which is dedicated to that activity. In the next century, Musk hopes to transport 1 million people to Mars, with the help of the Interplanetary Transport System (ITS). This is a rocket-spaceship that Musk disclosed Tuesday (Sept. 27) at the International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in Guadalajara, Mexico. NASA scientists have always been cleaning up the spacecraft, wearing white plastic suits. The aim is to ensure that any alien life found in different planets is really alien, not just a hitchhiker's landing spot. When asked about alien life in Mars, though, Elon Musk declared that he was not worried about it at all. "There's really nothing on the surface of Mars, I think," the SpaceX CEO said during a press call Tuesday evening. "There may be subterranean, chemotrophic bacteria. I would expect they're pretty hardy, and there's not much that we could do to kick them out even if we wanted to." Earthlings are too germ-infested, according to many specialists. Emily Lakdawalla said in The Planetary Society: "If we keep our filthy meatbag bodies in space and tele-operate sterile robots on the surface, we'll avoid irreversible contamination of Mars - and obfuscation of the answer to the question of whether we're alone in the solar system - for a little while longer," Lakdawalla wrote in a 2015 blog post. "Maybe just long enough for robots to taste Martian water or discover Martian life." Moreover, Martian beings poses a danger to humans, just as we do to them, agency scientists said: "All operations of an initial human mission to Mars should include isolation of humans from any direct contact with materials from Mars for planetary protection purposes." The SpaceX colony would not be just a Hollywood spectacle, but open up the possibility of cultivating plants. By changing the atmosphere, humans can grow life forms on the Red Planet, along with creating oceans too in the whole process of setting up an earth-like ambience, or "terraforming." "Terraforming would take us a long period of time, and I think, would ultimately be the decision of the people on Mars. We have to get there in the first place," Musk said. "The larger point is creating a self-sustained civilization on Mars to provide insurance for life as a whole - life as we know it." It doesn't please everyone that Musk asks for prioritizing "life as we know it" rather than aliens. "I think, really, the planet we should be considering for protection is Earth," he said. "We can bring life as we know it, and breathe life into Mars where it doesn't exist today, and ensure that if there is some kind of cataclysmic event on Earth, that life as we know it continues to exist." Musk's reasons may sound rather right-wing to a distant civilisation. But he visualises a totally changed world: "I think a future where we are a space-faring civilization and out there among the stars is infinitely more exciting and inspiring than one where we are not," he added. @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. STATEMENT OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARTSAKH SUBSCRIBERS OF UCOMS ALL TIME BEST OFFER TO ENJOY ADDITIONAL BENEFITS Armenia-Azerbaijan: EU sets up monitoring capacity along the international borders PACE co-rapporteurs on Armenia concerned by reports of alleged war crimes or inhuman treatment perpetrated by Azerbaijans armed forces There is still 35% gender pay gap: Sona Ghazaryan Global Finance Names Ameriabank the Safest Bank in Armenia Mikayel and Karen Vardanyans provided 136 million AMD support for the overhaul of the Myasnikyan statue, which was in unsafe state of disrepair Believe me, as a representative of a country which uses the Schengen system very often, it is quite important. Vardanyan I really look forward to having answers from the Azerbaijani side for these alleged gross human rights violations: Secretary General I call on Armenian and Azerbaijani parliamentarians to use this Assembly as an agora of opportunities President Tiny Kox UCOMS SPECIAL OFFER OF THE UNLIMITED INTERNET IS NOW TERMLESS There is no place for the death penalty in a State that respects human rights: PACE General Rapporteur EU and CoE call on two Member States that have not yet acceded to this Protocol Armenia and Azerbaijan to do so without delay An urgent debate requested on "The military hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan". UCOM AND PES-PES CONTINUE COOPERATION WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF EDUCATIONAL PROJECT The statement of the meeting between Prime Minister Pashinyan, President Aliyev, President Macron and President Michel of October 6, 2022 Google Ad Largest Corporate Bond Program at the Securities Market of Armenia Completed Successfully The statement of the Defender on the video of the execution of Armenian PoWs by the Azerbaijani armed forces LEVEL UP ONLY FOR STUDENTS: UCOM OFFERS X2 AND X3 MORE INTERNET STATEMENT BY SECRETARY ANTONY J. BLINKEN This criminal act is another proof that the Armenophobia policy. Tatoyan Nikol Pashinyan, Nancy Pelosi discuss a number of issues related to the Armenian-American agenda and regional developments Delegation by Nancy Pelosi Accompanied by Alen Simonyan Visits Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Complex Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi Arrives in Yerevan Armenian Revytech, global technology leader SAP and financial services software specialist SAP Fioneer sign a cooperation agreement With 120 million drams donated by Mikael Vardanyan, the defenders of the homeland will be treated in a new building OSCE Chairman-in-Office and OSCE Secretary General call for immediate cessation of hostilities along Armenia-Azerbaijan border Statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Artsakh USA Embassy Message for U.S. Citizens Texas energy producers used more drilling equipment in the third quarter, but oil field services companies that sell and rent the equipment believe that limited access to capital could slow the oil and gas industry's recovery, a recent survey by the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas showed. As the Chronicle has reported, many lenders, after absorbing big loan losses during the extended oil bust, have tried to limit their exposure to the industry by dumping bad energy loans for less than half their value and tightening lending requirements. Few are making new loans, and some, including Green Bank, a small Houston lender with $3.8 bil-lion in assets, have left the energy business behind. The oil and gas industry is a capital-intensive industry, requiring a lot of money up front to explore new fields, drill new wells, and get the product to market. Industry analysts have worried that when prices rise, U.S. drillers will pour back into the oil field, pump new supplies into the market, and depress prices again, but the pullback in lending makes that unlikely, oil field services executives told the Dallas Fed in the survey. Simply put, drillers don't have sufficient capital to ramp up domestic crude production to levels that would affect global supply enough to offset rising prices. "Capital expenditures money has gone away, the banks are running scared from regulator pressures, money is tight and business is gloomy, as far as future growth," one oil field service executive said. Another noted that lines of credit once offered by banks have been withdrawn. "Access to capital is horrible," the executive said. "Banks are raising fees on everything. We will probably have to start bringing our own pens to the bank." The grim outlook comes even as the Dallas Fed reported a 25-point increase in its index of oil equipment utilization in the third quarter. That jump pushed the index well into positive territory from its previous reading of minus 1.2. Though 39 percent of energy service companies reported an increase in equipment rentals in Texas, Louisiana and New Mexico, only 10 percent said they've been able to increase their prices for various drilling services. That's a sign that drilling and demand haven't recovered enough for equipment suppliers to regain their pricing power. "The uptick in activity is too slow to save most companies with leverage from having to restructure to heal their balance sheets," one executive said. "Our phone keeps ringing, but we have no capital expenditure money to grow, and we will have to sit on our hands until things get better," another executive said. In a new report, Fitch Ratings said energy companies have defaulted on $37.5 billion in debt this year, and that figure could rise to $42 billion to $50 billion by year-end, depending on oil prices. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries on Wednesday proposed a deal to keep crude production level at 32.5 million barrels a day in November. That pushed U.S. crude prices up about 8 percent last week to $48.24 a barrel on Friday. If major OPEC nations stick to the deal, it could bode well for the nascent recovery in U.S. drilling activity, but the two-year oil bust has nonetheless left a devastating mark on the industry. In its latest tally, Dallas law firm Haynes and Boone says 102 North American oil and gas producers have filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection since the beginning of last year, while 93 service firms have filed for bankruptcy. Those cases involve a combined $81.8 billion in debt. Q: I need advice about a good screen recorder for YouTube instructional/how-to videos. What do you suggest? A: If you are looking to record your computer session for the purposes of producing and publishing instructional videos you have a plethora of choices. For me it comes down to ease of use, and the best application I have found so far is Camtasia Studio from techsmith.com. It is feature-rich and seems to be the gold standard for this type of software. TechSmith is the same company that makes the SnagIt screen-shot program. It's not free, though the company offers a 30-day trial if you would like to take it for a test drive before plunking down the hefty sum of $300 for a licensed copy. If Camtasia is not in your budget, I suggest having a look at CamStudio from camstudio.org, which is completely free. For other options, there is breakdown of the top 10 screen recording applications at tinyurl.com/helplinerecordingsoftware, which lists the pros and cons of the best options out there. Q: How do I get space in a hard drive? I get notices that my drive is nearly full. A: Computers need about 20 percent of the primary drive to be empty so that the operating system has space to write temporary files as part of its basic operation. That is why this message pops up, to warn you that you need to do something to keep your computer running smoothly. It is not possible to add space to an existing drive. If you cannot free up enough space on your primary drive, you are looking at having to replace the drive with a new one or having to add a second hard drive so that you can move files from the primary to the now secondary drive. One common problem I have seen is that computer owners will inadvertently save files to a recovery partition. The recovery partition is a portion of the hard drive that manufacturers like Dell and HP allocate for the storage of the software that is needed to restore the computer back to factory default. The drive is relatively small and allocated just enough space to contain this software. If files are saved into the partition, it can become too full and you will start to receive notifications that there is a problem. If you have saved files here you should move them to your primary hard drive. If this is your primary hard drive that is filling up, I would suggest you see about getting rid of any files or applications you don't need. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Under Mayor Annise Parker's administration, Andy Icken, the city's Chief Development Officer, focused much of his efforts on encouraging urban development. One of the ways he did that was through the use of economic development tools like 380 agreements, which resulted in more construction of downtown residential towers and mixed-use projects in the urban core. Now Icken is turning some of his attention to neighborhoods, citing Mayor Sylvester Turner's focus on so-called "complete communities." "What we are spending more and more time on is this shift towards looking at the Acres Homes' of the world, the Fifth Wards of the world, the Sunnysides of the world ... and spending more time convincing developers that it's a good idea not to develop just in the inner loop," Icken said, in a recent interview at City Hall. "The mayor has asked us, how do we help those parts of the city further that have been undeveloped develop at a more accelerated rate," he said. Icken is part of a team at City Hall that is working to identify about a half dozen neighborhoods where the city can encourage public and private development. "The challenge for anybody in an economic development position in any city is the city itself is not the developer, the city itself is not the equity capital. It's more difficult in areas that have not successfully developed over the years to find those people because the risk is higher. It's the very nature of business," Icken said. The city is looking at neighborhoods that are perhaps lacking in parks, libraries, grocery stores and other factors. The final neighborhoods are expected to be identified within about a month. "We're going to see if we can make a measurable difference in those communities," Icken said. In one example, the city is in talks with Francois de Menil -- the New York architect and son of late art patron and philanthropist Dominique de Menil -- who is planning to build a community of contemporary homes and studios in Acres Homes for established artists. De Menil's project has been questioned by some residents of the area who are concerned about how high-end development will affect their traditional working-class community. Icken said the city does not want to see developers completely change the character of the area, but that some degree of diversity is positive. "Finding developers or individuals who have a passion to make things different is a good thing for the city," he said, referring to de Menil and others like him. "The fact that he has been spending time with the community, that this isn't something he's going to plop on the community. This is someone who cares about the community and wants to listen." This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A landmark exhibition opening March 5 at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston will give U.S. audiences their first comprehensive look at modern and contemporary Cuban art in more than 70 years. In the meantime, one of the show's outspoken artists visits Houston on Thursday to deliver a lecture. The museum exhibition, "Adios Utopia: Dreams and Deceptions in Cuban Art Since 1950," considers how the island nation's revolutionary aspirations, then disillusionment, shaped the works of more than 50 of its major artists and designers. Some were at the height of their careers in 1959, when Fidel Castro overthrew Cuba's republican government and ushered in a period of social euphoria - the "utopia" of the show's title. The youngest - many of whom were born in Cuba but didn't stay there - matured after the collapse of the Soviet Union in the 1990s, when ongoing economic isolation from the U.S. hit hardest. Museum of Fine Arts, Houston director Gary Tinterow said the show, which will be on view through May 22, will provide a critically important new perspective on Cuba's cultural history at "an ideal moment," citing the easing of relations initiated by President Barack Obama in 2014. More Information Tania Bruguera: 2016 Mitchell Artist Lecture When: 7 p.m. Thursday Where: Moores Opera House, University of Houston Central Campus (Entrance 16 off Cullen) Tickets: Free, reservations required; 713-743-7008; mitchellcenterforarts.org See More Collapse Conceived by the Miami-based Cisneros Fontanals Art Foundation and curated by Cubans Gerardo Mosquera, Rene Francisco Rodriguez and Elsa Vega, "Adios Utopia" was co-organized with the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, where it will travel next fall. Mari Carmen Ramirez, the Houston museum's renowned curator of Latin American art, called the project "an unprecedented collaboration." Ramirez said Cuba has a lively contemporary art scene. She counts the Havana Biennial, which Mosquera co-founded in 1984, as a trend-starter. The show's artists are well-known across Europe, Latin America and Asia, where they have never been restricted. But for U.S. audiences, "Adios Utopia" will open a completely new chapter of Latin American and contemporary art, Ramirez said. "This is not just any survey. It is a treasure trove of contemporary art that has never been seen in the U.S." Through painting, graphic design, photography, video, installation and performance spanning six decades, the show will explore pivotal artistic movements that developed as Cuba's artists confronted their country's social and political programs. Ramirez gave viewers a peek of powerful Cuban voices last year in the MFAH's "Contingent Beauty" show, which covered all of Latin America. A few of those works will reappear in "Adios Utopia": Los Carpinteros' Soviet monument-inspired "Podgaric Toy," made of black Legos; Yoan Capote's "Stress (In Memoriam)," which combines human teeth with concrete and wood; and Tania Bruguera's "Estadistica (Statistics)," a flaglike construction of cardboard, human hair and fabric, owned by the MFAH. As it happens, Bruguera will deliver Thursday's 2016 Mitchell Artist Lecture, which this year is co-sponsored by the MFAH's Latin Maecenas group. A Havana native who divides her time between Cuba and the U.S., she has made headlines for provocative performance art focused on political oppression. She created "Estadistica" early in her career, building its stripes from various tones of hair that represent Cuba's mixed population. During that period, she also hung a lamb carcass from her neck while consuming a mix of soil and salt water, inspired by a story about indigenous Cubans who said they'd rather eat dirt than yield to Spanish conquistadors. No longer focused on making objects, Bruguera today tries to effect social change with what she calls "artivism." Last year, Cuban authorities arrested her several times, temporarily confiscated her passport and detained her in Havana for nearly six months after she staged an open-microphone event that invited people to speak their minds at Havana's Plaza de la Revolucion. She counts that "performance" among her best, she recently told a video interviewer, because it "challenged the view people have about Cuba. It is not this idyllic island where everybody wants to live anymore." This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Neighborhood Centers and the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston partnered to create an innovative plan called The National Identity Art Project to promote civic engagement through artistic education among students and local communities. Guided by teachers from the museum, students at Neighborhood Centers' charter school, the Promise Community School at Ripley House, produced 188 artworks related to national identity, social injustice, and the importance of voting. The Promise Community is located in the East End, a heavily Latino area of Houston undergoing a cultural and real estate revival. The students worked on themes ranging from discrimination to homelessness. Some explored how people can work together to end violence in their communities. The discussion was then moved from the classrooms to the community with the event "Art of the Vote," hosted by Neighborhood Centers on Thursday. "We wanted to promote meaningful conversations about issues that impact the community using the artworks made by the kids as engagement activators," Villalobos said. "The 'Art of the Vote' event beautifully integrated art from the Museum's permanent collection to spark thoughtful conversation surrounding community values," said Caroline Goeser, the W. T. and Louise J. Moran Chair of the Department of Learning and Interpretation at the MFAH. "We look forward to continuing to make art relevant to the daily and civic lives of Houstonians," she added. Community members were asked to choose six winning pieces to be announced and recognized next week. Villalobos said this project is an example of a partnership that can fulfill institutional purposes of advancing community interests such as civism and education. "While we work towards the importance of civic engagement for community advancement, the project is also an initiative help the MFAH to broaden their outreach and community appreciation for the arts," Villalobos said. Olivia.Tallet@chron.com Twitter: @oliviaptallet The Fort Bend ISD board has rejected a petition to shift the Diamond Bay section of Shadow Creek Ranch from the district to the neighboring Alvin ISD. Diamond Bay could still be annexed if the Alvin ISD and the state's education commissioner OK the move. Residents submitted petitions in April and argued that the subdivision was closer to Alvin ISD schools and that that district, with some 22,000 students, already served the rest of the master-planned Shadow Creek Ranch community. The Fort Bend ISD has nearly three times as many students. Tashea Jameson, a Diamond Bay resident, said the Alvin schools near her neighborhood have better academic performances than the Fort Bend schools do. "We have high expectations for our kids and their futures," Jameson said during a Monday public hearing. "Just because the schools just met the state standard, you know it's far from what we want or need from our kids." Fort Bend ISD administrators worried that losing Diamond Bay would make it more difficult to raise tax revenue and pay off bonds. They estimated the move would cost the district $453,000 in state per-student revenue a year and would result in an initial loss of $3.9 million in property values the first year. Cody Wilbanks, an attorney for the Fort Bend ISD, said he recognized that the schools in which Diamond Bay families are now zoned are not as strong as those they are seeking to be zoned to in Alvin ISD. But if Diamond Bay moves, Wilbanks said, improvements that Fort Bend has made academically could grind to a halt. "Our improvements in those schools, class sizes, capacity, are all important," Wilbanks said. "But the large part here is budget implications to the district as a whole." After hearing presentations by the petitioners and Fort Bend ISD administrators, as well as public comments, the Fort Bend school board on Monday unanimously adopted a resolution that outlined its findings, including: Detachment of the Territory would have negative economic impacts on FBISD, including but not limited to a reduced ability to meet its debt service obligations and losses in state revenue attributable to lost taxable property and student attendance; The negative economic impacts caused by detachment would limit the opportunities of current and future FBISD students; FBISD schools in the feeder pattern of the Territory have made steady improvements in performance in recent years, have capacity for more students, and the harmful economic effects that would be caused by detachment would negatively impact FBISDs investment in programs and personnel that have contributed to the steady improvements. We are committed to raising student achievement at each school within Fort Bend ISD including those that serve the students who live in the Village of Diamond Bay, said Charles Dupre, superintendent of Fort Bend ISD. "Moving forward, it is our hope that we can partner with the Shadow Creek Ranch community in order to help our students succeed. We are seeing positive strides at these schools, and it is important that we are able to continue our efforts to help each and every child succeed. Only a small portion of Shadow Creek Ranch is within Fort Bend ISDs boundaries. Fort Bend ISD owns a 12-acre site within the master-planned community, which is currently valued at $5.2 million. Following the Sept. 26 Fort Bend ISD hearing, the Alvin ISD Board of Trustees will hold its own hearing to consider the petitioners request that the Village of Diamond Bay be annexed into Alvin ISD. If both districts reject the change, the decision cannot be appealed. If Alvin ISD approves the request, the petitioners or Alvin ISD could appeal Fort Bend's decision to the Texas education commissioner. That nation's youngest major print newspaper, USA Today, roused some internet rabble Friday with its dis-endorsement of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. Most newspapers weigh in on each presidential race but USA Today in 34 years hadn't done it before. Folks wondered why another newspaper was taking sides in the presidential race. Isn't the news supposed to be objective? Well, it wasn't the newspaper that denounced Trump. It was the editorial board. In this era of historic skepticism towards U.S. news media, it's important that the difference is clear. Newspapers didn't always aim for objectivity. In the 18th and 19th centuries they unabashedly articulated the opinions of their publishers. That business model began to change when new printing technology made possible hyper-mass-production and wire services brought a new stream of simply factual articles to the newspapers. "As mass circulation transformed newspapers into valuable businesses with large staffs, they started to be seen less as vehicles for one person's opinions and more as providers of information," wrote author Mitchel Stephens in History of Newspapers. Around that time, in the later days of the 19th century, the opinionated editorial section began to condense on its own page, like it appears in most newspapers today. No expert queried for this article knew when the first incarnation of an "editorial board" emerged, but some estimated it was around the century's turn. Somewhere along the line it became part of the standard model for an American newspaper. It stuck around because people like to read opinions; if they didn't, what would cable TV news be today? Editorial boards operate independently from the folks who write the news. At the Houston Chronicle, for example, reporters work on the fourth floor and the editorial board meets on the first. There, like at other newspapers, a committee of senior management and opinion writers meet almost daily to parse the day's news and agree on an institutional position to advocate. In election season, candidates become a fixture of the news, so the editorial board takes aim. The vast majority of editorial board endorsements go to local candidates for city council, county judge, state senate, district attorney, sheriff, mayor and other such posts. Those races and the copious candidates can be hard for the public to keep track of, but the editorial board spends each day immersed in local news, and it conducts interviews with the candidates. So its endorsements can provide valuable insight to voters who haven't sifted through all the facts on their own. Endorsements of presidential candidates may seem less imperative, since voters (particularly this year) find themselves intimately inundated with months of election updates. It seems hard to believe anyone would need help forming an opinion. But the editorial board doesn't negate its duty. "We endorse candidates because most contemporary newspapers feel it is part of our public service mission even if some readers disagree with our point of view," said Jeff Cohen, executive editor of opinions and editorials at the Houston Chronicle. "We believe it is paramount for the community and electorate to be engaged and strongly advocate for participation. We think that editorial endorsements help provoke higher thought and cognition and is a motivation to partake in democracy." STATEMENT OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARTSAKH SUBSCRIBERS OF UCOMS ALL TIME BEST OFFER TO ENJOY ADDITIONAL BENEFITS Armenia-Azerbaijan: EU sets up monitoring capacity along the international borders PACE co-rapporteurs on Armenia concerned by reports of alleged war crimes or inhuman treatment perpetrated by Azerbaijans armed forces Google Ad There is still 35% gender pay gap: Sona Ghazaryan Global Finance Names Ameriabank the Safest Bank in Armenia Mikayel and Karen Vardanyans provided 136 million AMD support for the overhaul of the Myasnikyan statue, which was in unsafe state of disrepair Believe me, as a representative of a country which uses the Schengen system very often, it is quite important. Vardanyan I really look forward to having answers from the Azerbaijani side for these alleged gross human rights violations: Secretary General I call on Armenian and Azerbaijani parliamentarians to use this Assembly as an agora of opportunities President Tiny Kox UCOMS SPECIAL OFFER OF THE UNLIMITED INTERNET IS NOW TERMLESS There is no place for the death penalty in a State that respects human rights: PACE General Rapporteur EU and CoE call on two Member States that have not yet acceded to this Protocol Armenia and Azerbaijan to do so without delay An urgent debate requested on "The military hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan". UCOM AND PES-PES CONTINUE COOPERATION WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF EDUCATIONAL PROJECT The statement of the meeting between Prime Minister Pashinyan, President Aliyev, President Macron and President Michel of October 6, 2022 Google Ad Largest Corporate Bond Program at the Securities Market of Armenia Completed Successfully The statement of the Defender on the video of the execution of Armenian PoWs by the Azerbaijani armed forces LEVEL UP ONLY FOR STUDENTS: UCOM OFFERS X2 AND X3 MORE INTERNET STATEMENT BY SECRETARY ANTONY J. BLINKEN This criminal act is another proof that the Armenophobia policy. Tatoyan Nikol Pashinyan, Nancy Pelosi discuss a number of issues related to the Armenian-American agenda and regional developments Delegation by Nancy Pelosi Accompanied by Alen Simonyan Visits Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Complex Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi Arrives in Yerevan Armenian Revytech, global technology leader SAP and financial services software specialist SAP Fioneer sign a cooperation agreement With 120 million drams donated by Mikael Vardanyan, the defenders of the homeland will be treated in a new building OSCE Chairman-in-Office and OSCE Secretary General call for immediate cessation of hostilities along Armenia-Azerbaijan border Statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Artsakh USA Embassy Message for U.S. Citizens A Houston-area accountant pleaded guilty to federal tax fraud and sexually exploiting children after an IRS investigation into tax offenses uncovered child pornography. Benjamin Douglas Guidry, 34, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks Jr. in Houston to two counts of sexual exploitation of children and to filing a false tax return. Guidry ran Rite Accounting Services in Kemah from 2011 to 2014 and Financial Precision Group in League City in 2014 and 2015. "Ben Guidry has accepted responsibility for his actions," said his attorney, Sean Buckley, on Friday. "We hope that this is seen as a meaningful first step in the long process of making amends for what he has done." D. Richard Goss, special agent in charge of the IRS-criminal investigation, said sharp-eyed investigators followed their leads to additional crimes. "The diligent investigative efforts of IRS-CI special agents not only uncovered evidence of tax crimes but also discovered something much, much worse, beginning with the discovery of disturbing images on this defendant's computer," Goss said in a written statement released by U.S. Attorney Ken Magidson's office in Houston. Sentencing is set for Jan. 5. Under terms of the plea agreement, Guidry faces 15-30 years in prison for each of the exploitation charges plus up to five years for the tax fraud, or a maximum of 65 years. According to court records, IRS agents were investigating Guidry in mid-2015 on charges he bilked the government by claiming inflated income tax refunds for unknowing clients, then keeping the extra refund money for himself. After Guidry's computers were seized in May 2015, an IRS computer specialist found a folder filled with videos, some encrypted and some with suspicious titles such as "15yo and 9yo girl neighbor," according to court documents. The FBI got involved in the case. The accountant's cellphone revealed conversations with a female minor in which Guidry offered Taylor Swift tickets in return for "cuddling topless" and letting him "love on you." A sexual video of that female minor had objects that were found in Guidry's home, which he shared with his common-law wife. Another video dating from 2014 showed an adult male believed to be the accountant sexually assaulting the same girl, then in 9th or 10th grade, who appeared to be drugged and said, "Stop" and "I'm being raped." Agents found pain drugs in Guidry's car. There was also a 2011 incident in which Guidry set up a cellphone to record a visiting 7th-grader in the bathroom, according to court documents. In total, investigators found at least 164 images and 31 videos of child pornography on Guidry's phone and hard drives. Minutes after making breakfast for his wife and three young children Monday, Dr. Kevin Chap was driving to work when he heard a loud noise. It's the airbag, Chap thought. He looked up and saw a hole in his windshield. He looked down and saw blood on his shirt. It wasn't the airbag - it was a bullet, according to an account provided by his brother. And it had entered the young doctor's neck and punctured one of his lungs. Chap, a 2006 University of Houston graduate who found his way to medical school through a program for talented, economically disadvantaged students, was the most severely wounded of nine people injured - six of whom were shot - during the early rush hour by Nathan DeSai, 46, a troubled lawyer who fired randomly at passing motorists in a quiet West University neighborhood before being fatally shot by police. DeSai had a Thompson semiautomatic rifle, 2,600 rounds of ammunition and Nazi emblems on him and was wearing a vintage military-type uniform when he died, police said. After Chap realized he was shot, the 33-year-old physician tried to drive away. But his hand froze and he couldn't grasp the steering wheel. He knew he was losing blood, even though he was pressing his hand on the wound to stanch the bleeding. He tried to call 911, but his fingers were too bloody to dial his cellphone. He got out of his car and tried to find help but instead found himself caught in the gun battle between police and DeSai. He collapsed on the grassy median. He thought he was going to die, he told his brother. He thought of his wife and their kids. Grateful for officer After DeSai was killed, an officer came over to the wounded Chap in a moment recorded from a TV station's helicopter. The doctor wants to connect with that officer and thank him for saving his life, according to Chap's brother, Karim Fattahi. Chap was rushed to Ben Taub Hospital, an unwelcome role reversal for the anesthesiologist, who trained at another Level 1 trauma center in Houston. He seemed to stabilize Monday despite a "completely obliterated" internal jugular vein, according to a friend's account on a fundraising website. Then, Wednesday, he felt lightheaded. His blood pressure dropped. Doctors discovered two arteries leaking into his lungs, Fattahi said. Two liters of blood in and around the lungs were pumped out; a typical adult body holds 5 liters of blood. It was a "setback," his brother said, but he's expected to recover. On Friday, Chap was weak but improving in the intensive care unit, according to his brother. Ryan Nguyen, a friend of Chap's, wrote on the fundraising page that he "is in constant excruciating pain from all the surgeries, lines, and tubes placed in him. However, those who know Kevin knows he is a fighter, and Kevin will fight." The young doctor's wife sits with him every evening, his brother said, but goes home so she can take the kids to school in the morning. Fattahi said he takes the overnight shifts. Though the procedure went well, Nguyen wrote, "his prognosis remains guarded as his blood count has still yet to stabilize." But Fattahi said that above all, his brother feels grateful to be alive and appreciative of the police officers and medical providers who saved his life. Trained locally The father of three is no stranger to Houston hospitals. He graduated from McGovern Medical School at UTHealth in 2010 and did his anesthesiology residency in Texas Medical Center. Dr. Johnnie P. Frazier, a pediatrics professor at McGovern, first met Chap in the mid-2000s when he was a UH junior and they were paired in a program for promising students from low-income backgrounds. "He was such an outstanding student," she said Friday. "He was very engaged, very excited about learning." "Everything was just so new to him," Frazier said, but he jumped in with both feet. He went on to win the top award in the program along with admission to the prestigious medical school, where he earned a spot in the AOA honor society. Frazier helped write his recommendation letter for residency applications. "I can't say enough about him just being a good person and really excellent physician," she said. "He's one of those persons that will do good for the world and the people around him." Nguyen wrote that Chap worries about burdening his family with medical bills. The GoFundMe page had raised $67,000 as of Friday evening. The web address is https://www.gofundme.com/2rx8wxv4 Even among the colorful pantheon of Texas lawmen, Hudspeth County Sheriff Arvin West has seized his share of the limelight. In his 16-year career patrolling the West Texas outback, he has busted crooner Willie Nelson for pot, accused the Mexican army of invading U.S. territory and repeatedly ripped the federal government on television over border security. Less well known are the country sheriff's strange connections to a rogue Navy intelligence office at the Pentagon that has been under criminal investigation for the past three years. The former director of the intelligence unit, David W. Landersman, a civilian, is facing federal conspiracy charges for allegedly orchestrating a mysterious scheme to equip Navy commandos with hundreds of untraceable AK-47 rifle silencers. A new wrinkle in the case, however, has recently emerged in U.S. District Court in Alexandria, Virginia, where prosecutors have suggested that Navy officials from the intelligence unit also sought to funnel military equipment to rural Hudspeth County and set up a secret training base near the Mexican border. Even more unusually, two of Landersman's former subordinates have testified that when they were not working full time on intelligence matters at the Pentagon, they moonlighted 1,600 miles away as reserve deputy sheriffs in Hudspeth County, a desolate, Connecticut-size jurisdiction east of El Paso. Also serving as deputies to Sheriff West were Landersman, his son, and the husband of one of the Navy intelligence officials, according to two Pentagon officials and others familiar with the case. Why so many Pentagon officials and their relatives were working on the side as sheriff's deputies in Texas has not been explained in court, where much of the evidence has been sealed to protect national security. What a training base would have been used for there is just as murky. West, who was first elected as Hudspeth County sheriff in 2000, did not respond to several phone calls and emails seeking comment. He has not been charged with any wrongdoing. Hudspeth County is home to only 3,300 people but covers an enormous stretch of parched terrain in the Rio Grande basin. It is best known for a Border Patrol checkpoint on Interstate 10 where drug-sniffing dogs nab hundreds of motorists a year for carrying small amounts of marijuana. Besides Nelson, other musical performers who have been arrested on drug charges while passing through Hudspeth County include Snoop Dogg, Fiona Apple and Nelly. West, who has been described by NPR as "a stout, swaggering lawman" with a sign over his office that reads "Boss Hog," has just 14 full-time deputies under his command. To compensate, he has sometimes recruited outsiders to provide extra muscle. In 2011, he pinned a reserve deputy sheriff's badge on Hollywood tough guy Steven Seagal. Insisting the move was not a publicity stunt, West predicted the action star would bring "a wealth of tactical experience and dedication as a peace officer" and teach martial arts to others in the department. Exactly what the Pentagon officials did during their stints as deputy sheriffs in Hudspeth County remains unknown. But apparently the work could be dangerous. Worried about threats from Mexican drug lords, West required his special deputies to carry a firearm for self-protection when they flew on commercial airlines, according to Sterling Gill, a civilian Navy official who served in Hudspeth County. The policy even applied when they traveled outside Texas. At a court hearing this September, Gill testified she once carried a gun on a flight between Washington and San Francisco. "My sheriff, who has had several threats against his life by the drug cartel and has a bounty on his head, insists that all of his deputies fly armed at all times," Gill added, noting that she filled out the proper paperwork to carry a weapon on board. Gill holds personal ties to Hudspeth County through the 32,000-acre Circle Ranch, a property owned by her in-laws. At the court hearing, she acknowledged that Landersman - her boss at the Pentagon and a fellow onetime Marine - had visited the ranch on at least four occasions. In a brief line of questioning, prosecutors asked Gill whether she and Landersman had tried to set up a military training center at the ranch, along with new roads, an airstrip and $14,000 worth of radios from the Defense Department. Gill said the radios were intended for the Hudspeth County Sheriff's Office. She denied the other allegations without elaborating. Gill has not been charged in the case. She testified that the Navy has suspended her indefinitely without pay and that she is under investigation by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS). Her attorney, Christopher Man, said Justice Department officials have told him it is unlikely they will bring charges. He declined further comment. The Texas connection represents another puzzle in an already enigmatic case involving the Navy intelligence unit. Blandly known as the Office of Plans, Policy, Oversight and Integration, the small agency has about 10 people on staff, mostly civilians, and is supposed to focus on policy matters. Somewhere along the way, however, it started to become more directly involved in secret missions, prompting one former senior Navy official to describe the group as "wannabe spook-cops." The office came under scrutiny in January 2013 when one of its civilian executives appeared at a Defense Intelligence Agency office in Arlington, Va., and asked for a badge that would allow him to carry weapons on military property, according to prosecutors. The executive flashed a set of credentials stamped with the letters LEO - an acronym for "law enforcement officer" - even though he lacked police powers. That prompted federal agents to search his office at the Pentagon, where they found more suspicious badge materials. The investigation broadened as NCIS agents uncovered evidence that the intelligence unit had arranged an unauthorized, sweetheart contract to purchase AK-47 silencers from Landersman's brother, Mark, a California hot-rod mechanic. Under terms of the deal, Mark Landersman produced a batch of 349 homemade, unmarked silencers in a machine shop and sold them to the Navy for $1.6 million, even though they cost only $10,000 in parts and labor to make. After a federal trial, Mark Landersman was convicted of conspiracy in October 2014 along with a Navy intelligence official who helped arrange the contract, Lee M. Hall. Both men are appealing the verdicts. The silencers' intended use remains hazy. Many details are classified, but some court filings suggest they were part of a top-secret operation to help arm Navy SEAL Team 6, the unit that killed Osama bin Laden. David Landersman, who was indicted after his brother's conviction, has pleaded not guilty. His attorney has argued that the intelligence-unit director was kept in the dark about the contract between his brother and the Navy and that a subordinate orchestrated the deal without his knowledge. Adding to the air of mystery have been revelations in court that Navy security officials burned and shredded piles of sensitive documents shortly after The Washington Post first reported on the existence of the investigation in November 2013. David Landersman's attorneys have argued that the case against their client should be thrown out because the destroyed files would show that other Navy officials oversaw the silencer contract. They have hinted that Navy officials also wanted to get rid of the documents because they contained other embarrassing information, including notes about sexual misconduct at the Pentagon and files related to a massive bribery investigation into the Navy's 7th Fleet. Richard Kent Ford, the Navy security officer who supervised the destruction of documents, has said that he was purging old files in accordance with Navy regulations. He originally testified in 2014 that he was unaware that Landersman, Gill and others from the intelligence unit were under investigation or that there had been news coverage of the case. At a court hearing this September, however, Landersman's attorneys confronted Ford with an email Ford had written alerting several Navy officials to The Post's front-page article shortly before he oversaw the elimination of the files. "He lied to this court straight up," said Stephen M. Ryan, one of Landersman's defense lawyers, adding that Navy officials had demonstrated "more than a whiff of bad intent" by destroying evidence. Ford denied lying on the stand, saying he had forgotten about The Post's coverage. Records from a separate personnel hearing, however, show that the Navy booted Ford from his job after concluding he was "not truthful" in his original testimony in the silencer case. Justice Department officials said that Navy security officers destroyed the documents without their knowledge. They also argued that the files were not relevant to the case. U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema is scheduled to rule whether to dismiss the charges against Landersman or proceed to trial. "It's certainly a messier-than-normal case," she said at a hearing. Texas will withdraw from the federal refugee resettlement program, the state Health and Human Services Commission announced Friday, after federal authorities declined to revise the screening protocol. "After today, the current plan will no longer be in effect, and we will begin exiting the program, with benefits and services ending Jan. 31, 2017," said HHS spokesman Bryan Black. Texas in recent years has taken more refugees than any other state in the nation. The state's withdrawal does not actually affect the number of refugees settled in Texas or the services provided to them, including medical assistance, social services, preventative health and the unaccompanied refugee minors program. Rather, Texas will no longer be the steward of the federal funds it previously distributed to various charities and private agencies that ran the programs for refugees. Federal agencies will now lead those efforts directly in Texas. 'Moving forward' Meanwhile, the Office of Refugee Resettlement will begin the search for a private non-profit agency to take over the state's role in administering the federally-funded refugee services. "ORR is working to prevent disruption in the delivery of services and benefits to refugees and entrants in Texas," the agency said in a statement. "Refugees will continue to be resettled in Texas only after extensive screenings are conducted by the State Department and Department of Homeland Security." In a Sept. 21 letter to the ORR, Texas had pledged to exit the program on Sept. 30 unless Washington "unconditionally" approved the state's new plan. That plan placed heightened requirements for security screening of refugees admitted to Texas. Federal officials contended that the country already has a robust vetting system in place. "Since we have not received federal approval of our plan, we are moving forward with our transition out of the Refugee Resettlement Program.," Black said. Surpassing records Tensions over the country's decades-old refugee resettlement program have hit a fever pitch this year, which has seen the number of refugees globally surpass the record levels of the Second World War era, according to the United Nations. The massive outflow has been fueled in large part by the six-year Syrian civil war, which has killed a half million people and turned 13.5 million to refugees. Other major outflows stem from violence in Afghanistan and Iraq, which have weathered more than a decade of war. The U.S. admitted almost 70,000 refugees in 2015, according to the Department of State. Federal plans would put about 11,000 in Texas in fiscal year 2017. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has repeatedly called for vigilance in admitting refugees, and has called for heightened screening protocol for admitting refugees. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate GALVESTON A federal judge on Friday rejected Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's attempt to block an Obama administration plan to allow a contract with a nonprofit that manages the internet's address book to expire. U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks Jr. turned down the request for a preliminary injunction by Paxton and attorneys general from Arizona, Oklahoma and Nevada, saying they had relied on "hearsay" to fuel arguments that ending a federal government contract with the nonprofit would jeopardize government websites. The plaintiff, he ruled, lacked sufficient evidence to clearly convince the court that irreparable harm would come from giving up oversight of the nonprofit Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers. A Paxton spokesman hinted the office may appeal the judge's ruling. "We're disappointed with the ruling," said Marc Rylander, spokesman for the attorney general's office. "It's a dire day in our country when the president is allowed to unilaterally give away America's pioneering role in ensuring that the internet remains a place where free expression can flourish. We will continue to weigh our options as the suit moves forward." The contract in question was set to expire at midnight Friday. Eleventh-hour hearing The issue had garnered attention from U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz and Paxton who said the decision to let the contract with the U.S. Commerce Department expire could jeopardize government websites and give control of the internet to unfriendly foreign governments who could disrupt the free flow of information and clamp down on First Amendment rights. Those arguments were absent from the eleventh-hour court hearing Friday afternoon as attorneys argued whether the court had proper jurisdiction and whether harm would be done to government websites once the federal government no longer has veto power over ICANN's decisions. The states filed the lawsuit late Wednesday. California-based ICANN manages the internet domain naming system, which is what allows users to locate websites and find information. It includes representatives of 162 countries. Once the U.S. government loses oversight on the keepers of the internet address book, there is no getting it back, attorneys representing the states argued. "These are critical rights," said Beau Roysden, of the Arizona attorney general's office who presented Friday's oral arguments. He stressed a need to maintain the practice where "no one can change the official address book of the internet without the government's consent." Giving up federal oversight of ICANN is akin to bulldozing a historic building and would cause irreparable harm, he said. Assistant U.S. Attorney Keith Wyatt dismissed the state's concerns, saying they had not provided "one scintilla of evidence" that something adverse would happen to the government's websites. "It will be business as usual for the .govs. It just doesn't change," he told the court. Cruz calls it 'giveaway' Supporters of letting the contract expire argue the U.S. does not own the internet and say the ICANN manages the flow of internet traffic and web sites, not the content. Companies and organizations backing the transfer of oversight, including Facebook, Intel and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, say it the expiration will allow the government to "seamlessly transfer stewardship of the internet's addressing system to its global stakeholders." The Obama administration's decision to allow the contract to expire and let ICANN become fully independent follows years of bipartisan efforts to privatize the domain name function. In recent months, Cruz highlighted the issue, insisting that removing federal oversight of ICANN would give authoritarian regimes, like Russia, China and Iran the ability to interfere with "what should be a free and open internet." In speeches and opinion pieces, he has likened what he called a "giveaway" to President Jimmy Carter's relinquishment of the Panama Canal to that country. At one point, he even suggested administration officials could face criminal charges for the move, which has been planned for years. The Texas senator attempted to include language blocking the move in the stopgap funding bill Congress approved Wednesday, but that language was stripped out before the measure was passed. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Donald Trump came under intense scrutiny Friday after he disparaged former Miss Universe Alicia Machado in a series of scathing early morning statements on Twitter, including an accusation that she had appeared in a sex tape. His rival, Hillary Clinton, swiftly seized upon the attacks to characterize Trump as "unhinged." The Republican presidential nominee called Machado "disgusting" and a "con" and raised questions about her past in a series of tweets fired off between 3 a.m. and 5:30 a.m., his most negative comments after days of attacks on her. The former Miss Universe's story has dominated media coverage of the election since Clinton brought her up at Monday's debate, where she criticized Trump for denigrating comments he made in 1996 about Machado's weight. The fallout has threatened to undermine weeks of carefully choreographed efforts by Trump's campaign to repair his image after several missteps this summer, most notably his feud with the family of a Muslim American soldier who died in Iraq. "For the last month, he'd managed to stay on script and read off the teleprompter. We'd almost forgotten what an erratic, wild and mean man he can be. The Machado thing set him off like a keg of dynamite," said Republican strategist Ana Navarro, who has been very critical of Trump. "It is a shocking smallness and pettiness on his part. It is the Khans and Judge Curiel all over again. He and his wild pack of surrogates have been viciously attacking this woman for five days now," she said, referring to the soldier's family and the judge whose impartiality Trump questioned because of his Hispanic heritage. Clinton's campaign responded forcefully, accusing Trump of misogyny and questioning his temperament. Speaking to a late afternoon rally in Coral Springs, Fla., she mocked Trump's early morning tweet storm and called it a "meltdown." "Who gets up at 3 o'clock in the morning to engage in a Twitter attack against a former Miss Universe?" she asked. "Really, why does he do things like that?" Clinton said Trump's behavior was "unhinged, even for him" and was further evidence that he is "temperamentally unfit to be president of the United States." "A man who can be provoked by a tweet should not be anywhere near the nuclear codes," she said. On Friday afternoon, BuzzFeed News uncovered an explicit Playboy video from 2000 in which Trump made a cameo. The film, titled "Playboy: Video Centerfold," featured nude women in sexual positions. Trump made a brief appearance in the film, according to BuzzFeed, and did not appear in pornographic scenes. Clinton's campaign on Friday evening mocked Trump over his appearance in the film. "There's been a lot of talk about sex tapes today, and in a strange turn of events, only one adult film has emerged today, and its star is Donald Trump," Clinton spokesman Nick Merrill told a group of reporters stationed outside a fundraiser in Miami Beach. Machado's response Trump offered no evidence to support his allegation that Machado had a sex tape, a rumor that had widely circulated on the Internet. The GOP nominee appears to have been referring to racy but not explicit footage from a Spanish-language reality television show called "La Granja," on which she appeared in 2005. In an attempt to discredit Machado, Trump's allies have also pointed to news reports of an incident in 1998 in Venezuela, in which Machado was suspected of having driven a getaway car for her then-boyfriend after he shot someone. She allegedly later threatened the judge in the case. No charges were filed against her, and earlier this week, she called those reports "speculation." Trump has also alleged that Clinton helped Machado become a U.S. citizen to attack him. There is no evidence supporting that claim, either. In a statement in Spanish released on her Instagram account Friday, Machado blasted Trump for attacking her "with the goal of intimidating me" through "slurs and false accusations" that she said were circulated by sensationalist journalists. She accused him of decades of misogyny and vowed to continue supporting Clinton's candidacy. "When I was just a young woman, the now-candidate humiliated me, insulted me, publicly disrespected me, as he did often in private in the cruelest way. Just like this happened to me, it's clear over years that his actions and conduct have been repeated with other women for decades," she wrote in Spanish. Pastor Robert Jeffress, a vocal Trump supporter and a Dallas-based evangelical leader, defended Trump and said conservative religious voters are unlikely to mind. "I do not take literally that he has asked people to sit down and watch a sex tape," Jeffress said. "I don't think Donald Trump wants people to watch a sex tape. He's simply saying people should consider her past when they look at the situation." Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, a conservative leader who has endorsed Trump, suggested that Trump should "let some others bring up the points he made in his tweets. Plenty of high-profile voices could have brought his points out." "Maybe he got fed up and said, 'Let's blow this issue up and put it behind us.' I get it," King said. "And I know he has so many Twitter followers, so he thinks he's the one to make his view penetrate, to get the truth out there in the media. But he can have others do this kind of thing for him." When asked about the timing of Trump's tweets, King said, "Are you sure he got up from bed? He may have never been to bed. I bet he's not getting too much sleep these days being in the middle of a campaign." GOP critics But Trump's critics have blasted the GOP nominee for going after Machado so intently, particularly with just a few weeks before the election. By repeatedly knocking the former Miss Universe, the GOP candidate has given new life to the feud each day since the debate, which most scientific polls show that voters think he lost. "He is using his platform to try to demean her and to try to tear her down," said GOP strategist Tim Miller, a vocal anti-Trump Republican. "And the most concerning part about this to me is somebody who is potentially 40 days away from being elected the president of the United States is kept up at night by how he can win a petty feud against a former beauty queen - who he had called 'fat' and 'Miss Piggy.' " Miller added that Trump's "emotional" response to "petty slights" should give voters pause. "He is constitutionally incapable of letting these petty slights go. He's demonstrated time and time again. This is not a strategic choice. He's not playing 3-D chess. All he's doing is responding emotionally because he's been criticized. It's a terrible trait," Miller said. That has played to the benefit of Clinton, who hopes to raise enough concerns about Trump's treatment of women to further erode his support among female Republicans, particularly those who are college-educated. Clinton called Machado early Friday afternoon as the Democratic nominee was driving from an event in Fort Pierce, Fla., to the airport, Merrill said. She thanked Machado for her courage during "a war of pretty unpleasant words," he said. Trump appeared unconcerned Friday afternoon: "For those few people knocking me for tweeting at three o'clock in the morning, at least you know I will be there, awake, to answer the call!" he tweeted. The State Board of Education has the dual duties of setting curriculum standards for public schools and managing the Permanent School Fund. Voters should look for candidates who refuse to let the board descend into ideological partisanship and instead keep their focus on students, parents and teachers. District 6 When she was first appointed as head of the State Board of Education in 2015, Donna Bahorich was condemned as an anti-education advocate of homeschooling who would drag the board back to its embarrassing days of fractious infighting. But Bahorich, who represents part of Harris County, has failed to transform into the forewarned partisan. Instead, the former Dan Patrick campaign manager has used statewide surveys to gauge parents, business leaders and educators on the issues facing the SBOE. However, given the issues of standardized testing and age-appropriate curricula that currently vex the SBOE, we encourage voters to back her Democratic challenger, R. Dakota Carter, who has a unique expertise in these fields. Carter, 29, a psychiatrist with a specific focus on childhood development, is currently pursuing a doctorate in education at the University of Houston. If elected, he said he wants to reduce the reliance on high-stakes tests and bring in experts to review class curricula, which are set by the board's Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills, or TEKS. In a meeting with the Houston Chronicle editorial board, Carter specifically described areas where those TEKS have become bloated with board members' individual pet projects. District 10 Our choice for this sprawling central district, which includes the cities of Georgetown, Bastrop and Sealy, is incumbent Tom Maynard. When he first ran for the seat in 2012, some flags went up about Maynard's allegiance to hard-right ideology. However, by and large during his term, Maynard has functioned less as an ideologue and more as a public servant who has the best interests of Texas' children at heart. Maynard's educational credentials are strong: He's been actively engaged in the field as a parent, teacher, school board trustee and administrator for more than 20 years. Maynard, 53, taught agricultural science in high school before going to work for the Texas FFA Association, where he currently serves as executive director. Democratic challenger Judy Jennings also has an impressive background. She holds a doctorate in education and has advised the Texas Education Agency on accountability and assessment issues. More of a listener than the garrulous Maynard, Jennings would be an asset to this board. But while the candidates occupy opposite ends of the ideological spectrum, Maynard and Jennings seemed to agree on most of the current issues facing the board. Although Jennings deserves the public's gratitude for serving as a government watchdog, Maynard is pragmatic and served his first term competently. Romines Motor Co. in Houston will host its sixth annual fundraising event to benefit Houston High School this from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. This years version is of the event is called Driven to Give and is sponsored by the Lincoln Motor Co. division of Ford Motor Co. The idea is simple: For every test drive of a Lincoln vehicle, Lincoln will donate $20 to the cause, up to $8,000. Houston Schools Superintendent Dr. Allen Moss said the funds will go toward the purchase of white boards and projectors for every HHS classroom. We would like all the support we can get because we want to get the ball rolling for this project, said Romines Motor Co. co-owner Don Romines. Its a very worthwhile project. In a similar event last year (Drive 4UR School, sponsored by Ford Motor Co.), Romines raised $5,800 that went toward audio-video equipment for the library media center. The dealership has raised more than $27,000 for the high school in the past five years, funds that have helped fund installation of air conditioning units in Hiett Gymnasium, expansion of a security system and construction of commons area. Its very good that Lincoln offers to put money back into the community that buys their automobiles, Romines said. Supporting our community is the No. 1 goal of Ford and Lincoln, and the school is the foundation of the community. Tags : protect data employees How to stop soon-to-leave employees stealing your business secrets Todays technology gives disgruntled employees more ways to take revenge on their employers than ever before. For example, after Andrew Skelton, a senior internal auditor at the UK supermarket chain Morrisons, was disciplined for using the mail room to send out private parcels, he stole personally identifiable information on nearly 100,000 of his colleagues, posted it online and sent it to two national newspapers. Thousands of affected employees have filed a lawsuit against the company for this data security breach, which has already cost the company millions. This is far from an isolated incident. In fact, for several years in a row, Verizons Data Breach Investigations Report has named insider misuse as one of the biggest security threats for companies. The 2015 report found that as with prior years, 55% of insider misuse incidents happened due to privilege abuse that is, trusted users were motivated to use their companys sensitive data for financial gain or career advancement. Clearly, you should be concerned about disgruntled or soon-to-leave employees stealing your business secrets. Here is what you can do to protect your data: 1. Insist upon Non-disclosure Agreements. Ensuring that your employees sign a non-disclosure agreement is the first step in protecting your trade secrets, intellectual property, employee and customer data, etc. When an employee re... Although plans for Brexit forge ahead, exactly what this means for the millions of workers and their employers will depend on how the new prime minister proceeds. At this point, no one really knows how Brexit will unfold, but we offer insight into the reasoning behind the UKs possible next steps and what they might mean for workers and employers. Immigration and the Potential Skills Gap With Brexits emphasis on controlling immigration, many businesses fear what Brexit will mean for the British businesses that employ EU migrants and rely on international talent pools. Currently, British businesses have the ability to employ workers from within the European Economic area without requiring immigration permission (which includes the EU, Norway, Iceland, Switzerland and the principality of Lichtenstein). Of the 8.5 million people living in London, one million are European immigrant employees, and in all of the UK, there are 2.1 million EU migrants. So as you can see, EU migrants provide the British economy with on-demand skills that can be difficult to fill with British citizens alone. Because the EU guarantees free movement of labor among its member states, Britain's membership with the EU made it easier for immigrants to find work in the UK. However, Brexit will undoubtedly change that. Industries such as construction, engineering and IT are already facing a talent shortage, and that gap will likely widen if the mov... The EEOC has made very clear its position that Title VIIs prohibitions against sex discrimination apply to transgender employees. (Click here for review of that issue.) It also sued a funeral home in Michigan in September 2014 when it fired its funeral director, a transgender employee, for dress code violations. It also lost at the trial court level. The case is EEOC v. R.G. & G.R. Harris Funeral Homes, Inc., E.D. Mich., No. 14-13710, 8/18/16. That said, I would not call this case a victory for employers, and maybe not for anyone, really. Why not? Read on after the jump to find out So what happened? In August 2013, Aimee Stephens, the defendants funeral director, indicated she was transitioning from male to female and would start adhering to that part of the employers dress code that applied to female employees (i.e. wear skirt suits to work rather than the mens suit that she had previously worn, pursuant to the companys dress code.) Her employer, R.G. & G.R. Harris Funeral Homes, Inc., terminated her citing dress code violations. Ms. Stephens filed an EEOC charge, alleging sex discrimination under Title VII. The EEOC ultimately filed suit on Ms. Stephens behalf in September 2014. Judge Sean Cox of the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan, initially dismissed first of the two Title VII sex discrimination claims, the one based on termination by reason of her transgender s... Most employers should be reviewing payroll budgets and job descriptions to ensure that changes to salaries and job classifications are all in order by the December 1 deadline based on the new overtime exempt salary threshold and other final rule changes to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Another area that will be impacted by these changes and needs review now is employee benefits. Review Now This is the best opportunity to review your companys eligibility requirements for certain benefits and benefit levels. Some benefit plans may include eligibility requirements based on exempt versus nonexempt status or salary versus hourly status. With the FLSA changes soon approaching, and many companies preparing for their annual open enrollment periods, you may want to use these next few months to review your eligibility requirements and make any necessary changes. These classification changes may unintentionally cause a reduction or loss of certain benefits for some of your employees. Retirement Plans Often, company contributions to retirement savings plans are based on an employees salary level. These contributions will increase as you raise salaries or incur additional overtime costs. The costs of short-term disability, long-term disability, and group life insurance plans are frequently based on an employees annual earnings; therefore, there may be an increase in these benefits costs as well. Review the eligibility requirements for health... About Webcast In today's workplace, displaying the latest federal and state labor law postings may not be enough to ensure 100% protection against lawsuits and fines. And with fines for not displaying current posting having increased recently to over $30,000, it is more important than ever for companies regardless of size and industry to be sure they are in complete posting compliance. For instance, if companies have remote workers, non-English-speaking workers, operate in certain industries, have federal government contracts, or have employees in certain cities, they may have additional requirements. The goal of this webinar is to inform attendees of some recent legal developments and trends that might affect their companys posting obligations. The topics to be covered include Foreign Language Posting Requirements, E-Verify, Electronic Postings, Solutions for Remote Workers, Telecommuters and Non-traditional Worksites, Applicant Area Posting Requirements, Industry-Specific and Federal Contractor Requirements, and City and Local Trends. Many companies are not aware that there are actually 22 states, plus Washington DC, that require businesses to display their posters in Spanish regardless of your workforce demographics even if there are not any Spanish-speaking employees on staff. Also, many companies have questions about employees who work from home or have non-traditional worksites, such as mall kiosks or even food trucks. This webinar will give concrete examples and solutions on how to handle such scenarios. No matter your company size or industry there is valuable information in this webinar to help your company in its goal to stay in compliance. Don't miss out on this informative webinar! By registering for this webcast you will receive email communications and notifications from the sponsor(s). We expect nothing short of sleek, elegant style from Kate Middleton, and from the moment she stepped off the plane for her 2016 royal visit to Canada, the Duchess of Cambridge did not disappoint. Advertisement The mother of Prince George and Princess Charlotte arrived last Saturday, toting the two tots in a polished lapis Jenny Packham pencil dress. She wore a matching fascinator with maple leaf accents and a maple leaf brooch as a tribute to the country that would play host the royal family over the next eight days. Catherine and the Canadian prime minister's wife, Sophie Gregoire Trudeau coordinated perfectly in almost identical hat and dress combos for the British royals' official welcome at the B.C. legislature. Advertisement The next day, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge headed to Vancouver for the day. Kate went Canadiana in a white Alexander McQueen dress with red embroidery. The pleated dress was modified from the original Resort 2017 collection, toning down the puffy sleeves, but keeping the shape of the dress. She paired the look with red L.K. Bennett heels and a red Miu Miu box clutch. Advertisement On Monday, the third day of their visit, was met with gloomy skies, so the royal couple were shower-ready for their visit to the Heiltsuk Nation. Kate braved the rain with a bubble umbrella, her trusty Penelope Chilvers tassel boots and a Holland & Holland Sahara cotton jacket. Under the rain gear, she wore dark washed Zara skinny jeans and gold kite earrings designed by Canadian-born Pippa Small. Advertisement Later that night was the historic ceremony with Canadian First Nations groups and B.C. politicians. The 34-year-old style icon continued her fashion ode to Canada. Catherine slipped into a red off-the-shoulders Preen by Thornton Bregazzi pleated midi dress. She pulled her hair back in a chignon and again accessorized with her maple leaf brooch and her stunning pearl Soru earrings. Advertisement On day four, the royals took a trip back to school in Kelowna, B.C. The Duchess stepped on campus at University of British Columbia wearing an emerald green Dolce & Gabbana crepe midi dress, embellished with gold button details and a neck tie. She went for nude heels and a clutch by LK Bennett to accessorize. That same day, the British royals moved further north, heading to Whitehorse. Despite the considerably colder Yukon climate, Kate stuck by her emerald dress, adding a coordinating wool and rayon Hobbs trench coat and a maple leaf tartan scarf. Advertisement Duchess Catherine gave us plenty of cold weather inspiration on Wednesday, the fifth day of their trip. She bundled up in a thick, red House of Herrera coat, and later that day she took the Canada inspiration to another level. Kate took a cue from our own Sophie Gregoire Trudeau and donned one of her favourite fashion house's coats in the Yukon. The Duchess wore coat designer Sentaler's signature ribbed sleeve alpaca coat in gull grey. Advertisement She paired the wrap coat with dark denim, her cowboy boots and earrings by another Canadian talent, Shelley Silversmith. On day six of their visit, Prince William and Catherine headed to back to Victoria to see their kids and some tiny Canadians! They royal family hosted a children's party for Canadian military families, and Kate managed to keep her white Chloe dress with Pointelle details clean the whole day. Advertisement Serious mom skills. On Friday, day seven of their visit, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge made they way to Haida Gwaii, B.C. to visit the Haida Nation. For the first half of the day, Kate sported an evergreen blazer by another Canadian brand, Smythe, along with a sheer ivory blouse from the Somerset collection by British designer Alice Temperley. Advertisement She finished the look with brown skinny pants and her chocolate brown cowboy boots, which she rocked at the Calgary Stampede back in 2011. The Duchess did a quick costume change for a fishing trip with children from Skidegate Youth Centre. She ditched her thin blouse and blazer and threw on a red cable knit sweater from U.K. retailer Really Wild and a parka by Troy London easy and cozy. Advertisement On their final day back in Victoria, Prince William and Kate met children at Cridge Centre. The Duchess wore a white blazer and dark pants from Zara, a ribbed, cream H&M top and finished with tweed J. Crew heels. That afternoon she swapped out the blazer and heels for a parka and comfy white Superga sneakers for a tour of the Vancouver harbour. Advertisement Soon after, it was time for the royal family to say a final goodbye. Kate waved before boarding the plane in a pale pink princess coat by Catherine Walker, and matching LK Bennett pumps. You're needed back in England, but Duchess, please leave your closet behind. Sincerely, Canadian fashion-lovers. Also on HuffPost There are many people, in America and elsewhere, who decry political processes and don't see a place for (international) policy decisions in saving wildlife. Too many machinations; too many loopholes to satisfy special interests; too little enforcement. The 17th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the (CITES) has opened this weekend in Johannesburg, South Africa. CITES lists tens of thousands of species on its appendices, mostly plants, either regulating, restricting, or, in some cases, banning international trade in wildlife. There is no stronger or larger international treaty to protect animals from over-exploitation due to international trade. It was CITES that, in 1989, placed all of Africa's elephants on Appendix I of the Convention, thus stopping all international trade that was for primarily commercial purposes. There are certainly critics of CITES--those who want more--but, right now, I believe it's the best game in town. Advertisement This week and next, Parties from more than 180 Member nations will debate about the future trade and conservation of African elephants, Asian elephants, rhinos, lions, tigers, cheetahs, pangolins, sharks, turtles, parrots, and trees. They will decide whether there should be renewed trade in elephant ivory from Namibia and Zimbabwe, and trade in rhino horn from Swaziland's southern white rhino. They will decide whether to stop the commercial trade in lion parts and products, including the frighteningly destructive lion bone trade. And, they will decide whether to increase protection for all eight species of pangolins, the scales of whom are highly sought after in Asian medicine, leading the pangolin to the dubious distinction of being the world's most heavily traded mammal. The simple fact is that consumption of wildlife, wildlife parts, and wildlife products, including live animals, contributes--in some cases significantly--to the decline of wildlife populations. Yes, I know there are other threats. I know about habitat and prey loss. I know about disease. But, I also know that there are ivory traders, lion breeders, rhino "farmers," cheetah collectors, and consumer after consumer after consumer the world over who will pay to covet these animals. Keep It Simple, Stupid. Let's not allow any new ivory trade and close down domestic ivory markets to dry up the ivory trade--and give elephants a chance. Let's not allow rhino horn trade at a time when rhino poaching is sky high. Let's not ignore the responsibility to protect pangolins and tigers simply because the Chinese government may wish to keep scales coming in and tigers being bred for internal (and maybe someday international) trade. Let's stop the glorification of cheetahs on a leash as pets in the Middle East when the Horn of Africa's cheetah population has been under intense assault. Advertisement There is much to do for sure, and there are foes opposed to acting with (pre)caution, giving the species the benefit of the doubt. But, this is exactly what is required. When Africa's elephant population has dipped below 400,000, it is not the time to renew ivory trade and stimulate markets. When Africa's lion population has fallen to around 20,000 individuals living on 8% of its habitat, it is not the time to stall action. CITES can be grueling: so many issues affecting so many species, with so many vested interests vying for primacy. Policy decisions do matter. The policies agreed here in Johannesburg this week matter. Quite simply, this is the week to consider the future of wildlife around the world and for CITES Parties to make decisions that keep these animals (and plants) safe. Keep Wildlife in the Wild, Many software development houses have a policy of "one size fits all." As a result, they attempt to convince their clients that it is important to change their company's business processes to fit the software package instead of customizing the software package to fit the company's business processes. Is this point of view correct? Is it essential to change your company's business processes to fit a generic software package or are there other options? Another important point to note is that management and developers at these software development houses tend to forget that a business is built around it's processes. This is what makes a company unique and provides the competitive edge in the market place. Will a company that has forced its way of doing business into generic system maintain its competitive edge, or will it become like every other company in its niche? What is custom software? Customized Software, also known as bespoke or tailor-made software, is a computer program that is specially designed for a particular purpose... Customized software is written and designed to meet the client's specific business processes" In other words, custom software development does not force the client to fit his company's business processes into the generic software, but either writes a completely new package for the client, or customizes the generic package to suit the client's needs. Advertisement What is fleet management? Fleet management is the management of all aspects relating to a company's vehicles. Fleet management can include the management of a fleet of vehicles used by the company's staff right up to a fleet of heavy vehicles used to transport goods all over the world. What is fleet management software? Fleet management software is a software package or system that is developed to meet the needs of companies who own a fleet of vehicles. This system usually comprises of the following components: Vehicle tracking Vehicle maintenance schedule Driver behavior logs Advanced diagnostic software which collects data on fuel consumption, distance travelled, etc. Reporting on all aspects of the day to day management of the fleet of vehicles Because the scope of the management of a fleet of vehicles is so broad, it makes sense to develop custom fleet management software to address the needs of each individual company. In my opinion, it is illogical to expect companies on both extremes to force their business rules and management processes into a generic system. Some companies only require a small system because they only own a few light motor vehicles. On the other hand, a company that owns a fleet of trucks that transport goods from one side of a continent to the other, requires a large system with many different components from time management right through to invoicing. Advertisement Final words US Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally at the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi, Michigan, on September 30, 2016. / AFP / Jewel SAMAD (Photo credit should read JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images) Our subtitle today is not original, so we've got to start by giving credit where credit is due. David French, a writer for the ultraconservative National Review (and a man once so horrified by Donald Trump's candidacy that he considered running himself), had the funniest metaphor for Trump's performance in Monday's first presidential debate: After the first 20 minutes, it may have been the most lopsided debate I've ever seen -- and not because Clinton was particularly effective. But you don't need to be good when your opponent is bad. Why didn't he have a better answer ready for the birther nonsense? Has he still not done any homework on foreign policy? I felt like I was watching the political Titanic hit the iceberg, back up, and hit it again. Just for fun. The extraordinary thing about this is not that a conservative is ridiculing a debate performance of the Republican candidate for president, since he's not the only one who did so this week (more on this in the talking points), and also since the list of Republicans who support Hillary Clinton is growing by the day. No, the extraordinary thing is that the author wrote this before Trump started actually fighting back against former Miss Universe Alicia Machado. French was just talking about the debate itself, but for the entire rest of the week, Trump backed his personal Titanic up again and again, and tried to just ram through the iceberg, over and over. He was even up early this morning, providing yet another day's legs for this story. The most extraordinary thing about all of this is that Trump is so incensed at Machado, and so wrapped up in his hissy fit, that he absolutely ignored Rosie O'Donnell, who this week tweeted that Trump was nothing more than an "orange anus." Even vicious insults from Rosie didn't get a rise from Trump (which is, indeed, extraordinary -- because it likely has never happened before), because he was so focused on badmouthing Machado. Before we get to all the debate reactions, though, there was plenty of other bad news for Trump this week. His namesake foundation is generating all sorts of bad press for Trump, and this week's harvest included the fact that Trump seems to be using his foundation to shield his own income from income taxes (which is illegal, if true), and also the bombshell that Trump failed to properly register his foundation in New York. So the Trump Foundation is looking more and more like an unlicensed slush fund Trump uses any way he sees fit. Maybe that's why he didn't bring up the Clinton Foundation in Monday night's debate? The other bad news for Trump might hurt him in one particular battleground state that he truly needs to win if he's got any chance at all to win the election. It turns out Trump's business traveled down to Cuba a while back, because they thought U.S. relations might be thawing (this was long before Obama became president and made this dream reality, we should point out). Trump wanted to get a foot in the door, in case the chance for making money from Havana luxury hotels became possible. But in doing so, his business spent $68,000 in Cuba itself -- which is a violation of U.S. law. Advertisement Now, in most of America, this news won't generate much interest. After all, Obama started the very process Trump was preparing for -- opening up Cuba and ending the Cold War for good. So what does it matter now? Well, for most Americans, it doesn't matter. Not so for the Cuban-Americans living in Florida. Cuban-Americans are unlike most other Latinos in the United States, because they've always been staunch Republicans. Up until recently, Republicans' strong anti-Communist and anti-Castro positions have won them the support of most Cuban-Americans in Florida (and elsewhere). Spending money in the Castro regime could blunt this support more than it already has been blunted by time. Younger Cuban-Americans just want to travel to Cuba to see relatives they've never met -- they're not as concerned about the Castro brothers. But if this new revelation weakens Trump support among the older Cuban-American demographic, that could actually tip the state over to Clinton in November. So while this is a minor story for the rest of us, we'll be closely watching the Florida polling to see if Trump getting caught spending money in Cuba has an effect or not, that's for sure. In so-common-it's-barely-news this week, another staunch Republican newspaper endorsed Hillary Clinton for president. The Arizona Republic is especially notable since it has never endorsed a single Democrat since the paper began in 1890. Donald Trump still has yet to win one single major newspaper endorsement anywhere in the country, and USA Today -- which has never endorsed any candidate -- came out with an "un-endorsement" (disendorsement?) of Trump, stating he would be too reckless and dangerous a man to elect president. In the midst of all this, Trump has still not held a press conference or appeared on any non-Fox network in over two months. Other bad news for Team Trump: the Trump children fondly remember being introduced to capitalism when their parents provided money for a lemonade stand -- which had to be paid back (they had to turn a profit, in other words). Unfortunately for them, they set up their stand on the lawn of a Trump house in a very wealthy neighborhood's cul-de-sac, meaning there was pretty much zero foot traffic for them to pitch their wares to. Being Trumps, the kids solved their problem -- by browbeating the help into digging deep in their pockets to buy lemonade from them. No, seriously, you just can't make this stuff up. Their charming story might even have been an offering at Trump University, in fact: "How to grift those with less money than you, 101." Since there's so much material from the campaign trail this week, we have decided we're not even going to make an attempt to run down any of the other political news -- which included Obama's first veto override and Congress actually avoiding a government shutdown (by doing the work on the Zika funding and Flint's water crisis they should have done almost a year ago, but still...). It's been that sort of week -- the campaign has just overwhelmed all the other political news. So let's move along to the awards, and then we'll have some of those conservative reactions to Trump's debate performance, as promised. Advertisement There's really no question who won this week's Most Impressive Democrat Of The Week award. Hillary Clinton turned in the debate performance Democrats had been waiting for this Monday, and the rest of the week was filled with stories of Donald Trump shooting himself in the foot. That's an impressive week for a presidential candidate. Her debate performance was seen as a clear win by the public and by the pundits, giving her a whole week of good news. The polls (the real ones, not the meaningless "vote early, vote often" internet polls) are now starting to come in, and so far they show movement towards Clinton almost across the board. Clinton's up in Nevada, Michigan, New Hampshire, and North Carolina. The one we're personally waiting to see is Florida, after the aforementioned Cuba story broke. That might just change a few voters' minds about Trump in and around Miami, to put it mildly. But back to Hillary's debate performance. Hillary, as she pointed out herself on Monday, prepared for the debate. Donald (as she amusingly called him throughout the debate) did not. It wasn't just that she knew what to say and how to say it, either. She also was ready to spring the traps she laid for Trump. While Trump has been playing the media like a fiddle for over a year now, Clinton showed she knows a thing or two about a media rollout herself. Consider the details about the prep work done by Team Clinton on the Alicia Machado story alone: Operatives in Brooklyn had been working with Machado since the summer. They had a video featuring her story ready to go. Cosmopolitan had a photo spread of her draped in an American flag -- to go with a profile -- in the can. Machado had also conducted an interview with The Guardian that was "apparently embargoed for post-debate release," according to Vox. And the Clinton super PAC Priorities USA turned a digital ad to highlight the insults by early afternoon. The Clinton press shop then set up a conference call for Machado to respond to what Trump said on "Fox and Friends." Speaking with reporters, Machado recounted how Trump "always treated me like a lesser thing, like garbage" and that his new words are like "a bad dream." She said in a mix of Spanish and halting English that she watched the debate with her mother and daughter and cried as Clinton recounted her story. That is what preparation looks like, folks. Not only do you wave a red flag in front of the bull, you have a full media rollout of the red flag's history ready to go, which you know full well is just going to further enrage the bull. And it worked like a charm. Trump stepped right into the trap, Clinton snapped it shut, and Trump's been wailing and whining ever since. As the Guinness ads used to say: "Brilliant!" Hillary Clinton used just this one Trump-baiting episode to strengthen her support among women in general, suburban women in particular, and Latinos and Latinas across the board. And that was just one of the traps Trump stepped right into Monday night. By week's end, Team Clinton was expressing outright glee over Trump's overreactions. Brian Fallon just tweeted the snarkiest comment I've seen all week: "Oh look, Trump is dominating the news cycle again. Whatever will we do." Heh. Cracking jokes like that simply wasn't possible this time last week, it bears mentioning. So for turning around her polling slide, for clearly winning the debate, for getting under Trump's skin in a way no previous debate opponent has, for provoking gaffe after gaffe without once stumbling herself, for getting Trump to all but admit that the big secret in his tax returns is that he pays no taxes, for her overall preparation and for her stamina, Hillary Clinton is easily this week's Most Impressive Democrat Of The Week winner. In fact (to end on a groaner of a pun), it is beyond debate. [It is our longstanding policy not to provide contact information for political campaigns, so you'll have to find Hillary Clinton's campaign site on your own to congratulate her, sorry.] There's a clear candidate for Most Disappointing Democrat Of The Week this week, but after consideration, we've decided that his strong poll numbers disqualify him for the award. After all, if the voters he's trying to woo aren't disappointed in him, who are we to say otherwise? Advertisement Joe Morrissey used to be a Virginia state lawmaker. Then he got caught in an inappropriate relationship (to say the least) with his 17-year-old receptionist (Morrissey was 55 at the time). Morrissey went to jail for this relationship, after texting nude photos of her to a friend, bragging that he had had sex with her (while she was underage). Morrissey had previously raised eyebrows with other antics, "including an eight-year disbarment that prevented him from practicing law until 2011; two fistfights that resulted in jail time; brandishing an unloaded AK-47 to the alarm of legislative colleagues during a gun debate in the House of Delegates." Fun guy, right? Well, now he's running to be mayor of Richmond (an office Tim Kaine used to hold, incidentally). And he's actually using his wife and children (he married the intern after doing his jail time, and has two children with her) on the campaign trail as the reason he's running. No, really. That takes a lot of chutzpah, but the astonishing thing is that he's leading the polls in a seven-way race. Or six, now -- one candidate just dropped out in fear that the wide field would split the vote and allow Morrissey to win. All of that is pretty disappointing, but like Marion Barry before him, Morrissey is walking the path to redemption with the voters supporting him. Nobody would really care about his candidacy if he weren't leading the pack, to put this another way. And who are we to argue with the voters of Richmond? So his voter support has saved him from this week's MDDOTW award. This leaves a thin field to choose from, so we're going to go ahead and hand the Most Disappointing Democrat Of The Week award to Chelsea Clinton, who got her facts wrong about marijuana, while out on the campaign trail for her mother. We also have to thank Tom Angell, marijuana-rights crusader extraordinaire, for bringing this to everyone's attention. Chelsea was campaigning in Ohio, and was asked about what her mom thought about the D.E.A. refusing to reclassify marijuana to a lower level (rather than Schedule I, where it currently sits). Hillary Clinton has been notably reluctant to embrace marijuana legalization in any way, although she has incrementally moved her position since she first began her run. She now "supports more research," which is a pretty Caspar Milquetoast-ish position to take in 2016, when over half the United States have already legalized medicinal marijuana and when recreational legalization will be on the ballot in multiple states this November. But Clinton has indeed stated that she now supports rescheduling marijuana -- again, a fairly weak position on the issue, considering how far the window has shifted in the general public. Advertisement But then Chelsea just started makin' stuff up, continuing a century-long streak of anti-marijuana propaganda, by stating: But we also have anecdotal evidence now from Colorado where some of the people who were taking marijuana for [medical] purposes, the coroner believes, after they died, there was drug interactions with other things they were taking. When challenged by ThinkProgress, a Chelsea Clinton spokesperson had to walk this statement back: While discussing her and her mother's support for rescheduling marijuana to allow for further study of both its medical benefits and possible interactions with other medications, Chelsea misspoke about marijuana's interaction with other drugs contributing to specific deaths. While we do appreciate the fact that she did walk her inaccurate statement back, the fact that she made it in the first place still makes Chelsea Clinton our Most Disappointing Democrat Of The Week this week. Advertisement Maybe this is a "teachable moment" for her mother? Let's see, Team Clinton is extremely worried that she is not generating much enthusiasm from Millennials. The young folks haven't flocked from backing Bernie Sanders over to her side, and many of them may vote for a third-party candidate or even stay home. Hmm... that's a problem. Now what could Hillary Clinton possibly do to fix that problem? How could she entice young Gary Johnson and Jill Stein voters over to her side? If only there were one simple issue -- an issue that the public has already completely shifted on -- that Hillary could champion in order to fix her problem with young voters. If only such an issue could be found... if only.... Sooner or later, Democratic politicians are going to realize that they are flat-out not being leaders on the issue of marijuana reform, and further realize the political benefits they could easily be reaping by getting out in front of the issue. Sooner or later, but not yet -- from Team Clinton, at any rate. [Chelsea Clinton is a public political figure, but not an actual officeholder, and it is our longstanding policy not to provide contact information for private individuals, so you'll have to let the Hillary Clinton team know what you think of Chelsea's actions on your own, sorry.] Volume 410 (9/30/16) While most of this week's talking points are nothing more than conservative reactions to Trump's debate performance, we do have to apologize in advance for our first talking point, because we fully admit it is not only sexist, but appearance-ist (or whatever P.C. term should be used, there), and downright juvenile. Hey, it's been that sort of election, folks. Normally, we wouldn't stoop to insults a fifth-grader might hurl on a playground here, because even if we are dedicated to the proposition that Democrats can effectively use taunting as talking points -- as effectively as Republicans, even! -- we usually try to keep at least one foot out of the gutter while doing so. Advertisement However, Donald Trump has proven this week beyond a shadow of a doubt that one of his sorest sore spots is his well-documented history of misogynistic statements. For some bizarre reason, Trump seems to want to deny that he has said any of the vast collection of put-downs against women he's used in the past. After all, who in their right mind would have thought that during the first 2016 presidential debate, there would be name-drops of Howard Stern, a former Miss Universe, and Rosie O'Donnell (who "deserved" all the things Trump said about her)? Seriously, who could have predicted any of that? So our first talking point is specifically designed as a taunt to make Trump seethe. It's not even really necessary -- he's already boiling over about the whole Miss Universe thing. We had another talking point ready to go (Bill Kristol: "I'm not positive Hillary actually won the debate. But I'm sure Trump lost it. He choked."), but in the end we decided that getting under Trump's skin even more was a worthy enough goal for us to use language we would normally consider unworthy for these august pages. So with that caveat under our belts, let's get right to it, shall we? Beaten like a cheap rug Ideally, we'd select Chris Matthews to utter this line. Somehow he seems like the most likely candidate to uncork this particular insult to Trump, don't ask us why. "Trump got beaten up pretty badly by a girl on Monday night, and then all week long he got beaten like a big brass drum by a beauty queen. No wonder he's so upset." It's 3:00 A.M.... Many people are pointing this one out. It's a no-brainer, really, after this morning's tweetstorm from Trump. Advertisement "If I were giving the Republican National Committee advice, I would tell them to immediately find out who exactly gave Donald Trump his phone back? They had successfully hidden it from him for weeks, but this morning he started spewing conspiracy theories in the middle of the night, once again. It's so embarrassing even John Podesta was offering Trump advice, for when he gets up in the middle of the night: 'safety tip: don't reach for your phone.' Hillary Clinton's response should be an obvious one, since she's already got the footage ready to go -- all it would need would be about five seconds of updating. Yes, I think it's high time for Clinton to re-run her '3:00 A.M. ad' from 2008, don't you? Because Trump is -- obviously -- not the guy you'd want anywhere near a phone in the wee hours." 20 minutes of material The next few talking points are all from conservatives reviewing Trump's debate performance. We have to say, it's been a rather extraordinary presidential campaign, because over and over again we don't even have to create Democratic talking points, since the conservatives are offering up better ones on their own -- against their own candidate. All any of these need is a Democrat leading in with: "Did you hear what X just said about Trump?" In this case, X would be Mitt Romney's chief strategist from his 2012 campaign: Trump brought 20 minutes of material to a 90 minute show. Vanity and laziness Our next conservative debate review comes from John Podhoretz of the New York Post. He began with his strongest argument -- that the political class represented by her has failed us and it's time to look to a successful dealmaker for leadership -- and kept to it pretty well for the first 20 minutes. Then due to the vanity and laziness that led him to think he could wing the most important 95 minutes of his life, he lost the thread of his argument, he lost control of his temper and he lost the perspective necessary to correct these mistakes as he went. By the end... Trump was reduced to a sputtering mess blathering about Rosie O'Donnell and about how he hasn't yet said the mean things about Hillary that he is thinking. Big mistake Here is Charles Krauthammer on Trump's debate performance. Ah, vanity, thy name is Trump! His great weakness is his vanity. He is temperamentally incapable of allowing any attack on his person to go unavenged. He is particularly sensitive on the subject of his wealth. So central to his self-image is his business acumen that in the debate he couldn't resist the temptation to tout his cleverness on taxes. Big mistake. The next day, Clinton offered the obvious retort: "If not paying taxes makes him smart, what does that make all the rest of us?" Fireworks train hits nuclear plant To absolve him of being insensitive, we are duty-bound to point out that Michael Gerson wrote this Homer Simpson-esque metaphor before the New Jersey train derailment happened. It's a metaphor almost as good as the image of the Titanic backing up to take another shot at the berg, though. Past debate criticism has looked for hints and signs to determine losers -- a candidate, say, looked impatiently at his watch or sighed in an off-putting way. Rhetorically, Trump drove a high-speed train filled with fireworks into a nuclear power plant. He was self-absorbed, prickly, defensive, interrupting, baited by every charge yet unprepared to refute them. During his share of a 90-minute debate, he was horribly out of his depth, incapable of stringing together a coherent three-sentence case. The postmodern quality of Trump's appeal culminated in an unbalanced rant claiming, "I also have a much better temperament than she has" -- an assertion greeted by audience laughter. That's the ticket! And finally, we close with a fairly obvious observation that more people need to be saying out loud. "It's now rumored that Chris Christie will be taking charge of the effort to prepare Donald Trump for his next debate. The next debate, I might point out, will have a 'town hall' format. So, really, what could go wrong with Chris Christie sharing his wisdom about how to cope with town halls with Trump? Christie is known for his patience with audience questions and also known for never shouting at citizens during such events or belittling them at all. Oh, wait, my mistake -- all of that is exactly what Christie is known for! Maybe Christie can play Trump some clips of Christie screaming at a teacher or telling someone to sit down and shut up -- that'll definitely help Trump keep his cool at the next debate! So I heartily encourage Donald to listen to Christie very closely and to follow Christie's example as much as possible, because who doesn't want to see Trump act like Christie during a town hall debate? I mean -- what could possibly go wrong with that?" Chris Weigant blogs at: Follow Chris on Twitter: @ChrisWeigant Full archives of FTP columns: FridayTalkingPoints.com On the eve of the International Day of Non-Violence, I find myself ruminating on the latter part of the convention which states the desire "to secure a culture of peace, tolerance, understanding and non-violence." Just before South Sudan gained its independence in 2011, I embarked on two trips there. Those visits are at the forefront of my mind. Those weeks and months were a demarcation point where promise became missed opportunity. When I landed in Juba on my first trip, the tarmac was home to UN and World Food Program planes. An official cease-fire had been established, creating a legal pause that referenced the 22-year civil war that ostensibly ended in 2005. The city's infrastructure had been decimated and the occasional burned out tank and truck dotted the landscape, left to rust to whatever unceremonious end came to them. Shortly after arriving I travelled to Jonglei, close to the border between the north and south in order to conduct research for a future documentary film project. The route to Jonglei was absent of any signs of the international community that I encountered at the airport, even though the United Nations had established UNMISS in 2011 with a mandate of "Protection of Civilians" among others. I found myself immersed in an arid landscape, whose population was acquiescing to lawlessness. Child soldiers manned arbitrary border crossings in the middle of the desert. Advertisement At one such stop, military men assaulted women in the near distance as we rushed through. I was warned, aggressively, to look away and keep moving for the sake of our own safety. To this day, when I think about that moment, I am overwhelmed with shame for not insisting that my driver stop the vehicle. The trip across that desert haunts me. Back in Juba, there was an encounter with a veteran Colonel who I befriended from the South Sudanese army. At his compound, I told him about my time in Jonglei and noted that the war between the primarily Muslim north and Christian south seemed to still hang in the air. With cold regret he told me that the conflict was admittedly about the oil that was in the middle and the religious overtones were simply a highly effective propaganda tool. His admission was something I had suspected but his confirmation was admittedly deflating. An entire generation had been lost to a lie. I found a much different South Sudan during my second trip, occurring two months before the election where the people would vote to establish their independence from the Bashir regime in Khartoum. The few tenuous signs of peace during my first experience were now rooted in genuine hope. The population was eager to rebuild and restart their country. People felt the sacrifice the previous generation had made was going to be validated. Advertisement The Colonel met with me, and he proudly stated; "I took the sword so others may take the pen." I visited the Dean of the University of Juba who felt it was paramount that he remained in the country to provide post-secondary education to uneducated youth, and work with civil society members who were searching for the right stone to rebuild their churches. Regrettably, in 2012 South Sudan declared Jonglei a disaster after 100,000 locals were forced to flee because of increasing clashes and violence. The porous demilitarized zone where the oil is located has faltered. In December of 2013, civil war erupted, resulting in 2.3 million people to be internally displaced or become refugees. While we celebrated the elections that gave birth to the newest democracy on the planet, we also failed to develop a plan to help the nascent nation and ally have adequate and effective resources to to flourish and become self-sufficient. As recently as September 23rd Human Rights Watch published an open letter to the UN Security Council, imploring them to impose an arms embargo in order to quell civilian causalities and keep UNMISS from becoming feckless. The international community had an opportunity to articulate the values purported in the conventions that embody the International Day of Non-Violence. By allowing South Sudan to break into widespread conflict again, on our watch, is both heartbreaking and corrosive to our values as humanitarians. Peacekeepers and peacemakers have an ethical responsibility to make tangible progress not just promises. Advertisement I'm not sure we need to celebrate the point at which socio-political commentary on television devolved into two people shouting at each other. But it's worth acknowledging that moment, if only to satisfy our inner masochist, and that's essentially what PBS's Independent Lens does Monday at 9 p.m. ET with Best of Enemies, a documentary on the 1968 quasi-debates between William F. Buckley and Gore Vidal. Worth noting: Buckley and Vidal, who agreed on virtually nothing, both expressed concern in the end that their emotionally charged exchanges had not enhanced public discourse. Advertisement In one of the final scenes of this 90-minute retrospective, Vidal suggests the debates have failed to offer the kind of analysis for which the two commentators were nominally hired. Buckley, in one of his most prescient remarks, warned that television was trying to balance two often incompatible masters: "enlightenment and viewability." The Buckley-Vidal dialogue wasn't all that extensive. It ran for 13 encounters in the summer of 1968, during the Republican and Democratic nominating conventions. The Republicans were nominating a resurrected Richard Nixon, who had fended off a challenge from California Gov. Ronald Reagan. Advertisement The Democrats nominated Vice President Hubert Humphrey, who was struggling to unite a party ripped in half by the Vietnam war. Buckley, the editor of the conservative National Review magazine, was the country's best-known conservative non-politician. Devilishly handsome, Ivy League-refined and a brilliant debater, Buckley seemed to take personal delight in each "gotcha" moment. He would have preferred Reagan to Nixon, but he had no use at all for Hubert. Vidal was one of the country's most popular authors, thanks to a series of historical biographies and more recently the then-outrageous transgender satire Myra Breckinridge. Vidal had a sharp tongue of his own, and while the expectation was that he would generally defend Democrats, he was already feeling deep disillusionment with the whole American political system. They were hired by ABC News, which was a distant third in the TV news game and quite frankly was groping around for anything that would get their shoestring operation a little attention. Vidal and Buckley nominally were analyzing what was happening at the conventions and they did some of that - though we see very little of it in this documentary. Advertisement What got viewers' attention, instead, was their clear dislike for each other and the resultant way that they often seemed more focused on beating the other guy than putting a platform plank into socio-political context. It escaped no one's notice at ABC and in the TV biz that heated argument was the money shot in this experiment, and while this was hardly the first time commentators with opposing views had faced off on TV or radio, this encounter more than most others seemed to switch on a light bulb in the heads of programmers. Within a few years we got Point/Counterpoint, with James J. Kilpatrick against Nicholas Von Hoffman and later Shana Alexander. We got Crossfire and shows like The McLaughlin Group. Then, in an interesting twist, programmers started thinking that most people who savor this kind of combative dialogue are probably rooting for one team or the other. So why not keep the antagonistic tone, the programmers figured, and not bother with having both sides? That fell in nicely with the kind of advocacy talk shows radio had been doing for decades going back to the likes of Father Coughlin. So today we have multiple descendants of the Buckley/Vidal debates, except they just aren't in the same room. One side is on one network and the other side is on another network. Advertisement In both cases, we see ample confirmation that Buckley and Vidal were correct in fearing that this sort of Roman circus would usually generate more heat than light. Perhaps they knew whereof they spoke because in these debates they were both often guilty of precisely that. In the most famous exchange, Vidal calls Buckley a crypto-Nazi and Buckley replies by calling Vidal a "queer" and threatening to punch him in the face. Buckley, who wanted always to be the coolest cat in the room, was mortified that he had let himself be baited into losing it like that. In fact, Best of Enemies details how neither Buckley nor Vidal ever quite shook the aftereffects of their unpleasant encounters. War helicopter Turkey and Iraq border. A couple of Rand Corporation scholars have discovered America's problem vis-a-vis Russia: Washington isn't willing to use its military as much. This has given Moscow an apparently unfair advantage in challenging America. Maybe Washington should reconsider its policy, they suggest. Vladimir Putin appears to be working overtime to thwart U.S. policy in Ukraine and Syria. His actions have sparked economic sanctions and military counter-measures. The panicked Baltic States have demanded garrisons like other alliance members. NATO summits revolve around what is seen as a renewed security threat from Moscow. Advertisement Most Americans remain remarkably unaffected by Russia's new assertiveness, however. The Ukrainian and Syrian conflicts are tragic for the victims, but have little impact on U.S. security. The only liberty Americans have lost as a result of the two imbroglios is the opportunity to trade with Russia. However, Moscow's actions are viewed as very bad news in Washington. Contend Willian Courtney and David Shlapak, Russia's gains "suggest that the West may be doing less than it should to dissuade Russia from undermining Western interests." They note that "A key reason" for Moscow's success "is that Russia is more willing to use military power even though it has less of it" and advocate a U.S. reassessment in response. Which presumably means America using its military more. Actually, only in Georgia, Iraq and Syria has Washington been less belligerent than Russia. Since the end of the Cold War the U.S. has intervened militarily in Panama, Haiti, Somalia, Bosnia, Serbia, Iraq (thrice, counting the battle against ISIS), Afghanistan, Libya, and (counting drones) Pakistan and Yemen. American forces have been involved in smaller operations elsewhere, such as Africa and the Philippines. Washington also has threatened to visit death and destruction on states which posed no obvious threat to the U.S., such as Iran. By any normal standard, there is no more warlike nation on the planet. It's fine to argue that Washington was justified in its actions while Moscow was not. But overall America has been far more willing than Russia to use military force. That very propensity for war may have reduced Washington's willingness to do more in Ukraine and Syria. After all, the U.S. is a bit busy already in Afghanistan and the Middle East. America also has tied up substantial forces garrisoning Europe, Japan, and South Korea. Washington can't do everything. Advertisement Nevertheless, Courtney and Shlapak raise an interesting issue. For what should the U.S. go to war, or at least use some form of military coercion? Despite the controversy, Russian behavior in both Syria and Ukraine is largely irrelevant to important let alone vital American interests. The U.S. went through the entire Cold War with Ukraine, including Crimea, as part of the Soviet Union. No one imagined that Kiev's lack of independence was a security issue for America. The U.S.S.R.'s break-up effectively eliminated Washington's only peer competitor, but Putin couldn't reconstitute the old Evil Empire even if he wanted to. His violent reclamation of Crimea and promotion of civil war in the Donbass are odious, but do America no harm. An attempt by Moscow to swallow all of Ukraine, a substantial nation whose people resisted renewed Soviet control after the expulsion of German forces in World War II, would be far worse for Russia than the U.S. Most Europeans--"Old Europe," in Rumsfeld-speak--obviously aren't worried either. In response to Putin's adventurism they unenthusiastically advocate anemic sanctions and do little significant militarily. The continent demonstrates no concern about the march of a revived Red Army. Thus, there's no compelling reason for Washington "to use military power" in Ukraine. The latter's status matters far more to Russia than America. The U.S. is seemingly involved everywhere doing everything. And Washington is effectively broke. Absent some fiscal restraint, deficits will be back up over a trillion dollars annually within the decade. If someone must respond militarily to Moscow on Ukraine, eyes should turn to Berlin, Paris, London, and Rome, among others. Syria is simultaneously more tragic and less important. The civil war is a humanitarian horror, but the U.S. has, understandably, avoided involvement in far worse conflagrations. Consider the multi-sided war in Congo in the early 2000s which killed millions. Nor is any notable security issue at stake in Syria. The conflict is destabilizing, but no more so than Washington's decision to blow up Iraq and Libya. Perhaps Russia's and Iran's influence have increased, but both nations were Syrian allies before, and the Assad government is a shadow of its former self. Indeed, the U.S. did just fine during the Cold War when the Soviet Union befriended both Syria and Egypt. Advertisement Anyway, there's nothing obvious for the U.S. to do. The architects of grandiose yet failed nation-building projects in Afghanistan, the Balkans, and Iraq claim that the correct amount of intervention at the right time would have ousted Assad, empowered moderates, and yielded a diverse, democratic republic. Sure. No problem. Trust them. Anyway, that moment has passed. Aid to moderates has been a spectacular dud. Half-heartedly entering the war with no-fly zones and the like would affect but not necessarily decide the outcome. Ousting Assad likely would lead to increased chaos, intensified attacks on religious minorities, and greater in-fighting among insurgents. Experience suggests that the likelihood of Washington coming up with a sensible plan, effectively implementing it, and enforcing it over time is, well, small. In both Ukraine and Syria the U.S. has interests. There are outcomes that Washington would prefer. There are results that would be desirable. However, the value of the interests at stake is modest. There are allied nations which could act. The unintended consequences of military intervention have become all too obvious. And America is overstretched. Staying out is the far better option. Sergey Lavrov, Russia's foreign minister, whispering to Sameh Shoukry, Egypt's foreign minister, at a UN Security Council meeting on Sept. 21, 2016, on Syria. The next UN secretary-general will inherit the gruesome war in that country. AMANDA VOISARD/UN PHOTO Antonio Guterres, a former prime minister of Portugal who most recently was the United Nations high commissioner for refugees, once more dominated the latest straw poll held by the UN Security Council on selecting the next secretary-general. The five-year term starts Jan. 1, 2017, when Ban Ki-moon, a Korean, leaves office. The fifth poll, an informal ballot in which the council's 15 elected and permanent members cast their preferences, unnamed, to "encourage," "discourage" and to express "no opinion," was done on Sept. 26, soon after the annual gathering of world leaders at the General Assembly opening debate. The poll results reveal few major shifts in popularity from previous votes. Advertisement Nine candidates were voted on: after Guterres, Vuk Jeremic of Serbia returned to No. 2 and Miroslav Lajcak of Slovakia fell to No. 3. Susana Malcorra of Argentina is now the top woman, in fourth place, having slipped up and down the ladder since the first straw poll was conducted in July. She tied with Danilo Turk of Slovenia this time. Thereafter, the results are, in order of preference: Irina Bokova of Bulgaria, Helen Clark of New Zealand and Srgjan Kerim of Macdeonia in a tie, followed by Natalia Gherman of Moldova. Three candidates dropped out over the summer: Christiana Figueres of Costa Rica, Igor Luksic of Montenegro and Vesna Pusic of Croatia. Gherman and Clark are determined to stay in the race, given the topsy-turvy nature of UN geopolitics, especially as the next poll, on Oct. 5, will take a slightly different approach, using anonymous color-coded ballots. Advertisement Clark, who has spent most of her adult life in politics, will wait out the selection process and any unpredictability as voting continues. Gherman vows that as a woman she must stick to the campaign as well. Much lobbying took place during the gathering of the world's leaders at the General Assembly last week. Jeremic, the Serbian who has done surprisingly well in the straw polls, was seen huddling with the Ukrainian foreign minister outside the Security Council chambers one day. Ukraine is an elected member of the council and located in Eastern Europe, which through regional rotation claims the right to the secretary-general position. Yet that prerogative has not stopped other candidates from being nominated by their countries, like Malcorra of Argentina. Eastern Europe is a disparate area politically, with countries generally favoring European alliances or Russian friendship. And Russia, as the mother of the region, has been reportedly insisting on getting its way on who is to be awarded the UN leadership. At the same time, it is reportedly using that card to bid for other, perhaps more valuable, concessions from the West. The previous straw poll, on Sept. 9, affirmed the first-place spot for Guterres, where he has landed from the start of the voting. In an interview recently by Al Arabiya, he waffled on his premier place in the polls, acknowledging indirectly that it could change. Advertisement "If they [council members] decide that it must absolutely be a woman, then I'm sorry there is nothing I can do," he said. He listed his accomplishments on gender equality in his role as head of the UN refugee agency, yet noted, "if the choice is different, I have to accept it." More specific preferences could be clearer on Oct. 5 through the introduction of anonymous color-coded ballots, with the permanent council members -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States -- using one color. Elected members, Angola, Egypt, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Senegal, Spain, Ukraine, Uruguay and Venezuela, will use another. If a candidate receives a "discourage" from a permanent member, it signals lack of support. The council will ultimately send its recommended candidate to the General Assembly for a last vote. Many council members want the selection to be done by the end of October, to give the new person time to grow into what has been called an "impossible" job. Russia holds the rotating presidency of the council in October, and some European diplomats whisper that the country is eager to show its might by having the candidate sealed under its presidency. The decision may occur by the time the US holds its presidential election on Nov. 8, but a few diplomats close to the selection procedure also insinuate that Russia will forestall a decision for as long as possible. With the stunning failure of the recent cease-fire in Syria and a death grip overtaking eastern Aleppo through relentless airstrikes, three council members, Britain, France and the US, raged at Russia on Sept. 25 in council chambers. (To watch the video, click here.) Advertisement The Russian ambassador, Vitaly Churkin, responded discursively, referencing a need to renew the political process while digressing down a rabbit hole to off-topics, like the flow of weapons by the West into Libya. Much speculation over one woman who has been eyeing a candidacy, Kristalina Georgieva, European commissioner for budget and human resources and a Bulgarian, has not eased. Her name has never vanished from the roster of likely contenders, although her country backed Bokova, who runs Unesco, from the get-go. Bokova is Russia's favorite, but not so for the US or Britain. Earlier in September, rumors flew about Georgieva's nomination by Croatia, Hungary and Latvia, with encouragement from Germany. That rumor led to Bulgaria saying it will not decide whether to switch its nomination until the Sept. 26 vote, though the government in Sofia, the capital, remained silent after the council's results and it may not make an announcement soon. Georgieva did not hide her enthusiasm to be nominated by her country during a visit to New York last week, gesturing at one public discussion: "We have given birth to more than one qualified candidate, so what's wrong with that?" Two candidates from one country participating in a council straw poll is not unknown, according to the Security Council Report, an independent nonprofit organization that makes information on the workings of the council public. Advertisement In 1991, Thorvald Stoltenberg and Gro Harlem Brundtland, both from Norway, became candidates when additional names were added on a blank piece of paper during the first proper straw poll in the selection process where Boutros Boutros-Ghali, of Egypt, was the eventual recommended candidate. Microphones by American flag It is an awesome experience to watch the great American spin machine at work. It is not so much that its message -- "vote for Hillary; Trump is deeply flawed" -- is incorrect, although it is scarcely presented in a manner that is precise, nuanced or in any way illuminating. Rather, what is striking is that beneath that lies another message, the real one, which is: do not think, do not analyze, go along with the group, our side is the greatest, USA, USA. The New York Times this morning has eight front-page articles explaining that Donald Trump is a moron, racist, fat-shamer, misogynist -- you name it. This is not overkill; it is group think. It's very similar to what goes on in junior high schools, and it has a different purpose than merely convincing us about Trump. Advertisement Consider that this great spin machine, this huge apparatus for producing consent, did not begin with Trump as its target but rather with Sanders. Its purpose was to define what was acceptable politics and what was not. Think about Krugman, the martinet of the liberal minions, who tried to destroy Sanders with graduate school technicalities in economic theory. The underlying point was not to hurt Sanders but to defend a supposed expertise, which is to say a whole system of authority and power. Once the Sanders threat was dispelled, unanimity against Trump became all the more compelling. The issues associated with Sanders -- illegitimate power of wealth -- and those associated with Trump -- the white poor, relations with Russia -- were all swept away. Who but a bigot would deal with Putin? When have we seen this kind of group think before? Most obviously after 9/11. "People of good will" all agreed that 9/11 was terrible, terrible. Anyone who tried to think in a more complex way -- Susan Sontag, Mary Beard -- was not only wrong, they were bad. We know what 9/11 led to. The U.S. invasion of Iraq has produced more refugees than any action since World War Two, and no end in sight. Another example is anti-Communism. Communism was equated with Nazism, domestic reform was stymied, and the U.S. declared itself the arbiter for every political question anywhere in the world -- a position known as "American exceptionalism." Critics often wound up in jail. Advertisement 9/11 was terrible; Communism was wrong; Trump is highly problematic. That is not the point. The point is that group-think destroys critical thought. Of course, my critics will say "now is the time to unite against the terrible Trump danger -- later, after Hillary wins, will be the time to argue about American foreign policy or the power of the banks." But this is wrong. It asks us to surrender at the beginning of a takeover, without even waiting for the end. Nurse with young black women having a mammography Comprehensive, quality health care must include all family planning services. And all people, not just the privileged, should have their health rights respected. At the moment, and for far too many moments in our country's history, women -- particularly, low-income and women of color -- have not been able to fully realize their liberty and health rights. For instance, low-income women, disproportionately women of color, are routinely denied access to abortion care that women of means are not. Like too much in our health care system, and the justice system for that matter, there are some who enjoy the full benefits of liberty and others who are denied them. In this case government policy has infringed on the ability of women to control their destinies and make their own health care decisions for themselves and their families. That must change. Advertisement Medicaid, our nation's largest health care provider, must once again include coverage of abortion care. Without such public insurance coverage, we are collectively failing our entire nation, but more so our nation's most vulnerable, those living on insufficient incomes or mired in poverty. That's why the National Health Law Program and many other public interest and advocacy groups have been speaking out and taking action to turn the tide on the Hyde Amendment, a congressional maneuver that greatly limits Medicaid funding for abortion care. Forty years ago this fall, Rep. Henry Hyde pushed through a bill that banned public funding for abortion, thus denying low income women access to a full range of essential health service and undermining the genius and promise of Medicaid. Hyde, could not use the government to directly deny a fundamental liberty -- abortion -- so he settled for denying access to this liberty to our nation's most vulnerable: low-income women who qualify for Medicaid. Susan Berke Fogel, NHeLP's Director of Reproductive Health programs, notes often that the work we do at NHeLP is about protecting the legal health rights of low-income and underserved people, and that reproductive care is core to the quality comprehensive health care that NHeLP protects. She elaborated on this at the Coalition for Liberty & Justice Forum in D.C. this month, in a discussion about Catholic-operated health care systems that too often limit reproductive care for women because of religious dictates --another limit on women's liberty. Indeed, the former acting U.S. Solicitor General Walter Dillinger has eloquently noted on several occasions the irony of conservative lawmakers who disdain so-called big government but have no qualms about interfering with personal health care decisions of women. "We hear the talks about government intrusions into health care - that this represents an extraordinary step about liberty," Dellinger said during a panel discussion at the 2011 ACS national convention. "And I just cannot, any longer, refrain from making the observation that it is really ironic and disturbing to hear that liberty lecture come from people talking about [a] government takeover of medical care, many of whom would legislate the imposition upon women of unnecessary waiting periods, government scripted lectures, compulsory sonogram viewings, and government mandated unsafe medical procedures." Advertisement Forty years on, and all evidence stacks up the way Justice Thurgood Marshall suspected it would when he wrote in his dissent to Harris v. McRae, the narrow Supreme Court opinion upholding the Hyde Amendment, that it would bar low-income women from their constitutional right to abortion, while women of greater means, mostly white women, would enjoy greater liberty. At NHeLP we strive to protect and advance the health rights of low-income people. Medicaid, as pointed out in this new Commonwealth Fund survey, is popular, successful, and integral to our nation's health care system (and states expanding Medicaid are also seeing great benefits economically with lower health costs and more health care jobs). Medicaid serves about 73 million people in our country. And yet the Hyde Amendment, which blocks Medicaid funding for most abortions, continues to greatly hobble the noble law. Although states may fund abortion care services through Medicaid, many do not. Further, as Ann M. Starrs writes for Guttmacher Institute 60 percent of reproductive-aged women eligible for Medicaid are living in states with restrictions on funding of abortion care, and a disproportionate number of them are women of color. What the Hyde Amendment has wrought is inexplicably bad public policy. It's a policy that targets low-income women, limits their health rights and their constitutional rights, and either drives them into poverty or makes it increasingly difficult for them to overcome poverty. We cannot afford to hobble our nation's women this way. Congress does not have to remain beholden to the Hyde Amendment, and it's far past time for it to move beyond this outdated and harmful policy. I remember after every harvest my peasant father saved enough wheat and barley for the next sowing season. But since I left my village in Greece in 1961, things have turned upside down. Peasants barely survive. Their seeds are also disappearing. Hundreds of Greek varieties of the life-giving wheat, rye and barley are lost. Rodakina (peaches), like the breasts of Aphrodite, are gone. The bees of Crete will never make their fragrant honey again. And the Thessalian war-horses that led Alexander in his global conquest and spread of Greek culture throughout the world are becoming extinct. Greek villages and rural towns are not yet like America's agribusiness towns, but they are marching that way. There are no more donkeys, mules, and horses in my village. The country of Homer and Aristotle is losing its agrarian culture - the sole unbroken root to its ancient past. Advertisement The strategy of the West of dumping its hazardous agricultural technologies and seeds on Greece and every other country that did not industrialize its countryside is threatening millennia of agrarian wisdom and practice. This awesome agricultural upheaval signifies the rise to power of ruthless corporations that care less about human wellbeing and the health of the Earth. The result is that pesticide and pharmaceutical companies monopolize seeds. They develop seed-sterilizing technologies to prevent farmers and peasants from saving seed. The very idea of engineering food seeds for only one harvest is equivalent to ending farming, as we have known it for millennia. Not even gods have the right to act in such arbitrary and violent way. Yet seed companies have replaced a large amount of the world's fantastic wheat, rice, maize, potatoes, and sorghum with their hunger seeds hooked on pesticides, fertilizers and water. These "science" seeds are also defenseless against most pests and diseases. Advertisement In contrast, traditional seeds mirror nature and culture. They attract insect predators and parasites that keep hostile insects and weeds in check. They also have a greater resistance to disease. The life and death struggle of the peasants as guardians of real life-giving seeds is finally attracting international attention. Two important Japanese and Indian civil-society organizations, Shumei International and Navdanya, published in 2015 "Visions of the Living Seed." This is a timely, well-written, and lavishly illustrated book. The founder of Navdanya, Vandana Shiva, wrote the introduction to this riveting collection of essays by international environmentalists and farmers. "In every culture, seeds have been regarded as sacred gifts of life. Seed diversity and the ability of seeds to adapt to changing climates and geographical conditions have allowed the human population to flourish over the millennia," writes the Japanese Shumei. But the industrialization of agriculture has led to a "frightening loss of seed diversity" with dire implications for human wellbeing and survival. Shumei urges us to relearn how to live in harmony with the natural world and break through the deceit of modernity and "allow unmodified seeds to follow Nature's course as they have for millennia." After all, seeds are "our inheritance from our ancestors and our legacy for future generations.... It is not too late to reclaim agriculture, to renew our commitment to clean and pure soil, unpolluted water and pure, natural seeds." Advertisement I rarely come across this great ethical and ecological vision of reclaiming our agriculture and civilization. However, the reality on the ground (endless wars, overpopulation, 9 / 11, war and poverty refugees, natural disasters, and the calamitous fate of the life-giving seeds) convinced an American scientist to think through an almost science fiction "solution": collect a sample of the unmodified seeds and bury them as far as possible from "civilization." That way, they may survive not merely agribusiness greed and genetic engineering but, possibly, global warming and nuclear war, the most ominous threats of our times. Cary Fowler is the name of the American scientist who conceived such a daring if desperate plan for a desperate and irresponsible international community. His book, "Seeds on Ice" (Prospecta Press, 2016), is a marvel of great story and beautiful pictures illustrating the wilderness of the Norwegian mountain hosting the frozen seeds. But, above all, "Seeds on Ice" is a monument to this man's passionate love for traditional farming and seeds. In a 1990 book, "Shattering," he said the loss of agricultural genetic diversity - "silent, rapid, inexorable" -- was "an equally devastating time bomb" as nuclear war and global warming. But after exhausting himself with decades of hopeless efforts to stop the marching agribusiness-government goliath destroying seeds, he managed to attract enough international allies that the seed bank on ice is a reality. The name of the seed bank is Svalbard Global Seed Vault. It is located in the archipelago of Norway close to the North Pole. It is protecting thousands of varieties of food crops from all over the world. Advertisement Fowler looks at the Svalbard Vault as the home of "humanity's most precious treasure, the largest and most diverse seed collection ever assembled: more than a half billion seeds." Fowler tells the story of how "Seeds on Ice" came into being. He summarizes the continuing loss of crop diversity and, rightly, defends the construction of the Svalbard Vault as a sign of "unvanquished optimism" and an effort "to save the past and the future of agriculture." He is appealing to the world "for the conservation of crop diversity, the biological foundation of agriculture and arguably humankind's most important natural resource." If we fail to protect crop diversity, he warns, we are doomed: no adaptation of our seeds to climate change, pests, and diseases; no hope for food security, much less agriculture. "The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter," the great Winston Churchill once said. This statement has been proven yet again by the US Congress acting on behalf of the American people and overriding President Obama's veto of JASTA. However, while an educated voter would examine details prior to deciding how to vote, most of us are victims of self-serving politicians and behavior which may not serve the people's interest, despite attractive and convincing names. After all, how could anyone NOT support a bill which carries a "feel-good" name like the "Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act" (JASTA)? Or reject a bill marketed as a way to stand by the casualties of the atrocious Sept. 11 terror attacks? Advertisement Of course, this is not the first time US voters have been convinced to make decisions which were made to sound as one thing, but ended up being about something completely different. Remember the P.A.T.R.I.O.T. (Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism) Act of 2001? This cleverly branded bill got Americans to willingly allow US government agencies to intercept their communications and share their data -- all without any legal barriers. What did it end up doing? One has only to read the revelations made available by famous NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden in order to understand how the act ended up being abused and infringing on the privacy of many innocent Americans. The Masses Are Ignorant But we can't blame the masses, as they -- perhaps since the times of the Romans -- have always been categorized as ignorant, particularly by slick politicians with their own interests foremost. Advertisement Indeed, JASTA is the result of a long-lasting Arab and Muslim failure to effectively lobby inside the US. Yes, we -- collectively -- have failed to understand that facts -- such as the famous and overhyped "28 pages" which were recently declassified and vindicated Saudi Arabia -- DO NOT usually speak for themselves, and require efforts to spread them and counter popular narratives which are usually inaccurate due to ignorance or influence by parties who have opposing agendas. For too long, regional leaders have relied on their personal relations for serving presidents and elected officials to foster relations, forgetting that these leaders can only act within the jurisdiction granted by their voters. This is why initiatives such as the recently announced Washington-based Saudi Arabian Public Relations Affairs Committee (SAPRAC) are crucial; unfortunately it arrived too late and is still too young to have been able to educate and influence the US public. What is worth noting here is that President Obama certainly did not oppose JASTA because of a positive personal relationship with Saudi Arabia, but due to his genuine belief that the controversial bill actually damages American interests. After all, anyone who has been closely following US-Saudi relations over the past eight years knows that they have often been unpleasant, with many serious disagreements on a number of serious fronts. Yet, President Obama -- with his access to confidential security files -- knows far too well what Riyadh brings to the table in terms of security cooperation, and how dangerous the world would have been had it not been for the efforts it has made in the fight against global terrorism. He is also aware of the huge -- local and global -- financial implications JASTA might have if the Saudis felt their investments and interests were at risk. Advertisement Let us also not forget the fact that it sets an alarming precedent and opens the door for many Arab and Muslim countries to do the same against the US itself. Most importantly, by targeting a country which is committed to the stability of the region and the fight against terrorism, JASTA only empowers the real "sponsors of terrorism," namely Daesh and Iran which, according NOT to Saudi but to US government reports, has harbored Al-Qaeda leaders and facilities and financed terrorist activities throughout the region. Leonard Bernstein is a powerful figure. Conductor of the New York Philharmonic, composer of West Side Story and On the Town, lauded TV teacher of the Young People's Concerts, Bernstein was a phenomenon. And Hershey Felder brings his remarkable story to life off-Broadway in Maestro at 59E59 Theaters with verve and intensity. Granted, one-man shows of popular legends (he's also tackled George Gershwin and Irving Berlin) are tough. But Felder wisely focuses on Bernstein's passion and torment. He makes audiences fall for Bernstein all over again. Advertisement Felder, excellent at impersonating accents, pays tribute to Bernstein's journey by embodying his essence and his contradictions, his Jewishness, marriage, homosexuality and musical legacy. His Russian father complained in Yiddish about his "terrible, fashtukeneh muzik," fearful his son would be jobless. But young Bernstein's talents were evident early and his rise meteoric. The New York Philharmonic, when offering him the assistant conductor spot, encouraged a name change. Bernstein was adamant: "If they don't take my name, then they don't get me." What they got was a man who impressed conductors Dimitri Mitropoulos and Serge Koussevitzky and composer Aaron Copland, as well as a Broadway star. More than any other musician, he was instrumental in advancing American's appreciation of classical music in the 20th century. Advertisement Geniuses are complicated, and in Bernstein's case, compelling. He wrestled with understanding love all his life -- and the talented Felder neatly puts his personal triumphs and failures on display. Aided by projections of the Bernstein in action, and deftly directed by Joel Zwick, Felder does an admirable job of recreating his life. The veracity of his efforts showcase a charming man of great gifts, aware of his narcissism and saddled with regret. Many in the audience will have seen Bernstein conduct. The musical bio-drama makes us grateful to spend time with him. The inverse of greatness is failure -- in this case, how President George W. Bush conducted the Iraq War. The changing justifications, the blunders, the enormous loss of life, never mind the financial and moral cost to the U.S.' reputation, were staggering. The Trial of an American President, now at the Lion Theater, posits: What if President Bush was put on trial at the Hague for war crimes? The International Criminal Court was formed in 1998. The U.S. was not an initial signatory, but President Clinton made it a member in 2000. Advertisement However, President George W. Bush quickly suspended that jurisdiction, ensuring his administration could not be prosecuted for any war crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan. Dick Tarlow's play presents an interesting hypothesis: The Hague asks Bush (a spot-on Tony Carlin) to account for his actions and the president, eager to clear his name, agrees to stand trial. A narrator (Mahira Kakkar) details the events, aided by video images of the war and the principals involved. The prosecutor (a compelling Michael Rogers) makes a strong case, including the controversial use of torture. Bush, in turn, must explain and defend his decisions. As the justifications for war keep changing -- linking Saddam Hussein to 9/11, weapons of mass destruction, the need for regime change, giving Iraqis freedom -- we revisit the decisions that send the U.S. down the rabbit hole and destabilized the Mideast. Each night, nine audience members are chosen as the jury and their collective verdict determines the play's end. Advertisement The timing is perfect. Bush believed in unilateral, preemptive strikes, cherry-picking information for Congress and the public. He was the "decider." Comparisons are inevitable. Donald Trump, who has issued alarming statements about nuclear weapons, waterboarding and seizing oil, is bringing the same kind of Cheney/Bush/Rumsfeld bravado to the fore. The taut 75-minute production gives each side its due, thanks to a sharp cast. It illustrates how snap judgments and dubious agendas have dire consequences. At heart, it brings into laser-like focus a critical issue: The reach of American presidents, the long-term consequences of their decisions, is massive. But what is government without accountability? This week I had the great pleasure to attend SUSTYBIZ16, a three-day event organized by the American Sustainable Business Council and held in Washington DC. Having been in the sustainable business world for over ten years, I knew that the ASBC and its members represented over 200,000 businesses and 325,000 business executives, owners, and investors and that they advocated at both the federal and state level for a broad range of policy initiatives that promote a sustainable economy, but I had not had the opportunity to engage with them. It was when Greg Wendt, a good friend and Founder and Advisor of the Green Economy Think Tank told me about this year's topic, "Looking Beyond the Elections" that I was intrigued to the point of jumping on a plane and heading to DC. The theme of this year's conference was to explore what progress we can expect on key sustainability policy issues over the next few years. While sustainability should be a bi-partisan issue, this remains a gray area depending on who the new president is as well as in the composition of Congress and the U.S. Senate. The outcome is critical to me as Greenopia will be in serious trouble if government regulations fail to support the growth of sustainable business practices. We are a company of over 110,000 eco-friendly businesses and growing. Most of these businesses are small to midsize. The better their access to capital and regulatory support, the less of a struggle it is for them to conduct eco-friendly businesses or as I like to say, do business with a green heart. The first full day I had the honor of meeting and hearing speak several of the ASBC board members including Richard Eidlin, VP Policy and Campaigns, David Levine, co-founder and President, and David Brodwin, VP Media and Communications. I heard Jeffrey Hollender, co-founder and former CEO and founder of Seventh Generation discuss climate change and food justice with US Representative Ruben Gallego of Arizona and Pat Heffernan, Board Member and Founder and President of Marketing Partners speak on a panel on another issue near and dear to my heart, Women and Equity. Advertisement What impressed me about each one of them, as with everyone else I met and heard speak at the conference, was that this was a group that was passionately committed in that ALL businesses should operate in a sustainable manner, both in front and back end practices. This was a sentiment that was not only echoed by the conference attendees but also the politicians who stopped by to show their support. It was quite thrilling to be among these eco-pioneers and to listen to their stories of both stresses and successes. But despite the feel good attitude that was pervasive throughout that first day, I could not ignore this gnawing feeling of impatience. Although the ASBC, Greenopia and other sustainable business associations like us have been positively impacting many businesses across the US, there are still hundreds of thousands more to be reached with this messaging. Given the LOHAS (Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability) market generates over $300 billion in annual revenue, it astounds me that more businesses are not focused on targeting this growing consumer base who seek low carbon footprints and value sustainable practices. The band of businesses at SUSTYBIZ16 had started as outliers but now really need to be the norm if we are going to slow down climate change. All I could think of as I went to bed that night was how urgent this mission is and what a massive opportunity for green growth it represents! The second day was spent divided between Capitol Hill, lobbying in support of Senator Dianne Feinstein's new Personal Care Products Safety Act, and the White House where we sat in session in one of the meeting halls listening to the various departments explain what they had accomplished and what they were planning to hand off as their green recommendations to the next administration. Zaid Hassan, from the Office of Public Engagement and International Affairs, ran the meeting and kept us on schedule through the various departmental reports. Advertisement As much as my spirits might have lagged the day before, they were lifted up at hearing all the good things the current administration has accomplished during the past eight years, like the Clean Power Plan that puts our nation on the path toward a 30 percent reduction in carbon pollution from the power sector by 2030, or America's Great Outdoor's Act, the most extensive expansion of land and water conservation in more than a generation, designating more than 2 million acres of federal wilderness, thousands of miles of trails, and protecting more than 1,000 miles of rivers. NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 19: (AFP OUT) U.S. President Barack Obama holds a press conference about the recent bombings in the New York region at the Lotte New York Palace Hotel on September 19, 2016 in New York City. On the evening of September 17, 2016, a bomb placed in a dumpster exploded in lower Manhattan injuring at least 29 people. (Photo by Anthony Behar-Pool/Getty Images) Congress' vote to override President Obama's veto of the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act was both embarrassing and irresponsible. The bill, known as JASTA, amends the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act allowing U.S. citizens to sue foreign governments and entities for damages resulting from acts of terrorism committed on U.S. soil on or after September 11, 2001. Clearly directed at the Government of Saudi Arabia, JASTA has caused enormous concern and not only in that country. In his veto statement, President Obama cited three reasons for his strong opposition to the bill. Advertisement In the first place, JASTA takes the authority to determine whether a state has become a sponsor of terrorism away from the federal government and places it in the hands of local courts which the President noted could make "consequential decisions... based upon incomplete information... [about] the culpability of individual foreign governments and their role in terrorist activities against the United States." This, he argued, is "neither an effective nor a coordinated way for us to respond to indications that a foreign government might have been behind a terrorist attack". The president went on to note that the U.S. takes its responsibility seriously and only designates a foreign government of being a state sponsor of terrorism after "national security, foreign policy, and intelligence professionals carefully review all available information." The implication of his argument is that it is dangerous to take this serious process out of the hands of the professionals and turn it over to tort lawyers, juries, and local judges. The president's second concern was that in passing this bill, Congress upends the long standing principle of foreign sovereign immunity. This, he warned, would open the door for other governments to pass similar legislation that would "allow their domestic courts" to hold the U.S. liable for actions committed by U.S. personnel or "members of an armed group that received U.S. assistance...or abuses committed by police units that received U.S. training." This would put the assets of the United States and the foreign holdings of American businesses at risk. Finally, the president noted that JASTA would "create complications in our relationships with even our closest partners" endangering our nation's ability to seek "their cooperation on key national security issues." In overriding the strong case the president made in issuing his veto, Congress acted in a manner that was irresponsible, dangerous and damaging to the national interests of the United States. Most disturbing was the fact that, on the day of the vote, 28 Senators released a letter in which they acknowledged that the bill was flawed, pledging to "fix" it in the next term. They understood that they were wrong and still voted to override the veto. Advertisement The problem is that damage has been done that no "fix" will cure. Not unlike the Dubai Ports controversy of a decade ago, JASTA has shaken Arab trust in the United States putting at risk business partnerships and national security relationships. I have already heard from Arab businessmen who are saying that they are reconsidering investments in and partnerships with American businesses. This happened after Dubai Ports and it will happen once again in the aftermath of JASTA. While Members of Congress will argue that they passed JASTA out of concern for the families of the victims of the 9/11 terror attacks, their motives were simply not that pure. More to the point, I suspect that they were motivated by crass opportunism: exploitation of the continued pain of the families of 9/11 victims, the pervasiveness of anti-Arab sentiment (with Saudi Arabia being an especially soft target), and electoral considerations. In voting to override Obama's veto, Congress ignored the fact that there is no evidence that the government of Saudi Arabia was responsible for the 9/11 terrorist attacks. As the White House spokesperson made clear after the vote, the U.S. 9/11 Commission Report "concluded that they were not able to find any evidence that the Saudi government as an institution or that any senior Saudi government official were knowingly supportive of the 9/11 plotters." That being the case and that being known by Members of Congress, one might reasonably ask why they wouldn't have been honest with the families of the victims -- and their lawyers who were pressing them to act -- and warn them of the dangers and the ultimate disappointment of moving down this path? Was it because they lacked political courage or was it because in an election year they took the more expedient path of passing JASTA? Here's what might happen now. The tort lawyers who "represent" the families will try to shop around for a friendly jurisdiction in which to file their case. They will hope to make their case before a sympathetic jury, playing on their sympathies, their fears, and their prejudices. Any decision will be appealed and at some level will be overturned. Along the way, both the Saudi government and the families will pay millions in legal fees; more damage will be done to the U.S.-Arab relationship; and, in the end, no one will benefit except the lawyers, themselves. The problem is that the Members of Congress who created this heartbreaking mess for the families, the United States, and the U.S.-Arab relationship will most likely not be held accountable or feel responsible for what they have done. Advertisement Imagine withstanding torture so severe, your only recourse is to douse your own body in gasoline and light a match. Sixteen-year-old Yasmin lived this nightmare. Yasmin, who set herself on fire to avoid a brutal attack by ISIS, is shown with Dr. Jan Kizihan. (Courtesy: Jan Kizihan). Fox news.com As one of over 2,000 girls currently held as sex slaves for Islamic State (ISIS) militants, Yasmin knew that if she survived scorching her body, her "captors might no longer find her attractive." She was right. Her appearance today was the cost of freedom from the continued rape and sexual torture she endured at the hands of ISIS. Advertisement World leaders have officially declared Yazidis and Christians are being systematically wiped out in Iraq and Syria. So why did Yasmin have no recourse for escape from ISIS besides self-mutilation? The UN Human Rights Commission released a report adding the crime of genocide to the list of ISIS atrocities carried out since 2014 (including crimes against humanity and war crimes). According to the Genocide Convention and the UN "Responsibility to Protect," leaders are required to protect the victims of genocide first and to prevent, at whatever cost, the continued genocidal campaign. What is the purpose of designating as genocide the atrocities against Yazidi and Christian populations in Iraq and Syria if we continue to refuse to do nothing and purposely deny our legal obligations? Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) noted that "Christian refugees don't go into UNHCR-run camps for a number of reasons [among them] concern about the intimidation they face because of their different lifestyle...dress code and the strict Muslim environment dominating camps." Advertisement NGOs such as CSW noted that strong "evidence has emerged of extremists infiltrating refugee camps." UN workers are unwilling to provide details of the situation. So although the UN has clearly stated the religious identities of genocide targets, its workers are unwilling to discuss religion within the areas of that genocide. Minorities like Yazidis and Christians need their own safe refugee camps. They need their own security force to "protect" and help "prevent" the ongoing genocide. The UN is able and legally obligated to provide both. Additionally, of the 10,800 Syrian refugees admitted to the United States, only 56 are Christian. Of the July refugee arrivals, 1,501 (99%) were Sunnis, and 3 (0.19%) were Christian. The UN Refugee Resettlement Agency that vets the refugees for resettlement to the US begins its very lengthy vetting process within these UN camps, so it is no wonder that less than 1% of the actual targets of genocide are being admitted to the United States. Though there are 700,000 displaced people currently living in the Kurdistan region of Northern Iraq, 10,000 to 15,000 Yazidi Iraqis chose to flee to war torn Syria. They escaped the genocide to find "refuge" in a country ravaged by civil war and ISIS in order to stay in the Newroz Camp run by local NGOs, not the UN. The vast resource of the Hague and international attorneys need be utilized to bring ISIS leaders to justice. ISIS is guilty of genocide: a crime under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and all 193 Members of the United Nations. ISIS leaders and operatives should stand trial before worldwide courts for the vast array of international criminal offenses they have perpetrated including Crimes Against Humanity, War Crimes, and the Crime of Genocide. "Killing them was like killing a chicken." In a prime example of someone that must be charged in the Hague for international crimes, ISIS militant Abu Chiad discussed openly with no remorse, how he made daily trips to behead people and rape Yazidi women, saying "Killing them was like killing a chicken." Advertisement This ideology has been documented at length in former eliminationist and genocidal campaigns according to the book "Worse Than War" by Daniel Goldhagen. Chiad, himself, admitted ISIS tactics mirrored the Nazi justification of Jewish annihilation during the Holocaust. Amal Clooney is slated to become the first attorney to bring the Islamic State to justice in the international courtroom. (Photo: Flickr/Dying Regime)I applaud Amal Clooney for being the first Human Rights Attorney to take up arms in the legal arenas in defense of the Yazidis to sue members of ISIS for their genocidal atrocities, but Ms. Clooney cannot take down ISIS alone. Every dish you need to welcome a sweet new year is right here on this list. L'Shana Tova! Adapted from Melissa Clark's fabulous Sweet & Spicy Roast Chicken in The New York Times, this is the perfect no-fuss dish for the holidays. The chicken is immersed in a honey, citrus, and chili-infused marinade, and then roasted on a sheet pan with carrots and dates. Before serving, herbs, scallions and pistachios are added for freshness, color, and crunch. Everything can be prepared and assembled a day in advance, so all that's left to do at dinnertime is pop it in the oven. GET THE RECIPE This is my favorite brisket recipe, and it's surprisingly simple to make. There's no wine, stock or bottled sauces added -- instead, the brisket is cooked on top of a massive heap of onions, which slowly caramelize, making a flavorful French onion soup-like braising liquid all their own. It's perfect for entertaining because it feeds a crowd and is best made ahead of time. GET THE RECIPE These brussels sprouts are roasted in a high temperature oven until golden brown and crisp, then tossed with a touch of balsamic vinegar and honey. Make extra -- they're as addictive as French fries! GET THE RECIPE Advertisement This old-fashioned dessert of warm baked apples and scarlet cranberries with a crunchy streusel topping comes from Rustic Fruit Desserts by Cory Schreiber and Julie Richardson. It can be made ahead of time and reheated after dinner -- and leftovers are delicious for breakfast the next day with a cup of coffee. GET THE RECIPE Making chicken soup is a bit of a "potschke," as my mother would say, but it's not hard. You pretty much throw everything into a pot and forget it. And these delicious matzo balls are made from a mix. GET THE RECIPE This cauliflower puree is creamy and comforting, and it just happens to taste remarkably like mashed potatoes. It also has the benefit of being easier to make, healthier and lower in carbs. But don't make it just for that reason -- it's delicious in its own right! GET THE RECIPE Baked pears are always so enticing, especially when served in a gorgeous pomegranate syrup. Make this light dessert a day ahead of time and serve with Italian-style cookies, such as Almond Biscotti, Double Chocolate Biscotti or Italian Cornmeal Cookies. GET THE RECIPE Advertisement You can't have Rosh Hashanah without apple cake. This one, with chunks of sweet apples nestled in a tender, buttery rum cake, is my absolute favorite. GET THE RECIPE Homemade applesauce is richly flavored, tart and sweet -- almost like apple pie filling. Serve it for breakfast, dessert, or as a side dish. GET THE RECIPE Chicken Marbella is probably the most famous dish to come out of the beloved Silver Palate Cookbook by Julie Rosso and the late Sheila Lukins. The chicken is marinated in garlic and herbs, and then baked with wine, brown sugar, prunes, capers and green olives. GET THE RECIPE Made with carrots, sweet potatoes, apples and honey, this savory soup with a hint of sweetness and spice is perfect for Rosh Hashanah. The secret ingredient is curry powder, which doesn't give the soup an Indian flavor like you might think, but instead lends a subtle hint of autumn spice. Feel free to make it a few days in advance. GET THE RECIPE Today marks the 40th anniversary of the Hyde Amendment, which denies abortion care for individuals who rely on Medicaid for their health care coverage. The law particularly harms low-income women and women of color, who are disproportionately insured by Medicaid. Planned Parenthood of New York City strongly believes that every woman--regardless of their socioeconomic status, race or zip code--should have the ability to make decisions about abortion without barriers. A woman's decision about whether or not to end a pregnancy should not be based on her health insurance coverage or economic ability--her decision should be based on what is best for her and her family. The Hyde Amendment is nothing more than an intrusive and discriminatory restriction on insurance coverage for millions of low-income women and their families, and it is an example of politicians interfering with a woman's ability to make her own health care decisions. Though the Hyde Amendment only bans federal funding and does not impact state Medicaid funding, the majority of states refuse to provide coverage for abortion care. New York is one of only 17 states that provides funding for abortion through Medicaid. Advertisement But we cannot take this for granted. Even here in New York City, we have elected officials that support legislation that would make it significantly harder for low-income women to access abortion. This year, Bronx Assembly Member and Bronx Democratic Party Chair, Marcos Crespos introduced legislation that would ban state Medicaid funding for abortion. In order to ensure that New York continues to fund the full range reproductive health care services, we must be vigilant about electing local officials who will protect access to abortion for everyone. The fight to repeal the Hyde Amendment has been led for years by reproductive justice leaders and organizations like All* Above All, and their advocacy has centered on the experiences of women of color, low-income women, young people, immigrants, transgender people and gender nonconforming people when accessing abortion care. And due largely to the work of our partners, there have been positive federal legislative actions taken in the fight to end Hyde. Last year, the Equal Access to Abortion Coverage in Health Insurance (EACH) Woman Act which lifts abortion coverage restriction like the Hyde Amendment, was introduced. The EACH Woman Act would ensure that every woman-- no matter what state she lives in, her income level, or insurance coverage--can make her own decisions about her pregnancy and get the care she needs. Additionally, for the first time in history, we have a presidential candidate that has called to end Hyde if elected to office. Donald Trump's growing legions of supporters could learn a thing or two about their hero from Wells Fargo Bank Chairman and CEO John Stumpf. Stumpf and his fellow executives either authorized or gave a tacit thumbs up to the creation of millions of fake, fraudulent customer accounts opened by thousands of low-level Wells Fargo employees. The bank was fined $185 million for its shenanigans, and 5,300 employees - none in top management - were fired. Advertisement Warren further correctly stated, "Here's what really gets me about this. If one of your tellers took a handful of twenties out of the cash drawer, they could end up in prison," she continued. "You squeezed your employees to the breaking point so you could cheat customers and drive up the value of your stock. And when it all blew up, you kept your job, your multi-million dollar bonuses, and went on TV and blamed thousands of $12-an-hour employees trying to meet cross-sell quotas. You should resign. You should be criminally investigated by the Department of Justice and Securities and Exchange Commission." What does this have to do with Trump's followers? This: the man they support doesn't care one whit about them. Like Stumpf, he takes no responsibility for his outrageous and illegal actions such as using his foundation's money to pay lawsuit settlements, hiding his tax returns, lying and changing his positions on key issues, insulting anyone who questions his saintliness. And he couldn't care less about the little people who so faithfully and blindly hang on his every false promise. Trump promises to rebuild America's inner cities, which he claims are less safe than the streets of Afghanistan. He promises to create millions of jobs. He promises, yes, to make American great again. Advertisement Does anyone believe him? Tens of millions do. If you believe him, I have a fake university to sell you. Oh, wait. He's already done that. Trumpites will be terribly disappointed and betrayed if their snake oil salesman hero gets elected. He will treat them the way John Stumpf treats his bank tellers and retail salespeople. Ignore them at best, blame them for his indiscretions at worst. If they think Trump will look out for them once in the White House, they don't have a clue about him, despite the fact that he has given them thousands of clues ("Hey, look over here! I'm a liar and a fraud. I know, you don't care.") He is about himself, and that's all. Maybe he cares about his family -- a large maybe -- and a few wealthy friends, until, of course, they dare say anything negative about them. Donald has turned on a dime against dozens of people who even hinted that this faux emperor was stark naked. Most Trumpites don't know anyone like Trump on a personal level, so they don't have reasons to think -- apart from fundamental logic -- that a billionaire who, to paraphrase a line from the sitcom Cheers, always has enjoyed the countryside when he's flown over it, doesn't care at all about them. But he doesn't. He will turn his back on them on November 9. There has rarely been a public figure as self-absorbed as Trump. Yet, he has connected with people in large part because he has convinced them he is their champion. Advertisement Show me one example of him championing the regular guy and gal. Veterans? Please. The guy compares going to military school to being in combat, and promises large donations to veterans' groups and then doesn't deliver. Women? Ivanka - that's a whole other story - boasts about Trump hiring women executives. Hiring, then treating like dogs, perhaps. Minorities? That doesn't even require explication. The guy lies about everything: birtherism, banning Muslims, his non-support of the Iraq war, his tax returns, the creation of ISIS. It is a man-bites-dog moment when he tells the truth. Yet, the faithful believe him when he talks about taking care of them. Sure, like John Stumpf took care of his "little people." Where's the next bus to throw them under? If Trump wins, it will be the triumph of gullibility and stupidity. And those who vote for him deserve what they will get. Nothing. Earlier on Huff/Post50: Syrian soldier in protective gear A little more than a hundred years ago, on April 22, 1915, in what came to be called the Second Battle of Ypres, the German Army unleashed the first large scale use of poison gas as a weapon of war on the Western Front. This was not the first time that gas had been used in World War I, the Germans had already put it to use against the Russian Army in Poland a few months earlier. Following a two-day bombardment, the German Army simultaneously released 168 tons of chlorine gas over a four-mile front. The Germans had hauled 6,000 gas cylinders, each weighing 90 pounds, to the front line. On a prearranged signal, the canisters were opened, releasing their deadly contents. The panic that resulted opened a four-mile gap in the Allied lines. The First Canadian Division was stationed at St. Julien, on the flank of the gap. In what was considered a suicide mission, they were ordered to counterattack and prevent the Germans from advancing through the opening. Advertisement Lacking gas masks, they improvised by urinating on cloths and holding them to their faces. The ammonia in the urine neutralized the chlorine gas. The Canadians' victory that day marked a second milestone, it was the first time that soldiers from the new world had defeated soldiers from the old on a European battlefield. For all of its deadly affects, chlorine had shortcomings as a weapon of mass destruction. It was easily dispersed by the wind, limiting its effects. To compensate, the Germans developed sulfur mustard, otherwise known as mustard gas, which they used at the Third Battle of Ypres in July 1917. German chlorine gas attack during the Second battle of Ypres The gas had a yellow color and smelled of mustard plants and garlic, hence its name. Mustard gas was heavier than chlorine gas, less likely to be dispersed by wind and its effects in the battlefield persisted longer. It has no known uses beyond being a weapon of mass destruction. In total, more than a million people were killed or injured as a result of contact with poison gas during WW I. When WWII broke out both sides stockpiled poison gas fearing a return to the practice of WWI. The Italians used mustard gas during the Abyssinian campaign in 1935, the Polish Army used mustard gas grenades during the Nazi invasion in 1939, and there were reports that the Japanese used poison gas in Manchuria. Advertisement Winston Churchill authorized the use of gas against German troops if they invaded Great Britain. He also considered using mustard gas bombs against German cities but abandoned the idea. Adolf Hitler weighed using gas during the siege of Leningrad, but also opted not to employ it. US stockpile of 155 mm Mustard Gas artillery shells Since WWII there have been sporadic uses of mustard gas and other chemical agents on the battlefield. Egypt was accused of using poison gas, possibly mustard gas, during the civil war in North Yemen between 1963 and 1967. There were also unsubstantiated reports that Vietnam used phosgene, another WWI era poison gas, against Cambodian resistance forces, hiding along the Thai border, during Vietnam's 1984-85, Cambodian intervention that toppled Pol Pot. Both South African troops and Cuban troops were accused of using chemical weapons during the Angolan Civil War. It is Iraq and Syria, however, that are responsible for the lion's share of poison gas use since the end of WWII. Saddam Hussein used a variety of chemical weapons, including mustard gas, against Iranian forces during the Iraq-Iran war. Hussein also used poison gas against the Kurdish village of Halabja, and during the al-Anfal campaign against Kurdish civilians and other minorities in Northern Iraq. There were also unconfirmed reports that Hussein used poison gas against Shiite rebels in the Shat al-Arab marshes in the Persian Gulf. Advertisement Chemical weapons have also been used by Syrian military forces, loyal to the Assad government, against various Syrian rebel groups and civilians. In August 2012, US President Barack Obama warned Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, that the use of chemical weapons by his forces would represent a red line for the US. Unfortunately, the Obama Administration's threat proved to be hollow and was quickly forgotten when evidence of Syria's use of chemical weapons emerged. Iranian soldier with gas mask during Iraq-Iran Civil War In September 2013, Russia, in collaboration with the United States, brokered an agreement under which Syria agreed to turn over its chemical weapons for destruction under UN supervision. These weapons amounted to around 1,000 tons of sarin, mustard gas and VX. Chlorine, the original WWI era poison gas, was exempted since chlorine gas has widespread use in industry. Many municipal waterworks, for example, uses liquid chlorine gas to chlorinate water supplies. Despite the agreement, however, there have been widespread reports that the Assad government has used canisters of chlorine gas in the barrel bombs that it uses to target civilians. There have also been unverified reports that the Assad government retained some stocks of sarin and VX gas. Poison gasses, not surprisingly, are popular among terrorist organizations. They are the cheapest and easiest weapons of mass destruction to produce. The Japanese group Aum Shinrikyo used sarin gas in an attack in Matsumoto, Japan on June 27, 1994. The following year, they released sarin gas into the Tokyo subway system. Advertisement Russian Chechen and various Sunni jihadist groups in Iraq, including Islamic State (IS), have exploded tanks of chlorine gas, including blowing up tanker trucks full of liquid chlorine, as improvised weapons of mass destruction (IWMD). In addition, according to Pentagon sources, Islamic State has been producing and stockpiling mustard gas since 2015. There have been reports from Kurdish and other sources that Islamic State has fired artillery shells and mortar rounds that contained mustard gas. Follow up tests, however, have proven to be inconclusive. Nonetheless, Sleiman Daoud al-Atari, the recently captured head of Islamic State's chemical weapons program, has admitted to US interrogators that IS has amassed a stockpile of mustard gas, which it intends to deploy in the upcoming battle of Mosul. On Sept 12, 2016, US warplanes destroyed a pharmaceutical factory in Mosul that US Central Command believes had been converted into a chemical weapons manufacturing facility. There have also been persistent reports that IS has been working on developing other chemical agents in laboratories at the University of Mosul. Victims of a mustard gas attack by Syrian military forces, Ghouta, Syria August 27, 2013 Mustard gas can be used both as an offensive weapon against advancing troops and, in large quantities, to create area denial zones that prevent the advance of Iraqi troops and force them into preselected attack routes set up as kill zones. Advertisement In a briefing to the Pentagon, reported in military.com, Army Colonel John Dorrian confirmed that US forces anticipate that Islamic State fighters will use mustard gas, and possibly other chemical weapons, during the Battle for Mosul. He also confirmed that IS has dug tunnels to enable them to attack rear areas of the Iraqi forces. The US has already distributed some 50,000 kits of "personal protective gear" to Iraqi and Kurdish forces. The Shiite militias, interestingly enough, do not have protective gear in the event of a chemical weapons attack, a factor that may limit their involvement in the Battle of Mosul. Iran, however, is believed to have such gear and could, in theory, supply it if it becomes necessary. Such an action, however, would further highlight Iran's role in arming the Shiite militias. With the exception of the Iraq-Iran war and the civil war in Syria, poison gas in general and mustard gas in particular has been largely absent from post WWI military conflict. After an absence of almost a century, mustard gas is about to return to the modern battlefield. In 2008 France was rocked by a fierce controversy when a medievalist academic named Sylvain Gouguenheim published an essay. Contrary to majority opinion, "Aristotle at St Michael's Mount" argued that Muslim Spain in the Middle Ages had not acted as a conduit for the transmission of classical Greek texts to the West. Syriac Christians, rather than Arab Muslims with barely a knowledge of Greek, he contended, had ensured the preservation of Greek civilisation. Hundreds signed petitions and letters to the press, rounding on Gouguenheim and accusing him of Islamophobia. Few academics came out in his defence. His ideas fell foul of the politically-driven agenda to promote "Golden Age" Spain as a brilliant period of interfaith coexistence. The witchhunt demonstrated the dangers of attempting to dislodge prevailing myths. Dario Fernandez-Morera, a professor of Spanish and Portuguese at Northwestern University, must be commended for daring to wade into this hazardous arena. He has come well-armed: his The Myth of the Andalusian Paradise has 95 pages of notes, and the lionisers of political correctness will not find it easy to penetrate chinks in his bibliographical armour of primary and secondary sources, many not published in English. Advertisement In an exhilarating and unput-downable read, Fernandez-Morera debunks the fashionable myth that Muslims, Christians and Jews lived together (convivencia) under "tolerant" Muslim rule. He prefaces each chapter with a quote by scholars, politicians and respected publications extolling the Andalusian paradise. World-class academics -- hailing from Yale, Harvard, Chicago, Princeton, London, Oxford -- look like fools in their apologetics for jihad: the violent Muslim conquest of Spain euphemistically described as a "gentle migratory wave". The very renaming of Spain (from the Latin Hispania) as al-Andalus in order to avoid offending non-Christians is one of several "hegemonic manoeuvres" to disguise a dystopia built on slavery and Islam's "imperialist system" of strict separation and subordination for non-Muslims. According to Fernandez-Morera, coexistence was never more than precarious. Jews and Christians lived as subaltern dhimmis who paid a jizya tax to live under Muslim protection. But, the author claims, the dhimmi system was never other than a Mafia-style protection racket. To ensure their survival, non-Muslim communities built a wall of exclusionary practices "for fear of the Other". Strict rules ensured that no heresy could be tolerated. Thus the Karaites of Spanish Judaism died out. Throughout the six centuries that Islam ruled Spain, it was always under external pressure from the Christian Reconquista. Insurrections by muladis, Christian converts to Islam (in the notorious Massacre of the Ditch, 5,000 muladis were beheaded and crucified), plagued the "paradise of al-Andalus". Gradually the Christians clawed back every inch of Muslim Spain (from which Christians had been systematically expelled). Only the city of Granada was beyond their reach until it was retaken in 1492. Advertisement The Maliki school of jurisprudence prevalent in Spain was conservative and intolerant: the much-vaunted age of Ummayad "tolerance" was characterised by persecution, beheadings and crucifixion. In true colonialist style, the Muslim conquerors did their best to erase local place names and languages. They ruthlessly destroyed churches and built mosques on top of them. Naturally, Fernandez-Morera echoes Gouguenheim's theory that Byzantine monks were already translating Greek texts into Latin. It was "baseless" to say that Islam preserved classical knowledge and passed it on to Europe. In fact Islam slowed down the exchange of science, art and poetry. Many of the so-called Muslim luminaries of the Golden Age turn out to be of non-Muslim or non-Arab ancestry, if not themselves Christians and Jews. More controversially, Fernandez-Morera contends that the pre-Islamic Visigoths have received an unfairly bad rap: they had already laid medieval Spain's rich cultural foundations. The Visigothic anti-Jewish restrictions, designed to lead to the disappearance of Judaism, were often worse than the dhimmi regime's, causing Jews to side with the Muslim conquerors, but Fernandez-Morera claims that the Visigothic anti-Jewish rules were often ignored. If it were not for the Reconquista, Spain would have become a "ham and drink-free" zone. Western civilisation would have stopped at the Pyrenees. It took several centuries for Christian Spain to achieve its own literary Golden Age. But this was also the age of the Spanish Inquisition, and so many of the glorious literary figures cited by the author are conversos from Judaism, or have Jewish ancestry, that Fernandez-Morera's concluding paragraphs are a whitewash. The Spanish Christian Golden Age seems only to have replaced one cruel and intolerant system by one even worse -- at least as far as Spain's Jews were concerned. Advertisement The Myth of the Andalusian Paradise: Muslims, Christians and Jews under Islamic Rule in Medieval Spain By Dario Fernandez-Morera ISI Books, 336pp, 25.50/ebook 6.59 On his KCRW show "Scheer Intelligence," Truthdig Editor in Chief Robert Scheer spoke with Gary Tyler, who served over 40 years in prison after being wrongly convicted as a teenager of murdering a 13-year-old boy in 1974. After being on death row twice during his sentence, Tyler was finally freed this spring. Before his release, he directed a passion play cast only with prisoners from Angola penitentiary in Louisiana, where he was incarcerated. The experience was made into the documentary "Cast the First Stone." Advertisement Tyler tells Scheer how the play forever changed him and the cast of prisoners, how he maintained hope over the years that he would eventually gain his freedom, and how a group of seasoned inmates helped him survive in prison. Adapted from Truthdig.com Read the transcript below: Robert Scheer: Hello, it's Robert Scheer with another edition of Scheer Intelligence, my weekly podcast with KCRW. The intelligence comes from our guests and today our guest is Gary Tyler, a remarkable person who got swept up in a series of events when he was 16 years old. Attempt to integrate schools in Louisiana and the viscous white resistance to it and in the process of a turmoil one such day, a young man was shot and they hunted to see who did it and despite the available evidence, they picked on Gary Tyler, a 16 year old. Tried as an adult, denied legal competence, this was all determined by courts later, and yet, was on death row for two years in Louisiana and through a series of court decisions invalidating - the Supreme Court - Invalidating the death penalty, he ended up serving life without possibility of parole. However, this last April, was finally paroled after 41 and a half years in Angola Penitentiary, one of the largest and fearsome prisons in the United States, if not the world. Welcome, Gary Tyler. Let's begin with the 16 year old who's blamed and fingered for murder and convicted and looking at electrocution. Advertisement Gary Tyler: Thank you, Bob. On October the 7th, 1974, I was a 16 year old juvenile and that morning, there was a rumor that there was going to be an altercation blacks and white students at the school. I was earlier suspended after I departed from the bus and I was suspended three days and I left. Later I was brought back to the school by one of the deputies that felt that I was not only truant but also suspect of being one of the perpetrators that was involved in a racial conflict at Destrehan High School at the time. When he brought me back to school and found out that I was not the one that the principals and everything felt that was part of the incident, I was immediately ordered to depart from his vehicle. Upon doing so, a decision was made between myself and the guy that I was with to catch a ride on the school buses that was going back to the community. At that time, they was ushering people on the bus, not the exact bus that was going directly to their community. We was put on a school bus and as we departed from the school, there was a shot. Many on the bus panicked feeling as though they were being shot at. Of course, the bus driver stopped. Later, he was told to park the bus on a side road and when he did that, that's when everybody was being pulled off the school bus and was searched. Little did we know at the time, that someone was shot and we just felt that during the time of the heyday of the racial integration at the schools that it was just one of those things that routinely that we were being harassed that we were being discouraged from going to school. When I look - we were being deported and ordered to go in a vacant parking lot and I, of course, along with the other students, we were basically gathered in that general area. I saw my cousin, he was being harassed and pulled aside. I wanted to know what was happening and he told me that they was arresting him for having a .22 bullet around his neck. I protested. The deputy told me to come back across the ditch. As I was attempting to do so, that's when I was stopped by another police officer. I protested and one thing led to another and I was arrested for disturbing the peace and interfering in police officer's duty. After everything cleared up at the school, that's when I was, you could say, transported to the substation. They went to asking questions. When I didn't have the answer, then that's when they went to beating on me and like I said, for about two to three hours. I was beaten by several police officers in the substation until my mother intervened because she heard the beating in the room. She demanded that she see somebody. When they tried to transfer me to another room, then that's when she saw what happened. I called out and told her that they was accusing me of doing something about a murder. Little did I know at the time, that someone had gotten shot. Everyone at the time was a suspect, but little did I know, later on I was the prime suspect behind it. They transported me and they charged me with first-degree murder of a 13 year old white kid at the school. Advertisement Scheer: As the facts emerged, first of all, you were very poorly defended and the courts were critical of that eventually - Tyler: Right. Scheer: You were tried as an adult, even though you were 16 and you got international attention of having been wrongfully imprisoned. You were on death row for two years. Tyler: Yes. Scheer: And got off death row and ended up, until this last April, being in Angola Penitentiary in Louisiana for 41 and half years. How did you get from being wrongfully accused, you're 16 years old, you're in this really rough prison and you're on death row for two years. Why aren't you crazy? Why weren't you destroyed by this? Tyler: Many people ask me that question, a lot. Sometimes the answer that I give them, I guess it's not enough because many of them say that despite everything that I told them, that if they were in my situation that they would be stark mad and that they would hate the world. I guess, in a way, they are right about that, but you know, for some reason a human being, they are genetically built to endure the difficulties that we find ourselves going though. Advertisement I guess, at the time, when I was in prison, I was introduced to a culture that I never thought existed. I mean, not in my mind. I could never fathom that something like this existed, period. I was sent to a prison at a very young age and a prison that, at one time, had been declared the bloodiest prison in the United State. As a child, you know we heard a lot about it. We never thought - well that was no concern of mine, because I'd never go to prison. Unfortunately, I wound up in prison. And not only on death row, but also there was an execution date set on me. May the 1st, 1976. That beared heavily on my mind. I guess when I went to prison, I didn't know anybody. I'll never forget that when I went to death row, they had these doors that were slamming and prisoners shouting and hollering. It was like being introduced to an insane asylum, I guess. When I was put on a tier, it was a short tier with 14 people. No, I take that back, there were 13 people on the tier. I was assigned cell eight. When I stepped across that threshold in that cell, that's when the cell door slammed behind me and at that time, it was one of the most weirdest sounds I ever heard. But it was like my fate had been sealed. That now my execution date was set and I was going to set there until that day come. And it was fast approaching. Nonetheless, then on death row, I'd gotten to know some guys that at that time, they was considered the incorrigibles. The worst of the worst in prison. That the prison administrators feared and the kept them locked up in c-cell, in which case, close cell restriction. They kept these guys monitored. They thought the worst of these guys. For some reason, these guys when they saw me come on that tier, as young as I was, in which case, I didn't know anybody, wasn't familiar with the culture of prison. What they did, they formed a bond around me; they took me in. We're talking about guys who was in prison for murdering other prisoners, who committed horrible crimes in prison. But, when they saw me, they saw their little brother, they saw their son, they saw their nephew, they even saw their neighbor's child, and they knew that no way in the world, physically, that I'd be able to survive this environment if they didn't step up to help me. And that's what they did. And I contribute that to those guys, because they were able to help me to survive and gather my footing while I was in prison. They gave me the best of themselves and I guess because they knew that their lives was over with and they saw hope within me. Scheer: You had some people on the outside trying to help your case, right? Advertisement Tyler: Right, right. I had, you know, even after 41 and half years later, those very people - Scheer: Well, there's a guy here who teaches here at USC, Bill Blum, who's a former judge. He wrote an article about your case back in 1970. Tyler: Yes. Scheer: Advocating your case. And then I look back at the record and there were famous rock groups and others who had songs about you. Your case did get some attention and publicity. Tyler: Right. Yes. Scheer: But it still didn't get you out. Tyler: No, it didn't. What it did was that it kept my plight alive with the public. It reminded people of the injustice that not only had been perpetrated against me, that I was still in this suspended, you understand, state of injustice. It gave me hope knowing that people were out there. People who correspond with me, the letters that I've gotten from people, the cards, who have constantly, on an annual basis, encouraged me to hold, to stand, to be strong. And, don't let this get the best of you that one day something good going to happen. Scheer: So how did you get involved with the theater group in prison? Tyler: Well, after getting out of CCR and later, the cell block, there was a guy named Herman Smith. He was over the drama club. He was looking forward to going home. He read a lot about me and he felt that he wanted to leave the organization in some capable hands. Now, I never ran no organization before in my life. The only thing I had for me is who I am and my reputation. But he felt that I would be a good addition to the drama club. Advertisement Scheer: So this is a guy who's getting out of prison and he cares that the drama club continue? Tyler: Yes. Because drama club was one of the earliest organizations that was established in prison because back then, they did not have any recreational activities that was in the prison itself. When later, when the inmates was allowed to establish self-help programs, the drama club was one of the organizations that was earlier developed. And he had been the president of that organization ever since. Scheer: He singled you out. Let me ask you though, the thing that happened with the drama club, which brings us to the question of this movie that people can watch that shows about your production. First, there was a woman that helped you and then the warden who got involved. Tyler: Right. Scheer: And it kind of got mixed up with telling the story of Jesus and that this was supported by the local Baptist, Christian community, right? Or, Catholic community in Louisiana? How did that happen? You'd done a lot of plays with this drama club. Tyler: Yes, we did numerous productions inside of the prison, matter of fact, we were one of the first prison organizations that traveled around the state, performing at universities, college, schools, and civic centers. Bring our message out. And what we did was that, we had wrote plays centered around social issues like teenage pregnancy, drug abuse, Alcoholic Anonymous, and various other things. We performed around the country, excuse me, around the state with our production. So, it kind of, like gave the guys in the organization, you understand, it gave them that experience. They was able to sharpen their acting abilities. But, you know, after so many years of performing, you had people that able to build their confidence, people that able to feel as though that they could just about do anything. Scheer: Well the startling thing about, I didn't see the play, which was performed at the prison. But the film about the play, everyone in, and we didn't get to this part, but insisted on having women actors come over from the women prison. Every single person who made the cut, I guess you had auditions, they were all, like, stellar actors. They were professionally incredible. What is the title, by the way? Tyler: Cast the First Stone. Scheer: Yes. How did that play, that particular production come about? Tyler: It came about through one of the assistant wardens that went to Scotland. She went to Scotland on a tour and she was invited to a Passion Play and she watched it and she liked what she saw. She felt, I guess she got an idea that, that this same production could be performed in Angola. But when she came back, she went to the religious community in the prison and asked them would they be willing to do the play. And, of course, many of them had their reservation. The felt that they weren't capable of doing it and, at the same time, my name kept coming up in the middle of the conversation. She, at the time, she wanted the religious community because they felt that by Angola having one of the biggest faith-based program in the nation that it would have been good having graduates of the Bible college performing the play. Not realizing that those guys were not actors. Those guys were basically typical plain, just old prisoners. They did not have any acting experience and many of them kind of shoned away from it. But they kept telling her that, "You need to get Gary to do it, get Gary to do it. If anybody can make this happen, Gary can do it." Later she came to me and she asked me about it. Would I be willing to do this? Of course, I had my reservations. How it would look for me to do a Christian play in a prison that thrives off of Christianity. And that many of them know that I was not a man of any Christian or religious belief. And that they would vehemently be against me taking on that responsibility. But little did I know that they was the ones that kept recommending that I was the one to do the production. Scheer: This is actually a good side of the impact of religion in that this warden, because he's on your film, he's in the film - Tyler: Right. Scheer: He says, "Well, you know, the other thing of just oppressing these people and beating them down and everything is not working; we got to do something else here." And he said he was inspired that through Jesus' message of love and understanding and openness, something other could happen, right? Tyler: Right. Scheer: I know you're not, you don't call yourself a religious person, although many of your actors are. Not all Christian. Advertisement Tyler: Right Scheer: You have Buddhist, Muslims. Tyler: Muslims, Jewish. Scheer: But the fact of the matter is, this is a case where that religious impulse that was brought into the prison basically from more conservative, Southern-types ended up being a good thing, you know? Tyler: Yes, of course. One thing that I'm also asked that I have to the liberty to rewrite the script. I was given the latitude to do that. What I did, in turn, was - Scheer: You got to rewrite the Bible? Tyler: Well, what I did was, I kind of like, you could say, compacted it a little more and took out the more practical things out of the script, you understand? We're talking about a play that it took over three to four hours to perform. The Passion Play. And I had to do this play within 2 hours. So I knew that I wasn't going to be able to do everything in the script, so give me the liberty to change things, and I'm then going to give, you understand, you what you want. I took some things out and I also wrote characters in the script as well as one in particular, Judas, because I felt that Judas was a pivotal character back then. We're talking about someone who had betrayed Jesus. That's all many people remember Judas about. I realized that what Judas did, he was destined to do that. Even though he was destined to do that very act, that it was something that was ordained from the heavens. And that we look at Judas as the betrayer of Jesus, but Judas could be setting right there next to Jesus in heaven today. Because he was forgiven by Jesus. Despite the treacherous act that he committed, he was forgiven by Jesus. And right there, I felt that it showed redemption; it showed forgiveness and that's why I wanted Judas, you understand, to be a pivotal role in the play itself. Advertisement Scheer: So let me ask you, first of all, most of the actors are African American in the play, right? Is the prison population disproportionately - Tyler: The prison population, yes, of course, disproportionately, African American. Scheer: And yet, within that community, you have people who are not. You had, as I said before, different religions and different attitudes, but the interesting thing was that the ideas were ideas that everyone could grab onto and relate back to their own life. The amazing thing about watching that is you are watching and listening to a conversation that is as intelligent as you're ever going to listen to but from people who are basically not well-educated, I assume, or not all, and have had a hard life and are in a prison and have every reason to be cynical and say, "who needs this," and yet, you have one of the most thoughtful discussions of the meaning of life and of values and of the worth of individuals. Precisely as the image of Christ that we have was intended to convey. Scheer: Right. And all these notions of forgiveness. I was amazed that the warden seemed to endorse that whole approach. Were you surprised in his little speech? Tyler: Yes, I was, and I felt that it was needed. It was needed to the women and men that was in the production because you know, let's look at where we're at. We're talking about people who are serving life sentences, who are serving a long stretch in prison, whether it's life or not and, they could have been doing other things. They all agreed to do this production because they felt that this gave them an opportunity to be able to give back to society. It gave them a chance to be able to show people that they were not that person that they were when they first went to prison. That they have changed. And also to be able to prove to their families that despite where they are at, that they can make the best out of a bad situation. Of course, I was able to recruit people from all walks of life in the prison. Also, that we're talking about some people that had disciplinary problems and I knew these guys. I knew that giving them a chance, an opportunity, I could help transform them. I like that I had opportunity to interview and audition, you understand, these guys, because I opened it up to the prison population and I was getting, if you consider the worst of the worst, and to hear these guys say, "Give me chance. Let me prove myself." It's like people asking society, "Give me a second chance." So, I heard their cries and I gave them that chance. I found them to be the most committed and dedicated actors that I had in the production. Scheer: Even though as you say in the movie, many of them knew they were only leaving that prison in a casket? Tyler: Yes, yes. Advertisement Scheer: Who was Jesus in your play? Tyler: Jesus was performed by a guy named Bobby Wallace, who now is out. Scheer: And the performance, is it an open area in part of the prison? Tyler: Yes, but it was performed in the Rodeo Arena. Scheer: Tell me about the audience because it was a lot of family - Tyler: It was open to the public and the public, family members, people from various universities and schools. It was - We had a very resounding attendance from the public. Before the ladies and men stepped on that stage I was able to talk to them. I let them know that this was their moment, not mine. It was theirs. I did everything I could to help them. I gave them the best of me so now everything was in their court and it was, understand, it was their time to shine and fortunately, they rose to the occasion. They went out there and the performed like champs. Scheer: When I watched the movie on the play, I had a sense - I wouldn't say I believe any more in a heaven, a hell and an afterlife, I certainly did feel it was inspirational. I felt touched, touched. I wonder if you felt, having spent so much time with this material, whatever you think about religion, you're dealing with the basic issues of human existence. What is the meaning of life? What is right and wrong? What do I stand for? Who am I? Did you become, were you influenced by it? Tyler: Yes, of course. You're influenced by everything that goes on in life and doing this production wasn't any difference to me. I always felt that even though I wasn't a religious man, that I was a spiritual man. I'm someone that I can accept anyone for who they are and what they believe in. Because I feel that to accept people for who they are, it gives you an opportunity to get to know them, to be able to appreciate them. And having to work with the men and the women of these two different prisons, what it did was that, it helped educate me. It helped gave me a profound appreciation of working with people, you understand, from various backgrounds. I can set here and tell you those very people, regardless of their belief, they have showed me that they have changed. That they are not the people they were when they first went to prison. Scheer: The interesting thing about this film is it's also a documentary. You see scenes from the play but, you also see people having arguments. You see somebody who you go visit in his cell and he's falling off, right? He's gotten involved with some druggers - Advertisement Tyler: Yes, he'd gotten in a physical altercation with another prisoner. Scheer: He can't be in the play at that time. Tyler: Yes. Scheer: You get a lot of this human interaction. However, I - Not however, because of that I defy anyone to watch this film and still think of people in our - This massive incarcerated population that we have in this country, the largest in the world, certainly, by far as proportional to our population, and think of them as the other. Not think of them as themselves, their own family, their own people. I think that is the great achievement of this film. That it forces you to recognize the humanity of people that we have systematically attempted to put out of sight, out of mind, and deny their humanity. I think it's a singularly important artistic achievement. I want to thank you once again for doing this and to encourage people to check it out; it's really profound. Thank you. The British ocean liner R.M.S. Lusitania was torpedoed by a German submarine on May 7, 1915. As people rushed to the lifeboats, a woman passenger asked the captain what to do. The captain, according to Erik Larson's book, Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania, replied, "Stay right where you are, Madam, she's all right." That passenger, or another like her, shouted "The Captain says the boat will not sink." The other passengers cheered and went back to their cabins - and to their deaths. 1,198 of the 1,959 passengers aboard the Lusitania died. Perhaps Captain Turner really believed his magnificent ship could not be sunk by a single German torpedo, or perhaps he was trying to prevent a deadly stampede. Either way it was a false hope he offered to the Lusitania's passengers, a false hope that may have killed hundreds. Advertisement False hope is not limited to disaster scenarios. In a feature for The New York Times Magazine, Mark Lebovich writes that talk-show host Larry King intends to have his body frozen post-mortem so that he can "die with a shred of hope." According to King, "Other people have no hope." Larry King's hope in cryonics seems even less tenable than Captain Turner's hope in the Lusitania, but humans can't do without hope. All people hope. The question is whether the object of their hope is worthy of their confidence. That question applies to more than cryonics. For example, it is common in the west to think of education as a nation's principal hope. In 2010, the U.S. spent 7.3 percent of its gross domestic product on the public funding of education. That works out to something like 15,000 dollars per student in the system (when those in college and graduate school are included). In addition, parents contribute about 25 percent of the overall cost of their children's education. It is cultural heresy to question this hope, but it is not at all clear that education has lived up to its billing. Another great hope in the west is "the economy." Perhaps capitalizing "Economy" is better, since it is often treated as if it were some kind of god. Policymakers sacrifice to it, just as ancient Greeks sacrificed to Zeus, and are often as confused by the actions of this god as the ancient Greeks were by theirs. The essayist, poet and novelist Wendell Berry believes the economy has been "elevated to the position of ultimate justifier and explainer of all the affairs of our daily life." But can this god fulfill our hope? Advertisement Certainly Americans hope in politics. Every four years we convince ourselves that the right person in Washington will turn everything around - a hope that has proved demonstrably false time and again. This year, though, our perennial hope has been turned upside down, replaced by a gloomy despair that the wrong person in Washington will bring ultimate ruin. We have swung from a false hope to a false despair, on a pendulum supported by a false belief that salvation (as well as damnation) comes out of Washington. If Doctor Johnson was right and "Men live in hope and die in despair," people need a hope that "does not disappoint." That's St. Paul's language. That great man didn't look to education or politics or the economy to save humanity. He looked to God. His hope was out of this world and, as such, was above its vicissitudes, yet entered this world's pain and despair. At one point, his hope even died, only to rise again, immortal and indestructible. For the biblical writers, the difference between hope and hopelessness is an empty tomb. Source: Graphic from Girl Effect Report. Available here. Accessed: September 22, 2016 It is critical to analyze the narratives and visuals of development campaigns to explore what they convey beyond the frame. This includes analyzing not only the marketing/communications materials but also the languages employed by prominent advocates since they facilitate the production of a societal consensus. Representations - textual as well as visual - are not innocuous; they are constituted by, and constitute, our ways of imagining the world, individuals, and social projects. Hence, it is crucial to ask: what kinds of knowledges about people in the global South are produced in/through development campaigns? What is highlighted and what is erased? What are the consequences of such representations for development policy and practice? Such an interrogation is important because these ideas, which sediment over time, directly influence how we, as scholars and practitioners, engage in development policy-making and projects. Advertisement A cursory look at the textual and visual representations of dominant girls' empowerment and education campaigns, for example, highlights that this discourse is about black and brown girls from poor communities in the global South. However, these very differences of race, nation, and class are also elided. Consider the image below. There appears to be a concerted effort to establish uniformity across differently-situated girls in the global South. Similarly, Gordon Brown, the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and United Nations Special Envoy on Global Education, erases Malala's specificity by calling her "everyone's daughter." Source here. Accessed: September 22, 2016. Such representations allow for girls in the global South to appear as stable, knowable subjects: if we know one, we know them all. If we design a development intervention for one, we can apply it to all. If we know the hindrances for one, we can extrapolate for all. Yet, development practitioners are deeply aware of how identity vectors - such as race, social class, urban/rural location, sexuality, religion, ability, among others - intersect to influence the opportunity set available to women and girls. Advertisement Feminist scholar Kimberle Crenshaw uses the term 'intersectionality' to point to the different locations and experiences of women. Writing in the context of African American women's history, she notes that the experience of a specific group of women will differ from another due to the multiplicity of identities that they embody. These analytics are significant for us to take up because hierarchies of race (and sexuality, ability, etc.) effect women's opportunities and challenges, as well as the oppressions they experience. If we were to seriously take up intersectionality in the field of gender and development, we would begin then not with the present moment - where poverty is portrayed as a 'given' and girls as 'superheroes' who will deliver societies from it (as the above Girl Effect graphic so aptly illustrates) - but with a look into the past in order to examine how we got here. This would lead us to explore the histories (and legacies) of colonization in the global South. There would then be no way of avoiding an analysis of the consumption patterns in the global North and how they are interconnected with the persistence of poverty in the global South. We would have to undertake a critical analysis of foreign policies and how aid is often tied to political interests. Such an analysis would recuperate the political import of development work. It would also enable us to understand the investments and concerns that girls themselves have - an understanding which is crucial for interpreting their own narratives and representations. If we do not have a clear sense of what commitments/ challenges/ opportunities different girls have, we will undoubtedly end up reading our own concerns onto them, which might do more harm than good. Paying attention to local histories and deepening our engagement in gender and development by taking up race, sexuality, religion, nation, etc. promises better policy-making and practice. In short, representations matter. The words and images we use in development campaigns tell a story - they amplify some ideas and erase others. It is, hence, crucial for us to be attentive to the cultural and ideological work of such campaigns. Foregrounding the analytics of intersectionality is one way in which we can ensure that we do not erase historical memory or hide the prevailing racial/sexual/religious hierarchies. Advertisement Technology has made business processes faster, better, and more streamlined than ever before. I'll go out on a limb and say that starting and growing a six-figure business has never been easier at any time in history. The reason? Social media. Today, social media connects people the world over at the click of a button. But with all the giant leaps in technology, some businesses still operate like they're in the 1960s. They still follow the traditional method of trying to do everything by themselves and running core processes the crude way. Advertisement For your business to survive, let alone compete globally, you need to automate your business processes. There is always something you can automate, streamline, or outsource. The purpose of being in business is to turn a profit. I used to work at a company where sales were recorded into a brown notebook by hand. Yes, I was that hand. At the end of every business day, I would take this blue biro and write in the notebook: 5 new screw bolts sold @50 each:250 10 brown ropes sold @20 each:200 It was laborious, back-breaking work and God help me if I misplaced that notebook. With automation, you can eliminate the need for hired help and use software to store that information in a way that makes sense to you. You can increase your productivity by more than 70% if you automate these 3 areas in your business. 1. Automate your cash flow: Cash flow is the life blood of any business and when cash flows stalls, your business gasps for air. Advertisement Automating your finances so you'll know when and where cash comes and goes in your business is one of the smartest and easiest ways to boost productivity. Accounting software like Quickbook, Quicken and Mint are easy and comprehensive ways to organize your finances, business sales, profits, and recurrent expenditures. They point out to you which areas you'll need to adjust to optimize cash expenditure and boost profits. 2. Automate your business presence: The business of the 21st century is online. If you are not on the internet, you do not exist. End of story. It doesn't really matter if you make the best chocolate ice cream in Antarctica if people don't know you make ice cream. I remember an old saying: "If you make the best rat traps, people will come." I say people will go to the second-best rat trap maker if they don't know where the best is. Having a website has helped me locate numerous four-figure paying clients that using a non-digital method wouldn't have given me. A strong optimized website/blog with all the right keywords will get customers clicking furiously at their keyboard to have a taste of what you offer. Advertisement This is having the internet work for you and bringing business right to your doorstep. Just make sure you are accessible. Even better: Automate this process. 3. Automate your customer service: Handling customer day to day requests is one of the most time-consuming aspects of doing business in any industry, but its importance can't be overlooked. At first, I was handling and replying to every one of my freelance client requests. I regularly receive emails and correspondence from both old and new clients who need my help, so I can't afford to miss even a single message. But I noticed I didn't have any free time to scout for more clients. With that realization, I knew I needed virtual assistants, so I outsourced my customer care requests to Conversational to free up more time to scout for new clients while knowing my calls and customer service duties were professionally handled. Automating that area gave me more time to plan and acquire more clients from advertisements and SEO strategies. You can do the same today. Follow the 80/20 Pareto principle. Focus on the core aspects that bring in the most income and automate the ones that don't. Advertisement Why do this? Automating your customer service gives you valuable time and head-space to brainstorm strategies for your business to make it bigger, better and more profitable. By making processes that normally take up valuable time automatic, you save time and make your company that much more productive. These 3 areas can provide clear time-saving benefits when you choose to automate them. What areas do you automate to save time and boost productivity? Is Donald Trump afraid of being president? It would certainly explain his inexplicable behavior in the post-midnight, pre-dawn hours of Friday morning. Let me roll out my old Berkeley psych minor (that's a little joke) in noting that Trump is again sabotaging himself in a period in which a Trump presidency has become an all too real prospect. Consider. After he locked up the Republican presidential nomination, once again proving the vast majority of the punditocracy -- which kept claiming various spurious "ceilings" to his support -- embarrassingly wrong, Trump proceeded to spend many weeks shooting himself in the, er, foot. Then he drifted back into contention with the very intelligent but very vulnerable Hillary Clinton. Advertisement Again, Trump proceeded to screw up, making an uneven Republican national convention much worse in its aftermath. Yet again, with practically the entire news media proclaiming his candidacy to be dead, Trump moved back into a strong position in the race, finally freaking out previously in-denial Democrats around the country. He then lost his first debate to Hillary, being under-prepared and over-reactive. But his situation was hardly dire; make some obvious adjustments (like, say, remembering what he's supposed to talk about) and, with the next debate a more friendly town hall set-up, bounce back in St. Louis and possibly take command of the race. And maybe that right there is the core of the problem for Trump. Trump was on the verge of taking command of the race Monday night in Long Island. But, despite a strong start, he did not, instead opting to play defense on nettlesome but hardly earth-shattering personal attacks from Hillary rather than press home his big narrative on supposed American decline, corruption and the perpetual connection to the Clintons. Advertisement So then, amazingly, it got worse for Trump. Because he made it worse. Instead of fairly simple damage control after the debate, we've had days of Trump whining about how unfair it all was (turns out he was right on one thing, his defective microphone), and a mind-boggling series of ad hominem attacks on a long ago Miss Universe named Alicia Machado. Instead of simply pointing out that an overweight Miss Universe is a problematic contradiction in terms for that particular business and then moving on to what his campaign is supposedly about, Trump and his dumber allies have issued days of highly charged invective about the poor woman. I'm not going to get into the weeds of the Miss Universe Pageant, something I haven't paid much attention to since I was a teenager, but I do know the most important thing about it. A President of the United States does not get into a pissing contest with an ex-beauty queen. I mean, we learned that with Bill Clinton, right? (Which is why Hillary must beware overplaying this.) Then came the pre-dawn meltdown of Friday morning, during which Trump tweeted out a string of attacks on Machado. What anxiety about himself and his situation Trump must have to get out of bed so early in order to sabotage himself. It's quite stunning. And not reassuring about middle of the night national security assessments. Advertisement So maybe the rather brilliant Hillary is even smarter than I thought. Maybe she and her usually able team really did figure out how to trigger Trump's deepest misgivings and doubts about himself and he is now in an endless downward spiral. I'm certainly far past tired thinking about the guy. Spending more than a year warning about his ascendancy was not something I wanted to do. And gaming out a Trump presidency is not particularly pleasant. And yet. And yet the surreal default reality of this election, the "surrealistic pillow" (to borrow Jerry Garcia's phrase) upon which our collective heads lie, continues to exist. If Trump just stops his dumbass abusive and self-destructive behavior, if he, to make it even clearer, shuts the f--- up about this garbage and pivots back to his quite effective blather about America-in-decline, the threatening other, the rigged system, and the came-to-do-good/stayed-to-do-all-too-well Clintons at the center of it all, he is back in business. The question is whether the Presidency of the United States is a business that Donald Trump really does want to be in. This year's 'Best of' goes to local Christine Canning-Wilson is running for state Senate on the Republican ticket. Canning-Wilson Runs For Senate on Platform of Reducing Taxes, Fraud PITTSFIELD, Mass. Republican Christine Canning-Wilson says her campaign platform centers on the economy and reduction of state taxes. The Lanesborough businesswoman is running for state Senate against Democratic nominee Adam Hinds. The seat is open after Sen. Benjamin Downing opted not to run for re-election. Canning-Wilson had no opponent in the primary while Hinds had a tough three-way race. Now, Canning-Wilson and Hinds will face each other in the general election this November. Canning-Wilson says her campaign is focused on the economy, education, and taxes and fraud. The majority of her platforms listed on her website center on reducing taxes across all levels of income earners, which she says will help spur jobs. "A lot of businesses aren't attracted here because we have a three-tier tax system. If you have a corporation, what happens is feds will take their tax money out of the corps, Massachusetts has its own layer of embedded taxes so you are paying that. Plus paying FICA and everything else. Financially it isn't profitable for a business," Canning-Wilson said. Her platform includes eliminating nearly all corporate taxes, reducing or eliminating the income tax, reducing the estate taxes, and eliminating taxes on hotels, alcohol and tobacco. Should all of those be closed, the state's budget would be close to halved, she said. "I believe it could be achievable. Do I think it is possible? I don't think they are going to work with me right away. But do I think I can get some of those through? Yes. I think you have to work step by step and phase by phase. Nothing happens overnight but if I can get in there and start to be a little more fiscally fit and spend the taxpayers' money as if it were my own, then I did a good job," Canning-Wilson said. She says Massachusetts has the eighth highest income tax, which she finds unacceptable. Meanwhile, New York State will offer companies 10 years of tax-free operations. "Why would someone come here when they can go to the Albany area and get a better tax break and make a better profit? The next thing I'd like to see is that we really have to look at fixing our infrastructure," Canning-Wilson said. With lower taxes, she believes more businesses will move to Massachusetts. She particularly sees a potential growth area if voters pass recreational marijuana on the ballot in November. Canning-Wilson said hemp and marijuana industry provides jobs for multiple skill levels and growth in that sector will help offset the other reductions in taxes. Another sector she is looking at helping is farmers. "They don't have a simple slaughterhouse anywhere in the Berkshires. They have to go 60 miles and I think it something we really have to put on the table, working with animal rights activists, work with the farmers, and find what is in the best interest for the animal. With the amount of Muslims coming in, they are going to want their food halal. I worked in the Middle East, it is the least painful way you kill an animal," Canning-Wilson said. Meanwhile, she said she'd be revisiting the bypass, a project that expanded the Massachusetts Turnpike through Berkshire County. She said funding that project will help attract businesses which need to transport products. When asked how the candidate would achieve both investing in infrastructure while at the same time cutting the state' revenue sources, Canning-Wilson said she would work toward reallocating spending priorities and cutting down on fraud. "I think really holding accountable where the state is getting the money and where it is going, really right auditing and oversight is needed. Secondly, I think we can apply for a lot more grants than we do. I think we can also look at more federal funding for projects that will pay for these," Canning-Wilson said. "I look at Chapter 90 and I look at something and I see waste. If you go through, you can see what was bought; $32,000 on a statue. That's $32,000 that can go toward filling potholes." She particularly cited examples of people "working the system" to take advantage of Section 8 vouchers or selling off assistance benefits for drugs. She feels deceitful practices throughout various state programs could be stopped, allowing for the state to reduce its expense on programs. "People shouldn't be working two or three jobs and not making it, not getting vacations, while other people do nothing and take everything," Canning-Wilson said. "I believe in a hand up and during a hard time, a handout. But not all day in a hammock. I just have an issue with that. When I see people who cannot afford a vacation, who have saved up to give something to their families, and the state takes the money. They need to be able to give something to their families. New Hampshire thrives, they don't have a state income. There are things we can do." She added, "I think fraud is wide, widespread in this state. I think there is more and more of it." She also says she would like to dig into the budget and reallocate spending. Such an example, she said, is a $5.6 million allocation for family planning programs. That fund, which Gov. Charlie Baker attempted to cut by $600,000 but was overridden by the Legislature, provides comprehensive family planning services including reproductive health, counseling, education, testing and discussions of sexually transmitted diseases and access to free contraceptives. Some of the organizations providing those services also perform abortions. MassHealth insurance will also pay some of the cost for such a procedure for policyholders. Canning-Wilson also says she would end "state-funded abortions." "I'm not against abortion. I am for a woman's right. I am not pro second or third semester. However, $5.6 million last year was given to tax-funded abortions. They asked for a $600,000 cut from that to put other places and it was voted down. I don't feel for that particular things except for rare cases that we are spending $5.6 million of our tax dollars a year. That money can go toward infrastructure," Canning-Wilson said. "I'm for women's health, always have been. If it was one time, I can understand it. There are things that do happen. But, there are people this is repeated." (Her remarks refer to the Family Health Services budget, which also covers birth control, education, counseling and HIV testing for low-income individuals. This year's budget is up slightly .) She said she would also change procurement laws to become more transparent, which she says will lower the costs because all aspects of the bid would be required to be public. "I want a transparency board with the winning bid, how much their expenditures were for, what they listed, has to go public. So anyone can click on it and read that bid," Canning-Wilson said. She'd like to eliminate the room occupancy taxes on hotel stays as well to help fill the hotels, instead of operating with vacancies. She feels that surcharge keeps people from visiting. (A number of communities have enacted a local taxes as well; Lenox brings in some $2 million, mostly from lodging and meals.) "It kind of gives people the idea that our hotel prices are higher and they may choose other areas. I'd like to see us at full occupancy," Canning-Wilson said. She'd like to have a go-card system, which would give visitors discounts on visiting a number of attractions, which she feels will increase tourism. And she wants to rebrand the Berkshires. "I really want to remarket ourselves. We have a crime problem. When I read MS-13 was here, that is a huge issue," Canning-Wilson said. With the arrest of a Boston-area man who was linked the MS-13 gang and running from an indictment, being found in Pittsfield, Canning-Wilson says she fears there are a lot more from that international gang here. She is calling for the federal government to open a Drug Enforcement Agency office. "I really want to work with the federal government, they are the ones with the deep pockets, to see a DEA office. Every day our Police go out, and I feel sorry that their families really don't know if they are coming home with the amount of shootings and stabbings. I want that law and order, safety and security," Canning-Wilson said. And she wants judges investigated. She says often the local judges are handing out very limited punishments which aren't equal to the severity of the crime. She wants the federal government to step in and find out why judges here are letting some people off with lesser sentences than others. With education, she wants to work with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to get schools to use professional development money to get all teachers special-education certified. She also wants to improve school security and start sending more money to those in poorer cities and towns. "I'd like to see more equity in the public schools," Canning-Wilson said. She wants to eliminate extra taxes on alcohol and tobacco to entice residents to buy in-state rather than make purchases over the border. "The problem is Massachusetts is losing money by doing it. A lot of people buy from the Indians in New York State or go to Nashua, N.H., and buy your cigarettes a lot cheaper and then drive them home. What a lot of people are doing is, they are bootlegging them. They are selling them cheaper and making a profit we are losing the tax money anyway," Canning-Wilson said. "I'd like to see a way where we are getting our tax but we haven't outpriced ourselves so much that it is worth driving to New Hampshire." And she believes all of this is achievable, despite being one of just a few Republicans in the Legislature. "The first thing you do is be nice to everybody and don't burn bridges. But you stand up when you need to stand up. You have to have that rich and deep discussion. Secondly, because I am Republican, I can serve on as many committees as I need to serve on," Canning-Wilson said. "Everything I suggested is what can be done. If we do do it, there are other ways to bring money in. So let's say we make these reductions in taxes. Businesses will be attracted here." While she is a Republican, she has adopted what many see as Democratic ideals, such as single-payer health insurance and a progressive income tax. She also would like to expand renewable energy and promote more solar. "I would like to see it lower in certain brackets. I think if you are making less than $125,000 a year, then you should be cut some slack. If you are making over $125,000 then progressive [taxes] is alright because you are really not going to be missing it that much," Canning-Wilson said. Meanwhile, she is a strong gun advocate and would like to loosen restrictions on gun ownership, such as a provision disallowing felons from getting gun licenses. In explaining those conflicting viewpoints, Canning-Wilson says, "My father is a very left-wing Democrat. My mother is a right-wing Republican. Maybe I am the byproduct. My sister is a Libertarian. My brother is an independent. When I was going to college, I filled out the paperwork and I think my mother, despite my father, checked Republican and turned it in. So I've always been a Republican but I don't always agree with the party. I am about people. I will put a human being first." Page Content Montreal, 1 October 2016 Sudan and South Sudan signed a high-level agreement yesterday which will assist South Sudan in taking greater responsibility for the air navigation services obligations over its territory. The new arrangement, agreed at ICAO Headquarters in Montreal during the UN agencys 39th Assembly, was signed by Sudans Director General of Civil Aviation, Mr. Ahmed Satti Abdelrahman Bajouri, and South Sudans Acting Civil Aviation Chief Executive Officer in presence of South Sudans Minister for Transport the Honourable John Luk Jok. The agreement, facilitated by the ICAO Eastern and Southern African and the Middle East Regional Offices and officials from the Organizations Air Navigation Bureau, allows both States to address critical communications and surveillance requirements, and covers the installation of new air navigation infrastructure in South Sudan. Sudan will support the maintenance of the equipment until South Sudan takes full responsibility for provision of its air traffic services in accordance with the transition roadmap. This agreement helps to highlight how air transport cooperation continues to bring nations and peoples together to their common benefit, commented ICAO Council President Dr. Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu. He and ICAO Secretary General Dr. Fang Liu were present for the ceremony along with attending Sudanese, South Sudanese and ICAO senior officials. ICAOs Regional Offices have become more and more important in helping to assure that our Organizations priorities for assistance and capacity building are as targeted and effective as possible, Dr. Liu underscored, and we will be working closely with our Sudanese and South Sudanese partners to ensure they realize as many benefits as possible from their new cooperation. A preliminary transition plan to be monitored by ICAO was also agreed to establish a new Flight Information Region (FIR) under the operational responsibility of South Sudan. Also to be established is a South Sudan-Sudan Implementation Monitoring Team (SSIMT) that will be composed of representatives from the two States, adjacent States, specialists from ICAO Regional Offices and the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Furthermore, a revised route structure to support more efficient operations over Sudan and South Sudan, as well as eventual flight information boundary adjustments has been agreed upon. Resources for Editors ICAO's 39th Assembly ICAOs Air Navigation Capacity and Efficiency website Anthony Philbin Chief, Communications aphilbin@icao.int +1 (514) 954-8220 +1 (438) 402-8886 (mobile) Twitter: @ICAO William Raillant-Clark Communications Officer wraillantclark@icao.int +1 514-954-6705 +1 514 409-0705 Twitter: @wraillantclark Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter for all the latest entertainment news and reviews Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the IndyArts email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Shakespeare and Company, the small, crumbling bookshop on Paris's Left Bank, may be the most famous bookstore in the world. It was the first place to publish the entirety of James Joyces Ulysses when no one else would, and for decades it has been an informal living room and sometimes a bedroom for many of the most revered figures in contemporary literature: Ernest Hemingway and F Scott Fitzgerald, Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg, Lawrence Durrell and Anais Nin. This week, the staff of the multicoloured storefront at 37 rue de la Bucherie released a comprehensive history of the shop that originally opened at another location in 1919. The book was years in the making, nearly 400 pages of text, testimonies, and photographs from the stores sprawling archive, crammed in mismatched boxes in a closet three floors up an uneven staircase. Conceived as a memoir instead of a history, the project is essentially a rigorous attempt to explain what, exactly, Shakespeare and Company is. For George Whitman the shop's American-born proprietor, who lived in the small apartment upstairs until his death in 2011 at 98 Shakespeare and Company was many things. At his pithiest, he called it a socialist utopia masquerading as a bookstore, a bohemian rhapsody where visitors slept upstairs and red wine was served in empty tuna cans. But George as he was known to so many also considered the shop a living work of art. I created this bookstore like a man would write a novel, building each room like a chapter, he said. I like people to open the door the way they open a book, a book that leads into a magic world in their imaginations. Free spirit: George Whitman in 1995 (Corbis) Whitman was not its founder: That distinction belongs to Sylvia Beach, who opened the original Shakespeare and Company on the nearby Rue de l'Odeon, which was forced to close in 1941 during the Nazi occupation of Paris, when Beach, along with thousands of others, was interned. In the late 1950s, she bequeathed the title of Shakespeare and Company to George, who named his only child after his predecessor. Sylvia Beach Whitman, 35, now runs Shakespeare and Company with her partner David Delannet, a Parisian philosophy student who wandered into the shop one day while she was sorting books inside. I think David quickly realised that if we were going to be together, Sylvia said recently, that the shop had to be part of his world as well. George arrived in the city after the Second World War to study at the Sorbonne on the GI Bill, and never left. He had acquired so many books that eventually he decided to open a shop of his own. In a diary entry from the spring of 1950, he wrote: I hope to finally to have a niche where I can safely look upon the world's horror and beauty. Shakespeare and Company became that niche, where he hosted readings, impromptu dinner parties and, in later years, posed with visiting dignitaries in his pajamas or in a paisley blazer that he rarely, if ever, sent to the dry cleaners. The shop would become a refuge for generations of wandering writers who turned up unannounced to live there. George called these travellers the Tumbleweeds, and the deal was that for two hours work every day as well as the vague promise of reading one book every day he would let them stay free in the shop, sleeping on cots tucked away between the stacks and showering in the public baths nearby. Be not inhospitable to strangers, reads a sign that still stands like a motto in the shop today, lest they be angels in disguise. The only other requirement for the Tumbleweeds on Georges orders, and now Sylvias is to write a one-page autobiography, often typed on one of the stores typewriters, using sheets of pale blue paper. Shakespeare and Company now has thousands of these testimonies, some even from the children of previous Tumbleweeds. A lot of the Tumbleweeds are of a particular age, Sylvia said recently, leafing through a book of these autobiographies. Its that age in life where you are looking to find your path. And theres really no better place to ask yourself these questions than in the centre of Paris, being surrounded by stories. Figuratively, of course, but also literally: piles of books can serve as chairs, and sometimes pillows. Whitman said he created this bookstore like a man would write a novel, building each room like a chapter For Jessica Thompson, 20, a Tumbleweed from New Zealand, the shops bizarre blend of fiction and reality has provided an invaluable stimulus for her own writing. Youre forced to get words on the page, she said. Youre forced. Even if you produce s***, at least it comes out. Anneli Knight, 18, is another Tumbleweed. Born and raised on a farm in Buckinghamshire she says she has no immediate plans for the future and intends to stay in the shop until they throw me out, really. She, too, is working on a piece of fiction, tentatively titled Recollections of Her, about a man in therapy coming to terms with the suicide of the woman he loved. That's part of the magic of the place, Sylvia says. Everyone has a tale to tell. The new book about the store takes the title of Whitmans unfinished memoir, The Rag & Bone Shop of the Heart, a line from the WB Yeats poem The Circus Animals Desertion. It relies on hundreds of Tumbleweed testimonies from decades past, young people whose ladders, to cite the same poem, began in the store and ended in literary publication, university teaching positions or family lives in quiet suburbs. Leafing through the book, which will be available in US stores next week, it becomes clear that launching those journeys was always the point. The Washington Post For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Twice divorced, thrice married, it may come as no surprise that Donald Trump has applauded Saudi Arabias Shariah Law for making it easy for men to get divorced. Between 2004 and 2008, the Republican presidential candidate recorded a daily 60-second commentary titled Trumped! which was broadcast on hundreds of radio stations across America in which he disclosed his views on a broad range of issues. Trawling through the episodes, the Wall Street Journal has now published a recording which contains Mr Trumps views on the complex relationship between Shariah Law and marriage. In the episode, the billionaire businessman delivers his own understanding of Shariah Law, claiming a Saudi man divorced his wife for watching a television show alone because he perceived it as equivalent to being alone with another man. Donald Trump's childhood home in Queens, New York, up for auction Show all 6 1 /6 Donald Trump's childhood home in Queens, New York, up for auction Donald Trump's childhood home in Queens, New York, up for auction Donald Trump Home exterior Laffey Fine Homes Donald Trump's childhood home in Queens, New York, up for auction Living Room Laffey Fine Homes Donald Trump's childhood home in Queens, New York, up for auction Fireplace Laffey Fine Homes Donald Trump's childhood home in Queens, New York, up for auction Kitchen Laffey Fine Homes Donald Trump's childhood home in Queens, New York, up for auction Office Laffey Fine Homes Donald Trump's childhood home in Queens, New York, up for auction Bedroom Laffey Fine Homes Ive heard a lot of different grounds for divorce but heres a new one - a man in Saudi Arabia divorced his wife for watching a television show when she was at home alone, Mr Trump said on the programme. There are a lot of male chauvinists in this country who really agree with what is going on over there, they want their woman only in the kitchen. The problem was that the show was hosted by a man and apparently the husband thought it was an immoral act that his wife was watching this programme all by herself, he continued. The man ended his marriage on the grounds that his wife was basically alone with an unrelated man, an act which is forbidden under the strict Islamic law enforced in the ultra-conservative kingdom." Men in Saudi Arabia have the authority to divorce their wives without going to the courts. I guess that would also mean they dont need prenuptial agreements. The fact is no courts - no judges. Saudi Arabia sounds like a very good place to get a divorce. Im Donald Trump and thats the real deal, he concluded. According to the UN's Spring Forward For Women programme, in Saudi Arabia men have a unilateral right to divorce their wives without needing any legal justification, with the divorce being immediately effective. Nevertheless, the man is reportedly obliged to provide financial support for the divorced wife for a total period of four months and ten days. The Independent contacted a representative of Mr Trump for comment. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Robin Williams widow Susan Schneider Williams has penned a poignant essay recounting the actors tragic and heartbreaking final months before his suicide. Written for the journal of the American Academy of Neurology, The Terrorist Inside My Husbands Brain details the Oscar-winning comedians private, undiagnosed struggle with a form of dementia called Lewy body disease. Schneider Williams describes in detail the toll the disease took on him, with the symptoms ranging from insomnia to tremors, anxiety, digestive problems, significant memory loss and paranoia. Robin Williams: A career in pictures Show all 30 1 /30 Robin Williams: A career in pictures Robin Williams: A career in pictures Robin Williams 1980: Robin Williams in the world-famous Mork and Mindy series that launched his career. Rex Robin Williams: A career in pictures Robin Williams 1984: Williams in 'Moscow On The Hudson'. The actor earned his first Golden Globe nomination for his turn as a Russian circus performer in this 1984 hit. Robin Williams: A career in pictures Robin Williams 1987: Williams in the critically acclaimed 'Good Morning, Vietnam'. Williams ad-libbed all the radio broadcast scenes from this 1987 film about a radio DJ sent to Vietnam to entertain the US troops serving out there. Rex Features Robin Williams: A career in pictures Robin Williams 1989: Robin Williams appeared with Robert Sean Leonard and Josh Charles in 'Dead Poets Society' as English teacher John Keating - or the slightly more daring O Captain, My Captain. Touchstone Pictures Robin Williams: A career in pictures Robin Williams 1990: Williams and Robert De Niro in Awakenings, an emotional film that saw Williams portray a British neurologist who administered a drug to catatonic patients that briefly awoke them from decades of catatonia. Robin Williams: A career in pictures Robin Williams 1991: Williams appeared as an adult Peter Pan forced to return to Neverland to rescue his children in 'Hook'. The film received mixed reviews but proved popular at the box office. Robin Williams: A career in pictures Robin Williams 1992: Williams in 'Toys'. The film followed a military general after he inherits a toy factory and decides to produce war toys. Robin Williams: A career in pictures Robin Williams 1993: Williams appeared in one of his best-loved roles in Mrs Doubtfire, where he played an actor disguising himself as a female housekeeper in order to spend more time with his children. Robin Williams: A career in pictures Robin Williams 1995: Williams appeared as man released from a board game after being trapped for decades inside it in the blockbuster 'Jumanji'. Robin Williams: A career in pictures Robin Williams 1996: Williams starred opposite Jennifer Lopez in 'Jack', a film about a young boy who ages four times faster than other children. Robin Williams: A career in pictures Robin Williams 1997: Williams appeared alongside Matt Damon in 'Good Will Hunting', a film that won him an Oscar for his portrayal of psychologist Sean Maguire. As he accepted his award, a touched Williams warned the audience: "Oh man, this might be the one time Im speechless". Miramax Pictures Robin Williams: A career in pictures Robin Williams 1997: The box-office hit Flubber saw Williams take the role of Professor Philip Brainard, who creates the unstoppable green goo Flubber in his bid to produce a new energy source. Robin Williams: A career in pictures Robin Williams 1998: Williams gave a poignant turn as Dr Hunter 'Patch' Adams, an unqualified doctor who treats patients with laughter in 'Patch Adams' . Robin Williams: A career in pictures Robin Williams 1998: Williams stars alongside Cuba Gooding, Jr in 'What Dreams May Come', a film that follows American physician Chris Nielsen's journey through the afterlife after he is killed in a car crash. Robin Williams: A career in pictures Robin Williams 1999: Robin Williams, Bob Balaban (left), and Armin Mueller-Stahl star in the movie 'Jakob the Liar' about a Jewish shopkeeper who uses his imagination to engender hope throughout a Jewish ghetto in Nazi-occupied Poland in 1944. Rex Robin Williams: A career in pictures Robin Williams 1999: American Science Fiction drama 'Bicentennial Man' followed an android (Williams) as he experiences emotions and becomes more human Robin Williams: A career in pictures Robin Williams 2002: Williams took a more sinister role as reclusive crime writer and murderer Walter Finch in 'Insomnia'. Warner Bros Pictures Robin Williams: A career in pictures Robin Williams 2002: Williams undertook an unsettling, psychopathic role in One Hour Photo, where he played a photo lab technician obsessed with a family who frequented the store. Robin Williams: A career in pictures Robin Williams 2002: Williams starred alongside Danny DeVito in 'Death to Smoochy', a film about a corrupt children's television host disgraced by an FBI sting. Robin Williams: A career in pictures Robin Williams 2005: Robin Williams stars in 'The Big White', a film about a financially struggling travel agent trying to make a bogus life insurance claim in order to pay for his wife's Tourette treatment. Robin Williams: A career in pictures Robin Williams 2006: Williams and Ben Stiller star in 'Night at the Museum'. Williams will appear in upcoming film "Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb," playing the statue of Teddy Roosevelt who comes to life at night. Robin Williams: A career in pictures Robin Williams 2006: Robin Williams, Jeff Daniels and Cheryl Hines star in roadtrip comedy 'R.V.', which followed the tribulations of a dysfunctional family. Robin Williams: A career in pictures Robin Williams 2006: Williams took the leading role in the political comedy drama 'Man of the Year' about a comedian who decides to run for President and finds himself mistakenly elected. Robin Williams: A career in pictures Robin Williams 2007: Robin Williams and Freddie Highmore in 'August Rush', where Williams played a homeless musician who teaches children living on the streets music and employs them as performers. Robin Williams: A career in pictures Robin Williams 2007: Robin Williams, Mandy Moore and John Krasinski starred in 'License to Wed'. Williams played a reverend who places a couple through a series of tests to see if they should marry in his church. The rom-com was poorly received by critics. Robin Williams: A career in pictures Robin Williams 2010: Robin Williams and John Travolta star in 'Old Dogs', a comedy that sees two friends and owners of a sports marketing firm struggle to deal with seven-year-old twins placed in their care. The film was nominated for four Golden Raspberry Awards. Robin Williams: A career in pictures Robin Williams 2013: Susan Sarandon, Robert De Niro and Robin Williams star in The Big Wedding Robin Williams: A career in pictures Robin Williams 2013: Williams starred as President Eisenhower in Lee Daniels' 'The Butler'. Robin Williams: A career in pictures Robin Williams 2014: Robin Williams with his Mork and Mindy co-star Pam Dawber in The Crazy Ones series. It was axed after one season. Robin Williams: A career in pictures Robin Williams 2014: Rob Williams stars in 'The Angriest Man in Brooklyn', the story of a bad-tempered man mistakenly told he has 90 minutes to live. This is a personal story, sadly tragic and heartbreaking, but by sharing this information with you I know that you can help make a difference in the lives of others, Schneider Williams writes. As you may know, my husband Robin Williams had the little-known but deadly Lewy body disease (LBD). He died from suicide in 2014 at the end of an intense, confusing, and relatively swift persecution at the hand of this diseases symptoms and pathology. He was not alone in his traumatic experience with this neurologic disease. Schneider Williams did not learn her husband had been living with LBD until three months after his death when the coroners report was released. All four of the doctors she has consulted in the aftermath of his death have said it was one of the worst pathologies of the disease they had ever witnessed. Once the coroners report was reviewed, a doctor was able to point out to me that there was a high concentration of Lewy bodies within the amygdala, she explains in the letter. This likely caused the acute paranoia and out-of-character emotional responses he was having. How I wish he could have known why he was struggling, that it was not a weakness in his heart, spirit, or character. Recommended Read more Robin Williams wife says actor was suffering delusions and paranoia According to Schneider Williams, Williams struggled to memorise single lines while filming Night at the Museum 3, even though three years earlier, he memorised hundreds of lines for the Broadway production Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo and delivered impeccable performances. Robin was losing his mind and he was aware of it, Schneider Williams reflects. Can you imagine the pain he felt as he experienced himself disintegrating? And not from something he would ever know the name of, or understand? Neither he, nor anyone could stop it no amount of intelligence or love could hold it back. Powerless and frozen, I stood in the darkness of not knowing what was happening to my husband. Was it a single source, a single terrorist, or was this a combo pack of disease raining down on him? He kept saying, I just want to reboot my brain. Williams was later diagnosed with Parkisons disease but that did not help to answer many unanswered questions floating around his head. While Williams never told his wife he was experiencing hallucinations, a key symptom of LBD, after he died a doctor later informed Schnieder he was likely to have suffered from hallucinations but just chose to remain quiet. In a later passage, Schneider Williams recounts her final day with Williams and the hope she felt that he might in fact be getting better. We did all the things we love on Saturday day and into the evening, it was perfect like one long date, writes Schneider Williams. By the end of Sunday, I was feeling that he was getting better. When we retired for sleep, in our customary way, my husband said to me, Goodnight, my love, and waited for my familiar reply: Goodnight, my love. His words still echo through my heart today. Monday, 11 August, Robin was gone. Williams was found dead in his bedroom at his home in Tiburon in northern California in August 2014. Since his tragic death, Schneider Williams has campaigned to raise awareness about LBD, a difficult-to-diagnose condition which is thought to potentially account for around 10-15 per cent of all cases of dementia. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Viewers were left in shock when a woman livestreaming on video site Periscope was mugged. Rebecca Casserly, a fashion and beauty blogger, does a live broadcast every morning to her 56,000 followers. During her stream from a location in London, someone on a bicycle snatched her phone and rode off as she screamed. The live feed continued and some viewers were able to take screenshots of the assailants face. Ms Casserly told The Independent she now feels nervous walking around London but added she had been overwhelmed from all the warm messages of support. I feel very nervous now walking on the street in London because this happened so early in the morning at a time when I could never have expected it," she said. Since then I have been scared to my daily broadcast outside while walking on the street. Today I returned to Periscope but kept my coffee-scope indoors in a safe location. The response has been so over-whelming. My community on Periscope (the BoopTroop) have completely amazed me with their love and support. UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 30 October 2022 People dressed in Halloween costumes paddle board along the river Avon in Christchurch, Dorset PA UK news in pictures 29 October 2022 Members of the public take pictures as police officers remove activists from a road during a Just Stop Oil protest, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 28 October 2022 A cosplayer attends the MCM Comic Con London 2022 at the ExCel Centre in London Reuters UK news in pictures 27 October 2022 98-year-old D-Day Veteran Bernard Morgan, whose story is among those featured on the giant poppy wall, during the launch of The Royal British Legion 2022 Poppy Appeal, at Hay's Galleria in central London PA UK news in pictures 26 October 2022 A meerkat explores a pumpkin in the enclosure at Wild Place, Bristol, where some of the animals are having pumpkin treats as part of their environmental enrichment PA UK news in pictures 25 October 2022 King Charles III welcomes Rishi Sunak during an audience at Buckingham Palace, where he invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 24 October 2022 Rishi Sunak celebrates with Tory MPs outside the Conservative Campaign Headquarters after becoming the new leader of the Conservative Party Reuters UK news in pictures 23 October 2022 The Green Man at October Plenty, Borough Market's annual Autumn Harvest festival, in London, which returns for the first time post pandemic PA UK news in pictures 21 October 2022 Sculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will form part of the Planet A Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail in the West Yorkshire town PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland PA UK news in pictures 5 October 2022 Greenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA UK news in pictures 27 September 2022 David White, Garter King of Arms, poses with an envelope franked with the new cypher of King Charles III 'CIIIR', after it was printed in the Court Post Office at Buckingham Palace in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 26 September 2022 A gallery staff member poses next to a painting by Lucian Freud - Self-portrait (Fragment), 1956 - on show at a photocall for the Credit Suisse exhibition - Lucian Freud: New Perspectives at the National Gallery in London PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2022 Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer is interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg in Liverpool before the start of the Labour Party annual Conference which he opened with a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and sang the national anthem PA UK news in pictures 24 September 2022 Handout photo issued by Buckingham Palace of the ledger stone at the King George VI Memorial Chapel, St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 23 September 2022 A climate change activist protests against UK private jets while lighting his right arm on fire during the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the O2 Arena in London EPA UK news in pictures 22 September 2022 Woody Woodmansey, Lee Bennett, Kevin Armstrong, Nick Moran and Clifford Slapper attend the unveiling of a stone for David Bowie on the Music Walk of Fame at Camden, north London PA UK news in pictures 21 September 2022 A flock of birds in the sky as the sun rises over Dungeness in Kent PA UK news in pictures 20 September 2022 Flowers which were laid by members of the public in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II at Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland are collected by the Hillsborough Gardening Team and volunteers to be replanted for those that can be saved or composted PA UK news in pictures 19 September 2022 The ceremonial procession of the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II travels down the long walk as it arrives at Windsor Castle for the committal service at St Georges Chapel AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 18 September 2022 A man stands among campers on The Mall ahead of the Queens funeral Reuters UK news in pictures 17 September 2022 Wolverhampton Wanderers Nathan Collins fouls Manchester Citys Jack Grealish leading to a red card. City went on to win the match at Molineux Stadium three goals to nil. Action Images/Reuters UK news in pictures 16 September 2022 Members of the public stand in the queue near Tower Bridge, and opposite the Tower of London, as they wait in line to pay their respects to the late Queen Elizabeth II, in London AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 15 September 2022 Members of the public in the queue on in Potters Fields Park, central London, as they wait to view Queen Elizabeth II lying in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA UK news in pictures 14 September 2022 The first members of the public pay their respects as the vigil begins around the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II in Westminster Hall, London, where it will lie in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA UK news in pictures 13 September 2022 Crowds cheer as King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort arrive for a visit to Hillsborough Castle Getty UK news in pictures 12 September 2022 Crowds line the Royal Mile, Edinburgh, as King Charles III joins a procession from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to St Giles Cathedral following the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II Katielee Arrowsmith/SWNS UK news in pictures 11 September 2022 Members of the Public pay their respects as the hearse carrying the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, draped in the Royal Standard of Scotland, is driven through Ballater AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 10 September 2022 Britain's Prince William, Prince of Wales, Britain's Catherine, Princess of Wales, Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Britain's Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, wave at well-wishers on the Long walk at Windsor Castle AFP/Getty "I have received hundreds of messages from all over the world and the support has really helped me return to Periscope and to get over the incident. Ms Casserly is a blogger and covers content and events relating to fashion, beauty, lifestyle and travel. Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Brexit and beyond email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The prime minister of the Czech Republic has urged Theresa May to prevent post-Brexit hate crimes against Czechs and other Europeans in the UK. Bohuslav Sobotka said he was disturbed by the increase in hateful attacks in Britain aimed at the citizens of EU member states in a telephone call to his British counterpart. The conversation took place after the murder of Zdenek Makar, a 31-year-old Czech man, in Poplar, east London, on 21 September. The Czech government finds it unacceptable to see Czechs attacked because of their origin and being treated as second-class citizens, Mr Sobotka said. Therefore I asked the British prime minister ... to let me know what measures her government will adopt to stop these hateful attacks. In a statement, Downing Street said Ms May had offered Mr Sobotka her sincere condolences following Mr Makars death, but added police did not consider the crime to have been motivated by racism. "This particular incident was not considered to be a hate crime," the spokesperson said, adding that Ms May told her Czech counterpart, "the UK government condemned hate crime in the strongest way possible and it had no place in British society." UK police said in July that racism surged before and after the 23 June referendum on Britain's membership of the EU. Anti-immigration rhetoric employed by the winning Leave campaign is thought to be a cause of the spike in hate crime, although police also attributed the rise to increased vigilance by officers and greater awareness among the public. More than 3,000 incidents were reported to police across the country between 16-30 June, which is a 42 per cent increase on the same period last year, according to the National Police Chiefs Council. The killing of Mr Makar follows the murder of a 40-year-old Polish man in August, which is being investigated as a possible hate crime, although police have said the motive is still not clear. Two Polish officers joined British police in the Essex town of Harlow after two other Poles were attacked outside a pub on 4 September. Earlier this month Ms May expressed deep regret over attacks on Polish citizens living in the UK in a phone call to Polish prime minister Beata Szydo. Brexit racism and the fightback Show all 9 1 /9 Brexit racism and the fightback Brexit racism and the fightback Demonstrators protest against an increase in post-ref racism at London's March for Europe in July 2016 PA Brexit racism and the fightback These cards were found near a school in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, the day after the EU referendum Twitter/@howgilb Brexit racism and the fightback Getty Brexit racism and the fightback Romford, Essex, June 25 @diamondgeezer Brexit racism and the fightback A worker at this Romanian food shop was asleep upstairs at the time of this arson attack in Norwich on July 8, but escaped unharmed. Hundreds later participated in a love bombing rally outside the shop to express their opposition to racism and their support of the shop owners. JustGiving/Helen Linehan Brexit racism and the fightback This neo-Nazi sticker was spotted in Glasgow on June 26 Courtesy of Eoin Palmer Brexit racism and the fightback But after news emerged of neo-Nazi stickers appearing in Glasgow, some in the city struck back with slogans of their own. Courtesy of Eoin Palmer Brexit racism and the fightback Getty Brexit racism and the fightback More signs began to appear in some parts of the UK, created by people who wanted to show their opposition to post-referendum racism Courtesy of Bernadette Russell A 29-year-old man has been charged in connection with Mr Makar's death and two others, a man aged 19 and a 16-year-old boy, have been bailed until early October pending further investigations. Czech authorities record 37,000 Czech citizens currently working in Britain. Downing Street said Ms May and Mr Sobotka, "agreed that the UK and the Czech Republic enjoyed excellent bilateral relations and that the relationship would continue to go from strength to strength, particularly in defence and commercial areas." Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The British Museum has broken its own rules by not allowing trustees to help decide whether or not to renew a five-year sponsorship deal with BP, activists have claimed. Art Not Oil, a coalition group of organisations campaigning against 'Big Oil' sponsorship in the arts, used a Freedom of Information request to discover that trustees were not part of the decision-making process, despite widespread opposition to the controversial deal from staff and members of the public. The group said the disclosure called into question the legitimacy of the new sponsorship deal, which was announced in July. In November 2015, campaigners said the former director of the British Museum Neil MacGregor outlined the institutions official decision-making process in a letter to staff represented by the Public and Commercial Services Union. Any ethical questions which arise in the context of the Museums activities or sponsorships are discussed and decided by the Board of Trustees, Mr MacGregor told the union. Art Not Oil said the process Mr MacGregor detailed was not adhered to. Instead the decision to renew the sponsorship was made unilaterally by the new director Hartwig Fischer. Because trustees were not consulted, Art Not Oil said the decision should be revisited by the museum, incorporating a thorough and independent investigation into BPs activities, including meaningful consultation with staff, museum-goers, experts and trustees. BP accused as size of oil slick triples in a day Show all 6 1 /6 BP accused as size of oil slick triples in a day BP accused as size of oil slick triples in a day 364762.bin AP BP accused as size of oil slick triples in a day 364783.bin GETTY IMAGES BP accused as size of oil slick triples in a day 364784.bin AP BP accused as size of oil slick triples in a day 364786.bin AP BP accused as size of oil slick triples in a day 364787.bin REUTERS BP accused as size of oil slick triples in a day 364785.bin EPA But a spokeswoman for the British Museum explicitly rejected all of Art Not Oil's allegations, saying they were confused about the comment by Mr MacGregor. We have governance procedures quite clearly laid out and when it comes to issues related to bringing money to the museum, trustees delegate to the director," she said. "The director made the decision but trustees were informed. She described the museum's trustees as a very highly respected group... there to safeguard the collection and reputation. The trustees were responsible for considering ethics, the spokeswoman said, but whether or not the sponsorship deal falls into this category depends on the definition of ethical questions". The museum had a longstanding relationship with BP, she said, so the decision to accept further sponsorship was straightforward. People have different views but BP are an organisation that have supported the museum for a long time, she said. We are very mindful of the questions people are asking us, but for us its about being able to put on an exhibition programme that has great public benefit. Its not possible to do that without external support from businesses." Art Not Oil, however, believes sponsorship by Big Oil companies is an ethical issue. Jess Worth, from the group, said the British Museum appeared to have an "ethical black hole at its heart". "If there had been proper ethical scrutiny, theres no way BPs sponsorship could have been renewed," she said. "But without a dedicated ethics policy, an ethics committee or active oversight by its trustees, the director could overlook BPs role as one of the worlds most destructive fossil fuel companies and ignore the damage it is doing to the museums reputation." Art Not Oil believe Big Oil companies cultivate arts and culture sponsorship relationships "to help create a 'social licence to operate'." They said this contributes to "the veneer of legitimacy that enables them to keep expanding operations at a time of climate crisis and to stifle demands for justice of those communities who live on the frontline of their destructive, polluting operations". Some British Museum staff agree. Clara Paillard, president of the PCS union's culture sector, which represents many staff said that in March a survey found 62 per cent of British Museum employees thought oil sponsorship was not ethical. "It is time for Big Oil to become persona non grata in our museums, just as tobacco companies are," she said. "Climate change is happening now and these fossil fuel corporations shouldn't be given a license to build a reputation as philanthropists rather than the climate-wreckers they are." She added the failure to adhere to the procedure Mr MacGregor promised was "very disappointing". In July, BP announced a new 5-year sponsorship deal with the National Portrait Gallery, the Royal Opera House and the Royal Shakespeare Company, in addition to the British Museum, but the oil company reduced its total spend from 10m to 7.5m. Earlier this year, it was announced that BP would no longer sponsor the Tate or the Edinburgh International Festival after 26 years and 36 years respectively, following a sustained campaign. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The Charity Commission has launched a formal investigation into a south London mosque where leaflets calling for members of a minority Muslim sect to be murdered were allegedly found. In April, leaflets calling for the murder of members of the Ahmadiyya sect a minority group which many Muslims consider heretical were allegedly found in Stockwell Green mosque. The leaflets apparently said Ahmadis must convert to mainstream Islam within three days or face the capital punishment, meaning death. The mosque has denied they were responsible for the leaflets and claimed that they may have been left there maliciously to discredit them. But the commission announced on Wednesday that it had launched a statutory inquiry into the charity that runs the mosque, Aalami Majlise Tahaffuze Khatme Nubuwwat. In a statement the regulator said it had carried out monitoring visits to the mosque in May and July and had found wider serious regulatory concerns which had prompted the formal inquiry. It said: The visits identified serious regulatory concerns regarding how the charity is being managed including indications of poor governance, risks to charity property due to poor financial management and the trustees carrying out activities outside of the charitys stated objectives. It will also investigate the conduct of its trustees and whether they are fulfilling their duties in line with charity law. 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 commission has not published its final report but it said in its interim report, seen by trade magazine Third Sector, that the panel noted the mosque had denied the leaflets were in the building and said it could not find evidence that they had been. The mosque has been accused of ties to the Khatme Nubuwwat a group founded in Pakistan which is said to have been linked to several hate crimes against Ahmadis in the country. A page on their website, called Funeral of Qadyanies, says: It is forbidden for a Muslim to treat the Mirzai apostates like Muslims. It is unlawful, totally unlawful, to associate with them, eat and drink with them and participate in their joys and sorrows or to invite them to one's own joys and sorrows. Those who show such kind of toleration invite the wrath of Allah and the Prophet and it does not befit a believer to maintain friendly relations with the enemies of Allah and the Rasool (messenger). In 2010, The Independent revealed the organisation had been accused of handing out leaflets calling for violence against them in Kingston-upon-Thames. But one of the mosques trustees, Toaha Qureshi, told the BBC the only link between it and the mosque is for when we need some guidance or literature on that particular issue. Despite this, the mosque is still listed as the UK headquarters of Khatme Nubuwwat in accounts filed to the Charity Commission for the financial year 2012-13. The Ahmadiyya sect was founded in India in the 19th century by Mizra Ghulam Ahmad. Modern day Ahmadis believe Ahmad was a prophet which mainstream Muslims consider blasphemous as the Prophet Mohamed is believed to have been the last Islamic prophet. The Independent has contacted a trustee of the mosque for comment. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Those suffering from chronic illnesses will no longer have to undergo repeated fitness for work tests to prove they are eligible for sickness benefits, the Department for Work and Pensions has said. The change means that Employment Support Allowance claimants with conditions that can only get worse will no longer have to be assessed repeatedly although there will usually still be an initial eligibility test. Disability rights groups praised the move, but said the Government was undermining the positive impact by enforcing drastic cuts. Under the current system, conditions are reassessed every two months to two years a policy which has come under increasing criticism for making life unnecessarily difficult for disabled and ill people. Work and Pensions Secretary Damian Green told the BBC: "Having looked at the whole system there is some activity we do that is just pointless. "If you have got a condition that has made you unfit for work and which can only stay the same or get worse, I think it is just pointless [...] to just bring someone back again. But he told the Today programme it would be a retrograde move to scrap tests for all people claiming ESA because for the "vast majority of people, work actually helps them". The reform will be formally announced at the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham, which begins on Sunday. A full list of conditions exempt from reassessment has not yet been put together, but it is thought it will include Huntingtons disease, congenital heart conditions and autism. The DWP will work with health professionals to consider the final list of those exempt. More than two million people currently receive ESA, which is worth up to 109 a week. The change is designed to demonstrate a commitment to progress towards Theresa Mays promise of a country that truly works for everyone. Yet Conservative ministers still intend to cut the amount of money given to some recipients of ESA from April 2017. Recommended Read more Peers back down in battle with MPs over cut to ESA Those in the work-related activity group thought to be unable to work currently but capable of making some effort to find employment will have their ESA payments slashed from the maximum payable to them of 102 to 73. In response to the scrapping of constant reassessments, Sue Bott, the deputy chief executive of Disability Rights UK said: We welcome the news today that people with long-term conditions such as MS will no longer have to go through repeated assessment for ESA We have long argued that such assessments are a waste of money and put disabled people through added stress given that these type of conditions do not improve, only deteriorate. However, welcome as this announcement is, what is really needed is a complete overhaul of ESA to end the suspicion that Government is only interested in cutting support to disabled people. The cut of 30 a week to those placed in the work activity group announced as part of the last budget and the sudden increase by 42 per cent in the number of disabled people placed in this group in the three months to March this year needs urgent attention by the new Secretary of State. UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 30 October 2022 People dressed in Halloween costumes paddle board along the river Avon in Christchurch, Dorset PA UK news in pictures 29 October 2022 Members of the public take pictures as police officers remove activists from a road during a Just Stop Oil protest, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 28 October 2022 A cosplayer attends the MCM Comic Con London 2022 at the ExCel Centre in London Reuters UK news in pictures 27 October 2022 98-year-old D-Day Veteran Bernard Morgan, whose story is among those featured on the giant poppy wall, during the launch of The Royal British Legion 2022 Poppy Appeal, at Hay's Galleria in central London PA UK news in pictures 26 October 2022 A meerkat explores a pumpkin in the enclosure at Wild Place, Bristol, where some of the animals are having pumpkin treats as part of their environmental enrichment PA UK news in pictures 25 October 2022 King Charles III welcomes Rishi Sunak during an audience at Buckingham Palace, where he invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 24 October 2022 Rishi Sunak celebrates with Tory MPs outside the Conservative Campaign Headquarters after becoming the new leader of the Conservative Party Reuters UK news in pictures 23 October 2022 The Green Man at October Plenty, Borough Market's annual Autumn Harvest festival, in London, which returns for the first time post pandemic PA UK news in pictures 21 October 2022 Sculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will form part of the Planet A Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail in the West Yorkshire town PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland PA UK news in pictures 5 October 2022 Greenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA UK news in pictures 27 September 2022 David White, Garter King of Arms, poses with an envelope franked with the new cypher of King Charles III 'CIIIR', after it was printed in the Court Post Office at Buckingham Palace in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 26 September 2022 A gallery staff member poses next to a painting by Lucian Freud - Self-portrait (Fragment), 1956 - on show at a photocall for the Credit Suisse exhibition - Lucian Freud: New Perspectives at the National Gallery in London PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2022 Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer is interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg in Liverpool before the start of the Labour Party annual Conference which he opened with a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and sang the national anthem PA UK news in pictures 24 September 2022 Handout photo issued by Buckingham Palace of the ledger stone at the King George VI Memorial Chapel, St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 23 September 2022 A climate change activist protests against UK private jets while lighting his right arm on fire during the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the O2 Arena in London EPA UK news in pictures 22 September 2022 Woody Woodmansey, Lee Bennett, Kevin Armstrong, Nick Moran and Clifford Slapper attend the unveiling of a stone for David Bowie on the Music Walk of Fame at Camden, north London PA UK news in pictures 21 September 2022 A flock of birds in the sky as the sun rises over Dungeness in Kent PA UK news in pictures 20 September 2022 Flowers which were laid by members of the public in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II at Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland are collected by the Hillsborough Gardening Team and volunteers to be replanted for those that can be saved or composted PA UK news in pictures 19 September 2022 The ceremonial procession of the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II travels down the long walk as it arrives at Windsor Castle for the committal service at St Georges Chapel AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 18 September 2022 A man stands among campers on The Mall ahead of the Queens funeral Reuters UK news in pictures 17 September 2022 Wolverhampton Wanderers Nathan Collins fouls Manchester Citys Jack Grealish leading to a red card. City went on to win the match at Molineux Stadium three goals to nil. Action Images/Reuters UK news in pictures 16 September 2022 Members of the public stand in the queue near Tower Bridge, and opposite the Tower of London, as they wait in line to pay their respects to the late Queen Elizabeth II, in London AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 15 September 2022 Members of the public in the queue on in Potters Fields Park, central London, as they wait to view Queen Elizabeth II lying in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA UK news in pictures 14 September 2022 The first members of the public pay their respects as the vigil begins around the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II in Westminster Hall, London, where it will lie in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA UK news in pictures 13 September 2022 Crowds cheer as King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort arrive for a visit to Hillsborough Castle Getty UK news in pictures 12 September 2022 Crowds line the Royal Mile, Edinburgh, as King Charles III joins a procession from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to St Giles Cathedral following the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II Katielee Arrowsmith/SWNS UK news in pictures 11 September 2022 Members of the Public pay their respects as the hearse carrying the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, draped in the Royal Standard of Scotland, is driven through Ballater AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 10 September 2022 Britain's Prince William, Prince of Wales, Britain's Catherine, Princess of Wales, Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Britain's Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, wave at well-wishers on the Long walk at Windsor Castle AFP/Getty Michelle Mitchell, chief executive of the MS Society, said: "This is a victory for common sense. Frequent reassessments for people with progressive conditions like MS are too often a waste of time and money; they can leave people with uncertainty and fear of having their support taken away. "We are therefore delighted that the Government have listened to our concerns and have agreed to stop reassessments albeit for only some ESA claimants. "This is good news, but there's still a lot more to do for people with MS including improving the assessment for ESA and calling for inappropriate reassessments to stop for other vital benefits, like PIP." Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Unicef has called on the UK government to allow unaccompanied child refugees currently stranded in the Calais migrant camp to come to Britain. The organisation said it was concerned about the planned closure of the camp, known as the 'Jungle', saying it may lead to children disappearing before they can be processed. Charities estimate there are around 400 unaccompanied children living there who are eligible to come to Britain. Lily Caprani, the deputy executive director of Unicef UK, the UN bodys charitable arm in the country, told the BBC: "Last time part of the Jungle camp was demolished, hundreds of children went missing. We don't know what happened to them." Despite this French President Francois Hollande vowed to have cleared the camp by the end of the year during a visit to the Jungle on Monday. All of the camps estimated 10,000 residents will be forced to move to reception centres across the country. Mr Hollande is under intense pressure to mitigate the rising tide of anti-refugee feeling and Islamophobia ahead of the French presidential election next year. Far-right leader Marine Le Pen looks poised to at least make the run-off to become president and has vowed to stop France accepting anymore refugees. Refugee crisis - in pictures Show all 27 1 /27 Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugee crisis - in pictures A child looks through the fence at the Moria detention camp for migrants and refugees at the island of Lesbos on May 24, 2016. AFP/Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures Ahmad Zarour, 32, from Syria, reacts after his rescue by MOAS (Migrant Offshore Aid Station) while attempting to reach the Greek island of Agathonisi, Dodecanese, southeastern Agean Sea Refugee crisis - in pictures Syrian migrants holding life vests gather onto a pebble beach in the Yesil liman district of Canakkale, northwestern Turkey, after being stopped by Turkish police in their attempt to reach the Greek island of Lesbos on 29 January 2016. Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees flash the 'V for victory' sign during a demonstration as they block the Greek-Macedonian border Refugee crisis - in pictures Migrants have been braving sub zero temperatures as they cross the border from Macedonia into Serbia. Refugee crisis - in pictures A sinking boat is seen behind a Turkish gendarme off the coast of Canakkale's Bademli district on January 30, 2016. At least 33 migrants drowned on January 30 when their boat sank in the Aegean Sea while trying to cross from Turkey to Greece. Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures A general view of a shelter for migrants inside a hangar of the former Tempelhof airport in Berlin, Germany Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees protest behind a fence against restrictions limiting passage at the Greek-Macedonian border, near Gevgelija. Since last week, Macedonia has restricted passage to northern Europe to only Syrians, Iraqis and Afghans who are considered war refugees. All other nationalities are deemed economic migrants and told to turn back. Macedonia has finished building a fence on its frontier with Greece becoming the latest country in Europe to build a border barrier aimed at checking the flow of refugees Refugee crisis - in pictures A father and his child wait after being caught by Turkish gendarme on 27 January 2016 at Canakkale's Kucukkuyu district Refugee crisis - in pictures Migrants make hand signals as they arrive into the southern Spanish port of Malaga on 27 January, 2016 after an inflatable boat carrying 55 Africans, seven of them women and six chidren, was rescued by the Spanish coast guard off the Spanish coast. Refugee crisis - in pictures A refugee holds two children as dozens arrive on an overcrowded boat on the Greek island of Lesbos Refugee crisis - in pictures A child, covered by emergency blankets, reacts as she arrives, with other refugees and migrants, on the Greek island of Lesbos, At least five migrants including three children, died after four boats sank between Turkey and Greece, as rescue workers searched the sea for dozens more, the Greek coastguard said Refugee crisis - in pictures Migrants wait under outside the Moria registration camp on the Lesbos. Over 400,000 people have landed on Greek islands from neighbouring Turkey since the beginning of the year Refugee crisis - in pictures The bodies of Christian refugees are buried separately from Muslim refugees at the Agios Panteleimonas cemetery in Mytilene, Lesbos Refugee crisis - in pictures Macedonian police officers control a crowd of refugees as they prepare to enter a camp after crossing the Greek border into Macedonia near Gevgelija Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures A refugee tries to force the entry to a camp as Macedonian police officers control a crowd after crossing the Greek border into Macedonia near Gevgelija Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees are seen aboard a Turkish fishing boat as they arrive on the Greek island of Lesbos after crossing a part of the Aegean Sea from the Turkish coast to Lesbos Reuters Refugee crisis - in pictures An elderly woman sings a lullaby to baby on a beach after arriving with other refugees on the Greek island of Lesbos after crossing the Aegean sea from Turkey Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures A man collapses as refugees make land from an overloaded rubber dinghy after crossing the Aegean see from Turkey, at the island of Lesbos EPA Refugee crisis - in pictures A girl reacts as refugees arrive by boat on the Greek island of Lesbos after crossing the Aegean sea from Turkey Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees make a show of hands as they queue after crossing the Greek border into Macedonia near Gevgelija Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures People help a wheelchair user board a train with others, heading towards Serbia, at the transit camp for refugees near the southern Macedonian town of Gevgelija AP Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees board a train, after crossing the Greek-Macedonian border, near Gevgelija. Macedonia is a key transit country in the Balkans migration route into the EU, with thousands of asylum seekers - many of them from Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and Somalia - entering the country every day Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures An aerial picture shows the "New Jungle" refugee camp where some 3,500 people live while they attempt to enter Britain, near the port of Calais, northern France Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures A Syrian girl reacts as she helped by a volunteer upon her arrival from Turkey on the Greek island of Lesbos, after having crossed the Aegean Sea EPA Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees arrive by boat on the Greek island of Lesbos after crossing the Aegean sea from Turkey Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures Beds ready for use for migrants and refugees are prepared at a processing center on January 27, 2016 in Passau, Germany. The flow of migrants arriving in Passau has dropped to between 500 and 1,000 per day, down significantly from last November, when in the same region up to 6,000 migrants were arriving daily. The UK Government has also come under increasing pressure to take in the unaccompanied children. On the first anniversary of the death of Aylan Kurdi, a three-year-old Syrian boy who was found dead on a Turkish beach, last month, migrant rights charity Citizens UK handed in a letter signed by several celebrities including Juliet Stevenson and Vanessa Redgrave calling on Home Secretary Amber Rudd to accept them. Fewer than 20 children were granted asylum in the UK in the first three months of the year. Aylan Kurdi - A year on, has anything changed Lord Alfred Dubs, the peer who helped force the Government to accept an amendment to the Immigration Act which requires the UK to accept lone minors, said deeply saddened the Government was still dragging its feet. Lord Dubs, who was himself a child refugee who came to the UK during the Kindertransport in 1939, said: Now that the new Government has had some weeks to settle in after the EU referendum vote there really is no excuse for any further delay. Theresa May and Amber Rudd should be taking immediate action. Unicef is concerned that the children may fall into the hands of traffickers who may exploit them. In September, The Independent revealed the Home Office does not know where 360 of the vulnerable children who have already arrived in the UK are. Of these, 81 have been missing for more than five years. Over the past five years, 9,287 unaccompanied minor asylum seekers have been arrived in the UK. A spokesman for the Home Office told The Independent the Government remained committed to resettling vulnerable children but said the closure of the camp was a matter for the French government. He said: The UK Government has made crystal clear its commitment to resettle vulnerable children under the Immigration Act and ensure those with links to the UK are brought here using the Dublin Regulation. We will also continue to support the French Government as it provides alternative accommodation to migrants in the camps and returns those not in need of protection to their home countries. Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Brexit and beyond email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} New Labour's inaction over changing public opinion on immigration helped pave the way to Brexit, Alastair Campbell has said. Mr Blairs high-profile director of communications said Labour failed to cement its political views on the benefits of immigration when in power, while the Conservatives made it a key campaigning issue. There was always a tension between knowing that the economy and public services needed immigration but knowing the issue was causing real concerns, he told The Guardian. I think the fact that we won two elections in 2001 and 2005 despite the Tories campaigning on immigration may also have made us complacent. According to Mr Campbells newly published diaries, Tony Blair came within days of quitting his job in 2004 to mount a bid to become president of the European Commission. The former Prime Minister sounded out the likes of then French President Jacques Chirac and then German Chancellor Gerhard Schroder on the possibility of him taking over the top job in Europe, Mr Campbell claims. But Mr Blair only abandoned the plan because he feared he was being driven out of office by the well-documented battle between Mr Blair and his then Chancellor Gordon Brown. Paul Flynn suggests Tony Blair should be prosecuted for Iraq War According to the diaries, serialised in the 'pop-up' newspaper The New European, Mr Blair openly considered leaving his job after he won his third election in 2005 because of the tumble taken by Labours majority. The diaries, which cover the period from 2003 to 2005, were written after Mr Campbell had resigned over the Iraq war but still remained a confidant of Mr Blair in an unofficial capacity. Mr Blair is said to have plotted his move to become European Commission president in 2004. Recommended Read more Theresa May rules out snap election amid Tory calls for early vote Mr Campbell told The New European, which was launched in response to the Brexit vote: A lot of the time the press exaggerated our difficulties. This was one period where, if anything, they underplayed them because they didn't know just how bad things were. This was the closest Tony got to leaving and at the time I was terrified it would get out because it was one of those stories that would have taken on its own momentum. Brexit racism and the fightback Show all 9 1 /9 Brexit racism and the fightback Brexit racism and the fightback Demonstrators protest against an increase in post-ref racism at London's March for Europe in July 2016 PA Brexit racism and the fightback These cards were found near a school in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, the day after the EU referendum Twitter/@howgilb Brexit racism and the fightback Getty Brexit racism and the fightback Romford, Essex, June 25 @diamondgeezer Brexit racism and the fightback A worker at this Romanian food shop was asleep upstairs at the time of this arson attack in Norwich on July 8, but escaped unharmed. Hundreds later participated in a love bombing rally outside the shop to express their opposition to racism and their support of the shop owners. JustGiving/Helen Linehan Brexit racism and the fightback This neo-Nazi sticker was spotted in Glasgow on June 26 Courtesy of Eoin Palmer Brexit racism and the fightback But after news emerged of neo-Nazi stickers appearing in Glasgow, some in the city struck back with slogans of their own. Courtesy of Eoin Palmer Brexit racism and the fightback Getty Brexit racism and the fightback More signs began to appear in some parts of the UK, created by people who wanted to show their opposition to post-referendum racism Courtesy of Bernadette Russell Tony had pretty much had enough and was being ground down by Gordon. In the end he realised that and decided he had to stay and see it though. He told The Guardian: I think deep down we always felt despite the difficulties we would be able to persuade people of the benefits of immigration and the benefits of the EU. "We did to a large extent but where we are now, on both issues, suggests that we did not cement the political views we were putting forward. Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Thousands of poorer pensioners will be hit by a new bedroom tax, despite the Governments promises to protect the elderly from the hugely controversial benefit cuts. They are poised to lose at least 300 a year because their homes will be deemed to be underoccupied, slashing their incomes or forcing them to move away from family and friends, or to flats that are unsuitable for older people. In some cases, the financial pain will be greater one housing association has identified pensioners in part of the North who are set to lose a staggering 1,700 a year. Over time, hundreds of thousands of pensioners will be affected by the little-noticed measure, which extends tough benefit restrictions in the private rented sector to council and housing association homes. It has been condemned by Labour MP Frank Field, who told The Independent: Having previously been protected from the viciousness of the bedroom tax, large numbers of poor pensioners now look set to have their living standards cut by the Governments new strategy. My fear is that the great success over the past two decades in countering pensioner poverty could begin to unravel if this stealthy strategy goes ahead in its current form. And Caroline Abrahams, charity director of Age UK, said: Imposing the cap on older tenants will not only cause them anxiety and distress, it is also pointless given the lack of affordable housing options available to them. It will create hardship without any significant financial gains for the Government. The original bedroom tax was one of the coalition governments most controversial policies, cutting housing benefit for social housing tenants but not pensioners with spare rooms. Ministers argued that forcing underoccupying households to move would free up larger homes for families living in cramped conditions, as well as save 465m a year. However, it became clear that the vast majority had no smaller homes to move to and suffered steep benefit cuts. One woman confronted David Cameron, telling him: People have died from the bedroom tax. The original bedroom tax was a controversial policies that led to protests (Getty Images) Now housing associations and campaigners for older people fear the same harsh impact from the new measure, which comes into force in April 2018, for new tenancies starting after April this year. It flows from then-Chancellor George Osbornes announcement that housing benefit in social housing will be limited to the level of the Local Housing Allowance (LHA), the cap used in the private rented sector. Crucially, the LHA is calculated like the removal of the so-called spare-room subsidy on the basis of household size, rather than the size of the property. That means a single pensioner, or a couple, living in a two-bedroom home will have their housing benefit capped at the one-bedroom LHA rate. Housing associations say that, in London and the South-east, the impact may not be severe, because the one-bedroom LHA rate is likely to be higher than the existing social housing rent charge. But across the rest of the country where private rents are cheaper the LHA cap is set much lower, in line with private rents, threatening tenants with big benefit cuts. Riverside Housing Association, which manages properties in most Northern cities, estimates that a quarter of its pensioner tenants will be hit, losing an average of 300 a year. However, that figure masks many tenants who will lose much more including some in Carlisle faced with a loss of around 34 per week, or more than 1,700 per year. Hugh Owen, Riversides director of strategy, said the only option for many older people would be to move, yet smaller properties were in scarce supply. Furthermore, those smaller homes often upper-floor flats without lifts were completely unsuitable for pensioners, who also wanted family members to stay, had carers or needed separate bedrooms. David Cameron defends bedroom tax despite court ruling it unlawful Mr Owen said: The coalition government was at pains to protect older tenants from the impact of the removal of the spare room subsidy, yet the introduction of LHA caps will have a similar effect. Over time, this could affect up to a quarter of our elderly tenants, including couples living in modestly sized homes such as two bedroom bungalows. Most will have to take this on the chin, with very limit opportunities to downsize or earn additional income. Thats why this feels like a backdoor bedroom tax. Housing associations will lobby ministers at the Conservative Party conference, starting tomorrow, in the hope of forcing a U-turn before the measure comes in. In answer to a parliamentary question tabled by Mr Field, Caroline Nokes, the benefits minister, did not dispute that pensioners would be affected. She said: This measure will be introduced in April 2018, where new tenancies have been taken out or existing tenancies renewed from 1 April 2016. Full impact and equality impact assessments will be undertaken in due course. A Department for Work and Pensions spokesman said: We have had to take difficult decisions to stabilise our economy and bring down the spiralling Housing Benefit bill. The reality is, private renters have been paid at the LHA rate since 2008, so this change restores fairness to the system for those who use it as well as those who pay for it. Nobody will be affected for another two years, and by 2020 we will have provided over 1bn to local authorities to support people transitioning to our reforms. Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Brexit and beyond email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} European builders will still be allowed to come and work in the UK after Brexit, cabinet minister Sajid Javid has indicated. In an interview with the Financial Times newspaper, the Communities Secretary said the Government would not make recruitment more difficult than the status quo for the construction industry. Romanian roofers and Polish plumbers now join bankers in the list of occupations ministers have suggested will be unhindered by new promised restrictions of freedom of movement. Wherever we end up, the Government is determined to get a good deal for Britain, the minister told the newspaper. Whether its construction or any other sector, we dont want to make it any more difficult for those industries than it is. The Chancellor Philip Hammond has previously said that highly skilled people between financial institutions and businesses had nothing to worry about when it came to new immigration controls. Theresa May has, however, promised that any post-Brexit settlement will include restrictions on immigration coming to the UK from the EU. She will face pressure from Conservative backbenchers and Ukip supporters, who have made clear they want a hard Brexit to occur, rather than a Norway-style deal. The pressure group Leave Means Leave has appointed John Longworth, the former head of the British Chambers of Commerce, as its co-chair. Mr Longworth quit his role at the BCC during the campaign after he spoke out against the EU, against the views of many of his former organisations member businesses. He said: I am delighted to join the Leave Means Leave campaign. The British people have voted for Brexit and the Government must deliver on this in full. I look forward to working with senior business figures and politicians backing the case for Britain making a clean break with the EU and securing trade deals with the rest of the world. We should leave no later than two years after Article 50, or earlier if EU negotiations stall. Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Brexit and beyond email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith has warned Theresa May not go into Brexit talks on bended knee, begging to get concessions from Europe. Mr Duncan Smith claimed David Cameron failed to win a decent deal from EU leaders using the same tactic and said the current Prime Minister had to show Brussels it is in their interest to reach an agreement beneficial to both parties. Recommended Read more May must say what she wants from Brexit or risk others deciding His intervention, which also saw him call for a clampdown on low-skilled immigrants, increases Tory tensions over Brexit following a drive by Conservatives like Ken Clarke and Nicky Morgan to push Ms May into a moderate position on immigration and the single market. Mr Duncan Smith told the BBC Today programme: "So, instead of us going over there with this kind of bended knee, special-pleading process, which frankly was one of the problems with the previous negotiation, you know we went around begging people to give us something and they all said no, rather than doing that we should be working on what we can all achieve together that benefits both of us. "This is where, when you talk to people, they immediately agree. What they don't want to do is find their goods and services end up having charges placed on them when they come to the UK, and they accept that shouldn't be the case. "So, let's work towards a free trade position where actually goods and services are treated equally and that would work well for both of us." What experts have said about Brexit Show all 11 1 /11 What experts have said about Brexit What experts have said about Brexit Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond The Chancellor claims London can still be a world financial hub despite Brexit One of Britains great strengths is the ability to offer and aggregate all of the services the global financial services industry needs This has not changed as a result of the EU referendum and I will do everything I can to ensure the City of London retains its position as the worlds leading international financial centre. Reuters What experts have said about Brexit Yanis Varoufakis Greece's former finance minister compared the UK relations with the EU bloc with a well-known song by the Eagles: You can check out any time you like, as the Hotel California song says, but you can't really leave. The proof is Theresa May has not even dared to trigger Article 50. It's like Harrison Ford going into Indiana Jones' castle and the path behind him fragmenting. You can get in, but getting out is not at all clear Getty Images What experts have said about Brexit Michael OLeary Ryanair boss says UK will be screwed by EU in Brexit trade deals: I have no faith in the politicians in London going on about how the world will want to trade with us. The world will want to screw you that's what happens in trade talks, he said. They have no interest in giving the UK a deal on trade Getty What experts have said about Brexit Tim Martin JD Wetherspoon's chairman has said claims that the UK would see serious economic consequences from a Brexit vote were "lurid" and wrong: We were told it would be Armageddon from the OECD, from the IMF, David Cameron, the chancellor and President Obama who were predicting locusts in the fields and tidal waves in the North Sea" PA What experts have said about Brexit Mark Carney Governor of Bank of England is 'serene' about Bank of England's Brexit stance: I am absolutely serene about the judgments made both by the MPC and the FPC Reuters What experts have said about Brexit Christine Lagarde IMF chief urges quick Brexit to reduce economic uncertainty: We want to see clarity sooner rather than later because we think that a lack of clarity feeds uncertainty, which itself undermines investment appetites and decision making Getty Images What experts have said about Brexit Inga Beale Lloyds chief executive says Brexit is a major issue: "Clearly the UK's referendum on its EU membership is a major issue for us to deal with and we are now focusing our attention on having in place the plans that will ensure Lloyd's continues trading across Europe EPA What experts have said about Brexit Colm Kelleher President of US bank Morgan Stanley says City of London will suffer as result of the EU referendum: I do believe, and I said prior to the referendum, that the City of London will suffer as result of Brexit. The issue is how much What experts have said about Brexit Richard Branson Virgin founder believes we've lost a THIRD of our value because of Brexit and cancelled a deal worth 3,000 jobs: We're not any worse than anybody else, but I suspect we've lost a third of our value which is dreadful for people in the workplace.' He continued: "We were about to do a very big deal, we cancelled that deal, that would have involved 3,000 jobs, and thats happening all over the country" Getty Images What experts have said about Brexit Barack Obama US President believes Britain was wrong to vote to leave the EU: "It is absolutely true that I believed pre-Brexit vote and continue to believe post-Brexit vote that the world benefited enormously from the United Kingdom's participation in the EU. We are fully supportive of a process that is as little disruptive as possible so that people around the world can continue to benefit from economic growth" Getty Images What experts have said about Brexit Kristin Forbes American economist and an external member of the Monetary Policy Committee of the Bank of England argues that the economy had been less stormy than many expected following the shock referendum result: For nowthe economy is experiencing some chop, but no tsunami. The adverse winds could quickly pick up and merit a stronger policy response. But recently they have shifted to a more favourable direction Getty Mr Duncan Smith, who with other senior Tories has produced a paper on plans for quitting the bloc, called for a new work permit system to ease immigration that would be implemented "very strongly at the lower end" to stem the flow of low-skilled workers into the country but have a "light touch" for skilled professionals, such as scientists. Communities Secretary Sajid Javid on Saturday said any new immigration system would ensure the building sector "has got whatever it needs" to meet the Government's housing targets. The influx of construction workers from across the EU has often been blamed for pushing down wages in the industry. But Mr Javid told the Financial Times that tackling the housing crisis by building one million homes by 2020 was his "number one priority". "Wherever we end up, the Government is determined to get a good deal for Britain," he said. "Whether it's construction or any other sector, we don't want to make it any more difficult for those industries than it is." Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} When the world faces its biggest challenges, it looks to Britain to show the strong leadership needed to overcome them. As a member of the UN Security Council, a NATO state that spends 2 per cent of GDP on defence, a leader in the Commonwealth and a nation that is meeting our international commitments on aid, we are uniquely positioned to play an active role in making our world more peaceful and more prosperous. The Prime Minister has made clear that Britain will intensify this global leadership, not retreat from it. Part of what people voted for in the referendum was a strong, independent Britain, able to shape our own destiny on the world stage. This is what I campaigned for. And I believe that this means acting decisively to address the global challenges which threaten the interests of ordinary working people in the UK things like conflict, terrorism, infectious disease, and uncontrolled migration. To fix these things, we need to address the underlying causes of misery and suffering around the world. Here in the UK, our government is committed to building a society that works for everyone not just a privileged few. We must do exactly the same abroad. Our aid budget has a crucial role to play in shaping the world according to our universal values of democracy, enterprise and justice. And Afghanistan offers a very specific example of how we can use our aid to both help the worlds poorest, and working people here in the UK. Afghanistan: Kunduz civilians flee intense fighting The UKs presence in Afghanistan over the last decade has helped improve security and prevent it from once again becoming a base of operations for global terrorists that would threaten the streets of Britain. We have improved the lives of Afghans significantly with millions more children in school, better healthcare, and greater prosperity. But huge challenges remain not least the continuing threat from the Taliban. That is why the UK will commit up to 750m, from the aid budget, to Afghanistan between 2017 and 2020 to help create a more stable country and improve peoples lives particularly for women and girls. The money will support the provision of services like health and education. In addition we will contribute to the urgent UN flash appeal to help protect internally displaced people who have fled their homes. Our support will also help clear deadly mines from areas where people live reducing the human suffering brought about by years of conflict, and letting children go back to school and people get back to their daily lives. The British people have a proud history of supporting mine clearance. And with conflicts burning across the globe, it is vital that Global Britain, while taking steps to end those conflicts, is also there to help with their deadly aftermath. Crucially, our support to Afghanistan will help build a viable, long-term state in the face of significant Taliban aggression. We are making this commitment because it will make us safer and demonstrate to everyone that the international community will not walk away from Afghanistan. By making a clear commitment to that country, we are helping keep the UK safe and helping to do justice to the sacrifices made there by our brave armed forces. This is aid working in the national interest. Afghanistan: Tens of thousands flee Helmand's fighting Further, our support will help address the challenge of global migration. People from Afghanistan make up a significant proportion of the migrant and refugee population entering Europe nearly a quarter of those arriving in Greece by some estimates. As the Prime Minister made clear at the United Nations last month, our aid budget has a huge role to play in creating the jobs and economic opportunities that give people in the worlds poorest countries a better alternative than risking the journey to Europe. In the long run, we will only stop people drowning in the Mediterranean if we tackle the instability that drives people to take such a risk. Faced with the uncertain world we see around us today, using aid in the way I have described is a sensible, prudent and strategic policy. But the Labour Party have, in a knee-jerk way, attacked the very idea of using UK aid in the national interest. They appear to believe in a false choice: that you can either help the worlds poorest or you can do what helps Britain. They fail to realise that tackling poverty is in the UKs national interest. Extreme poverty is not only a burning injustice in the world; it is also the incubator for radicalisation, human misery, disease and the driver of mass migration. Artists bring beauty of Afghanistan to US The tragic irony is that the Labour Party is now run by people who genuinely believe in the socialist policies which held back development and poverty reduction around the world in the last century and whose consignment to history has allowed literally hundreds of millions of the worlds most vulnerable people to escape poverty. But not only are they out of touch with economic reality. They are also out of touch with the concerns and interests of the British people just as they are with so many other issues, from immigration to defence. Labours policy is based on a fundamental misunderstanding of our complex, conflicted world. They have been quick to criticise the fact that UK aid is being used to make countries more stable by bolstering security and justice. Yet, improving the security of fragile states is vital to ensure our aid reaches those at risk and to prevent people from becoming trapped in poverty. If your country isnt stable and free from the threat of violence then you cant get to work, you cant get to the local clinic and your children cant go to school. Thousands lack clean water in Afghanistan I hope that instead of searching for dividing lines, people of goodwill across the political spectrum will join together in standing up for universal humanitarian values even as we see them flouted in places like Syria. The recent bombing of a humanitarian convoy in Aleppo is an assault on our humanity. Aid workers were killed for simply trying to deliver much need help and support to a country which has known little more than conflict, violence and hunger for five years. These extremely brave humanitarians represent the best of us, while those who prolong the suffering in Syria represent quite the opposite. We must show leadership, and steel, in the face of conflict, disease and poverty. This global leadership cannot be taken for granted though. In recent days it has become clear that at the next election, people will face a simple choice over who represents Britain on the world stage. Do they chose a Labour Party who believe that they have a free pass over scrutiny of their policy towards international development, but whose failed and outdated ideology would wreck the UK economy and reduce our ability to deliver aid across the globe? Or do they choose a Conservative Party who will champion the worlds poorest and Global Britain and at the same time demonstrate how the UK aid budget helps those paying for it? I believe that the right choice is clear for us in the UK, and for people around the world. Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The UK will commit 750m to help improve health, education and security in Afghanistan, under a major new funding announcement. The money, welcomed by aid agencies on Saturday, is to be spent over three years and will have a particular focus on helping women and girls in the war-ravaged country. Writing exclusively in The Independent, International Development Secretary Priti Patel said the boost would not only reduce misery and suffering in the world, but also serve Britains interests by stabilising the country and reducing the need for people to make perilous long-journeys to the UK. Recommended Read more Theresa May tells UN the UK will not turn inwards after Brexit vote It comes shortly after Theresa May travelled to the United Nations and the G20 to assure the world the UK would not turn in on itself following the Brexit Vote, but also to urge leaders to do more to tackle mass-migration. With Conservative conference about to begin in Birmingham, Ms Patel also takes the opportunity to launch an attack on Labour claiming the party under Jeremy Corbyn is promoting socialist policies that held back global development for decades. She said: The UKs presence in Afghanistan over the last decade has helped improve security and prevent it from once again becoming a base of operations for global terrorists that would threaten the streets of Britain. We have improved the lives of Afghans significantly with millions more children in school, better healthcare, and greater prosperity. But huge challenges remain not least the continuing threat from the Taliban. That is why the UK will commit up to 750m, from the aid budget, to Afghanistan between 2017 and 2020 to help create a more stable country and improve peoples lives particularly for women and girls. As well as spending on health and education services, the funding will contribute to the urgent UN flash appeal to help protect internally displaced people who have fled their homes, and clear land mines from areas where people live. Afghanistan army battles to push Taliban from Tarinkot The HALO Trust, which helps to clear land mines and explosives said the funding is very good news for the Afghan people. Director of Communications Paul McCann said: Decades of conflict has bequeathed Afghanistan a very large mines and explosive remnants of war problem, so this announcement from the UK Government is very welcome. It builds on Britain's strong commitment to mine clearance around the world. With funding Afghanistan can be made mine-free. Already around 80 per cent of the country has been cleared the job can be finished. Mozambique was made mine-free last year and it also had a huge problem. Mines and other explosive remnants of war maim and kill boys and girls, men and women and hold back development. This is very good news for the people of Afghanistan." Only last month a Taliban suicide attack near in Kabul killed at least 24 people and wounded 91 others. But despite security being a major problem in Afghanistan, aid agencies continue vital work. Chair of Afghanaid Chris Kinder said: We know, through over 30 years of experience, that this kind of sustained funding is essential to reach the most vulnerable individuals. Afghanaids project, the Womens Economic Empowerment Programme, was launched in 2013. It delivers essential livelihood training, as well as literacy and business knowhow. The programme has reached over 14,000 women. Afghanistan violence: Civilian casualties on the rise Gender equality is the cornerstone of all Afghanaid projects. If we want to see long-term security and opportunity in Afghanistan, we must continue to invest in womens futures. In her article, Ms Patel wrote that people in-part voted in the EU referendum for a strong, independent Britain, able to shape our own destiny and that addressing global challenges was an area where the aid budget had crucial role to play. She said: People from Afghanistan make up a significant proportion of the migrant and refugee population entering Europe nearly a quarter of those arriving in Greece by some estimates. As the Prime Minister made clear at the United Nations last month, our aid budget has a huge role to play in creating the jobs and economic opportunities that give people in the worlds poorest countries a better alternative than risking the journey to Europe. In the long run, we will only stop people drowning in the Mediterranean if we tackle the instability that drives people to take such a risk. War artists in Afghanistan Show all 6 1 /6 War artists in Afghanistan War artists in Afghanistan Work by Matthew Cook Matthew Cook War artists in Afghanistan War artists in Afghanistan Work by Jules George Jules George War artists in Afghanistan Embedded: Jules George War artists in Afghanistan Work by Jules George Jules George War artists in Afghanistan Trooping the colours: Jules George was inspired by his father and grandfather to witness and document war, if not to wage it Jules George In her piece she also condemns the recent bombing of an aid convoy in Syria, for which the West has accused Russia of being involved, which she called an assault on our humanity. Ms Patel recently committed Ms Mays administration to spending 0.7 per cent of GDP on international aid, despite calls for the Government to drop the target. Since coming into office she has demanded better transparency of aid funding and a reduction of waste, but an early commitment to use aid to boos trade, drew particular attacks from Labour. Rounding on her political opponents, she said: The tragic irony is that the Labour Party is now run by people who genuinely believe in the socialist policies which held back development and poverty reduction around the world in the last century and whose consignment to history has allowed literally hundreds of millions of the worlds most vulnerable people to escape poverty. But not only are they out of touch with economic reality. They are also out of touch with the concerns and interests of the British people just as they are with so many other issues, from immigration to defence. Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Brexit and beyond email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Theresa May has ruled out the possibility of a general election before 2020 due to the risk of "instability" posed by a snap vote. Tory politicians and campaigners had called for an early election to avoid a backlash over the Brexit deal that could win votes for Labour. But Ms May has made her position on the issue clear in an interview with The Sunday Times, reported Sky News. Hopes had been raised for an early election after it was revealed Ms May could increase her partys majority by more than four times if an early election were to take place. Conservative MP Jake Berry told The Telegraph an election next year would give the Prime Minister an easier ride for the five years that follow, allowing her to negotiate leaving the EU without an election looming. An election in 2020 would effectively be an election on the Brexit deal, which could potentially open the door to Labour if the public are not happy, he said. The most recent polls conducted by YouGov suggest if there was a general election tomorrow, 39 per cent of people would vote for Ms May, compared to 30 per cent for Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn. But The Telegraph reported the Prime Minister could more than quadruple her majority, from 12 to 62 seats in the House of Commons, according to analysis of polls conducted since she took office. In June, Ms May ruled out an early general election when she announced her intention to stand as a Tory leadership candidate. She argued at the time that the country is only one year into the current parliament. Theresa May announces she is standing for Tory leadership But some Conservatives thought she should change her mind, with the chairman of the activist group Grassroots Conservatives calling the decision to call an early election a no brainer. An early election is constrained by the 2011 Fixed Term Parliament Act, which has set the date of the next election in 2020. Before it was passed, the Prime Minister could simply call an election but this power was transferred to the House of Commons under the Act, which was introduced by the 2010 Coalition government. There are now two ways an election can be called ahead of schedule. The first is if two thirds of MPs vote to hold an election. This would in practice require both Labour and Conservative support. Despite the polls, Mr Corbyn is believed to support an early election as it could help restore his authority in a divided Labour Party. The second is if there is a no confidence vote in the government of the day. After such a vote other parties are given 14 days to form another government. If none can be formed, a new election is held. On paper, a majority government could, by a simple vote, declare no confidence in itself. Since no other party has a majority, after 14 days an election would be set. But Professor Robert Hazell of University College Londons Constitution Unit told The Independent this artificial move could backfire. This does have the potential to go embarrassingly wrong. It would only take a handful of Conservative rebels to derail an attempt to call an election, he said. The government could also choose repeal or bypass the Fixed Term Parliament Act, said Professor Hazell, which might raise awkward questions but would be completely within the rules. Paddy Ashdown, the former Liberal Democrat leader, previously said the only way Mrs May could secure a soft Brexit deal that appeased her Eurosceptic backbenchers would be to call an election in May next year. What experts have said about Brexit Show all 11 1 /11 What experts have said about Brexit What experts have said about Brexit Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond The Chancellor claims London can still be a world financial hub despite Brexit One of Britains great strengths is the ability to offer and aggregate all of the services the global financial services industry needs This has not changed as a result of the EU referendum and I will do everything I can to ensure the City of London retains its position as the worlds leading international financial centre. Reuters What experts have said about Brexit Yanis Varoufakis Greece's former finance minister compared the UK relations with the EU bloc with a well-known song by the Eagles: You can check out any time you like, as the Hotel California song says, but you can't really leave. The proof is Theresa May has not even dared to trigger Article 50. It's like Harrison Ford going into Indiana Jones' castle and the path behind him fragmenting. You can get in, but getting out is not at all clear Getty Images What experts have said about Brexit Michael OLeary Ryanair boss says UK will be screwed by EU in Brexit trade deals: I have no faith in the politicians in London going on about how the world will want to trade with us. The world will want to screw you that's what happens in trade talks, he said. They have no interest in giving the UK a deal on trade Getty What experts have said about Brexit Tim Martin JD Wetherspoon's chairman has said claims that the UK would see serious economic consequences from a Brexit vote were "lurid" and wrong: We were told it would be Armageddon from the OECD, from the IMF, David Cameron, the chancellor and President Obama who were predicting locusts in the fields and tidal waves in the North Sea" PA What experts have said about Brexit Mark Carney Governor of Bank of England is 'serene' about Bank of England's Brexit stance: I am absolutely serene about the judgments made both by the MPC and the FPC Reuters What experts have said about Brexit Christine Lagarde IMF chief urges quick Brexit to reduce economic uncertainty: We want to see clarity sooner rather than later because we think that a lack of clarity feeds uncertainty, which itself undermines investment appetites and decision making Getty Images What experts have said about Brexit Inga Beale Lloyds chief executive says Brexit is a major issue: "Clearly the UK's referendum on its EU membership is a major issue for us to deal with and we are now focusing our attention on having in place the plans that will ensure Lloyd's continues trading across Europe EPA What experts have said about Brexit Colm Kelleher President of US bank Morgan Stanley says City of London will suffer as result of the EU referendum: I do believe, and I said prior to the referendum, that the City of London will suffer as result of Brexit. The issue is how much What experts have said about Brexit Richard Branson Virgin founder believes we've lost a THIRD of our value because of Brexit and cancelled a deal worth 3,000 jobs: We're not any worse than anybody else, but I suspect we've lost a third of our value which is dreadful for people in the workplace.' He continued: "We were about to do a very big deal, we cancelled that deal, that would have involved 3,000 jobs, and thats happening all over the country" Getty Images What experts have said about Brexit Barack Obama US President believes Britain was wrong to vote to leave the EU: "It is absolutely true that I believed pre-Brexit vote and continue to believe post-Brexit vote that the world benefited enormously from the United Kingdom's participation in the EU. We are fully supportive of a process that is as little disruptive as possible so that people around the world can continue to benefit from economic growth" Getty Images What experts have said about Brexit Kristin Forbes American economist and an external member of the Monetary Policy Committee of the Bank of England argues that the economy had been less stormy than many expected following the shock referendum result: For nowthe economy is experiencing some chop, but no tsunami. The adverse winds could quickly pick up and merit a stronger policy response. But recently they have shifted to a more favourable direction Getty At the Liberal Democrat conference, Mr Ashdown said the possibility curve rises now quite sharply towards a May election. He claimed Mrs May will have to declare her hand over what Brexit means for the country, and that she is facing a revolt either way. There are deeper divisions in the Tory party than we are paying attention to. The only way out of that conundrum is a general election, he said. Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Theresa May is to step up her pledge to tame the excesses of capitalism by exploring new protections for the self-employed and workers on zero-hours contracts. The Prime Minister will announce on Saturday a top level review into whether business practises and employment regulations are keeping pace with the changing world of work. And to underline her act of political cross-dressing she will appoint a former head of Tony Blairs policy unit, Matthew Taylor, to carry out the inquiry. The move, on the eve of the start of the Conservative party conference on Sunday, underlines Ms Mays determination not to allow her premiership to be defined entirely by Brexit. It builds on the themes set out in her only major policy statement, in July, in which she pledged a crackdown on irresponsible behaviour by big business, an industrial policy and workers on boards. The review will explore the impact of non-standard employment on payment of the minimum wage, maternity and paternity rights, pensions auto-enrolment, sick pay, and holiday pay. The Prime Minister hailed the review as a further strand of building a new centre ground in British politics and creating a country that works for everyone. She said: Our regulations work well for the majority, but we will ensure that no-one is left behind. Improving the pay, security and rights of ordinary working people is a key part of building a country and an economy that works for everyone, not just the privileged few. Flexibility and innovation are a vital part of what makes our economy strong, but it is essential that these virtues are combined with the right support and protections for workers. Ms May added: We need to be certain that employment regulation and practises are keeping pace with the changing world of work. Downing Street said around six million people around one in five workers are not covered by the standard package of workplace rights, a number that continues to grow. They are made up of 4.8 million people in self-employment, 1.7 million in temporary work and 900,000 on zero-hour contracts. It insisted current employment rules work for the majority, with the self-employed generally more happy than employees and most workers on zero-hour contracts not wanting to work more hours. It also argued the flexibility of the UK labour market is a key strength of the economy, playing an important part in the success of record numbers of people in work. However, No 10 acknowledged: The growth of non-standard employment practises can also create problems. Rapidly changing business models and working practises continually stretch the limits of our employment rules. Mr Taylor will also examine the lessons to be learned from trade union campaigns in America, including the lobbying of Uber on behalf of its self-employed drivers. The workplace opportunities for the elderly, people with disabilities, or those with care responsibilities, will form a third strand of the review. Mr Taylor, who is now chief executive of Royal Society of the Arts, described his appointment as one of Ms Mays first acts as prime minister as very encouraging. He added: That the Prime Minister has chosen to prioritise the interests of the growing army of people working in new ways sends an important message. As well as getting to grips with the key trends and issues, I intend for the review team to get out and about across Britain, hearing at first hand how peoples experience of work affects their daily lives. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} An Egyptian MP has called for women to be forced to undergo virginity tests before being admitted to university, it has been reported. Parliamentary member Elhamy Agina called on the Minister of Higher Education to issue a mandate requiring him or his officials to enforce the virginity tests, Egyptian Streets reports. He has suggested that university cards could only been issued to female students on completition of a virginity test. In an interview with local media, he said: Any girl who enters university, we have to check her medical examination to prove that she is a Miss. Therefore, each girl must present an official document upon being admitted to university stating shes a Miss. The term "Miss" in Egyptian culture is often used to refer euphemistically as to whether a woman is a virgin. Mr Agina reportedly added: No one should be upset by this decision. If youre upset then that means youre scared that your daughter is in an urfi marriage behind your back. Urfi marriages can be entered into without the approval of a brides guardian and can only require two witnesses, resulting in a cultural perception among some segments of Egyptian society that they are covert or secret marriages. They are believed to be particularly common among young couples who may be unable to afford a large wedding ceremony. Mr Agina has since defended his remarks, reportedly saying they had been misinterpreted and he was merely making a suggestion. He said: People have been attacking me since yesterday and theyre upset and such. Ive decided not to deal with the media. I did not make a demand, I made a suggestion. Theres a big difference between a demand and a suggestion. He added that he made the remarks as part of a discussion as to how urfi marriages could be stopped: I said, well, its not the governments right to ask a girl or a man whether theyve had an urfi marriage. But maybe, maybe just as a suggestion that may or may not be implemented- the government could tell university hospitals to conduct virginity tests. And then the university can tell the students parents. His alleged remarks have been criticised online. Prominent Egyptian feminist Mona Eltahawy tweeted: "I see Egyptian parliamentarian Elhamy Agena's [sic] obsession with women's vaginas continues". Journalist Jacky Habib tweeted: "How about we have mandatory IQ tests for politicians who aim to mandate nonsense like this". Mr Agina is known for his remarks which many have perceived as courting controversy. Earlier this month, he called for Egyptian women to undergo female mutilation in order to reduce their sexual desires because Egyptian men are sexually weak. The countries with anti-women laws Show all 5 1 /5 The countries with anti-women laws The countries with anti-women laws The countries with anti-women laws The countries with anti-women laws The countries with anti-women laws The countries with anti-women laws Last week he also prompted outrage when he said people who died when a migrant boat capsized while en route to Italy deserve no sympathy. In 2011, an Egyptian court ruled that forced virginity tests on female detainees in military prisons were unlawful. The ruling came after a number of women were allegedly subjected to the treatment after being arrested during protests in Cairo's Tahrir Square, which provoked condemnation from human rights groups around the world. So-called virginity tests are practised in a number of different countries around the world. In Indonesia, female recruits must undergo them to join the military or national police. The tests see doctors attempt to deduce the state of the hymen using a so-called "two finger test". Critics of the tests say they are degrading and can traumatise women. The scientific basis for them has also been questioned as many critics say the methodology is flawed as hymens can break for various reasons including penetrative intercourse, such as during exercise or sport. The World Health Organisation has criticised the tests saying: There is no place for virginity testing, it has no scientific validity. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A video has emerged showing Barack Obama trying and failing to get Bill Clinton to board Air Force One. In the footage Mr Obama is seen urging the former president, who is engrossed in conversation with US Secretary of State John Kerry on the tarmac, to hurry and get on the plane. Bill, lets go, Mr Obama is heard shouting before clapping his hands in an attempt to get Mr Clintons attention. Standing at the top of the airplane steps, he tells Mr Clinton, I gotta get home. Mr Clinton eventually joined the president on Air Force One and was greeted with a smile as the pair shook hands and patted each other on the back. The two men had been in Jerusalem attending the funeral of former president and prime minister of Israel, Shimon Peres. World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty Mr Clinton was president when Mr Peres negotiated the historic peace deal with the Palestinians in 1993 which won him the Nobel Peace prize a year later. Mr Obama, who awarded Mr Peres the presidential Medal of Freedom in 2012, was one of the speakers at the ceremony. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Jamaica, Haiti and Cuba are bracing themselves for the arrival of one of the most powerful hurricanes to hit the Caribbean. Hurricane Matthew is a category four storm downgraded from category five after weakening slightly today, but still boasting winds of 155mph. The storm, the strongest in the region since Hurricane Felix in 2007, was expected to devastate the southern coast of Jamaica by Monday, with other islands including Cuba and the Bahamas in danger. Now, after a slight eastwards alteration in Matthew's forecast path, meteorologists say that Haiti could be in line for the worst damage. Recommended Read more Hurricane Hermine hits Florida leaving thousands without power It's bad news for the poverty-stricken nation, still recovering from the catastrophic earthquake of 2010. In 2008, the island's worst year for hurricanes, storms Fay, Gustav, Hanna and Ike all hit in a row. More than 700 people died and 300 were reported missing, with 22,000 homes flattened. Yves Domercant, the head of Haiti's public hospital in Les Cayes in the south, said: We will prepare with drinking water for the patients, with medication, with generators for electricity and vehicles to go look for people at their homes." In Jamaica, locals have been stocking up on drinking water and supplies in preparation for storm surges, flooding and landslides. Fears remain that Matthew could make landfall on the southern coast hitting Kingston, the country's capital, and Jamaica's only oil refinery. There have also been warnings of giant sea swells. Local disaster coordinators, the police and military have been put on standby and shelters are being opened throughout the island. The government is on high alert, said Robert Morgan, director of communications at the prime minister's office. We hope that the hurricane does not hit us, but if it does, we are trying to ensure that we are in the best possible place. Before the storm shifted slightly, meteorologist Eric Holthaus, said: Should Matthew stay on its current projected path, it would be a near-worst-case scenario for Jamaica. No hurricane as strong as Matthew has ever made landfall in Jamaica in recorded history. After forecasters predicted an easterly move, he tweeted: 'Hurricane Matthew has shifted a bit eastward good news for Jamaica, bad news for Haiti'. The storm has drawn comparisons to 1988s Hurricane Gilbert, which killed 318 people across the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico, causing widespread destruction. Dennis Feltgen, a meteorologist and spokesman for the hurricane centre in Miami, told AP: "Hurricane Matthew could rival or possibly exceed Gilbert if the core of the strongest winds does actually move over Jamaica. There is no certainty of that at this point." Matthew is also the closest a category five hurricane has ever come to South America, Mr Holthaus added. The storm has already killed one person in St Vincent and the Grenadines earlier in the week, when a 16-year-old boy was crushed by a boulder as he tried to clear a blocked drain. Colombia has also issued tropical storm warnings for its Caribbean coast after experiencing extremely high tides, storm surge and heavy rain. Local TV broadcast images of cars and tree trunks surging though flooded streets in coastal areas and reported that at least one person died because of flooding. The strongest winds of Matthew are double those of Hurricane Earl, which hit Belize in August at around 80mph, causing significant damage. Heavy weather: What climate change really means for Britain Show all 3 1 /3 Heavy weather: What climate change really means for Britain Heavy weather: What climate change really means for Britain 118703.bin GETTY IMAGES Heavy weather: What climate change really means for Britain 118702.bin PA Heavy weather: What climate change really means for Britain 118701.bin PA Read more In Cuba, residents of the eastern coastal city of Santiago de Cuba said they were tracking the news closely, although skies were still blue. "We don't know yet exactly where it will go, so we're still waiting to see," said Marieta Gomez, owner of Hostal Marieta, who was following the storm closely on TV and radio. "We Cubans are well prepared." Cuba has a strong track record of keeping its citizens out of harm's way when storms strike. Reuters contributed to this report. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The US government has ceded control of the technical management of the internet, in what has been called the most significant change in the internet's functioning for a generation. Following a long legal battle, the California-based NGO Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) will gain control over the organisation of unique online identifiers. The change will not affect ordinary internet users but is a reflection of the rapidly shifting online landscape and attitudes to it. ICANN manages the database for top-level domain names such as .com and .net and the corresponding numeric addresses that allow computers to connect. The groups work will be governed by a collection of academics, technical experts, private industry and government representatives, public interest advocates and individual users around the world. This transition was envisioned 18 years ago, yet it was the tireless work of the global internet community, which drafted the final proposal, that made this a reality, said ICANN Board Chair Stephen D Crocker. This community validated the multi stakeholder model of internet governance. It has shown that a governance model defined by the inclusion of all voices, including business, academics, technical experts, civil society, governments and many others is the best way to assure that the internet of tomorrow remains as free, open and accessible as the internet of today. IT journal The Register said it was a historic moment and the most significant change in the internet's functioning for a generation. 7 people who helped create the internet and dont get any credit Show all 7 1 /7 7 people who helped create the internet and dont get any credit 7 people who helped create the internet and dont get any credit Claude Shannon (1916-2001) Shannon took the work done by Boole and re-purposes it for computers, allowing us to understand how to share information with the. It begun information theory a system of thought that would let us build the internet Getty 7 people who helped create the internet and dont get any credit Ada Lovelace (1815-1852) The internet now is largely algorithms: formulas or procedures that computers can run to solve problems. Those are so deeply integrated into our world that they are almost invisible. But Lovelace created the first one, in the early 19th century, helping lay the groundwork for the machine learning and artificial intelligence that now runs the internet Getty 7 people who helped create the internet and dont get any credit George Boole (1815-1864) Boole helped formulate the kind of logic that would allow the internet and the binary that powers it to flourish. The structures of thinking that he proposed would eventually come to allow computers to understand us, and power the search engines that we use to get around the internet Getty 7 people who helped create the internet and dont get any credit Leonard Kleinrock (1934-) Kleinrock helped formulate the idea of packet switching, a central part of the way that computers are able to share information with each other over networks. The theoretical frameworks that he proposed would eventually become the same technology that allows almost every computer in the world to send and receive information from the internet Getty 7 people who helped create the internet and dont get any credit Vint Cerf (1943-) and Robert Kahn (1938-) Together Cerf and Kahn helped invent the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and the Internet Protocol (IP). Those two technologies decide how computers communicate each other in essence creating the internet as we know it Getty 7 people who helped create the internet and dont get any credit Ray Tomlinson (1941-) Life online wouldnt be what it is today without email. Tomlinson created a system to allow people to send messages to each other over ARPANET Andreu Vea 7 people who helped create the internet and dont get any credit Larry Roberts (1937-) Larry Roberts helped create ARPANET, a military network that helped uncover and prove many of the technologies that would go on to power the internet. While Tim Berners-Lee often gets hailed for creating the web, Roberts also contributed to the early work that went into helping him Michel Bakni Ed Black, chief executive of the Computer & Communications Industry Association, said the transfer was "a symbolic, but important step in preserving the stability and openness of the internet, which impacts free speech, our economy and our national security." The US government has been the primary manager of the internet's address book since 1988 largely because it was invented in the country. Critics of the handover have attempted to block or delay it on grounds it could jeopardize free speech online, claims that the Obama administration and technology companies have said lack merit. Federal officials began discussing a plan to move ICANN under international oversight in the 1990s, and rolled out a formal plan in March 2014. But conservative politicians, including former Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz, tried to stop the move, saying it was unconstitutional and required congressional approval. Mr Cruz called the transfer a "giveaway to Russia" and other governments, but his effort failed to gain traction. A delay would have backfired by undermining US credibility in international negotiations over internet standards and security, the Obama administration and technical experts have said. Reuters contributed to this report. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A United Airlines passenger has complained of discrimination after she was moved to make way for two "Pakistani monks" who did not want to sit next to a woman. Mary Campos was leaving California on a plane bound for Houston when a member of the gate staff reportedly informed her that her pre-booked seat had been changed. "I dont know how to tell you this," he said. Recommended Read more Woman sues airline after having to switch seats for Orthodox passenger He then explained that due to the two passengers "cultural beliefs", they could not sit next to or talk to a woman. The men were described as Pakistani monks by Ms Campos, and were reportedly wearing long orange shirts. No other information was available on the men's ethnicity or religion. They could also not be served by female staff, she was told. Ms Campos, a senior consultant in the oil and gas industry from Coto de Caza, told CBS that she was shocked, but had no choice but to take her new seat. In a letter to United Airlines, she wrote: "What if I were handicapped or transgender? What if your entire crew were female? Any belief that prevents individuals from interacting with females should not travel on commercial aircraft." The airline responded to say they would look into the matter. In a statement, the airlines wrote: "We regret that Ms Campos was unhappy with the handling of the seat assignments on her flight. "United holds its employees to the highest standards of professionalism and has zero tolerance for discrimination." Ms Campos said she did not want to sue the airline, but insisted that they apologise to every woman on the plane, including staff. I thought I lived in a culture where females were equal to men, she said. She also wanted the company to change their policy to protect womens rights. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Even among the colourful pantheon of Texas lawmen, Hudspeth County Sheriff Arvin West has seized his share of the limelight. In his 16-year career patrolling the West Texas outback, he has busted crooner Willie Nelson for pot, accused the Mexican army of invading US territory and repeatedly ripped the federal government on television over border security. Less well known are the country sheriffs strange connections to a rogue Navy intelligence office at the Pentagon that has been under criminal investigation for the past three years. The former director of the intelligence unit, David W Landersman, a civilian, is facing federal conspiracy charges for allegedly orchestrating a mysterious scheme to equip Navy commandos with hundreds of untraceable AK-47 rifle silencers. A new wrinkle in the case, however, has recently emerged in US District Court in Alexandria, Va., where prosecutors have suggested that Navy officials from the intelligence unit also sought to funnel military equipment to rural Hudspeth County and set up a secret training base near the Mexican border. Even more unusually, two of Landersmans former subordinates have testified that when they were not working full time on intelligence matters at the Pentagon, they moonlighted 1,600 miles away as reserve deputy sheriffs in Hudspeth County, a desolate, Connecticut-size jurisdiction east of El Paso. Also serving as deputies to Sheriff West were Landersman, his son, and the husband of one of the Navy intelligence officials, according to two Pentagon officials and others familiar with the case. Why so many Pentagon officials and their relatives were working on the side as sheriffs deputies in Texas has not been explained in court, where much of the evidence has been sealed to protect national security. What a training base would have been used for there is just as murky. West, who was first elected as Hudspeth County sheriff in 2000, did not respond to several phone calls and emails seeking comment. He has not been charged with any wrongdoing. Hudspeth County is home to only 3,300 people but covers an enormous stretch of parched terrain in the Rio Grande basin. It is best known for a Border Patrol checkpoint on Interstate 10 where drug-sniffing dogs nab hundreds of motorists a year for carrying small amounts of marijuana. Besides Nelson, other musical performers who have been arrested on drug charges while passing through Hudspeth County include Snoop Dogg, Fiona Apple and Nelly. Recommended Read more Texas to stop helping refugees because they might be terrorists West, who has been described by NPR as a stout, swaggering lawman with a sign over his office that reads Boss Hog, has just 14 full-time deputies under his command. To compensate, he has sometimes recruited outsiders to provide extra muscle. In 2011, he pinned a reserve deputy sheriffs badge on Hollywood tough guy Steven Seagal. Insisting the move was not a publicity stunt, West predicted the action star would bring a wealth of tactical experience and dedication as a peace officer and teach martial arts to others in the department. Exactly what the Pentagon officials did during their stints as deputy sheriffs in Hudspeth County remains unknown. But apparently the work could be dangerous. Worried about threats from Mexican drug lords, West required his special deputies to carry a firearm for self-protection when they flew on commercial airlines, according to Sterling Gill, a civilian Navy official who served in Hudspeth County. The policy even applied when they traveled outside Texas. At a court hearing this September, Gill testified she once carried a gun on a flight between Washington and San Francisco. My sheriff, who has had several threats against his life by the drug cartel and has a bounty on his head, insists that all of his deputies fly armed at all times, Gill added, noting that she filled out the proper paperwork to carry a weapon on board. Declassified CIA documents throw new light on Osama Bin Laden Gill holds personal ties to Hudspeth County through the 32,000-acre Circle Ranch, a property owned by her in-laws. At the court hearing, she acknowledged that Landersman her boss at the Pentagon and a fellow onetime Marine had visited the ranch on at least four occasions. In a brief line of questioning, prosecutors asked Gill whether she and Landersman had tried to set up a military training centre at the ranch, along with new roads, an airstrip and $14,000 worth of radios from the Defense Department. Gill said the radios were intended for the Hudspeth County Sheriffs Office. She denied the other allegations without elaborating. Gill has not been charged in the case. She testified that the Navy has suspended her indefinitely without pay and that she is under investigation by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS). Her attorney, Christopher Man, said Justice Department officials have told him it is unlikely they will bring charges. He declined further comment. The Texas connection represents another puzzle in an already enigmatic case involving the Navy intelligence unit. Blandly known as the Office of Plans, Policy, Oversight and Integration, the small agency has about 10 people on staff, mostly civilians, and is supposed to focus on policy matters. Somewhere along the way, however, it started to become more directly involved in secret missions, prompting one former senior Navy official to describe the group as wannabe spook-cops. The office came under scrutiny in January 2013 when one of its civilian executives appeared at a Defense Intelligence Agency office in Arlington, Virginia, and asked for a badge that would allow him to carry weapons on military property, according to prosecutors. The Navy SEAL who killed Osama bin Laden - London Live The executive flashed a set of credentials stamped with the letters LEO an acronym for law enforcement officer even though he lacked police powers. That prompted federal agents to search his office at the Pentagon, where they found more suspicious badge materials. The investigation broadened as NCIS agents uncovered evidence that the intelligence unit had arranged an unauthorized, sweetheart contract to purchase AK-47 silencers from Landersmans brother, Mark, a California hot-rod mechanic. Under terms of the deal, Mark Landersman produced a batch of 349 homemade, unmarked silencers in a machine shop and sold them to the Navy for $1.6 million, even though they cost only $10,000 in parts and labour to make. After a federal trial, Mark Landersman was convicted of conspiracy in October 2014 along with a Navy intelligence official who helped arrange the contract, Lee M. Hall. Both men are appealing the verdicts. The silencers intended use remains hazy. Many details are classified, but some court filings suggest they were part of a top-secret operation to help arm Navy SEAL Team 6, the unit that killed Osama bin Laden. David Landersman, who was indicted after his brothers conviction, has pleaded not guilty. His attorney has argued that the intelligence-unit director was kept in the dark about the contract between his brother and the Navy and that a subordinate orchestrated the deal without his knowledge. Adding to the air of mystery have been revelations in court that Navy security officials burned and shredded piles of sensitive documents shortly after The Washington Post first reported on the existence of the investigation in November 2013. David Landersmans attorneys have argued that the case against their client should be thrown out because the destroyed files would show that other Navy officials oversaw the silencer contract. They have hinted that Navy officials also wanted to get rid of the documents because they contained other embarrassing information, including notes about sexual misconduct at the Pentagon and files related to a massive bribery investigation into the Navys 7th Fleet. Richard Kent Ford, the Navy security officer who supervised the destruction of documents, has said that he was purging old files in accordance with Navy regulations. He originally testified in 2014 that he was unaware that Landersman, Gill and others from the intelligence unit were under investigation or that there had been news coverage of the case. At a court hearing this September, however, Landersmans attorneys confronted Ford with an email Ford had written alerting several Navy officials to The Posts front-page article shortly before he oversaw the elimination of the files. He lied to this court straight up, said Stephen M. Ryan, one of Landersmans defense lawyers, adding that Navy officials had demonstrated more than a whiff of bad intent by destroying evidence. Ford denied lying on the stand, saying he had forgotten about The Posts coverage. Records from a separate personnel hearing, however, show that the Navy booted Ford from his job after concluding he was not truthful in his original testimony in the silencer case. Justice Department officials said that Navy security officers destroyed the documents without their knowledge. They also argued that the files were not relevant to the case. US District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema is scheduled to rule whether to dismiss the charges against Landersman or proceed to trial. Its certainly a messier-than-normal case, she said at a hearing. Copyright Washington Post Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Float enough conspiracy theories, and eventually one of them might turn out to be half-true. On Friday, the Commission on Presidential Debates announced that there really were issues with Donald Trumps microphone at Mondays first debate. Regarding the first debate, there were issues regarding Donald Trumps audio that affected the sound level in the debate hall, the commission wrote in a single-sentence statement on its website, without offering any further details. Fewer than 2,000 people were present in the auditorium at New Yorks Hofstra University to see the debate live. Some reported afterwards that the audio volume had appeared to fluctuate when Mr Trump spoke. However, the sound issues at the venue did not prevent TV viewers hearing Mr Trump speak or, indeed, sniffle. Trump blames 'defective mic' after debate In the 'Spin Room' following his confrontation with Hillary Clinton, the Republican nominee complained that he had been given a defective mic, adding: [I] wonder, was that on purpose? (There was no evidence whatsoever to suggest that it was on purpose.) The following day, Ms Clinton suggested to reporters that anyone who complains about the microphone is not having a good night. It wouldnt be the first time Mr Trump has blamed audio equipment for a campaign misstep. And remember: just because Mr Trump's mic does indeed appear to have been defective, doesnt mean that Alicia Machado made a sex tape, that Google is suppressing bad news about Ms Clinton, or that climate change is a Chinese hoax. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump made a cameo appearance in a softcore pornographic video produced by Playboy. The 2000 VHS title, Video Centerfold, features a non-sexual segment in which Mr Trump, apparently accompanied by several Playboy playmates, opens a bottle of champagne and sprays the foam at a Playboy-branded limousine on a New York City street. The clip was obtained from an adult video store in Buffalo, New York by Buzzfeed News, which describes the rest of the film as featuring fully nude women posing in sexual positions, dancing naked, touching themselves while naked, touching each other sensually, rubbing honey on themselves, taking a bath, and dressing in costumes. The site published the footage in the wake of the property moguls attacks on former Miss Universe Alicia Machado, a Hillary Clinton campaign surrogate who has criticised him for his treatment of her as a beauty pageant winner in the 1990s. Mr Trump labelled her disgusting on Twitter, falsely alleging that she had appeared in a sex tape. Mr Trump may have been referring to night-vision footage of Ms Machado apparently having sex under the covers on a Spanish reality television show, or to several videos that bear her name on Internet porn sites, but in which she does not appear. The Venezuelan-born actress, who recently became a US citizen, has posed topless for the Mexican edition of Playboy. In the past, Mr Trump has not been so prudish about celebrity sex tapes. During a 2003 interview with Howard Stern, he admitted to having watched Paris Hiltons sex tape with his now-wife, Melania. Mr Trump, who is friendly with Ms Hiltons parents and had known her since she was 12, suggested the tape had made Paris hotter in terms of the world." For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A man in China killed his parents then massacred 17 neighbours in an attempt to cover up the crime, police have said. Yang Qingpei confessed after being arrested, state media reported. The mass killing is one of the worst in China in recent years, but the story appears to have been heavily censored in the country, leading to some complaints on social media. Recommended Read more China probes North Korean bank for nuclear missile financing Mr Yang became involved in an argument with his parents over money on 28 September. Local reports claim he was a gambler, leading to speculation he had racked up debts. The argument escalated and resulted in the murder of both his parents. Fearing being identified as the killer, police said, Mr Yang went on to murder a number of his neighbours in the remote village of Yema, Yunan province. After the crime, Mr Yang fled to Kunming, the regional capital, where he worked, but was arrested. Police have not said how the murders were carried out, but that there were 19 victims aged between three and 72, including four children. 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 Gun ownership is strictly restricted in China and murders are often carried out using knives or other methods. Despite the apparent lack of political motive to the mass killing, state censors have restricted reporting of the story, with official outlets reproducing a short statement but no further details. The Communist government is known for its attempts to control any major stories which could reflect badly on the country. Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Brexit and beyond email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Britains decision to leave the EU could result in a continent so destabilised by the threats of Islamism and the radical right that the very survival of Jewish communities is thrown into doubt, one of Europes most senior rabbis has warned. Pinchas Goldschmidt, the president of the Conference of European Rabbis, has told MEPs that Europe is in danger of breaking up and unless leaders begin to co-operate far more over the dangers, the consequences within 30 years will be catastrophic. In a speech to the European Parliament, he said Jews felt they were standing on a dangerous train track with trains coming at each other with ever increasing speed. He said: One train is the train of radical Islam and Islamic terrorism... The other train is the anti-Semitism of old Europe, the extreme right. He added: Both threats are existential threats for European Jews and both trains have to be halted before its too late. His speech was delivered in Brussels on Tuesday during a special debate entitled, The future of Jewish communities in Europe. But Mr Goldschmidt, who is also the chief rabbi of Moscow, went further and asked: The question that Jews ask themselves, not only as Jews but as Europeans, does Europe in its present form have a future after the [terrorist] attacks in Paris, in Brussels, in Copenhagen, and after Brexit? Following the debate, Mr Goldschmidt told The Independent that anti-Semitism was now so rampant that: 22 per cent (nearly one in four) Jews surveyed in nine European countries avoided Jewish events or sites because they feared for their safety 40 per cent of 1,200 Jews surveyed in France said they avoided wearing symbols that identified them as Jews for fear of anti-Semitic attacks Tens of thousands of Jews have emigrated from France and Belgium, while thousands more are in the process Fear of attack seemed almost as great in Belgium, where 36 per cent of Jews said they avoided wearing symbols that identified them in public. He also called for the creation of an EU anti-terrorist task force accountable to the European Commission and coordinating the war against Islamic terror. And in remarks likely to generate further controversy, he said further work was needed to integrate the waves of immigrants flooding Europe into the European value system so they left behind the rabid anti-Semitism and radicalism, which is rampant in the Middle East. He said: If the status quo does not change radically then we are in real danger of allowing the EU to become a failed experiment. Are we looking, 30 years from now, at a Europe which will be divided between its component states and either under the influence of the Muslim Brotherhood or under the influence of the radical right? The Muslim Brotherhood is a Sunni Islamist organisation that claims to be peaceful. He said until recently European Jews felt they were going through the valley of death alone but the terrorist massacres in Paris and Brussels had made the wider public realise there was an existential problem for the very fabric of Europe. He said: We are not flying alone any more... Lets hope that we will fly together in the right direction and land safely wherever we want. The threat to Europes Jews, he said, was no longer confined to the fascist elements of Islam typified by extremists like Amedy Coulibaly who murdered four hostages at a kosher supermarket in Paris last year. He said relatively new forms of disguised, politically correct, anti-Semitic expressions that had remained largely latent since the Shoah [Holocaust] were re-surfacing. Condemning attempts by extreme right political parties in Europe to ban the Jewish practises of circumcision and preparing kosher meat, he said: We will fight for our right to practise Judaism. We will continue to unmask those bigots and anti-Semites, who want to fight Judaism under the political-correct flag of rights of children and rights of animals. Mr Goldschmidt said countries within the EUs border-free Schengen Area must unite and give up part of their sovereignty. He said: They need to create an anti-terrorist task force which will be accountable to the European Commission and coordinate the war against Islamic terror. Urging far greater EU integration, he added: Europe in 2016 can be likened to the 18th century United States of America, which lacked a central army and government, rendering it totally ineffective and vulnerable to the forces threatening its fledgling independence. Radical Islam will not win the war against Europe by virtue of its strength, but only because of the weakness of the European Union. A general view of members of the French police special forces launching the assault at a kosher grocery store in Porte de Vincennes, eastern Paris As well as an EU anti-terror task force, he said, there had to be a similar unit to protect the EUs outer borders and rein in the waves of millions of immigrants from the Middle East, Africa and Asia flooding Europe and threatening the future character of the European continent. Mr Goldschmidt emphasised the human suffering of refugees seeking sanctuary in Europe, but said there was also a need to: Integrate them into the European value system, making sure they become Europeans in the full sense of the word, leaving behind them the rabid anti-Semitism and radicalism, which unfortunately is rampant in the Middle East. Calling for Islamic religious leaders in the EU to be trained in European institutions or in places certified by European organisations, he said: It is unthinkable that in some of the houses of prayers of Europe, clergy are calling for their followers to rein in their wives by beating them into submission and promoting the virtues of honour killings. Explicitly distancing himself from the rhetoric of far right extremists, however, he added: We have a problem: the radical right is fighting Islam. Islam is not our enemy. The moderate Muslims are the victims of radical Islam like we Jews are and every other European is. In his closing remarks to Tuesdays debate, Martin Schultz, the president of the European Parliament, said: When we see that every fifth Jew in Europe has experienced verbal or physical violence, when these aggressions are getting more and more numerous, and when we see that the Jewish population in Europe has decreased from almost four million in 1945 to barely more than one million today, then we know that it is high time not only to make a clear political statement, but to take effective action as soon as possible. Europe has to be a better home for its Jewish citizens. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Bulgaria has become the latest European country to ban women from wearing veils covering their faces in public. Under the controversial new legislation, women who breach the ban will have their benefits cut. The Bulgarian parliament approved the law, backed by the nationalist Patriotic Front coalition. The partys co-leader Krasimir Karakachanov said the law would improve security, saying: the burqa is more a uniform than a religious symbol. Women who break the law will face fines of up to 770 or 665, as well as a suspension of social security benefits. The law has been controversial locally and the Movement for Rights and Freedoms party, which opposed the bill, walked out of the chamber in protest. In a statement, Amnesty International UK condemned the ban. John Dalhuisen, Europe Director of the human rights organisation, said: Women in Bulgaria should be free to dress as they please and to wear the burqa or the niqab as an expression of their identity or beliefs. This ban violates their rights to freedom of expression and religion. This law is part of a disturbing trend of intolerance, xenophobia and racism in Bulgaria. Legitimate security concerns can be met with targeted restrictions on the complete covering of the face in well-defined high-risk locations and not through a blanket discriminatory ban such as this. Similar bans have been introduced in other EU countries such as France, the Netherlands and Belgium. In France, attempts to restrict womens choice of religious dress have been scrutinised following the controversial burkini ban this summer. In images circulated widely on social media, armed police officers were pictured apparently ordering a woman in modest swimwear to remove some of her clothes to adhere to the laws. A number of court cases later ruled the ban was not valid, however right-wing politicians have vowed to pass nationwide legislation to enable to ban to stay. In Bulgaria, around 10 per cent of the countrys 7.1 million population identify as Muslim. 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 this year, head of the Bulgarian city Pazardjik Rumen Kozhuharov said: The main thing that motivated and catalysed this [discussions about banning face veils] were the terrorist attacks that happened in European countries and the increasing flow of migrants who entered the country in the past few years. However, Jalal Faik, secretary general of local religious authority the Grand Muftis office said any such ban was about trying to make nationalist gains at the expense of Muslims. He told the BBC: The far right populist pseudo-patriotic factions are seeking to gain dirty [political] dividends on the back of Muslims, which is dishonourable given the scale of Islamophobia across the world. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Hungarians are set to reject the European Unions proposal to resettle asylum-seekers in a referendum this weekend. The country is expected to vote to ignore EU quotas after months of divisive campaigning. Right-wing Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who leads the anti-EU campaign, has posed the question: Do you want the European Union to be able to mandate the obligatory resettlement of non-Hungarian citizens into Hungary even without the approval of the [Hungarian parliament]? Newsweek reported the Hungarian Government had used billboards to ask people: Did you know that nearly one million immigrants want to come to Europe from Libya alone? and did you know that the Paris terror attacks were carried out by immigrants? Although the referendum has no legal implication and cannot reverse the EUs proposal, Mr Orban is likely to use the result to justify any future anti-immigration and anti-EU policies. Mr Orban had previously called migrants entering Europe a poison that his country wont swallow and responded to the Paris attacks by saying "all the terrorists are basically migrants". 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 If Hungarians vote to reject the proposals, it will be the third time this year a member state has voted against the EU. Holland rejected an EU trade deal with Ukraine in April, followed by Britain voting to leave the trade bloc in June. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Pope Francis has called for nations of the world to respect international law and the sovereign rights of other countries during a trip to Georgia where Russian troops are currently based in two pro-Moscow breakaway provinces. The Pope was careful to not cause offence to the Russian Orthodox Church which normally has warm ties with the Vatican. Speaking at a welcoming ceremony, Pope Francis made clear references to the situation in Georgia. [States] can never lay aside respect for the sovereign rights of every country within the framework of international law, he said, Reuters reported. Giorgi Margvelashvili, the Georgian president, responded by saying there was a strong desire for everyone to live together peacefully. "But this mission cannot be accomplished in the light of violations of the rights of civilians and the territory being occupied by a neighbouring country," Mr Margvelashvili said. 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 Georgia became independent in 1991 and fought a short war with Russia in 2008. Georgia has accused Russia of practicing "creeping occupation" but the superpower considers the contested areas of Abkhazia and South Ossetia to be independent states. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Doctors in Aleppo are ready to die, a medical charity official has said after the largest hospital in the rebel-held area of the Syrian city was destroyed by multiple air strikes. The attack on the trauma centre comes amid a sustained assault by pro-Assad forces backed by Russian warplanes. Air strikes across the eastern part of the city overnight killed 30 civilians, activists told al-Jazeera, and the attacks continued throughout the day. The medical charity, Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), said there had been a bloodbath in the city. The largest hospital in the Aleppo, codenamed M10, was hit by two devastating barrel bombs improvised weapons that are cheap to make rendering the areas biggest medical facility completely out of use. At least one rocket and two cluster bombs also hit the hospital, according to the Syrian American Medical Society. Two patients in the hospital were reportedly killed and 13 more injured in the attack and a number of people were believed to be trapped. It was not immediately clear who was responsible for the attacks, but hospital facilities have been plagued by bombing by forces loyal to the Syrian government in recent weeks. Pablo Marco Blanco, operations manager at MSF, told The Independent the loss of the M10 hospital was significant. There is only one hospital left in East Aleppo that has substantial capacity this is what we are most worried about now, he said. Recommended Read more BBC presenter reduced to tears as Syrian baby is rescued from rubble Speaking about morale of the doctors to whom he had spoken, he said: Most of them are ready to die. They are aware of this [the dangers] and they are willing to stay there until the end. The fighting has intensified after a US-Russian brokered ceasefire collapsed and diplomatic efforts came to a halt. Describing the attack on M10, Adham Sahloul, of the Syrian American Medical Society, told news website TRT World: There were direct hits to the hospital. There were two barrel bombs, reportedly two cluster bombs and at least one rocket of some sort that hit the hospital directly. It created immense damage to the facility, destroyed all the windows. It rattled all the staff and the patients there. As of now theres no idea as to when it can be brought back into operation. The facility is extremely damaged. Mr Sahloul said a group of patients and doctors were inside the hospital for basic triage, bandaging, and cleaning services for emergency cases when the bombing started and had been trapped in the wreckage. Hospital administrator and radiologist Mohammad Abu Rajab made an emergency call for help on Saturday morning from inside the M10 hospital. The hospital is being destroyed! SOS, everyone! he said in an audio message given to journalists. The M10 hospital was also attacked on Wednesday, along with another called M2. Codenames are used in an attempt to keep their locations secret because of the threat of attack. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said air strikes also hit a smaller field hospital in the Sakhur neighbourhood of Aleppo on Saturday. One person was killed and the field hospital is out of service, observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP. The besieged old quarter of Aleppo was bombed heavily by Russian war planes during the attacks. Air strikes concentrated on supply lines to rebel-held areas such as the Castello Road and Malah district, Reuters reported. Fighting also raged in the Suleiman al-Halabi neighbourhood. France has condemned the latest attack on the M10 hospital as a war crime and said the perpetrators will be held accountable. Rights groups have said the hospital attacks are part of a deliberate strategy to target civilian infrastructure and therefore constitute war crimes. The recent surge in attacks in Aleppo by forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad have been among the most deadly in the countrys five-year civil war. A traumatized toddler clings onto a nurse at a SAMS hospital in Aleppo A video posted on social media on Friday showed a traumatised toddler holding onto a nurse following an air strike in Aleppo. On Wednesday the US Secretary of State, John Kerry, said Washington would no longer negotiate with Moscow key allies of the Syrian regime if it did not stop the bombardment. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Saudi Arabia will increase charges for visas for people to visit the country in order to complete Islamic pilgrimages. The ruling Council of Ministers, chaired by Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Naif, announced that anyone applying for a visit to complete the Hajj for a second time will be charged SR2000 (410) for each visit. The same fee with apply for people wishing to complete the Umrah, a similar pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca but one that can be completed at any point in the year, for a second time. A visa for the first visit for Hajj will remain free. Prices for general visits will increase to SR200 (41) for a two-month visa and SR300 (61) for three, the Saudi Gazette reported. The fees will come into force on Sunday. Every Muslim who is able to is expected to complete the Hajj at least once in their lifetime. The five-day pilgrimage carried out in the middle of the last month in the Islamic calendar culminates in thousands of pilgrims walking around the Kaaba in Mecca. Saudi Arabia imposes strict quotas on the number of Muslims who are granted special Hajj visas every year in order to prevent too many people visiting Mecca, and the other holy city Medina, at the same time. The photos Saudi Arabia doesn't want seen Show all 4 1 /4 The photos Saudi Arabia doesn't want seen The photos Saudi Arabia doesn't want seen sa1.jpg The photos Saudi Arabia doesn't want seen sa0.jpg The photos Saudi Arabia doesn't want seen sa2.jpg The photos Saudi Arabia doesn't want seen sa3.jpg Last year, the Saudi Government was criticised after more than 2,400 people were crushed during a stampede near the holy site of Mina during the Hajj. Earlier this month Shia-dominated Iran, a bitter rival of the largely Sunni Saudi Arabia, accused the kingdom of deliberately murdering the 400 Iranian victims of the tragedy. Irans supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei branded Saudi leaders as the heartless and murderous in a statement on his website. The new fees come as Saudi Arabia struggles to fill the holes in its balance sheet as its oil revenue continues to decline. Hajj: What is the annual mecca pilgrimage? During a meeting of Opec nations in Algiers on Wednesday, the kingdom and the 11 other members agreed to cut oil production for the first time after their bid to out-compete cheaper US shale gas failed. Opec has also been hit by the lifting of economic sanctions against Iranian oil. Oil prices reached a peak of $100 (77) a barrel in the middle of 2014 but fell as low as $26 (20) a barrel in February this year. Recommended Read more Global stock markets rally as OPEC agrees to slash oil production The country is now frantically reforming its generous welfare system with deputy crown prince Mohammed bin Salman telling Bloomberg in June that his reform programme will aim to raise an extra $100bn (77bn) in non-oil revenues by 2020. The extra revenue will come from measures such as introducing VAT, tax on expats and tax on sugary drinks but incomes would remain untaxed. The move will also coincide with an austerity programme announced in December last year. Other measures due to be introduced at the same time as the visa charges also include a SR20,000 (4,110) fine for anyone caught stunt driving and identify theft will earn the perpetrator a fine of not less than SR1,000 and not more than SR2,000. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Russia is sending more warplanes to Syria to ramp up its air campaign, a Russian newspaper has claimed, as the United States said diplomacy to halt the violence was on life support but not dead yet. Fighting continued to intensify a week into a new Russian-backed Syrian government offensive to capture rebel-held eastern Aleppo and crush the last urban stronghold of a revolt against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad that began in 2011. Moscow and Assad spurned a US-Russian brokered ceasefire agreed to this month and launched attacks on rebel-held areas in Aleppo in potentially the most decisive battle in the Syrian civil war. US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov spoke by telephone for a third straight day on Friday, with the top Russian diplomat saying Moscow was ready to consider more ways to normalise the situation in Aleppo. But Mr Lavrov criticised Washington's failure to separate moderate rebel groups from those the Russians call terrorists, which had allowed forces led by the group formerly known as Jabhat al-Nusra front to violate the US-Russian truce agreed last month. The United States made clear on Friday that it would not, at least for now, carry through on the threat it made on Wednesday to halt the diplomacy if Russia did not take immediate steps to halt the violence. This is on life support, but it's not flat-lined yet, State Department spokesman Mark Toner said. We have seen enough that we don't want to definitively close the door yet. In a 40-minute discussion with Syrians, diplomats and others on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York last week, Mr Kerry said the administration of President Barack Obama had failed to make any threat of military force that give him leverage with Russia. I think you're looking at three people, four people in the administration who have all argued for use of force, and I lost the argument, Mr Kerry told the group, according to a recording of the session obtained by The New York Times. In pictures: Aleppo bombing Show all 14 1 /14 In pictures: Aleppo bombing In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo Smoke rises after airstrikes on the rebel-held al-Sakhour neighborhood of Aleppo, Syria April 29, 2016. Reuters In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo A Syrian family runs for cover amid the rubble of destroyed buildings following a reported air strike on the rebel-held neighbourhood of Al-Qatarji in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo, on April 29, 2016. AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo A man reacts as he stands on blood stains at a site hit by airstrikes in the rebel held area of Aleppo's al-Fardous district, Syria, April 29, 2016. Reuters In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo The damage of the airstrikes in the rebel-held area of Aleppo on April 28 Reuters In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo The damaged the Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF)-backed al-Quds hospital after it was hit by airstrikes, in a rebel-held area of Syria's Aleppo Reuters In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo Syrians evacuate an injured man amid the rubble of destroyed buildings following an air strike on a rebel-held of Aleppo on April 29, 2016. AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo People inspect the damage at a site hit by airstrikes, in the rebel-held area of Aleppo's Bustan al-Qasr AP In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo A man leads a woman in tears and child out of the scene after airstrikes hit Aleppo AP In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo Civil defence members search for survivors after an airstrike at a field hospital in the rebel held area of al-Sukari district of Aleppo Reuters In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo A Syrian boy is comforted as he cries next to the body of a relative who died in a reported air strike in the rebel-held neighbourhood of al-Soukour in the northern city of Aleppo Getty Images In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo A Syrian family walks amid the rubble of destroyed buildings following a reported air strike in the Bustan al-Qasr rebel-held district of the northern Syrian city of Aleppo Getty Images In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo Syrian civil defence volunteers and rescuers remove a baby from under the rubble of a destroyed building following a reported air strike on the rebel-held neighbourhood of al-Kalasa in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo Getty Images In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo Syrians help a wounded youth following an air strike on the Fardous rebel held neighbourhood of the northern Syrian city of Aleppo Getty Images In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo Syrian civil defence volunteers evacuate people from a damaged building following a reported airstrike in the rebel-held neighbourhood of Tareeq al-Bab in the northern city of Aleppo US officials and analysts argued the White House has few alternatives. If we do walk away from this diplomatic process, as ... moribund as it is, what are the options? Mr Toner asked. They can't afford to, said Chas Freeman, a retired US ambassador. You can't do international business with silence and ostracism. The White House put on hold for now proposals to end the talks despite the possibility that continuing them would erase whatever credibility Washington has on Syria, risk encouraging Assad and his Russian backers to continue the carnage, and prompt Saudi Arabia and other Assad opponents to arm rebel groups with better weapons without consulting Washington. It also would leave the United States vulnerable to attacks that it failed to intervene to halt war crimes, proponents of ending the diplomacy argued, according to officials familiar with the internal discussions. According to the tape, however, Mr Kerry told the Syria group last week that as the bombing of Aleppo had escalated, There's a different conversation taking place. Aleppo onslaught: Volunteer rescuers struggle to save the injured CIA director John Brennan said in an interview on Friday that Russia's actions in Syria over the last several weeks have shown that Russian President Vladimir Putin has not been serious about negotiating a political solution to the conflict. I think that pushing back against a bully is appropriate, Mr Brennan told Reuters. I think that is very different than rushing in and bombing the hell out of a place. Military options that administration officials say are still being discussed include providing more sophisticated arms, logistical support, and training to Syrian rebel groups, though not shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles, either directly or via Gulf Arab states or Turkey, these officials said. Another idea, they said, was first to attempt humanitarian relief flights over Aleppo or other embattled areas, escorted by fighter jets, to see how the Russians and Syrians respond. Further down the list would be launching an air or cruise missile strike on a Syrian base, with a tentative list already drawn up of what one official said was slightly more than a dozen Syrian airbases, barrel-bomb factories and other targets. However, senior officials concluded there is no alternative to leaving the door open to talks for now because any immediate action would risk provoking an open conflict with Russia. According to the tape of his meeting with the Syrian group in New York, Mr Kerry warned that if the U.S. started using muscle, then everybody ups the ante, right? Russia puts in more, Iran puts in more; Hezbollah is there more and Nusra is more; and Saudi Arabia and Turkey put all their surrogate money in, and you all are destroyed. Western countries accuse Russia of war crimes, saying it has targeted civilians, hospitals and aid deliveries in recent days to crush the will of 250,000 people trapped inside the besieged rebel-held sector of Aleppo, Syria's biggest city before the war. Moscow and Damascus say they have targeted only militants. Russia joined the war a year ago, tipping the balance of power in favour of Assad, who is also supported by Iranian ground forces and Shi'ite militia from Lebanon and Iraq. Syria war a year since Russian intervention The Kremlin said on Friday there was no time frame for its military operation in Syria. The main result of Russian air strikes over the past year is that neither Isis, nor al-Qaeda nor [Jabhat al-Nusra] are now sitting in Damascus, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. Russia's Izvestia newspaper reported that a group of Su-24 and Su-34 warplanes had arrived at Syria's Hmeymim base. The Su-25 is an armoured twin-engine jet that was battle-tested in the 1980s during the Soviet war in Afghanistan. It can be used to strafe targets on the ground, or as a bomber. Russia's defence ministry did not immediately respond to a request from Reuters for comment. The U.S. State and Defense Departments declined comment on the Izvestia report. Syrian government forces and rebels fought battles on Friday in the city centre and north of Aleppo, where government troops had recaptured a Palestinian refugee camp on Thursday that already had changed hands once since the start of the attack. The sides gave conflicting accounts of the outcome of Friday's fighting. North of the city, the military said it had captured territory around the Kindi hospital near the refugee camp. Rebel sources denied the army had advanced there. Reuters For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} While international focus is on the devastating bombing going on in Aleppo, another offensive is taking place, much of it in the shadows, which could be a game-changer in Syrias bloody civil war. The Turkish military, with armour, air-power and troops on the ground a thousand of them special forces are moving deeper into Syria, along with Syrian opposition fighters, setting up a security zone across the border. Operation Euphrates Shield has been marked for Ankara by increasing acrimony with Washington and warming of relations with Moscow. The Turkish forces have attacked Kurdish fighters who are Americas key allies in the fight against Isis, while Russia, busy securing Aleppo for ally Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, has given tacit approval for President Recep Tayyip Erdogans actions in northern Syria. Washingtons warning to Ankara against striking the Kurdish Peoples Protection Units (YPG) and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) which claims to be an alliance of Syrian Arabs and Kurds, have been ignored. Now Turkish forces are said to be poised outside the town of Manbij alongside the Free Syrian Army (FSA) to drive out the SDF who took it from Isis. There is even talk among senior Turkish officials of crossing the Euphrates river which the Americans consider to be the boundary of Kurdish influence to deal with its Kurdish enemies. The prospect of these violent clashes comes as the time approaches for the final offensive against Isis, the Islamist terrorist group they are all supposed to be fighting, and the drive to take Raqqa, the capital of Isis. President Erdogan said earlier this week: Of course, if the United States wants to do the Raqqa operation with the YPG and the Democratic Union Party [PYD a Kurdish organisation] we as Turkey will not take part in this operation; but if they exclude the YPG and PYD from this affair, then of course we will conjoin this struggle together with the United States. Mr Erdogan has continued to condemn the US for supporting the Kurds, saying if you think you can finish off Daesh [Isis] with the YPG and PYD then you cannot do so. Three days ago America dropped two plane loads of weapons in Kobani for these terrorist groups. He had, he added, complained about this to US Vice President Joe Biden. But the US continues to see the YPG and SDF as an essential part of the campaign against Isis and this has been the message delivered to the Turks at recent meetings in Ankara. Hillary Clinton, who appears likely to be in the White House after the US elections, despite Donald Trumps unexpectedly strong showing in the polls, stressed during this weeks presidential debate that America must support our Arab and Kurdish partners to be able to actually take out Isis in Raqqa. Asked whether arming the Kurdish fighters would bring success against Isis, the chairman of the US militarys Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Joseph Dunford, said: I would agree with that, if we reinforce the SDFs current capabilities, that will increase the prospects of our success in Raqqa. It is not just Syria which has been a bone of contention with America. Mr Erdogan and his colleagues are extremely critical of Washington for failing to hand over the Pennsylvania-based cleric, Fethullah Gulen, who they accuse of plotting the attempted coup two months ago. The US administration says the matter is going through due judicial process, but some officials in Washington have privately expressed doubts that the evidence presented so far by Ankara justifies extradition. Mr Gulen denies taking any part in the coup. While Ankaras relation with the US has worsened, there has been a significant thaw in relations with Moscow since Turkish jets shot down a Russian plane in November. After a period of confrontation during which a furious Vladimir Putin imposed trade sanctions, President Erdogan climbed down, expressing his regrets over what happened. Talks have been held since then and the Turkish leader was called a dear friend by President Putin during a visit to St Petersburg last month. The rapprochement has continued over Turkeys Syria incursion. Talha Kose, an academic and senior member of a think tank, SETA, which was founded by President Erdogans spokesman Ibrahim Kalin, said: The Russians are not objecting to what Turkey is doing in northern Syria. This is partly because they are really focusing on Aleppo now, but also what Turkey is doing is not harming their interests. Turkey sees what America is doing in Syria as harming Turkish interests. Merve Tahiroglu, an analyst at the Foundation for the Defence of Democracies, said: Turkey, embittered by Washingtons close cooperation with the YPG will act increasingly independent from the US in Syria. The picture is getting complicated and much will depend on the new Moscow-Ankara hotline. This action, independent from the US, is going to include the attempt to set up a safety zone inside Syria, something Ankara had long wanted and US and the West have steadfastly opposed. Mr Erdogan said: As part of the Euphrates Shield operation, an area of 900 square kilometres has been cleared of terror so far. This area is pushing south. We may extend this area to 5,000 square kilometres as part of a safe zone. Turkish forces and FSA units took the city of Jarablus after Isis forces withdrew. As well as helping towards establishing a safety zone, the move stopped the Kurds from acquiring another link for their chain of cantons a plan, claim the Turks, to create a Kurdish state which will try to incorporate Kurdish territories in Turkey. In pictures: Turkey launches operation in Syria Show all 9 1 /9 In pictures: Turkey launches operation in Syria In pictures: Turkey launches operation in Syria Turkish tanks driving to the Syrian-Turkish border town of Jarabulus yesterday AFP/Getty In pictures: Turkey launches operation in Syria Turkish-backed gather on the outskirts of Jarabulus, Syria, ahead of an offensive on 24 August 2016 Reuters In pictures: Turkey launches operation in Syria Turkish army tanks make their way towards the Syrian border town of Jarabulus, Syria August 24, 2016 Reuters In pictures: Turkey launches operation in Syria Turkish soldiers return from Syria to Turkey with tanks after a military operation at the Syrian border as part of their offensive against the Islamic State (IS) militant group in Syria, Karkamis district of Gaziantep, Turkey, 25 August 2016 EPA In pictures: Turkey launches operation in Syria Turkish army tanks and Turkey-backed Syrian opposition forces move toward the Syrian border as pictured from Karkamis, Turkey, AP In pictures: Turkey launches operation in Syria Turkish tanks on their way to the Turkish-Syria border during an operation against Isis on 24 August 2016 EPA In pictures: Turkey launches operation in Syria Syrian opposition fighters being transported during preparations to enter Jarabulus in Karkamis, Turkey, on 24 August 2016. EPA In pictures: Turkey launches operation in Syria An air strike hitting Isis-controlled territory near Jarabulus, near the Turkish border, on 24 August 2016. EPA In pictures: Turkey launches operation in Syria A Turkish army tank and an armoured vehicle stationed near the border with Syria. Turkish media reports say Turkish artillery has launched new strikes at Isis targets across the border AP Turkeys President has also indicated that the next target for his forces and those of the FSA would be Isis-held al-Bab. The US Defence Secretary, Ashton Carter, has stressed that Washington does not want to see Turkish forces or the FSA in the city. The YPG is also trying to get there and, in Ankaras eyes, this is more proof of American support for the Kurds. Al-Bab is a city of tremendous strategic and symbolic significance. It was one of the first places in northern Syria to rise up against the Assad regime and was subsequently occupied by Jabhat al-Nusra, an al-Qaeda affiliate, and then Isis. The name al-Bab means The Gate and it is seen as a key route into the heart of the Isis Caliphate. The race to be the gatekeeper there will have great significance not just for the war against Isis, but Turkeys relations with the US and the West. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has announced he will establish an internal UN board of inquiry to investigate the assault on a humanitarian aid convoy in Syria. The attack on a UN and Red Crescent convoy killed more than 20 people and destroyed aid for thousands in Aleppo. There have been differing reports on who is responsible and both Russian and Syrian governments have denied any involvement. Mr Ki-moon has urged all the parties involved to corporate after an estimated 100 tonnes of medical equipment, baby food and winter clothes were destroyed. "The Board of Inquiry will ascertain the facts of the incident and report to the Secretary-General upon the completion of its work. The Secretary-General will review the report and decide what further steps to take," UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement. Washington has insisted it holds Moscow responsible and said US coalition jets were not in operation around Aleppo at the time of the incident. In pictures: Aleppo bombing Show all 14 1 /14 In pictures: Aleppo bombing In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo Smoke rises after airstrikes on the rebel-held al-Sakhour neighborhood of Aleppo, Syria April 29, 2016. Reuters In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo A Syrian family runs for cover amid the rubble of destroyed buildings following a reported air strike on the rebel-held neighbourhood of Al-Qatarji in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo, on April 29, 2016. AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo A man reacts as he stands on blood stains at a site hit by airstrikes in the rebel held area of Aleppo's al-Fardous district, Syria, April 29, 2016. Reuters In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo The damage of the airstrikes in the rebel-held area of Aleppo on April 28 Reuters In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo The damaged the Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF)-backed al-Quds hospital after it was hit by airstrikes, in a rebel-held area of Syria's Aleppo Reuters In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo Syrians evacuate an injured man amid the rubble of destroyed buildings following an air strike on a rebel-held of Aleppo on April 29, 2016. AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo People inspect the damage at a site hit by airstrikes, in the rebel-held area of Aleppo's Bustan al-Qasr AP In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo A man leads a woman in tears and child out of the scene after airstrikes hit Aleppo AP In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo Civil defence members search for survivors after an airstrike at a field hospital in the rebel held area of al-Sukari district of Aleppo Reuters In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo A Syrian boy is comforted as he cries next to the body of a relative who died in a reported air strike in the rebel-held neighbourhood of al-Soukour in the northern city of Aleppo Getty Images In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo A Syrian family walks amid the rubble of destroyed buildings following a reported air strike in the Bustan al-Qasr rebel-held district of the northern Syrian city of Aleppo Getty Images In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo Syrian civil defence volunteers and rescuers remove a baby from under the rubble of a destroyed building following a reported air strike on the rebel-held neighbourhood of al-Kalasa in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo Getty Images In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo Syrians help a wounded youth following an air strike on the Fardous rebel held neighbourhood of the northern Syrian city of Aleppo Getty Images In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo Syrian civil defence volunteers evacuate people from a damaged building following a reported airstrike in the rebel-held neighbourhood of Tareeq al-Bab in the northern city of Aleppo The UN said the attack is potentially a war crime and suspended all aid operations in the country after the bombing. Sign up to Simon Calders free travel email for weekly expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calders Travel email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Simon Calders Travel email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} After a week of uncertainty for staff and passengers, Monarch has been given another 12 days to get its house in order and demonstrate it has deep enough pockets to survive a difficult winter. Monarch carries around 20,000 passengers a day, to and from five UK airports. With barely three hours before its Air Travel Organisers Licence (ATOL) expired and with it the right to sell package holidays the airline was granted an extension until 12 October by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). It followed what Monarch called significant further investment from shareholders, with the prospect of more cash coming in from a Chinese transport conglomerate HNA. Until the announcement, the airlines 2,800 staff, and an estimated half-million passengers with forward bookings, were unsure that Monarch would be flying. With a few hours remaining, a passenger named Sue Wild tweeted: @Monarch do I start packing or crying? In his first statement since the crisis became public last weekend, Monarchs chief executive, Andrew Swaffield, said: I am delighted that we have been able to come to an agreement with the CAA on the extension of Monarchs ATOL licence and am excited about the additional capital coming into the group which will help us fund our future growth. The authority said: Monarch now has 12 days to satisfy the CAA that the group is able to meet the requirements for a full ATOL licence. To grant a licence, the CAA must be satisfied with a firms assets, its profitability and its prospects in what is acknowledged by all airlines to be a difficult market. Autumn is often a tough season for airlines, with revenue failing to cover costs. In the summer Mr Swaffield said that funding 35m would be needed to see Monarch through the winter. The owner, Greybull Capital, is known to have been seeking a buyer for the airline, without success. It is a very difficult time to sell an airline. The short-haul market from the UK, which is now Monarchs sole business, has excess capacity. In addition, the airline has an order for 30 new Boeing 737 jets, costing 2bn, with deliveries set to start in 2018. Despite speculation about its financial viability - which Monarch has denied - the airline has continued to fly a normal schedule. Mr Swaffield said: I am immensely proud of the professionalism of the Monarch team. Last weekend the CAA was evidently so worried about Monarchs prospects that it set up a shadow airline to mimic the Monarch schedule, with chartered planes deployed across Europe in case the carrier shut down and British holidaymakers needed to be repatriated. The jets were not required and are now believed to have returned to their bases. It is not clear who will bear the costs for the operation, believed to total at least 2m. It's been 100 days since the momentous decision by UK voters to pull out of the EU. But we're no closer to understanding what that means. There's been little indication from Prime Minister Theresa May, although some of her Cabinet have sounded a tough stance. The British economy may have proved more resilient following the vote than had been expected, but economists argue it's very early days. What a post-Brexit world will look like is essentially as unclear now as it was prior to the vote. Ms May's approach has been slow and steady, with clues about the future in short supply. So what's the state of play just over three months since the historic poll? Politics: Big changes here. There's a new prime minister and a new cabinet that includes three Brexiteers in key posts. Ms May has kept her position on the future vague, cryptically stating that Brexit means Brexit. Some of her cabinet appointees have been less reticent, and loose tongues have led to official rebukes. Downing Street has had to slap down Liam Fox, the International Trade Secretary, for saying Britain should pull out of the Customs Union; Brexit Minister David Davis for stating it would be improbable that Britain will remain in the Single Market post-Brexit; and Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson for trying to narrow down when the formal negotiation process would begin. The perceived lack of discipline has made for an unconvincing start for the new Cabinet. Hard Brexit/Soft Brexit: Neither has any clear definition. A so-called 'soft' Brexit could see a situation where the UK retains some access to the Single Market, in return for compromise on, say, the free movement issue. A 'hard' Brexit could see the UK withdraw from the Single Market altogether, and have a trading relationship based on World Trade Organisation rules, a scenario dreaded by businesses and bankers. Speculation is mounting that we could be heading towards the 'hard' scenario, as it would be a tough political ask for either May, or the EU, to compromise on a key principle such as free movement. But it's very early days. Article 50: Five short paragraphs which set out how an EU country can voluntarily withdraw from the bloc. It says that if a state wishes to leave, it must formally notify the European Council of its intention. From that date, two years are allowed for completion of negotiations, unless the European Council unanimously decides to extend this. What it doesn't specify is when the Article should be invoked if a country decides it wants to leave. Downing Street has said it won't be before the end of this year, as it prepares a strategy. Donald Tusk has said May told him it could be January or February, but her office has denied this. May is said to be under pressure to set out a clearer timetable in her speech to the Tory conference tomorrow night. In theory, to invoke the article, a short statement is required. But it's expected the UK will accompany the letter with its negotiating position. British and Irish economies: Despite predictions of doom and gloom, there's been little impact so far, although the vote hit the value of sterling and initially sent stocks of some sectors crashing. Just last week, the UK's Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the referendum appears "not to have had a major effect" on the country's economy. Fears of a recession in the UK this year have also receded. But, to state the obvious, Brexit hasn't occurred yet. The negotiation process will last at least two years and economists believe the effect will likely be felt long-term. Here, the Government has reduced its growth forecast for this year and next year, and economists have warned of uncertainty. Enda Kenny said Budget 2017 will "Brexit-proof" the economy, whatever that means. Sterling: Sterling took a battering even ahead of the referendum. In October 2015, 1 bought you about 69 pence. Now it's around 86 pence. This has been the big issue for Irish exporters selling their wares into the UK market. Their produce has become more expensive, and that's made them less competitive. It's also a problem for border businesses in the Republic, and, potentially, for attracting UK tourists here. If a hard Brexit becomes a reality, expect the pound to weaken further. Northern Ireland: The Governments have been clear that they do not want to see a physical border on the island, but there's no certainty yet how, or if, that can be avoided. Border communities are particularly concerned. A group - Border Communities against Brexit - has been formed, made up of business people, farmers and other members of the public. Discussions are already taking place between Irish officials and their UK counterparts on the issue. Preparations are, however, taking place for the possibility that some form of border controls will need to be put in place. But the Revenue Commissioners are looking at the potential for an electronic system whereby trucks and other vehicles will be able to move freely from south to north and vice versa without physical border restrictions in place. There are also concerns about the economic impact on the North, and the potential impact on the peace process. Mr Kenny has twice mooted the possibility of an all-island forum to deal with the vote's fallout, but the DUP has dismissed this. Passports: There's been a surge in applications for Irish passports from both Northern Ireland and Britain since the vote. Figures show that passport applications processed by the Irish Embassy in London last month jumped by more than 104pc to 6,710 as the lure of Irish, and therefore EU, citizenship, has heightened. Applications from Northern Ireland rocketed by almost 80pc. Mr Kenny believes the surging interest will continue amid reports that Britons may need a visa, or at the very least may have to enter details online, simply to travel into mainland Europe once the UK pulls out of the EU. Irish preparations: All departments have had to set out how the vote will affect their respective areas, but the issue is being headed up primarily between the Departments of the Taoiseach and Foreign Affairs. A senior civil servant in the Department of the Taoiseach - John Callinan - has been appointed to oversee a new integrated division and deal specifically with the challenges posed by Brexit. Rory Montgomery, another senior civil servant and former ambassador, is returning to the Department of Foreign Affairs from the Department of the Taoiseach to lead Ireland's Brexit negotiations at EU level. The more one scrutinises the predicament in which Horse Racing Ireland and the Government find themselves, the more damning it becomes. When Agriculture Minister Michael Creed was probed at an Agriculture Committee on Wednesday, time was running out. The sitting was cut short. The minister was fortunate that his speaking time was limited and he failed to accept accusations that he had been misled by Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) chairman Joe Keeling. Expand Close Agriculture Minister Michael Creed Photo: Tom Burke / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Agriculture Minister Michael Creed Photo: Tom Burke HRI, for its part, had issued a statement on Tuesday in which it rejected suggestions that the chairman "intentionally misled" the relevant Government departments. Mr Creed on Wednesday repeatedly referred to his main difficulty being "the sequencing" of events that had resulted in HRI CEO Brian Kavanagh getting a third term. The sequencing was perhaps the least of the minister's worries. Mr Keeling told the Department of Agriculture that "the board" was backing Mr Kavanagh's reappointment as far back as 2014, long before any HRI board discussion had taken place on the matter. Mr Kavanagh, Mr Keeling said in the letter, had "worked tirelessly on behalf of the organisation and industry and (had) often put these interests ahead of his own". He reiterated this backing in another letter in 2015, conscious that government guidelines on semi-state CEOs allow for only one seven-year-term. Kavanagh began his third on Sunday. Professor Niamh Brennan, who established UCD's Centre for Corporate Governance, told RTE's 'Drivetime' recently that "the number one critical and most important decision of any board is the appointment of the chief executive". The HRI board did vote for Mr Kavanagh's reappointment but the circumstances leading up to it are perplexing. The Irish Independent has obtained confidential accounts of meetings of the remuneration committee of HRI, the purpose of which is "to examine all issues in relation to the contract of employment of the chief executive". These files showed that the remuneration committee added an interim member, Con Haugh, to its meetings this year without any consultation with the HRI board. Mr Haugh was a one-time secretary general of the former Department of Tourism, Culture and Sport. At two of its meetings, April 18 and May 23, the remuneration committee agreed not to put the matter of Mr Kavanagh's reappointment to the HRI board until the Department of Agriculture had updated the committee on Mr Kavanagh. Mr Haugh was "subsequently appointed" to the committee by the HRI board on May 30. The department updated Mr Keeling on July 25 that it had "given sanction on an exceptional basis" for Mr Kavanagh's third term. Though Agriculture had told Mr Keeling in March of the Department of Public Reform's concern that the HRI CEO's salary was above its specified salary range, it allowed for the salary of 190,773. The Agriculture Minister also sanctioned a five-year term for Mr Kavanagh. In order to gain his second term, he went through an interview process. This time there would be no interview. There are also questions to be asked about the relevance of Transfer of Undertakings (TUPE), which is often referenced in the documents this paper obtained. TUPE occurs where there is a transfer of a business, or part of a business, which retains its identity after the transfer. This came into play for Turf Club employees who joined HRI directly when it was founded in 2001, succeeding the Irish Horseracing Authority. On July 18, the board voted for Mr Kavanagh to stay for a third term. A memo at that meeting included a "background and context" which recalled the CEO's 2001-2008 contract. This contract "provided a clause which enabled Mr Kavanagh to reapply for the position of chief executive after the contract end date or to be given another role within the organisation. "This specific contract term was in the context of the TUPE which applied to all other Turf Club employees in 2001." However, when questioned how Mr Kavanagh became HRI CEO back then, its press office told the Irish Independent yesterday: "Brian Kavanagh was appointed following an open application/interview process." He had voluntarily left the Turf Club. The HRI press office added that "staff of the Turf Club engaged on work related to functions being transferred to HRI had the right, if they chose, to transfer to HRI while retaining their existing terms and conditions of employment." The much-mentioned "business case" which compelled Agriculture Minister Michael Creed and Public Reform Minister Paschal Donohoe to give their backing for Mr Kavanagh has also been obtained by this paper. It is effectively a letter from Mr Keeling dated April 7, where Mr Keeling talked about setting out "exceptional business imperatives" for extending Mr Kavanagh's contract, where it described Mr Kavanagh as "the most senior racing administrator in Europe". Mr Keeling and the HRI board are due to sit before the Agriculture Committee soon to discuss the details of his reappointment. Intense pressure will come from Opposition TDs, many skeptical about the enormous State money which goes into funding racing. Moreover, there has been limited debate within racing about the HRI CEO's reappointment, reaffirming an aloofness in the sport that is part of the reason why so many within Government and Opposition are sceptical about the funding racing receives. With a Budget pending, racing has reason to fret. HRI's chairman is accused of misleading the Dail; its CEO is earning a salary above a specified range; and he has begun a third term that is entirely contrary to government guidelines. The severing of the Michael O'Leary-Willie Mullins axis kept this issue out of the headlines on Thursday but it increasingly looks no more than a temporary reprieve for the relevant ministers and Horse Racing Ireland. THE Joe Duffy Group had a record turnover of 240.6m last year - an increase of 48pc - according to its financial statement for the financial period to December 31 last. It reported a 58pc rise in profits before taxation of 7.4m and employee numbers grew by 26pc to 336. It is understood the number employed this year is approaching 400. The results represent the sixth consecutive year of increased profits at the group which now has 14 outlets. The figures reflect this expansion as well as greater buoyancy in vehicles sales generally. This time last year, the group was appointed as KIA partner for North Dublin. Already this year, it has acquired Karmann Volkswagen in North Dublin, as well as opening its third Volkswagen dealership. It will also complete its Jaguar Land Rover facility in Swords in November. Meanwhile it expects to finish development of its new facility for Volvo and Kia in December. This will coincide with a total overhaul of its Commons Road, Navan, Vokswagen dealership. And it will extend the Joe Duffy branding to its three Volkswagen businesses, Ford, Volvo, Kia and Jaguar Land Rover outlets this year. The group's chief executive, Gavin Hydes, said it plans a 20m capital investment in new facilities over the next three years. He is forecasting turnover of around 285m for 2016. There will also be further developments next month of online platform joeduffy.ie with new customer-led technologies which it claims are industry firsts - especially for used cars. Mr Hydes said it intends to invest "heavily" in digital. Mr Hydes forecasted an overall new-car market of 148,000 this year and a possible slight dip in 2017 in part due to the wider effects of Brexit. He sees a continued trend towards SUVs, a gradual move back to petrol, smaller engines and increased demand for connectivity (Bluetooth, sat nav, e-connections). One in three homeowners will be hit with increases in their local property tax (LPT) bills for next year. Owners of modest homes valued at just 150,000 can expect to pay almost 50 more in 2017 after councillors across nine local authorities voted to increase the charges. The hikes will fuel further disquiet about how the unpopular tax is implemented. Homeowners in Dublin pay the lowest rates in the country, but have access to a good public transport system and a wide range of public services. Conversely, rural counties with poor access to services, who are often forced to drive due to the lack of buses or trains, pay more. Some 1.83 million homeowners are obliged to pay the LPT, and an Irish Independent survey of local authorities shows that increases have been approved across almost a third of the country's 31 councils. Expand Close Local Government Minister Simon Coveney Photo: Tom Burke / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Local Government Minister Simon Coveney Photo: Tom Burke Read More It will impact on 616,000 families who will have to pay more. No council has reduced the charge. And for the first time since the LPT was introduced three years ago, three councils have decided to hike it above a Government-set standard rate. Galway County Council and Limerick City & County Council have voted through a rate 10pc above the standard. Wexford County Council has increased it by 5pc above the threshold. The move is allowed under legislation whereby city and county councils can adjust the rate up or down by up to 15pc. It comes after local authorities struggled to fund essential services in recent years in light of repeated cuts in Government funding. Capital spending has fallen off a cliff since 2007, while current spending on day-to-day services has also dropped. A report from the Comptroller and Auditor General notes that in 2007, local authorities were provided with just under 6bn in state funding. In 2015, that fell to just under 2bn. The C&AG noted that central government funding to city and county councils presented a "highly complex" picture. The apparent lack of transparency on how valuable state money is spent in councils will be subject to hearings at the Public Accounts Committee. Read More It's noteworthy that fewer councils are reducing the rate, as budgetary pressures begin to bite. For 2016, 11 councils had a lower rate. Just five have one for 2017, while three are above the Government-set 'standard' rate. The biggest rise is in Clare, where homeowners enjoyed a rate 15pc below the standard for 2016. For the owner of a modest home costing just 150,000, the increase will add almost 50 to their LPT bill from next January. For those living in a house valued at 300,000, the LPT will increase from 497 to 585. All householders living in properties valued at less than 1m pay 0.18pc of the value of their homes in LPT. The property's value is calculated based on 2013 prices. The rate is applied from October 1, but falls due from January 1 next year. Other councils which hiked the rate to the standard include: Louth, where homeowners paid a rate 1.5pc below the standard. Cork County, where the rate was set at 5pc below. Read More In Kildare and Monaghan, homeowners enjoyed a rate 7.5pc below the standard. In Cork City, it was 10pc below. The new rates mean nine of the country's 31 local authorities are effectively increasing the hated household levy. All four Dublin local authorities have maintained it at 15pc below the norm. Longford too has a lower rate. Local Government Minister Simon Coveney had urged local authorities to increase the household tax to help fund local services. In Wexford the increase will bring in an extra 600,000. "The increased annual revenue will be ring-fenced to help fund the county council's new and highly ambitious 17m economic investment and job creation programme," said Wexford's communications officer David Minogue. However other councils refused to implement year-on-year increases. Read More People Before Profit councillor in Sligo, Declan Bree, said it had been 'intimated' that a rise by his council might have led to better relations with the department. The debt-ridden council, which has been forced to implement a temporary closures of its libraries, voted to maintain the standard rate. "I can't describe it as pressure from Minister Coveney, but it had been intimated that our debts may be looked on more kindly if we did bring in a rise," he said. The minister insisted he hadn't put pressure on any local authorities, but praised councils which did put up rates. "We've seen Limerick make a decision to increase property tax and they are going to get an extra 1.6m in terms of money that they can spend on local services because of that," he said. "That is a precedent that we would like to see used in other parts of the country but it certainly isn't for me to tell councillors how to vote." Deutsche Bank's chief executive sought to reassure his staff yesterday that Germany's largest lender remained robust after its shares again fell to record lows, sending tremors through global financial markets. Deutsche, which employs around 100,000, has been engulfed by crisis after a demand for up to $14bn (12.4bn) earlier this month from the US authorities for mis-selling mortgage-backed securities. Shares recovered late in the day, on reports the fine will be knocked down to $5.4bn. But the situation remains tense. The German government this week denied a newspaper report that it was working on a rescue plan for the bank. Chief executive John Cryan's letter, seen by Reuters, addressed reports of the departure of a few hedge fund clients, blaming unfounded speculation and "certain forces" that wanted to weaken trust in the bank. People familiar with the matter told Reuters that one large hedge fund in Asia had pulled out collateral from Deutsche amounting to $50m in the last two days, while other sources said this had happened elsewhere, albeit on a small scale. Mr Cryan sought to put the moves into perspective. "We should look at the complete picture," he said in the letter to workers, adding that Deutsche had more than 20 million customers and reserves of more than 215bn. We are and remain a strong Deutsche Bank." Deutsche is much smaller than Wall Street rivals such as JPMorgan and Citigroup. But it has significant trading relationships with all of the world's largest finance houses and the International Monetary Fund this year identified it as a bigger potential risk to the wider financial system than any other global bank. Worries over a major bank in Europe's largest economy and talk of a government rescue have stirred painful memories of the 2007-2009 financial crisis. Germany elections next year mean there is little political appetite for any bailouts. Deutsche shares traded below 10 each yesterday, a record low. Its risky so called 'CoCo' bonds slumped to a record low too, a signal investor fear they could be converted into shares. "It doesn't matter whether the bank is in real trouble or not, as long as people think it is, then it is bad news," said Rabobank markets strategist Lyn Graham-Taylor. The problems of Deutsche, once Germany's flagship on Wall Street, are awkward for Berlin, which has berated many Eurozone peers for economic mismanagement and pushed for countries such as Ireland and Greece to cope with their banking problems alone. Alberto Gallo, a partner and portfolio manager with hedge fund Algebris Investments, shared that view. "Deutsche Bank is faced with a business model profitability issue, not a solvency issue," he said. "It will take a long time to fix the business model, but that's not the same as solvency." Read More: With assets amounting to half of Germany's total annual GDP, Berlin can't let this lender fail Less than a decade after the financial crisis, Deutsche Bank is in trouble again, with investors speculating about whether the German government will have to rescue one of the world's largest financial institutions. The sad thing is how easily this predicament could have been avoided. This time around, Deutsche Bank isn't dealing with an unforeseen market meltdown or sovereign-debt crisis. Rather, the proximate cause of distress is the US Justice Department's threat to fine the firm $14bn (12.4bn) for decade-old transgressions involving US mortgage-backed securities - more than double what the bank has set aside to cover such legal costs. Concerns about capital adequacy have sent the stock price to record lows, and the German government says it won't provide a financial safety net. The episode illustrates Europe's failure to learn an important lesson from the last crisis: The largest banks must have plenty of loss-absorbing equity capital, so that even after suffering a hit, their balance sheets are strong. Otherwise, governments risk finding themselves choosing between a taxpayer-backed rescue and the potentially devastating repercussions of letting a systemically important financial institution go bust. Instead of using the post-crisis years to build up irreproachable equity capital buffers, however, European banks have given back hundreds of billions of euro to shareholders in the form of dividends and share repurchases. From 2009 through 2015, Deutsche Bank paid out about 5bn in dividends, a significant chunk of the 19bn in equity it raised. Today it is among the most thinly capitalised banks in Europe, with tangible equity amounting to less than 3pc of assets - an astonishingly thin layer. Even if Germany genuinely wanted to let Deutsche Bank fail, it couldn't credibly threaten to do so. The institution is arguably Europe's most systemically risky, with assets amounting to more than half of Germany's total annual gross domestic product. Making an example of Deutsche Bank could lead to a devastating contagion. Instead, Europe's leaders - and particularly the European Central Bank, which oversees the euro area's largest institutions - must drive the process of recapitalisation. That means performing stress tests that reveal the true scale of banks' needs, figuring out which institutions can and should be allowed to fail, and providing public funds to shore up the rest if necessary. If authorities can show enough resolve to inspire market confidence, the region's banks may yet be able to raise the equity they need from private investors (as US banks did in 2009). The euro region desperately needs better-capitalised banks, not only to avoid disaster but to help heal its faltering economy. If the near-death experience of one of the world's largest institutions can't spur European officials to action, it's hard to imagine what could. RTE is saying goodbye to its radio service for emigrants, Longwave 252. Keith Higgins gets away from Dean Rock during the drawn All-Ireland final. Picture: Sportsfile RTE is saying goodbye to its radio service for emigrants Todays All-Ireland final could be the last time commentary is broadcasted on RTEs longwave service. Longwave means that people in Britain, France and Spain can receive coverage and tune into RTE radio. Although the service has been extended until at least 2017 many fear todays All-Ireland will be the final time listeners overseas will be able to tune in. Two years ago RTE confirmed the longwave service would operate with reduced hours in 2016 before a full shutdown in 2017. Expand Close RTE is saying goodbye to its radio service for emigrants, Longwave 252. / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp RTE is saying goodbye to its radio service for emigrants, Longwave 252. However, last night an RTE spokeswoman told the Herald the service is currently under review and a date for shutdown has yet to be decided. Enda OKane, a former broadcast engineer from Monaghan, described the longwave service as a lifeline for Irish people abroad. Its very sad that today could possible be the last time we will hear the All Ireland on the longwave, he told the Herald. Thousands of people abroad depend on this and tune unto RTE everyday to keep up with affairs happening in the country. Its a very simple service that people, particularly those elderly, find easy to use. Its not too technical. Eoghan Mac Diarmada, Pearsa Sheachtain na Gaeilge 2012 / Eoghan McDermott launches the biggest Irish-language festival held in Ireland and around the world, Seachtain na Gaeilge 05 - 17.03.2012 Voice of Ireland star Eoghan McDermott is not giving up on his London TV dream. The Dublin presenter said the next year would be make-or-break in terms of whether his career would take off across the water. The 30-year-old has filmed several pilots in the UK, including four different projects for Channel 4 in the past year, but has yet to see any of them materialise. However, Eoghan said it is natural for the process to be "very slow" and he is enjoying dividing his time between his home in Ireland and London where he has just moved into a new apartment. "It depends on how the next year pans out," the Knocklyon native told the Herald. "I am working on a few different things and if one or two of them were to come good, and hopefully they will, then I will look at things then." Eoghan admitted that the slow pace of TV development in the UK can be frustrating, but said it is worth the wait when something does get picked up. He said: "I did a pilot 15 months ago for Channel 4, and it took them 15 months to decide not to run with it. "I have done four pilots with Channel 4 in the last year. "Two of them I did about six months ago, so I might not hear about those for another eight months. "You just do them and let them marinate." But Eoghan, who is great pals with UK-based stars Laura Whitmore and Niall Horan, said that pilots were worth the financial gains alone. Video of the Day "You earn a good few quid for pilots so it's worth your while doing them even for the few bob," he said. Eoghan, who has three weeks left with the new series of the Voice of Ireland, is also working on pilots with ITV2. "I did a dance dating pilot for Channel 4 which has gone in for consideration and the set was as big as the Voice so they do put serious money into their pilots," Eoghan told the Herald. "Even my parents ask me all the time about what is happening with the shows, but I just have to tell them that it takes time." Nearly one in five patients nationally has waited on a trolley for more than nine hours for a bed this year (Stock picture) Up to 350 patients a year may be dying due to a lack of critical care beds, a top doctor has warned today. Speaking at a medical conference today, emergency consultant Dr Fergal Hickey said around 300 to 350 patients a year may be dying due to a lack of critical care beds. This is on top of a similar number who may be dying due to emergency department overcrowding. He pointed to delays in getting patients a bed in the neurosurgical unit of Beaumont Hospital which is costing lives. It's time to stop 'lusting after false gods' by looking to more services outside hospital in primary care as the solution to hospital overcrowding , he said. Earlier, another top doctor warned that the hospital crisis will worsen this winter and a a potential major calamity is looming. The grim forecast was made by Dr Tom Ryan, President of the Irish Hospital Consultants Association who said emergency unit overcrowding is a reflection of a failing hospital system. He warned that to date we have been fortunate that we have avoided a major health care calamity during winter due to surges in activity. "But we are all keenly aware that our luck may not hold out," he told the organisation's annual conference in Kilkenny. He said hospitals are struggling with a bed shortage, over 600 patients occupying beds who could be discharged and failure to recruit enough doctors. Doctors are having to endure witnessing quality of care coming second to the need by hospitals to meet budget, he added. The rush to stick to budgets has meant the 'ledger mentality 'has taken over. "We have a failing hospital system which is rationing healthcare to patients,"he added. He raised particular concern about the reduction in intensive care unit beds. Speaking at the conference, emergency consultant Dr Fergal Hickey said around 300 to 350 patients a year may be dying due to a lack of critical care beds. This is on top of a similar number who may be dying due to emergency department overcrowding. He pointed to delays in getting patients a bed in the neurosurgical unit of Beaumont Hospital which is costing lives. It's time to stop 'lusting after false gods' by looking to more services outside hospital in primary care as the solution to hospital overcrowding , he said. Primary care can cater for more patients with ongoing illnesses but cannot deal with patients with acute complex needs, he told the gathering. Speaking at the conference, Health Minister Simon Harris said Dr Ryan's comments were a fair and detailed critique. Meeting the demand for healthcare is challenging as the population ages. There was a decrease of 5pc in people waiting on trolleys this year compared to 2015. Nothing to get excited about but a "step in the right direction,"he insisted. He said a detailed review of hospital bed numbers and where they are needed is to get underway. He said waiting lists are unacceptably high and the 50m will be targeted as patients waiting longest. There will be no cherry picking of patients, he insisted. Commenting on the revelation that Lloyds pharmacy had to pay back 12m to the HSE over the manner in which it boosted its income through a scheme for elderly medical card holders, he said viewed it very seriously. This was money that could be used for badly needed health services, he added. He declined to say if he believed that HSE should make a formal complaint to the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland about the manner in which the pharmacy chain operated the scheme. Gardai have ended their dig for the body of a father of four who was abducted near his home more than 25 years ago. Charles Brooke Pickard went missing from his home in Castlecove, on the ring of Kerry, when he was abducted by a gang of up to five armed, masked men in April 1991. Upon the 25th anniversary of his disappearance, new information came to light after his family made a renewed appeal. Following this, investigating gardai began a search two weeks ago of a 40sq/m area of bogland at Ballach Oisin, off the road which connects Waterville and Glencar. The dig was assisted from a specialist search team from the Irish Defence Forces. However, the search ended yesterday evening without Mr Brooke Pickard's body being found. Gardai told Independent.ie that their investigation into the search for the father-of-four will continue. The dig concluded after an extensive search in a specific area at Ballach Oisin. Although the search for Mr Pickard here was inconclusive, the investigation into his disappearance is still open. Charles Brooke Pickard was due to meet a friend on the morning he went missing in April 1991 when he was flagged down by a passer-by near The dig concluded after an extensive search in a specific area at Ballach Oisin. Although the search for Mr Pickard here was inconclusive, the investigation into his disappearance is still open. Charles Brooke Pickard was due to meet a friend on the morning he went missing in April 1991 when he was flagged down by a passer-by near the family home in Castlecove on the Ring of Kerry. The man was having car trouble and pleaded with Brooke for help. Both men drove to O'Leary's shop nearby and bought 3 of petrol for the stricken orange Toyota Corolla. After he stepped out of the van he was set upon by five masked men. At least one of them brandished a firearm as they smuggled him into the back of his van. He was hit over the head with the butt of a gun and driven away from the scene with the orange car in pursuit. Locals had noticed the orange car in the area the day before his kidnapping. It was at a time when the Ring of Kerry was not often travelled, and to have an unknown car around for a couple of days was strange. Rumours spread nearby that the abduction was linked to drug money. Coastal parts of Kerry were known as preferred gateways for criminal gangs to ship narcotics into Ireland but there is no proof or evidence that Brooke was involved with gangs or drug shipments. The family also deny this and said he did not owe money to people. It is suspected that ex-paramilitaries with INLA links were responsible for his disappearance despite the fact Brooke was not political and had no involvement in such organisations. The main suspects are believed to be from Northern Ireland. Social Protection Minister Leo Varadkar will warn government colleagues that he must be given the resources to help more than just pensioners in the Budget. The minister is expected to sanction a 5 hike in the old-age pension at a cost of around 160m, which would more than wipe out any extra funding he is likely to receive from Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe. The Irish Independent understands that Mr Varadkar will not oppose the increase in the pension but has concerns about the costs involved. "There's no deal done on this yet but there will definitely be some sort of increase for pensioners," said a source. Fianna Fail's Willie O'Dea sparked anger within Fine Gael during the summer by demanding that the increase be at least 5 and sources say Mr Varadkar is aware of "political sensitivity" of the issue. "It's definitely not the case that Varadkar is opposed to an increase for pensioners but the Social Protection budget has to benefit a whole range of people, including people like the self-employed that Fianna Fail haven't put much focus on," the source said. One of the centre-pieces of the minister's proposals is the extension of some previously unavailable social welfare benefits to the self-employed. Mr Donohoe has now met individually with all members of the Cabinet and is in the process of "finalising bids". He has 610m for new day-to-day spending on items like pensions, education and health, as well as another 60m which will be allocated to capital spending. As well as ministers, Mr Donohoe has meet with the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, the Irish Farmers Association, the Construction Industry Federation and IBEC in recent days. One of his toughest negotiations is with Children's Minister Katherine Zappone, who wants a new childcare subsidy to focus on low-income families rather than the so-called 'squeeze middle'. She said yesterday that she makes "no apology" for her hard line. "I would hope to also be able to increase support for children in every family but as I said before that's dependent on the resources that are given to me," she said. Mr Donohoe praised her "grasp and leadership" for childcare and said he was "working very hard" to reach a deal. Irish Water said without a complete picture on the state of the network, it was 'challenging for Irish Water to accurately predict our costs' (stock photo) Irish Water has been ordered to reduce its costs by 20pc because they are "significantly higher" than those in comparable utility companies. The water regulator is planning to reduce the amount of money it can spend by 156m for 2017 and 2018, and says the involvement of local authorities in day-to-day operations could be "impeding" the utility's ability to reduce costs. In a series of documents published last night, the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER) said it proposes allowing Irish Water collect 1.852bn to operate and upgrade the network for the next two years. Irish Water had sought 156m more. On capital expenditure, used to fund upgrades of treatment plants and reduce leakage rates, some 1.287bn will be allowed. On the operations side, Irish Water sought 1.523bn, and was allowed 1.395bn - a drop of 128m. This is because its costs were considered higher than in other companies. The regulator noted that the water network was previously operated by the country's local authorities, and that a "significant amount of work" is still completed by councils through so-called Service Level Agreements (SLAs). "This operating model may impede Irish Water's ability to deliver cost reductions in the short term as it will take time to implement a unified approach and common systems and processes," it found. Bodies, including the ESRI, had warned the Government that obliging Irish Water to commit to these 12-year SLAs would ultimately add to costs. "The CER has reviewed Irish Water's submission and benchmarked its costs against comparable water utilities elsewhere," the regulator said. "Irish Water's costs, inclusive of Service Level Agreement costs, are significantly higher than those of established utilities in other jurisdictions. The CER expects Irish Water to drive efficiencies at a level that is broadly comparable to those achieved by other utilities elsewhere." It added: "The CER has required that Irish Water delivers efficiencies of circa 20pc within its base controllable operating expenditure over the period from the start of 2015 to the end of 2018." A report commissioned by the CER, also published last night, added that under Irish Water's proposals, its "cost performance" would deteriorate over a four-year period, "meaning that four years since its formation and the introduction of incentive-based regulation it would have made no real progress on operating cost efficiency." Irish Water said without a complete picture on the state of the network, it was "challenging for Irish Water to accurately predict our costs". "We welcome the CER's understanding of this difficulty. Irish Water since its establishment has been collecting more robust data on the water services network. This will facilitate future revenue controls that can be longer and more robust." The company has been embroiled in controversy since it was established in July 2013. The CER said it had inherited a network which required "substantial investment", and found it would achieve targets to reduce costs by 13.5pc as required in 2015 and 2016. The CER also noted that Irish Water had faced "challenges" in relation to a lack of public support, and financing issues regarding collection of domestic water charges, which are now suspended. The regulator CER noted that charges were suspended until at least March 31 next, and that it was "working on the basis" that any shortfall could be recovered through a mix of funding sources. The Government has previously said that any shortfall, likely to be in the order of 300m, will be made up through exchequer funding. "The CER is seeking to protect customers of Irish Water by ensuring that Irish Water only recovers efficient costs while delivering necessary improvements in service and performance over time," the regulator added. An Irish Nobel Prize winner has said receiving the prestigious award meant "the end of retirement". Professor William Campbell, a Trinity College alumnus, was jointly awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine last year for his work in developing a drug to fight infections caused by roundworms. Expand Close William's grandchildren Jackson (10), Keira (6) and Maya (9) in Trinity yesterday Photo: MAXWELLPHOTOGRAPHY.IE / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp William's grandchildren Jackson (10), Keira (6) and Maya (9) in Trinity yesterday Photo: MAXWELLPHOTOGRAPHY.IE The drug, Ivermectin, has almost eradicated river blindness. His discovery has had a massive impact on world health, saving millions of people from diseases caused by parasites. Professor Campbell was born in Co Donegal in 1930 and studied zoology at Trinity, graduating in 1952. The drug he developed was given away for free by international pharmaceutical company Merck. "It costs Merck millions and millions of dollars to make a human formulation [of the drug]," Professor Campbell told the Irish Independent. "The same drug is a huge success in the animal health field. It's a different formulation. It costs millions of dollars to supervise and organise the distribution along with many other agencies and non-governmental organisations. "It's very difficult to give a drug away, that's what people don't understand. There are problems with policy, precedent settings. It's a very difficult thing to do." Prof Campbell cites Dr Roy Vagelos, president of Merck, as being "the one person who deserves the credit" for the decision to give the drug away for free. "He had a handful of close advisers at the top level of Merck management, and between them they decided to do this. But even though there's a little group making that decision, it was Roy Vagelos who had the accountability. "To my mind it's easy to tell a big drug company to give something away; people love to do that. But if you have no accountability and you have no awareness of how complicated that is, then it's a cheap recommendation." Prof Campbell was welcomed at a special reception hosted by Trinity Provost Dr Patrick Prendergast, who announced a new lectureship in parasite biology in honour of the scientist. The scientist also reflected on his time at Trinity College in the 1950s, calling it "a very good experience". "I read natural sciences and I was especially interested in zoology, and I had the great good fortune of coming under the influence of Professor Desmond Smyth. He changed my life," he said. Prof Campbell earned a first-class honours degree in zoology. He also reflected on attending the Trinity Ball, which he called "a big dress-up occasion", and going to the 'Dixon Hop' dances, which he designed posters for on several occasions. He added that his posters were often stolen by students to put them up on their walls as souvenirs. Cork brothers Derek (26) and Shane (20) pictured with their late dad James at his 50th birthday party A pair of Irish brothers have spoken about the impact their fathers death has had on their lives and urged those contemplating suicide to know they are not alone. James Collins from Togher in Cork was just 50 when he took his own life in 2015, and his sons Shane (20) and Derek (26) have spoken about the unimaginably difficult time theyve had since losing him. It happened on my 19th birthday last September. I dont think its completely sunk in for us yet, or if it will, said Shane, speaking to Independent.ie. When we got that call from the Guards, my legs kind of went from under me and it all happened so quickly. It seemed like just moments later we were picking a coffin for him which was mad. The rosary, the removal, the funeral and then its over, but youre left with suffering. Expand Close An old pictured of Cork brothers Derek (26) and Shane (20) with their late dad James / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp An old pictured of Cork brothers Derek (26) and Shane (20) with their late dad James You know that they were suffering too to do that, but I dont think many people see the suffering thats passed on to a whole family, he said. After their beloved dads body was recovered, the brothers made the difficult decision to watch his last moments together on CCTV, captured in a pub. The night before he died he sent me a text that said: Love you and Der always, but I didnt think anything of it because he always sent me texts like that. "Watching back the CCTV of him in the pub, he looked really calm, said Shane. Expand Close James Collins took his own life in September 2015 / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp James Collins took his own life in September 2015 He was just enjoying a pint with his friend, chatting away. It was so hard seeing that back but I wanted to see his last moments, to try and understand. After he came back inside, he had his drink, placed a note beneath the beer mat and walked out that door again, he said. In a letter that has been shared over a 1000 times on social media, Shanes older brother Derek wrote about his regret and the realisation that hell never again watch a hurling match with his father. No more stories, he wrote. No more advice on how to mark your man in a game of hurling, or how trying to count the number of spins on the sliotar as its falling will make it easier to catch. Expand Close Cork brothers Derek (26) and Shane (20) pictured with their late dad James at his 50th birthday party / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Cork brothers Derek (26) and Shane (20) pictured with their late dad James at his 50th birthday party No more birthday cards. No text message from him asking you to send on the lotto numbers from the previous draw. No more trips to Youghal, Cobh or Kinsale in the summer, or getting lost on a random trip to parts unknown and laughing about it later. No more Dad. The brothers said the aim of sharing their dads story was to help others who are struggling with their mental health in silence. If even a single person reading this reconsiders taking their life as a result of knowing what the fall-out will be, then I can sleep some bit easier, knowing that another family wont have to experience what we have, said Derek. Shane said: Nobody ever wants to get that call at that hour of the morning to hear the news that we did. Life goes on, but it does so without our Dad and thats so tough. If you have been affected by the issues raised in this article, please www.samaritans.org or call the Samaritans helpline on 116 123 (ROI) Premium John Downing Opinion New British prime minister Rishi Sunaks succession proves an important milestone in British political inclusivity There is an old saying in British politics that goes: The right looks for converts while the left seeks out traitors. It comes to mind when one reflects upon the election of Rishi Sunak as the UKs first non-white prime minister in a party traditionally seen as most opposed to mass immigration and the dilution of national identity via multiculturalism. The tiny desert kingdom of Jordan rarely makes headlines but it did briefly this week with the killing of a prominent writer gunned down as he showed up at court to face charges of insulting Islam. With Jordanians already anxious about the spill-over effect from the five-year war that rages over the border in Syria, the murder was an uneasy reminder of radical elements within. Nahed Hattar (56) - an activist from the country's Christian minority who wrote columns for a Lebanese newspaper reflecting his secular, leftist views - had received numerous death threats in recent weeks after he shared a satirical cartoon on Facebook with the caption "God of Daesh" - an Arabic acronym for Isil considered by its militants as derogatory. The controversial caricature shows a bearded man in heaven who summons God to bring him wine and snacks as he lies in bed with two women. After the cartoon prompted a storm of protest on social media, Hattar quickly deleted it, shut down his Facebook account, and apologised, saying he did not mean to offend anyone. As many accused him of insulting Islam - a crime punishable under Jordan's anti-blasphemy laws - Hattar countered that his intention was not to insult Islam but to highlight the hypocrisy of Isil. He argued that the cartoon "mocks Isil terrorists and their concept of heaven." Just two days after he posted the caricature, Hattar was arrested for insulting Islam and inciting sectarian strife, a serious charge in a country with a sizeable Christian population. As his trial date approached, the case became a lightning rod for Jordan's extremist current. Among those who publicly denounced Hattar was Abu Muhammad al-Maqdisi, a key Al-Qa'ida ideologue who has spent years in Jordan's prisons but is now free. "The apology and clarification from Hattar make him no less of an infidel than his caricature," Maqdisi wrote on Twitter. Hattar was targeted last Sunday as he entered Jordan's Palace of Justice in the capital, Amman. A 49-year-old man described as a former imam walked up and shot Hattar three times. Local media reported the gunman confessed after the shooting, saying he had targeted the writer for sharing the cartoon. While Jordan's government condemned the killing as a "heinous crime", Hattar's family has accused the authorities of not doing enough to guarantee his safety after so many explicit death threats. Amnesty International deplored the attack as "an alarming message about the state of freedom of expression in Jordan today," and the organisation urged the government to do more to protect individual freedom of expression, regardless of the subject matter. The gunman has been charged with premeditated murder and committing a terrorist attack. He could face the death penalty if convicted. Hattar's murder - and the audacious manner of it, carried out in broad daylight right in the centre of Amman - has sent a chill through a country already pulled in several directions. As Jordanians often note, theirs is a small nation in the middle of a tough neighbourhood. Bordering Syria, Iraq and the West Bank. Jordan, a key US ally, has a large Palestinian population, a strong tribal dynamic and a decades-old jihadist current which has grown in recent years. Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the now dead leader of the Iraq-based militant group that later evolved into Isil, was from the town of Zarqa, north of Amman, and drew several fellow Jordanians into his ranks. Zarqawi and his associates tried to target Jordan several times. When I lived there, between 2005 and 2007, the country's security forces were on high alert. In 2005, Zarqawi's acolytes carried out simultaneous suicide bombings at three Amman hotels one night, killings scores, including guests at a wedding. Since the uprising against Syrian president Bashar al-Assad began in 2011, later tipping into a vicious, multi-faceted war, Jordan has found itself faced with new challenges, including more than 650,000 Syrian refugees and the threat posed by homegrown militants sympathetic to Isil and its expansion next door in Syria and Iraq. A string of attacks in recent months have jangled nerves. Last November, a Jordanian police officer shot dead two American trainers, one South African and two Jordanians at the country's sprawling international police training centre on the outskirts of Amman, where thousands of Iraqi police have been trained. In June, six people were killed when a car bomb exploded near a refugee camp and army post in the country's northeastern flank. The killing of Hattar, unprecedented in its brazenness, has made some Jordanians wonder if indigenous extremists are growing not just in number, but also assertiveness. "We are worried that the war next door may become the war within," one friend in Amman observed this week. It had been a busy few days for Adolf Hitler, but Douglas Hyde had not slipped his mind. It was Saturday, June 25, 1938 and, as Ireland's President-Elect prepared to leave the newly named Aras an Uachtarain in Dublin's Phoenix Park for his inauguration ceremony, the German Fuhrer was beginning a weekend of relaxation in the Berghof, his Alpine retreat, near Berchstegaden. The previous week had seen Hitler juggle a number of competing demands on his time. His Nazi regime were currently in the process of finalising a decree forbidding Jewish doctors from treating Aryan patients and, days earlier, Hitler had personally ordered the destruction of Munich's Great Synagogue because it was situated next to the German Art Museum. And tensions were mounting with the Soviet Union. German economic and diplomatic penetration into Iran was making Stalin increasingly nervous and was the subject of criticism in the Moscow state-controlled press. Though Ireland was at this stage somewhat peripheral to Hitler's dual quest for Aryan supremacy and German global domination, the fact that Douglas Hyde would be installed as President of Ireland later that day had not escaped the Fuhrer's all-encompassing gaze. The news of Hyde's emergence in April 1938 as the agreed candidate of the two largest political parties in Ireland for the new post had, according to Reuters' Berlin correspondent, "evoked lively interest here." Hitler, in particular, seems to have been intrigued by the prospect of a septuagenarian folklorist, retired university lecturer, linguist and Gaelic cultural icon becoming Ireland's first citizen. In the run-up to Hyde's inauguration in Dublin Castle on that Saturday, June 25, Hitler "ordered" the Berlin newspapers "to splash" on the Irish presidential installation ceremony. Hitler's instructions created an unexpected financial boon for Irish photographers, many of whom received commissions from German newspapers to provide pictures of Hyde and the events in Dublin. Hitler's interest in the new Irish President was the subject of some speculation. 'The News Review', a British current affairs magazine, suggested that the intense German coverage was because "Dr Hyde is married to a German woman" and also because "the presidential scholar himself has acknowledged the help he had received from the research work of Gaelic experts on the academic staffs of Berlin and Bonn universities." However, undoubtedly, the primary reason for Hitler's fleeting fixation with Douglas Hyde was that the coming into being of the new Irish presidency diluted Ireland's bonds with the British Empire almost to the point of disappearance. In the pre-Munich Agreement summer of 1938, Hitler may genuinely have hoped to avoid war with the United Kingdom, but he was also quite happy to highlight any geo-political shifts that diminished the prestige of Germany's most formidable rival in Europe. In the United States, Douglas Hyde was also getting plenty of publicity, but for very different reasons than in Germany. In fact, much of the favourable coverage that Hyde's inauguration generated in America was rooted in the fact that the new Irish President's values stood in stark contrast to the totalitarian style of leadership, which had become prevalent across Europe. Hyde's Protestantism was a strong feature of American newspaper coverage and there was praise for what was viewed as the broad-minded ecumenicalism of the Irish people in not insisting on a Catholic President. This was a point that was also elegantly made by Joseph Kennedy, the US Ambassador to Britain, when he arrived in Dublin to collect an honorary degree just a fortnight after Hyde's inauguration. All four of Kennedy's grandparents had emigrated from Ireland to Massachusetts in the era of the Great Famine and, at a state reception in Dublin Castle, an emotional Kennedy spoke of the honour he felt in being welcomed by "the warm handclasps of the great men of my own blood." He described "the choice of Doctor Douglas Hyde to be the President of the State, [as] an act that is eloquent of that brotherhood and tolerance which remain the hope of mankind in an angry world." Hyde's inauguration was willfully ignored by the British government, with not one cabinet minister commenting on the events in Dublin. However, diplomatic courtesies were maintained in the form of the low-key presence of Geoffrey Braddock, the UK Trade Commissioner and the highest-ranking British diplomatic representative in Ireland, at the installation ceremony in Dublin Castle. 'The Daily Telegraph' and the 'Times', the two newspapers most closely associated with the British political establishment, paid scant attention to Hyde's inauguration. However, British Pathe News, as part of its news digest for cinema-goers, filmed the scenes in Dublin and the commentator told British audiences that Hyde's installation was "the greatest day in the history of the Irish Free State [sic]," "the celebration of another victory for Mr de Valera" and an "example of tolerance which is a model to many another nation." On the morning of the inauguration, the 'Daily Express' also published an interview with the President-Elect under the headline "Dr Hyde is just a little homesick." Hyde had travelled to Dublin a few days prior to his installation ceremony and he had confessed to the 'Daily Express' reporter that he was already missing home and that "Frenchpark takes a lot of beating." In Northern Ireland, almost inevitably, the reaction to Hyde's inauguration broke down into tribal responses. The inauguration was uproariously celebrated in nationalist enclaves. Many Northern nationalists also travelled to Dublin "to witness the pageantry of parades" associated with the inauguration ceremony. In the unionist community, politicians competed with each other to express their indignation. The Northern Ireland Finance Minister, John Miller Andrews, described Hyde's inauguration as a "slight on the King" and "a deplorable tragedy." Sir William Allen, the Stormont MP for Armagh, claimed that "Mr de Valera had made a Protestant President of Southern Ireland simply to blindfold the people of England." Hyde's selection as President of Ireland was a story with a truly global reach. Newspapers in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Argentina, countries in which Gaelic League branches had sprung up in or around the turn of the 20th Century, prominently covered the story. However, even in countries where there was a negligible Irish diaspora, Hyde was big news. Joseph Walshe, the Secretary to the Department of External Affairs, who was on a private holiday in the run-up to Hyde's inauguration, wrote to de Valera from Cairo to express his "surprise" at the interest in Hyde and the fact that "all the hundreds of papers in Egypt in various languages gave this appointment great publicity." Hyde's inauguration day began with a journey to a bastion of Irish Protestantism, St Patrick's Cathedral, which had been an Anglican place of worship since 1537, following the English reformation. It was already bright and warm in Dublin on Saturday, June 25, 1938, as Ireland's President-Elect prepared to depart Aras an Uachtarain shortly before 9.30 am. Hyde was understandably nervous. His anxieties were rooted not just in concerns that the inauguration ceremony would pass off smoothly, but also in his own persistent doubts that he was too old for the presidential office. The President-Elect was uncomfortable in the formal attire he had been prevailed upon to wear for the day's ceremonies. In the run-up to the inauguration, newspapers had repeatedly speculated on whether Hyde would "set aside the cloth cap and plus fours which he usually wears" in favour of "morning dress and a silk hat." The President-Elect's daughter, Una Sealy, the wife of a Circuit Court judge, had eventually persuaded Hyde that it would be best if he donned traditional formal wear. Behind Hyde's public pride in being chosen to be Ireland's first president, there was familial pain. Hyde's wife, Lucy Kurtz, an English-born lady from a distinguished Wurttemberg family, was in poor health. She resolutely refused to leave Roscommon to live with him in Dublin and ill-health also prevented her from attending the inauguration ceremony. Douglas Hyde leaned closely on his only surviving child, as he began the journey that in a few hours would make him Ireland's first First Citizen. 'Forgotten Patriot: Douglas Hyde and the Foundation of the Irish Presidency' by Dr Brian Murphy is published by the Collins Press and is available in bookshops now Dundalk Positive Mental Health Group will hold a series of events from October 10 to 16 during the annual Mental Health Week. Group chairperson Mary Moran stated 'This is our fourth Positive Mental Health Week and each year we have added more events to highlight the importance of positive mental health. The week gets under way on Saturday October 8 at 12 noon with a fun walk along the Navvy Bank. Derek Pepper, vice-chairperson of DPMH and Shine, will host a radio programme on Dundalk FM on Monday October 10 with contributions from fellow members of the forum, Dundalk Outcomers, an Garda Siochana, Grow, HSE, Dundalk Counselling Centre and Turas Counselling. There will be a coffee morning in the Oriel Centre Old Gaol on Tuesday October 11 from 10.30am to 12.30 pm. The highlight of the week will be the launch of the popular annual art exhibition in the Carroll Building DkIT on Wednesday at 6 pm by Irish rugby international stars Rob and Dave Kearney. The exhibition will run all week. Alan Mc Cabe from DkIT will host a cookery demonstration in the college on Thursday. An information stand will be in place in The Marshes throughout the week with details of local mental health services. All events include something of interest for everyone, are free of charge and are open and welcome to all to attend. A group of Buddhist monks from Nepal recently travelled to the north east , concluding their visit by partaking in a traditional ceremony on the shores of Carlingford Lough. The seven monks from Pema Ts'al Monastery, Pokhara, were invited to Lislea, Newry by local man Pat McParland, who first encountered them when he travelled to Nepal four years ago, This was the first time that the monks had visited Ireland and their presence here attracted a lot of attention from local people interested in learning about Buddhist traditions. The monks spent ten days in Ireland, during which time they engaged in a Medicine Buddha Sand Mandala Healing Ritual and Teaching Programme. Pat decided to open the doors of his home so that anyone who wanted to meet the monks could do so. 'We had visitors from all over Ireland as well as overseas,' he said. 'I had a lot of people phoning me up when they heard that the monks were coming so I decided to invite everyone one who wanted to come. There were people in their '80s and '90s who would never get the chance to travel to Nepal.' The monks created a beautiful sand mandala using coloured sand which they had brought with them. At the end of their stay, they dissolved the sand mandala, distributed a part of sand to the devotees. They then travelled to Carlingford to make an offering of sand to the ocean and performed prayers, accompanied by traditional instruments. The monks tirelessly created the sand mandala with great patience and enthusiasm and dismantled it on the final day to show the impermanence of everything that exists in this world. The sand is poured into the ocean in order to spread the healing energies of the mandala throughout the world. Pat has stayed with monks in their Pema Ts'al Sakya Monastery a number of times and he was delighted to be able to invite them to his home and to treat them to Irish hospitality. His home was transformed into a shrine for their visit, with people gathering daily for over four hours of chant and ritual. 'They were very impressed that people were so welcoming. There were nights when there were over a hundred people in the house.' Buddhists from America and Canada also travelled to Newry to meet with them and the monks were presented with the rank of 3rd degree by the organization of World Mugendo in Northern Ireland(United Kingdom) to show their appreciation for the monks. A 30-year-old who admitted a number of offences, including walking on the motorway and hitting two Gardai who were taking him out of the cells at Dundalk Garda station has been given a suspended sentence after the judge heard he had been suffering from psychosis at the time of the incidents. Mantas Bielskis, 39 Glenwood, Dublin Road, admitted charges arising out of the incidents, including walking on the motorway near Dundalk on February 28. Gardai came across him on the motorway and he refused to get off it, telling them he was walking to Dublin. He was arrested and initially refused to give his name and address. He was taken to the station and the following morning, Bielskis was being taken from the cells by two Gardai when he started hitting them. He struck one Garda on the cheek and hand, and hit another officer twice in the face. Neither required medical treatment for their injuries. And shortly after he was released following these incidents, Gardai were called on again to deal with him after he went to a house in Muirhevanmor, breaking windows to get in. Gardai found him sitting on the sofa and he told them he wanted to see his child when he was asked why he smashed windows. Barrister Irene Sands said her client, who has a previous conviction for possession of a firearm and ammunition from 2014, as well as attempted robbery, assault and public order convictions from 2013, 'was not trying to hide behind his bad record', but rather he had 'a number of difficulties at the time of these offences'. Ms Sands said Bielskis, who is supported by his parents, had been suffering from a 'psychotic episode' and he subsequently spent a long time on remand. She asked Judge Flann Brennan to 'take into account the context' of the offences and added her client, who is a Lithuanian living in Ireland for a number of years, 'is now in a much better position overall'. Ms Sands added Bielskis had previously been remanded to the Central Mental Hospital, but there was no bed available for him and he received treatment at St Bridget's Ardee and was also an outpatient there. Judge Brennan imposed sentences totalling 12 months, but suspended them for a year. He told Bielskis: 'You will have to continue with your treatment. 'It's inevitable you will get into trouble if you don't and you will serve these sentences'. The Garda investigation into the murder of Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe continues, but in the almost four years since the father-of-two's killing at Lordship Credit Union, no-one has been arrested or charged. In a report on RTE's Prime Time last week, Fr Michael Cusack, a friend of the Donohoe family and the priest who officiated at Adrian's funeral Mass, said it was 'really quite shocking' that no-one had been brought to justice for the murder. In addition, Irish Daily Star crime editor, Michael O'Toole, said there was a 'quiet confidence' in the Gardai that the killer gang will be brought to justice, 'no matter how long it takes'. He said three of those believed to be responsible are living in the USA and 'seem to be getting on with their lives', while a fourth suspect lives in the North and travels South quite frequently. The Irish Daily Star revealed last month that one of the suspects is due to become a father in the USA. Fr Cusack said Adrian's family have to 'live without their father every day' and added their pain 'remains the same as it did on the day of the murder'. The 'frustration' felt at the progress of the inquiry was acknowledged by Commissioner Noirin O'Sullivan when she spoke to the media at the presentation of the Scott medals for bravery given to Adrian's wife, Caroline and to his colleague Joe Ryan. Commissioner O'Sullivan said the investigation is 'very time consuming and sometimes the length of time is very frustrating'. She said it is 'very frustrating for the members of the Gardai, some of those who are colleagues of Adrian and have to continue that work'. But officers 'have to make sure that the evidence is put together in a way that sustains a prosecution' and said there remain people who have 'the final pieces of the jigsaw' whose information can make the difference to the Gardai. Commissioner O'Sullivan, along with CS Ward, urged people to come forward. CS Ward said 5,500 inquiries, along with 2,600 statements and 1,000 exhibits have been collected in the investigation. Anyone with information can contact the incident room in Dundalk on 9388470. Abbie, Mark and Conor Murtagh at the St. Brigid's School Student Art Exhibition in The Town Hall Art is all about allowing people to express their creativity and imagination, perhaps in a way that they can't put into words, and that is certainly the case with the work in the St Brigid's School Student Art Exhibition which was on display in The Basement Gallery, An Tain Arts Centre last week. This was the first time that the pupils at the school had held an exhibition of their work and it proved a tremendous success. The exhibiting pupils, their parents, families, friends and teachers attended a special opening night on Thursday which allowed them to celebrate their great achievement. The exhibition featured a wonderful array of work, full of colour and imagination. On display were collographs, silkscreen prints, papier mache bowls, aboriginal art, clay pieces and constructions which looked stunning against the white walls of the Basement Gallery. The students had worked with a group of students from the National College of Art and Design, Dublin and their teachers to produce the famous pieces of art, Samples of work which students had prepared for their Junior Cert and FETAC examination was also showcased. There was a great turnout in Charlesland recently for one of the 'Ireland's Biggest Coffee Morning' events held in aid of Our Lady's Hospice in Blackrock. Local woman Sharon Felton invited her family, friends, and members of the community to the room above the creche to help raise money for the organisation. They had a wonderful morning of fun and chatting as well as supporting the charity drive. This was just one of the 'Ireland's Biggest Coffee Morning' events held throughout Ireland on the same day. This is the main annual fundraising event to raise much needed funds for local hospice services - all money raised locally, stays locally. Everyone enjoyed a cup of Bewley's coffee and supported the hospice service. Bewley's provided the coffee free of charge, with organisers collecting 2 for every cup. Guests of all ages gathered in Greystones to support a worthy and vital organisation. To find out more about the event go to www.hospicecoffeemorning.ie. I don't know about you, but I've had just about as much of 'Brangelina' as I can take. Since news of their impeding divorce broke the media has been spun into a whirlwind of celeb gossip, feasting on the nitty gritty of their weird and wonderful relationship. Sure, we all like a bit of light relief in our news coverage but come on, how can this be headline news for an entire week? Their antics are of no consequence to a single soul outside their own family, and yet there is a ridiculous fascination with their every move amongst the public. Just when you think it has ceased, up pops another eye witness eager for their moment in the sun who is ore than willing to dish the dirt on what they saw and heard. And so, why do we enjoy reading about their doomed affair so much. Every last detail has been recounted in the press and daily newspaper round ups on radio have been top heavy with 'Brangelina, the break-up'. After all it is a tabloid dream story. The possibilities are endless really... We have really entered a different realm when it comes to celebrity. We are completely obsessed with celeb culture and the lives of those in the public eye? It is like a drug of sorts, with fans craving the next hit. We feel entitled to know everything about them, just because they have a job that makes them recognisable to the public. The level of influence that celebs have on the ordinary Joe Soap never ceases to amaze me. Their dazzling Hollywood lifestyles are the dream of many - but how dazzling is it really when it falls apart and the whole world is there watching? People feel that because they recognise an actor and know their name, that they actually know them, and more worrying, that they have the right to know everything about their private lives. Now, as riveting as the inner workings of Brad and Angelina's domestic life may be, I think there are far more important or useful matters we could be focusing on. Perhaps all the tragedy and grief, political and economic difficulties and doom and gloom in the world, and consequently in the media equally contribute to the public want for an antidote. Stories like the celebrity break-up of the year are a harmless distraction and the reader doesn't if what they are reading is even true - they just want to be entertained. A Bray firefighter has received a 100,000 settlement from Wicklow County Council following a fatal fire in 2007. Ronan OSullivan and the council agreed on the figure a number of months ago, as Mr OSullivans case was due before the High Court in early June. Mr OSullivans legal action claimed that he suffered post-traumatic stress and alleged that Wicklow County Council failed in its duty of care. The sum was awarded nine years after the deaths of firemen Mark OShaughnessy (25) and Brian Murray (46), who died in a blaze at a disused building at Adelaide Villas in Bray on September 26, 2007. A memorial ceremony was held in memory of Brian and Mark at a monument at Fr Colohan Terrace last Saturday. A number of other cases are due before the High Court in November. Mr OSullivans matter was the first of approximately 30 civil actions to be taken by people linked to the tragedy, including firefighters and family members of the deceased Wicklow County Council said that it would not be appropriate to comment on the case as there are a number of ongoing civil cases in relation to this matter. In May 2014, a 17-day inquest was held into the deaths of the two men. Coroner Dr Brian Farrell said that the men had paid the ultimate price for their courage and devotion to duty and their altruism in relation to the whole community. It was agreed by experts that a sudden acceleration of the fire occurred at 11.08a.m. They disagreed on the cause of the fireball which caused the deaths. Evidence attributed the fireball to flammable liquids dumped illegally in the factory and to air pockets that caused the roof to collapse. The jury heard of a number of operational issues at Bray Fire Station during the inquest, including problems with an alerter system used to call for backup and the absence of training provided to firefighters in the use of CAFS (compressed air foam system) used to fight the fire. In October 2013, Wicklow County Council was fined 355,000 after pleading guilty to health and safety violations. At that time, counsel for Wicklow County Council Luan O Braonain SC said the fact that there were health and safety failures did not mean that the failures resulted in the deaths of the men. The jury found that the council failed to maintain the vital communications systems in Bray and Greystones fire stations. They also found that there was an absence of specific instructions relating to Pre-Determined Attendances. They found that the council failed to provide appropriate training for all fire fighting personnel in CAFS and they noted a shortage of qualified drivers available on the day of the deaths. The absence of an internal investigation by Wicklow County Council into the tragic events of the day were of serious concern, said the foreman. The jury remarked that local authorities should take action on illegal dumping, and acknowledged improvements in Wicklow Fire Service. While a leak on Bray's Vevay Road has been fixed, a similar issue at Blacklion in Greystones has not been addressed by Irish Water. In both cases, water has been flowing from the kerb down to a drain in the street for up to two months. Last week, Irish Water fixed the problem at Vevay Road. 'After four phone calls and numerous back and forth emails and finally getting Irish Water to view the leak as a safety issue, the leaks at the Vevay/Main street Bray have been repaired,' said Cathaoirleach of Bray Municipal District Steven Matthews. Greystones resident Ken Loftus said that he first observed the water flowing near Applewood Heights and towards the vets at Blacklion around eight weeks ago. 'I called Wicklow County Council evironmental section to talk about it. They said "sorry, nothing to do with us."' He called Irish water on two occasions and on both occasions was told that the matter would be logged. 'But that leak is still leaking away,' said Mr Loftus. 'It's been a constant flow for at least eight weeks.' In the Vevay Road case, the water had been leaking from a pipe where the Main street meets Vevay Road, opposite the Town Hall area. Traders, public representatives and members of the public all contacted Irish Water repeatedly. Sgt Colm Corrigan raising the flag at the end of the ceremony The Committee of the Roundwood and District Historical and Folklore Society officially unveiled the 1916 Roundwood Commemorative Monument on Saturday afternoon. The monument situated in the grounds of Roundwood Garda Station is an exact replica of the Proclamation, together with the profiles of the seven signatories. It is cast in bronze, mounted on local granite. The monument was designed and created by local sculptor Ciaran Patterson. Health Minister, Simon Harris, was also in attendance, as were Minister Andrew Doyle, Deputy Pat Casey, Cllr Shay Cullen and Cllr John Snell, Cathaoirleach of Wicklow Municipal District. Other attendees included members of the Irish United Nations Veterans Association (IUNVA) who provided the colour party, Garda Tomas Barrett, Insp Brian O'Keeffe, Chief Superintendent John Paul Quirke and Sgt Colm Corrigan. The official unveiling duties were carried out by local school children from Roundwood NS and Moneystown NS. The impressive monument commemorates the 1916 Rising and the men and women of previous generations who lost their lives in the struggle for Irish freedom and Independence. The Roundwood and District Historical Society was formed over 25 years ago and are committed to recording and disseminating information relating to the history and folklore of Roundwood village and its surrounding environs. Their annually produced journal aims to give the reader a deeper insight into the local history, heritage and heritage of Roundwood. Over 500 second level students from all over North Cork were put through their paces earlier this week at a special Student and Teacher brainstorming Day held at the Charleville Park Hotel on Monday. The event was part of the North Cork Schools Enterprise Programme, which encourages students to set up and run a business over the course of the academic year to help them learn all about entrepreneurship. One of Ireland's leading innovation training companies, The Entrepreneurs Academy, facilitated the event that gave the young teens the opportunity to learn about the most exciting new business ideas being developed around the world and how they too can learn various brainstorming techniques to develop their own business ideas for the mini-company programme. The young entrepreneurs were then broken into groups to do some practical idea generation work to help them find innovative ideas that they can base their mini companies on for this year's competition. In total 14 of the second level schools from North Cork were represented at the event, with students taking part in the programme from both junior and senior cycle. Kevin Curran, Acting Head of Enterprise, welcomed the students and teachers and said he was looking forward to another successful year with the Schools Enterprise Programme. "The Programme in North Cork is one of the strongest in the country and we are very fortunate to have such dedicated teachers who work tirelessly every year to help their students learn about the importance of entrepreneurship," he said. "The Local Enterprise Office is really seeing the long term benefits of the Programme with more and more start up businesses in the area being created by students who previously took part in the programme while at School." Speaking at the event, Co-ordinator of the North Cork Schools Enterprise Programme, Garry Lowe said they were really delighted with the huge turnout at Monday's event. "We have over 500 students from all over North Cork brainstorming and networking with each other. There was an exhilarating atmosphere in the room here today, plenty of positivity and energy coming from our students, who are really enjoying the experience of being first time entrepreneurs," he said. From the schools' perspective, Colette Hogan of St Colman's College in Fermoy said "It's a great start to the academic year for us and of course we are so proud to be the reigning senior champions of student enterprise in North Cork! We hope to continue with this success with the programme this year". The next event in the North Cork Schools Enterprise calendar is the Christmas Trade Fair which takes place on Tuesday, December 6 when students will set up stands and put their products and services on display to the public. An inquest into the death of a Mallow man who took his own life in Cork Prison has recommended that prison staff get ongoing training on mental health issues and that the level of communication between medical and prison staff be improved. The jury, who returned a verdict of death by suicide in the case of 25-year-old father-of-three, Roy O'Driscoll, of Summerhill, Mallow, also recommended that high support units be introduced into all Irish prisons to avert any repeat of the tragedy of May 10 2013. Mr O'Driscoll was serving a seven-year sentence for assault and had previously been in Portlaoise Prison where, a day before his transfer to Cork Prison on May 1, he was assessed by medical staff as being at "an unprecedented risk" of suicide. The inquest was told that concerns for Mr O'Driscoll's mental health were mounting in Portlaoise from early April following an earlier return from Cork Prison and Chief Nursing Officer, Karl Shelley said that on April 9 he became seriously concerned about his welfare. He said that he felt Mr O'Driscoll might have been suffering from a depressive illness which was impacting on his behaviour in that he became withdrawn and gave up his work on the landing and he stopped coming out of his cell. He referred him to Dr Kathleen McFadden. Mr Shelley said that Dr McFadden had noted that he had been bullied on the landing and placed him on an observation list of prisoners at risk of self harm or suicide who would be checked on 15 minute intervals. Mr Shelley said Mr O'Driscoll was seen by a psychiatric nurse and a psychiatrist but his mood was low and it continued to go downward from April 9 until April 29 when he got involved in a fight with another prisoner and received an anonymous note under his door, urging him to hang himself. He believed that Mr O'Driscoll presented "an unprecedented risk of suicide" and if he had known that Mr O'Driscoll was to be transferred back to Cork Prison on May 1, he would have advised against it but he only learned of the transfer on May 2 when he checked his medical records. The inquest heard that when Mr O'Driscoll arrived in Cork Prison on May 1, he was interviewed by prison nurse Una Twomey and he asked to go to the Central Mental Hospital as he said his family wanted him to go there but he denied any intent to self harm. He had recently started on anti-depressant medication and he was on alerts for low moods, said Ms Twomey, adding that she knew he had been reviewed by a consultant psychiatrist in Portlaoise and she recommended that he be seen by a GP and a psychiatrist in Cork. Dr George O'Mahony GP told how he saw Mr O'Driscoll on May 2 amid concerns that his mood was low and he noted there were worries that he was being bullied and named called by others in Cork. Mr O'Driscoll told him he was hearing voices but he didn't think he had a psychotic illness. He recommended that Mr O'Driscoll be transferred to D wing as he wanted to get away from people and he believed he would settle down there after a few weeks. "I think his mental health issues were being aggravated by perceived pressures from other inmates," he said. Former prison psychiatrist Dr Eugene Morgan assessed Mr O'Driscoll on May 3 and May 4 and found him confused and difficult to engage with. He found that he had some fleeting thoughts of self harm but did not believe he was actively suicidal. Dr Morgan thought that Mr O'Driscoll may have taken drugs on the transfer from Portlaoise as he was "out of it" but he believed he was in the appropriate type of cell and he recommended that he remain in the medical observation cell rather than the secure observation cell or padded cell. Previously he used to see patients on a daily basis but due to financial cutbacks, he was reduced to seeing prisoners three times a week and he again saw Mr O'Driscoll on May 7 when he once more concluded he was in the appropriate type of cell where he was checked regularly. He was due to see Mr O'Driscoll again on May 10, the day he took his own life, but he had to attend court at short notice. Dr Morgan said he didn't believe Mr O'Driscoll needed to be put in the secure observation cell. Mr O'Driscoll's partner, Jenna Lane said that she had visited him in Portlaoise on April 27 and found he was his usual self but when she visited him in Cork Prison on May 5, she was shocked to discover him in such a poor state and the change was "incredible". "Roy had his head in his hands on the table. He was wearing prison clothes, he was unshaven, unwashed, and his hair was untidy. His nails had been eaten off almost completely and the skin around the tops of his fingers was bleeding. He wasn't the usual Roy. "I'd never seen him in such a condition. He was confused, in and out of conversation, and what conversation there was, was confused," said Ms Lane, adding that she was so concerned that she asked to see the Prison Governor and ended up conveying her concerns to the Chief Prison Officer. Prison officers at Cork Prison told the inquest that they were not aware that Mr O'Driscoll had been deemed by medical staff at Portlaoise Prison as being at "an unprecedented risk of suicide" prior to his transfer to Cork Prison on May 1 2013. Prison Officer Brendan Conroy said that had he received any communication that Mr O'Driscoll was at a risk of suicide, he would have him placed in the secure observation cell rather than the medical observation cell on D1 wing where he took his own life on May 10 2013. Mr Conroy explained that the secure observation cell - commonly known as a padded cell - had no suspension points on which to attach a ligature while it also had no sheet with which to create a ligature and inmates were not given metal cutlery which they could use to harm themselves. "I had received no communication the man was such a high risk - if we had known, he would have been put in a padded cell - we would not have allowed a prisoner at high risk of suicide in such a cell with so many ligature points - we would not have left ourselves open to this happening." Mr Conroy thought that Mr O'Driscoll was having difficulty adjusting to the seven year term that he had been given for an assault as he was a young man with a young family and prisoners given long sentences often take time to adjust to the prison environment after they are first incarcerated. Mr Conroy's comments were echoed by fellow Prison Officer, David Keogh who said that they were not told that Mr O'Driscoll was at high risk of suicide when he arrived in Cork Prison on May 1. "If we knew that he was that way inclined, he would have been in the padded cell," he told the inquest. The inquest at Cork City Coroner's Court heard that prison officers are not informed why a prisoner is put in a medical observation cell as such information is only given to medical staff in the prison because of a prisoner's entitlement to confidentiality regarding their medical history. A prisoner could be placed in a medical observation cell, where they are checked every 15 minutes, for some physical condition that they are suffering from as well as some mental health issue such as tendency towards self-harm or having suicidal thoughts, the inquest heard. The inquest heard that Mr O'Driscoll was checked at 2.10pm on the day in question and was sitting on his bed but Mr Keogh said that when he went to collect cutlery from him at 2.20pm, he found him suspended by a ligature from a frame holding the TV. He and fellow officer, Paul Ryan loosened the ligature and began CPR while Mr Conroy also assisted until prison nursing staff arrived and took over but Mr O'Driscoll was later pronounced dead at the scene and a post-mortem found he died from asphyxia due to suspension from a ligature. Cork City Coroner, Dr Myra Cullinane thanked the jury for their four recommendations before extending her sympathies to Mr O'Driscoll's family on their tragic loss. Anyone affected by suicide can contact the Samaritans on 116 123 or by email at jo@samaritans.org or Aware on 1800 804848. Now in its fifth year, the Fingal Film Festival has firmly established its place on the cultural calendar of the county and will take to the screens of Movies@Swords once again, this weekend. The festival kicks off this Friday, September 30 and begins with the Dublin premiere of a very Dublin film called 'Cardboard Gangsters'. Festival co-ordinator, Keith Brocklebank told the Fingal Independent that the opening film of the festival was a 'really gritty, uncompromising Dublin drama'. He said: 'It's about for young lads from Darndale who are small-time drug dealers and they are trying to take over from the big Kingpin. 'It's about glory and money and getting to the top of the chain and all the bumps that go along with that. It's a really good film and John Connors is in it, of Love/Hate fame and Mark O'Connor directed it, who directed King of the Travellers.' Keith is one of the young team working behind the scenes at this year's festival and like many of his colleagues, and indeed, the entrants to the festival, he is trying to make his way in Ireland's growing but still small, film industry. Explaining how he came to work on the festival, which takes place in his hometown of Swords this weekend, Keith said: 'I was in Pulse College and one of the lecturers told me to keep an eye out on for the Filmbase website which has ads for jobs and internships in the industry. 'Literally that night I saw an ad for this position at the Fingal Film Festival and I applied for it and lucky enough I got it and that's how the ball started rolling.' Keith was studying film and video production at Pulse as well as digital marketing in IABA but he along with film studies graduate, Stephen Elliot who handles PR and marketing for the festival, are now considering a move into film distribution having seen how that side of the industry works, through their involvement with the festival. Stephen said that in that respect, working for the Fingal Film Festival has become a 'career-defining' move for the two young men from Swords. The festival can also be career-defining for filmmakers with movies in competition who can go on to bigger and better things once the recognition of a now well-established festival like this one, is under their belt. Over the five years of the Fingal Film Festival, the number of films entered into competition has grown hugely, both from home and abroad but the pleasing about this year's entries is that there has been a very significant increase in the number of Irish films being entered for consideration in the festival. Stephen told the Fingal Independent: 'The number of Irish submissions from students and others have gone up by a huge number and so has the quality of it.' Keith added: 'There was a record level of submissions this year - it's up about 20% on last year. There's been a steady increase in submissions year on year. It has made the selection harder of course because the quality is so high. 'There was an awful lot of submissions in the last week. We had already exceeded last year and then there was a flood of another couple of hundred submissions flying in. 'It did make it tougher because there were so many good films that didn't make it in, unfortunately. 'There's a panel who make the decisions and siphon down from the entries to the screening selection and then to the short-list for awards and then eventually, the award winners.' As well as a burgeoning industry now emerging in film in Ireland, Keith believed that greater access to film technology is making it easier for everyone to get stated on making their own movies. He said: 'The entry level for filmmaking is a lot lower now - you don't need to buy a film camera for twenty grand anymore.' The festival co-ordinator said is committed to a career in the film industry but says that a lot of people might have the wrong impression of working in film. He said that while there's plenty of fun, there's also a lot of hard work. Keith said: 'It's not as glamorous as people make out. You have to get stuck in and work hard, whatever end of the industry you're involved in but it's good fun.' Turning to the exciting programme lined up for this year's festival, Keith said that a personal highlight this year is a special 1916 Centenary screening this Saturday that will include three short films based around the events of the Rising followed by a rare big screen outing for the popular 'Wind that Shakes the Barley' feature film, by Ken Loach. Keith said: 'I love the 1916 stuff. I just think the three submissions selected for screening are very, very good and then the Wind that Shakes the Barley is going to be a special screening after the three shorts play.' Entries with a 1916 theme were encouraged this year, to chime with the centenary celebrations and Keith was delighted with the films submitted in this category. He said: 'There was a lot of entries and some really, really good ones. The three that have got in are excellent. One of them is an animation and Joe Duffy narrates it. It's called 'A Soldier's Rising' and it's about a British guard on duty at Dublin Castle and it's pretty much his story of the Rising. There's 'Summon Her Children' which is about the Portlaoise volunteers trying to block British reinforcements who are heading to Dublin. The third one is called 'Proclaim' and it's brilliant as well - it's the story behind the printing of the Proclamation.' As always, there has also been a healthy entry from Fingal filmmakers into the festival, this year. Keith said: 'There are a couple of great ones from Fingal. There are five or six films being shown that were made in the Fingal area. 'Cousins' is a good one by Ciaran Behan who is based down in Balbriggan. 'Shed' is from Balbriggan too and had support from the Balbriggan Chamber of Commerce - that's a documentary on the local Men's Shed.' Stephen has picked the big feature documentary of the festival as his personal highlight. 'Atlantic' is screened on the Sunday of the festival and the Irish-directed documentary, complete with narration from Fingal's own Brendan Gleeson, promises to be a real treat. Another highlight of the festival is a fascinating workshop in sound design from Niall Brady of Screenscene and Steve Fanagan of Ardmore Studios who will be picking apart scenes from the mult-award winning Irish-directed film, 'Room' and explaining the sound design decisions that enhanced the film. So what is the value to the county of having its own film festival? Keith said: 'I think it's great. Not everyone's submissions can get in but it's a great local festival for people to get involved in. It's somewhere they can get direct feedback as well and for the audience, it's on your doorstep, it's easily accessible and it's not overly expensive.' Stephen added: 'We also get a lot of volunteers from around Fingal who are interested in film and want to be involved in the festival. There aren't too many film events going on in Fingal and this is a great opportunity for them to network and meet people and maybe pitch a few ideas.' Keith said: 'We get lads down from the local Youthreach as well and this year they made a film themselves - a one-minute ad for the Irish Cancer Society. They are going to be volunteering over the weekend as well. There's an open door really for people who want to get involved. Liz (Liz Kenny, festival director) is very much about getting people involved and giving them a little bit of film experience.' Asked how he would encourage people to go along to the festival, Keith said: 'It's accessible, it's reasonably priced with concessions for students. It's an easy atmosphere and there's no reason to be intimidated. It's a friendly festival and it's a bit of fun. It's a very open and easygoing festival and if anyone wants to get involved, just get in touch.' You can buy tickets for festival screenings at fingalfilmfestival.tickets.ie A major step forward to improve the quality of piping and drumming in the Leinster area took place recently in the Black Raven Pipe Band hall Lusk. Students took part in an assessment process to decide starting levels of the Scottish Credit and Qualification (SCQF) courses which will be conducted in Lusk during the autumn of this year. Over 40 pipers and drummers descended on the village of Lusk to be assessed by expert assessors drawn from the assessment panel of the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association Northern Ireland Branch The courses will be of ten weeks duration, followed by and examination to determine their progress. Successful students will be awarded their SCQF certificate The SCQF qualification is also recognised by The Nation Framework of Qualification for Ireland (NFQ.IE) Successful students will then progress to the next level. This new initiative has been organised under the auspices of the Irish Pipe Band Association, Leinster Branch. The courses have the full approval of the board of the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association Glasgow Scotland (RSPBA) The RSPBA is the governing body for piping and drumming in the world. Help and assistance has also been received from the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association Northern Ireland Branch. Denzel Washington in The Magnificent Seven Towards the bullet-riddled conclusion of director Antoine Fuqua's stylish western remake, a voiceover dreamily recalls the self-sacrifice and heroism of seven righteous men, who laid down their lives for a town in jeopardy. 'It was magnificent,' gushes the film's narrator. That's going a little far. In its bombastic latest incarnation, The Magnificent Seven lassoes a stellar cast and a rollicking soundtrack composed by the late, great James Horner and completed by his good friend, Simon Franglen. Action sequences are orchestrated at a canter and Richard Wenk and Nic Pizzolatto's script introduces some moments of bone dry humour in between the frenetic shoot-outs. It's an entertaining ride, but Fuqua struggles to distinguish his battle royale between morally conflicted men from the countless westerns that have trotted down this same narrative trail. Oscar-winner Denzel Washington, who won his golden statuette in Fuqua's 2001 film Training Day, is a swaggering, physically imposing hero, driven to his suicidal actions in the name of retribution. He is matched, verbal blow for blow, by Peters Sarsgaard as the glowering villain of the piece, who demonstrates his wanton disregard for human life in a brutal, unflinching opening act. The year is 1879 and the scars of the American Civil War are yet to heal. The God-fearing folk of Rose Creek seek solace in church, but the spiritual peace is shattered by the arrival of greedy industrialist Bartholomew Bogue (Sarsgaard) and his goons, who intend to drive families out of their homes. 'Twenty dollars for each parcel of land,' Bogue tells the enraged congregation, shooting dead several dissenters, including faithful husband Matthew Cullen (Matt Bomer). Grieving widow Emma Cullen (Haley Bennett) and her friend Teddy (Luke Grimes) canter to neighbouring Amador City to enlist the services of bounty hunter Sam Chisolm (Washington) to kill Bogue. 'You don't need a bounty hunter, you need an army,' scoffs Chisolm, who has crossed paths with the industrialist before. Moved by Emma's tearful plight, the gunslinger corrals six men of dubious character to wage war in Rose Creek: compulsive gambler Josh Farraday (Chris Pratt), sharp shooter Goodnight Robicheaux (Ethan Hawke), assassin Billy Rocks (Byung-hun Lee), tracker Jack Horne (Vincent D'Onofrio), Mexican outlaw Vasquez (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo) and Comanche warrior Red Harvest (Martin Sensmeier). The scene is set for a rootin' tootin' showdown between the rival factions. The Magnificent Seven rests comfortably on the shoulders of Washington and his co-stars. Pratt continues to pigeonhole himself as Hollywood's favourite wisecracking action man and Hawke and Lee catalyse a fascinating and flawed double-act. Sarsgaard chews scenery as if it were tobacco. The script is peppered with well-heeled one-liners - 'Fame is a sarcophagus' - and the final assault on a besieged Rose Creek packs in sufficient excitement to warrant staying in the saddle for 133 minutes. Members of a Balbriggan-based Slimming World group have shown their generous nature by raising much-needed funds for a local cancer support group. A coffee morning was organised by Sinead Wyer who runs the Slimming World groups in O'Dwyer's GAA Club on Mondays and Tuesdays and a total of 430 was raised for the Balbriggan Cancer Support Group. Sinead has expressed her thanks and gratitude to everyone who support the event. 'The amount of support that was received was amazing from all of the local business. 'We received lots of cakes donated on the day from our fabulous members and people who came to the group too. We also received lots of raffle prizes donated to us by all of the local business in the area. Without all of these donations this would not have been possible.' The Balbriggan Cancer Support Group is a local charity that helps those suffering from, have suffered from or have known someone who has suffered from cancer. It is a community driven and volunteer based organisation that was establish in May 2010 by a group of local men and women concerned with the lack of cancer support in the area. Their mission is to be a message of hope and an opportunity to get involved in the fight against cancer by providing access to information and support to all people affected by cancer and those who care from them. The group operates a drop in centre in Balbriggan Business Park that opens on Mondays, , Wednesdays and Saturday from 10.30am to 1pm serving the Dublin and Meath area and there is no payment or registration required. This organisation is solely run on donations and is not government funded. It relies solely on fundraising activities and donations from the local community. If this local charity was not in the area the nearest one would be in Drogheda which could make it quite difficult for some people who have no access to transport to get there. If you have been affected by cancer in some way and ever need their support you can always drop in to their premises or contact them on 01 8410116 or 0873532872. Or maybe you would like to send a donation, if so you can visit their page on www.balbriggan.info under the business listings. 'Any donation big or small will go a long way and they will appreciate any support they get,' Sinead added Bobby Kerry Launches JumpStart 2016 with Claire MacNamee, Enterprise Manager at the LINC and Assumpta Harvey, Manager of the LINC Centre Entrepreneurs who want to give their business a jumpstart will now have the chance as part of an annual competition which has a major cash prize for the overall winner. Jumpstart 2016 is an annual competition from the LINC Centre, at the Institute of Technology Blanchardstown (ITB) looks for a winning business start up to award a 10,000 cash prize. It is open to entrepreneurs giving them a unique opportunity to really jumpstart their business and who wish to base their business in an innovative and supportive environment whilst developing their business. Jumpstart has been running since 2010 in Ireland and has become a firm favourite in the business start-up community across the country. This year's judging panel will again be headed up one of Ireland's best known and liked entrepreneurs, Bobby Kerr with other judges including Shane Doyle Vice President for Manufacturing Ireland, Alexion Pharmaceuticals Inc, Oisin Geoghegan, Head of Local Enterprise, Local Enterprise Office Fingal, Declan Lyons, Commercialisation Manager, Enterprise Ireland and Padraig Challoner, Business Manager at AIB. The LINC along with their sponsors have created an innovative support programme to assist the winners to Jumpstart their business from concept phase through to funding and trading position, at a rapid pace. JumpStart 2016 will connect them with industry experts to help the company grow an export oriented business smartly and quickly whilst empowering the entrepreneur and their business with not only the information and skills required but will also house the business within an impressive incubation centre and open the doors to opportunities for both state aid and private investment. Shane Murphy CTO, GROOPEZE, said: 'We were thrilled to win Jumpstart 2015. The competition brought us a big boost in status and increased media coverage, that in conjunction with the bumper prize has been a huge help to the growth of GROOPEZE over the past 12 months.' The winner will get a cash prize of 10,000, an office space at the LINC and mentoring supports. They will also get access to a structured approach to the development of their business through the 'reate, Learn, Grow' programme The winner will also receive mentoring on key aspects of business development as well as access to industry specific seminars to support innovation and development for the companies. Assumpta Harvey, Manager of the LINC Centre at ITB said: 'The entry into JumpStart has been simplified this year and we're really excited to hear from all the brave entrepreneurs out there. This competition offers full range of mentoring, financial and infrastructural supports to enable the winning company grow.' Interested applicants be in business for less than two years, demonstrate intent to export if they are not already exporting and demonstrate substantial growth to strengthen the economic impact of the business within the region It's simple to enter Jumpstart. All you have to do is record a three minute pitch and send us a link via the competition entry page. Upload your short pitch online at www.thelinc.ie/jumpstart. Closing date for receipt of videos is October 14 at 5pm. The short list of winners will be announced on November 11 with the JumpStart 2016 winner being announced on December 6th at the LINC. The creation of the 80 new jobs at Alter Pharma has been hailed by the local chamber of commerce which said it would encourage other firms to consider locating in Balbriggan. A spokesperson said the announcement 'paints the town in a very positive light for future jobs investment going forward'. Meanwhile, Fine Gael TD Alan Farrell said: 'Job creation in Dublin Fingal is of the utmost importance in terms of supporting our local economy and ensuring every person has the ability to get a job. 'I have continuously engaged with Minister Mitchell O'Connor in this regard and I am pleased that she has again visited the North County to announce these jobs, and address the need for on-going job creation in every community in the north County.' Senator James Reilly said: 'This is a major boost to Balbriggan and signals a bright future for the town. Balbriggan has often felt left behind by the rest of Dublin but this is certainly a step in the right direction. 'It's especially good to see hi-tech companies like Alter Pharma move here because that's where the future is.' A number of political representatives in Fingal have expressed concern that the Minister for Transport's new regime for noise control at Irish airports potentially 'undermines' the planning process. Fianna Fail TD for Dublin Fingal, Darragh O'Brien has said that the Minister for Transport is 'potentially undermining the conditions granted by An Bord Pleanala to protect local residents in relation to the North runway at Dublin Airport'. He said: ' I struggle to comprehend the rationale behind the Minister's decision to grant regulative power to the IAA. An Bord Pleanala is the State's independent, statutory, quasi-judicial body which was established to decide on appeals from planning decisions nationwide. 'Surely removing this authority is a challenge to the democratic process,' he stated. 'Any reduction of the current restrictions on night-time use of the airport could dramatically affect those in the immediate locality. 'I have stated numerous times that I do not support the DAA in their decision to appeal the imposed stipulations of An Bord Pleanala outlined in 2007.' Deputy O'Brien added: 'Minister Ross' idea of an appropriate response to the status quo is to pervert the due planning process and without engaging meaningfully with residents in St. Margaret's, Malahide and neighbouring areas. 'The development of a second at Dublin Airport will allow it to grow for the benefit of the Irish economy by supporting additional trade, tourism and foreign direct investment in Ireland. 'I therefore fully support the expansion however; the very genuine and serious concerns of residents must be taken into account and fully protected.' Green representatives in North Dublin Councillor David Healy and General Election candidate for Dublin Fingal Joe O'Brien believe the new regime will 'undermine the protection given by An Bord Pleanala to local residents'. Cllr Healy said: 'Minister Ross's planned response to the fact that the planning system is protecting the health of local residents is to subvert the planning system. 'In doing so he is acting in a deeply undemocratic way, having undertaken no consultation whatsoever with local people affected or local councillors.' His Green Party colleague, Joe O'Brien agreed, saying: 'Local residents under the two existing runways and the planned third runway already have their lives and sleep badly disrupted. Loosening the current restrictions even more will further exacerbate their situation.' Deputy Louise O'Reilly TD (SF) said that any review of the of the runway proposal 'must be comprehensive and recognise that there are concerns, there are communities with roots living in these areas and there are issues that must be overcome'. She said: 'There is no denying that the runway will allow Dublin Airport to continue to grow in terms of passenger numbers, but this cannot eclipse the need for measures to be taken to offset the adverse effects of the new runway on local communities.' A 57-year-old piece of unfinished business has been finally brought to completion with the help of the Fingal Old IRA Commemorative Society who unveiled at the weekend, the finished monument to the members of the Fingal Brigade who fought in the Battle of Ashbourne. In the 1950s the Society decided to commission and erect a monument to commemorate two of the Fingal volunteers who had been killed in the course of the Battle: John Crennigan from Swords and Thomas Rafferty from Lusk. They engaged sculptor Peter Grant to execute the work based on the poem of Thomas Ashe the Fingal Commandant:'Let Me Carry Your Cross for Ireland, Lord'. Due to a lack of funds two important side panels were omitted from the construction. Over the years many attempts to raise the necessary monies to complete the work were made, but failed. In 2014 when the Society considered how they would mark the centenary year of the Rising and it was again proposed that the monument be completed. After some investigation, the society found that Peter Grant was now, sadly deceased but Steward Bobbit from Ashbourne had posted a YouTube video interview with Grant's widow which he had made some years previously and in the course of this short film the artist's studio was shown and revealed something the society had been looking for. As the camera panned the work space it crossed what looked like one of the missing figures, a Volunteer in full uniform. It later transpired that the second figure also existed and they stood about three feet high. Unfortunately, Peter's widow was also deceased but Following a lot of good detective work, contact was made with the executors of the Grant estate. They generously transferred ownership of the figures to the society and it put in train, plans to finally finish the monument. There was one more twist in the tale when the society was contacted by an associate of Peter Grant who said he had something belonging to the monument. This turned out to be a seven foot cast of the Volunteer figure. On examination the two figures recovered from the studio were the artist's models which would be scaled up for casting. The second panel has since been worked up to full scale and both have been cast and were erected on the monument in their rightful place, in time for a new dedication ceremony on Sunday last at 1.30pm. Appropriately, the day fell on the 99th anniversary of the death of Thomas Ashe. Fingal is the 'odd man out' in Dublin by failing to apply for funding to provide a public swimming pool, according to a Labour councillor who wants to see a public pool in Swords. Cllr Duncan Smith (Lab) explained: 'I asked the chief executive of Fingal County Council why the Council has not applied for any funding under the Local Authority Swimming Pool Grant. Fingal is alone among Dublin Authorities in not providing a public swimming pool and leisure facility; Dublin City Council provides seven, Dun Laoghaire Rathdown provide three and South Dublin County Council provide two. 'It is embarrassing and regrettable that Fingal does not provide one public swimming pool throughout the entire county. I grew up and learned how to swim in a public swimming pool in Finglas. I take for granted that potentially life-saving skill I learned at a young age in my local municipal pool. It is incredible that a town the size of Swords does not have a public swimming pool.' Cllr Smith added: 'I am especially disappointed that the answer I received stated that local demand is met by the private sector. First of all, I believe this is unacceptable and secondly I don't believe that is true. 'To take Swords for an example, there is a pool in Energie Fitness, Applewood and a pool in ALSAA. Both are very good facilities but both are private. ALSAA may serve many people in Swords but it is not actually in the town. 'Both clubs require membership and membership costs money, money many families do not have to spare. 'The need for a public swimming pool does come up over and over again and I will continue to press Fingal to include such an amenity in a medium term plan for the County. If there is central grant support from Government I believe Fingal County Council should elbow its way to the front of the queue and acquire any assistance it can to deliver such an important amenity.' Fingal County Council has been invited to work on a pilot research project to explore ways in which local authorities can precisely identify vacant properties. The work in conjunction with the Housing Agency will also examine the reasons for the vacancies with the objective of acquiring properties for social housing. In his report to the September meeting of the Council, Chief Executive Paul Reid said that the recent Preliminary Census of Population report revealed that the vacant dwellings rate fell from seven per cent in 2011, to 5.5 per cent in 2016 which was considerably lower than the national average of 12.8 per cent and the regional average of 6.9 per cent. Mr Reid also reported that there were 40 void social housing units at the end of August and explained to councillors that it was virtually impossible to return a lower figure of voids from a housing stock of over 5,000 homes. 'That is the lowest percentage of voids of stock,' he explained. 'We would all like it to be zero but it will never be. That is normal stock churn and we have less than one per cent of our stock in voids.' He added that the Council places voids in two categories depending on the level of repairs required and the turnaround times range from eight to 12 weeks for category one voids and eight to 16 weeks for category two. '"We have pretty good processes,' he said Mr Reid revealed that 60 per cent of applicants for Housing Support within Fingal have responded to letters sent out by the Council's Housing Department as part of the preparation of a Summary of Social Housing Need Assessment under the 2009 Housing Act. The preliminary closing date was August 19 and reminder letters have been issued to those applicants who have not yet responded. 'The onus is on the resident to advise us if they have moved. We are doing everything in our power to make contact with people,' said Mr Reid. He also stated that the Council is currently in the process of identifying suitable qualifying projects as part of the 200m Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund which was recently established under Rebuilding Ireland, the Government's Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness. The aim of this Fund is to support the development of critical infrastructures, such as roads, which will facilitate and make viable the use of zoned lands for larger housing developments. After reports of further unrest at Oberstown Children's Detention Campus in Lusk, the former Minister for Children and now local Senator, James Reilly has hit out at his successor at the Department of Children for failing to grant his request for her to meet with local residents concerned about security at the facility. Katherine Zappone is the current Minister for Children and took over the post vacated by Senator Reilly when he lost his Dail seat in the last General Election. At a recent public meeting in the Man O'War, concerned neighbours of Oberstown called for a meeting with Minister Zappone. Senator Reilly, who attended that meeting, told the residents he would take their request to the minister. But so far, Minister Zappone has failed to agree a meeting with the residents, sending only an acknowledgement of the request to Senator Reilly, who said that is 'not good enough'. Senator Reilly told the Fingal Independent: 'The concerns of people who live near the facility must also be listened to. They are very concerned about the numerous breakouts in the past year and are understandably worried that it keeps happening. 'Following a meeting of local residents a few weeks ago, I have written to Minister Zappone requesting that she meet with local residents to hear their concerns. All I received in response was a basic acknowledgement with no promise of a meeting. This is not good enough and I will be contacting her again about this.' Senator Reilly said there had been further reports of unrest at the facility recently and he was now calling on Ministe Zappone to 'take urgent action to ensure the safety of staff, local residents and children at the facility'. Senator Reilly added: 'Minister Zappone needs to take urgent action immediately to secure the safety of staff, detainees and local residents.' He said that in the light of recent incidents at the facility: 'Immediate action is required before somebody is seriously injured or killed.' Senator Reilly concluded: 'In the medium-term Minister Zappone needs to review protocols which have effectively tied staff's hands in dealing with these young offenders and resulted in an increased burden on the Gardai. There have been many injuries to staff members this year and that is not acceptable.' A North Wexford student has been awarded a research scholarship to undertake a project in Canada. Michael Casey from Seaview, Ballygarrett, has been awarded a James M. Flaherty research scholarship by the Irish Canada University Foundation. As part of the project, Michael will have to travel to Memorial University in St Johns, Newfoundland, where he will undertake a collaborative research project. He is currently doing his PhD degree at the University of Ulster, Derry. There are times when our tangle twisted Government and their predecessors for that matter somehow manage to outdo themselves in stupidity, hole digging and did I say stupidity? Just when we'd thought Irish Water was just a bad dream it as transmogrified into a bloody nightmare. News that 660m is to be poured into this bottomless pit of ineptitude to keep it afloat can only be greeted with open-mouthed horror, not unlike the kind expressionist painter Edvard Munch depicted. The bailout bill was due to be 479m, but what's 180,000,000 between Government departments used to dealing with billions in bailouts. The news came as a devastating blow to parents of sick children throughout the country, many of whom have to watch their children suffer due to microscopic hospital budgets and a creaking health service. These are children who suffer from Cystic Fibrosis, sever spine curvatrue, dental problems etc. Meanwhile anyone who suffers from a heart attack in the South East is at risk of dying in an ambulance on the way to hospital as there is no second cath lab in University Hospital Waterford, despite assurances that one would be provided. A price has been put on people's lives. Drugs are not being provided and corners are being cut. A decisive Government needs to act and it will be interesting what this year's Budget brings. The wet white elephant in the Dail has been a shambles from day one. For all the achievements of the Fine Gael and Labour Government Irish Water was a giant turd of a mistake, one which Kenny & Co are still trying to wipe clean from their shiny shoes. I was never against paying water charges, after all in life you pay for what you get and don't expect things to be handed to you for nothing. The Government buckled in the face of strong opposition and we are now in a limbo kind of water world where people, without the meter ticking so to speak, have returned to using Biblical amounts of water in their homes, no doubt to further annoy the Government in some instances. Housing Minister Simon Coveney confirmed on Thursday that the state body will get the 660m bailout this year, warning that a decision to suspend water charges in Budget 2017 could have 'big consequences' for funding other services next year. His suggestion was backed by Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe who said funding for Irish Water would compete with other demands such as housing. Meanwhile Michael Martin & Co are offering free water (which may be upgraded to wine closer to November) for votes, as he promises to suspend water charges indefinitely. A report by a commission on water charges is due in November and there will be no prizes for what it will conclude. If Enda Kenny is a laughing stock in Europe and at home (well everywhere) over Irish Water, spare a thought for an Englishman who took a photograph of 'himself' which he accidentally shared with his Family WhatsApp group, one of whom, in turn, shared the story on social media. The man shared pictures of his genitals on his family's WhatsApp group chat. He seemed to have spotted his mistake (of sending image on wrong group chat, perhaps) immediately and looked to cover-up his act. He tried the 'spam' method to make sure no one saw the picture. But it was too late. Embarrassing all round. Those who earned various qualifications at Gorey Community School's night classes were recently presented with their certificates at an adult education awards ceremony in The Amber Springs Hotel, Gorey. Over 170 people attended the ceremony which saw the night class participants presented with full and intermediate awards in: QQI Level 5 childcare; healthcare support; business studies; community care; and animal care; as well as QQI Level 6 childcare; and training and development. Successful accounting technician students also received parchments on the night, and those who completed their second year will now become members of Accounting Technicians Ireland. The awards were presented by the chairman of Gorey Municipal District Cllr Pip Breen. Those present also heard from Gorey Community School principal Michael Finn who said the number of people participating in night classes and receiving awards showed that the school 'was a focal point of the community and providing a much needed service to the area.' He added that the school is the largest provider of evening courses in Wexford. MC Fintan Kemple, who is the director of the school's adult education programme, congratulated the participants and paid tribute to their families and tutors. 'Doing an accredited night class requires a lot of commitment and each person is to be commended for their interest and dedication to their studies,' he said. Special awards were presented in subject areas as follows: childcare, Juanita McGonigle, Michelle McDermott, Katarzyna Gawronska; healthcare support, Ann Marie Canavan, James Byrne; business studies, Muireann Cushe, Gerald Reddin; animal care, Paula Byrne, Julie Woods; training and development, Eamonn Walsh; and accounting technician, Ewa Rybak and Michelle Duffin. Anna Sapilewska was named QQI Student of the Year and Collette Price received a Lifelong Learning award. Up to 280 people attend certified courses and 500 people attend hobby and lifestyle classes in GCS each year. The schedule is available on www.goreyadulted.ie or text your name and address to 087 9049178 for a brochure to be posted out. As the Gorey Credit Union 50th anniversary celebrations continue, the organisation recently held an interdenominational service in St Michael's Church. The service of thanksgiving was led by Fr Matt Boggan, assisted by Methodist Minister Rev Cheryl Patterson; Canon Mark Hayden from Christ Church; Rev Margaret Sykes; and Canon Aidan Jones. Among those in attendance were two founder members, Joe Sheehan and Tony Woulfe, while apologies were received from the other surviving founding members Stan Hempenstall and Paddy Doyle. In an address to the congregation, Gorey Credit Union president Tom Fitzpatrick thanked all who were part of the credit union for the past 50 years, and all who gave so generously of their time. Those present included directors, staff and credit union members. Mr Fitzpatrick said that the services offered by the organisation 'do not just happen.' 'It is down to our current staff and the foresight of previous staff members,' he said. He added that the service was being held to give thanks to everyone who helped to build Gorey Credit Union to be what it is today, 'from the founder members to the volunteer collectors, from past directors and supervisory committee members to the current board and board oversight committee. A special jubilee candle was lit by Tony Woulfe to celebrate the lives of the founders and their vision and commitment. Symbols presented at the altar included: the Credit Union flag, placed by Rosanna Carroll; an old minute book, presented by Andrew Cullen; a photograph of the founding directors by Joan Hughes; a photograph of the current directors by Joe Kinsella; and a photo of the current staff, placed by Caroline Kavanagh. A special prayer of thanksgiving was read by Rev Cheryl Patterson, and a reading delivered by Enda O'Connor, one of the longest serving members of the board of directors. The prayers of intercession were led by manager Barry Monaghan, staff members and directors. Music was provided by students from Gorey Community School, Bunscoil Loreto, and St Joseph's primary school. Minister Paul Kehoe leads the applause as a plaque is unveiled to mark the official re-opening of the Athenaeum in Enniscorthy The historic Athenaeum was officially opened last Friday night after almost a year of conservation and restoration work. The newly restored 150-seat theatre will act as a community and arts venue catering for drama productions, concerts and other public events and also features a new permanent exhibition on Wexford's role during the Rising. The exhibition includes a reconstruction of the actual HQ of the rebels in 1916 with the information presented on a series of props, graphics and supplemented by audio narratives. Dedicated spaces within the exhibition include a war council room, secretary's office and an emergency hospital and kitchen. The exhibition, which has been curated by Wexford County Council archivist Grainne Doran, also showcases a large-scale model of Enniscorthy Town and depicts a number of the buildings that featured prominently during the Rising. The space also features a multimedia exhibition. The Athenaeum played a highly prominent role during the 1916 Easter Rising in County Wexford, when it was occupied the Irish Volunteers in support of the Dublin Rising. Using it as their headquarters, every aspect of Rising activity in County Wexford was co-ordinated from there. When not out on duty the Volunteers ate and slept in the building, while Cumann na mBan established a hospital in the auditorium and dormitories in the dressing rooms on the first floor. Performing the opening Minister of State with Responsibility for Defence Paul Kehoe has said that the investment of almost 950,000 from the Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, and Wexford County Council has safeguarded public access to this historic site for generations to come. 'The Athenaeum is an architectural gem and an important part of the culture and history of Enniscorthy. On Thursday April 27, 1916 around 150 Volunteers gathered on Irish Street, their actions and the selection of the Athenaeum as their command post have ensured its place in Irish history. It is very fitting that it was chosen as one of the Ireland 2016 'permanent reminders'. It will be a wonderful resource for locals and tourists keen to learn more about the 1916 Rising in Enniscorthy; and it will be an excellent facility for the arts in County Wexford.' In his address he paid tribute to 'Wexford County Council's role in encouraging community participation during this centenary year. Right across the county there has been a vibrant, quality and diverse programme of arts and heritage events marking the Rising. 'But the Athenaeum is about more than the Rising. It has always been a central part of life and culture here in Enniscorthy. Each and every person has their own memory or thoughts of this rich historical building; it might be thoughts of a relative who was here in 1916 or an involvement in the arts and cultural activities that took place here since. Minister Kehoe went on to pay tribute to the members of the Defence Forces, who were represented at the occasion, for the central part they played in remembering the Rising, 'From the military parade and ceremony at the GPO on Easter Sunday to the Flags for Schools Initiative, the Defence Forces have demonstrated the significance of the centenary. Whether at home or abroad, we can be proud of our Defence Forces, their dedication to their work and the manner in which they represent us all.' The ceremony also included an inspection by Minister Kehoe of an honour guard of the Irish Defence Forces, with a large group of 1916 re-enactors also in attendance. The ceremony marked the conclusion the County Wexford 1916 Centenary Programme which has seen events taking place throughout the county to celebrate the proud and historic contribution made by Wexford during the 1916 Easter Rising. Relatives of Mate James Duff, one of those lost on the Brig Ullswater at Salt Rock, Ballymoney, on January 11, 1868, unveiled a plaque in their memory on Saleen Lane A memorial to those lost on the Brig Ullswater at Salt Rock near Ballymoney on January 11, 1868, was unveiled recently near the site of the disaster. Ten of the eleven crew members were lost, and a descendant of one of those who died, Ken McQuhae, travelled from the USA to unveil the memorial. He provided funding for the plaque which he had erected in memory of his great-grandfather, Mate James Duff. Also present at the ceremony were Ken's wife Diana and their niece and nephew Kathy Graham and Don Bremner from the UK, as well as staff and members of Gorey Municipal District committee, as well as various locals and representatives of local community organisations. The commemorative plaque is situated on Saleen Lane, and a wreath was laid by the relatives during the ceremony. The event was organised by Gorey Municipal District, and tanks were extended to those in the local community who provided invaluable information on the background to the tragedy; the residents of Saleen Lane who allowed access for the event; members of the Kilgorman community; caretakers of Kilgorman cemetery; and RNLI volunteers, in particular Sam Kennedy; and Jim Murphy of Courtown Coastguard. Canon Mark Hayden and Fr Tom Dalton read the blessing at the conclusion of the ceremony, and Gorey uilleann piper Mark Redmond then played a lament in memory of those who lost their lives. Participants in the Summer Reading Challenge, a Libraries Ireland scheme which encouraged children to read books during their holidays, are set to be rewarded for participating in the initiative. Those who completed the scheme will receive a certificate and prize pack at Killarney Library on Saturday, October 8 at 11.30am. The presentation to the young readers will be by Councillor Brendan Cronin, Cathaoirleach of the Killarney Municipal District. Grainne Keary and Brian Keary of Jacks Coastguard Restaurant, Cromane with Georgina Campbell receiving their prestigious best seafood restaurant 2017 at Bord Bia in Dublin. Photo Paul Sherwood Jack's Coastguard Restaurant in Cromane is well accustomed to picking up silverware, and they left Bord Bia headquarters with another trophy on Wednesday - the 2017 Georgina Campbell Award for Ireland's Best Seafood Restaurant. The Mid Kerry restaurant is a family-run business owned and managed by Brian and Grainne Keary, and Brian was delighted that the local seafood they pride themselves on has been recognised. "I am speechless and so honoured", he said. "The whole team at Jacks' Coastguard Restaurant strive to give our guests genuine hospitality, excellence in service and great local food. It's fantastic to have such a well-respected and admired food critic like Georgina Campbell recognise this." "Grainne, my brother Jonathan (head chef), and all here at Jack's are delighted to pick up this prize." Campbell's annual awards are the longest running for food and hospitality in Ireland, and it's the first time Jack's has claimed one of the highly sought after national prizes. The restaurant was Kerry's only winner on the night. In choosing this year's award recipients, Campbell said her team had kept "a sharp eye out for those exceptional establishments which are right on top of their game and going the extra mile for customers." Jack's was opened as a bar by Jack Sugrue in December of 1961, and the seaside business has evolved into a renowned restaurant and wedding venue since the Kearys took up its management in 2006. A detective from Moyvane was honoured at last week's garda awards ceremony for his part in the rescue of three children and their father from a house fire in Shannon in 2005. The day marked a moving swansong for the garda who retired last year from the force after 34 years' service. Retired Gda Det Gerard Flaherty (61) was commended by Commissioner Noirin O'Sullivan for his part in saving the lives of the 30-year-old man, the man's seven-year-old twins and three-year-old child from a fire that had been deliberately started. It was Mr Flaherty's local knowledge gleaned from years policing Shannon town that got them to the scene of the fire within minutes of the call-out. "I knew exactly where the house was having worked in Shannon for so long. We arrived at the scene to see smoke billowing out from the ground floor and flames inside," Mr Flaherty told The Kerryman. The flames and smoke prevented the Moyvane man and his two colleagues, Sergeant David Condren and Det Garda Stephen Ryan, from gaining entry as the man and children stood inside the closed window of an upstairs bedroom. "We managed to get a ladder off a neighbour and Stephen went up first and eventually got the man to open the window." Standing in the middle of the ladder under Det Ryan, Mr Flaherty became the centre of a human chain as they hoisted the children and, lastly, their father down to safety. "It was all over in a matter of minutes and looking back it was probably a good thing the man had not opened the window sooner as the air would have probably made the fire spread faster. "It was certainly the worst fire I attended in my career, with young children involved." Mr Flaherty, who passed out of Templemore in 1981, was posted to Shannon town in 1986; spending his last eight years as garda detective in passport control at Shannon Airport. A scene from The Gift, shot in The Gap of Dunloe The team at Killarney's OC Productions are all set for Glasgow this coming weekend, where their feature film debut The Gift is in contention for the prestigious 'Best First Feature' award at the 2016 World of Film International Festival. The Gift's director, Killarney native Damian O'Callaghan, says it's an honour to be listed alongside films with respected casts and personnel, as well as impressive budgets, and is relishing the chance to promote his home. "We're up against stiff competition to say the least, it's great to even be there really, and it's also great to be bringing my hometown to a UK audience", O'Callaghan explains. "We filmed scenes in places like the Gap of Dunloe, Lady's View, and even the National Park, which has never featured in a film like ours before, so more people are going to be aware of Killarney's beauty after this." The plot centres on Sean (Alan Devine), who is reeling from the loss of his wife to cancer and the mental anguish it's caused. The Gift's handling of sensitive subject matter has won appreciation from its audiences, and O'Callaghan hopes that the film will contribute to a better understanding of mental illness: "Mental health issues and suicide have touched a great many people, and I received a lot of goodwill for addressing it. With more awareness comes more understanding, and with more understanding we'll be better placed to tackle these problems", O'Callaghan says. "We researched extensively beforehand, and sought advice from experts in the field so we could deal with these issues as competently as possible. We wanted to bring the viewer into Sean's mind." Its realism is accentuated by a stellar cast that includes Devine, Una Kavanagh, Dawn Bradfield, and Brendan Grace. Co-writer Paul FitzSimons says it was special to watch them in action as they brought a long-held idea to life: "This was Damian's concept, and it's one he's had for a long time. We wanted to do it justice, and while we started out with the intention of making another short film, we realised after a while that it needed to be feature-length, to allow for proper development", he says. "But to really nail it, we needed a great cast, and we had that. It was amazing to watch what had been jotted on paper taking on a life of its own thanks to the amazing acting talent at our disposal." It's a second nod from the festival's organisers for O'Callaghan, after his short film 'Bouncers' was rostered last year. 'Bouncers' was also set in Killarney, and O'Callaghan explains that his hometown can expect to be at the centre of future projects as well. "If I can bring a story to Killarney, why wouldn't I? We always receive great support from local businesses and the local people, and the natural facilities and settings in Killarney are second to none. It's an outstanding place for filmmaking." "We premiered The Gift at the Kerry Film Festival in Killarney last year, and it was great to see my first feature sold out, but all the more special that it happened in my home town." The Gift will screen from 6.15pm on Saturday, October 1, at Glasgow's Britannia Panopticon, and O'Callaghan, Fitzsimons, and some cast members will be at hand for a questions and answers session after the screening. Tickets are available from www.woffglasgow.com, and the trailer for The Gift can be viewed at www.ocproductions.ie, where further information can also be obtained. The festival runs from September 29 to October 2. Debra, Danny and Dolly Lawlor Tralee, Philip and Jerry OBrien Sneem, Thomas and Jeremiah Bambury Kenmare (back from left) Maria and Donal OSullivan Callinafercy, Pat Perryman Listowel and Jack Fitzpatrick Cahersiveen at the gates of St Mary of the Angels run by St John of God Kerry Services in Beaufort on Tuesday morning. Photo by Michelle Cooper Galvin Families of adults with special needs living at Beaufort's Saint Mary of the Angels are reeling this week after being told their loved ones will have to leave the place they have called home for decades and move into houses in towns and villages they are entirely unfamiliar with. News of the shock move has heightened fears among other parents and families that the St John of God's service, which owns St Mary's, is escalating plans to move more and more residents into the 'community'- essentially single unit housing in towns and villages across the county. This is in line with the HSE's national strategy providing for the transfer of people living in what the executive describes as 'congregated settings' into 'community settings' - a policy that was rolled out in 2011. In a statement to The Kerryman on Tuesday titled 'Time to Move on from Congregated Setttings', St John of God said it is 'obliged to comply with national policy'. But parents are deeply critical of this model in respect of St Mary's. They describe the centre as a wonderful facility staffed by deeply caring workers in what they believe is a 'community' setting already, rather than a congregated setting of the traditional institutional kind. They now fear St John of God is escalating its plans. A report by the service seen by The Kerryman, sets out as a priority the closure of two named residential units in the St Mary's campus. Parents and families affected have been left heartbroken by the development. "We got a phone call a week ago to tell us our son would be moving to a house in Milltown," Cahersiveen man Jack Fitzpatrick told The Kerryman this week. "We were given no choice and are, like the other parents, just devastated," Mr Fitzpatrick added. His 40-year-old son Bernard, who has profound special needs, knows no other community, having lived in St Mary's since he was five years-of-age. Wrenching him from one community for the sake of following a care-in-the-community model could have catastrophic consequences for Bernard, sister Laura said. "It is so maddening...the thing is that Bernard is extremely happy where he is. He is surrounded by trees and flowers, knows everybody there, everyone knows him. "This is his community, and if he ends up in Milltown or anywhere in the greater community he will lose everything he has. Bernard will think that all his friends have died." She fears her brother would become extremely isolated. "They [residents] are very vulnerable. Who would he be living near?." Portmagee woman Noreen Devane received a call on behalf of management at St Mary's at 4.55pm on Friday, September 16, to inform her that her daughter Tracey (43) - a resident of 40 years - would be moved into a house in the Cromane area. "They can't just come along and do this. We don't understand it, why can't they build more houses there and leave the children where they are? "It's a fabulous place. Tracey is very happy where she is. When she was moved to one of the chalets within St Mary's a few years ago it took her a long time to settle. What would it be like for her going down to Cromane, a place where she knows no one?" At least two of Tracey's fellow residents are blind, Ms Devane said: "They know their environment by touch inside out, are they going to have to learn how to get around a new house now?" Ms Devane said the shock phone call was like a 'bolt from the blue'. St Mary of the Angels was founded as a residential centre for children with disabilities by the Franciscan Sisters in 1968 on land donated them to by local couple Denis and Mary Doyle in 1964. The service was amalgamated with St John of God Community Services Ltd in 2005, by which time St Mary's was long recognised as one of the best examples of a centre of its kind in the entire country. 76 adult residents live there today, most in bungalows on campus. The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) inspected St Mary's on two separate visits in October and December of 2015. HIQA was satisfied that care was provided to a good standard by a 'kind and caring' staff, but pointed to a number of concerns ranging from sleeping arrangements, fire safety and access to community activities. On the October inspection HIQA reported: "Some improvements, however, were required, most notably in the unit that was home to 11 residents in three multi-occupancy rooms and one single bedroom. "This unit was not suited for its stated purpose due to multi-occupancy bedrooms with inadequate screening between beds that did not support the privacy and dignity of residents." At the outset of its August 2015 Kerry Services Development Committee report, the St John of God Community Services Ltd cited the accommodation issues: "The original infrastructure was designed for children; however, today it is home to 76 adults with disabilities. Given the needs of the current residents, this demanding demographic has led to inappropriate accommodation...in some areas of the campus, inadequate facilities lead to a lack of privacy and dignity when tending to the intimate care needs of some residents and contribute to a higher level of risk attached to these activities for staff and residents." That report pointed to renovation works that had already taken place and more that were planned, but said 'the campus has restricted any new admissions in order to improve the quality of life for the current residents.' However, a breakdown of the individual housing units on the campus, the numbers of residents and staff within each under the 'development plan' of the report, suggests that the service has already identified the towns and villages it plans on moving 'current' residents to. "The St John of God Housing Association is actively pursuing the option of long-term leasing with the local authority on some of the properties rented by St John of God Community Services Ltd. Kerry County Council is supportive of the efforts to decongregate St Mary of the Angels, Beaufort, in line with the National Housing Strategy for People with a Disability 2011-2016," the report reads. Furthermore, the report clearly states that two units in particular will be first in line for closure: "The facilities on campus are non-compliant from a regulatory perspective and it is critical that residents are housed in appropriate housing. The first priority areas will be the closure of St Brendan's Unit and St Fidelis' Unit, followed by other settings on campus. Among the 'medium-term' goals set out in the report was the identification of sites at 'Kerry Services to develop housing options for people living on campus at St Mary of the Angels and those persons who are inappropriately housed in the community. 76 persons with a total of 24 bungalow style houses and four apartments.' Catherine O'Donnell's 41-year-old brother Philip O'Brien has known no other community, having been placed there at the age of five. "It's one of the best facilities of its kind in Ireland and it is the only community he knows. I don't see how he could be expected to 'thrive' in the community in what would be a backwards step. I think it is nuts." Joyce Bambury who is a member of the families' committee is urging the St John of God's and HSE to redesignate St Mary's - where her brother Thomas (39) has been in care since 1992: "My big worry with these 'community' houses is that if they can't fund what they already have I seriously doubt they will be able to fund the houses to an adequate level of staffing for the needs of residents. It's mind-boggling. We're looking now to have St Mary's redesignated as a real 'community setting' as it is not a 'congregated setting'." In a statement issued to The Kerryman on Tuesday titled 'Time to Move on from Congregated Settings. A Strategy for Community Inclusion', St John of God said it is obliged to comply with the HSE's national policy': "We acknowledge that a number of families are fearful of community living and we will be working closely with the families as we progress with the policy. We understand that moving home is a stressful undertaking for the residents and their families." A series of initiatives to commemorate the centenary of Tomas Aghas' death have been agreed following a public meeting at Scoil Naisiunta Eoin Baiste in Lios Poil on Sunday and they are due to take place over the next 12 months. Sunday's meeting took place exactly 99 years on from the Kerry patriot's passing, and was attended by locals, UCC history lecturer Gabriel Doherty, Coiste Cuimhneachain Tomas Aghas, as well as councillors Seamus 'Cosai' Mac Gearailt, Toireasa Ferris, and Michael D O'Shea. "We took a number of suggestions from those who attended on how best to honour Tomas Aghas," Risteard Mac Eoin of the Coiste Cuimhneachain told The Kerryman. "Among these efforts will be a series of talks and commemorative walks during August's Feile Lios Poil." Micheal O Morain's 1985 booklet on Aghas will also be relaunched with new information included, while a new monument is to be unveiled in Aghas' home townland of Cinn Aird two days prior to the centenary. Risteard says that plenty more besides these ideas will be put into practice. "We'll discuss a few more of the ideas that were put forward last night at future meetings over the coming months." Aghas died at the Mater Hospital in Dublin on September 1917 from the effects of force-feeding by Mountjoy prison authorities. He had begun a hunger strike days previously. A member of the Gaelic League, the GAA, and the IRB, he was also a founding member of the Irish Volunteers, and commanded the Fingal battalion in Ashbourne during the Easter Rising. Parents in Tralee have been warned to be on the look out after a suspicious man was seen trying to photograph children in the town park and in an estate in the town. The first incident occurred in Tralee Town Park in the middle of last week when a group of young school children were in the park with their teacher collecting items for their nature class. The teacher became concerned when she saw a man with a camera who was clearly attempting to take photographs of her pupils. She confronted the man who then hid his camera under his jacket and quickly left the area. The second incident took place in the Mitchels Avenue area on Tuesday morning. A mother - who contacted The Kerryman to alert the public to the issue - was walking her child to school when she spotted a man near a car with a camera trying to photograph children on their way to school. The woman's daughter - a pupil who had been in the class group in the park - then told her mother that the man at the car was the same man her teacher had confronted. The mother approached the man but he got into the car and left the area. She then alerted gardai who said they had received other calls about the suspicious man and were investigating the matter. The man is described as being white with an Irish accent and aged in his mid forties. Anyone with additional information or who encounters the man is encouraged to contact gardai. At the launch of the Silent Tide at Ross in the Dunbrody Visitor Centre in aid of New Ross Community Hospital were James Ryan fundraising committee, Laura Collins director of nursing at New Ross Community Hospital, artist Danny Brennan and Frances Ryan chairperson of the hospital board Two hundred copies of a high quality print of a fantastic limited edition picture of the Dunbrody Famine Ship are being sold to raise money for New Ross Community Hospital which has built a new extension. New Ross artist Danny Brennan made the picture entitled The Silent Tide at Ross, which is valued at 5,000, and it is now available to be viewed at New Ross Community Hospital and New Ross Credit Union. The picture can be purchased for 500 at the hospital and is one of only 200 prints. Brennan is a celebrated artist who lives in Campile. He has given the rights for the picture to the New Ross Community Hospital committee for free. James Ryan of the fundraising committee said: 'It can be purchased for 500 outright or monthly so you can buy it over five months or ten months.' The picture can also be bought from Mr Ryan on 086 8179051. He said: 'Many people will not be able to afford the painting but they can purchase this beautiful, framed print.' The fundraising follows a HIQA report which did an assessment of the hospital and recommended that an extension of several beds be built. HIQA highlighted infrastructural shortcomings at the facility. The works saw eight single rooms built, with the conversion of a nine bed ward into three double rooms and the transformation of four bed wards into two bed and one bed rooms in accordance with HIQA standards. Mythen Construction built the new rooms which had to be completed by October 31. The extension is now completed. 150,000 had to be raised to conclude all works and this fundraiser will bring to a conclusion the campaign, it is hoped. 850,000 was raised through prudent financial management at the hospital for the works between 2009 and 2015. New Ross Community Hospital has been caring for patients from across the district for generations. The South Eastern Health Board closed the hospital 27 years ago and the community took over running it, with many people volunteering their time to keep it open. 'The hospital has helped families in the extended community of New Ross. The picture would make an ideal gift for someone living abroad and for a Christmas present. It is also ideal for businesses as the community hospital is a registered charity so the purchase can be written off for tax purposes.' One hundred cyclists from across the county took to the roads of the stunning Hook Head peninsula on a blustery day recently to raise money for construction of a Helen Blake replica lifeboat. Deputy Paul Kehoe launched the 50km cycle which kicked off from Hook Lighthouse where cyclists were cheered on by a large crowd of family members and supporters. Travelling on a route which took in Campile, Horeswood, Arthurstown and Ramsgrange, the cyclists continued to Hook Head, completing the 50km route. One of the Hook Head Sportive organisers, Brendan Maher said: 'It was all for the Helen Blake replica boat. We had cyclists from Gorey, Enniscorthy, New Ross, Wexford and Waterford. It was windy, but the rain stayed away until an hour after the sportive was completed so we were lucky. It was all about having fun and there was no competitive element to the sportive, but you wouldn't have thought that if you saw the first half dozen at the end.' Describing the event as tremendous, Mr Maher said it was the latest fundraiser for the boat. A game dining night is being held in Neville's pub in Fethard on Sea later in the year, following a similar successful night at the pub last year which also raised money for the Helen Blake boat. The lifeboat's crew were involved in one of the most daring rescues in Irish maritime history. Nine men from Fethard RNLI died in the tragedy. In 1914, the Helen Blake set out from Fethard on Sea in gale force winds to rescue the crew of the Norwegian schooner, Mexico, which had run aground on the Keeragh Islands. Before the day was out, nine members of the lifeboat crew had lost their lives in the greatest tragedy ever suffered by the Irish RNLI. Of the 14 Fethard crew members, nine were washed away in the impact, leaving the remaining five with no choice but to scramble onto the island. Despite all that the volunteers had just endured, they continued to help rescue the eight-man crew of the Mexico, as the boat now sat trapped among the island rocks. Using ropes, they managed to transfer the crew to the shore. Saved, but stranded, the men remained without food, water or shelter for three days. One crew member from the Mexico succumbed to exposure. Building of the boat is due to commence later this year and will take around 18 months to build, costing 145,000. Construction of the replica boat will be under the supervision of local shipwright, John Colfer, who counts the Dunbrody Famine Ship amongst the previous projects he has worked on. The work will be carried out as part of a TUS training programme by 18 to 25-year-olds, who will gain valuable skills as well as work experience. The fundraising team has to raise 85,000, with the remaining money coming from grants. Reverend Ivan Dungan, a former principal in Wexford town, has been appointed pastor for the New Ross and Fethard Union, beginning in his role this Saturday. The New Ross native, who was principal of St Iberius Church of Ireland Primary School in Wexford, said he is looking forward to the role. Bishop of Cashel, Ferns and Ossory, Michael Burrows said: 'I am delighted that Revd Ivan Duggan has agreed to my request over pastoral responsibility for the parishes of New Ross and Fethard Union from the start of October.' Mr Duggan is a talented musician who was first ordained in 2009. Since then he has served as part of the ministry team in both Bunlody and Ferns. He has also contributed to the chaplaincy in Wexford General Hospital. Bishop Burrows said: 'He now comes to New Ross with the considerable advantage of having had his home there for many years. His gifts in education and music are a constant enrichment to his ministry. I wish him well in his pastoral ministry covering a large and beautiful area of South Wexford, where both residents and visitors alike will beneift from his work of prayer and care.' Kathleen and Larry Carrigan celebrated 60 diamond years of marriage on September 18. New Ross woman Kathleen (nee Furness) met Donegal man Larry when he was working in New Ross in 1953. He spotted Kathleen, 81 and being too shy to ask her on a date himself, asked Peggy O'Leary to ask her on his behalf. For their first date, they went to the cinema to see 'Black Magic', starring Norman Wisdom and the rest, as they say, is history. The couple moved to London in 1954, returning to New Ross to be married by Father Power at the Parish church in 1956. They settled back in London and moved to Swindon, Wiltshire after the birth of their three daughters - Rosemary, Geraldine and Anne. They have lived in Royal Wootton Bassett for the last 12 years but they regularly return to New Ross, where the home in Mary Street is still a special place for all of the family. Kathleen, 81 and Larry, 87, had an early celebration in England a few weeks ago with their family and celebrated their diamond anniversary with family in New Ross recently. The couple have a grandson, Alex, a granddaughter, Emma and three great-grandchildren, Eila, Louie and Lewis. Tony Egan who has been missing since Monday last The family of a missing Gusserane man have appealed for him to contact them immediately. Tony Egan, whose 33rd birthday is this Friday, went missing on Monday night last from his home in Portarligton, County Laois, where he has been living for the past two years. His sister Roseanne issued an appeal to Tony, saying: 'We want to tell him you come home because we are all worried about you and we love you and we want you to come home to us.' Searches have been taking place in Portlaoise for Tony who was last seen at his Newmill Court home at about 9 p.m. on Monday. The son of Nicholas and Bridget Egan of Ballygarvan, Gusserane, Tony has two brothers, Paul and David and two sisters, Roseanne and Elaine. He was working as a volunteer in a charity in Portlaoise up until recently and had planned to return to this work. Tony was due to return to Gusserane on Tuesday last but his family have not been able to contact him since the previous night. A former pupil of Clongeen NS and Ramsgrange Community School. Tony studied Politics in Maynooth and went on to become a Labour town councillor on Athy Town Council having been co-opted onto the body in 2008. Describing her older brother as an intelligent, thoughtful, very nice man, Roseanne said her mother was speaking to him the night he went missing and had made arrangements to collect him and bring him back home the following day. Roseanne said: 'We went up to see him the Sunday before last and he was talking to us but he seemed distant and he didn't seem himself. He is a real decent fella and is always thinking about other people.' Tony, who previously lived in London for four years, is a proud member of the gay community who did a lot for the gay community in Athy, Roseanne said. Roseanne has been on local radio stations and has launched a social media campaign to help find her brother Tony. Gardai in Portlaoise plan to carry out another search for Tony today (Tuesday) and if he is not found the Egan family are organising a search on Thursday and are appealing to members of the public to join them as they search for Tony. Gardai have appealed for help in tracing his whereabouts. Anyone with information is asked to contact the local station on 057 862 3112 or the confidential line at 1800 666 111. Tomas Kuliesius, Wexford Town, Wexford winner of the PhoneWatch Most Consistent Performer in Direct Sales Award 2016 presented with his award by Neil Warren, Regional Sales Manager, PhoneWatch Wexford Town man Tomas Kuliesius scooped a top award recently. Tomas beat off stiff competition from over 100 colleagues at the recent PhoneWatch Direct Sales Employee Awards to bring home the prestigious Most Consistent Performer in Direct Sales Award 2016. The PhoneWatch Direct Sales Employee awards honour outstanding PhoneWatch representatives from around the country who have excelled in their roles. Tomas who works with Phonewatch in Wexford was presented with his award by Neil Warren, Regional Sales Manager, PhoneWatch at an awards ceremony in Limerick. Speaking at the awards, Eoin Dunne, managing director, PhoneWatch said: 'Our representatives demonstrate a concern for our customers that is unparallelled, they regularly go the extra mile to ensure that the security needs of our customers are exceeded so that they can feel safe in their homes. 'Tomas consistently delivers for PhoneWatch customers throughout Wexford and is a deserving recipient of this year's award.' Judy Kearney with Minister Paul, Chief of Staff Vice Admiral Mark Mellett DSM, and other guests at the ceremony A Wexford man has been posthumously honoured by the army 55 years after he risked his life to aid Irish troops under siege in Jadotville during the Congo Emergency. Charles Kearney's widow Judy, who lives on Forth Mountain, near Wexford town was invited to a unit citation for A Company 35th Infantry Battalion at a Jadotville ceremony at Custume Barracks, Athlone, at which her husband was given a posthumous award. However, she had no idea that she was to receive the citation. 'This was a surprise to me as it concerned the 55th Anniversary of the battle of Jadotville 1961, in which my husband Charlie was involved,' Judy told this newspaper. The wooden plaque describes Charlie as an Irish hero and a very courageous Wexford man. The presentation of the award took place last Saturday (September 17) a few days before the premiere of a film about the Siege of Jadotville, starring Jamie Dornan as Commandant Pat Quinlan who led the Irish troops during what was until recently a little-publicised military action. For many years, the siege was downplayed by the military establishment despite the herpoic actions of Quinlan and his men who were beieged by thousands of Katangan tribesmen and heavily-armed foreign mercenaries. Charles Kearney, who was from Camolin, risked his life to aid the Irish U.N. forces and was personally thanked by Comdt Quinlan for his role in helping them at great risk to his own life. While the massacre of Irish troops at Niemba by Baluba tribesmen in the Congo in September, 1960, has been seered into Irish consciousness, the heroic actions of the 150 soldiers of A Company, 35th Infantry Battalion against overwhelming forces in Jadotville in 1961 which, after years of suppression, have only relatively recently been given their proper place in the national arena. 'Charlie was never in uniform,' said Judy. It's something that she is keen to stress, and she has even written to Defence Minister Paul Kehoe to correct the impression in official circles that her husband had been in the army. Charles died in 2012, two months short of his 80th birthday and is buried at his ranch Lion Kop, near the Victoria Falls, in Zambia. Charles's coffin was draped in a U.N. flag topped by a beret donated by McKee Army Barracks as a tribute to his selfless role in the Congo Emergency. Despite living most of his adult life in Africa, Charles remained a Wexford man at heart. His sister is buried in Gorey and his father in Camolin where another relative, Brendan Turner, is still farming. After the Irish troops at Jadotville surrendered, Charles, who had already passed on valuable intelligence to the U.N., took part in a reconnaissance mission with three Irish officers close to a Katangese military camp where they believed the 184 Irish U.N. soldiers under Commdt Quinlan were being held. There were great fears for the prisoners' safety as a planned exchange of captives had not taken place. But as the recce party neared the camp they too were surrounded and taken prisoner. A contemporary report says: 'They never slept a wink all that night as they listened to a mob outside the cell howling for their blood.' The next day, the order was given for them to be shot, however, President Moise Tschombe intervened to quash the execution order and they were transferred to the town of Kolwezi where the other Irish captives were being held. A highly complimentary letter from then U.N. Secretary General U Thant praised Charles for his devotion to the cause of the U.N. over and above the normal call of duty. The Secretary General said this had earned Charles the high esteem of his colleagues and the gratitude of the United Nations. Noel Carey, from Blarney, who was then a young lieutenant with the UN forces says that he frequently refers to Charles Kearney in lectures to military and historical societies. 'I knew Charles - we thought his name was Myles - as he was invaluable before and during the conflict at Jadotville, keeping us up to date by mercenary and Katangan forces,' said Noel. 'He certainly put his life in danger, lost his job and was taken prisoner almost being executed, and spent four weeks incarcerated in a prison in Kolwezi with us. 'He was a remarkable man, a real patriot and a hero,' said Noel, adding that Charles 'never got the recognition he deserved.' Wexford hoteliers have welcomed the continuing growth in visitors to Ireland as recorded in the latest CSO figures. These show a 9.8 per cent increase in trips to the Ireland by overseas visitors between May-July of this year. Wexford hoteliers state that this growth is very positive for the sector, helping to sustain local employment in an industry which supports more than 9,000 jobs in this county. However, they caution that the effect of Brexit and the weakness in Sterling need to be monitored so that the sector can plan for potential negative impact. Aidan Quirke, Chair of the South East Branch of the Irish Hotels Federation believes that the growth in visitors has delivered a major boost to Irish tourism, building on last year's performance. The latest figures show visitor numbers from North America up 13.3 per cent while Britain is recording an increase of 8.6 per cent, despite the large drop in the Sterling exchange rate in the wake of the Brexit referendum, and the rest of Europe is up 10 per cent. 'There has been a real sense of optimism in Wexford this summer season, as we have seen more visitors on the ground. However, Brexit is a significant concern with Sterling having fallen by more than 16 per cent against the Euro compared to this time last year. This could have a negative knock-on effect for our local tourism industry,' said Mr Quirke. 'Tourism is now a major contributor to our economy, generating 170 million in Wexford and supporting 9,000 jobs,' said Mr Quirke. Wexford Food Champion Anthony O'Toole got the opportunity to explore food tourism potential at a Failte Ireland conference recently. Anthony of Culinarean Press in Ferns was one of a number of Food Champions who attended the conference. Those attending Food Connect which was Failte Ireland's first dedicated food tourism conference heard that more than four in five food travellers are satisfied with Ireland's food offering. 'Food Connect' was a two day conference where food tourism businesses got to explore the world of food tourism, hear the latest research, learn new food tourism trends, gain insights from international experts and take in mouth-watering food showcases. Speaking at the 'Food Connect' Conference, John Mulcahy, Head of Food and Hospitality with Failte Ireland, said: 'It's clear that Ireland has a lot to offer when it comes to food. There is quality produce in locations such as Wexford and a great many experiences on offer for visitors when they come here. However, what is also clear from the research is that while people are pleasantly surprised by our food offering once they get here, perceptions beforehand may be lagging. 'Our 'Food Connect' event is designed to tackle this very issue and the insights shared on how leading destinations position themselves in the marketplace will ensure that we can build on what we have.' Among the research discussed at the conference were the results of the World Food Travel Association 2016 Food Travel Monitor which shows that 77 per cent of holidaymakers were satisfied or very satisfied with Ireland's food offering. Some of the attendance at the Harvest Moon Celebration at the Hook Lighthouse The winning photograph from the Hook photographic competition featuring some steel wool spinning captured by Dwane Doran An imaginative photograph taken by a Rathnure photographer at Hook Lighthouse won the inaugural Harvest Moon competition. The Harvest Moon Celebration and Photographic competition took place on Friday, September 16. coinciding with a full moon. Visitors to the evening event enjoyed a free fossil heritage talk by geologist Dr Matthew Parkes from Ireland's Natural History Museum. Many star gazers enjoyed sitting back to enjoy the slideshow of nature in the skies from the tip of the Hook Peninsula. Sunset and moonlight tours of the lighthouse were also enjoyed, along with the opportunity to enjoy some of the new Hook Pilsner and a harvest brew from Arthurstown Brewing Company around the fire pits on the lighthouse lawns under the full Harvest moon. Photography enthusiasts gathered to capture the spectacular sunset and the full moon rise and following the event they entered the Hook Lighthouse photographic competition in their droves. Announcing the winner of the competition Hook Lighthouse Manager Ann Waters said: 'All of the team here have taken part in trying to decide on a winning photograph from amongst the competition entries. The standard and the talent is incredible. The winning photograph by Dwane Doran is stunning.' An upcoming fundraiser for Pieta House being held in Sligo Presbyterian Church Hall is set to bring hope on many levels. On Tuesday 4th October at 8 pm, Donegal-based poet and photographer Daphne Watt will hold a Sligo launch of her beautiful publication 'Promise of Spring' in the Church Hall. The book consists of a collection of Daphne's poetry and photographic imagery which have already touched many hearts and garnered many positive reviews regionally. In the words of reviewer Heather Chambers: 'To read these poems is to go on a journey through darkness to tentatively touch light again and find new hope in life'. The inspiration behind Daphne's work comes from a place of deeply tragic loss yet her gift is to be able to move both herself and her readers through anguish into a place of hope and new beginnings. She conveys this journey in poetry and imagery which hold incredible pathos. It is indeed the ideal gift for anyone who needs to know there is hope beyond the darkness. Sligo Presbyterian Church will provide tea, coffee and light refreshments on the night and Daphne will give a talk revealing some of the poignant journey behind her work. There is no entry charge and all are very welcome. Daphne's book will be available for sale and all proceeds from it plus any other voluntary donations will go directly to Pieta Northwest. Since opening its doors a decade ago, Pieta House has helped over 18,000 people who have suffered suicidal distress or who have engaged in self-harm. They have established nine centres countrywide thus far. One of Pieta House's goals is to have a centre within 100km of every person in Ireland. They are currently fundraising for the establishment of a Pieta House in the Northwest of Ireland, which will bring huge hope to the Sligo region. Support of this 'To Have a New Hope' event in Sligo Presbyterian Hall will bring that dream closer to being a solid reality. Sligo Presbyterian Church Hall is on Church St, adjacent to Sligo Social Services. The Spanish ambassador has next year's Celtic Fringe Festival already ringfenced in his diary. Ambassador Jose Maria Rodriguez Coso couldn't attend this year's Celtic Fringe Festival but his Deputy Head of Mission at the Spanish Embassy in Dublin represented him and Spain at this weekend's festivities. "I can tell you that he has it in his diary for 2017, he will not miss it," Mr Rafael Soriano told guests at the Gala Reception on Saturday night. The captain of the ship, Lieutenant Commander Miguel Adolfo Romero Contreras, also spoke of his wish for the festival "to grow and become an essential appointment among the wide range of tourism attractions on offer in this country and especially county Sligo." "I am truly sorry for not being able to dock here in Sligo. We studied it carefully, along with the port authorities and the waters are too shallow for my ship. But it has allowed us to drop anchor in a phenomenal place, in the wonderful place which is Mullaghmore," he said. Enniscrone Station Officer Seamus Egan handing over a cheque to Michael Leydon of Sligo Lions Club Firefighter crews in Enniscrone and Tubbercurry recently raised thousands of Euro for the Irish Guide Dogs as part of a nationwide campaign to reduce the waiting time for a guide dog. The current waiting time is three years. Sligo Lions club has paid tribute to the crews for collecting 3,648 for the charity. Lion's clubs in Ireland is fundraising for a new breeding programme for the Irish Guide Dogs because demand for the service is beyond what they can supply. Guide dogs provide a unique life-changing service to people who are visually impaired and people with autism. Lions clubs in Ireland made a presentation of 34,500 to the Irish Guide Dog's at the start of the partnership to fund the new programme that will reduce waiting times for a dog. Lionel and Joan Gallagher with Nuala McHugh at the protest ouside Sligo Library last Saturday week. Pic: Carl Brennan More than a year and a half ago Mary Lehane began researching for a book she hopes to publish about her great grandfather, John McLoughlin, 1849-1937 whose life crossed many paths with The Sligo Champion. "My mother Frances Gethins-McLoughlin had a lot of personal information about her grandfather, John McLoughlin, Knocknageeha, Sooey, who was born in 1849 during the famine. She remembered that he had been a member of the first Sligo County Council in 1899. Mary recalls that after she made enquiries regarding where she would find information or historical documentation she was introduced to the Local Studies section of Sligo Library. "From the beginning, I was made feel so welcome and given immense help by Mr Malachy Gillen, librarian, to negotiate the array of historical documents that are available." Mary discovered that John McLoughlin was instrumental in having the statue of former Sligo Champion editor, P. A. McHugh erected in the town organising collections to pay for it. "I think it is awesome that a photo of my great grandfather should appear in his beloved Sligo Champion all these years later," says Mary. Research can be open ended as Mary found out soon enough. "I am still not finished. Unless the library stays open, then I am very definitely finished," she laments. Accessing the old editions of The Sligo Champion was essential to her research. "The reason it is taking so long is I work full time and the only opportunity that I get to use the Local Studies in the library room is one hour per day for four days a week as they close at five and are not open on Saturday. "To date I have checked every page of the Sligo Champion from 1887-1911, all on microfilm." Her research took her in all directions locally. "I researched the actual Sligo County Council minute books and found my great grandfather's attendance at the first meeting in 1899. "His name was listed up until 1912. I then turned my attention to the old copies of The Sligo Champion from 1836 to the present, which are on microfilm in the room. "What a treasure trove I found. John McLoughlin was secretary of the local United Irish League from 1887 to 1916. I was able to read the minutes of the meetings and learn the local history of the area, as well as build up a profile of my great grandfather's life. "I learned about landlords, tenants, evictions, politics and religion. This in turn led me to the wonderful collection of Robinson's letters books, Mr Robinson having been the local agent for most of the landlords in the district where John McLoughlin was a tenant farmer. "I found out that my great grandfather had been a friend of P.A. McHugh, The Sligo Champion editor from 1885 until 1909. "P. A. McHugh had been sentenced to six months imprisonment for publishing a speech by John McLoughlin regarding a local eviction. "John McLoughlin subsequently spent six weeks in Sligo gaol for the same speech. "While in Sligo Gaol, he requested that he be provided with particular books as reading material, including the works of Cardinal Manning. "There were proclaimed meetings with marching bands and eloquent orations. There was friendship and principle and a dedication to the idea of home rule. "There was a lifelong friendship with John O'Dowd, another Sligo County Councillor from Bunninadden. "The three friends were known as the Holy Trinity, because of their close bond. "Through my research, I found an interview in the 1915 edition of The Sligo champion with Patrick McLoughlin, son of John. He had been rescued from the Lusitania and had given his address. "From this information, I traced his family and found new cousins in Dublin and New York who were not aware of their Irish family until now. "From a description of my great grandmother's funeral, with a full list of mourners, in an early 1900 Sligo Champion, I now had a date to find her death certificate and grave. From an obituary listed in 1917, I found out that my great uncle had died in WW1, fighting as an American citizen. "Through the information that I researched in Sligo Library, I was able to trace birth, marriage, and death certificates for all of my great grandfather's eight children. "Last week, I was told that the library was closing. While I have been using the facilities at the library over the last year, there have been closures on a limited basis. "I have always used the library and am very saddened to see what is happening. I cannot continue with my research, I cannot borrow books for myself, I cannot get books for my mother, who is almost ninety-two-years old and remembers the library opening in Stephen Street. "The library staff are welcoming, knowledgeable and helpful, and without their kindness and encouragement I would not have found any of the above information. "From starting off with just a short family tree in mind, I now intend to write a biography of my great grandfather's life. I wonder what he would think, if he knew that the Sligo County Council of which he was a member in 1899, had closed the local library over a hundred years later. "Are people aware that Sligo Library is the second oldest library in Ireland having been established in 1880?" she asks. "There are many reasons why people use the library services. My story is just one example of how important it is to keep Sligo Library open," says Mary. Transport and Tourism Minister Shane Ross told the Gala Reception in City Hall his department would do "everything" they could to help develop an Armada Interpretative Centre in Grange. Sponsored by Sligo County Council, the Gala reception honoured the distinguished Spanish guests, Grange Armada Development Association and showcased the amazing Armada artefacts recovered from Streedagh last year. Over 150 guests were treated to tapas and gourmet cuisine from Sligo Food Trail members such as Lissadell mussels, seafood chowder and rolls from Strandhill Bakery, Seafood Paella from Eithne's By the Sea and desserts by Lyons Cafe. Minister Ross told The Sligo Champion: "It's an absolute privilege to be here. I can't believe how wonderful it is and I've just seen all the fantastic food which they're going to put in front of us in a few minutes." In his speech, Minister Ross said: "Sligo is on the map particularly in the Department of Tourism. I will look kindly on the case that is constantly made to me about this part of the world. "We do tend in Dublin, to think that Dublin is the centre of the universe but we're being educated in the good that is happening. The fate of the British currency is not going to control Irish Tourism, "I'm conscious that it would be fairer if we could persuade more FDI (foreign direct investment) into this part of the country. I see no reason we shouldn't try and persuade multinational companies that are coming to Ireland to locate not so much in Dublin as they have. I realise that the Grange Armada Development Association have plans to develop a National Spanish Armada Interpretative Centre in the old Courthouse in Grange. My department will do everything we can to support this project." During his brief trip to Sligo this weekend, Transport Minister Shane Ross has agreed to raise the issue of Sligo Library with his cabinet colleagues. Mayor of Sligo Municipal District Councillor Marie Casserly, Councillor Michael Clarke and Sligo/Leitrim Deputy Tony McLoughlin met with him on his arrival at the Gala Reception to discuss the library, as well as the Greenway between Manorhamilton and Enniskillen. When pressed about the Library staffing crisis by The Sligo Champion, Minister Ross said: "I'm going to have a very long look at it. I'm very aware of it because I've seen all about it in the newspapers and Marie has been telling me all about it. "I'll talk to Marie Casserly first and then I'll talk to the ministers certainly and I'll talk to Tony (McLoughlin, TD) as well," he said. "Let me just say this, they're the best lobbyists in Ireland. I haven't had a few seconds but Marie Casserly has me cornered about facilities for Sligo, roads for Sligo and everything else for Sligo," he said. Lieutenant Commander Miguel Adolfo Romero Contreras' first impression of Ireland - and Sligo - from the sea was "marvellous." "It's a unique place. Dropping anchor in Mullaghmore more yesterday morning with the sun rising - you have to live it. You have to be there. You have a beautiful country and Sligo especially is a very beautiful place," he told this newspaper. "It means a lot to us - as we come here and we're able to engage with all the GADA members and we're able to discover what's going on here, we really feel that we are doing something very important for us and for you. That really is something that we have to be proud of. "I read many books about the Armada. The ceremony will be very emotional because we will be carrying out a traditional navy ceremony. We will lay a wreath, we will be firing with the guns at the very moment the wreath is laid. We will sing traditional songs sung at these events for the fallen," he said. He said the 36 sailors felt "very proud to be the representatives of our navy and to salute our fallen comrades in Streedagh." They arrived bright and early on Friday morning, capping a four-day journey from their base in the north of Spain, eventually tendering at a misty Mullaghmore Harbour. Just before 8am, the Spanish Navy's OPV Centinela, an offshore patrol boat measuring 67 metres long, arrived in Ireland for the very first time. The 47 crew members were there to mark the tragic loss of their predecessors - the 1,100 men of the Spanish Armada who perished at Streedagh beach nearly 430 years ago. It was a sombre beginning with little movement from the vessel, other than a subtle sway from side to side as the wind picked up momentum. But three hours after locals got their first glance of the navy ship, the crew members on board finally braved the bitter conditions, with the help of local butcher Keith Clarke who played the role of water taxi, and so kicked off the Celtic Fringe Festival. "It was a tough day but I had good crew with me to make it a little easier," Keith said. "I was there from about seven in the morning until two the following morning in case food supplies were needed and also bringing the sailors in and out, but it provided a great buzz around the place." Starting with the Centinela's arrival on the west coast, a variety of events took place to commemorate the plight of the Spanish Armada's previous trip. On Saturday afternoon, a series of talks and presentations explored Armada sites, stories, and folklore for those looking to enrich their history. Guests were treated to lectures by various Armada experts including Fionnbarr Moore of the Royal Society of Antiquaries, UCC's Dr Connie Kelleher and author Bob Curran. Sligo Mayor, Marie Casserly hosted a gala reception to celebrate the visit of the Spanish Navy to the county on Saturday evening. Hosted by Mayor of Sligo and Streedagh native Councillor Marie Casserly, guests included Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Shane Ross, Deputy Head of Mission at the Spanish Embassy in Dublin, Rafael Soriano, MEP Marian Harkin, TDs, Councillors and many other dignitaries, academics, and Armada enthusiasts from home and abroad. However, all this was just a lead up to the main event on Sunday when the OPV Centinela led out a parade of sail at Streedagh Beach where they were helped by a fleet of local boats take the Armada Crescent formation. The Army Band 2 Brigade from the Costume Barracks in Athlone then honoured their comrades, performing a special selection of pieces. Of the weekend's festivities, Mayor Casserly said: "It was nice to show them that we appreciate that they took the time to set sail to commemorate the sailors who died and they recognise that we do remember them too with this festival." She added: "It was a solemn occasion when we laid the wreath down at the beach. Everyone got involved and it was a real community effort." A German actress has sparked outrage online through tasteless comments she made in which she compared her cleavage to the refugee crisis. Many Twitter uses asked Sophia Thomalla if she'd "lost her mind" after she said "small breasts are like refugees; they're simply there but you wish they weren't". The comments, posted on Friday, were accompanied by a photo of Thomalla grabbing her breasts. The Berlin-native later boasted that her controversial tweet gained her an additional 2000 followers in just one our. Kleine Titten sind wie Fluchtlinge: Sie sind nun mal da, aber eigentlich will man sie nicht. pic.twitter.com/2dZH3SFxFU Sophia Thomalla (@ThomallaSophia) September 30, 2016 The 26-year-old also made remarks on the US presidential election. She said that Donald Trump is the "real guy" and compared Hilary Clinton to a "grandma", saying no one wants to vote for a "little grandma that you have to take care of". However, she soon back-tracked and claimed that her comments were part of a social media experiment and a deliberate attempt at provocation. Expand Close Sophie Thomalla / Instagram / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Sophie Thomalla / Instagram It was later revealed that a German TV presenter called Micky Beisenherz (39) took over the actress' social media account for a day and posted the insensitive tweets as an experiment to see how people would react to right-wing, inhumane comments. Sophia told German newspaper Bild that Beisenherz used his comments as a "mirror" to show how "unbelievable" social media can be. But the excuses weren't well-received by her followers, with many people holding the opinion that jokes shouldn't be made about the suffering of others, whether it's part of an experiment or not. TOKYO, JAPAN - NOVEMBER 08: Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie and their six children Maddox, Pax, Zahara, Shiloh, Knox, and Vivienne arrive at Haneda International Airport on November 8 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Jun Sato/WireImage) Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt have reached a temporary custody agreement that will allow the actor to visit his six children, according to sources. The agreement will be in place for three weeks, the two sources said. It calls for Pitt's first visit with his children to be monitored by a therapist, but that may not be a requirement for subsequent visits. The sources said both actors have agreed to undergo individual counselling. Jolie filed for divorce on September 19, and her lawyer said the following day her decision was "for the health of the family". Her filing sought sole physical custody of their six children, who range in age from eight to 15. The temporary agreement has not been filed with the court, and Pitt has not yet responded to the case. The FBI has said it is gathering evidence about allegations Pitt was involved in a dispute on a private flight with his family on September 14, although the agency has not opened a formal investigation. Expand Close Actor Brad Pitt with three of the six children he has with estranged wife Angelina Jolie (left to right) Pax Jolie-Pitt, Shiloh Jolie-Pitt, and Maddox Jolie-Pitt on the red carpet in Hollywood in December 2014. Photo by Matt Sayles/Invision/AP / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Actor Brad Pitt with three of the six children he has with estranged wife Angelina Jolie (left to right) Pax Jolie-Pitt, Shiloh Jolie-Pitt, and Maddox Jolie-Pitt on the red carpet in Hollywood in December 2014. Photo by Matt Sayles/Invision/AP Read More Sources familiar with the allegations have said they centre on the actor's treatment of his 15-year-old son, Maddox. Video of the Day Several news outlets have reported that the incident was being investigated by the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services, but the agency said it could not confirm whether it was involved. Pitt and Jolie had been one of Hollywood's highest-profile couples, establishing a joint foundation for charitable work and spending their time off-screen as a family. Pitt skipped Wednesday's premiere of Terrence Malick's new documentary Voyage Of Time: The IMAX Experience, which he narrated. In a statement, Pitt said he was missing the premiere because he was "currently focused on my family situation and don't want to distract attention away from this extraordinary film". The team behind the James Bond films wants Daniel Craig to return as 007, the spy series' executive producer said yesterday, even after the British actor said he would rather slash his wrists than appear again. The 48-year-old star was "absolutely the first choice ... We would love Daniel to return as Bond," Callum McDougall told BBC radio. Craig said last year he was "over" the role after filming wrapped up on the last instalment 'Spectre', which went on to gross $880m worldwide. When asked if he could imagine doing another Bond movie, Craig told London's 'Time Out' magazine: "Now? I'd rather break this glass and slash my wrists." His words triggered a flurry of speculation over who might appear next, with Idris Elba, Tom Hiddleston and Irish actor Aidan Turner among the top contenders. Craig was widely praised for bringing a fresh grittiness to the role of the suave secret agent over four films, starting with 'Casino Royale' in 2006. A report by RadarOnline earlier this month said Craig had already been offered $150m by studio Sony to return for two more films. McDougall told the BBC that Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael Wilson both shared his views. "I know they are hoping for him to come back," he said. Five Afghan soldiers and one police officer were killed Five Afghan soldiers and a police officer have been killed in error after an air strike carried out by an Afghan military helicopter in the western Farah province. Afghanistan's ministry of defence said the helicopter had used "inaccurate information from ground forces" when it conducted the air strike late on Friday night. It said the forces were being attacked by insurgents in the Bala Buluk district. When they called for air support, the helicopter incorrectly fired a rocket at a checkpoint occupied by Afghan security forces. The incident is being investigated, the statement says. It comes after a US air strike in eastern Nangarhar province killed at least 15 people on Wednesday. Officials and the UN mission in Kabul confirmed the dead were civilians. AP Scientists will be sifting through the wealth of data and images sent back to Earth by Rosetta and its Philae lander for decades to come. The 1.2bn mission was one of the most successful ever carried out by the European Space Agency. The spacecraft ended its historic 12-year mission to intercept and investigate comet 67P/C-G by crashing into the rock's surface after 19km descent. In its final few minutes the probe sent back images of dazzling detail from above the comet's surface, adding to the unprecedented store of data the endeavour has already accumulated. Rosetta achieved what had never been attempted before - to catch up with a comet hurtling through space, circle the object as it flew towards the Sun, and land a probe on its surface. When the tiny lander Philae bounced on to comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko on November 12, 2014, before vanishing into a dark crevice, it won the mission millions of fans around the world. The aim was to shed light on the origins of the solar system and how life may have started on Earth and elsewhere. A comet is essentially a time capsule, composed of material that can be traced back to the creation of the Sun and its planets out of a cloud of dust and gas 4.6 billion years ago. Rosetta delivered a number of surprises after finally reaching the comet on August 6, 2014, at the end of an epic 10-year journey through space. Comets are often described as "dirty snowballs" - but 67P/C-G resembled a 4.5km-long rubber duck, consisting of two lobes joined by a thick neck. Scientists believe it acquired its odd shape after two smaller objects collided and stuck together. Rather than being covered in ice, the comet turned out to be coated in a dark layer of dusty material. One of the most unexpected finds was that the water ice within 67P was not the same as that in the Earth's oceans. Puzzling It was so-called "heavy" water, containing a high proportion of deuterium, a heavy isotope or atomic "strain" of hydrogen. This was puzzling, since many experts had believed comets delivered most of the water found on Earth. It raises the question, if water on Earth did not come from comets, how did it get there? Rosetta also found evidence of abundant organic chemicals on the comet, lending weight to the theory that comets may have transported the raw ingredients of life to Earth. Commenting on Rosetta's legacy, astronomer Dr Daniel Brown, from Nottingham Trent University, said: "Rosetta remains one of the most ambitious and inspiring space mission ever. "Chasing a comet for 10 years, swinging into orbit around an object of then undefined shape, and then landing a probe on the comet can only be described in one word: amazing." Director of Amsterdam's Van Gogh Museum Axel Ruger (C) poses next to paintings by the Dutch artist Vincent Van Gogh, that was stolen in Amsterdam 14 years ago, during a news conference in Naples Two stolen Vincent Van Gogh paintings worth millions of euro were found in an Italian country house belonging to an alleged mafia drug smuggler, police said yesterday, 14 years after they disappeared in a daring heist in Amsterdam. Italian investigators displayed the recovered artworks - a sea scene and a church where the painter's father was minister - to reporters in Naples, saying each was worth an estimated 50m. "It is a great day for us today to see the works and to know that they are safe and that they are in safe hands," said Axel Ruger, director of Amsterdam's Van Gogh museum, who was present when the paintings were shown to reporters. "We may have to be a bit patient, but we hope that we will have them soon back where they belong," he said, adding the museum would respect Italian legal procedures. Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi informed his Dutch counterpart Mark Rutte about the police operation before the funeral in Jerusalem of former Israeli leader Shimon Peres, a source in Mr Renzi's office said. The paintings were found wrapped in cloth inside a safe in a country house south of Naples that prosecutors said belonged to Raffaele Imperiale, a 41-year-old businessman accused in January of running an international cocaine- trafficking ring together with high-ranking mobsters from a clan made famous in the 2008 film 'Gomorra'. Imperiale is a fugitive and Italian investigators suspect he is living and running a construction business in Dubai. But the arrests of 11 members of his alleged ring in January, including one man who turned state's witness, led investigators to the paintings. Along with the artworks, which Naples prosecutor Giovanni Colangelo said were probably purchased with drug proceeds, police seized a small airplane, boats, 49 properties, and 88 bank accounts worth some 20m. The paintings vanished in 2002 after a heist in which thieves used a ladder to climb onto the Van Gogh Museum's roof and break into the building. They escaped by sliding down a rope in a robbery considered by the US FBI as one of the top 10 global art crimes. Two men were later caught and convicted of the theft thanks in part to DNA evidence linking them to the scene. They were sentenced to four years and four years, six months, respectively, but the paintings were not recovered. Mr Colangelo said the artworks were found "a few days ago", and Italian and Dutch experts were called in to authenticate whether they were indeed the stolen works. "The paintings are definitely authentic," Mr Colangelo said. The recovered works, 'Congregation Leaving the Reformed Church in Nuenen' (1884/5) and 'View of the Sea at Scheveningen' (1882), are both from relatively early in Van Gogh's short, tempestuous career. The Van Gogh Museum said the paintings had been removed from their frames, but appear to have suffered only slight damage. Soldiers patrol after a military convoy was ambushed with grenades and high-powered guns, killing five soldiers in the city of Culiacan (AP) The sons of imprisoned Mexican drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman have been implicated in a brazen ambush on a military convoy that left five soldiers dead and 10 wounded. The attack in northern Sinaloa state used grenades and high-powered guns and left two military vehicles completely burned out and dead soldiers scattered across a highway. It was apparently launched to free a wounded drug suspect being transported in an ambulance guarded by the convoy. "Up this point we are not certain about this group, but it is very probable that it was the sons of Chapo," said local military commander General Alfonso Duarte. The pre-dawn ambush was the worst attack on military personnel since 2015, when drug cartel gunmen in the state of Jalisco shot down an army helicopter with a rocket launcher, killing 10 people. Friday's attack on the outskirts of Culiacan, the capital of Sinaloa state, was unusual for the Sinaloa cartel, which Guzman headed until he was re-arrested in January. Some believe his sons are now running the gang and have changed the rules of engagement long practiced by the father, who kept a low profile until last year. However others say "El Chapo's" longtime partner Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada is in control. The fierceness of the attack suggested that whoever was travelling in the ambulance escorted by the convoy was a high-ranking member of the cartel, or a person of interest to the gang. "These groups acted with cowardice, in a premeditated manner, and the carried out the attack with weapons, with grenades," while the soldiers had only automatic weapons, said Gen Duarte. He said the attack was launched to free the suspect, who he identified as Julio Oscar Ortiz Vega, though he acknowledged the name might be a pseudonym. Gen Duarte said the wounded man had been picked up by soldiers following a gun fight in Badiraguato, Guzman's hometown. He said Guzman's brother, known by his nickname as "El Guano," has been fighting a turf battle against the Beltran Leyva cartel in the area "to control the means of drug production," which include opium poppy fields. The defence department said that an army patrol had been attacked in Badiraguato and returned fire, and the wounded man was taken into custody when the rest of the attackers fled. Because local hospitals could not give him the care he needed, an army patrol was taking him to Culiacan when it came under attack. The attackers took the ambulance and the wounded suspect before fleeing. Among those wounded in the convoy were the ambulance driver and one soldier who suffered severe injuries. Meanwhile, authorities in Jalisco said on Thursday they have found a total of nine bodies near a lake popular with tourists. Jalisco state attorney general Eduardo Almaguer said the bodies of eight men and one woman have not yet been identified, in part because of the rural nature of the area and the lack of witnesses. The bodies have been found over the last few days in a river that leads out of the eastern end of Lake Chapala, near the border with the state of Michoacan. In 2013, 64 bodies were found in mass graves in area nearby. That is the opposite end of the lake from the town of Chapala, popular among tourists and retired Americans. AP A former Power Rangers actor charged with stabbing his California room mate to death with a sword has pleaded not guilty to murder. City News Service says Ricardo Medina entered the plea in Lancaster, California. He could face 26 years to life in prison if convicted. Prosecutors say Medina stabbed Joshua Sutter several times in the abdomen last year at their house in Green Valley, a mountain town north of Los Angeles. The two allegedly were arguing over Medina's girlfriend. Authorities say that after the attack, Medina called the emergency services and waited for police to arrive. Medina played the Red Lion Wild Force Ranger in Power Rangers Wild Force in 2002. He was the voice of Deker in Power Rangers Samurai in 2011 and 2012. A man walks on the sea front at Largs, on the Firth of Clyde in Ayrshire, as the remnants of Hurricane Katia hit British shores. One of the most powerful Atlantic hurricanes in recent history weakened a little on Saturday as it roared across the Caribbean on a course that still puts Jamaica, Haiti and Cuba in the path of potentially-devastating winds and rain. Matthew briefly reached the top hurricane classification, category five, and was the strongest Atlantic hurricane since Felix in 2007. The US National Hurricane Centre in Miami said its winds had slipped to a still-devastating 155 mph and it was expected to reach the eastern part of Jamaica on Monday. Jamaicans began clearing out shop shelves as they stocked up on emergency supplies and prime minister Andrew Holness on Friday called an urgent meeting of Parliament to discuss preparations for the storm. "I left work to pick up a few items, candles, tinned stuff, bread," 41-year-old Angella Wage said at a crowded shop in the Half Way Tree area of the capital, Kingston. "We can never be too careful." Evan Thompson, director of Jamaica's National Meteorological Service, said the first effects of the storm may be felt as early as Saturday. "We do consider it serious," Mr Thompson said. "We are all on high alert." Jamaicans are accustomed to intense tropical weather but Hurricane Matthew looked particularly threatening. At its peak, it was more powerful than Hurricane Gilbert, which made landfall on the island in September 1988 and was the most destructive storm in the country's modern history. "Hurricane Matthew could rival or possibly exceed Gilbert if the core of the strongest winds does actually move over Jamaica," said Dennis Feltgen, a meteorologist and spokesman for the hurricane centre in Miami. "There is no certainty of that at this point." Matthew was expected to bring heavy rainfall especially to the eastern tip and higher elevations, which could trigger flooding and landslides, Mr Thompson said. Forecasters said rainfall totals could reach 10 to 15 inches, with isolated maximum amounts of 25 inches in Jamaica and south-western Haiti. Matthew caused at least one death when it entered the Caribbean on Wednesday, with officials in St Vincent reporting a 16-year-old boy was crushed by a boulder as he tried to clear a blocked drain. AP Emergency personnel at the scene after the train crash in Hoboken, New Jersey (AP) Investigators leading the probe into the deadly train crash at New Jersey's Hoboken station have held off questioning the engineer because of his injuries. National Transportation Safety Board experts were also looking for clues from the train's black box recorders. They want to know why the NJ Transit commuter train with engineer Thomas Gallagher at the controls smashed through a steel-and-concrete bumper and hurtled into the station's waiting area on Thursday morning. A woman on the platform was killed, and more than 100 others were injured. NTSB vice chairwoman T. Bella Dinh-Zarr said the board, the lead agency in the investigation, has been "in touch" with the injured engineer Mr Gallagher but has yet to interview him. She said blood and urine were taken from him and sent for testing, standard procedure in train accidents. However, a government official said that investigators from one of the other agencies taking part in the probe interviewed Mr Gallagher three times on Friday. The official would not disclose what Mr Gallagher said but described him as co-operative. Meanwhile, investigators retrieved the event recorder that was in the locomotive at the rear of the train but have not yet been able to download its data and have gone to the manufacturer for help, Ms Dinh-Zarr said. The event recorder contains speed and braking information. The NTSB also has not been able to extract a recorder from the forward-facing video camera in the train's mangled first carriage. Ms Dinh-Zarr said the wreckage cannot yet be safely entered because it is under a collapsed section of the station's roof. Investigators were also reviewing security video from the railway station, setting out to inspect the nearby tracks, and gathering records on the crew members' training, scheduling and health. The engineer, conductor and brakeman "have been very co-operative," she said. Mr Gallagher, 48, a NJ Transit engineer for about 18 years, was pulled from the wreckage, treated at a hospital and released. "The one thing we know for sure is that the train came into the station too fast. Why that is, we don't know," New Jersey Governor Chris Christie said. "Was it error by the engineer? Did he have some type of medical emergency or circumstance that rendered him unable to control the train? Was there some equipment failure that didn't allow him to slow down?" Some witnesses said they did not hear or feel the brakes being applied before the crash. The authorities would not estimate how fast the train was going before it hit the bumper at the end of its track, but the speed limit into the station is 10mph. Falling debris from the crash killed 34-year-old Fabiola Bittar de Kroon, who had just dropped her toddler daughter off at day care before rushing to catch a train. Sixteen of the injured remained in hospital, two in intensive care. More than 100,000 people use NJ Transit to commute from New Jersey to New York City each day. The NJ Transit portion of the Hoboken station remained closed on Friday, slowing the morning commute. The crash has raised questions of whether technology called positive train control would have made a difference if NJ Transit had installed it. The GPS-based system is designed to prevent accidents by automatically slowing or stopping trains that are going too fast. Railroads are under government orders to install positive train control by the end of 2018. The deadline has been repeatedly extended at the industry's request. AP US President Barack Obama (C-L) gives his condolences to family members after the burial ceremony of former Israeli president Shimon Peres Nechemia 'Chemi' (C-L) and Yoni (C-R) Peres, the sons of the former Israeli premier Shimon Peres, mourn with relatives at the Mount Herzl national cemeter Former U.S. President Bill Clinton touches the flag-draped coffin of former Israeli President Shimon Peres, after eulogising him during his funeral ceremony at Mount Herzl cemetery in Jerusalem September 30, 2016 US President Barack Obama called on the next generation of leaders to complete Shimon Peres's vision of peace between Israelis and Palestinians, as dignitaries from around the world gathered in Jerusalem to bury the former Israeli president and Nobel Peace Prize winner. In the final and most political speech of a long programme yesterday at the national cemetery on Mount Herzl, Mr Obama said Mr Peres had told him Jews should not rule over another people and that Palestinians were entitled to dignity and self-determination. "Just as he understood the practical necessity of peace, Shimon believed that Israel's exceptionalism was rooted not only in fidelity to the Jewish people, but to the moral and ethical vision, the precepts of his Jewish faith," Mr Obama said. "'From the very first day we are against slaves and masters,'" he quoted Mr Peres, the last of Israel's founding generation of leaders, as having told him. The subtle criticism came as Mr Obama winds down an eight-year tenure marked by continuous friction with Israel's conservative prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, whom he sat next to at yesterday's service. Mr Obama has repeatedly characterised Israeli settlement-building in the West Bank as an obstacle to peace, while Mr Netanyahu contends that Palestinian rejection of a Jewish state, not settlements, is the core of the conflict. Mr Peres, who served as president, prime minister, finance minister and other in senior posts during a career that spanned Israel's entire history, died last Wednesday aged 93 after suffering a stroke in September. Mr Obama compared Mr Peres to Nelson Mandela. Mr Netanyahu, for his part, reminisced about his close personal friendship with Mr Peres, despite their political differences. "Israel grieves for him. The world grieves for him," Mr Netanyahu said. "But we find hope in his legacy, as does the world." Almost 80 world leaders gathered in Jerusalem for the funeral. Other speakers included former US President Bill Clinton, Israeli novelist Amos Oz, and Mr Peres's three children. Mr Peres began his career on the hawkish side of Israel's Labour Party and helped build up the country's nuclear programme and defence industry, before later becoming Israel's foremost advocate for peace with the Arab and Muslim world. He shared the Nobel Peace Prize for the historic 1993 peace accord with the Palestinians, though he didn't live to see his vision of a "New Middle East" realised. Even in death, Mr Peres was instrumental in bridging differences: The funeral offered an opportunity for Mr Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to meet after months of failed international efforts to arrange a summit. The two shook hands before the funeral and Mr Netanyahu thanked Mr Abbas for coming, though he didn't acknowledge Mr Abbas in his public remarks. Mr Obama did, noting the symbolism of Mr Abbas's presence at a time when, he said, many Arab youth are taught to hate Israel from a young age. Many of Israel's own Arab parliamentarians boycotted the ceremony, and some Palestinians criticised Mr Abbas for entering a site named for the founding father of Zionism. Syrians inspect damaged buildings after airstrikes by government helicopters on the rebel-held Aleppo neighborhood of Mashhad, Syria. Photo: AP People walk on the rubble of damaged buildings at a site hit overnight by an air strike in the rebel-held area of Seif al-Dawla neighbourhood of Aleppo, Syria. Photo: Reuters People inspect the damage at a site hit overnight by an air strike in the rebel-held area of Seif al-Dawla neighbourhood of Aleppo, Syria. Photo: Reuters People inspect the damage at a site hit overnight by an air strike in the rebel-held area of Seif al-Dawla neighbourhood of Aleppo, Syria. Photo: Reuters People inspect the damage at a site hit overnight by an air strike in the rebel-held area of Seif al-Dawla neighbourhood of Aleppo, Syria. Photo: Reuters Children play with water from a burst water pipe at a site hit yesterday by an air strike in Aleppo's rebel-controlled al-Mashad neighbourhood, Syria. Photo: Reuters Children play with water from a burst water pipe at a site hit yesterday by an air strike in Aleppo's rebel-controlled al-Mashad neighbourhood, Syria. Photo: Reuters Children play with water from a burst water pipe at a site hit yesterday by an air strike in Aleppo's rebel-controlled al-Mashad neighbourhood, Syria Russia is sending more warplanes to Syria to further ramp up its campaign of air strikes, a Russian newspaper reported yesterday, as Moscow defied global censure over an escalation that Western countries say has torpedoed diplomacy. In a statement issued by the White House after the two leaders spoke by telephone, US President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel described the Russian and Syrian bombing of Aleppo as "barbarous". Fighting intensified a week into a new Russian-backed government offensive to capture all of Syria's largest city and crush the last remaining urban stronghold of the rebellion. Moscow and its ally, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, spurned a ceasefire this month to launch the offensive, potentially the biggest and most decisive battle in the Syrian civil war, now in its sixth year. Russian forces may remain in Syria indefinitely, the Kremlin said yesterday, as it hit out at claims that its military campaign has killed almost 4,000 civilians since it began a year ago. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitoring group, said at least 3,800 civilians had died in Russian air strikes since Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, ordered his air force into action on September 30 last year. The civilian toll makes up more than a third of the 9,300 people killed by Russian bombs in the past year, the group said. The figure also includes 2,700 Isil fighters and about 2,800 from various rebel factions. Dmitry Peskov, Mr Putin's spokesman, said: "We do not consider as reliable the information on the situation in Syria coming from this organisation." Mr Peskov added that there was no time frame for the Russian campaign. "The commander in chief, President Putin, never gave any deadlines or estimates about time limits," he said. A year of bombing has established Moscow as a key player in the Middle East for the first time since the end of the Cold War, but has brought ferocious condemnation from rights groups and plunged diplomatic ties with Western governments into crisis. Western countries accuse Russia of war crimes, saying it has deliberately targeted civilians, hospitals and aid deliveries in recent days to crush the will of 250,000 people trapped inside Aleppo's besieged rebel-held sector. El Cajon Police Department Capt. Jeffery Davis holds up a vape device similar to the one that they claim that Alfred Olango was holding when he was shot during at a news conference held on Friday Sept. 30, 2016, in El Cajon, Calif. The El Cajon police department released video footage of the shooting at the news conference. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy) Attorney Andrea St. Julian speaks about protesters rights to a group as they gather to protest the death of Alfred Olango at the location where he was shot by El Cajon police Tuesday, in El Cajon, California, U.S. September 30, 2016. REUTERS/Patrick T. Fallon Police released two videos showing an officer fatally shooting an unarmed black man in a San Diego suburb and said they hoped showing the footage would ease escalating tensions. The videos show the officer fired four times at close range almost immediately after Alfred Olango, 38, suddenly raised both hands to chest level and took what was described as a shooting stance. The shots came less than a minute after police arrived at the scene in response to Mr Olango's sister calling 911 and reporting he was acting erratically. The videos were released after three nights of unruly and, at times, violent protests in El Cajon, and on the eve of a demonstration organised by clergy and supporters of Mr Olango's family, who had pressured authorities to show the footage of the fatal encounter. On Thursday night, an officer was struck in the head by a brick hurled by a protester. "Our only concern at this point was community safety," police Chief Jeff Davis said. "We felt that the aggression of some - some - of the protesters was escalating to the point where it was necessary to release some information and truly, it was my hope to relieve some of that concern." The Rev Shane Harris of the civil rights organisation National Action Network said the low-quality videos, shot at a distance, did not clarify what led to the shooting and warned that they are likely to make people angrier. He said: "What we saw today, that isn't enough." In addition to the videos, police showed the four-inch electronic cigarette device Mr Olango had in his hands when he was shot. A lawyer for the family said they welcomed the release of the videos, but he questioned the tactics used by Officer Richard Gonsalves. Mr Olango had been reported to be mentally disturbed and unarmed and yet the officer approached with his weapon out, Dan Gilleon said. "It shows a cowboy with his gun drawn provoking a mentally disturbed person," Mr Gilleon said. The incident is the latest in a series of fatal shootings of black men in communities across the US, including in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Charlotte, North Carolina. Olango, a Ugandan refugee who arrived in the US as a boy, had a criminal record that included drug and weapon charges but no violence. His family described him as a loving father and a joyful, happy person. His mother said he suffered a mental breakdown recently after the death of his best friend. On Tuesday, his sister called 911 and reported he was acting strangely and walking into traffic by a shopping mall. The longer of the two videos released by police came from a surveillance camera in a drive-through restaurant. It is roughly a minute, has no sound and police blurred out the heads of everyone in it. Mr Olango is seen walking through the car park and then stopping suddenly as Mr Gonsalves approached, his weapon drawn at his side. Mr Olango, his right hand in his trouser pocket, moved side to side and backed up towards a white pick-up truck. In the second video, taken on a mobile phone by a witness in the drive-through, Mr Olango's sister is seen approaching Mr Gonsalves from behind and a woman can be heard screaming at Mr Olango to put up his hands and telling police not to shoot. Mr Olango then bent over and assumed the shooting stance and Mr Gonsalves quickly fired four shots at close-range. A woman shrieked loudly as Mr Olango fell forward. That night, as an angry crowd protested outside police headquarters, Mr Davis released a single image from the video showing Mr Olango with his hands clasped in front and in the shooting stance. Police said he had ignored repeated orders to show his hands. Mr Davis defended the release and said it was intended to de-escalate tensions and correct what he felt was a "false narrative" that was developing. Some witnesses said Mr Olango had his hands in the air and was begging not to be shot. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump increased his attacks on a former beauty queen with a vague and unsubstantiated allegation about a sex tape in predawn Twitter posts on Friday, and Democratic rival Hillary Clinton denounced him as "unhinged." Trump's refusal to drop his invective against Alicia Machado, the Miss Universe from Venezuela whom he criticized for gaining weight after she won the crown in 1996, threatened to damage his already weak standing among women and Hispanics. Expand Close FILE - In this May 17, 1996, file photo, the new Miss Universe Alicia Machado of Venezuela reacts as she is crowned by the 1995 winner Chelsi Smith at the Miss Universe competition in Las Vegas / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp FILE - In this May 17, 1996, file photo, the new Miss Universe Alicia Machado of Venezuela reacts as she is crowned by the 1995 winner Chelsi Smith at the Miss Universe competition in Las Vegas With less than six weeks to go until the Nov. 8 election, Trump made reference - without giving evidence - to a sex tape involving Machado, who had publicly denounced him all week as a humiliating bully. His attacks provided critics with new fodder to question his temperament for the White House. "Did Crooked Hillary help disgusting (check out sex tape and past) Alicia M become a U.S. citizen so she could use her in the debate?" Trump said in his Twitter messages in the early hours of Friday. He did not elaborate on his allegations beyond saying that the Clinton campaign was unaware of the beauty queen's past and had been "duped" by her. Anytime you see a story about me or my campaign saying "sources said," DO NOT believe it. There are no sources, they are just made up lies! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 30, 2016 Wow, Crooked Hillary was duped and used by my worst Miss U. Hillary floated her as an "angel" without checking her past, which is terrible! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 30, 2016 Using Alicia M in the debate as a paragon of virtue just shows that Crooked Hillary suffers from BAD JUDGEMENT! Hillary was set up by a con. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 30, 2016 Did Crooked Hillary help disgusting (check out sex tape and past) Alicia M become a U.S. citizen so she could use her in the debate? Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 30, 2016 Remember, don't believe "sources said" by the VERY dishonest media. If they don't name the sources, the sources don't exist. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 30, 2016 For those few people knocking me for tweeting at three o'clock in the morning, at least you know I will be there, awake, to answer the call! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 30, 2016 At a campaign rally in Coral Springs, Florida, Clinton said the episode was evidence that "a man who can be provoked by a tweet should not have the nuclear codes." "Who gets up at 3 a.m. in the morning to engage in a Twitter attack against a former Miss Universe? I mean he hurled as many insults as he could. Really, why does he do things like that? "His latest Twitter meltdown is unhinged, even for him. It proves again he is temperamentally unfit to be President of the United States," she said. Later on Friday, BuzzFeed said Trump made an appearance in a Playboy softcore pornographic movie from 2000 that it said it had obtained from an online adult video store in New York state. Expand Close U.S. Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton speaks at a campaign rally in Coral Springs, Florida, U.S. September 30, 2016 / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp U.S. Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton speaks at a campaign rally in Coral Springs, Florida, U.S. September 30, 2016 "Trump's role in the porn is relatively benign and centers around him breaking a bottle of champagne on a Playboy-branded limo while several of the playmates are visiting New York City," the online media outlet said. "There's been a lot of talk about sex tapes today and in a strange turn of events only one adult film has emerged today and its star is Donald Trump," Clinton spokesman Nick Merrill told reporters after a campaign event in Florida. Reuters could not confirm the BuzzFeed report. The Trump campaign did not respond to a Reuters request for comment. Merrill earlier said Clinton called Machado on Friday to thank her for what he said was the courage she has shown. Politico reported that Machado has starred in racy reality TV programs and posed naked for Playboy's Mexican version, but said media outlets have found no evidence that she has starred in pornographic films. Machado, now a U.S. citizen, dismissed the fresh attacks with a message on Instagram, calling them "cheap lies" from a man intent on defaming her. "By way of his hate campaign, the Republican candidate insists on discrediting and demoralizing a woman, which is clearly one of his most frightening characteristics," she wrote in her post in Spanish, next to a photo of herself draped in an American flag. AUDIO ISSUE Clinton raised Trump's treatment of Machado during their first presidential debate on Monday as an example of how he views women. Clinton said Trump, the former owner of the Miss Universe pageants, had called Machado "Miss Piggy" and also "Miss Housekeeping" because she was a Latina. Trump attacked Machado the following day in a television interview as he sought to rebound from a debate that Clinton was widely viewed as having won. He also promised to hit Clinton harder in their next debate, on Oct. 9, suggesting he might attack Clinton on the infidelities of her husband, former President Bill Clinton. Speaking to Fox News on Tuesday, Trump said Machado had gained a "massive amount of weight" after her pageant win and that it was a "real problem." Critics said his offensive this week raised questions about Trump's character. The 70-year-old former reality TV star has never run for office before and his habit of making off-the-cuff insults has alarmed many in the Republican Party establishment. In taking the bait Clinton dangled on Monday, Trump echoed his August entanglement in a days-long public dispute with the parents of a Muslim Army captain killed in Iraq. That incident caused anguish among many Republican leaders concerned that he had nothing to gain by attacking a grieving family. Trump's remarks on Friday could hurt him further with women and Hispanic voters. Clinton, 68, a former U.S. senator and secretary of state, is the first woman to win the presidential nomination of a major U.S. political party and has led Trump in opinion polls. The latest Reuters/Ipsos national tracking poll, released on Friday, showed Clinton leading by 43 percent to Trump's 38 percent among likely voters. Clinton mocked Trump this week after he complained that he had a faulty microphone during Monday's debate. The Commission on Presidential Debates said on Friday that, "Regarding the first debate, there were issues regarding Donald Trump's audio that affected the sound level in the debate hall." The sound was not affected for the record-setting audience of 84 million people who tuned into the 90-minute exchange. At a rally in Novi, Michigan, Trump wondered aloud whether the microphone problem was deliberate. "It's difficult, and when you have a situation like that and you know it's bad and you think that 100 million people are watching, what do you do, stop the show? I wonder why it was bad," he said. Donald Trump falsely accused a former Miss Universe of having made a sex tape and suggested Hillary Clinton had helped her gain US citizenship, in tweets sent out in the early hours of yesterday. Mr Trump's string of online posts spanned from 3.20am to 5.30am and centred around Alicia Machado, a Venezuelan actress and Miss Universe 1996. She has become a focal point of Mrs Clinton's campaign after Trump's comments about her weight during the 90s, as the Democratic nominee seeks to portray Mr Trump as sexist and unfit to serve as president. Mr Trump risked giving credence to that characterisation with his Twitter posts, which were met with consternation when most of America awoke on Friday morning. "Did Crooked Hillary help disgusting (check out sex tape and past) Alicia M become a US citizen so she could use her in the debate?" he asked. "Wow, Crooked Hillary was duped and used by my worst Miss U," he wrote. "Hillary floated her as an 'angel' without checking her past, which is terrible!" Mrs Clinton called Mr Trump "unhinged" yesterday in response to the posts and described the tweets as a "Machado meltdown". "What kind of man stays up all night to smear a woman with lies and conspiracy theories?" she asked. Mrs Clinton first mentioned Ms Machado during the first presidential debate on Monday, claiming Mr Trump had called her "Miss Piggy" because she had gained weight and "Miss Housekeeping" because of her Latina heritage. Mr Trump subsequently defended those remarks, telling Fox News: "She was the winner, and she gained a massive amount of weight, and it was a real problem." The "sex tape" Mr Trump mentioned may have been either a pornographic video that has been falsely attributed to Ms Machado online, or an incident from a Spanish reality show when she was filmed in bed with another contestant. Ms Machado has faced questions about her past after her sudden rise to prominence in the presidential campaign. She was accused of driving the getaway car when her boyfriend allegedly shot his brother-in-law in 1998, and of subsequently threatening the judge in the case. She was never charged with a crime, and denied threatening the judge at the time. Mrs Clinton said yesterday that Ms Machado "deserves praise for courageously standing up to Trump's attacks". Clinton spokesman Brian Fallon took to Twitter to ask of Trump: "What kind of human being is this?" Her campaign chairman, John Podesta, tweeted that as a man of a certain age he shares Mr Trump's urge to get up in the middle of the night, but added a safety tip: "Don't reach for your phone." A day earlier, Mr Trump had warned voters that a Clinton victory would bring her husband's sex scandal back to the White House. "The American people have had it with years and decades of Clinton corruption and scandal. Corruption and scandal," Mr Trump said. Asked if raising the affair would expose him to attacks about his own marital history, the twice-divorced Mr Trump said: "No, not at all, I have a very good history." Ms Machado responded yesterday, accusing Mr Trump of spreading "cheap lies with bad intentions." ( Daily Telegraph, London) A woman has filed a lawsuit against JetBlue Airways for mixing up her five-year-old son with another boy and flying him to the wrong city. Maribel Martinez said in the lawsuit that she suffered "great emotional distress, extreme fear, horror, mental shock, mental anguish and psychological trauma" when she went to meet her son's flight on August 17 at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, and he was not on it. Expand Close Maribel Martinez holds a photo of her son Andy at her attorney's office / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Maribel Martinez holds a photo of her son Andy at her attorney's office The little boy, Andy Martinez, had been mistakenly put on a flight to Boston's Logan Airport instead of the flight to Kennedy. According to the court papers, JetBlue staff at Logan escorted Andy to a woman he had never seen before, and told him he was being reunited with his mother. Read More Meanwhile, a boy who was supposed to be on the flight to Boston had been put on Andy's New York-bound flight and was presented to Martinez. It took three hours for JetBlue to sort out what had happened and put the mother and son on the phone to each other, the lawsuit charges. Both boys had flown out of Cibao International Airport in the Dominican Republic. The boy who was flown to New York instead of Boston has not been publicly identified. The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages. Ms Martinez's lawyer, Sanford Rubenstein, said she also hopes to shine a light on JetBlue's practices and prevent such a mix-up from happening again. JetBlue Airways, which is based in New York, does not comment on pending litigation, a spokesman said. They were images so moving, it seemed like the whole world wept. From the white-helmeted rescue worker who pulled the baby out of the Syrian rubble to even the BBC newsreader, introducing the report. The tears were of joy for the month-old girls survival. They were inevitably tinged with a sorrow for the catastrophe that has befallen a nation - and her family. Tragically, the baby was left an orphan after five members of her family died in the strike. A cameraman captured the remarkable moment the babys rescue worker Abu Kifah broke down. Unable to contain his emotions, the tears streamed down his face; his sobbing uncontrollable. He would later explain that he imagined the baby girl as if she were his own daughter. Against the odds, Mr Kifah had pulled the baby from the rubble and brought her to safety. She was covered in dust and had suffered just a few cuts and bruises but otherwise appeared unscathed. The little girl had been one of the lucky ones. Her home in Idlib, 40 miles south west of Aleppo, had been bombed, allegedly by Russian jets loyal to the Syrian regime, but unlike thousands of others she had survived. A volunteer with the White Helmets rescue charity, Mr Kifah had been sifting through the wreckage before finding her. He then held the baby to his chest to protect her from any more harm. She was then taken in an ambulance to a nearby hospital. As the ambulance sped through the city, Mr Kifah, the tears streaming, can be heard repeating ya Allah - or oh God, over and over. He later told reporters from the agency Orient News: With the help of God, we were able to recover the baby girl. Thank God, the baby girl did not have any single injury. When I held her, I thought of her as my own baby girl I took her to the hospital while I was holding her close to my chest as if she were my own daughter. When I held her close to my chest, I was deeply touched. The footage was broadcast on Friday's BBC lunchtime news and, when the segment was over, it was clear that it had also moved Kate Silverton, the BBC presenter, to tears. As she tried to introduce the next item, Ms Silvertons voice began to tremble. Behind her glasses, tears rolled down her cheeks as she continued to broadcast live on air. Her anguish encouraged viewers to offer messages of support to the 46-year-old newsreader, who herself has two children aged four and two. Ms Silverton later wrote on Twitter: To all of you sending thoughts thank you no words really my job to be inscrutable & impartial but I am also human #syria @BBCNews. In a later post, she wrote: There are no words are there... To all of you sending thoughts - thank you - no words really - my job to be inscrutable & impartial but I am also human #syria @BBCNews Kate Silverton (@katesilverton1) 30 September 2016 Viewers were impressed, with one praising her utmost poise and professionalism following an extremely distressing piece, while another wrote on Twitter: We are all human beings and all upset, no crime to show your feelings in public. Well done. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 11 civilians, among them seven children, had died in the bombing raids on Idlib on Thursday in which the little girl survived. In a weeks fighting, it has been reported that 388 people have been killed, including 106 children. Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022] Anushka Sharma who is currently busy shooting Imtiaz Ali's next tentatively titled 'The Ring' gives some lessons on free living! The actress was spotted dancing on streets in the beautiful city of Portugal. It was her off day and she made it sure that the day is well spent. She shared a video on her Instagram where she is dancing on a Portuguese music and damn she look so pretty and the smile just enhances her beauty! Check out the video here: Prevent Unauthorized Transactions in your demat / trading account Update your Mobile Number/ email Id with your stock broker / Depository Participant. 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The site provides comprehensive and real time information on Indian corporates, sectors, financial markets and economy. On the site we feature industry and political leaders, entrepreneurs, and trend setters. The research, personal finance and market tutorial sections are widely followed by students, academia, corporates and investors among others. dna We had recently told you about how Salman Khan had backed Pakistani artists in the ongoing issue of banning them from working in the Indian film industry. While Indian film body IMPPA has banned Pak actors from working in the industry, Salman Khan had stated that they're not terrorists and that it's our government that gives them visas. And now, Shiv Sena has shot back at Salman, saying that he should migrate to Pakistan if he likes Pakistani artists so much! A photo posted by Salman Khan (@beingsalmankhan) on Jan 23, 2016 at 10:14am PST Shiv Sena leader Manisha Kayande said, Salman Khan needs to be taught a lesson. If he has so much love for Pakistani artists, he should migrate there. Well, clearly Shiv Sena is not happy with Salman's comments! China has blocked a tributary of the Brahmaputra river in Tibet as part of the construction of its "most expensive" hydro project, which could cause concern in India as it may impact water flows into the lower riparian countries. The Lalho project on the Xiabuqu river, a tributary of the Yarlung Zangbo (the Tibetan name for Brahmaputra), in Xigaze in Tibet involves an investment of 4.95 billion yuan (USD 740 million), Zhang Yunbao, head of the project's administration bureau was quoted as saying by Chinese state-run Xinhua news agency. Read more 1. Concerns About Jayalalithaa's Health As UK Doctor Flown In To Treat Her With Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa's stay in hospital crossing a week, a doctor from the UK's London Bridge Hospital has been called to treat her. Dr Richard John Beale, an intensivist (a critical care physician) who has done research on sepsis, acute respiratory distress syndrome and clinical nutrition, arrived at Apollo Hospitals in Chennai on Thursday. Read more 2. As Situation Improves, Curfew Lifted From Srinagar, Normal Life Still Remains Affected In Valley Curfew was lifted from Srinagar as the situation improved in the city, but normal life remained affected in the Kashmir Valley due to the separatist-sponsored strike for the 85th consecutive day. Curfew has been lifted from the areas of Srinagar where the curbs were in force Friday and there is no curfew anywhere in Kashmir today, a police official said. Authorities had imposed curfew in seven police station areas of the city in view of the occupy Lal Chowk call by the separatists, and apprehensions of violence after the Friday prayers. Read more 3. Delhi, Five Other States On High Alert Over Possible Retaliation From Pakistan After Surgical Strike Anticipating a strike by Pakistan-based terror outfits in the country, particularly the metros, in the aftermath of Army's surgical strikes in PoK, the home ministry has issued an alert seeking stepped up vigil at strategic installations, industrial complexes, crowded places, airports, historical monuments and government buildings across the country. Intelligence sources, citing credible inputs, said there was a strong possibility of Pakistan's ISI directing a highly motivated and heavily armed terror cell to carry out a strike in the capital. Read more 4. Spectrum Worth Rs 5.63 Lakh Crore To Be Sold In India's Largest Auction, Heavyweights In Fray India's largest-ever spectrum sale, where mobile airwaves worth Rs 5.63 lakh crore are up on the block kicked off on Saturday. Leading operators, including Reliance Jio, Vodafone, Idea Cellular and Bharti Airtel, are in the fray for frequencies that are crucial for next-generation telecom services.There is no end limit set by the government for the auction, but the bidding will be between 9 am to 7 pm everyday except on Day 1 when it started at 10 am. Read more 5. Crying Foul Over India's Surgical Strikes, Pakistan Fails To Gather Support At UN India has said Pakistan approaching the United Nations on the issue of surgical strikes in PoK has not found any resonance in the world body and rejected claims that the UN mission monitoring ceasefire has not directly observed any firing along the LoC. Indias Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin dismissed remarks made by Secretary General Ban Ki-moons spokesperson Stephane Dujarric that the UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) has not directly observed any firing across the LoC related to the latest incidents, a reference to the surgical strikes conducted by India on September 29 targeting terror launch pads in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Read more 6. Pakistan Violates Ceasefire Yet Again, Indian Posts Targeted In Akhnoor Even as tensions between New Delhi and Islamabad over the surgical strikes across the Line of Control, continues to boil, Pakistan has once again violated ceasefire. The intermittent firing started at around 4 a.m. targeting Indian posts at Akhnoor in Pallanwala sector of Jammu and Kashmir. This is the third ceasefire violation in the last 36 hours and comes two days after the Indian Army struck along the LoC on militant launchpads in a surgical strike. Read more With Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa's stay in hospital crossing a week, a doctor from the UK's London Bridge Hospital has been called to treat her. BCCL Sources said Dr Richard John Beale, an intensivist (a critical care physician) who has done research on sepsis, acute respiratory distress syndrome and clinical nutrition, arrived at Apollo Hospitals in Chennai on Thursday. Dr Beale held discussions with the doctors treating Jayalalithaa and advised a few more tests on the CM. On Friday, there was no medical bulletin from the hospital or the government. BCCL Earlier, the hospital had said the CM was brought in on August 22 with complaints of fever and dehydration. On Thursday, a press release said she had responded well to the treatment and the requisite evaluation tests were being carried out. She was advised a few days' stay in hospital for recuperative treatment. Meanwhile, Jayalalithaa's aide Sasikalaa has been staying at the hospital along with finance minister O Paneerselvam and a few senior bureaucrats, to tend to the CM. Lilabai, the grandmother of Sepoy Chandu Babulal Chauhan, who was captured by Pakistani Army, after he inadvertently crossed the LoC has died of hearing the news. Twitter According to reports she suffered a cardiac arrest and died in Jamnagar, Gujarat, where she was visiting Chauhan's brother, who is also in the Army. The news of his capture by Pakistan came as a shock for his family, which was planning his marriage next year. Meanwhile more details are emerging of his inadvertent crossing of the LoC. AFP According to a report in The Times of India, Chauhan was upset with his immediate superior in Rashtriya Rifles and took the extreme step of in a moment of anger. On Thursday afternoon he started marching towards the LoC in a huff, still armed with his weapon, after an argument with his immediate superior. Apparently, he was cautioned by his colleagues as he marched towards the LoC but paid no heed to their calls not to stray into PoK. AFP He was later captured by the Pakistani forces deployed across the LoC. The Indian government had on Friday said that all efforts are being made to secure his release. In a shocking incident, a Mumbai man was caught on camera while torturing his mother. The 47-year-old sweeper, named Surendra Vaid, resident of Andheri (west) has been arrested for allegedly trying to strangle his 80-year-old mother at the "his wife's instructions" while his daughter filmed the goings-on. YouTube/Trending Videos The video went viral on WhatsApp recently after which an NGO, Nari Saman Sangathan, lodged a complaint at DN Nagar police station. The complaint states that the sweeper, Surendra Vaid, held the legs of his mother, Mayawati, and tied one leg to a cloth with its end knotted to the ceiling fan.The mother is on the floor and he drags her across the room. She still lives with Surendra, his wife Babita (42) and daughter Akshaya (19). The police said she is in good health. Senior inspector DS Nalawade said the cause of the torture is unknown. The police said Surendra claimed he tortured his mother at his wife's behest. The three were sent to custody. Here's the shocking video (viewer discretion is advised) A judicial commission, constituted by a Pakistani anti-terrorism court, will travel to the port city of Karachi next week to examine a boat used by 10 Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists to reach India for carrying out the 2008 Mumbai attacks. BCCL The commission will travel to Karachi on October 6 to examine the boat, Al-Fouz, and will also record the testimony of a witness who saw the vessel being seized at the Karachi Shipyard. Headed by an ATC judge, the commission includes officials from Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), the defence counsel and court officials. Reuters The ATC judge accepted the request by the FIA to send a judicial commission to examine the boat as it was difficult to produce the vessel before the court. Earlier, the Islamabad High Court had set aside the verdict of a trial court of not allowing to send a commission to Karachi terming it "flawed and not in accordance with law" and allowed examination of the boat in the port city. In May, the prosecution had challenged the trial court's decision to reject its plea to form a commission to examine the boat so that the vessel could be made a "case property". According to the FIA, the attackers used three boats - including Al Fauz - to reach Mumbai from Karachi. Reuters Al-Fauz is in the custody of Pakistani authorities in Karachi, from where the 10 LeT terrorists armed with AK-47 assault rifles and hand-grenades had left for India on November 23, 2008, to carry out attacks in Mumbai. TOI Mastermind and LeT operations commander Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, Abdul Wajid, Mazhar Iqbal, Hamad Amin Sadiq, Shahid Jameel Riaz, Jamil Ahmed and Younis Anjum are accused of abatement to murder, attempted murder, planning and executing the Mumbai attacks. Even as tensions between New Delhi and Islamabad over the surgical strikes across the Line of Control, continues to boil, Pakistan has once again violated ceasefire. The intermittent firing started at around 4 a.m. targeting Indian posts at Akhnoor in Pallanwala sector of Jammu and Kashmir. ANI ANI This is the third ceasefire violation in the last 36 hours and comes two days after the Indian Army struck along the LoC on militant launchpads in a surgical strike. Pakistani troops earlier on Thursday resorted to firing in Balnoie area of Mendhar sector without any casualty. ANI Pakistan violated ceasefire earlier on September 28, by opening fire on Indian Army posts along the LoC in Sabzian area of Poonch sector. While the Pakistan government as well as the army are looking for a face saving after the strategic strike by the Indian forces, Jamat-ud-Dawa chief Hafeez Saeed is at it again. The loud-mouthed Saeed has threatened India to avenge army's action across the LoC. AFP/ File One of India's most wanted terrorists, Hafeez Saeed, whose proximity with the military and political establishments in Pakistan is not a secret has now threatened India over the surgical strike. AFP "We will tell you what is a real surgical strike...and you will get the deserved response soon," Saeed said in a public address in Faisalabad "I want to tell Indian media to see soon how Pakistani Jawans conduct surgical strikes. Let me tell you...the United States will not be able to help you," he added. The mastermind of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack also claimed that as many as 177 Indian Army personnel were killed in the Uri terror attack. Saeed's latest rant on India comes even as there were reports that Pakistan had asked him to keep a low profile following the surgical strike. AP Saeed, a globally designated terrorist, who has a $10 million US bounty on him, is a free man in Pakistan where he goes around ranting against India and US. Due to his proximity with the Pakistani leadership, despite overwhelming evidence for his involvement in 26/11 attacks, Islamabad continues to maintain that the evidence is inadequate and has time and again turned down New Delhi's requests to extradite him. For years, India and Pakistan have been on the brink. We fight, we kill each others men, we throw dirt and do countless things to pull each other down. But here's the thing - we have seen our men turning into martyrs, but we often forget that their men are dying too. A wise man once said that war is not what we think it is. War is an underpaid person killing people on the orders of an overpaid person." War is when soldiers march into your home, murder you for the acts of other men and then those mens countrymen celebrate your death as patriotism." Thus, war does no good to anyone. Yet were on it since 1947. In a post, Alizay Jaffer, a young girl from Islamabad begs both India and Pakistan to address the issue with some sanity. She blatantly points out the blunders in the political systems and asks both nations to first fix their internal politics before throwing dirt at each other. Read the full post here: Its strange, this affinity with India. I find myself getting increasingly upset at the abuse and hatred tossed from one border to another, with little rationale apart from the 69 year old chips on our shoulders. These chips have, over time, turned into boulders, and who doesnt crumble under the weight of those? Its very strange, this affinity with India. When Amitabh Bachchan is in the hospital, we pray for his good health; when Ranbir Kapoors film is a hit, were prouder than Neetu and Rishi; we never deny that no one brings romance to life like the voices of Kishore and Rafi; they are in unanimous agreement that their local music scene is not a patch on ours; if we happen to interact abroad, theyre the only pardesis we include in the desi category; their monuments carry our history; our language carries their roots. Its far too strange, this affinity with India. Like siblings, we retaliate to each others provocations. Ultimately, we both share the label of being impulsive and emotional in our responses to one another Look at what youre doing in Kashmir Hah, look at what youre doing in Balochistan; You attacked us first in Uri Have you forgotten about Kargil?; You started it! No! You started it! Like orphaned trust fund babies, we feel entitled yet have no idea how to cope. They neither acknowledge nor respond to Muslims being massacred for eating beef in Gujrat, for instance, and we? We turn a blind eye to Christians and Hindus being physically assaulted for eating before Iftar in Ramzan. Theyre destroying Kashmir, we say, Kashmiris have a right to be independent (or choose us, of course), but we forget how we throttled Bangladesh why should a Bengali speaking majority not accept Urdu as its national language? We never speak about that, do we? Too soon, perhaps. When I think about some of my best days and nights in the last ten years, more than 50% of them were spent with my brothers and sisters from across the border; sharing a meal, listening to music, discussing politics, or anything but; laughing, dancing, singing; but most importantly, completely aware yet in vehement passive rebellion against the lines that keep us apart. Come to think of it now, it isnt strange at all, this affinity with India. Our proverbial Lord and Master, the gargantuan power that rules us, The West, is an absentee parent; one were constantly trying to please but one who never really loved us anyway. If there is anyone for us, its each other. Whats strange is our reluctance to acknowledge this. Whats strange is the burden we carry of decisions made in our pasts, based on an entirely different socio-political context, when a common, exploitative antagonist made sure we saw each other as the aggressor, and boy, did we fall for it. Whats strange is our prolonged blindness to the immense opportunities that lie before us as a unit, and the vast desolation that lies before us as enemies. The strangest thing about our relationship, in fact, is our propensity to change roles. To the world, most of the time, we are siblings; constantly at loggerheads, trying to get into daddys good books so that he may buy us a toy, or take us for a drive, or better yet, increase our allowance. Other times, we are like a divorced couple, sharing space, constantly bickering over who lost out in the settlement, unable to finally come to terms with the fact that we are no longer together. It seems the scars of our separation are still so ripe, so painful, that they cant accept that we left, and we cant accept that they let us leave. In an event like this, we only find solace in making sure the other is just as hurt as we are, so we put in our all our resources, our best efforts, to do exactly that. I read today that India claimed they carried out a surgical attack in Uri. Ridiculous. I immediately read several, equally ridiculous Pakistani reactions; some hitting below the belt, others claiming that one shouldnt expect more from mass murdering politicians, like the ones we have across the border. Somehow, suddenly, we are all too forgiving of our own glorious politicians. Its strange how quick we are to forget how much trouble governance is in, on both sides, when we jump up to point fingers. Im sure this news will leave me in a months time. What hasnt left me is the news about a Pakistani Head of States arrival in Delhi for a test match, ultimately averting the threat of war; or an Indian politician putting his hand forward to greet his Pakistani counterpart, to curb tensions; or that time when Ganguly acknowledged that theres no one greater than Wasim; or when Shoaib Malik married Sania Mirza; or that image of the guards in the most beautiful fraternal embrace I have ever seen, on Holi at Wagah Border. I suppose its because some of us look for peace, we hanker for it, while others, they look for war. I suppose what Im trying to say is, in 20 years time, Uri will be just another event in the text books. It will be labeled as yet another period in our collective histories when our cold war with India almost turned into hot war. It will be just another opportunity for me to pick on my Indian friends or vice versa. It will be just another event our older uncles will discuss when they try to feel better about Pakistans failures and convince themselves that partition was the best thing that couldve happened for us and that, without India, were better off. What will never be just another event is one we never address. The fact that we are now divorced; the fact that our separation is painful for both of us; the fact that where there is now hate, there was once unity and a common pride; the fact that we allowed an external power to come in and manipulate us, and we fell prey; the fact that no one will know us like we know each other, because after all, we were once but one. It is comforting somehow, that when I messaged one of my closest friends across the border, expressing concern over the destructive megalomaniac tendencies of our governments, he responded and said, It doesnt matter what they do, you know I will always love you. It is comforting somehow, that in 20 years time, if you look away from the textbooks, and turn to your ancient scriptures or your holy books, it wont take you long to see that since time immemorial, there is only one message they are trying to convey, only one message we should be paying attention to; and that message is Love. Lets talk about some absolute studs who lived on the planet 65 million years ago - dinosaurs. Researchers in Mongolia have unearthed what could be the worlds largest dinosaur footprint. And it's the size of a full grown man. tecake According to researchers, the footprint belongs to a species named Titanosaur. This species was herbivorous and ate plants to gain energy, and was known to have a long neck - in fact, the longest neck among all the species that ever lived on Earth. The footprint is 106 centimetres (42 inches) long and 77 centimetres wide. clipartpanda The researchers on the team are from Mongolia and Japan. Mongolia has a huge history of dinosaurs footprints, with many being found in the Mongolian desert before. However, this one is the biggest so far. The fossil may belong to a period ranging from 90-70 million years ago. This is a very rare discovery as its a well-preserved fossil footprint that is more than a metre long with imprints of its claws, said a statement issued by the Okayama University of Science. dinosaurpictures This particular fossil belonged to a Titanosaur that was 30 meters long and 20 meters tall. Rape is one of the biggest demons women in India face today. Its prevalence in the country has snatched a feeling of liberation from them. Photographer Ganesh Toasty held a photoshoot to tell this story through pictures. The story is about a woman, Tanirika, who is cornered by a group of men who want to rape her but in the end it is one from the group that saves her. But, society ends up blaming and shaming the victim anyway, pinning the fault on her. Interestingly though, the protagonist is wearing a saree. Toasty wrote on his Facebook page, Blackpearl Photoraphy: Rape and its prevention have become an important topic of discussion in Indian, and even global, society. Higher authorities are often found blaming the victims habits, clothing, and social behavior. A lot of artists, writers, musicians and photographers have based their work on themes of anti-rape and consent. With respect to photography, a few shoots have been done, but some of these shoots have been regarded on a different style. This shoot aims to bring out a reality that exists, but a lot of people are choosing to ignore: rape can happen to anybody, and can be committed by anybody. The decision to rape is usually not premeditated or committed by individuals with a criminal past; it is a spur-of-the-moment act that may not have existed in the mind of the perpetrator before it at all. A lot of the time, in Indian society, victims are afraid to report rapes due to the social embarrassment that would follow. There are numerous instances in which the act would be filmed by the perpetrator. Furthermore, this shoot aims to show that a dressing sense or habits have nothing to do with the act of rape. Rape happens irrespective. 1. Ganesh Toasty 2. Ganesh Toasty 3. Ganesh Toasty 4. Ganesh Toasty 5. Ganesh Toasty 6. Ganesh Toasty 7. Ganesh Toasty 8. Ganesh Toasty 9. Ganesh Toasty 10. Ganesh Toasty 11. Ganesh Toasty 12. Ganesh Toasty 13. Ganesh Toasty 14. Ganesh Toasty 15. Ganesh Toasty 16. Ganesh Toasty 17. Ganesh Toasty 18. Ganesh Toasty 19. Ganesh Toasty 20. Ganesh Toasty 21. Ganesh Toasty 22. Ganesh Toast 23. Ganesh Toasty The International Committee for Study of Bauxite, Alumina & Aluminium (ICSOBA) has great honor to announce the 33 rt International Conference and Exhibition of ICSOBA. The event will be held in the Regal hotel of Quebec (Quebec) from 3 to 6 October, 2016 in cooperation with Rio Tinto Alcan and the REGAL. Objectives of the Conference are to: review the status of bauxite, alumina and aluminium industries in the world with emphasis on Canada discuss promising research developments aimed at production, productivity and cost improvements highlight proposed Greenfield and Brownfield activities in the aluminium industry discuss developments in the field of environment and safety facilitate university students meet industry representatives update market aspects of bauxite, alumina and aluminium and their products provide an excellent opportunity to interact with international experts, scientists, engineers, technology suppliers, equipment manufacturers and representatives of aluminium industries the world over. We look forward to seeing you at the ICSOBA-2016 in October. Home Sign up for our FREE Daily Email Newsletter The announcement last week by the United States of the largest military aid package in its history to Israel was a win for both sides. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu could boast that his lobbying had boosted aid from $3.1 billion a year to $3.8bn a 22 per cent increase for a decade starting in 2019. Mr Netanyahu has presented this as a rebuff to those who accuse him of jeopardising Israeli security interests with his governments repeated affronts to the White House. In the past weeks alone, defence minister Avigdor Lieberman has compared last years nuclear deal between Washington and Iran with the 1938 Munich pact, which bolstered Hitler; and Mr Netanyahu has implied that US opposition to settlement expansion is the same as support for the ethnic cleansing of Jews. American president Barack Obama, meanwhile, hopes to stifle his own critics who insinuate that he is anti-Israel. The deal should serve as a fillip too for Hillary Clinton, the Democratic partys candidate to succeed Mr Obama in Novembers election. In reality, however, the Obama administration has quietly punished Mr Netanyahu for his misbehaviour. Israeli expectations of a $4.5bn-a-year deal were whittled down after Mr Netanyahu stalled negotiations last year as he sought to recruit Congress to his battle against the Iran deal. In fact, Israel already receives roughly $3.8bn if Congresss assistance on developing missile defence programmes is factored in. Notably, Israel has been forced to promise not to approach Congress for extra funds. The deal takes into account neither inflation nor the dollars depreciation against the shekel. A bigger blow still is the White Houses demand to phase out a special exemption that allowed Israel to spend nearly 40 per cent of aid locally on weapon and fuel purchases. Israel will soon have to buy all its armaments from the US, ending what amounted to a subsidy to its own arms industry. Nonetheless, Washingtons renewed military largesse in the face of almost continual insults inevitably fuels claims that the Israeli tail is wagging the US dog. Even The New York Times has described the aid package as too big. Since the 1973 war, Israel has received at least $100bn in military aid, with more assistance hidden from view. Back in the 1970s, Washington paid half of Israels military budget. Today it still foots a fifth of the bill, despite Israels economic success. But the US expects a return on its massive investment. As the late Israeli politician-general Ariel Sharon once observed, Israel has been a US aircraft carrier in the Middle East, acting as the regional bully and carrying out operations that benefit Washington. Almost no one blames the US for Israeli attacks that wiped out Iraqs and Syrias nuclear programmes. A nuclear-armed Iraq or Syria would have deterred later US-backed moves at regime overthrow, as well as countering the strategic advantage Israel derives from its own nuclear arsenal. In addition, Israels US-sponsored military prowess is a triple boon to the US weapons industry, the countrys most powerful lobby. Public funds are siphoned off to let Israel buy goodies from American arms makers. That, in turn, serves as a shop window for other customers and spurs an endless and lucrative game of catch-up in the rest of the Middle East. The first F-35 fighter jets to arrive in Israel in December their various components produced in 46 US states will increase the clamour for the cutting-edge warplane. Israel is also a front-line laboratory, as former Israeli army negotiator Eival Gilady admitted at the weekend, that develops and field-tests new technology Washington can later use itself. The US is planning to buy back the missile interception system Iron Dome which neutralises battlefield threats of retaliation it largely paid for. Israel works closely too with the US in developing cyberwarfare, such as the Stuxnet worm that damaged Irans civilian nuclear programme. But the clearest message from Israels new aid package is one delivered to the Palestinians: Washington sees no pressing strategic interest in ending the occupation. It stood up to Mr Netanyahu over the Iran deal but will not risk a damaging clash over Palestinian statehood. Some believe that Mr Obama signed the aid package to win the credibility necessary to overcome his domestic Israel lobby and pull a rabbit from the hat: an initiative, unveiled shortly before he leaves office, that corners Mr Netanyahu into making peace. Hopes have been raised by an expected meeting at the United Nations in New York on Wednesday. But their first talks in 10 months are planned only to demonstrate unity to confound critics of the aid deal. If Mr Obama really wanted to pressure Mr Netanyahu, he would have used the aid agreement as leverage. Now Mr Netanyahu need not fear US financial retaliation, even as he intensifies effective annexation of the West Bank. Mr Netanyahu has drawn the right lesson from the aid deal he can act against the Palestinians with continuing US impunity. - See more at: http://www.jonathan-cook.net/2016-09-19/palestinians-lose-in-us-military-aid-deal-with-israel/#sthash.fL4Eq28N.dpuf Failures of the Western Left By Andre Vltchek September 30, 2016 " Information Clearing House " - It is tough to fight any real war. And it takes true guts, discipline and determination to win it. For years and decades, the so-called left in the West has been moderately critical of North American (and sometimes even of European) imperialism and neo-colonialism. But whenever some individual or country rose up and began openly challenging the Empire, most of the Western left-wing intellectuals simply closed their eyes, and refused to offer their full, unconditional support to those who were putting their lives (and often even the existence of their countries) on the line. I will never forget all those derogatory punches directed at Hugo Chavez, punches coming from members of the anti-Communist left, after he dared to insult George W. Bush at the United Nations in 2006, calling him a devil and choking, theatrically, from the sulfur that was still hanging in the air after the US Presidents appearance at the General Assembly. I will not be dropping names here, but readers would be surprised if they knew how many of those iconic leaders of the US left described Chavez and his speech as impolite, counter-productive, and even insulting. Tens of millions of people have died because of Western imperialism, after WWII. Under the horrid leadership of George W Bush, Afghanistan and Iraq have been reduced to ruins But one has to remain polite, objective and cool headed? Well, that is not how real revolutions have been ignited. This is not how the successful anti-colonialist wars are fought. When the real battle begins, politeness is actually mostly unacceptable, simply because the oppressed masses are endlessly pissed off, and they want their feelings to be registered and expressed by the leaders. Even the search for objectivity is often out of place, when still fragile revolutions have to face the entire monumental hostile propaganda of the regime of the Empire. But the question is: do most of the Western leftists really support revolutions and anti-colonialist struggles of the oppressed world? I believe they dont. And this is clearly visible from reading most of the so-called alternative media in both North America and Europe. Whoever stands up, whoever leads his nation into battle against the Western global dictatorship, is almost immediately defined as a demagogue. He or she is most likely christened undemocratic, and not just by the mass and liberal media, but also on the pages of the so-called alternative and progressive Western press. Not all, but some, and frankly: most of it! Chavez actually received very little support from Western left-wing intellectuals. And now when Venezuela is bleeding, the Bolivarian Republic can only count on a handful of revolutionary Latin American nations, as well as on China, Iran and Russia; definitely not on the robust, organized and militant solidarity from Western countries. Cuba received even less support than Venezuela. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, no attempt was actually made by Western leftists to bail the heroic nation out. It was China, in the end, which ran to its rescue and saved Cuban socialism. (When I wrote about it, I got hundreds of Western leftists at my throat, and in the end it took Fidel to confirm, in his Reflections, what I was saying, to get them off my back). Then, when the Obama administration began making dangerous advances on Havana, almost everyone in the West began screwing those cynical grimaces: you see; now everything will collapse! They will buy Cuba! They didnt. I travelled to the beloved green island, and it was so clear from the first moment there, that the revolution is not for sale. But you will not read it often in the Western progressive media. *** It is of course not just Latin America that is disliked by the progressives in the West. Actually, Latin America is still at least getting some nominal support there. China and Russia, two powerful nations, which are now standing openly against Western imperialism, are despised by virtually all liberals and by most of the Western left. In those circles, there is total ignorance about the Chinese type of democracy, about its ancient culture, and about its complex but extremely successful form of Communism (or calls it socialism with Chinese characteristics). Like parrots, the Western leftists repeat liberal propaganda that China is being capitalist, or that it is being ruled by state capitalism. The internationalism of Chinese foreign policy is constantly played down, even mocked. The hostility of the Western left towards China has disgusted many Chinese leaders and intellectuals. I only realized the extent of this revulsion, when I spoke, last year, at the First World Cultural Forum in Beijing, and mingled with the thinkers at the China Academy of Social Sciences, the right (intellectual) arm of the government and the Party. China can count on its allies in Russia, Latin America, Africa and elsewhere, but definitely not in the West. It is pointless to even mention Russia or South Africa. Russia, the victim during the horrid Yeltsin years was embraced by the Western left. Russia the warrior, Russia the adversary to Western imperialism, is, once again, loathed. It appears that the progressives in the United States and Europe really prefer victims. They can, somehow, feel pity and even write a few lines about the suffering of defenseless women and children in the countries that the West is plundering and raping. That does not extend to all countries that are being brutalized, but at least to some What they dont like at all, are strong men and women that have decided to fight: to defend their rights, to face the Empire. The Syrian government is hated. The North Korean government is despised. The President of the Philippines is judged by Western liberal media measures: as a vulgar freak who is killing thousands of innocent drug pushers and consumers (definitely not as a possibly new Sukarno who is willing to send the entire West to hell). Whatever the Western left thinks about North Korea and its government (and in fact, I think, it cannot really think much, as it is fully ignorant about it), the main reason why the DPRK is hated so much by the West regime, is because it, together with Cuba, basically liberated Africa. It fought for the freedom of Angola and Namibia, it flew Egyptian MIGs against Israel, it struggled in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) as well as in many other countries, and it sent aid, teachers and doctors to the entire continent devastated by the Western colonialist barbarity. Much good it received in return! At best, indifference, at worse, total spite! *** Some say that the Western left doesnt want to take power, anymore. It lost all of its important battles. It became toothless, impotent, and angry about the world and itself. When in January 2016 I spoke at the Italian Parliament (ending up insulting the West for its global plunder, hypocrisy), I mingled a lot with the 5 Star Movement, which had actually invited me to Rome. I spent time with its radical left wing. There are some great people there, but overall, it soon became clear that this potentially the biggest political movement in the country is actually horrified of coming to power! It does not really want to govern. But then, why call those weak bizarre selfish Western entities the left wing? Why confuse terms, and by that, why discredit those true revolutionaries, those true fighters, who are risking, sacrificing their lives, right now, all over the world? *** Wars are all extremely ugly. I have covered many of them, and I know But some of them, those that are fought for the survival of humanity, or for survival of the particular countries, are inevitable. One either fights, or the entire Planet ends up being colonized and oppressed, in shackles. If one decides to fight, then there has to be discipline and single-mindedness; total determination. Or the battle is lost from the very beginning! When the freedom and survival of ones motherland is at stake, things get very serious, dead-serious. Battle is not a discussion club. It is not some chat. If we, as leftists, have already once decided that imperialism and colonialism (or neo-colonialism) are the greatest evils destroying our humanity, then we have to show discipline and join ranks, and support those who are at the frontline. Otherwise we will become an irrelevant laughingstock, and history will and should judge us harshly! Andre Vltchek is a philosopher, novelist, filmmaker and investigative journalist. He covered wars and conflicts in dozens of countries. His latest books are: Exposing Lies Of The Empire and Fighting Against Western Imperialism .Discussion with Noam Chomsky: On Western Terrorism . Point of No Return is his critically acclaimed political novel. Oceania a book on Western imperialism in the South Pacific. His provocative book about Indonesia: Indonesia The Archipelago of Fear . Andre is making films for teleSUR and Press TV. After living for many years in Latin America and Oceania, Vltchek presently resides and works in East Asia and the Middle East. He can be reached through his website or his Twitter . Click for Spanish , German , Dutch , Danish , French , translation- Note- Translation may take a moment to load. What's your response? - Scroll down to add / read comments Sign up for our FREE Daily Email Newsletter For Email Marketing you can trust Donate Please read our Comment Policy before posting - It is unacceptable to slander, smear or engage in personal attacks on authors of articles posted on ICH. Those engaging in that behavior will be banned from the comment section. The chairman of Abuja Municipal Area Council, AMAC, Abdullahi Candido has condemned in strong terms the conversion of shops at the Nyanya market, Abuja into brothels, residential houses and schools. According to Candido, the illegal practice had contributed to hawking along the road side, thereby making the market environment embarrassing and unhygienic. Officials of the council discovered on Wednesday when it embarked on the evacuation of street traders at the market that several shops have been turned into residential houses, schools and red light district by women of easy virtue. In a chat with DAILY POST, one of the resident commercial sex workers at the Nyanya market said the place was her only source of livelihood, especially now that the economic recession was biting really hard on the country. You know say the market no get gate, so e dey open 24/7, people dey stay for here from night till morning. I don dey do this business for this place; e don reach like two years now. As Naija hard so, na only dis place dey help us survive. Dem dey give us from one thousand to three thousand, but if business bad, we deny reduce am. If you come here in the night now, you go see plenty customers for here, she revealed. Meanwhile, security agents who entered one of the shops, bumped into a commercial sex worker and her supposed client. She, however, claimed that he was not a client, but her lover who came to visit her. The security men, however, arrested three ladies and two men engaging in sexual activities in the shop turned into a brothel. Source: Dailypost Nigerias Immediate Past President, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has felicitated with Nigerians as the country celebrates her 56th Independence anniversary. Dr. Jonathan passed his message through his Twitter page as he charged Nigerians to not ask who will make our beloved country great, Ask instead, how will I make Nigeria great? Kano state government has declared Tuesday, October 4th as Public Holiday to mark the beginning of the new Islamic calendar 1438 A.H. The Islamic New Year is on the first day of Muharram, the first month in the lunar Islamic calendar. The state government had on Friday, 30th September, 2016 organized a prayer session at the Government House Mosque in Kano, to usher in the new Islamic year, which coincided with activities marking the nations 56th anniversary celebration. In the same vein, the state governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, accompanied by top government officials, visited some hospitals in the state capital to show sympathy with the sick and to prayer for their speedy recuperation, in line with Islamic etiquette. Governor Ganduje urges Muslims to use the period of the holiday, especially the blessed days of the 9th and 10th of the month of Muharram to ease the socio economic challenges facing the country and to strengthen our leaders to steer it to greater heights. The Wife of Lagos State Governor, Mrs. Bolanle Ambode, alongside the Committee of Wives of Lagos State Officials (COWLSO), donated the first state-of-the-art Ear, Nose and Throat (E.N.T) equipment to General Hospital in Odan, Lagos Island. Mrs Ambode, who is the chairperson of the group expressed her joy and noted that it was indeed in fulfilment of one of the founding objectives of the group, which is to complement the effort of the state government in catering for the welfare of citizens. She said, The decision to upgrade the E.N.T Department of the hospital with modern equipment and furniture, was borne out of the need for critical intervention to drastically reduce the percentage of people suffering from hearing loss. The new equipment has the capacity not only to detect hearing impairments in adults, but also in children and new-born. Our aim in this regard is to ensure that hearing defect does not constitute a limitation to children of school age, as well as adults, She added. COWLSO also flagged off free Goitre surgery and distribution of hearing aids to selected women, men and children who were picked after medical screening carried out by the officials of the state. About 30 women were selected for surgeries which include surgery tests and drug administration, while another 30 women were given modern hearing aids. Mrs Ambode also emphasised on the need for early treatment of infections such as measles, ear infections, complications at birth, low birth weight, ailment during pregnancy, among others, adding that people must also avoid the use of non-prescribed antibiotics and abuse of substance. Mrs Margaret Emefiele, previously abducted wife of the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Godwin Emefiele, has been released by her abductors. Mrs Emefiele was kidnapped alongside 4 others on the Benin-Agbor road, in Edo State. It isnt clear if any ransome was paid for her release. A N100m was demanded earlier by her abductors. According to family sources she was rescued due to the gallantry of the Armed Forces, Police and Security Forces, in Ugoneki near Benin City and is currently recuperating in Government House, Asaba. It was reported earlier that helicopters and sniffer dogs were deployed in search for her. Investigations were carried out by the Inspector-General Special Intelligence Monitoring Team, headed by Abba Kyari. Kyari was the officer who arrested the suspects responsible for the abduction of Prof. Kamene Okonjo, the mother of ex-Finance Minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, in 2012. The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in Niger State on Saturday said it had apprehended a suspected fake army general in Minna on Monday. Commander Philip Ayuba, Commandant of NSCDC, in the state made the disclosure while presenting the suspect before newsmen in Minna. The suspected fake army General you are seeing specialises in defrauding unemployed applicants by promising them job in either the military or paramilitary outfits in the country, Ayuba said. He said the suspect, Mohammed Usman alias General Ishiaku is 41 years old and from Katcha Local Government Area of the state. Ayuba explained that the suspect was arrested by an undercover team of NSCDC in Minna metropolis after he had concluded plan to collect a balance of N450,000 bargained for a job in NSCDC. The NSCDC Commander said the suspected accomplice of the suspect, Abubakar Ibrahim, was at large. He said the suspect would be charged to court as soon as investigation was completed. The suspect, while speaking with newsmen, pleaded for forgiveness and said, I will not do it again, it was the handiwork of the devil. Source: NAN Edo State governor-elect, Mr Godwin Obaseki literary shut down Benin City, the capital of Edo State, yesterday evening, few minutes after he was declared winner of Wednesdays governorship election. Not long after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced his victory, the governor-elect, accompanied by his supporters, embarked on a road show in celebration. They drove through major streets in the state capital and caused heavy traffic jam. At Ring Road, which is the centre of the city, Obaseki stood in an open roof Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) amid a convoy of cars with blaring siren. He waved happily at the residents with a broom in his hand. Earlier, APC supporters had staged a jubilation rally around Ramat Park, also in the state capital, and a few metres away from INEC office. The APC supporters, who were wielding brooms which is the symbol of the party, had gathered around the park to counter Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) supporters, ha were protesting the results in some polling units in Oredo government Area. Meanwhile, the police have banned all forms of procession in the state. Source: TheSun The Turkish government has arrested over 50 Nigerian students upon their arrival at the capital city of Istanbul, it has been reported. The detained Nigerians were all escorted to a room and their passport confiscated by Turkish police, according to Thisday. The detainees are mainly students of Fathi University, a private university in metropolitan Buyukcekmece district of Istanbul. Turkish police claimed the students belong to a terrorist organisation and were offered to be transferred to government schools on the condition to pay the same fees as private universities, Thisday further reported. Fathi University happens to be among the 2099 schools, dormitories and universities shut down by the Turkish government in the wake of the July 15th failed coup in Turkey. The schools and universities were accused by the Turkish government to be terrorist schools because they have links with Islamic scholar Fethullah Gulen, whom the Turkish government had accused of being the mastermind of the coup in Turkey. 17 Turkish schools in Nigeria had earlier been requested by the Turkish Ambassador in Nigeria, Mr. Hakan Cakil, to be closed down by Nigerian authorities for alleged links to the Hizmet movement. Nigerian comedian, Seyi Law and his wife Ebere have welcomed their first child. The couple has been all smiles and have named their daughter, Tiwaloluwa. Seyi Law has gushed over mother and daughter on his Instagram page and no father could possibly be more excited than him! Finally, I can dance this song for me. God only deserve my praise for the joy I feel. Awesome wonder. #DaddyTiwa #DaddyAviella #DaddyChidera #DaddyOluwademiladeola A video posted by ALETILE OLUWASEYITAN LAWRENCE (@seyilaw1) on Sep 30, 2016 at 3:18pm PDT Omo toh dun. The Mother of my Princess. Mummy Tiwaloluwa. Congratulations. God bless you. Thanks my love. A photo posted by ALETILE OLUWASEYITAN LAWRENCE (@seyilaw1) on Sep 30, 2016 at 12:41pm PDT Congratulations to the couple! The award-winning chief investment officer of benefit plans for Ford Motor Co. put the company on a path to liability-driven investing. Kathleen Gallagher, chief investment officer of benefit plans at Ford Motor Co., has retired after a 31-year career with the automaker, Institutional Investor has learned. Gallagher, who joined Ford in 1985 after graduating from Harvard Business School with an MBA, oversaw $65 billion in global defined-benefit assets including the companys $41 billion U.S. pension fund as well as $14 billion in U.S. defined-contribution assets. Earlier this year she was named one of Institutional Investors 2016 U.S. Money Masters, for Large Corporate Pension of the Year. Gallagher took on her current role in 2007, steering the pension fund toward a liability-driven investment strategy. Its more of a risk management job, Gallagher told Institutional Investor in May. Every dollar in the portfolio has a job to do. Gallagher has been replaced by Erin Rohde, who was appointed CIO of benefit plans on July 1. Rohde was previously director of global treasury operations at Ford. Over the past nine years, Ford has been taking steps to reduce volatility in the pensions funding status and make it easier for the company to anticipate future contributions. In 2012 the company offered 90,000 employees lump sums and removed $18 billion in liabilities from its balance sheet. Ford is now the third large corporate plan to lose its chief investment officer this year, after Paul Cavazos left DTE Energys $10 billion plan to join Irving, Texasbased outsourced CIO American Beacon Advisors and Raymond Kanner retired from IBMs $150 billion global retirement system over the summer. Get more on pensions. E arrivata lufficialita, dopo una giornata di voci rincorrenti: per il triennio 2018-2021 sara lemittente Sky a godere dei diritti televisivi per trasmettere, in esclusiva assoluta, le partite non solo delle prossime edizioni dellEuropa League ma anche quelle della massima competizione continentale, la Champions. Un pacchetto da favola per il quale la tv satellitare di Rupert Murdoch avrebbe messo sul piatto unofferta giudicata piu congrua di quella presentata dalla concorrente Mediaset. A dare lannuncio dellaffare concluso e stata la stessa Sky che, in un comunicato, ha spiegato che il nuovo format sviluppato dalla UEFA ci consentira di portare ai nostri abbonati un prodotto rivoluzionario per il calcio europeo in Italia. Per la prima volta la UEFA Champions League e la UEFA Europa League saranno insieme in unesclusiva offerta integrata, che permettera agli appassionati di seguire fino a 7 squadre italiane, mai cosi tante prima dora, impegnate nelle sfide con i migliori club europei. Sky: Rafforzata leadership Anche il livello tecnico dellofferta sara altissimo ed e ancora lemittente a rivelare i dettagli: Continueremo a fare innovazione, trasmettendo le partite piu importanti anche in 4K HDR. Questofferta senza precedenti rafforza la posizione di Sky come leader della programmazione sportiva in Italia ed e anche un altro passo importante di sostegno al calcio italiano. Insomma, per i prossimi tre anni, sara unegemonia totale quella della satellitare sul calcio europeo, avendo mantenuto il pacchetto Europa League (gia sua esclusiva) e affiancandola a quello ancor piu appetibile della Champions League ad appannaggio Mediaset dal 2015 al 2018. Sfida Serie A Ora la sfida fra i due colossi delle trasmissioni sportive si spostera sui diritti televisivi della prossima Serie A, per la quale si e ancora in attesa di un nuovo bando che, come annunciato dal commissario della Lega, Carlo Tavecchio, avra le stesse caratteristiche del precedente, andato pero a vuoto: solo una delle offerte presentate per i cinque pacchetti, infatti, superava la soglia minima richiesta dalla base dasta. Niente di fatto, quindi, anche in virtu della stessa Mediaset che, in sostanza, ha disertato il bando (giudicato inaccettabile) non presentando alcuna offerta. La battaglia, anche in questo caso, sara sulle esclusive: del resto, dopo essersi vista scivolare via una componente importante come la Champions, sulla Serie A Mediaset dara sicuramente battaglia. Le nostre pubblicazioni sono significative per le elezioni americane e contengono materiale interessante sulle fazioni del potere americano. E quanto ha dichiarato il co-fondatore di Wikileaks, Julian Assange durane una videoconferenza con Berlino, rispondendo ad una domanda sul contenuto delle preannunciate rivelazioni. Giorni fa, infatti, Assange aveva dichiarato che presto il suo sito avrebbe pubblicato del materiale nuovo, ogni settimana per dieci settimane. Nonostante la domanda, il fondatore di Wikileaks non ha specificato in realta cosa ci sara nei documenti, ma ha annunciato che le pubblicazioni riguarderanno il motore di ricerca Google e il petrolio. Abbiamo un programma, ed e un programma veramente duro, di far uscire tutti documenti collegati alle elezioni Usa prima dell8 novembre. Le prossime serie includono materiale significativo su guerra, armi, petrolio, Google, elezioni Usa ha dichiarato Assange -. Inizieremo la prima pubblicazione questa settimana. La conferenza e stata tenuta in occasione del decimo anniversario della registrazione del sito dellorganizzazione. Durante lincontro a distanza nel teatro Volksbuehne e stato proiettato un video del 2012 dal titolo Assassinate Assange in cui si sosteneva che alti responsabili statunitensi, tra cui Hillary Clinton e Joe Biden, avrebbero chiesto la morte di Assange e linserimento di Wikileaks nella lista delle organizzazione terroristiche come sintetizza una didascalia su Youtube. Dalata has struck a 2.5m deal to operate the landmark DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in Dublin 4 for 25 years. The agreement will see Dalata lease the hotel from German investment fund, Deka, which has reached a deal to purchase the property from Blackstone which put the property up for sale with a 180m price tag in August. Dalata announcing its intention to bring the business under its Clayton title. We are delighted to announce the acquisition of the operating and leasehold interest in this iconic Dublin city centre hotel, said Dalata head of development and strategy, Shane Casserly. The hotel will be an excellent addition to our portfolio and the Clayton brand. We will continue to invest in the property to ensure that it retains its position as the leading venue for large conferences and functions in the city. We are delighted to be collaborating with such a respected partner as Deka for this investment. The hotel is a four-star city centre property located on the corner of Sussex Rd and Burlington Rd, Dublin 4. It contains 502 bedrooms, two bars, a restaurant and lounge, and a 24-hour gym, as well as conference and meeting facilities. In 2015, the hotel recorded revenues of 29.5m and full year profit before tax of 2.2m. Dalata said that had it traded under the terms of the operating lease last year, the hotel would have contributed 4.3m to the groups Ebitda in 2015. Dalata also operates the countrys Maldron Hotels. Ring-fencing aims to avoid a repeat of the 2008 financial crisis, when banks bad bets threatened ordinary depositors cash, leading to big taxpayer-funded bailouts. The rules apply to all banks in Britain that have both retail and commercial or investment banking activities. State-backed RBS said yesterday NatWest would become its main retail brand in England, Wales and western Europe, while its Royal Bank of Scotland name, which dates back to 1727, will be for Scotland only. The shake-up reflects RBSs latest effort to rebuild its reputation after the banks reckless lending and a takeover spree on the eve of the financial crisis threatened to topple the UK financial system. Our proposed future structure under the ring-fencing legislation and our brand strategy are key elements of the bank we are becoming, chief executive Ross McEwan said. The future ring-fenced structure of the bank is not only designed to be in compliance with the new regulatory requirements and objectives but will better reflect who we are as a bank and what we stand for: a bank that is focused on its customers. RBS, which is 73%-owned by the British taxpayer, is the latest bank to announce how it plans to reform its business to comply with the ring-fencing changes, recommended by the Vickers Commission in 2011. HSBC has outlined similar plans including the relocation of its UK business to Birmingham last year, while Barclays has carved its business into two core divisions. RBS said its new ring-fenced bank would be called NatWest Holdings, comprising its core NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland, Coutts & Co, Ulster Bank Ltd, and Ulster Bank Ireland DAC brands. Earlier this week, RBS revealed that it is to pay $1.1bn (980m) to a US regulator to settle two claims over mis-sold mortgage bonds in the run-up to the financial crisis. RBS has said it will complete the ring-fencing of its retail banking operations by the end of 2018. The money relates to consultancy, legal fees and associated costs which have mounted up since the EU began its Apple state aid investigation three years ago. But Finance Minister Michael Noonan says he expects that legal costs will increase further, following Irelands decision to appeal the EU ruling that Apple owes Ireland 13bn in unpaid taxes. Details provided to Labours Joan Burton show the level of legal costs so far accumulated since the Competition Directorate of the European Commission first launched its probe into Apple. Over the past three years approximately 1m has been spent in total. This includes all legal costs, consultancy fees and other associated costs. These have been paid by the Department of Finance, the Revenue Commissioners, the Attorney Generals Office and the Chief State Solicitors Office, said Mr Noonan. The commission earlier this month announced that it had issued a negative decision in the Apple state aid case. The Government disagrees with the Commissions analysis and is now challenging the decision before the European Courts. Mr Noonan, though, has said that an unknown amount of money will be provided for the legal challenge. This is a legal process that could take several more years to conclude. It is therefore not possible to provide a comprehensive estimate of expected further expenses at this time. As it is an important issue for the State, the case will continue to be appropriately resourced, he told Ms Burton in the written parliamentary reply. The Government say that the challenge is necessary to defend Irelands tax system and to provide certainty for businesses. There is also a belief at Government level that the ruling was an encroachment of EU state aid rules into member state taxation rules. Some opposition TDs argue Ireland has acted as a tax haven for companies. - Elaine Loughlin Government departments went 1bn over budget last year with health, social protection and education all spending hundreds of millions of euro more than they were allocated. The Department of Health had an overspend of 592m; Social Protection went 247m over its original estimate; while the Department of Education and Skills spent 166m more than it was originally allocated. The Comptroller and Auditor Generals (C&AG) report on the Accounts of the Public Services 2015 finds that in 2015 net expenditure was 1bn greater than the original forecast. There was a significant overspend by 6% at the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport. The office of the Chief State Solicitor, Department of Agriculture, the Public Appointments Service, An Garda Siochana and Army pensions were among the areas also over budget. The C&AG found that in 2015, 13 votes or spending areas required substantive supplementary estimates to increase the overall amount available to them. This included three repeat offenders health, An Garda Siochana and Army pensions which have all required significant supplementary estimates every year since 2010. Separately the C&AG found that the State has paid out almost 40bn in interest alone on its debt since 2010 equivalent to a second bank bailout. The State paid 7.1bn in interest last year and a further 8.2bn of interest in 2014. The C&AG annual report revealed that 39.5bn has been paid out in interest alone in the five-year period from 2010 to 2015. Chairman of the Committee of Public Accounts (PAC), Sean Fleming, said the C&AG report highlights some serious deficiencies in how taxpayers money is spent and collected. Mr Fleming said the report outlines a range of areas where the State is not meeting its objectives or providing services to the standard and with the efficiency required. On the positive side the C&AG found that the State took in 18.9bn more in receipts last year an 18% increase on 2014. Tax revenue was up by 4.3bn, which the C&AG put largely down to increases in corporation tax receipts which totalled 2.3bn, income tax receipts of 1.2bn and Vat receipts of 790m. Capital receipts also increased by 3.6bn while other receipts were up 0.6bn. However, the report warned that the increase in capital receipts was mainly due to transactions of a one-off nature. These included: 335m from the proceeds of the sale of the Governments shareholding in Aer Lingus; 1.63bn in respect of the transfer from the Irish Strategic Investment Fund of some of the proceeds from the sale in 2013 of Bank of Ireland preference shares; 1.54bn from the proceeds of the partial redemption of AIB preference shares held by the State; 411m, including a premium on the issued value from the repurchase by Permanent TSB of contingent capital notes held by the State. In addition, the State reduced its shareholding in Permanent TSB from 99.2% to 74.9%, receiving 97m in proceeds. The report also said Ireland made some savings by making early repayments on loans. The National Treasury Management Agency has estimated that the early repayments will generate interest savings in excess of 1.5bn over the original lifetime of loans granted by the IMF. Scrutiny of top medics tax bills - Catherine Shanahan Payment of wages to underage family members, nannies and housekeepers were among the expense claims made by hospital consultants to cut the tax bill of the private companies they set up to maximise their income. An ongoing examination by Revenue of the financial affairs of 763 hospital consultants has so far yielded 48.7m, mainly in the Dublin region, in unpaid tax including interest, penalties and future uplift (estimated future tax receipt). The yield relates to 235 consultants out of 403 cases closed at June 2016 of which 70% resulted in the identification of additional liabilities. The average agreed settlement was approximately 173,000. Twenty- nine of the cases have been published in Revenues list of defaulters and Revenue said additional defaulters may appear in future publications. The figures are contained in a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG) which examines a Revenue Review of Medical Consultants Tax Affairs. The review dates back to 2010 when Revenue became aware of a tax planning strategy aimed at medical consultants which involved their setting up private companies which were used to cut tax bills by: Availing of the cheaper corporation tax rate of 12.5% instead of the 52% rate applied to private income; Excessive expense claims which had little to do with their business activity, eg wages for under-age family members and non-business related employees (eg nannies and housekeepers); and personal motor expenses and travel costs; Capital gains charges the transfer of the business by the consultant to the company gives rise to a capital gains tax charge which in some cases has been mitigated (sometimes in full) by the use of capital losses or retirement relief; Inter-agency transactions the company invoices the consultant for services provided (usually medical support or administrative services). Revenue is questioning the commercial reality of those cross charges. Other professionals are also set to come under Revenue scrutiny. An internal working group set up in February to look at tax issues arising from incorporation of professional practices (consultants, dentists, accountancy firms etc) is conducting a review. Revenue said it intends to produce some general guidance on the matter when the review is complete. In assessing how Revenue conducted its review of consultants tax affairs, the C&AG looked at a sample of 37 closed cases and found a consistent approach was taken. However it noted significant variance in the time taken to close cases, ranging from six months to more than four years. It recommended a review to identify the causes of the delay and possible steps to avoid such delays in the future. Revenue agreed in part with this assessment but said the nature of the engagement meant that negotiations and settlements were particularly protracted and their duration would exceed that of a normal audit. One direct provision firm earns 40m - Noel Baker One firm running a direct provision centre for asylum seekers has earned 40m in just five years and the direct provision system is managing procurement and contract outside formal competitive processes. The C&AG report highlights serious misgivings with how the direct provision system is operated and monitored, noting the low levels of complaints and falling number of inspections in a network which accommodated 4,696 people as of the end of last year. It also highlights how there are no penalties in place for contract providers who underperform in their duties, and notes how an independent appeals officer has not yet been appointed. The chapter in the C&AG report outlines how just over half of all asylum seekers live in 35 direct provision centres located around the country. Last year, the Department of Justice and Equality spent 57m on direct provision. Asylum seekers protesting over direct provision in Cork last month. Picture: Eddie OHare The report notes that while the length of stay in direct provision is the factor over which the State can exercise most control, by last July the average length of stay of those in direct provision was 38 months, while 450 people 10% of the total have been residents of direct provision for more than seven years. However, due to a change to a new IT system in 2012, processing times from before that date cant be incorporated into a comparative analysis because of a lack of information. The average rate of occupancy in direct provision centres between 2007 and 2015 was 86% but a 2010 value for money review recommended that the occupancy rate should be in excess of 90%. While seven of the direct provision centres are State-owned, the other 28 centres are owned and operated by 22 commercial suppliers, who between them have been paid a total of 251m over the five years to 2015. In the same period, nine companies have each been paid in excess of 10m, led by Bridgestock Ltd, who earned 40m, followed by East Coast Catering (Ireland) Ltd and Mosney PLC, both of which were paid more than 30m. The report said: The department does not use formal competitive processes, as set out in public procurement rules, for suppliers of commercial centres. It uses its website to seek expressions of interest. Advertisements were also placed in national newspapers. It said the department did not provide evidence to show how it evaluated those who responded to the notices, although it does evaluate expressions of interest received based on different criteria before then negotiating a price with selected providers and agreeing a contract, typically for a one-year period. However, under EU rules, negotiated procedures can only be used in limited circumstances, and according to the C&AG: The procurement of direct provision centres does not fall within these limited circumstances. A request for tender has never been issued, there are many potential suppliers and the department has been procuring these services continuously over a 15-year period which by any reasonable interpretation gave sufficient time to hold an open competition. For some centres, new contracts were agreed with a different company, but in a number of those cases, at least one director was common to both companies. Direct provision contracts require that accommodation and services must be provided to a standard which is reasonable having regard to the daily needs of asylum seekers, but according to the C&AG: The contract does not define what is considered to be reasonable. No performance meas-ures are set in the contracts and there is no provision in the contract for penalties for under-performance, other than failure to provide the contracted capacity. It also notes how the total number of inspections decreased from 100 in 2013 to 89 in 2015, and that no timescales are set in the contracts for the completion of required actions. There is a very low level of complaints to the department, it said just 38 over the four years to 2015, while an independent appeals officer has not yet been appointed. States faces 1.79bn bill for patient compensation - Fiachra O Cionnaith The Government may have to pay out as much as 1.79bn to resolve a series of high-profile hospital and medical compensation cases taken by patients against the State. The Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG) drew this conclusion after examining the accounts of the National Treasury Management Agency, which has overall responsibility for the State Claims Agency (SCA). Details published by the C&AG reveal that the number of cases currently being examined by the SCA has increased dramatically in the past half a decade, from just over 4,000 in 2010 to almost 8,500 last year. However, during the same period the number of claims to have been adequately resolved has remained static due in part to the complexity of some of the incidents involved. While the majority of cases will not be brought to a conclusion for a number of years, the C&AG finds that the total outstanding bill facing the State is likely to be above 1.79bn a figure that has risen from 1.47bn in 2014. The SCA is tasked with overseeing the payment of compensation to people who take claims against the State for people who have suffered at times catastrophic hospital and medical incidents which have led to serious life-long and life-limiting conditions. These cases regularly include brain injuries on children during their birth due to a lack of oxygen and other complications; incorrect surgeries; and a failure to treat a person soon enough in order to prevent or diagnose life-threatening illnesses. Former health ministers James Reilly and Leo Varadkar have previously called for a more open approach from doctors and hospitals when mistakes are made as this has been shown to reduce legal costs, a position which is also supported by current Health Minister Simon Harris. Last year, the SCA paid out 219.3m to people who sought compensation, a figure which is almost double the rate seen in 2014, when 141.4m was paid out. Meanwhile, the C&AGs examination of the NTMAs files has also found that the group spent more than 53.5m last year on its oversight of Nama, in line with comparative figures for previous years. A total of 46.8m was spent on staff appointments and other matters to Nama, up 2m on 2014, with a further 6.7m spent on issues such as rent and consultancy services. Between 2011 and last year the NTMAs staff levels almost doubled, from 433 to 781, with increases every year recorded. No business plan for 60m Public Service Card system - Joyce Fegan No business plan was ever drawn up for the roll-out of the 60m Public Service Card (PSC) system. The system, however, made way for a single card, which people could used for such things as collecting a social welfare payment. The Comptroller & Auditor General investigated the service card and in its annual report, noted no business case for the system was located. There is no single business case document for the PSC, setting out at a high level all of the information needed to get the project started [scope, justification, funding, roles, and responsibilities], and which communicated this key information to the projects stakeholders, the report published yesterday stated. Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe after he registered for a Public Services Card. Picture: Leah Farrell The roll-out of this system, and therefore a provisional business case, dates back more than a decade. Government made a number of decisions in 2004 and 2005 which formed the basis of the PSC project. A business case or project plan was not developed at that time, states the report. It also found the target for card production has been missed considerably. It was originally intended three million public service cards would be produced by the end of 2013. At the end of June 2016, over 2m cards have been produced. Of the 2.06m cards produced at the end of June 2016, only 1.2m [58%] had been activated, reads the report. Furthermore, the C&AG looked into the delivery of the nationwide project which was tasked to the Department of Social Protection. The C&AG discovered that the departments capacity to roll out the card system was never assessed. There was no initial assessment of DSPs capacity to deliver the project or a formal assessment of the project risks, reads the C&AG report. There was no plan setting out how and when the projects benefits would be measured, and who was responsible or accountable for their delivery. While the final price for the full roll-out is estimated to cost 60m, the department entered into a contract with a supplier in December 2009, at a fixed amount of 19.7m plus 21% Vat. This was to produce the three million card target, which was not met, by the end of 2013. The cost so far for that 2009 contract has gone over by 3m. This is due to contract changes which arose as a result of delays in the project prompted by the need to update security features. In response to the C&AGs findings, the accounting officer at the department said that challenges arose due to the innovative nature of the project. She said no other public or private body had undertaken anything even close to similar, and therefore it was not possible to properly estimate any cost until market testing via the procurement process had taken place. On a positive note, the department estimates savings in payments of 2.5m since the introduction of the card. Tusla agrees to tighten oversight of guardian ad litem costs - Noel Baker The Child and Family Agency has agreed to introduce methods of identifying and measuring guardian ad litem (GAL) costs after strong criticism from the C&AG of the system in which GALs represent children in court cases. Guardian ad litems are appointed by the court to represent the best interests of the child in court proceedings but while Tusla foots the bill, it does not have any other oversight regarding how GALs operate. The C&AG highlighted a string of issues over the GAL system, including wildly varying average costs per case, ranging from 4,800 to almost 29,000. It also details how guidelines provided in 2009 by the now-defunct Children Acts Advisory Board (CAAB) would have tightened up oversight on how the GAL system operates, but were never placed on a statutory footing. Tusla took over the paying of GAL costs from the HSE in 2014, when 16.5m was spent. The figure dropped to 14.1m last year, but due to cost classification methods used in the HSE, comparative guardian ad litem costs for earlier years could not be reliably isolated from other professional service costs. With around 65 GALs operating around the country, there is no national management structure or body charged with oversight of the guardian ad litem service, according to the C&AG, although there have been moves to reform the system. Almost half of all GALs are provided by Barnardos, and the C&AG suggested he is satisfied with levels of internal oversight regarding those professionals. However, the examination team found that there is no national panel of persons or complete list of practitioners, available to the court when selecting a guardian ad litem to be appointed. As such, the method by which persons are selected for appointment may vary from judge to judge and case to case. The examination team sought data on the number of guardians ad litem appointed to child care cases. This information is not recorded by the Courts Service and could not be retrospectively collated. The report also outlined how the roles of Tusla, as the party initiating the proceedings, and as paymaster of the guardian ad litem costs, may lead to a perceived conflict of interest. A snapshot of GAL caseloads taken between April and June this year indicated that each GAL had 10 cases on average, in the majority of which they also seek legal representation, costing 5.9m last year again with no Tusla oversight: The examination team found that 36 of the 79 solicitor firms received payments in 2015 in excess of the public procurement threshold for competitive tendering of 25,000, at a total cost to Tusla of 5.6m. While overall GAL expenditure fell last year compared with the 2014 figure, GAL professional fees paid in 2015 amounted to 9.1m up almost 1m. Up to the end of 2014, there were no agreed standard hourly rates in place, and an analysis of changes instituted after that date indicate savings of just 2%. Although there is now a standard rate per hour paid, there is not a standard service delivered, and Tusla has no means of verifying the accuracy of the hours invoiced. Tusla said: The agency will seek to further develop methods of identifying and measuring guardian ad litem costs in order to identify outliers and gain assurance that costs over and above average are appropriate. Government jet sold for half its value - Conall O Fatharta The Government jet was sold for less than half its estimated value, while spare parts for the aircraft netted just 53,000 despite being valued at more than 400,000. The 14-seater Gulfstream IV jet was purchased in 1992 at a cost of around 45m and was sold in January 2015 for 418,000. The decision to sell the aircraft was primarily due to the rising annual cost of repairing the jet. The Government jet was bought in 1992 for around 45m and sold in 2015 for 418,000. Picture: RollingNews.ie However, the C&AG report was critical of the lack of competitive sales process and as a result was unable to determine whether or not this amounted to good value for money. An informal valuation of the aircraft estimated that its value without repair could be below 750,000, said the report. The Air Corps estimated the value of the spare parts at just over 400,000. The aircraft was sold for 418,000 and the spare parts for 53,000. In the absence of a competitive sales process, it is difficult to conclude on whether best value was obtained. The department has stated that it is fully satisfied with the value achieved in the sale of the aircraft and spare parts, given the extenuating circumstances involved. The C&AG noted a total maintenance cost of 400,000 was deemed by Government to be the upper limit, but this was exceeded in 2013. In 2014, the estimate for repairs and maintenance was 1.34m. A Government memo in July 2014 noted the aircraft would require an overhaul of both engines by 2018-19 at an estimated cost of 2.5m and that retention of the aircraft beyond that date would be unsustainable given its age. The C&AG was critical of the fact that the Department of Defence did not conduct a formal analysis of the projected remaining life costs and benefits associated with the operation of the jet in either 2013 or 2014, when faced with costs exceeding the 400,000 threshold. The department said there were particular and extenuating circumstances as to why such an analysis was not carried out. Fiscal Advisory Council fulfilled tasks expected - Fiachra O Cionnaith The Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG) has given a ringing endorsement of the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (IFAC), saying the financial group is ensuring transparency on key issues directly affecting the economy and peoples lives. In its chapter on the independent budgetary body, the state watchdog said the IFAC has fulfilled all the tasks that are expected from an independent fiscal institution and that it is acting on recommendations on how to further improve its work. The IFAC was set up in 2012 to act as an independent voice on government financial plans, and to assess whether the countrys economy is stable or over-stretching and risking another downturn. As such, its role has meant it has clashed a number of times with Government as it has urged a prudent approach to economic matters. In its assessment of the group, the C&AG said the IFAC has met all of its obligations, and is keeping within its own budget restrictions. It said that, of the 823,360 provided to the group in 2015, 643,000 was used for expenditure, up marginally from 606,000 in 2014, with 62% of this figure involving salaries for the five IFAC council members and its six support staff. The C&AG said a further 62,500 was paid in fees and expenses for council members last year, down from 64,000 in 2014, due to travel costs for events outside Dublin. Laundered fuel business close to being cleaned up The sale of laundered fuel is negligible and close to being eliminated, according to the office of the Comptroller and Auditor General. It reached the conclusion after a random sampling exercise in January found no evidence of the marker used to identify fuel which should not be used in transport or passenger vehicles. According to the C&AGs report, due to its significantly lower excise duty and VAT rates, marked fuel has a much lower price a litre at the pump costs 61 cents while a litre of road diesel costs 1.14. The C&AG said revenue did not estimate the loss to the Exchequer as a result of fuel laundering but noted a report estimating the loss in 2015 to be 239m. In an attempt to address the losses being incurred, in 2011 Revenue rolled out its Mineral Oils strategy which included a number of measures which gave greater oversight of the movement of marked fuel. The introduction of a marked fuel traders licence which was required for anyone producing, holding or dealing in marked fuel. The new licensing arrangements and the electronic reporting system have made it more difficult for fuel launderers to source marked fuel for illicit purposes, the C&AG report said. The 197 licenced traders tested, represented 10% of licence holders. No evidence of laundered fuel was found. This provided authoritative evidence that the selling of laundered fuel is negligible and close to being eliminated. Failure to verify tax status of experts who verified tax statuses - Niall Murray The Revenue Commissioners failed to fully verify the tax compliance of experts it paid to help check compliance among businesses. The five academics helped last year with science tests to determine if research and development (R&D) activities for which tax credits were awarded fulfilled the criteria for the tax break. As they were paid over 10,000 each, including VAT, Revenue should have required them to produce a tax clearance certificate or demonstrate a satisfactory level of tax compliance. But it was unable to provide the Comptroller and Auditor General with evidence that the tax-cleared status of the five experts was confirmed before paying them. Revenue stated that while some did not hold a tax clearance certificate, they would have been entitled to one, or while Revenue did not hold a copy of the tax clearance certificate, the taxpayer was in possession of same, the C&AG annual report said. The Revenue Commissioners provided copies of the experts declarations that their tax affairs were fully in order. Arising from the C&AGs review of how Revenue monitors compliance with the R&D tax credit, which benefited around 1,600 firms to the tune of over 550m last year, relevant tax clearance procedures are to be followed in future. It is also to formally check the relevant qualifications of experts appointed for such work after the C&AG discovered Revenue relied on information from college websites that they had PhDs in a relevant field. It used 18 experts at a cost of 140,000 last year on some of the 178 audits triggered by queries on R&D tax claims. The checks led to 13.5m being collected or recouped, an average of 76,000 per case. The C&AG reviewed 17 cases in which 8.4m was collected or recouped in relation to R&D claims, with the main issues including claims for spending that did not qualify, expenses over-claims and insufficient supporting documents. 3.2m to review EU payments issues - Noel Baker The Department of Agriculture spent 3.2m reviewing issues which led to the disallowing of tens of millions in EU payments to farmers. The expenditure disallowance by the EU was linked to compliance issues with the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund (EAGF), which covers the single payment scheme, and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) which supports rural development programmes. The department had argued with the European Commissions reasons for withdrawing the payments, and as part of the resolution conducted the review with included 960,000 in internal staff costs, 450,000 for new software, and almost 1m for the services of a contractor to review imagery. It settled on repayments to the EU of almost 68m. Separately, the department paid 71m to the EU last year as a result of Irish milk production exceeding the national milk quota, and the recovery of those funds from milk producers. The department paid the milk levy in November 2015, of which 35.6m had been collected from producers while the remainder was sourced from funds the department had on deposit. Arrangements are in place for the balance to be recouped in 2016/17. 5m of farm assist welfare payments may be fraudulent claims - Niall Murray Over 5m in welfare payments to farmers might be paid to fraudulent claimants, a recent survey by the Department of Social Protection has found. The Comptroller and Auditor Generals report reveals that the August 2016 survey estimates 6% of payments in the scheme that cost 88m last year were above entitlement figures due to fraud. Farm Assist is a means-tested payment for low-income farmers, and the department estimated that errors by itself and by claimants may have resulted in another 4m being overpaid. Overpayments could account for 5.4% of last years 75m household benefits package spend but most is attributed to department error and just 1.4% to error or fraud by claimants. The fraud and error surveys were not completed in time for the C&AGs office to review how they were conducted or to verify the departments figures. However, they will be the subject of a separate exercise for that purpose. The department only examined 7% of recipients of scheme recipients for the household benefits package, having targeted what it identified as a riskier sub-group of recipients. Other sub-groups within the scheme are to be surveyed later, which could change the overall survey or error rates. On wider surveys of welfare schemes, the highest estimated level of excess payments was disability allowance. However, the 18.4% estimate from a 2010 survey was adjusted to just a 4.1% loss to the welfare system after taking account of cases where disallowed claims were succeeded by valid claims or dependent payments on other schemes or where appeals were successful. After the 10.4% estimated level of excess payments from within the Farm Assist scheme, the next-highest proportion was the estimated 5.9% excess payments within the 620m illness benefit scheme. This was adjusted from 13.3% when revised claims and appeals were taken into account. Only 12 of 31 local authorities benefit from LPT funding switch - Stephen Rogers Just 12 of the countrys local authorities benefitted more from funds through the local property tax in 2015 than they had in allocations from the Local Government Fund a year earlier. Up to 2014, local authorities day-to-day activities were financed by the Local Government Fund through general purpose grants. However, the grants were discontinued in 2015 and replaced by local property tax (LPT) allocations. According to the C&AG report, just 12 councils found themselves with more money through the LPT payments than through the general purpose grants. The other 19 were in deficit and had to receive additional monies to bring them up to their previous funding level. The additional monies, which amounted to 102 million, were taken from councils who had a surplus. It meant that those who had a surplus ended up with a total allocation of 239m while those who had a shortfall ended up with a total of 219m. Local authorities have the discretion to vary their LPT rates in their area by up to 15%. The report shows six decided to decrease the LPT by the maximum 15% at a cost of 35.4m. A further eight reduced the LPT by between 1.5% and 10% at a cost of 8.2m. None of the councils opted to increase its LPT rate. The report also shows last year Irish Water received 399m from the Local Government Fund for water-related services previously provided by local authorities. The Government also gave councils grants totalling 15m for some water service capital loans held by local authorities that did not transfer to Irish Water. John Henry, aged 59, of Pic Du Jer Park, Ballinlough, Cork, pleaded guilty to a charge of possession of cannabis for his own use on July 30 last year. Inspector Adrian Gamble said Henry had four previous similar convictions, and two others for having the drug for the purpose of sale or supply. Solicitor Frank Buttimer said: This man has chronic medical problems. He has a breathing disorder and heart difficulties. Detective Garda Dean Landers arrested Limerick man Michael Gammell, aged 31, of no fixed address, and charged him with robbing 150 at Topaz filling station on St Nessans Rd, Limerick, on Wednesday evening. Gammell, who was appearing at Cork District Court, was remanded in custody to appear at Limerick District Court on Tuesday, by Judge Olann Kelleher, on an application made by Inspector Adrian Gamble. The Independent minister emphasised that she wants to extend benefits to the so-called squeezed middle, but this is dependent on resources allocated to her in the budget and beyond. Fine Gael ministers and backbenchers fear that State-funded childcare supports only going to lower income families in the budget could anger other families on higher incomes. Ms Zappone met Finance Minister Michael Noonan and Public Expenditure and Reform Minister Paschal Donohoe about the impasse this week, as all sides attempt to agree a compromise for the budget. The exact nature of subsidised childcare provision in the budget remains unknown. A suggested threshold of 47,000 in joint income per family for those who benefit has worried Fine Gael backbenchers. It must spread out to others too, you have middle-income earners who are really in need of getting help for their childcare costs, one Fine Gael TD told the Irish Examiner. Mr Noonan told the Dail this week that he has made no mention of any subsidies for childcare being included in the October 11 budget. Ms Zappone made no apologies for wanting to help lower income families with childcare costs first. One of the key aspects of what I want to do though, starting in 2017, is to begin a new more effective way to target families, especially on low income, in terms of subsidies, she said yesterday. But thats part of the package, I would hope to be also able to increase support for children in every family but as I have said before, that is dependent on the resources that are given to me. I make no apology to focus some of my initial efforts in relation to a new scheme to children from low income families. There are 136,000 children who are living in conditions of poverty that figure is equivalent to the size of the city of Cork. I think everyone in this country would accept the fairness and the justice in beginning there. With more investment it would be my ambition to increase the subsidisation for every child. Childcare provider services will be streamlined next year, to reduce administrative costs and allow families to easily identify what level of subsidy they may get. This system will see families using a PPS number online to identify what subsidy they get. Sources close to Ms Zappone accept it could take a number of years to roll out a full subsidy system for all families. Meanwhile, community, charity, and business groups presented their budget wish lists to Mr Noonan and Mr Donohoe at Government Buildings yesterday. Groups who met the ministers included Ictu, Ibec, the Construction Industry Federation, the community and voluntary pillar, as well as farming groups. Exchequer figures for the third quarter, to be released next week, will give final indications of what funds are available to spend in the budget. Monies taken in from Vat, corporation tax, income tax, and excise duty will help inform the Government of the levels of possible spending. A spokeswoman for Mr Donohoe last night said he would now begin the process of whittling down budget demands from ministers, which started out several weeks ago at 3bn for the estimated 1bn in fiscal space. The Irish Examiner understands that a motion being drafted for a special delegate conference of the Association of Garda Sergeants & Inspectors on October 17 will call for such a radical move. AGSI general secretary John Jacob said he is ruling nothing in or out and that all industrial relations actions will be discussed at the conference in Athlone. A range of Garda sources yesterday said there would be severe consequences for policing, and in turn for public safety, if the AGSI took industrial action on one or more of the four strike dates set by the Garda Representative Association [November 4, 11, 18 and 25]. It is understood that Garda Commissioner Noirin OSullivan and her senior team are already beginning to draw up contingency plans for the first strike date on November 4 and will be in contact with the GRA in terms of providing emergency cover on the day. Emergency cover could involve staffing the dispatch system in Command and Control centres around the country, which deal with 999 calls, and staffing specific units, such as the Emergency Response Unit and Regional Support Units. The contingency plans could also involve closing some Garda stations and concentrating resources in district headquarters and in patrols. It could involve 12-hour shifts, utilising probationary gardai, student gardai and Garda Reserves and possibly the Army. But sources said that such contingency plans would only be feasible if the countrys 2,000 sergeants and inspectors came in for duty. Sources said that Garda HQ is animated at the possibility of the AGSI taking industrial action on the same dates. Some sources predicted there is a huge danger of possible gun attacks in the Kinahan-Hutch feud. These attempted assassinations are being kept at bay by constant patrolling by marked uniformed gardai and unmarked heavily armed gardai in Dublins north inner city and the south inner city and neighbouring Crumlin and Drimnagh areas. If the AGSI dont go on strike, its manageable, said one senior source. It will be a skeleton service, okay, but if the AGSI go out then it will be very, very challenging. A second senior source said: We might have to close some stations and have a skeletal presence at stations and have all resources out on the street, by using probationers, students and reserves. But if AGSI do the same, we are under serious pressure. It would be a nightmare scenario. An experienced sergeant said: Even if we stay in, we dont have the capacity. It will be just a fire brigade service. AGSI general secretary, John Jacob, would not comment specifically on whether or not there was a motion to conference calling for strike action on the same dates at the GRA. But he said: All available industrial relations actions will be considered by delegates on the day and delegates will decide what course of actions best address our concerns. Im not ruling anything in or out at this point. The AGSI national executive will meet on October 12 and 13 at which they are likely to decide their positions on possible industrial action options. The AGSI, which had made an agreement with the Government, changed its mind on the day GRA called the strike, saying their expectations of progress on pay had been reneged upon by the Department of Public Expenditure. It said it was going to hold its own special delegate conference to consider industrial action. Some sources in the AGSI believe there has been a shift in mood among members which has been hardened by the significant pay rises granted to Luas staff and Dubin Bus drivers. One AGSI source said: I hope common sense prevails, but right now I amfearful there is an appetite among members to go out. In a series of pointed remarks, Central Bank director of credit institutions supervision Ed Sibley warned that Ireland must, at all costs, remember the lessons learned since 2008 but added that he feared they are already being forgotten. He further admonished Irish banks for failing to meet targets set by the Central Bank, as well as for showing signs of returning to a toxic culture of bad lending and dragging their feet in finding solutions for thousands of mortgage holders in arrears. We must not forget the lessons from the bubble and the more recent past, such that we never again have such a catastrophic and systemic failure of lending standards and practices. Some memories do appear to be surprisingly short, both within the banks and outside them, said Mr Sibley. We have already seen some evidence of a return of more aggressive lending practices and cultures, and issues with risk appetites, the pricing of loans relative to risks and the effectiveness of board oversight over new lending. We forget the lessons from this crisis at our peril. All of our actions need to both address the legacy of the crisis and mitigate and reduce the risk of recurrence. With non-performing loans (NPLs), or those in arrears, still accounting for a fifth of lenders loan books, despite significant improvements in recent years, the blight of banks poor lending practices still remains. Some 43,000 owner- occupier mortgages are in arrears of 90 days or more. Mr Sibley said that the 45bn of non-performing loans cause untold distress to borrowers and lead to significant societal implications. Eight years after the infamous night of the guarantee, nearly seven years after the establishment of Nama, and the subsequent transfer of 74bn of loans, after billions of euros of loans have been restructured and dozens of portfolios sold, there still remains 45bn of non-performing loans on the retail banks balance sheets, said Mr Sibley. The challenge is still significant. Addressing an audience of bankers at a gathering of the Banking and Payments Federation of Ireland in Dublin, Mr Sibley accused the banks of continuing to frustrate efforts to resolve the tens of thousands of outstanding bad loans. Mr Sibley said individual banks may be inclined to drag their feet on finding solutions in the hope of a miraculous recovery in borrowers circumstances. From an individual lender perspective, there may be incentives to act more slowly, he said. For example, lenders may hope that underlying collateral values increase, or that borrowers circumstances miraculously improve beyond what can be reasonably expected. Undoubtedly, these incentives and factors were relevant in the history of NPLs in Ireland, [thats] why the Central Bank has had to be so interventionist in driving resolution. My fear is that they are still at play today, albeit to a lesser extent. Of the 43,000 non-performing owner-occupier mortgages, no effort has been made to resolve a fifth of them, he added. Mr Sibley further admonished the countrys banks for failing to meet mortgage resolution targets set by the Central Bank under its Mortgage Arrears Resolution Targets. To be forthright, Mr Sibley said, performance was disappointing with most banks falling significantly short of our expectations. On a more positive note, the Central Bank official said the number of non- performing loans has been falling since their peak in late 2013 and have halved since that time. NPLs to SMEs and other businesses reduced by 54% since the start of 2015 with owner-occupier mortgages in arrears down 27% during that period. The Commission for Energy Regulation (CER), the independent economic regulator of Irish Water, has refused a request for over 2bn to run the service in 2017 and 2018. It has also slashed, by 128m, Irish Waters request of 1.53bn for operating costs, to just under 1.4bn. In a consultation paper issued yesterday, the CER said it was seeking to protect Irish Water customers by ensuring it only recovers efficient costs while delivering necessary improvements in service and performance. The CER is proposing to allow Irish Water a total revenue of 1.852bn (2015 prices) to fund capital investments and operations for the years 2017 to 2018. This represents a saving of 156m against Irish Waters request to the CER, said the commission. Irish Water is already facing a shortfall of around 300m as a result of the Governments decision to suspend household charges until the end of March next year. While the Government has promised to make up the deficit this year, no decision has yet been made for next year or beyond. The funding shortfall will be even bigger if bills are not reintroduced from the end of March, as planned. Given the level of antipathy among TDs to the charges, it is unlikely the Government will be able to bring them back next year. The CER acknowledged that Irish Water has suffered from historical under-investment. With ageing and poor quality infrastructure in some areas, substantial investment is required to bring the standard of the assets up to the needs of a modern economy, it said. Irish Water plans to spend 5.5bn upgrading water and wastewater treatment plants nationwide as well as reducing the level of leaks in the system. Major projects already under way include sourcing a new drinking water supply for Dublin and the Midlands. Garda Linda Lyons testified that she arrested Oliver Clair, 38, of Sheepwalk, Dungourney, Co Cork, and charged him with breaching the protection order last Thursday. The charge stated that he allegedly breached a protection order by telling his ex-partner, in a phone call, that if he saw her at a particular place again, I dont know what Im going to do to you. Inspector Adrian Gamble told Judge Olann Kelleher there was no objection to the accused being released on bail. The Mother and Baby Homes Commission said work will begin on the site from today and continue for approximately five weeks. It will be led by a team of specialist archaeologists under a forensic archaeologist, with the full co-operation of gardai. The purpose of the excavation is to resolve a number of queries that the Mother and Baby Homes Commission has in relation to the interment of human remains at this location, said a statement. To date, the site in Tuam is the only site to have been physically examined for remains. Despite evidence of a higher death rate at Bessborough Mother and Baby Home in Cork and deaths in other institutions, the commission said: There are no specific plans to carry out other excavations yet at other sites. But it added that no definite decisions have been made. An Irish Examiner investigation last year revealed the HSE had reported concerns in 2012 that up to 1,000 children may have been trafficked to the US from the Tuam Mother and Baby Home in a scandal that dwarfs other, more recent, issues within the Church and State. Senior HSE officials advised that this goes all the way up to the minister so a fully fledged, fully resourced forensic investigation and State inquiry could be launched. The HSE also informed the Government in 2012 that 478 children died in the Bessborough Mother and Baby Home in Cork between 1934 and 1953, a higher death rate than recorded in Tuam. The figures were taken from the orders own death register. It also expressed concerns that deaths may have been falsified. This newspaper also revealed that the order running Bessborough reported significantly higher numbers of infant deaths to state inspectors than it recorded privately. However, an inquiry was not launched by the Government until almost two years later. One of those who recalled the day was former stoker Bill Mynes, who was badly burnt as he successfully helped put out a fire which erupted in LE Clionas engine room. If the fire had spread it could have resulted in the ship sinking. Accompanied by members of his family, Mr Mynes, who lives in Dublin, attended the unveiling of a plaque at navy headquarters at Haulbowline, Co Cork, yesterday, which commemorates those who saved the ship. Mr Mynes recalled May 29, 1962, when LE Cliona was conducting a routine anti-submarine exercise near Roches Point. Onboard were a number of dignitaries and journalists. One depth charge went off prematurely. It lifted the stern of the ship out of the water, rupturing fuel pipes in the aft boiler room, resulting in a major fire. After many years of campaigning, the Department of Defence recently presented four heroes with Scrolls of Commendation. Among them were Mr Mynes; Lieutenant Pat OMahoney, who retired as a commander; and Maurice Egan from Midleton, who worked in the engine room. The fourth was presented posthumously to the family of chief stoker Gerry OCallaghan, who lived in Ringaskiddy. Yesterday a special plaque to honour their achievement was unveiled in the navy base. Its a brilliant day for us. Its a nice finale to the whole thing, said Mr Mynes. Maurice Egan who was second engineer on the ship, modestly claims he didnt do anything outstanding on the day: I just stopped people getting hurt. It is a proud day, I suppose. John Doherty, a 19-year-old at the time, proudly displayed a picture of himself in the Cork Examiner taken that day. Le Cliona Thats me passing down buckets of water to put the fire out. I knew we could be in big trouble because of all the ammo and fuel onboard. His son, Pat Doherty, carries on the naval tradition the Lieutenant Commander captains LE Roisin. Meanwhile, proud families watched six officer cadets receive their commissions at a parade at the base. Charles Brooke Pickard, a 43-year-old married father of four, has been missing since his abduction on the coast by a number of masked, armed men in South Kerry a quarter of a century ago. Clearance and excavation work began at first light on September 14 on a site, approximately 40 sq m, in a forest clearing at Derrenageeha near the high mountain pass of Ballaghisheen near where Mr Pickards van was found burnt out in May 1991. A renewed appeal to the public by gardai earlier this year had elicited fresh information which pointed to the site. A team of up to 20 gardai and army personnel have been involved in the search and specialised equipment was brought in to deal with tree stumps in the formerly forested site. Yesterday, Supt Flor Murphy of Killarney said that nothing had been found at the site. The finding of the remains was important but was only part of a major investigation that is still very much on-going, Supt Murphy said. Gardai were liaising with the Norths police force as well as those in Europe and the UK, Supt Murphy said. Some of the people who were on the garda radar, at the time, as peripheral to the investigation, now lived in the UK, and in mainland Europe. Mr Pickard, who had moved from the UK to live in south Kerry, was last seen being bundled into his van at White Strand, Castlecove by armed and masked men on April 26, 1991, after setting out from home earlier that morning to go turf-cutting. His wife Penny and the couples four children aged aged 15, 11, seven, and five never saw him again. Mrs Pickard, who still lives in south Kerry, and their second youngest child Crohan, have both appealed for anyone with information to come forward to allow the family closure and peace after 25 years. The Cork woman, who has a medical card, was in agony and unable to sleep at night. Her GP had prescribed pain killers and was going to refer her for a scan. Christine was put on a long waiting list of between 18 and 24 months. I didnt know any better; I thought Id just have to wait, she said. Her family were unhappy that she had to wait so long in so much pain and paid 200 to have the MRI scan done privately. Christine got an appointment for the following Wednesday. She was in fierce pain. She couldnt sleep so she was walking the floors at night, Christines daughter, Tina, said on RTE radio yesterday. The scan showed there was a tumour on Christines spine and it was decided to have it surgically removed as soon as possible. I would have been completely paralysed within a few months for the sake of 200. I would not have known, said Christine, who had the operation to remove the tumour a week ago. Christine is still feeling sore and weak following the surgery. She is also furious that someone like her with a medical card had to pay for a life-saving scan. Medical card holders should be treated the same as private, she said. Christine was operated on within two weeks of getting the result of the scan and is awaiting the results of the operation. All the indications are that the tumour is benign. The family know that Christines experience is not an isolated incident. Its ridiculous to put a price on someones health and their life like that, said Tina. Christines GP, Nick Flynn, the medical director of Union Quay Medical Centre in Cork said her case was quite typical. Because public patients could not be directly referred for an MRI scan, they had to be referred to the already overburdened outpatient departments that had waiting times of 18 months and more. HSE South chief executive Gerard OCallaghan said Cork University Hospital did not accept referrals from GPs but was no different to other hospitals in the region. He said it was up to GPs to raise the level of urgency about their patients with the consultant if they felt a patient should be seen sooner. The South South-West Hospital Group said: In June 2015, there were 3,000 patients at CUH waiting on MRI scans. Following an internal waiting list initiative, this waiting list has since been cleared. There is currently no waiting list for a routine MRI at CUH. If the referring consultant communicates that a patient needs an MRI within a three- week period, this is facilitated within that time frame. Siptu president Jack OConnor says things are considerably better than they were in terms of the economy than when the Lansdowne Road Agreement was negotiated. He said there has been dramatic economic growth with 4.5%-5% estimated for this year and a projected 3.5% to 4% for next year. Those are phenomenal figures in any context, Mr OConnor told Newstalk radio: Im saying it would be a good policy approach on the part of the Government to look at an adjustment to the agreement. He did concede, however, that the Government is restricted by the absurd fiscal rules which the country is required to comply with. The fiscal rules are preventing the Government, and governments all over Europe, from investing in their economies to enable them to grow, he added. Meanwhile, following a meeting of his unions executive committee, Eoin Ronayne, general secretary of the Civil Public and Services Union, said his members have noted the outcome of the Luas and Dublin Bus cases as very welcome and positive developments which need to be reflected within the public service. The CPSU executive instructed its officials to work with other public sector unions to secure a faster reversal of all pay cuts and, in particular, to seek an end to the two lower entry points which were added to the clerical officer scale. While the members are aware that theres a further 1,000 or more due back to them under the LRA next year, there is growing pressure for a faster restoration of pay and conditions, said Mr Ronayne. He added that the lower entry points forced on new recruits are a scandal which must be ended. The scene of the meeting between high-ranking officials of Laos' Champasak province and Vietnam's Kon Tum province. (Source: VNA) The two sides agreed to create favourable conditions for businesses to study investment cooperation opportunities in the fields of their strength such as trade, tourism and mining. Champasak, other southern Lao provinces and Kon Tum recommended the two governments soon invest in National Road 18B in the form of Build-Operation-Transfer (BOT), with official development assistance capital from Vietnam. The Lao locality vowed to help Kon Tums transport businesses engage in goods and passenger transport along the northeastern Thailand southern Laos Vietnams Central Highlands and central coast route. It will also continue assisting Kon Tum in seeking and repatriating remains of volunteer soldiers and experts who died during the resistance war in Laos. Since a memorandum of understanding on bilateral cooperation was signed five years ago, the relations between the two provinces have continuously developed through the exchange of delegations, tourism promotion, and transport facilitation. With the coordination and support of the Champassak authorities and people, Kon Tum has repatriated the remains of 13 martyrs. Speaking at the dialogue, Deputy Secretary of the Kon Tum provincial Party Committee A Pot expressed his belief that the two provinces collaboration will reap greater achievements in the future, contributing to enhancing the traditional friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Laos. Meanwhile, Niphone Viengpaseuth, Deputy Secretary of Champassaks Party Committee, thanked Kon Tum province and Vietnam in general for their assistance to Laos in the past struggle for national liberation as well as for the current national construction. Champasak is ready to make all efforts to maintain and cement the two countries special relationship, he stressed./. A groundbreaking language programme launched yesterday in a Cork school will see Mandarin Chinese being taught formally to senior students. Aimed at fifth and sixth- class pupils of Gaelscoil Pheig Sayers in Farranferris, on the citys northside, it is the first formal Chinese language pilot programme of its kind in an Irish primary school. A second Cork Gaelscoil, on the southside of the city, is expected to be included in the programme within a few weeks. Spanish the second- most spoken language in the world is already being taught to its fifth- and sixth- class pupils. The schools board of management approached UCC home to a Confucius Institute and an Irish Institute of Chinese Studies to devise a Chinese language programme. The course launched yesterday will be taught at the Gaelscoil over the next two years by up to 12 visiting Chinese students who are studying for their Masters degree in UCC. The Gaelscoil children will be taught to speak a language used by more than 1bn people, plus some of the basics of the complex written language. They will each receive certificates at the end of the course. As a Gaelscoil we are great believers in languages and immersion education, said school principal Adrian Breathnach. We made this decision as a board of management because Mandarin is now the number-one most spoken language in the world, with over 1bn people speaking it. Our Government has also recognised China as a strong emerging economy and greater trade links between the two countries have been forged. We see it as a language of the future. Mandarin Chinese grammar is considered relatively simple, with no verb conjugation and the tenses expressed by using time phrases such as tomorrow, yesterday, in the future. There are also no gender- specific nouns and no need to distinguish between singular and plural nouns. The Naval Service crew beamed with pride yesterday as they disembarked at their home base after rescuing 2,697 migrants, but it was obvious theyre also harbouring harrowing memories of being too late to save 21 people, including a heavily pregnant woman and her unborn child. The joyous scenes as the sailors were reunited with their families mask some of the horrors they will probably never forget. Army medic, Sergeant Refellia Donovan, along with two other medics, was in the forefront of the operation. She treated terrified and traumatised migrants once they boarded the ship: Many had wounds because they were crushed against screws in the craft they were on. A lot of people had infected wounds. One guy had a gunshot wound. She said its possible the heavily pregnant woman suffocated in a crush, or was overcome by petrol fumes. The medic also described how she helped look after small babies, some just two weeks old. One good news story involved a woman who went into labour just after being rescued she gave birth to a girl named Joyce, after our ship, Sgt Donovan said. Lieutenant Commander Neil Manning, who captained the ship, said his crew experienced some difficult times, especially when they found 16 people, including a teenage boy, dead in a barge. Its toughest on those [crew] who have children. You think how lucky your family are at home. But you have to remain focused and I spoke to the guys after and reminded them that theyd also saved 450 people that day. PO Seaman Philip Hogan, from Cobh, is welcomed home by Sarah Monks and 2-year-old son Aaron Hogan. We also had five people onboard who are trained in critical support management and theres also lots of peer support on the ship, the senior officer said. He said he had no doubt many vessels they encountered would have sunk before reaching port: Its very hard to see people being exploited like this. The captain noted that a small number of those rescued were suspected of being people smugglers and this was pointed out to Italian authorities when the crew handed them over. But yesterday the sad scenes the 59-strong crew witnessed were at least temporarily set aside as they were reunited with their families after their three-month mission. The crew were greeted on arrival by minister with responsibility for defence Paul Kehoe who said he had the privilege of meeting them earlier this month while they were re-equipping in Italy: I was glad to hear your experiences of the important work you are undertaking on behalf of the people of Ireland. You can now look forward to enjoying some well-deserved time off from your duties. Newly commissioned officers Tahlia Britton, Co Donegal; Stephen Ryan, Ballincollig, Cork; Damian Long, Co Waterford; Robert Kelly, Meath; Niall Gallagher, Co Down; and Cormac Gillick, Drimnagh, Co Dublin. To date, Irish participation has resulted in the recovery of over 12,500 migrants, which clearly demonstrates the value of Irelands involvement in this important humanitarian response. LE James Joyce has been replaced on the mission by LE Samuel Beckett, currently off the coast of Libya. Seaman and sweetheart to wed For three months he thought about popping the question, readily admitting that absence makes the heart grow fonder. So, when Able Seaman Dean Babington, 24, disembarked from LE James Joyce after its mission to rescue migrants, the first thing he did was get down on bended knee and ask his sweetheart and mother of his child to marry him. On my God, oh my God, replied Niamh Cox, 21, crying tears of joy. Im absolutely shocked. Im absolutely delighted. Im absolutely in love with him, she said after accepting the proposal and having a glittering ring placed on her finger. The couple, who are both from the northside of Cork City, hugged and kissed to loud applause from other navy families who had gathered to welcome loved ones home. However, it all seemed to go over the head of their 18-month-old son, Jake, who didnt appear to know what all the fuss was about. Inspector Adrian Gamble said yesterday the DPP had directed trial by judge and jury in the case against Tina ODriscoll if she was contesting the case. Ms ODriscoll, with an address at 9 Ardmore Heights, Knocknaheeny, Cork, is accused of assault causing harm to Kenneth Sheridan at the Old Oak on Oliver Plunkett Street, on February 19 last. Set during the American Civil War, Free State of Jones (12A) opens with Confederate soldier Newton Knight (Matthew McConaughey) deserting his post and returning home to Jones County, Mississippi. Outraged by the way Confederate troops tax the locals taking their livestock and crops and leaving defenceless women and children to starve Knight begins a campaign of resistance that draws fellow deserters and freed slaves. Soon Jones County has declared itself the Free State of Jones, a provocation that the Confederate States cannot ignore. Based on a true story, and directed by Gary Ross, the film is a fascinating account of an historical anomaly, in which men and women, black and white, took to the barricades in what amounted to a proto-Communist uprising in Americas heartland. Despite the specific setting, its an epic, timeless yarn, with Newton Knight something of a Robin Hood of the Mississippi swamps, stealing from the rich and redistributing to the poor as he transforms his ragtag band of troops into experts in guerrilla war. The contemporary resonances to class warfare are hard to ignore, as Knight rails against the poor (and particularly the ex-slaves) fighting the battles of the rich, but theres a powerful humanity to go with the economic theorizing, as Knight develops the strongest of bonds with his fellow rebels, in particular Rachel (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) and Moses (Mahershala Ali). An admirable fidelity to historical fact means the movie concludes in an unusually downbeat fashion by Hollywoods standards, but its a denouement that adds handsomely to the overall authenticity of the piece. Director Tim Burton has become a byword for gothic excess, but he reins in his imagination (mostly) for Miss Peregrines Home for Peculiar Children (12A), which is adapted from the best-selling YA novel by Ransom Riggs. The story opens in contemporary Florida, with teenager Jake (Asa Butterfield) discovering the mutilated body of his grandfather, Abraham (Terence Stamp). Solving a number of cryptic messages, Jake is soon on his way to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he stumbles into the past and meets the mysterious Miss Peregrine (Eva Green) and the children she has sworn to defend against the predations of the hollowgasts humanoid, tentacled monsters, led by the despicable Barron (Samuel L Jackson), who prey on peculiar children. Its an inventive tale, combining gothic tropes and time-travel (back to WWII) as Jake mourns his recently departed grandfather, struggles to cope with a strained relationship with his father Franklin (Chris ODowd), and embarks on a tentative romance with Emma (Ella Purnell), all of it wrapped up in a powerful allegory for the horrors of the Holocaust. Tim Burtons fans wont be surprised to learn that its also a visual treat, and the scene in which the hollowgasts do battle with a host of skeletons is a touching homage to the work of special effects pioneer Ray Harryhausen. Eva Green steals the show in a strong ensemble cast, with only Samuel L Jacksons clunky turn letting the side down, with the result that Miss Peregrines Home for Peculiar Children is something of a cult classic in the making although parents of younger children should be aware that, in places, the tone is very dark indeed. Deepwater Horizon (12A) stars Mark Wahlberg in a dramatisation of the explosion that occurred on the BP-operated offshore drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010. Wahlberg plays Mike Williams, the chief electrical engineer of the well from hell; as soon as the helicopter taking them to the rig sets down, Williams, his boss Jimmy Harrell (Kurt Russell) and co-worker Andrea (Gina Rodriguez) realise that, with the operation already 43 days and many millions of dollars behind schedule, BPs executives led by Vidrine (John Malkovich) are scheming for drilling to commence without critical tests taking place. What follows is a vividly depicted account of a man-made disaster as Peter Berg directs with real verve, first creating a tense and claustrophobic atmosphere, and then superbly capturing the chaos that ensues when the explosion lets rip. Its an old-fashioned disaster movie the blazing, floating rig is a blend of those 1970s classics of the genre, The Towering Inferno and The Poseidon Adventure but Deepwater Horizon offers more than pyrotechnics and breathless derring-do. Wahlberg puts in a robust performance as the reluctant hero Williams and Malkovich is brilliantly slimy as the manipulative executive, although its Kurt Russell who takes the laurels as the gruff, no-nonsense Mr Jimmy. The result, despite the fact that we know in advance what will happen, is that Deepwater Horizon is a gripping drama of grace under pressure. AL Porter is sitting across from me in a hotel bar in Cork. He is blasting out a tune from Oliver, in full Cockney mode. Its lunchtime, Porter is tucking into a sandwich, and theres not an alcoholic drink in sight. The comedian is telling me about his early start in showbiz. The first show I was cast in was when I was nine, in Oliver, at the National Concert Hall. I was the Artful Dodger. There follows a hugely convincing and full-throated rendition of the school concert perennial, Consider Yourself. I used to sound like Oliver, now I sound like Dick Van Dyke, he laughs. Its the Monday after a busy weekend for Porter: he appeared on The Late Late Show and had a slot at Electric Picnic. He is becoming a Late Late regular, and while the show might not be the cultural touchstone of old, Porter is aware of the influence it still wields. Its a career-maker, an institution. Being on The Late Late Show is more nerve-wracking than being on Live At The Apollo or supporting Michael McIntyre. Its also shared so much now on social media. Its massive. After the show, Porter tweeted a picture of himself and presenter, Ryan Tubridy, with their newly-awarded gold cards for Dublin nightclub, Copper Face Jacks. We made it baby. Coppers gold cards! pic.twitter.com/pAJOi8nXMA Al Porter (@TheAlPorter) September 3, 2016 I love the show with Ryan Tubridy were both young fogeys. I like to tease him about his book on JFK not doing too well. He thinks its funny. "One Christmas, I gave him a gift of a box within a box within a box but it was his book, then another copy, then another copy, and my note just said: there were fucking loads of them. Dont worry about the cost; I got them all for two euro. Also joining the party at Coppers, after their Late Late appearance, were the Olympic rowing silver-medallists, Paul and Gary ODonovan. We had a proper night. They are what you call authentic. Theyre incredibly sound, but they have great cop-on, he says of the Skibbereen brothers. The comedians star has been in the ascendant for the last few years, and he is still only 23. I laugh when he tells me he is mentoring a young comedian. Well, hes only 19, which is what I was when I started, he says. Comedian Al Porters comedy has an old-school, variety show sensibility, and and he is influenced by performers such as Danny La Rue and Frankie Howerd. Porter has packed a lot into the last four years, including a quiz show for Channel 5 and supporting the hugely successful British comedian, Michael McIntyre, who sells out arenas. Id love to go in that direction, he says. The bigger the event, the bigger the suit you wear, the bigger the spectacle Im bringing an eight-piece band to Cork Opera House, and a big video screen. Im upscaling all the time, in the desire to eventually do arenas, and those shiny-floor BBC shows. However, Porter still likes to stay close to his theatrical roots, and is co-producing, co-writing, and starring in this years Gaiety panto. He is also in talks with a publisher about writing a book. Can we look forward to a warts-and-all memoir, I ask. No, I think theyre naff. Im interested in writing something anecdotal, but driven by the narrative of my own opinion. I dont want to be bound by timescale. I want to pick and choose. Well see. He enjoys spinning many plates, but does he ever worry about burnout? I hate taking time off. My work isnt work, its also a hobby. I took time off early this year, through exhaustion after the pantomime and the mad year I had last year, I ended up on steroids and in bed for a week. "I could barely breathe, but I popped into the International bar to do a gig. What would you be doing sitting at home? Porter is an inveterate showman, inspired by the variety stars of yesteryear, such as Dick Emery and Frankie Howerd. While he is not inclined to lengthy and introspective monologues, however, you dont have to dig deep to see the intelligence in Porters performances. Earlier this year, on the RTE current affairs discussion show, Cutting Edge, he impressed many viewers with his sharp and insightful contributions on subjects such as mental health and social inequality. I definitely dont see myself representing anybody but myself, but I think my voice is an absolutely blue-jeans, working-class voice. My nana was from the flats in Dublin, a bastard child, which was an awful thing to be in Dublin in the 1930s. My parents were reared in Ballyfermot and my father left school at 13, joined the army to send money home so his brothers could go to college, an opportunity he didnt have. I grew up in Springfield, in Tallaght, which is great, but Ive seen, not even the economic inequality, but the cultural inequality. Porter did English and philosophy at Trinity College, but it was not a happy experience and he dropped out in first year. The questions I got in college youre from Tallaght, are you here on a grant?, and Id be saying, no, not that theres anything wrong with being here on a grant; or, have you ever been mugged? and Id be going red, because I had been mugged, but didnt want to tell them. You could be mugged anywhere. "I was there for about five days over four months. I learned more from the French films in the IFI, which are the only ones on at two in the day, when I was pretending to go to lectures. He still lives at home with his parents, in Tallaght, and has a large group of friends there. I drink in the Dragon Inn, in Tallaght village, every Monday, with a lot of my mates. There are people there who do drugs, who are single parents, who have mental health problems, people who are working in banks, getting married . . . thats the beautiful thing about where I come from, the democracy of the social scene. "Theres something there thats not being represented even in Love/Hate, which was an amazing programme. You never had a scene where someone like Nidge sat down in a pub and someone like me was having a laugh with him which happens all the time. While Porter covers a huge range of topics in his shows, he is not a believer in dwelling on the serious side of things. Id like to think I have the same gag rate as the late Joan Rivers if you dont like this one, youll like the next one. My show covers family, religion, sex, dating, therapy, language. Its just mad, silly, feelgood, bright, and fun. "The reason its so light is because when things are a bit difficult, a bit dark, when you get up to entertain you get up to fucking entertain, to distract people, not to remind them of their issues. "I admire comedians like Dylan Moran and Des Bishop but Des might do a whole show reminding you about how alcohol is bad, or Dylan a show about philosophy. Thats not my audience. "In my head, the people Im speaking to have, maybe, been dealt a bit of a rough hand, theyve saved up for the ticket, the babysitter, the taxi. Its my responsibility to make them forget everything. He has spoken about how valuable therapy has been in helping him deal with his own dark times. What does he get out of it? I love nothing more than talking about myself. At the risk of not getting enough gigs, I thought Id pay someone to listen for two hours a week, as well, he laughs. Thats the facetious answer. Really, it helps deal with the anxiety and worry. Its a very unstable career and you have to find coping mechanisms, which I wasnt doing. "The self-discovery element of analysis is great. You might get this nugget of interesting information, which might be heavy in itself, but you can turn it into absurdity. He is looking forward to his upcoming shows in Cork, home of some comedy greats who are an inspiration to him. Three of my comedy heroes are from Cork Danny La Rue, from whom I stole a love of double entendre and spectacle; Graham Norton, obviously, who won the Perrier in 1993, the year I was born; and Niall Toibin, a fabulous storyteller. "Cork people and I are very similar, in that were self-obsessed. Me and Cork are enough about me, what do you think of me? "In Edinburgh or London, you do a gig and stick to the script. But in Cork, its here lad, keep it real, keep it authentic, you neednt be coming down here with the west Brit nonsense. As for his future endeavours, Porter is open to all avenues. Id be lucky next year to have an identical year to this one, but stand-up is the bread-and-butter and what I love. Id like to get better at it, get broader. "Doing a big musical is another ambition. I love Cabaret the MC would be a great role. I also love Barbra Streisands new album how gay which has unusual duets with the likes of Alec Baldwin and Seth McFarlane. Streisand and Porter. I wouldnt bet against it. Al Porter At Large, at Cork Opera House, Friday, October 21, is sold out. An extra date has been added, Saturday, October 22. www.corkoperahouse.ie One wintry January evening, in 1977, I was driven from my home in Cork City down to Dingle, arriving long after nightfall, the small fishing port shrouded in blustery, wet darkness. I was met by the family with whom I was to live as a Gael Linn scholar for the next eight months and we headed out into the pitch-black peninsula to their little farmhouse in An Riasc, near Baile an Feartearaigh. The Gael Linn Gaeltacht Scholarship was a total immersion programme, a far removed from any halcyon memories of the more usual Irish college summer camp. For a start, I was on my own, living with a family whose daily language was Irish. I would attend the local school, taught entirely through Irish. All daily interactions would be conducted through Irish. To all intents and purposes, I was in another country. My Irish may have been sufficient to win the scholarship but, having arrived in Ireland just three years previously, I was far from fluent. On my first day in the tiny school, all ages crammed into a couple of rooms, I was the class imbecile in every subject other than English. Neither was the welcome from local pupils overly warm. Just 11 years old, it wasnt surprising that I succumbed to a profound attack of homesickness. But I struck gold with my host family Cait and Ben O Loinsigh and their two young sons, Gearoid and Colman who adopted me as one of their own from the off. Cait decided I needed time away from school to settle and, one morning, the pair off us set off on a skite and for my first sighting of Dingle town in daylight. Cork City in the 1970s was no Samba Town but that day Dingle had its own brand of bleak rural minimalism down to a fine art: streets glistening with just-fallen rain, plain-faced buildings and shops, shorn of signage or livery, all a monochrome grey, akin to the pinched January sky. I would become very fond of the town but it is a first impression that lingers to this day. It truly was another time and place, near impossible to reconcile with todays cosmopolitan culinary mecca, most especially when the food festival is in full flight and the chow hounds are scrumming down on every street corner. "How on earth did this poor, little fishing port evolve to become one of the most important towns in the Irish food world, the inaugural winner of the Restaurant Association of Irelands inaugural Food Destination Town, in 2014? Stella Doyle believes it all kicked off with the film, Ryans Daughter, filmed in the locality and starring Robert Mitchum. Many more in Dingle and beyond believe it actually kicked off with the arrival of Stella Doyle herself, most especially, when she and her husband, John, opened the now-nationally renowned Doyles Seafood Restaurant in 1973. John and I came down in 1970, from Dublin. He was in advertising but we dropped out. He bought a fishing boat. It was great, we were down a year or two but the fishing wasnt really making a living. "Ryans Daughter was starting to draw tourists to the area and they all seemed to be looking for fish, crab, lobster but there wasnt really anywhere in the town so decided to open a fish restaurant. Everyone thought we were mad. "We took a premises on John St, which was just a back street at the time. We were young and we werent thinking too much about that and literally from the word go we were full. "Fish was almost penitential and Irish diners werent as sophisticated as they are now and most thought we were mad but we were full of Americans, French, English and some Irish. "The locals were terrific in how they would support you and gradually they too came in more to eat. "By the time we sold up in 98/99, there were a lot of restaurants in the town and we had made the Michelin Good Food guide and the Egon Ronay guide and Dingle had really come on the map, people were coming to eat. Kieran Murphy and his brother Sean are the owner/operators of the justly-renowned Murphys Ice Cream. I grew up in New York. My father is from Cork and I had been thinking of making my home in Ireland when my parents ended up buying a holiday home in Dingle, that was the catalyst. "Gourmet or artisan foods were taking off and ice cream seemed like a really fun business. There were lots of tourists and tourists like ice cream! "I was involved in setting up the food festival with others. Dingle had very good restaurants for a town of its size but everyone was doing different things and we wanted to encourage collaboration. To me, what makes a food destination is good food. San Sebastian is a food destination. When it ceases to have good food then it is no longer a food destination. Its not something that comes down from heaven, its just down to the people. "We have some incredible produce available to us and good resources from the sea but so do a lot of other towns. Sometimes, I think it might just be one or two families who can make the difference and change the food culture of an entire area. "Like the Allens, of Ballymaloe, in East Cork, Or Stella Doyle, in Dingle. They brought a love of good food and helped to instill that locally. Artist Adrienne Heslin arrived in Dingle 30 years ago, first working summers and then moving for good in 1989. She married a publican, Padraig Brick, of the renowned Tig Bhric, in An Riasc. After he died tragically, she set up a craft brewery, Beoir Corcha Dhuibhne (West Kerry Brewery), with Padraigs cousin, Paul O Loinsigh and another local publican, Donal O Cathain. I eat and drink my way through days, it is a very sensual connection. Also being an artist, Ive a very creative connection to living so everything is creative and that led to the brewing. Ive a cooking approach to brewing I cook beer! "One of the most important things in Dingle is the produce. We are spoilt rotten with our dairy to begin with and, with the rain, the feed the animals are getting is brilliant, the meat, the fish is top dollar because we are so close to the source. "There is a pure unadulterated connection to nature and that is reflected in the food. For me its all about terroir and that comes across in the beer. "I am not trying to replicate any other beer but trying to create something that is unique to west Kerry, using our own botanicals and the water from the well under the pub. The Blas na hEireann Irish Food Awards began in 2008 are an integral part of the festival but have evolved very much into a separate entity in their own right under the aegis of Artie Clifford. I came from Drogheda 25 years ago as a commercial fisherman. I joined a boat, the MV Shannon, and commuted home for a year whenever we were ashore. "One weekend, my wife decided to come down for a visit instead, fell in love with the place, went home and sold our house. We had two children at the time and our third was born in Kerry. "The awards bring a huge influx into the town, producers, buyers from home and abroad, journalists, the media. It is a very important date in the Irish food calendar. "The festival was founded as a showcase for what Dingle has to offer and its overwhelming success has led to the return of people throughout the rest of the year. "Dingle is continually evolving. One of the biggest things was probably the Food Destination award in 2014. We have access to the very finest of local produce and the restaurateurs concentrate on using that produce. "With the growth of the restaurant trade here, theyre all vying to be top dog and that means theyre continually evolving, continually changing menus, sourcing local food, growing their own or foraging. Chef Mark Murphy is a founding member of the festival and co-chair, a highly visible presence on the local food scene, he also set up the local farmers market and, with Muireann Nic Giolla Ruaidh, established the Dingle Cookery School. I came down from Co Carlow about 13 years ago, I went down for one day and never left. "When I arrived, one of the first things that grabbed me was there were so many restaurants. Tourists and food go hand in hand. "Failte Ireland were driving food tourism so we became one of the pilot towns. "It gave us a platform and allowed us to take the value of our producers and get them involved. "But its still early stages and when people arrive, they are aware of it as a food destination but that sets standards you have to meet and exceed. "But we have so much, not just the producers and restaurants but all that is married to the culture, the language, the scenery, everything really! You may notice all the above contributors are technically blow-ins, drawn by Dingles unique charms, charms so persuasive, they never left. The formerly picky and pale little 11-year-old had no choice but to return to Cork, but he returned so fluirseach in the Gaeilge, each night, he dreamt in Irish. He was also as brown as a berry and with a horses appetite to boot and I fancy hell keep returning to Dingle and Corca Dhuibhne til the day he dies, in search of the piece of heart he left behind and, of course, for a right good feeding! Dingle Food Festival runs throughout this weekend until Sunday Oct 2 www.dinglefood.com Winners of the 2016 Blas na hEireann Irish National Food Awards will be announced today, Oct 1, in Dingle. www.irishfoodawards.com If they want to maintain any credibility, they cant. Not now, not after throwing down the gauntlet at their conference on Wednesday. A work to rule, or a blue flu was expected but a full-blown strike, on four days, certainly wasnt. The Government will have to give ground. How much ground is not clear, but significant enough to risk sending that feared domino off in all directions. Its either that or the Government calls the bluff of those who comprise the thin blue line. That would be a gamble that even a single-party Government with an overwhelming majority would be reluctant to do. The bluff of Luas drivers was called, then Dublin Bus drivers. That didnt work. And this is not public transport. This is public safety. And national security. Will the Tanaiste, or the Taoiseach, or even Paschal Donohoe be willing to risk an outrage or a tragedy come November 4? Such as a murder, or murders by drug cartels; a spate of vicious burglaries on elderly farmers or delayed responses to a glut of 999 calls. Or, it being a Friday, drunken disorder. A range of Garda sources spoken to yesterday are in no doubt as to the seriousness of what lies ahead just under five weeks to be exact and the resolve of frontline gardai. Its not just that gardai suffered cuts, and are not getting them reversed sufficiently, its the fact that they were not directly part of the negotiations that came up with the cuts in the first place. Not being a trade union means they are essentially handed with a fait accompli. On top of that, they had to work 30 free extra hours last year. All of this came against a background of assaults on various fronts: on the staffing levels of the organisation (axed by 2,000); on the reputation of members from external bodies; and, literally, in widespread verbal abuse and physical attacks. In recent years, two members of the GRA, Adrian Donohoe and Tony Golden, were murdered in the course of their duties, each leaving behind young children. The respect granted to members got to such a low level that a new entrant to the service now starts on a salary of around 23,000. Not only that but, because the GRA refused to accept the Lansdowne Road Agreement, these probationers were denied the 4,000 a year rent allowance at a time when a couple could pay 1,300 a month for a place to live in Dublin A senior garda yesterday said that young gardai could now qualify for supplementary rent allowance. If you do that to gardai, you open the door to corruption, like abroad, he said. If the strike on November 4 comes to pass, senior Garda sources believe they should be able to provide a skeleton service on the day if sergeants and inspectors work. Even then, there will be consequences. It will be a fire brigade service, sources said. Some or many Garda stations may have to close. Patrols will be severely curtailed, as will beats on the street. The priority will be responding to 999 calls and having armed units on duty in case organised crime seizes an opportunity such as the Kinahan cartel continuing their extermination of the Hutch gang and family, with the risk this poses to the wider community. Currently, significant staffing and overtime resources are going into patrolling key areas to prevent and disrupt attempted feud attacks. The absence of those patrols would be a huge danger, no doubt about it, said one source. We are worried for the safety of people on both sides and the public. The GRA has said that it expects to be involved in discussions with the commissioner on providing emergency cover, once she has come up with a contingency plan. What would tip the balance towards a full-blown policing crisis is if the AGSI goes out with GRA. If they go out too it would be a nightmare scenario, said one senior source. Some AGSI sources remember the blue flu of May 1998, when they didnt support their colleagues. There is a general feeling we let them down previously, said one experienced association source, and that we shouldnt do that again. WATERFORD TD John Deasy is no fan of his boss, Taoiseach Enda Kenny. Kenny is no fan of Deasy, either. The animus between them dates back to 2004, when Kenny dispatched Deasy into the wilderness because of his refusal to bow to the countrys new smoking laws in the Dail bar. An outspoken and often inconvenient critic of the Taoiseach, Deasy earned himself the mantle of Fine Gael rebel. Two weeks ago, Deasy castigated Kenny for capitulating to Fianna Fail demands for a Commission of Inquiry into the sale of Namas Northern Ireland loan book, known as Project Eagle. He accused Kenny of throwing good public servants in Nama under a bus in the controversy over the sale of the agencys Northern Ireland loans portfolio, Project Eagle. Mr Deasy also accused Mr Kenny of making decisions as to keep the Government together, instead of for the good of the country. Mr Deasy was the vice-chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in the last Dail, when it examined the Project Eagle controversy. He said at the time that it was wrong of Nama not to halt the sales process, once it was alerted to alleged success fees in relation to the deal. Pound for pound, Deasy is one of the Dails most substantial politicians. Opinionated, articulate, and intelligent, he rarely runs with the herd and is often out on his own on big issues. Such independence of thought means Deasy is worth hearing. Now, I have been a longstanding observer of all things Nama and view the super-quango with a suspicious eye. Project Eagle appeared to reveal fears Ive had about Nama. For many months, Independent TD, Mick Wallace, and others, have sought to raise the political heat on Minister for Finance, Michael Noonan, and on the Taoiseach, about the Project Eagle sale. Under privilege in the Dail, Wallace, in July, 2015, used the platform of leaders questions to highlight the Project Eagle sale: The Northern Ireland loan portfolio, Project Eagle, involving over 850 properties with a par value of 4.5bn, was sold to US private equity firm, Cerberus Capital, for less than 1.5bn a surprise winner of the tender. The Tanaiste, in June, 2012, following consultation with Minister for Finance, Michael Noonan, and Mr Sammy Wilson, MLA, Nama reappointed Mr Frank Cushnahan and Mr Brian Rowntree to the [Nama] Northern Ireland Advisory Committee. A few weeks later, a report by a Northern Ireland auditors office seriously questioned the stewardship of the Northern Ireland housing executive, which led to the resignation of Brian Rowntree and Frank Cushnahan. The report found breaches of a housing executives guidelines, in the sale of at least 27 land deals, executive board given wrong or no information relating to key property deals, favoured property speculators were allowed to buy land well under market value, Wallace added. Both Nama and Noonan rejected Wallaces concerns, saying that the sales process was handled correctly. Those denials and rejections continued for many months. Last month, a BBC Spotlight programme broadcast secretly recorded footage of Cushnahan accepting a 40,000 (about 48,000) cash payment from a Nama borrower. The recording was made in a hospital car park in 2012, when Cushnahan was still working as an adviser to Nama. A recording of a conversation between Cushnahan and property developer, John Miskelly, was broadcast. The men are then heard discussing the 40,000 payment and Miskelly assures Cushnahan no-one else knows about the meeting. Many of the claims in the programme were disputed by Nama, but it has since referred Cushnahan to the Standards in Public Office (SIPO). After Shane Ross and Finian McGrath expressed their outrage at Cabinet, and under pressure from Fianna Fail, a weakened Kenny relented to calls for a Commission of Inquiry. Two weeks ago, the recent report into Project Eagle, by the Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG), Seamus McCarthy, found considerable problems with the sale, by Nama, of its northern loan book. The report, by the States financial watchdog into the sale of NAMAs Northern Ireland portfolio, has found that the agency incurred a potential loss to the taxpayer of 190m on the sale, after previous write-downs were included. The report questioned how the loan portfolio was valued and marketed for sale. NAMA responded by saying the key finding of the report was fundamentally unsound and unstable, and cannot be left unchallenged. Last Thursday, Nama and the C&AG squared off at the Public Accounts Committee (PAC). Ten or so hours of turgid, technical hearings did little to enlighten us on what went on in the sales process, and certainly no killer blow was landed on Nama. Yes, Namas chairman, Frank Daly, said he would tweak a number of things around the Project Eagle process, but said that, on the whole, he would do the same again. Sinn Feins Mary Lou McDonald was not convinced, accusing the process of being corrupt. Frank Daly Enter John Deasy: There is no real justification for a Commission of Investigation. There was about eight or nine hours of shit talk at the committee, without anything new coming out of it. What a joke. Now we are in a position where we have an academic argument over valuations between Nama and the C&AG. Is that the basis for a Commission of Investigation? No, of course it isnt, he added. This is pure political expediency. This was Kenny keeping the Fianna Failers happy. I think there are some politicians who are now saying this is not stacking up, he said. Nama has done a great job and this is why builders have been bitching for five years, but they couldnt do that in the North, where developers werent paying up. They were probably delighted to get the price they did for the bundle, he added. Deasy said the C&AG said Cushnahan should have been dealt with earlier, and Nama admitted that. However, the C&AG concluded that Cushnahan did not have access to confidential information and the sales process was not tainted. Deasy again was scathing in his criticism of Kenny and Noonan in relenting to the inquiry: Nama did their job and because it suits you and because there is some heat, you shaft them. The story here is rotten Government to throw these guys under a bus, while, at the same time, say they are great guys. This is political convenience, shallowness, and really there is no justification for this Commission of Investigation, which, in themselves, are a dime a dozen these days. This one definitely doesnt add up. So I ask Michael Noonan: what is the justification or rationale for doing this? Why are you doing this when you previously said there was no basis for such an inquiry, he added. If Kenny and Noonan wanted to change Nama, they have had five or six years to do it and they havent, Deasy said. Deasy is correct to say that the weak government forced Kennys hand on the establishment of the Commission of Investigation. Many legitimate questions have been raised about the probity of Project Eagle, but a commission may not be the way to go, as Deasy says. Garda Keith Harrison traces many of his woes back to the night in 2009 when he stopped a garda colleague for drink-driving in Athlone. The charge against his colleague was dismissed in court, but Gda Harrison has no regrets about how he handled the matter. There were other incidents which may have contributed to him becoming unpopular with fellow officers. He had concerns about the conduct of some investigations of drug-dealing which he raised, but then let lie. He impounded a jeep in 2008 after the owner drove through a checkpoint. A colleague asked him to cut the offender some slack. He refused to play ball. Gda Harrison has baggage. He has been disciplined. He has been prosecuted for failure to have his car insured, but the judge in the case did remark that it was down to a misunderstanding and fined him with no disqualification from driving. Where he finds himself today is isolated, on reduced pay, and of the belief that his road back to full employment is blocked. He also believes that he has been harassed for pointing out wrongs and having the temerity to fall in love with a woman of whose family his colleagues disapproved. Gda Harrison first felt that he was being scrutinised when on September 4, 2009, a superintendent told him he had been appointed to examine his work and discipline. This was just three months after he arrested a colleague for drink-driving. The investigation produced nine separate disciplinary charges. One of these concerned a complaint from a publican who claimed that, on an occasion nine months earlier Gda Harrison, had been discourteous towards him. Another was from a woman whom Gda Harrison had prosecuted for having no tax or insurance on her vehicle. Despite the list of charges, the ultimate outcome was that Gda Harrison was fined 200, which is pretty paltry for a process that required a superintendent to investigate for a couple of months. Then there was the claim for expenses. While attending a five-day public order training course in September 2009, Gda Harrison used his brothers car to travel as his own was off the road for the month and untaxed. To avoid complications, he claimed the expenses for his own vehicle. There was no monetary difference in the claim, but he was pulled up on it. (Ultimately, he didnt even pursue the expenses.) Not just that, but a superintendent signed a statement that he had seen Gda Harrison driving his untaxed car when he had said it was out of action. He was fined 5,200 for the offence. Prior to arresting his colleague, he had had a good disciplinary record for 10 years in the job. Following the disciplinary process, he was relocated to another office. While at the second office, he requested a transfer. He had met an old flame whom he had known in college. Marisa McDermott was the mother of two young children whose marriage had broken down. She and Gda Harrison ran into each other and began a relationship. Ms McDermott is from Donegal, where she was working as a secondary school teacher. Gda Harrison saw it as an opportunity for a fresh start and asked for a move north. He was transferred to Buncrana in 2011 and things got off to a good start. He was living with Ms McDermott outside Letterkenny, half an hour from Buncrana. Then his partners identity became known to colleagues. Ms McDermotts brother Martin had been convicted of manslaughter after he rammed a squad car in 2009, killing 24-year-old Gda Gary McLoughlin. He had up to 100 previous convictions and was sentenced to eight years in prison. Ms McDermott had been using her married name. She is not her brothers keeper, but communities in north Donegal are tightly knit. For some in the force in Buncrana, the mans crime was such as to render anybody closely related to him toxic. Things changed for Gda Harrison after that. There was disgust in some quarters that he would have anything to do with a sibling of Martin McDermotts. His past had not been an issue up until then, but now it was viewed in a different light. He agreed to a transfer, even though it would take him further from the home he was making with Ms McDermott. He ended up in Donegal town, an hour south of Letterkenny. His reputation preceded him. Things didnt get much better, he says. Then he made the cock-up with his insurance, which had lapsed by a day or two, over a misunderstanding on paperwork. The offence was not detected at a checkpoint but by a colleague of Gda Harrisons, who noticed the disc in his car outside the garda station. The judge accepted this was an unusual case. Driving without insurance is a very serious matter but there are mitigating circumstances, said the judge in imposing a fine. It wasnt just a blatant case of driving without insurance. By then, the middle of 2014, Gda Harrison was persona non grata. He decided to document all he had been subjected to. He compiled an affidavit and handed it to his local TD, Sinn Feins Pearse Doherty, who read it into the record of the Dail on May 15, 2014. He claims that a managerial review of his high work returns and practices was instigated and persons who had past interactions with Gda Harrison in the execution of his duties were invited by the gardai to make complaints against him, said Mr Doherty. He went on to say that Gda Harrison claimed that, from September 2009 until March 2011, he was office-bound while the garda arrested for drink-driving was still driving official vehicles and carrying an official firearm. Following that, Gda Harrison met the then Confidential Recipient (the office set up to receive whistleblower complaints) and detailed what had occurred. Some of the complaints he made about malpractice in the midlands would later overlap with complaints made by another whistleblower, Nick Keogh. An investigation was set up within the force to examine Gda Harrisons complaints. He met the investigating officer in a hotel accompanied by a solicitor, Trevor Collins, who was on this case for the first time. The following day, Mr Collins Linkedin profile was viewed by an account associated with an officer from the Midlands of whom Gda Harrison had complained. Gda Harrison and his solicitor believed that details of the case had been leaked and that this represented a conflict of interest. A letter was dispatched from the solicitor to Garda Commissioner Noirin OSullivan in June 2014 outlining the concerns. The failure of the investigating team to disclose this conflict prior to or during the course of the meeting is deeply concerning, the letter read. This failure to disclose the conflict undermines the credibility and bona fides of the Garda investigation. The non-disclosure of the conflict of interest caused shock, distress and upset to our client. Garda Harrison believes that the investigation team you appointed is prejudiced and biased as a consequence of this conflict. The commissioner said she would consider referring the investigation to GSOC, which she did in August 2014. The GSOC probe has had its own issues. Two years on from Gda Harrisons complaint, there has been little progress. On September 2, a letter was dispatched to the chair of GSOC, Judge Mary Ellen Ring. Two years have now elapsed since the matter was referred to GSOC and yet there has been no progress with investigation despite the fact that our client has co-operated in full with the investigators appointed by the commission, read the letter. Our client is deeply concerned at the delay and its probable effect on the eventual outcome. We understand that no witnesses have been interviewed, save for our clients partner being interviewed in the past number of weeks and despite the fact that she had made herself available for interview at the time of our clients first interview. A response from a GSOC investigator was apologetic. As you are aware GSOC has experienced a delay in receiving information from AGS to assist in my investigation, it read. There is still one request outstanding and I was informed that a reminder was issued to AGS for the information. Over the last two years, Gda Harrisons legal team claims he has had to endure stress on multiple fronts. He is classified as on sick leave and wants to be allowed to return to work. He no longer has an income and has been forced to apply for disability benefit. Then there are the allegations of harassment. On three occasions, he has been informed of death threats against him. The third of these involved a man who rang a station from Perth in Australia in August last year, saying he had a bullet for Gda Harrison. This man was beyond the reach of the gardai, but in November last year, his name appeared in the local paper after he appeared in court in Buncrana. Gda Harrison told GSOC he believes the death threats were fabricated in order to give elements of the force an excuse to patrol outside his house. He claims to have observed an inordinate number of patrols passing his home over the last 18 months. Spokespeople for An Garda Siochana have repeatedly stated that it would be inappropriate to comment on any ongoing GSOC investigation. Some of these claims may be exaggerated, some may result from coincidences, or accidents or misinterpretations. After seven years of being regarded in somewhat suspicious terms by some of his colleagues, Gda Harrison may have a heightened sense of persecution. Two years on from his complaint, he still has no answers. Seven years down the road from the night he arrested a fellow officer, his life has been irrevocably changed. The border-fence-building Prime minister Viktor Orban is the driving force behind the referendum that requires at least a 50% voter turnout to validate whatever decision is reached. His vehemently anti-immigrant government has spent 16 million trying to secure a No vote and, like his American peer Donald Trump, he has not let the truth get in the way of a powerful but inaccurate slogan. One suggests that immigrants have established 900 lawless no-go zones across Europe. It seems, that as in most debates on this issue, we are in a post actual world where the truth is whatever you want it to be, whatever will win the argument and feed your local project fear. Should Hungary vote to reject the EU quotas, and it is feared that it will, then this will be another body blow to the EU and its policies on immigration, largely shaped, and encouraged by German chancellor Angela Merkel. It will also undermine European solidarity and encourage those across Europe who have been inspired by the Britexit vote and want to see the EU weakened if not destroyed. A No vote would add to the momentum chipping away at project Europe and should concern us all. It would also raise the obvious question which member state will be next to reject a core EU principle? And which principle? Reports suggest that anti-immigrant hatred in Hungary has gone beyond anything rational. It certainly seems to echo some of Europes worst excesses. However, as the Comptroller and Auditor Generals report published yesterday showed, we cannot be too self-righteous on immigration or our pretty inadequate response to the escalating crisis. Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. (Photo: VNA) Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, State President Tran Dai Quang, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, and National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, sent their congratulatory messages to Party General Secretary and State President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Keqiang, and Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National Peoples Congress Zhang Dejiang on the occasion. In the messages, the Party and State leaders congratulated the Chinese people on their attainments over the past 67 years and wished them to attain more and successfully realize the goal of building a socialist-oriented, modern, prosperous, democratic, civilized and harmonious State. They affirmed that the Party, State and people of Vietnam want to unceasingly cement and promote the traditional friendship between the two countries; deepen result-oriented cooperation; and elevate the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership in a sustainable and healthy manner, with a view of bringing visible benefits for the two countries and people, and contributing to peace and stability in the region and the world at large. On the occasion, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh cabled a congratulatory message to State Councilor Yang Jiechi and Foreign Minister Wang Yi./. Burma Burma Army Troops Serving as UN Peacekeepers in Liberia and South Sudan Soldiers parade to mark the 70th anniversary of Armed Forces Day in the Burmese capital of Naypyidaw in March 2015. / Soe Zeya Tun / Reuters RANGOON The Burma Army, also known as the Tatmadaw, currently has a handful of peacekeepers serving in Africa on two peacekeeping missions. The deployments, which began last year, were the first time the Burma Army has contributed to a UN peacekeeping mission in half a century. According to figures provided by the UN, Burma has had two troops deployed since September last year as part of the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL), which is tasked with implementing a ceasefire agreement. The pair of Burmese troops are serving as what the UN describes as experts on mission. UNMIL has a total of 1,240 troops and 606 police personnel. The bulk of the troops on UNMIL come from Nigeria but several other countries such a Bhutan and Zimbabwe have also contributed personnel. Burmese troops are also serving in South Sudan, as contingent troops, in a UN mission in the young country which has been plagued by conflict since it achieved independence in 2011. The Burmese deployment in South Sudan began in August of 2015. They have joined a mission of more than 12,500 troops from 61 countries. In response to a request for comment, the UN Secretary Generals spokespersons office forwarded a statement from the UN Department of Peacekeeping. Myanmar is a new contributor to UN peacekeeping. We are grateful for their contributions and look forward to their increasing participation in our peacekeeping operations in the years to come, read the statement attributed to a UN peacekeeping official. In early 2014 it was reported that secretary-general Ban Ki Moons special advisory on Burma, the veteran Indian diplomat, Vijay Nambiar, had, during a meeting with the head of Burmas military Sen-Gen Min Aung Hlaing, invited Burma to resume participation in the UN peacekeeping program. A number of rights group including the New York-based Human Rights Watch quickly denounced the offer. The Burmese militarys poor record on rights and civilian protection is profoundly at odds with the standards that UN peacekeepers are expected to defend around the world, said HRWs executive director Kenneth Roth in a statement issued at the time Any move by the UN to recruit Burmese forces risks grave damage to the UNs reputation and is at odds with recent efforts to elevate human rights concerns within the UN system. The Burma Army continues to be engaged in ongoing operations against several armed groups in the north of the country including the Kachin Independence Army, the Taang National Liberation Army, the Shan State Army-North and the Kokang-based Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army. Recent clashes between the army and a splinter group from the Democratic Karen Benevolent Army have also taken place in Karen State. Rights groups allege that despite the recent change in government, the army continues in its operations to routinely commit serious abuses against civilians including summary executions and rape. Andrew Selth, an Australian academic and author of several books and papers on Burmas military believes that Burmas armed forces would benefit from having their troops take part in UN missions. If Burmas security forces are to learn about international norms of behavior, devise better ways of doing things and be exposed to issues beyond their narrow experience, then participation in UN operations offers a way ahead. The alternative is to deny them such opportunities and perpetuate the blinkered thinking that has contributed to Burmas current problems, he wrote in a piece that appeared in May 2014 on the Lowy Interpreter, a website operated by the Lowy Institute for International Policy, an Australian think tank. Burmas involvement in UN peacekeeping missions comes at a time when the blue helmets are themselves under increased scrutiny following a serious of high profile scandals involving UN peacekeepers around the globe. The UN mission in South Sudan, which Burma is now participating in, was heavily criticized for its failure to come to the aid of a group of international aid workers who were raped by government troops in a compound located very close to the UN base in the capital Juba on July 11. UN peacekeepers from Nepal, who were stationed in Haiti in 2010, have been identified as the source of a deadly outbreak of cholera in the country which killed more than 10,000 people. The UN only recently acknowledged that the Nepali troops, who were stationed upstream from the village where cholera first broke out, were the source of the lethal outbreak. The world body continues to fight a series of lawsuits filed in the US by lawyers representing victims of the outbreak, who argue that the UN was responsible for the substandard sanitation system at the Nepali troop base which helped trigger the massive health crisis. Information available on the history of UN peacekeeping on the UN website shows that Burma sent troops to take part in a small number of UN missions during the early days of the global body. Burma contributed troops to a mission to the Congo in the early 1960s. The last deployment of Burmese troops to UN peacekeeping operations appears to have been for a mission created in response to the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965. Under the mission, which lasted from Sept. 1965 to March 1966, Burmese troops participated as part of an observer force supervising the ceasefire between India and Pakistan, and the withdrawal of forces following the end of hostilities between the two sides. Lifestyle Singaporean and Malaysian Restaurants in Rangoon Nasi Lemak is one of the Malaysian dishes on offer at Fork and Spoon in Bahan Township. / Foodie Myanmar Woker Woker This Singaporean restaurant specializes in Mala cuisine, which sees ingredients tossed in intense Sichuan spices, including the famous mouth-numbing peppercorn. Guests at Woker Woker can choose between three levels of chili heat and choices of meat include pork, chicken, seafood, beef and bacon. Guests are charged for each ingredient so a large dish of Ma La for five people may cost 2,000 kyats. Another popular dish at the restaurant is a frog broth sold for 6,000 kyats. No service charge. Open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Address: No. 9 (D), Wai Za Yan Tar Road, Thingangyun Tsp (near CB Bank). Tel: 09-5405537 House of Singapura This restaurant offers Singapore-style Laksa, Mee Siam, fried prawn noodles, and barbecue among others. Italian coffee brand, Illy is on the drink menu along with a selection of beer and wine. The restaurant has made a name for itself with its Hainan chicken rice, priced at 6,000 kyats. Singapore-style chili crab with black pepper is also popular. Be prepared that a 10 percent service tax, 5 percent commercial tax, and 5 percent service charge will be added to your bill. Open 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. Address: Union Business Center (UBC) Annex B, Natmauk Road, Bo Cho Quarter. Tel: 09 302 58388. Fork and Spoon This restaurant brings your favorite dishes from countries across Asia including Singapore, Malaysia, China, Thailand and Indonesia. A popular dish is Bak Kut Teha broth of pork ribs, herbs and spices served with ricepriced at 7,000 kyats. Other specialties are beef ball noodle soup, Thai beef salad, and famous Malaysian noodle dish, Penang Char Kway Teow. Open Tuesday to Sunday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Address: No. 29, Bo Sein Hman Street. Bahan Tsp. Tel: 09 962 329980 Singapore Kitchen This restaurant offers Singaporean, Malaysian and Chinese dishes. A popular choice is Singaporean style fish head curry, with prices dependent on market price and size of fish head. It is the perfect venue for both midnight feasting and early-starts with evening service finishing at 3 a.m. and breakfast and dim sum available from 6 a.m. Address: International Hotel, No. 330 Ahlone Road, Dagon Tsp. Rasa Lasa This restaurant offers Malaysian hawker food and home-style cooking in a relaxed setting. Visitors are recommended to go for Malaysias national dish, Nasi Lemakfragrant rice cooked in coconut milk and pandan leaf often served with anchovies, peanuts, boiled egg, lamb curry, cucumber, and traditional chili paste. There are two branches; both open 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Address: No. 462, corner of Theinbyu Street and Myae Ni Gone Street, Mingalar Taung Nyunt Tsp. and Hledan Center, Pyay Road. This article was written by Foodie Myanmar. Available for download in the Google Play Store and Apple Store, the Foodie Myanmar app will help you discover great places to eat and ways to share your foodie moments. Download iOS https://goo.gl/IWzfL9 Download Android https://goo.gl/syM1rw Burma This Week in Parliament (September 26-30) The gates to the compound of Burmas national Parliament in Naypyidaw, Nov. 2014. / Reuters Monday, September 26 Lawmaker U Htay Aung submitted an urgent proposal to the Lower House calling on the Union government to dismiss three Myanmar National Human Rights Commission (MNHRC) members regarding their controversial handling of the abuse of two underage domestic workers in Rangoon. The Lower House approved the proposal. Lawmakers debated the draft law to amend the Ward or Village Tract Administration Law. Tuesday, September 27 In the Lower House, lawmakers debated a proposal submitted by U Kyaw Aung Lwin of Sidoktaya Township, which called on the Union government to take prompt action to care for abused and exploited Burmese migrant workers in foreign countries in cooperation with concerned governments. In the Upper House, U Aye Min Han of Mon State asked if the Union government regulates the tender winners regarding the construction of state-funded projects, monitors their work, and takes legal action if projects do not meet set standards. Construction Minister U Win Khine replied that tender winners are required to repair construction projects if they are damaged within two years of completion and the government imposes fines if work is not finished on schedule. Wednesday, September 28 The Lower House voted to approve the Burma Investment Bill submitted by the Ministry of National Planning and Finance. It also approved monitoring of government action regarding U Kyaw Aung Lwins proposal to care for abused and exploited Burmese migrant workers in foreign countries. The Upper House approved the draft law to amend the 1973 Myanmar Board of Examination Law. Thursday, September 29 No parliamentary session. Friday, September 30 Burmas Parliament hosted the 37th General Assembly of the Asean Inter-Parliamentary Assembly, with an opening speech by State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. The general assembly will be held from September 29 to October 3. The opening ceremony was held at the Myanmar International Convention Center and all the other activities will be held at the Hotel Royal Ace in Naypyidaw. Business The Irrawaddy Business Roundup (October 15) Oil tanks at Chinas pipeline project on Maday Island, Kyaukphyu Township, Arakan State, Oct. 7, 2015. / Reuters Burma seeking extra tax payment from PetroChina A Chinese oil refinery in Yunnan Province near the border with Burma is facing delays to starting operations after state-owned PetroChina has hesitated to pay an extra tax demanded by Burma for piping the crude oil through the country, according to Reuters. Early last year, PetroChinas parent China National Petroleum Company (CNPC) began trial operations of the 1,490-mile pipeline through Burmas Arakan State to Yunnan Province. PetroChina has built a 260,000 barrels per day (bpd) refinery at Anning in Yunnan to process the oil. It was expecting to start test operations on refining this month but is now facing delays, according to the report. The Myanmar government is asking for an additional 5-percent tax for the crude oil, which is on top of an agreed transit fee and pipeline tariff, a Beijing-based industry official told Reuters. It (the tax) is quite off the international norm. The refinery will certainly run into losses if this tax applies, the source added. A Naypyidaw-based senior official with Burmas Energy Ministry told Reuters that the two countries had agreed that the pipeline contract was subject to change if the Finance Ministry and other government agencies suggested it needed changing. The respective Chinese company still needs to talk with the Ministry of Finance [] They have met twice but they havent been able to sort it out, said the Naypyidaw official, who requested anonymity as he was not authorized to speak to the media. The pipeline starts at Maday Island in Arakan State and enters China at the Muse-Ruili border in northern Shan State. It is a joint venture by CNPC and Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise. Government to release details on economic policy The government will reveal more details on its economic policy at a business forum in Naypyidaw on Oct. 22, following the approval last month of the Myanmar Investment Law in the Upper and Lower houses of Parliament, an official said. The new policies are ready to be unveiled at the Myanmar Business Forum event to be hosted by the Directorate of Investment and Companies Administration (DICA) under the Ministry of National Planning and Finance, according to DICAs deputy director general U Than Aung Kyaw. The policies will be [provided] following the approval of the current investment law, and will provide more details, he said. The event is slated to be held at the capital citys Myanmar International Convention Center 2. Pledged foreign direct investment to Burma from April to September this year was less than half the amount committed in the same period in 2015, as investors waited for clear policy signals from the government. The new law approved last month contains incentives for investments in various sectors and reduces the number of investments that will require approval by the Myanmar Investment Commission. Burma worst for illicit trade Burma has scored lowest in a survey commissioned by the European Chamber of Commerce on how 17 countries in Asia tackle illicit trade. The report conducted by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) evaluated countries on a 100-point index against 14 indicators that included customs, transparency and intellectual property. Burma received the lowest rank (10.8), below the other two worst offenders: Laos (12.9) and Cambodia (23.9). China had a score of 61.6 and Singapore scored 69.8, tying with Taiwan. The best performers were Australia (85.2), New Zealand (81.8) and Hong Kong (81.4). Illicit trade is more than just counterfeit goods. Illicit trade includes guns, it includes endangered species and endangered wildlife. It includes human trafficking, report author Chris Clague of the EIU told The Associated Press. A lot of these other forms of illicit trade [] follow the same channels that counterfeit goods do, he said. Burma has long had a reputation for illicit trade in drugs, timber, jade and wildlife, among other goods. The UK-based Environmental Investigation Agency said in 2015 that hundreds of millions of US dollars worth of illegal timber was flowing into China. A report the same year from the UKs Global Witness estimated that the illicit jade trade amounted to some US$30 billion a year. Singapores Group Lease to partner with Burmas AMK to provide financial services Group Lease Plc (GL) of Singapore is partnering with Burmas AMK Consortium headed by businessman U Aung Moe Kyaw to expand financial services in Burma, GL has announced in a press release. The joint venture will support the AMK-owned Century Finance Company to provide a range of financial services, focusing especially on rural markets, said Mitsuji Konoshita of GL Holdings in the report. Century Finance currently provides car leasing services and its offerings under the joint venture will expand to cover the leasing of motorcycles, agricultural machinery and solar panels and other forms of consumer finance credit. According to a filing by GL to the Stock Exchange of Thailand, AMK Consortium controls about 65 per cent of whisky distribution in Burma. It also manages more than 22,000 grocery shops, including 1,400 wholesale stores, some of which operate pawnshop services. Business failing to provide transparency on environmental impacts Businesses in Burma are failing to provide the public with information related to the environmental impacts of their activities, according to the Myanmar Centre for Responsible Business. The center published an updated survey this week that found that very few companies in sectors such as mining, hydropower, power facilities, manufacturing and tourism were disclosing environmental impact assessments (EIA) or initial environmental examinations (IEE). Several hundred of such surveys are believed to have been undertaken and submitted to the government, the MCRB said. The MCRB report found that the overall level of disclosure was highest in the oil and gas sectors. Of 20 oil and gas offshore blocks awarded since 2013, 14 (70 percent) had disclosed their IEE/EIA. This was up from 58 percent in March. For onshore blocks, the figure was 47 percent disclosure (7 out of 15), up from 26 percent in March. Without transparency on the part of business, communities and other stakeholders could not hold companies to account for their environmental and social performance, said Vicky Bowman, director of the responsible business center. Almost none of the hundreds of EIAs and Environmental Management Plans completed over the last two or three years in other sectors have been disclosed on corporate websites, she added. Disclosure is now a legal requirement if a company wants to obtain an Environmental Compliance Certificate to allow its business to proceed, the report said. Dateline Dateline Irrawaddy: Abuse of Human Dignity Should Not Be Accepted Irrawaddy Burmese editor Ye Ni talks to Ko Swe Win, chief report at Myanmar Now, about an investigative report he produced about the torture of two underage domestic workers in Rangoon. Ye Ni: Welcome to Dateline Irrawaddy. This week, well discuss slavery and the torture of two underage domestic workers by Ava tailoring business in Rangoon. Ko Swe Win, chief reporter at Myanmar Now, who did an investigative report on this case, joins me for the discussion. Im Irrawaddy Burmese editor Ye Ni. Parliament has denounced the members of the Myanmar National Human Rights Commission (MNHRC) and the Presidents Office also said that it would take action against the commission. The police have arrested and charged the offenders with human trafficking. Why do you think your fight for justice was successful? Swe Win: It achieved success because people should be humane toward one another. Any form of injustice against any person should not be accepted. Abuse of human dignity, especially committed by the strong toward the weak, should not be accepted. In the case we are talking about, it is fair to say the victims are vulnerable in terms of intellectual ability, age, financial position, and genderthey are underage girls. It could be said that they are the most disadvantaged people in society. It is a grave injustice that such people are abused. As a citizen, a reporter and simply a human, I have the responsibility to oppose, condemn and prevent injustice and help victims no matter how small a matter. I got the chance to thoroughly study the MNHRC meeting, which contributed to my reporting. The commission held the meeting while ignoring the law and turning a blind eye to the fact that the case was a serious crime. As a journalist, I followed the journalistic code of ethics in reporting this case. I did not report based on emotion or on the accounts of the police or the victims parents. I gathered information from different points of view. In journalism, there is a sayinggo to the ground and see for yourselfwhich means journalists need to examine the situation with their own eyes and ears. There is also a Buddhist teaching that says, you may accept when you analyze and understand by yourself. I tried to understand all aspects of the situation. Making a factual report is one of the reasons that I achieved success. I aimed for maximum coverage of my reporting. I did not ask lawmakers, authorities or the president to take my word for it, but let them examine my report through media coverage. This is beneficial not only to the readers but also for me because maximum coverage prevents the manipulation of information. I was deeply involved in this case and was reporting the truth, but I am a human and it is natural that human beings are biasedin a big or small wayas a result of their desires, ignorance or anger. That partiality needs to be controlled by others or by the law. In this case, I let other reporters check my reporting. YN: The human rights commission has come under fire, but the evidence shows that police should also be blamed because you reported it to the police before the case was brought to the human rights commission. Why did it take so long for the police to open the case when they could conclude from the girls injuries and your report that this was a criminal case? Is it because they dont understand that this was slavery or was there bribery involved, as alleged by many people? You were directly engaged with the police. What is your view? SW: You are correct. It is clearly a serious crime. Not even the president has the right to settle it. It seemed that police handed the case to the human rights commission as a way of showing respect to a national-level body. Police in the lower echelons have to consider the influence of the commission not only as a national-level body but also a body that consists of retired high-ranking officials. For example, the person who was mainly involved in the negotiation served as the deputy chief of the Burma Police Force and the director-general of the Correctional Department. I guess that police have faced the fear of being punished for opposing the upper echelons, which is deep-seated in our society. Also, since the commission is a national level body, police might have thought that they needed to inform it first. As it was a grave violation of human rights, police might have expected that the commission would take action immediately. But the commission did not respond and just treated it as a normal case that happens every day. The commission turned a blind eye to all existing laws. It failed to carry out its responsibility, which is to investigate. It could have gone to the tailoring factory within hours. Kawhmu is less than a two-hour drive from Rangoon. The commissiondespite the fact that it is funded by state fundsdid not bother to look into those children who suffered grave human rights abuse. It failed to investigate, attempted to negotiate a casewhich was in no way negotiablefailed to take action in accordance with existing laws, and breached its duties. YN: The commissions handling of the case could be considered a national-level abuse of power. We heard that you received a threat after you exposed the case. How were you threatened? SW: My safety was at risk once the commission summoned the offenders. I was addressed in the noticewhich detailed my name, phone number and the news agency where I work. The shop owners later told me that they searched for me but could not find me. I dont know what their purpose of searching for me wasif they wanted to pay to settle the case or physically threaten me. They told me that what happened on their end was my fault and that if I had not gotten involved, they would not be in this mess. But more so than the shop owners, the commission is most responsible for the threat to my safety for distributing my personal information. I will seek legal advice to decide whether to sue. After the meeting ended, the shop owners knew that I was not satisfied with the result of the negotiation. They warned me not to report on the case or write about it on Facebook. Before the members of the human rights commission, they threateningly asked me if I knew why [Princess] Diana had died. But the commission members did not say a single word to oppose or denounce this. It is a crime to threaten someones life and it can be punished. Setting aside the torture of children, which the commission did not witness, it also ignored a death threat happening before it. The shop owners knew that I was about to go and meet the children because I had called other reporters to go together and they had heard. Then, they attempted to bribe the concerned village administrator of Kawhmu Township to hide the children in another village. Fortunately, that administrator was against this. Because he had been the village administrator under the previous government as well, he dared not speak against the national-level personalities. I requested that he arrange a meeting with the children and he agreed to it. The shop owners left a warning message for me with the administrator. They said, they will have their turn sometime. I reported it to the police station at once. The Home Affairs Ministry now provides full security for me under the instruction of the President. YN: Thank you for sharing your experiences with us for this program! Mr. Hoang Xuan Hai presented certificates to some learners (Photo: VNA) This program is organized by Laos Ministry of Security, the representative of the Ministry of Public Security and the Vietnamese Embassy in Laos. Speaking at the ceremony, Colonel Buavan Vongxavanthong, Deputy Director General of Laos General Department of Security, thanked the Vietnamese Embassy and representative agency of Vietnams Ministry of Public Security in Laos for regularly helping and creating favourable conditions for the organization of the class. The Colonel affirmed that the organization and completion of the course has important significance in implementing the cooperation agreement between the General Department of Security of Laos Ministry of Security and the General Department of Security of Vietnams Ministry of Public Security as well as contribute to nurturing the special relationship between the two parties and states in general, and between security agencies of the two countries in particular. Colonel Buavan Vongxavanthong also asked the learners graduating from the course to actively apply their knowledge in their professional work and closely coordinate with Vietnamese officials, police and soldiers to improve cooperation efficiency between the security forces of the two countries. Minister of the Vietnamese Embassy in Laos Hoang Xuan Hai stressed that the close and effective cooperation over the past years between the national defence and security forces of the two countries is one of the factors helping the two countries maintain national independence, political stability, order and security, social security and to build and develop the countries. At present, the international and regional situations are developing complicatedly, requiring the security forces of the two countries to strengthen their close cooperation, coordination and mutual assistance. The good use of Vietnamese language of officers and soldiers of Laos Ministry of Security is an important factor to improve cooperation efficiency between the security forces of the two countries in the coming time. Mr. Hoang Xuan Hai affirmed that the Vietnamese Embassies and representative agency of Vietnams Ministry of Public Security in Laos will create favourable conditions for many staff of Laos General Department of Security to join Vietnamese courses. The advanced Vietnamese class 1 included 19 learners and prolonged six months, and was taught by two Vietnamese teachers. During the course, the learners gained basic skills of reading, writing, conversation and had fact-finding tours in Vietnam. Ending the course, the learners can listen, speak, read Vietnamese fluently, helping Lao officials be able to conduct professional exchanges with Vietnamese colleagues. After the closing ceremony, Laos General Department of Security also organized the opening ceremony of the basic Vietnamese class 2, which will be held over eight months for 26 Lao officials and soldiers. Speaking at the opening ceremony, Mr. Hoang Xuan Hai wished all the learners to complete the course with higher results and asked the teachers to continue to teach Vietnamese more efficiently. On behalf of the Vietnamese Embassy, he also presented certificates to the members of the advanced Vietnamese class 1./. Saturday, October 1st, 2016 (7:39 am) - Score 1,716 Openreach (BT) has today reminded people that they dont just roll-out their 330Mbps Fibre-to-the-Premise (FTTP) broadband network in urban areas and have now connected around 70 communities in North Yorkshire to the service (reflecting 7,800+ premises), many of which are rural. At present the operator is still in the early stages of their plan to expand the reach of pure fibre optic FTTP connectivity to 2 million UK premises by 2020 (here). As a result many of their related deployments in North Yorkshire (England) have separately been achieved via the local Broadband Delivery UK and State Aid supported Superfast North Yorkshire (SFNY) project. The North Yorkshire scheme is currently working alongside BT to make superfast broadband (30Mbps+) services available to around 91% of local premises by June 2017 and the next phase after that (Phase 3) is likely to aim for nearly 96% by mid-2019. As an example of this work Openreach has confirmed that theyve just rolled out FTTP to 60 homes in the small rural Richmondshire village of Thornton Rust, which appears to be quite remote. Due to this the village lies too far from BTs local telephone exchange to benefit from their usual up to 40-80Mbps Fibre-to-the-Cabinet (FTTC) fix. Tom Keeney, BTs Director for Yorkshire and the Humber, said: Fibre-to-the-premises technology is just one of the ways we can overcome the challenges of reaching more remote, less populated communities like Thornton Rust and demonstrates our commitment to making high-speed fibre broadband as widely available as possible. The only downside to FTTP is of course the lack of affordable non-business focused consumer ISP choices, although naturally BT have some reasonably priced unlimited usage packages and Zen Internet also offer a few worthy options. On the upside, FTTP is a lot faster and its top speed will soon be boosted to 1000Mbps. Meanwhile Phase 1 and 2 of the 34.5m SFNY project claims that its joint effort with BT has so far helped to bring superfast broadband to 182,667 homes and businesses across the county and another 15,000 are due to be added between now and mid-2017. The next Phase 3 roll-out, which will push up to the 95-96% coverage target, is expected to cost 20.5m. Sony's bearded hero is about to be unleashed. Santa Monica Studio, the creator of God of War series, provided us a major revelation during the E3 event. The God of War series started last 2005 and it's getting bigger and better every year. God of War is based on greek mythology hero named Kratos, a spartan warrior who was betrayed by his former master Ares, the God of War. Now, Kratos' seek to free himself from the influence of the gods and starts its quest for revenge against Ares. "Santa Monica always delivers some of the generation's best-looking games, and looks set to continue to do so, with even the brief glimpse we saw at E3 blowing everything that's come before out of the water." Brett Phipps said. God Of War is an action adventure game who received high praise on all of its series. Gameplay, graphics and audio, you name it. God Of War eclipses all the expectation from fans, gamers and critics alike. With God of War 4 on the horizon, here's some of the things you need to know. When is the release date of God Of War 4? No release date provided. However at the E3 2016 convention, it was announced that God of War is "currently in development". PS4 Pro features will be supported, that's a guarantee. Is the gameplay the same with its predecessors? There's a slight difference when it comes to gameplay basing on the trailer that we've seen. Kratos' seems to be more relax and his brutal ways of killing was not emphasize on the trailer. But don't worry, there are still large,mystic and mythic creatures that you can kill using your favorite weapon. Will it adapt the same story? Kratos' will still be Kratos. But at this time, he has to mentor, guide and protect his son. Our bearded hero finds himself in the world of Norse Mythology. A man walked in an Apple Store in Dijon, France and methodically smashed one iPhone after another. The incident was caught on video by a staff while they calmly waited for security to arrive. The man, whose identity is yet to be known, wore sunglasses and held a steel ball in his hand, which he used to hit 14 iPhones and one MacBook. After hitting the first 13 iPhones, he looked into the camera and talked about his bad experience with Apple. "Apple is a company that violated European consumers' rights. They refused to reimburse me, I told them: 'Give me my money back'. They said no. So you know what's happening? This is happening!," he said in French and proceeded to hit another iPhone and a MacBook Air. He then walked out of the store, but a security personnel stopped him. In another video, the situation has escalated and there are now three security guards physically blocking the man as he tries to leave. The man is seen running to the opposite direction as one guard goes after him. The series of videos were originally posted on Twitter by @Quentin_IOS and has been retweeted 13,000 times. Un mec detruit un Apple Store avec une boule de petanque PARTIE 1 pic.twitter.com/XC9i8C9chH Q (@Quentin_IOS) September 29, 2016 According to The Tribune, the man was caught soon after and was arrested by the police. Local media reported that he is under investigation and facing charges for damaging thousands of dollars worth of iDevices. In December 2011, Apple paid a fine of $750,000 for asking consumers to purchase Apple Care if they want to extend their One-Year Limited Warranty. Under EU consumer law, a two-year warranty should be granted for free. Apple has since changed their warranty policy to comply with EU consumer law. The change was explicitly written in their warranty page: "European Union consumer law provides statutory warranty rights in addition to the coverage you receive from the Apple One-Year Limited Warranty." Different complaints from users all over the world flooded Samsung ever since they released Galaxy Note 7; but the issue that the netizens had been talking about is the device's overheating battery; which then resulted to it exploding randomly. This complaint had not only been reported once but a lot of times already and caused Samsung to issue a recall worldwide. Reports of the same problem kept coming and coming up until now. This week Samsung announced and confirmed that they will be launching an investigation on Galaxy Note 7 due to new reports stating that the device's battery is still overheating causing an unexpected explosion even though it was supposed to be "safe" already. The company claims that all devices sold in China wouldn't possibly have this type of problem and that users that bought their device in China are and will not be experiencing the said defect because the Samsung subsidiary (which is where the batteries that could possibly explode were built) are not the suppliers of the country. Although many had confirmed that Samsung's claim was true, there were still users complaining that their Galaxy Note 7 becomes really hot while they're using it to the point that they can no longer held it on their face. Other than the confirmation of the investigation, the company also spoke to USA Today stating that the new Galaxy Note 7 is now finally working properly, reassuring everyone that the device is once again safe to use. "We would like to reassure everyone that new Note 7 phones are operating properly and pose no safety concerns. In normal conditions, all smart phones may experience temperature fluctuations," Most people would agree on the fact that some smart phone do experience "temperature fluctuations" but what they don't agree about is the fact that some Note 7 becomes so hot that users can barely touch it. Samsung will investigate and discuss further about the matter and will be announcing updates soon. Bethink that a scene in "The Force Awakens" where the dark side warrior "Kylo Ren" halts a laser blast in mid-air? In a Canberra laboratory, physicists have controlled a science magic: they have frozen a moving light in a cloud of ultracold atoms. This discovery could help bring ocular quantum computers from sci-fi movies to reality.The test and research, reported in a paper this week, was encouraged by a computer excitement run by lead researcher Jesse Everett from the Australian National University. The physicist used a vaporized cloud of "ultracold rubidium atoms" to create a light trap, into which they shone infrared lasers. The light trap continuously emitted and re-captured the light. "It's clear that the light is trapped - there are photons circulating around the atoms," Everett says. "The atoms absorbed some of the trapped light, but a substantial proportion of the photons were frozen inside the atomic cloud." Co-researcher Geoff Campbell from ANU explained that while photons commonly pass by each other at the speed of light without any interactions, atoms interact with each other more freely. "Corralling a crowd of photons in a cloud of ultra-cold atoms creates more opportunities for them to interact," Campbell says. Optical quantum computers could connect easily with fiber optics and revolutionize the way we manage big data in fields such as medicine, defense, telecommunications and financial services. "Optical quantum computing is still a long way off, but our successful experiment to stop light gets us further along the road," says Everett. Earlier this year, a team of physicists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the University of Innsbruck in Austria announced Friday that they had built the world's first scalable quantum computer, paving the path for the creation of a device with a large number of "qubits" - the quantum computing equivalents of bits. The study appears this week in Nature Physics. The researchers talk more about their work and its possibilities in the video below. As Sony's latest Xperia Series phone nears release date, we will be exploring the finer details and inspect whether or not the Xperia XZ is worth your money. The XZ Design Despite the fact that the screen resolution has changed, the Xperia XZ keeps the same 5.2-inch display as seen on previous models, and the familiar ultra-slim power button-cum-fingerprint sensor once again garnishes the side of the handset plater. You'll need to press the sensor before it can recognize your fingermark, but on the whole it is definitely quick and precise. Likewise, with built-in NFC on board, it's set and ready for Android Pay, so you can use it to make associated payments. This ultimatetly remains to be one of my favorite design novelties since last year: The milliseconds saved by powering on and unlocking in unison are a welcome change. Display - The Sony Xperia Way The design might not be to publicly acceptable, but the good news is that Sony's IPS screen engineering remains first class. To the naked eye, it looks attractive, and our X-Rite colorimeter certainly thought so too. The 5.2-inch Full HD display reproduces a nigh-on perfect 99.3% of the sRGB color gamut, hits a highest brightness resolution of 609.7cd/m2, and however, on the other side has a huge contrast ratio of 1,365:1. All that adds up to one of the best IPS displays on any Smartphone currently available. It might not look quite as saturated as Samsung's Super AMOLED screens on the S7 and S7 Edge , but colors are still splendidly rich and vibrant. Videos in specific look fantastic. Of course, being a Sony Smartphone, the Xperia XZ can also be used in combination with the company's PS4 Remote Play app, which lets you use the XZ as a second screen for streaming games around your home. This makes it it to the rigid expectations of PS4 owners, as PS4 Remote Play at the moment is not supported by any other phone manufacturers. Nintendo's new console NX continues to earn high praise. We don't know much about the new and mysterious console from Nintendo called NX but apparently Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot knows something we don't. It is not the first time that Guillemot voice out about how NX would eventually catapult nintendo back to the race. He is totally positive with the outcome and he stated that it will be easy to use and one that allows a different experience from what exist today. It is no secret that nintendo's previous console name Wii U underperformed. But that doesn't stop nintendo to be back on the spotlight. They made all necessary efforts to mix things up and to adhere on customers desire. The Wii sold more than 100 million units in its lifetime but the Wii U performed below expectations, selling only 13.02 million consoles since its 2012 release. Which is a huge difference if you are going to compare the numbers. Wii U production hasn't stop but they are no longer expecting their numbers to be better. Here's the whole script during the interview. "I believe Nintendo will be back in the race with the NX," Guillemot said during a meeting with investors, according to French journalist Chloe Woitier(via VentureBeat)."The new Nintendo [console] is a fantastic machine," he said. "It's really a new approach, it's really Nintendo, [which is] coming with something new again. We love it. The system or the new console is rumored to be a handheld console hybrid. It was said also that it might use a cartridge. Nintendo may officially reveal the system in October as per The Wall Street Journal. The console however, will be launch in May 2017. This might be the last chance for nintendo to impress its consumers as the last console released was a total flop. According to rumors, Nvidia's highly anticipated GeForce GTX 1080 Ti graphics card will arrive on the market next year, being expected to be launched by the company at CES 2017. Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 Ti At CES 2017 Many gamers are anxiously waiting for the high-performance Nvidia upcoming GPU GeForce GTX 1080 Ti. This highly anticipated graphics card is expected to provide performance near Titan X, but at lower pricing. According to PC Gamer, there are many online speculations and rumors in regards to the unannounced Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 Ti. Of course, Nvidia will have the final word in all this. But, if the latest GeForce GTX 1080 Ti rumor will prove to be true, the gaming enthusiasts will be able to purchase the graphics card after the CES 2017. A report from Chinese-language website Zol.com.cn suggests that the GPU maker Nvidia is preparing to formally launch the GeForce GTX 1080 Ti at CES 2017 in January next year. Fudzilla has been the first western media online outlet to give the heads up on the news. If GTX 1080 Ti will be really launched at CES 2017, that gives a waiting time of a little over three months. In the meantime, speculations about the graphics card's specs continue. Most of the tech analysts expect that GTX 1080 Ti will be based on the Pascal GP102 GPU, with 3,328 CUDA cores and 26 SM clusters enabled. The card would feature 12 GB of GDDR5 memory. According to TechSpot, the GTX 1080 Ti would be actually the second graphics card from Nvidia to use company's Pascal GP102 silicon, first used in the Titan X. The 1080 Ti GPU will reportedly have a boost clock of 1,623 MHz and a base clock of 1,503 MHz and. Its memory interface is expected to be 384-bit GDDR5X attached to 12 GB of VRAM and providing 480 GB/s of bandwidth. Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd will recommence selling the Galaxy Note 7 this October 1 to South Korean customers. The company hopes to retract the troubled device after the suspension of its sale for faulty batteries that caused its explosion while charging, which was due to a manufacturing defect. Currently, Samsung has offered an exchange program, in which they are going to replace the defective Galaxy Note 7 to those customers who purchased it. In the USA, sixty percent of the buyers are already exchanging their devices upon the arrival of the replacements, it was noted that almost a million Galaxy Note 7s have been recalled in the said country. Samsung Still Hopeful The company is confident to say that by the start of this month, October, it would be successful in replacing 80 percent of the faulty devices. The devices to be replaced will have a new battery indicator; it is now green instead of white. The fiasco about this issue made the company cut their expected earnings. Consequently, their marketing campaign has also dropped. The company calls a halt from airing any TV commercials for the Galaxy Note 7 until its conducted exchange program will be completed. Moreover, to entice the buyers, Samsung offers a fifty percent discount on any repair works for the phone, inclusive of screen replacements. Now it will be exciting to see how loyal the customers are to the brand notwithstanding the damage that has been caused by the exploding issue. Will the Galaxy Note 7 sale still tumble down? Or will it regain its former glory that it once had? That remains to be a question as it depends on the customers' trust in the company. Samsung already confirms the news and is eagerly buying back the faith of its buyers. Well, we do hope so. While the "Jurassic World" remake centered on militarized dinosaurs, new director Juan Antonio Bayona is expected to veer away from these characters in the upcoming sequel. Former director Colin Trevorrow meanwhile spilled bits of details for the film series' next installment. "Jurassic World 2" is expected to be more thrilling and terrifying than its prequel as Trevorrow confirmed horror director Bayona will take over in the upcoming set. According to Trevorrow, "Jurassic World 2" will sit well with Bayona as the new director owing to its dark story. Jurassic World 2's New Director The Perfect Fit In a report from Jurassic Outpost, Trevorrow admitted that even before Bayona's name rang a bell for the directorship takeover of the "Jurassic World" sequel, he already had an idea that the horror director would be perfect for the movie considering his portfolio. "Jurassic World 2" will still have Trevorrow as the producer and scriptwriter alongside Derek Connolly. He, on the other hand, will be part of the team behind the making of another upcoming film, "Star Wars: Episode IX." "Jurassic World 2" Features No More Militarized Dinosaurs? While Bayona is reportedly reluctant over the militarized dinosaurs to be brought in the new set, it is still not the end of these characters, which were the focus of the first installment. Trevorrow, however, noted that "Jurassic World 2" will no longer shove the spotlight on the militarization of these legendary creatures. He revealed that the initial script for the movie revolved around Chris Pratt's character Owen Brady pursuing the militarization of dinosaurs. When Trevorrow and fellow scriptwriter Connolly was carried on board, the plot took major changes because for them a protagonist militarizing dinosaurs seemed ridiculous. "Jurassic World" Has More Practical Effects Apart from the considerably ridiculous storyline, Trevorrow underscored the producers' setback to employ more advanced animatronics in the first installment. Thus, the team is gunning for more practical effects in the upcoming sequel. "Jurassic World 2" frontlines Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard, who were already confirmed to reprise their roles from the first movie. "Jurassic World 2" is coming in theaters on June 22, 2018. Vietnamese students in Russia. (Photo: VNA) They, including the Far Eastern Federal University, the Saint-Petersburg State University of Economics, and Belgorod State University, offer courses suitable to Vietnamese enterprises requirement, said N.V. Shafinskaya, Acting Director of the Russian Cultural Centre in Vietnam. The tour is the sixth phase of the Russian universities project, which aims to introduce Russian universities to Vietnamese students who wish to study in Russia, Shafinskaya said in a press conference on September 30th. The Russian official said the project, which was agreed by the two Governments, is in line with a Russian Government policy of increasing the number of scholarships for Vietnam to 1,000 in 2018. The project, commenced from March 2014, has brought 30 representatives from management boards of Russian universities to Vietnam. As a result, a number of memoranda of understanding of cooperation between the two sides have been signed, including those to exchange students and lecturers, improve the capacity for schools staff, and carry out joint scientific researches. Currently, around 5,000 Vietnamese students are studying at universities in Russia./. Summer has already ended and fall and winter is about to come. Influenza or flu will again be a widespread phenomenon across the United States. According to Dr. Tom Frieden, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said last Sept. 29 at the annual National Foundation for Infectious Diseases, "Yes, it is flu season again. And yes, the best way to protect yourself from coming down with the virus is still a vaccine." The Difference Between 2015's Flu Vaccine From 2016's Flu Vaccine The CDC has reinvented the flu vaccine and created two types of shots. The first vaccine is against the three strains of flu while the second vaccine is protection against four strains of flu. United States has been cautious with different types of flu like the H1N1 or more commonly known as swine flu, H3N3 or avian flu and type B flu or known as seasonal flu that can affect humans. Both vaccines protect against the three, but the other one can also fight against a second type B flu virus. Frieden encourages Americans to get vaccinated because last year, citizens disregarded the flu vaccine and forgotten how important it is that they get their vaccine to avoid sickness. Scientists said that the antibodies take time to build up in order to fight against the influenza virus, which usually takes about two weeks as per Huffington Post. Kids ages eight and below need two shot of vaccines with at least one month in between the first and second shot. Why are Nasal Spray and FluMist Not Recommended? According to Buffalo News, Univera Healthcare joined the insurers in U.S. that are against the FluMist nasal spray. "Our decision was based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recent recommendation that live attenuated influenza vaccine should not be used during the 2016-2017 flu season," Univera spokesman Peter Kates explained. Also, those who wants to try FluMist is still recommended to get vaccinated according to CDC. The department still believes that the flu vaccine is still the more effective way in order to be protected against different types of flu. China will not just be Apple's country of choice for assembling their hardware. It will also be their new headquarters for researching and developing some advanced technology hardware. The Zhongguancun Park Management Committee divulged details of the new research and development facility in China as Apple's first in the country. Zhongguancun is also known as "China's Silicon Valley" located in the Haidian District of northwestern Beijing. Apple's first R&D center in China Apple will invest a total of $45 million during the next few years to finish the center, according to the press release given by the Zhongguancun Park. It will also employ 500 people upon opening. For now, Apple has set $15 million as their register capital to start building. Apple's resident landlord in China provided details of the new R&D facility in a social media post saying that the center will be used to develop advanced technologies that will not just focus on hardware and software. The center will also be used to research and develop better audio and video equipment, communication, and other devices. China is one of the most vital markets of Apple. However, the company has struggled with plummeting sales over the last months. China even shut down the operation of several Apple services like their iTunes and iBooks early this year. Optimizing local resources During his visit to China last month, Apple CEO Tim Cook announced that the R&D facility will be ready by the year's end. Earlier, Apple is reported to make its new "home" at the Battersea Power Station in London to house about 1,400 employees. The new R&D centers follows Apple's lead on building similar facilities in several locations like the UK, Canada, Japan, Israel, Vietnam, Indonesia, and India to optimize their local resources. Aside from Apple, the Zhongguancun Park is also known to house several global tech giants like AMD, Google, Intel, Lenovo, Microsoft, and Sony. After the massive recall of the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 due to reports of exploding batteries, replacement units have been released. However, it seems that these new "safe" ones are still prone to overheating. Customers in the U.S., China and South Korea who have picked up the "safe" Galaxy Note 7 replacements are reporting that their new devices are overheating, USA Today reported. While it should be expected that no more batteries are exploding this time, these users are now worried that the same might happen again. Galaxy Note 7 Overheating is not a Safety Concern Amidst these reports, Samsung assured consumers that the Galaxy Note 7 may feel hot from time to time and that is normal, but it should not explode. "We would like to reassure everyone that new Note 7 phones are operating properly and pose no safety concerns," Samsung said in a statement. "In normal conditions, all smartphones may experience temperature fluctuations." According to GSMArena, the South Korean tech company also revealed that they are looking into each complaint separately. They are now trying to resolve these issues via customer service and their warranty. Galaxy Note 7 Back on the Shelves Meanwhile, Samsung has just put their Galaxy Note 7 back on the shelves of their home country, South Korea. They have started advertising again after one month of suspension due to their defective batteries that blew up the device while it was charged. They previously promised that they will relaunch their latest flagship phablet on Oct. 1 with pre-orders starting Sept. 26. Although the controversy led to injuries, damaged properties and lawsuits, it seems that the consumers are still interested in the Note 7. The tech giant received 16,000 orders within the first day of pre-order and is expecting 20,000 more today. The Galaxy Note 7 is also set to formally launch in Europe by the end of October. Get unlimited access to all content and features at ivpressonline.com with our Full Online Access Subscription. Read our E-Edition, the digital replica of the print newspaper online, access content in exclusive sections including Family, Teen, Business, Databases, Farm and more. This option does not include daily home delivery of the Imperial Valley Press newspaper. For home delivery service, please select Premium or Premium Plus. Good morning, and happy October!!! Its hard to believe that Cyndi and I are wrapping up our 5th seasonal style challenge. Today Im posting a recap of my 26 Days of Fall Fashion in case you missed any of my looks, and so theyre all in one place for easy reference. Here they are, in no particular order, 26 fall outfits for women over 40! (Feel free to pin this image to your fashion board on Pinterest so you can find it easily. I also put it on my blog sidebar with a link to this post.) 1 // 2 // 3 // 4 5 // 6 7 // 8 // 9 // 10 11 // 12 // 13 // 14 15 // 16 // 17 // 18 19 // 20 // 21 // 22 23 // 24 // 25 // 26 So that was fun!! I really wanted to stretch myself this time and try some new things. Its easy to revert back to my safety zone, which is skinny jeans and a cute top, but Ill keep trying to expand my fashion horizons. I always feel a little bit sad when one of these seasonal style challenges wraps up, but I have lots of ideas for posts, plus more fall outfits I want to style. I have a couple of new dresses that arrived while I was gone, and one isnt even a sheath. Shocker!!! I also want to do more with bootcut jeans and flares, and I have another blazer I want to feature if I can figure out what to wear with it. Ive almost given up on finding dress pants I like that arent jeans, but Im determined to make it happen. I really need a classic pair of black or grey pants I can wear when jeans arent appropriate, but everything I try on looks frumpy. I need to make that a priority. Im working on a massive Instagram Roundup for next week, and I also want to share about my trip to South Carolina. Behind the scenes, I need to catch up on my Adore Your Wardrobe eCourse as well as my bookkeeping. Ugh. I hate bookkeeping. Ooooh, unrelated to fashion, but if youre on Instagram, Im hosting a Starbucks giveaway with 7 other bloggers! Its $100 Starbucks Gift Card for you and another $100 GC for the friend you tag! Super fun, and there are only 8 of us participating, so its not a ton of liking and following. ENTER HERE. Well, thats about all Ive got today! I hope you have some fun plans for the weekend. Its been dank and cold and rainy here for the past few days, so Im crossing my fingers that it dries out soon so I can enjoy some pretty fall weather. Right now I just feel like hibernating. Our high school is hosting our annual cavalcade of bands tonight, so we will definitely be attending that, rain or shine. (My son plays drums in the high school marching band.) Other than that, I dont have a lot on my agenda for the weekend. It will be nice to have time to get caught up on work and laundry such a glamorous life I lead! Ha! Make sure to come back on Monday for a huge Instagram Roundup of all the looks Ive been wearing in real life over the past month. Or better yet, sign up for my Daily Emails, and youll never miss a thing. You can also follow along on Instagram for my daily outfits and sneak peeks of whats to come on the blog, and register with LIKEtoKNOW.it so you can shop my outfits first! Email Links to our top local news stories of the day, Monday through Saturday. PJSC Odesa Port-Side Plant and the National Joint-Stock Company Naftogaz Ukrainy will sign a contract for the supply of natural gas on October 4, the press service of the State Property Fund (SPF) of Ukraine reported on Friday. "The signing of the contract with Naftogaz for the supply of gas, after which the plant resume its operation, is planned for Tuesday, October 4," the statement reads. The State Property Fund recalled that Odesa Port-Side Plant had to stop its operation in the early hours of August 11 to prevent occurrence of an emergency due to a decrease in gas shipments by PJSC Ukrtransgaz in connection with the company's debts. As reported, on September 22, Ukraine's Cabinet of Ministers has obliged national joint-stock company Naftogaz Ukrainy to supply gas to public joint-stock company Odesa Port-Side Chemical Plant in the amount of up to 300 million cubic meters (mcm) by December 31, 2016. This will help to launch the plant from October 1. Head of the State Property Fund (SPF) Ihor Bilous said that Naftogaz is to supply gas to the plant stably, irrespective of the existing debt, at the standard prices for this category of companies. The payment of the debt will be included in the conditions of the plant's privatization. The launch of the plant should positively influence investors before the repeated tender to sell 99.567% of shares in the plant. There is no making America great again. Since World War II, and, notably, the Soviet collapse, nearly every U.S. born citizen has benefited from the highest standard of living in the world. The United States has been the undisputed leader and innovator in the sciences, commerce and military power. The most motivated individuals from across the globe wish to make this country their home by establishing businesses, sending their best and brightest to American universities or by simply changing the reality of their daily lives. Our 229-year-old constitutional version of freedom is what has propelled us and the rest of the world, through The Pax Americana conceptualized at the Bretton Woods conference of 1944 to the America of today. The Great Recession of 2008, and its slow worldwide recovery, has been described as a national stumble. An interconnected world that was crafted over 70 years ago, as well as regional economic alliances such as the European Union, will ebb and flow according to economic and political realities. Therefore, an isolationist future is neither viable nor desirable. We only need to study the example of Japan, the country that was supposed to be the economic giant when I came out of college in 1983. In Japan, growth is stagnant, there is a comparative scarcity of cultural diversity and the country has been in a 20-year recession driven by a birth rate lower than the death rate. Japans homogeneity deeply impacts its restrictive immigration policies, where only 2 percent of its population is non-Japanese, currently with little hope of being great again. My parents were immigrants from Costa Rica in the early 1960s, finally settling in Lincolnton, where my brother Carlos and I were the first Latino children to enter the Lincoln County Public Schools, just a few years after the integration of white and black students. I am not sure what being post-racial means, but to me it does not mean ambivalence about or denial of being Latino. My family and I all celebrate it, make fun of it at times, and relish the outcomes of my parents realizing their American Dream, which, in turn, led to so many others being accomplished. In many places of our country, people continue to live apart from others who are culturally, racially and religiously different from them. It is a free country; you can live where you can. Today, 46 percent of K-12 age students, 38 percent of millennials and a full 1/3 of the nation as a whole are of African, Latino and Asian heritage. With a 51-percent minority birthrate going forward, this countrys demographic reality is permanently changing. Making America great again cannot mean going back to a disintegrated society. Our children have grown up together and their reality is not ours. I know the great destroyers of mankind such as poverty, oppression, hopelessness and ignorance are alive and well in our nation. Yet when my wife and I visit our grown children and witness their interactions with their diverse group of colleagues and friends, it adds to my optimism for our America, the America of today. Americans are a people who wish to improve their lives, regardless of whether they were born here or came here as immigrants. We seek to earn our way, foster our own self-worth and take pride in ourselves as Americans. We have much work to do, but our precious democracy allows us no, expects us to work together for the America of tomorrow. 09/30/2016 JSU's Houston Cole Library was lit pink to kick off Breast Cancer Awareness Month 2016. Red and white make pink, but thats not the reason JSU is one of the nations biggest advocates for breast cancer awareness. That honor was earned by Zeta Tau Alpha, which raises thousands of dollars for the cause each October as part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. In fact, at ZTAs national conference in July, JSUs Zeta Psi chapter distinguished itself as the chapter from the smallest university inducted into the Founders Club, an honor given to chapters that raise the most money for ZTAs national philanthropy, Breast Cancer Education and Awareness. Have you ever wondered how Breast Cancer Awareness Month got its start? It began in 1985 as a partnership between the American Cancer Society and a pharmaceutical division of Imperial Chemical Industries. The goal was to raise awareness for breast cancer and promote early detection. According to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, one in eight women in the US will be diagnosed with breast cancer. It is the most diagnosed cancer in women, but there are 2.8 million survivors in the United States. Early detection is key, which is the reason ZTA works so hard to educate the campus and local communities. During the month of October, ZTA hosts several events to raise money and awareness. This years lineup includes the following: October 2-16: Paint The Town Pink Pink ribbons will be sold for donations and hung throughout Jacksonville. Paint The Town Pink Pink ribbons will be sold for donations and hung throughout Jacksonville. October 8: Pink Out Game At the JSU home football game, breast cancer survivors will be recognized on the field before the game, pink ribbons will be distributed to fans, and pink shakers will be sold for donations. Pink Out Game At the JSU home football game, breast cancer survivors will be recognized on the field before the game, pink ribbons will be distributed to fans, and pink shakers will be sold for donations. October 12: Pound Fitness Class on the Square at 4:30 p.m. Admission is $5 Pound Fitness Class on the Square at 4:30 p.m. Admission is $5 October 18: Bright Pink Workshop in the Leone Cole Auditorium at 6 p.m. With events like these, JSU ZTA has raised $76,000 for the Zeta Tau Alpha Foundation over the past two years alone and was ranked No. 22 in the nation among all ZTA chapters in donations for 2015-2016. The top fundraising chapters included Auburn University, University of Georgia, Indiana University, Florida State University, University of Florida, University of South Carolina, Louisiana State University, Texas A&M, Rutgers and Purdue. It's pretty amazing that JSU's chapter, located at a much smaller university and in a small town, is in their league, said ZTA advisor and English professor Dr. Andrea Porter. ZTA was recently recognized as one of the top chapters in the US at its national conference. JSU was honored to receive first runner-up for the Nelly Galloway Shearer Achievement Award, which as the second highest award given by the national chapter is a distinction that places JSU fourth among all ZTA chapters in the nation. First place went to the University of Florida and second-runner up to the University of Michigan. JSU also took home several other national honors, including: The Quota/Total Award for maintaining maximum chapter size The Crown Chapter Award for excellence in all facets of chapter programming, service, recruiting, finances, scholastics, member involvement and chapter management The Academic Achievement Award for maintaining a GPA of 3.0 or higher each semester The Helping Hands Certificate for lending assistance to ZTA chapters on other college campuses Founded in 1898, Zeta Tau Alpha is now the second largest among the 26 national Panhellenic sororities, with 252 collegiate ZTA chapters, 238 ZTA alumnae organizations and more than 245,000 members worldwide. The Zeta Psi chapter at JSU was chartered in 1969. This past year, the chapter was awarded the Presidents Gold Cup and was recognized for the highest new member and sorority GPAs on campus. For more information about ZTA at JSU, visit jsu.zetataualpha.org , follow @ZTAJSU on Instagram and Twitter and like Zeta Tau Alpha at Jacksonville State on Facebook Reddit Email 0 Shares By Mahsa Alimardani | ( Globalvoices.org) | Some good news reached Canada this week when Homa Hoodfar, an Iranian-Canadian anthropologist, was released after months of incarceration in Iran. Hoodfar is known for her research on women and Islam, especially women's participation in Iranian elections. Her arrest highlighted two particular areas of sensitivity for Iranian hardliners: the presence of dual nationals, and any activity related to women's rights in Iran. Hoodfar was therefore particularly problematic amongst the hardline Iranian institutions of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards and the judiciary. These two bodies have been responsible for the arrests and incarceration of many activists, journalists, and dual nationals. They operate independent of the elected government, and often work to undermine the relatively progressive tendencies of the moderate Rouhani administration. Hoodfar's status and persecution as a dual national has been widely discussed. However, what has been given less focus is the Iranian government's recent crackdown on activism and discourse around women's rights, in which Hoodfar's case was also entangled. Women's participation in Iran's parliamentary elections in February 2016 was unprecedented since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Women won 17 of the 209 parliamentary seats. These gains for women marked the first time since the revolution that there are more female politicians than clerical politicians in the parliament and signalled a shift in public support away from hardline Islamic conservatives. This female participation was the subject of Hoodfar's research when she spent time scouring the Iranian parliament's library on her February visit to Iran. Following the beginning of her detainment in June, Tehran's prosecutor general gave a media interview stating that Hoodfars criminal case was connected with her entry into fields concerning feminism and national security offences. Days earlier, media outlets affiliated with the Revolutionary Guards ran articles claiming that the 65-year-old Concordia University professor was the Iran agent of a feminist network building operation and the Campaign for Changing the Male Dominated Face of Parliament was her latest project. Hardliners see feminism as a Western-orchestrated plot The Campaign for Changing the Male Dominated Face of Parliament worked to promote women's participation within parliament; it is not clear if Hoodfar has any direct affiliation with them. Those who participated in it belong to a large network of women in Iran with a solidarity network from within the Iranian diaspora, including prominent activists inside Iran such a Noushin Ahmadi Khorasani, who has previously faced arrest and imprisonment for her women's rights work on campaigns such as the One Million Signatures Campaign to Repeal Discriminatory Laws and the Feminist School. The Feminist School explained on its website that its goal was to move beyond the right to vote towards the right to be elected women only held 3% of the seats in the Iranian parliament before the February elections: We need our parliamentary representatives to be committed to equal human rights for women and other citizens. Its because of this that we have initiated our campaign for changing the male-dominated face of the parliament. [] Women hold critical responsibilities at all levels of society from the household level to economic, social and cultural arenas. Its now time for the place of women in the legislative body to change commensurate with the responsibilities they hold. Participation in the political management and legislative processes is a justified demand that has been stipulated in clause 25 of the Islamic Republics constitution: All citizens irrespective of their gender are protected by the law and enjoy political, economic, social and cultural rights consistent with Islamic standards. The campaign's goal was to elect 50 female parliamentarians. While the total of 17 women elected fell short, they had significant success in generating an unprecedented amount of candidates. Official numbers calculated 1,234 women registered to run for parliament a three-fold increase compared to the previous parliamentary elections in 2012 and at least 16 women applied to become candidates in the Assembly of Experts. There were mass disqualifications by the Guardian Council, the body that vets all candidates running in different elections in Iran, and no woman was vetted to run for the Assembly of Experts, the body that will be responsible for electing the country's next Supreme Leader. As the February elections neared, the Revolutionary Guards started an intensive campaign of repression against women's rights activists. In January, they started linking any collective initiatives in the field of women's rights to criminal activity, much like Hoodfar's case. Many with associations to the Campaign for Changing the Male Dominated Face of Parliament were summoned for interrogations by the Revolutionary Guards, according to Amnesty International. Their efforts promoting female political participation were cast as Western-orchestrated plots Iran's hardline elements often view the expansion of a woman's role beyond the home as stemming from Western influence, as opposed to a homegrown desire by Iranian women to have a stake in their country's laws and policies. In an interview with Basij news agency the Basij being the volunteer militia under the authority of the Revolutionary Guards Zahra Nasiri, a female member of the women's branch of the hardline Islamic Society of Students, explained that she was dismayed that elements within the Rouhani government were encouraging these Western derived efforts to promote women in parliament: Its not surprising to see feminists popping up every once in a while and shouting slogans about equal rights, but whats unfortunate is seeing government officials supporting these ideas and allowing them to creep into government positionsThese days it seems like the Arrogant Powers [Western governments] are trying to infiltrate our country through feminist forces. President Rouhani and members of his administration had expressed their encouragement of women's participation in the February elections on numerous occasions, such as this December 2015 statement: Women should be present in the elections for the Assembly of Experts and especially for [Parliament] because their presence in the mix is important for usWe are not doing women a favor [by bringing them into government]. This is their natural rightTheres no difference between women and men as far as Creation, art, intelligence and closeness to God are concerned. Nasiri's opinions however, were echoed amongst many other hardline figures, including the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, whose notable theories on women include the following from May 2013: One of womens greatest responsibilities is to bear children. Thats the art of being a woman. Khamenei's many speeches concerning women often discourage women from participating in activities outside of the home. Many women however are hopeful that the election of the new female parliamentarians, mostly from within the more progressive reformist camp, will indeed push back against traditional policies regarding women through parliamentary legislature. The crackdown inside Iran continues These hardline sentiments were indeed the reason for the mass disqualifications by the Guardian Council, and the crackdowns on members of the Campaign before and after the parliamentary elections. The interrogations the women faced had to do with their affiliation with both the Feminist School and Campaign for Changing the Male Dominated Face of Parliament. As a result, many working on the initiative either suspended or heavily self-censored their activities. The Campaign told Amnesty many of its active campaign members have ongoing national security-related cases against them. The most tangible outcome of these crackdowns can be seen in the fact that neither the Feminist School website or Facebook page have been updated since February 2016. Additionally, Iran's renowned women's rights magazine Zanan-e Emrooz ceased its publication after years of struggle with the government over its content. The magazine was shut down in April 2015 and reopened again later in the year, only to be finally shuttered for good in July 2016. While Hoodfar's release as well as the international attention are in large part due to her status as a Canadian academic and dual national, the continued persecution of women's rights activists with ties only to Iran should not be forgotten. Globalvoices.org) Related video added by Juan Cole: CBC News: Homa Hoodfar arrives in Montreal: Its wonderful to be home' Reddit Email 0 Shares By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | Alarabiya says that Russia has killed over 3,000 civilians in its bombing raids of the past year. BBC Monitoring translated an article by Mikhail Khodarenok at the Gazeta.ru site from 23 September that tries to explain why any decisive victory in Syria has eluded Russia during the past year. The author points out that the Syrian Arab Army of Bashar al-Assad has not made any significant gains in territory in the past twelve months. He says that the rebels still control 60-70 percent of the countrys territory, but this is completely misleading. Most of that territory is the eastern desert and it is irrelevant who holds it. The regime likely controls some 70 percent of the population mostly in the west or what the French colonialists used to call useful Syria. He says that people living in regime-held areas, even military personnel, are forced to pay tribute to the corrupt special services. Khodarenok does not think the war is winnable under these circumstances without substantial rethinking. He says that the lions share of Russian armed forces have been withdrawn from Syria, save for a single aviation group at the Hmeimin base. The Russian government is strapped for cash and trying to do Syria on a shoe-string, using gasoline and jet fuel sparingly. He says that the Russians are running low on ammunition, and are thinking of trying to buy some missiles that can be launched from the air from Belarus, which has large old Soviet stores of them. Khodarenok will admit that the first six months of Russian air intervention in Syria went fairly well. Russian Aerospace Forces helped the Syrian army take some territory from the rebels. But, he says, the second six months saw those efforts stall out, with rebels retaking some of the territory they had lost. He describes rebel holdings as: a significant proportion of Aleppo, the whole of Idlib Province, a significant part of Homs Province, the area around the city of Deir al-Zour, the oasis of East Al-Ghutah to the south of Damascus, the district of Az Zabadani on the border with Lebanon, and a number of other areas. The problem with this list is that he pays no attention to how many people live there. Syria had 22 million people in 2011 before the civil war. Deir al-Zor has only about a million. Likewise, al-Raqqa Province was 800,000 before the war, of which half have run away to Turkey or now live under Kurdish rule in the north of the province. East Aleppo is probably only 250,000, with three or four times that many under regime control in West Aleppo. You go down the list, and I doubt the rebels have more than 6 million or so under their control, and that is counting the Syrian Kurds. And I think the regime has the other 12 million. (Four million have fled abroad, so I think the countrys population has fallen to 18 million). The author maintains that the old USSR and Russian-trained officers have largely been fired, and most of the officer corps studied in the Middle East. Many of those with Turkish or Saudi ties defected. The remaining officers are plagued by corruption and fraud. Russian military advisers have been withdrawn, and the Syrian Army HQ has no Russian advisory staff. There is little coordination on the battlefield. Khodarenok advocates a single Russian command in Syria, with a kind of viceroy in charge of all the moving parts. He suggests sending a brigade of some 10,000 men into Syria from Russian Chechnya. He critiques the logistics of the Syrian army, which he says has no centralized supply system. As a result many young people have defected. He complains that Syrian army morale is extremely low. At key moments in the struggle for Aleppo, troops ran away. So thats a pretty pessimistic take on the Russian intervention. I think hes missing some successes of a defensive sort shoring up Latakia and forcing the fundamentalists out, e.g., or a similar strategy in other areas such as the city of Homs. But he could be right that the struggle is going nowhere fast. Related video: Masdar News: Syrian army advance in Bustan Basha district in Aleppo city Reddit Email 0 Shares By TeleSur | Republican attorneys general are accused of helping shield ExxonMobil over climate change fabrications. Environmental groups have called allegations of Republican attorneys generals colluding with lobbyists from the fossil fuel industry a smoking gun when it comes to fossil fuel industry corruption. These Republican officials are accused of protecting oil giant ExxonMobil, which faces ongoing investigations over downplaying climate change. The recently-exposed collusion between Republican attorneys general and fossil fuel lobbyists exemplifies exactly why we need to kick big polluters out of climate policymaking, said Katherine Sawyer, from Corporate Accountability International. In July, audio recordings from the Center for Media and Democracy implicated Republican attorneys general in the scandal. Attorneys general met with fossil fuel lobbyists during private, undisclosed meetings during a Colorado summit hosted by the Republican Attorneys General Association, RAGA. The allegations are a smoking gun when it comes to fossil fuel industry corruption. These recordings are more evidence that big oil is bankrolling Republican attorneys generals attacks on climate legislation, said Jamie Henn, from 350.org Action. The recordings reveal discussion on how ExxonMobil could be shielded from investigations that it was purposefully misleading climate change evidence to the public and its shareholders. The RAGA hosted summit included a presentation Climate Change Debate: How Speech is Being Stifled, which reportedly did not include any scientific reports. Climate change skeptic, Myron Ebell, also spoke at the meetings. Ebelll is currently part of Republican Presidential Candidate Donald Trumps energy team. Representatives at the summit included a number of fossil fuels organizations such as the Competitive Enterprise Institute, CEI, and the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers, AFPM, who have received large funds from ExxonMobil. The RAGA has received US$100,000 from ExxonMobil since 2015. Earlier in the year, 13 members of Congress were accused of attempting to protect ExxonMobil and protect its image against in relation to climate change, including funding scientists to argue that petroleum products could help control the climate. TeleSur Related video added by Juan Cole: Thom Hartmann from last year Could Exxon Mobil Face RICO Charges over Climate Denial? [JURIST] A federal judge on Thursday issued a temporary injunction [order, PDF] against Arkansas suspension of Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood [advocacy website]. Republican Governor Asa Hutchinson [official profile] terminated [AP report] the Medicaid funding last year following national controversy ignited by video recordings of Planned Parenthoods practices. That same year, District Judge Kristine Baker forced the state to provide funding to three Medicaid patients who brought suit against the organization. In Thursdays ruling, Baker expanded the ruling to apply to all future Medicaid patients in the state. Baker found that such defunding irreparably harms patients by depriving them of their right to choose their family planning services provider. While Planned Parenthood praised the ruling, Attorney General Leslie Rutledge [official profile] expressed her disappointment. Arkansas has already appealed the matter to the US Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit [official website] for further review. There has been a recent slew of state laws attempting to cut back on womens access to abortion. In July the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) [advocacy website] and Planned Parenthood filed a lawsuit [JURIST report] against an Arizona law that would potentially prevent low-income women from obtaining healthcare from their provider of choice. Earlier in July in a US district judge issued a preliminary injunction [JURIST report] against a Florida law intended to cut state funding to clinics administering abortions. That same week a federal judge placed an injunction [JURIST report] on an Indiana law that would have banned women from seeking abortion procedures when they are based on race, sex, or the potential for or actual diagnosis of a disability in the fetus. Recently the US Supreme Court ruled [opinion, PDF] 5-3 in Whole Womans Health v. Hellerstedt [SCOTUSblog materials] that a Texas law [HB2 text] imposing certain requirements on abortion clinics and doctors creates an undue burden on access to abortion, and is therefore unconstitutional [JURIST report]. A collection of Texas abortion providers challenged provisions of HB2 requiring doctors who perform abortions to have admitting privileges at a local hospital and requiring abortion clinics to conform to state standards for ambulatory surgical centers on the grounds that such requirements violated the Fourteenth Amendment as interpreted by the Court in Planned Parenthood v. Casey [text]. The Indiana statute contained a similar admitting privilege provision. Pivdenmash (Dnipro) has welcomed a possibility of resuming production of the Zenit-3SL launch vehicle for Sea Launch project announced by the new owner of the platform Russia's S7 Group. The enterprise said in a statement on Friday that after the recent signing of a contract between S7 Group and Sea Launch S.A. it was declared the intention of the new owner to bring the complex from the mothball state and begin the launching activity at the end of 2018. "All the property of the Sea Launch complex, namely the ship Sea Launch Commander, the Odyssey platform on which the equipment of the rocket segment is installed, and ground equipment in the base port Long Beach (the United States) is adapted for storing, transporting, pre-launch servicing and for the launches of the Zenit-3SL launch vehicle. This launch vehicle is produced at Pivdenmash. Pivdenmash welcomes the opportunity to resume the Sea Launch project as part of international cooperation for the peaceful exploration of outer space," the press service said. The successful functioning of the Sea Launch project will help to satisfy the increasing needs of the launch services market and it meets the interests of the majority of market players. Also, it will ensure a fair settlement of disputes between the founders of the Sea Launch project in court, the Ukrainian partner of the project said. The press service said that the Sea Launch project is an important component of the Ukrainian space industry development strategy. The participation in international commercial projects will ensure the development of the Ukrainian space mechanical engineering thanks to own activities, without direct government funding that is impossible in the current circumstances, the enterprise said. "Taking into account the duration of the production cycle for LV Zenit, the first products may be dispatched in the second half of 2017 if the funding begins in October 2016. The existing facilities of Pivdenmash allow producing from four to six missile carriers per year," the enterprise said. [JURIST] The Kyrgyzstan Supreme Council [official website, in Kyrgyz] on Thursday voted in favor of holding a constitutional referendum that would give more power to the countrys prime minister. Should the related parliamentary bill be passed [Reuters report] in two more readings, the referendum will be held in December and introduce new constitutional provisions that expand the powers of cabinet and parliamentary leaders. Opponents of the bill have accused the referendum of being a plot to allow President Almazbek Atambayev to assume a prime minister position after his final term ends in 2017. Atambayevs Social Democratic Party [official website, in Kyrgyz] currently controls parliaments ruling coalition. Kyrgyzstan has recently been under intense scrutiny for a variety of rights violations. In March Human Rights Watch (HRW) [advocacy website] urged [JURIST report] EU leaders France, Germany and Switzerland to raise human rights concerns directly with Atambayev. In January a spokesperson for the Kyrgyzstan government discussed [JURIST report] proposed legislation that would allow the Kyrgyz government to shut down media outlets without requiring a court decision with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. In October 2014 Ravina Shamdasani, a spokesperson for the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) urged the Parliament of Kyrgyzstan to reject [JURIST report] proposed legislation institutionalizing discrimination against individuals who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. Also in October 2014 the US Embassy in Kyrgyzstan issued a press release [JURIST report] condemning the proposed ban on homosexual propaganda legislation. In January 2014 HRW released a report [JURIST report] detailing abuses against gay and bisexual men at the hands of police in Kyrgyzstan. The report, entitled, They Told Us We Deserved This: Police Violence against Gay and Bisexual Men in Kyrgyzstan, found that gay and bisexual men have been subjected to abuses including physical, sexual and psychological violence, arbitrary detention and extortion under the threat of violence by police officers, despite the decriminalization of consensual sex between men in 1998. The US Supreme Court [official website] on Thursday granted certiorari [order list, PDF] in eight cases [SCOTUSblog report] following its September 26 conference. In Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District [docket; cert. petition, PDF] the court will determine what level of educational benefit school districts must confer on children with disabilities to provide them with the free appropriate public education guaranteed by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act [official website]. The petitioner in the case is an autistic child whose parents dissatisfaction with his education in a local public school prompted them to enroll him in a private school and seek reimbursement for the cost of tuition. In McLane Co. v. EEOC [docket; cert. petition, PDF] the court will determine whether a district courts decision to quash or enforce an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) [official website] subpoena should be reviewed de novo, which only the Ninth Circuit does, or should be reviewed deferentially, which eight other circuits do. The question arises from a gender discrimination charge filed with the EEOC against McLane, a national distribution company that argues that the more deferential standard should apply. In Nelson v. Colorado [docket; cert. petition, PDF] the court will determine whether Colorados requirement that defendants prove their innocence by clear and convincing evidence to get their money back, after reversal of conviction of a crime entailing various monetary penalties, is consistent with due process. The case concerns two Colorado residents convicted and sent to prison and ordered to pay restitution and a variety of fees. Their convictions were subsequently reversed on appeal and they unsuccessfully sought a refund of the money they had paid. In Lee v. Tam [docket; cert. petition, PDF] the court will determine whether the disparagement provision of the Lanham Act [text], which provides that no trademark shall be refused registration on account of its nature unless, inter alia, it [c]onsists of matter which may disparage persons, living or dead, institutions, beliefs, or national symbols, or bring them into contempt, or disrepute is facially invalid under the Free Speech Clause of the First Amendment. The dispute arises in relation to the denied registration of a band name, and the case is expected to have implications for the Washington Redskins trademark dispute [JURIST news archive]. In Expressions Hair Design v. Schneiderman [docket; cert. petition, PDF] the court will determine, whether state no-surcharge laws unconstitutionally restrict speech conveying price information (as the Eleventh Circuit has held), or regulate economic conduct (as the Second and Fifth Circuits have held). The dispute arises because many merchants would prefer to describe the fees as surcharges to discourage their customers from using credit cards. In Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. v. Haeger [docket; cert. petition, PDF], consolidated with Musnuff v. Haeger [docket; cert. petition, PDF], the court will determine whether a federal court is required to tailor compensatory civil sanctions imposed under inherent powers to harm directly caused by sanctionable misconduct when the court does not afford sanctioned parties the protections of criminal due process. The case arises from the imposition of sanctions against Goodyear and its attorney for alleged misconduct in a product liability case alleging that a defect in one of Goodyears tires caused a car accident. In Lynch v. Dimaya [docket; cert. petition, PDF] the court will determine if a provision [text] of the Immigration and Nationality Act defining a crime of violence and governing an aliens removal from the US is unconstitutionally vague. In a similar case the court ruled in Johnson v. United States [JURIST report] that the so-called residual clause in the Armed Career Criminal Acts definition of violent felony was unconstitutionally vague. Finally, Lewis v. Clarke [docket; cert. petition, PDF] the court will determine the scope of sovereign immunity of a member of an Indian tribe for damages sought against tribal employees for torts committed within the scope of their employment. The plaintiffs in the case, Brian and Michelle Lewis, were struck by a limousine driven by William Clarke, who was employed by an Indian tribe to drive casino patrons. [JURIST] The European Commission on Thursday announced [press release] that it has sued the United Kingdom (UK) for failure to protect harbor porpoises as ordered by the European Unions (EU) [official websites] Habitats Directive [text]. With the species population dwindling as a byproduct of mass fishing, the Commission awarded harbor porpoises an unfavorable designation. This designation required the UK to create a conservation plan for the marine mammal, including protected areas, but the nation has failed to do so. The Commission will now takes its conservation efforts to the European Court of Justice and seek an order mandating the development of protected areas. The European Commissions lawsuit brings into focus two areas of recent contention. The first involves legal efforts to protect wildlife and the sea, such as the March 2014 determination [JURIST report] by the International Court of Justice that Japan must halt its annual whaling program as it was not conducted for scientific purposes. Japan subsequently violated [JURIST report] the order, and in September 2014 announced that it would continue its annual whaling expedition, as an international judicial decision is not binding on an autonomous nation. The other area of legal interest is the UKs relationship with the European Union, as a majority of British citizens voted to leave [JURIST report] the EU in June. However, little progress has been made on Britains departure, as last month UK Prime Minister Theresa May denied [JURIST report] EU President Donald Tusks report that May intends to begin Article 50 proceedings by February. Article 50 is the portion of the EU Constitution governing procedures for nations seeking to leave the Union, and is the next step in UKs withdrawal. The UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) [official website] has warned [BBC News report] militant groups in the Central African Republic (CAR) to leave the schools they are currently occupying or face forceful eviction by UN troops. According to the UN, 10,000 children have been unable to attend schools this year because militants have occupied school grounds. One-third of all schools have been damaged by bullet-holes and fire and have been looted or occupied by militants. Currently, more than 12,000 UN peacekeepers have been deployed in the country. Although some children across the country returned to schools last week, insecure conditions in areas outside the capital city of Bangui disrupted the beginning of school year. MINUSCA warned all militant groups not to hinder educational activities or come within 1,650 feet of schools. Violence has persisted in the CAR since the predominately Muslim-based Seleka rebels ousted former president Francois Bozize [BBC profile] in March 2013. More than 400,000 people remain displaced due to the violent overthrow, with over a half million more people seeking refuge in other countries. In July UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Raad Al Hussein [official profile] warned of the deteriorating human rights situation [JURIST report] in the CAR. Last month UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon [official website] stated there have been 269 verified human rights violations [JURIST report] in the CAR. In February MINUSCA called for the CAR to address numerous human rights violations [JURIST report] stemming from an outbreak of violence in Bangui last year. In November UNICEF [official website] called for aid to approximately 1.2 million children distressed by conflict [JURIST report] in the CAR. Ukraine's Economic Development and Trade Ministry has informed representatives of the U.S. Department of the Treasury about the state-run enterprises reform, the ministry has said on Twitter. "We are conducting the complete stocktaking of all state-run enterprises in Ukraine. The goal of the big stocktaking is to determine what enterprises are strategic and what can be privatized," the ministry said, referring to First Deputy Minister Yulia Kovaliv. According to the report, Deputy Director, International Monetary Policy Office, U.S. Treasury Department, Clay Berry said that the reform of state-run enterprises is one of the challenges Ukraine faces now. Earlier Kovaliv said that after a stocktaking some 300 enterprises have been revealed that were not in the records. The total number of state-run enterprises grew to 3,800. Head of Verkhovna Rada committee for industrial policy and entrepreneurship Viktor Halasiuk said on Facebook that meeting with high-ranking officials of the U.S. Department of the Treasury were held in parliament: development of the economy, tax reform, cooperation with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and international technical assistance were discussed. There is hope for implementation of the Trilateral Contact Group's framework agreement on disengagement of forces and hardware in three sectors of the delimitation line in eastern Ukraine, the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission Principal Deputy Chief Monitor Alexander Hug said. The framework agreement stipulates that the sides have 13 days to implement this document in the first three sectors, Hug recalled at a briefing in Kyiv on Friday. Despite the cases of failure to fulfill the obligations, which were recorded in the past week, the mission's employees observed certain evidence showing that the sides understand the need to act, he said. The representatives of the self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic (LPR) removed several concrete fences near Zolote and Pervomaisk, and mine clearance works carried out by the units of the Ukrainian Armed Forces were recorded in the region, he said. These small steps show that the sides understand the need to implement all the provisions of the agreement for it to work, Hug said. The evident determination to make efforts for the agreement to have tangible results exists at the highest level, he said. The leaders of the both sides signed this agreement at long last, he said. He said that the OSCE SMM received the sides' information required by the agreements and now their declared determination should be proven in practice. Clear orders and communication should exist on all levels and the Joint Center for Control and Coordination (JCCC) should serve as a driving force of this process, Hug said. The JCCC should use more practical approach to mine clearance and providing the security guarantees to the SMM, and it should happen today, it cannot wait for disengagement of forces and hardware to conclude, he said. At that stage the presence of armed forces and units in the sectors of disengagement will be considered a violation, he said. If the observers' access to the sectors mentioned in the agreement is allowed, the observers may carry out verification, owing to which establishing the confidence may be possible, which will allow, in turn, initiating the difficult process of disengagement of forces and hardware, he said. And not only in these three sectors, but further along the entire contact line, he said. Hug said that the OSCE SMM records constant violations of the Minsk Agreements and the framework agreements in all three sectors since the moment of signing of the framework agreement on September 21, there is no access to them or it is restricted. He said he is aware that the authors of the framework agreement were not naive and expected certain problems to emerge. And the JCCC should facilitate swift response to the restrictions of carrying out the OSCE SMM's the monitoring and verification. Hug said that the Ukrainian and Russian generals in the JCCC assured him that the center will jointly operated to provide safe access of the OSCE SMM and that mine clearance works will be held, in Soledar on Monday. But the situation on the site was different, he said. When the mission's observers recorded anti-personnel landmines in Petrivske on Tuesday, no representatives of the JCCC's Russian side were on the site, Hug said. The next day, the officers of the Ukrainian and Russian armed forces in the JCCC in Petrivske said that they had no instructions in cooperation and contact with each other. None of them made any effort to provide the SMM's access to this area and carry out mine clearance works, he said. Poroshenko discusses results of Pan-Orthodox Council meeting held in Crete with Patriarch of Jerusalem Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has discussed results of the Pan-Orthodox Council, which was held this summer on the island of Crete, with Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem. The press service of the president reported that the head of state met Patriarch as part of his visit to Israel on Friday. Poroshenko thanked His Beatitude for the support of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem in the implementation of the aspiration of Ukrainians to unite in a single national Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church. In his turn, Patriarch Theophilos III noted that "the mission of Church is to unite, not divide." He said that he prayed for peace in Ukraine. The head of state invited Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem to visit Ukraine. Ukraine's Foreign Ministry strongly protests the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation to uphold the decision to label the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people an extremist organization and ban its activities. "A ban of the highest representative executive body of the Crimean Tatar people under the false pretext of fighting extremism is an explicit affront by the occupying Russian authorities to the rights and interests of the Crimean Tatars We consider this cynical decision a manifestation of racial discrimination," the ministry said in a statement spread on Thursday. "This is an expected step of Russias highest court, totally consistent with Kremlins current repressive policies aiming at fighting against democracy and freedom and transforming the occupied peninsula into a grey zone of terror and lawlessness," the ministry said. For two and a half years of occupation, the Russian Federation has not only deliberately and systematically violated human rights and restricted freedoms in the Ukrainian Crimea, but also completely destroyed the independent mechanisms that guarantee and protect these rights, the ministry said. "Ukraine demands that the occupying state immediately reverses this decision, which is null and void in its essence and judicial nature, and completely ceases the persecution of the Crimean Tatar community in Crimea," the ministry said. Ukraine also appeals to its international partners to intensify actions to protect human rights in the occupied Crimea, including to ensure unimpeded access for international and human rights monitoring organizations and their main conventional and monitoring mechanisms to provide for the continuous monitoring of respect for human rights. Ukraine believes that the definitive end of the persecution of the Crimean Tatars by the occupying authorities as well as other issues related to the illegal occupation of Crimea can only be achieved through the de-occupation of the territory and restoration of the foundations of international law and order therein, respect for international law and for human rights, the ministry said. "Ukraine will prove in courts the illegitimacy of all of the Russian Federations actions connected to the temporary occupation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, including the decision to label the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people an extremist organization and ban its activities," the ministry said. It was two against one in the Monday night presidential debate. We had moderator Lester Holt, who apparently assumed he was a candidate, too, and Hillary Clinton, well-equipped with policy malformations, against Donald Trump. Trump wasnt nearly as bad as I anticipated much closer to reality on the economy, police, guns and Iran, for instance, if issues still count in this contest. Again and again, the ill-informed, biased Holt asked Trump tough, personal questions and, when he didnt like the answers, interrupted him in a way that should have been left up to Clinton, who was spared an equivalent assault. They call it fact-checking, but this was a debate, not a reporters interview, and he had some facts utterly confused. The economy was issue number one, and Clinton espoused the usual, worsening federal interventions, the most absurd being President Barack Obamas global warming plan. Now before the Supreme Court, the clearly unconstitutional plan could cost all kinds of fossil fuel jobs, as Trump pointed out. Through subsidies, it could also hurt the green industry, which would do better by heeding market demands. It would raise utility rates, damn the economy with energy deprivations and, according to experts, do next to nothing by itself to affect global warming by centurys end. Trump had it right when he talked about a hefty reduction of the highest corporate tax rate in the developed world and otherwise arranging a means to bring home billions earned abroad. Trump went overboard as usual on his trade attacks, although reviewing some provisions in some treaties could make sense. Both are wrong on the Trans-Pacific Partnership deal that could be important economically as well as diplomatically. The difference is that Trump comes at it sincerely, while Clinton, who helped formulate it and praised it to the skies, is now against it as a matter of political convenience. In other words, deviousness remains her middle name. Clinton was also wrong on thinking background checks are the answer to too many guns in criminal hands, whereas there is plenty of evidence about the effectiveness of stop-and-frisk as recommended by Trump to save thousands of lives in Chicago. Both Clinton and Holt made it sound as if stop-and-frisk is illegal, when what we have had instead is an officially condemned ruling by a federal judge that it had been unconstitutionally applied in New York City. There was lots more to the debate, of course, and Trump repeated old stupidities. But that was caused in no small part by Holt hitting him with questions on such things as not turning over his tax returns, his long-term refusal to give his birther theory a funeral and his saying Clinton did not look like a president. If Holt thought that was a service to the American people, why didnt he think to bring up the Clinton Foundation, the FBIs condemnation of how she handled classified material as secretary of state or her own ways of being hurtful to women? Clinton, at the end, smashed Trump with things he should never have said about individual women, and showing signs of needed self-control he did not to bring up the way her husband ruined the lives of multiple women and she colluded in their defamation. Thats real trashiness to go along with continued leftism sufficient to devastate America as we have known it. Just as Trump decided not to invite Gennifer Flowers to the debate, its now his job to correct himself sufficiently to keep Clinton out of the White House. Impossible? We will see. EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini has said that it is crucial that by the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) can complete its work to investigate into the tragedy of Malaysian flight MH17. She urges international society to continue supporting it. "The JIT's work as regards individual suspects continues; it is crucial that the investigators can complete their work, independently and thoroughly. To ensure that those responsible for the downing of MH17 are held accountable and brought to justice, the criminal investigation needs the continuing support of the international community. All States that are in a position to assist the investigation and prosecution of those responsible must do so, as demanded by UN Security Council Resolution 2166," Mogherini said in a statement. The interim results of the independent criminal investigation, presented by the JIT, demonstrate that important progress has been made, answering many questions that have borne heavily on those who lost their loved ones on 17 July 2014, she said. "The European Union reiterates its full support for the work of the JIT and welcomes the progress made by the countries involved on an effective prosecution mechanism," Mogherini said. It has been reported that the Malaysia Airlines Boeing-777 en route from Amsterdam to Kuala-Lumpur crashed in eastern Ukraine on July 17, 2014. It had 298 people on board, all of whom died. There were 192 Dutch citizens (one of them had U.S. citizenship as well), 44 Malaysian citizens (including 15 crew members), 27 Australian citizens, 12 citizens of Indonesia, 10 British citizens (one also had citizenship of South Africa), four Germans, four Belgians, three citizens of Philippines, one Canadian and one citizen of New Zealand. The JIT, comprising prosecutors and representatives of other law enforcement agencies of Ukraine, the Netherlands, Belgium, Australia and Malaysia, and also representatives of Eurojust, was created on August 7, 2014. On September 28, 2016 the JIT presented the first results of the criminal investigation into the downing of MH17 flight in Donbas. JIT have come to the conclusion that MH17 was shot down by a 9M38 series missile, launched from a Buk-Telar. This Buk-Telar was brought in from the territory of the Russian Federation, and after launch was subsequently returned to Russian Federation territory. The U.S. Embassy in Ukraine has handed three mobile laboratories for express bacteriological tests to the sanitary and epidemiological service of Ukraine's Defense Ministry. An Interfax-Ukraine correspondent has reported that the vehicles were officially passed to the ministry on September 29 in Kyiv. Head of the evacuation department of the military and medical department of Defense Ministry Oleksiy Barbaziuk said that the vehicles will be registered in Kyiv, Lviv and Kharkiv. After tests they will be sent to the anti-terrorist operation (ATO) zone. "The vehicles will be sent to the east of Ukraine in three or four months after we confirm that they can operate in the field. The rotation of the vehicles will be used: two in the ATO zone and one on the rotation," he said. Barbaziuk said that the specialists to work with the vehicles have been trained. The cost of the three vehicles is UAH 13 million. The U.S. Embassy paid for them. The OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) has said that Ukrainian Armed Forces stopped the mission observers to cross the bridge in Schastia (Luhansk region) due to mines. "OSCE SMM stopped by Ukr [Ukrainian] armed forces from crossing Schastia bridge due to mines. Minsk violation. SMM ready/able to monitor but prevented," OSCE SMM said on Twitter on Saturday. Later SMM said that their monitoring operations are also prevented by mines on the territory of self-proclaimed LPR near Schastia. "Mines at "LPR" ctrl [controlled] area of Schastia - Minsk/SMM mandate violation. OSCE SMM ready/able to monitor but prevented," they said on Twitter. Earlier SMM said that it is impossible to monitor in Pervomaisk-Zolote district and at the Schastia checkpoint due to mines. 4K Shares Share When we think about the technology revolution, we often get excited at the thought of getting what we want instantly. We wait in line for new smartphones. We instant message. We love fast. Getting something done faster, with as good a result, is usually seen as a virtue unless one is a doctor. In these times of fast information, we find ourselves bombarded with surveys. Part of the downside of this is that instead of paying attention to our own goals and experiences, we are supposed to notice and report specifics did the barista said my name because a third party wants to know. In medicine, we have patient satisfaction surveys and the question, Did your doctor spend enough time with you? Sometimes when we ask a question, rather than an answer, another question is generated. When I hear people comment that their doctor didnt spend enough time with them, whether they are talking about me, or someone else, I often ask, What is enough time? What I find interesting is that the people who complain that they didnt get enough time often dont know how long enough time is. When Ive looked into feedback of people who said they didnt get enough of my time, Ive found that Ive often spent much more time with them than with most of my happy patients who appreciated my efficiency. How does one address this? As a habit, I ask patients at the end of our visit if there is anything else? If there are other issues, I address them. If they respond no, I confirm our follow up plans and say goodbye. I find the people who feel they didnt get enough time sometimes say that she didnt answer all my questions. Usually, these were questions that were never asked. In fact, Ive even had patients interrupt me as I am explaining their condition, side effects, and treatment plan, to complain that I had not spent enough time when I wasnt even finished. It those situations it seems that its the patient who is rushing yet projecting impatience on to the doctor. It can come across that the patient had been trained to think that they must try to put the doctor on the defense with this comment in order to be empowered. What are people really complaining about when they report they didnt get enough time? I think sometimes it is an impatience with themselves. If one were flying from New York to Los Angeles, and one were told to expect the journey to take 6 hours, would the pilot not have spent enough time if she were to land the plane safely at LAX in 5 hours? Instead of landing, should she instead circle the Pacific coast to give us the 6-hour flight time we were promised? It would be one thing if the pilot had rushed and crashed the plane. It would be one thing if the doctor rushed and didnt complete something. If an experienced doctor can make a diagnosis quickly, and we as patients cannot, should be feel dissatisfied? Isnt that what we hired them for? Interestingly, most people pay lawyers by the hour, and it follows that most would describe a good lawyer as on who gets the desired results quickly. In fact, we accuse lawyers of churning the case when they take more time. Doctors, however, are not paid for time. Could this be why some feel they want more of the doctors time? Would we want more of a fast doctors time if the doctor were, in fact, a robot or would we be impressed with its speed? In the course of running my own medical practice, I have participated in a number of entrepreneur training programs. One such program introduced me to the Kolbe self-assessment. A Kolbe measures as persons instinctive method of operation which helps identify how they can be most productive. There are 4 Kolbe types: fact finders (they ask questions), follow-throughs (they complete things), quick starts (they can make decisions quickly), and implementors (they enjoy the process). We all have all of these action modes, but some are our dominant ones. Ones Kolbe cannot be changed. My Kolbe results were not surprising. I was a quick start, but with a strong fact finder. On the one hand, these are opposite action modes. On the other, these are two qualities one needs to be a doctor. Medical education and training are the fact finding. Quick start qualities allow me to actually take action on the facts. I am a quick start with strong fact finder qualities it wont change. I also understand that the Kolbes of the people I interact with in the would also wont change. How do we get satisfaction in a world with such diversity? Could it be self-knowledge. Knowing my own Kolbe was very empowering. It has also helps to know that other people also have Kolbes. We cant change. I understand why some patients are thrilled when I can assess and treat them quickly whereas other may perceive the same visit as not enough time. I am a doctor and a patient. I now notice the Kolbes of my own doctors and how I respond to them. With this perspective, I would advise patients to spend enough time with themselves getting to know how they like to receive information and also getting clarity about what they want when seeking the help of a professional such as a doctor. Sometimes we expect doctors to address needs that are simply out of their scope of practice they will fail no matter how much time they spend with us. And in these times when many people live alone, work from home, shop online and consider text messaging a relationship, make sure you are getting the human contact you need. No matter how attentive your doctor is, a doctors visit should not be your only outlet for human interaction. Dina D. Strachan is a dermatologist. She can be reached at Aglow Dermatology. Image credit: Shutterstock.com 113 Shares Share The school year is back in session, and our student health center is busy. As a college health doctor, I have been able to watch the rollout of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) among this population. Since its passage, more of our students are now insured, but many unique challenges still persist for this population. Young adults have historically demonstrated high rates of un-insurance. An estimated 30 percent of those 19 to 25 years old were uninsured prior to passage of the ACA. They may have been working in jobs that did not offer coverage. Often, they had been excluded from health care when they aged out of their parents plan, or they were denied access due to pre-existing conditions. Referred to as the young invincibles, young adults are considered an important part of the insurance marketplace. This population is generally healthy, not requiring a great deal of medical care, thus providing a balance by subsidizing the older, usually sicker population. The concern is that without the young adults buying health plans, the insurance exchanges will be burdened with the cost of an older, sicker population producing what has been called a death spiral where in the cost of insurance rises beyond what people can afford. Since passage of the ACA, young adults have benefited with an expansion of health insurance coverage allowing them to stay on their parents plan until the age of 26. An estimated three million young adults have gained coverage through their parents health insurance plans. However, that assumes the parents have a health plan. I frequently find our students have been uninsured and had no regular access to health care in the years prior to arriving at college. For those who are covered under a family plan, there is a cost in terms of privacy. College students are young adults; many of whom prefer to have their medical needs managed without parental knowledge or oversight. Those who remain on their parents healthcare plan into young adulthood often express concerns about their privacy. This is particularly apparent when addressing issues of sexual health, psychiatric care or treatment for alcohol or drug abuse. Although their medical chart remains private; if they use their insurance for a referral, testing or treatment, the explanation of benefits (EOB) will go to the primary insurance holder, usually a parent. At an age when medical providers are trying to encourage this population to take on the responsibility for their health; this is a persistent challenge. Furthermore, I have found the policy to rescind insurance coverage at the age of 26 to be arbitrary. Many of our graduate and even undergraduate students are still enrolled at this age. Suddenly they find themselves uninsured, which can lead to major interruptions in their health care management, particularly for those who have an emergency, need hospitalization or specialty care. Another concern for this population is cost sharing and issues of underinsurance. Cost sharing for silver plans is about $3,000 and over $5,000 for the bronze level plans. When considering the increasing costs of higher education, the added expense of health care can stretch the budget of a student, creating another stressor. Expansion of Medicaid has also aided young adults; particularly in those states that agreed to accept the Medicaid expansion. Unfortunately, twenty states have chosen to opt out of the Medicaid expansion. This has led millions of citizens to find themselves in the coverage gap. They do not qualify for tax credits to purchase a plan; while at the same time, they are ineligible for coverage through Medicaid. This is a common dilemma for students who are working while attending college. For our students who are eligible for Medi-Cal, the California State Medicaid program they often wait several weeks to get enrolled and then find there are no local providers taking new patients. For those who are enrolled in managed care Medi-Cal in their county of origin but attending school in another county, sometimes hundreds of miles away, they find themselves out of network, limiting their access to care. This issue also arises when students enroll in a private plan, then relocate to attend college far from home. Meeting the needs for students with mental illness is a growing concern for campuses across the country. Greater numbers of students arrive on campus, having previously been treated for mental health issues. Finding appropriate specialists that are in network and taking new clients is a constant struggle for a semi-rural campus such as ours. Many of our students remain uninsured for a variety of reasons. They may not understand or see the need to get coverage. Some find shopping for options on the state website to be daunting. They are also confused thinking that having access to our student health services is the same as insurance. Despite the implementation of the ACA, our current health care delivery system is convoluted, creating a maze of challenges to those seeking care. It is inefficient and enormously costly, rife with bureaucratic waste. A single-payer national health system would provide comprehensive health care through a system that covers all medically necessary care, with simple enrollment and allowing the free choice of doctor. Such a plan, often referred to as Medicare for all would save an estimated $400 billion a year by eliminating the costly administrative expenses associated with the private insurance industry. Anticipated benefits include the elimination of the insurance networks that bind people to a particular geographic area. Further benefits are anticipated through job growth; as employers would no longer carry the burden of providing health care insurance. The Affordable Care Act was a laudable attempt at guaranteeing health care access to all. However it has fallen far short. Millions remain uninsured; those who obtained coverage must deal with high co-pays, deductibles, and limited networks. The college-age population has many unique challenges as they transition to adulthood and take on the responsibility for managing their health care needs. This population could benefit greatly in a single-payer health care model offering affordable, comprehensive coverage, with geographic flexibility while ensuring their privacy. Aldebra Schroll is a family physician. Image credit: Shutterstock.com Kyiv says its positions in Donbas keep being shelled Ukrainian Defense Ministry spokesperson Andriy Lysenko has accused the forces opposing Kyiv of violating the ceasefire and separation agreements near Stanytsia Luhanska. Speaking at a news briefing in Kyiv on Saturday, Lysenko said Ukrainian positions in the Luhansk sector had also been shelled near Novozvanivka and Novooleksandrivka. As for the Donetsk sector, Avdiyivka and Verkhniotoretske remained the hottest points, Lysenko said. Ukrainian positions were also shelled near Kamianka, Zaitseve and Novoselivka-2, he said. In the Mariupol sector, Ukrainian forces were shelled, mostly with small arms, along the entire line of contact, particularly near Maryinka, Starohnativka, Pavlopil, Shyrokyne, and Bohdanivka, Lysenko said. BEIJING, Oct 1 (Reuters) - China's yuan joins the International Monetary Fund's basket of reserve currencies on Saturday in a milestone for the government's campaign for recognition as a global economic power. It is the first time that a currency has been added to sit alongside the U.S. dollar, the euro, the yen and the British pound in the IMF's special drawing rights (SDR) basket, which determines the currencies countries receive as part of IMF loans. The IMF is adding the yuan, also known as the renminbi, or "people's money", on the same day that the Communist Party celebrates the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949. The IMF announced last year that it would add the yuan to the basket, so actual inclusion is not expected to impact financial markets. But it puts Beijing's often opaque economic and foreign exchange policy in the international spotlight as central banks add yuan assets to their official reserves. Critics argue that the yuan does not fully meet IMF reserve currency criteria of being freely usable, or widely used to settle trade or widely traded in financial markets. U.S. Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has said he will formally label China a currency manipulator if he wins November's election. China stunned investors by devaluing the currency last year and the yuan has since weakened to near six-year lows, adding to worries about already feeble global growth. Some China watchers also fear that Beijing's commitment to further market opening and financial sector reforms will fade after its diplomatic success, despite repeated reassurances from Beijing it will continue with the process. U.S. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew said on Thursday the yuan was "quite a ways" from true global reserve currency status. While recognising "enormous" change in China in the last 10 years that had made the currency more open, Lew said the government still had work to do. "Being part of the SDR basket at the IMF is quite a ways away from being a global reserve currency," he said. Capital Economics said inclusion of the currency in the IMF's SDR basket will have minimal impact on foreign demand for yuan assets, so "offers little support" for the currency. "If anything, the risk is that official intervention to keep the renminbi stable ahead of its inclusion will subsequently be paired back, allowing for renewed deprecation," it said in a research note. (Reporting By Nathaniel Taplin; Editing by Neil Fullick) S.Korea's Sept crude oil imports up 15 pct y/y - preliminary data SEOUL, Oct 1 (Reuters) - South Korea's crude oil imports in September rose 15 percent from a year earlier to 89.8 million barrels, preliminary data from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy showed on Saturday. Final data will be released later in October by state-run Korea National Oil Corp (KNOC). Details of preliminary imports and previous actual figures are as follows: (In millions of barrels) September 2016 August 2016* September 2015* Crude Oil 89.8 86.1 78.1 * Actual import figures Note: The ministry did not break down imports by country of origin. South Korea's total crude imports in August fell 2.9 percent year-on-year, according to KNOC data last month. (Reporting by Jane Chung; Editing by Christian Schmollinger) 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 precious metal products, 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 Top officials affirm commitment to openness and engagement with world on eve of nation's 67th birthday President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Keqiang and other top leaders arrive to attend a National Day reception at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Friday. PHOTOS BY FENG YONGBIN / CHINA DAILY Top leaders signaled China's growing openness to the outside world and reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining peace on Friday, the eve of the National Day holiday. On Friday, leaders including President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang embarked on a series of events and meetings in Beijing, including a ceremony honoring martyrs, a grand reception and meetings with foreign guests. As he met with leading foreign experts working in China who received this year's Friendship Award, Li noted that China is ready to welcome more talent from abroad as the country becomes more open and inclusive. On Thursday, Vice-Premier Ma Kai conferred medals on the 50 foreign experts and praised their contribution to the country's development at an awards ceremony in Beijing. Li observed that the foreign experts in China include both young and old, and the combination of their brainpower and great experience could "help yield a greater boost to China's modernization process and world peace and development". He said China is offering greater openness, inclusiveness and convenience for outstanding foreign talent, and the country will speed up facilitation of their application for a permanent residence permit. Li and others also greeted foreign ambassadors and envoys assuming their new offices in China. Li said China is committed to peace and development, and will join hands with countries to "achieve robust, sustainable, balanced and inclusive growth". As the leaders attended a reception on Friday evening, Li, in a speech, reiterated China's concept of "building the community of shared destiny". Su Ge, president of China Institute of International Studies, noted that China's diplomacy this year has demonstrated greater readiness to contribute to global governance, including hosting the G20 Leaders Summit in early September. "China's tangible actions are showing to the world that it is a contributor and a mover for world peace, common development and international cooperation," Su said. Earlier Friday morning, leaders joined veterans, family members of martyrs and representatives from all walks of life gathered at the Monument to the People's Heroes at Tian'anmen Square. They attended a ceremony to honor deceased national heroes on the annual Martyrs' Day. Friday marked the third Martyrs' Day on the eve of the National Day, since China's legislature approved Sept 30 as Martyrs' Day in 2014. A red carpet covered paths surrounding the monument, and attendees presented flowers in memory of the people's heroes. This year is also the 80th anniversary of the Long March, a famous military maneuver carried out by the Red Army of the Communist Party of China in the early 1930s. Contact the writer at [email protected] Xinhua contributed to this story. (Adds China central bank statement, details on IMF fixing currency amounts) BEIJING, Oct 1 (Reuters) - China's yuan joins the International Monetary Fund's basket of reserve currencies on Saturday in a milestone for the government's campaign for recognition as a global economic power. The yuan joins the U.S. dollar, the euro, the yen and British pound in the IMF's special drawing rights (SDR) basket, which determines currencies that countries can receive as part of IMF loans. It marks the first time a new currency has been added since the euro was launched in 1999. The IMF is adding the yuan, also known as the renminbi, or "people's money", on the same day that the Communist Party celebrates the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949. "The inclusion into the SDR is a milestone in the internationalisation of the renminbi, and is an affirmation of the success of China's economic development and results of the reform and opening up of the financial sector," the People's Bank of China said in a statement. China will use this opportunity to further deepen economic reforms and open up the sector to promote global growth, the central bank added. The IMF announced last year that it would add the yuan to the basket, so actual inclusion is not expected to impact financial markets. But it puts Beijing's often opaque economic and foreign exchange policy in the international spotlight as some central banks add yuan assets to their official reserves. Critics argue that the move is largely symbolic and the yuan does not fully meet IMF reserve currency criteria of being freely usable, or widely used to settle trade or widely traded in financial markets. U.S. Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has said he will formally label China a currency manipulator if he wins November's election. China stunned investors by devaluing the currency last year and the yuan has since weakened to near six-year lows, adding to worries about already feeble global growth. Some China watchers also fear that Beijing's commitment to further market opening and financial sector reforms will fade after its diplomatic success, despite repeated reassurances from Beijing it will continue with the process. U.S. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew said on Thursday the yuan was "quite a ways" from true global reserve currency status. The new IMF status recognises the "enormous" change in China in the last 10 years that had made the yuan more open, but Beijing still had work to do to make its currency and its economy more market-driven, he said. "Being part of the SDR basket at the IMF is quite a ways away from being a global reserve currency," he said. Capital Economics said inclusion of the currency in the IMF's SDR basket will have minimal impact on foreign demand for yuan assets, so "offers little support" for the currency. "If anything, the risk is that official intervention to keep the renminbi stable ahead of its inclusion will subsequently be paired back, allowing for renewed deprecation," it said in a research note. The IMF on Friday fixed the relative amounts of the five currencies in the basket for five years, based on their average exchange rates over the past three months. (Reporting by Nathaniel Taplin; Additional reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Neil Fullick) Iraq exported 935,270 barrels of oil in Sept via Ceyhan - oil ministry BAGHDAD, Oct 1 (Reuters) - Iraq exported 935,270 barrels of oil in September via pipeline to the Turkish Mediterranean port of Ceyhan, the oil ministry said on Saturday. September was the first full month for exports since the North Oil Company resumed pumping crude from fields it operates in Kirkuk, which the Kurdistan Regional Government controls, following a four-month dispute over revenue sharing. (Reporting by Stephen Kalin; Editing by Alexander Smith) 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 precious metal products, 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 MEDIA-ECB rejects UBI plan to buy three troubled Italian banks -Il Messaggero ROME, Oct 1 (Reuters) - - The European Central Bank has rejected a plan put forward by UBI Banca to buy Banca Marche, Banca Etruria and CariChieti, Il Messaggero said on Saturday, without quoting sources. - The ECB told UBI it would need to raise 600 million euros in fresh capital if it wanted to pursue the deal, the paper said, adding that UBI was only prepared to raise a maximum 400 million euros. As a result, the proposed deal has collapsed, it said. - Contacted by Reuters, the ECB declined any comment. - Banca Marche, Banca Etruria, CariChieti are three of four Italian banks that were salvaged from bankruptcy last year. - The European Commission wants Italy to dispose of them quickly in order to limit distortions of competition, but this week IT extended the deadline for the sale for a second time. (Editing by Crispian Balmer) 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 precious metal products, 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 SHARE By Josh Farley of the Kitsap Sun BREMERTON Waste Management's crews gathered up more than trash in the city this past week the company collected its own trash bins from about 350 nonpaying customers. The effort is the culmination of several months of effort by the company to reign in delinquent accounts that cost it hundreds of thousands of dollars each year. Though many customers paid up, around 800 customers in Bremerton will no longer receive garbage service. "We're now at this point where this is the effort we have to take," said John L. Chelminiak, a senior manager with the company. Waste Management has the support of Bremerton Mayor Patty Lent and the City Council. "We really appreciate the city's support," Chelminiak said. "We're going to continue to try to get people back on service." Waste Management has collected trash in the city for years, regardless of whether customers paid or not. The company pays $125,000 a year to collect garbage in the city. But it incurred debt from those who stopped paying to the tune of about $500,000 in 2015 and so it decided to ask the city for help. In 2014, about 1,800 of 9,200 Bremerton accounts roughly one in five was delinquent. After referencing a list of the city's utility ratepayers, Waste Management learned of 300 customers it did not even know it had. Then, through a campaign earlier this year, Waste Management wrote letters and called customers who were behind on bills to let them know service would stop if they didn't pay. That got the number of delinquent accounts down to about 800. City Engineer Tom Knuckey pointed out that while garbage service is mandatory for residents, it isn't free. Garbage service is required because of the public health risk it poses if trash piles up. Knuckey encourages residents to make garbage complaints to the city. Failure to dispose of trash properly can result in fines and penalties. Residents who see garbage piling up should call Janet Lunceford, the city's code enforcement officer, at (360) 473-5213. A guest post by GWRC candidate Roger Blakeley: The numbers that you have used appear to be taken from the 2013 Public Transport Spine Study (PTSS), which is available on the GWRC website. You say that we have ignored evidence. That is not correct. We have studied the PTSS, and our analysis is that it is seriously deficient for the following reasons: *The route selection was poor. It chose a Y shaped route from the railway station, with one leg going to Kilbirnie and one leg going to Newtown. This required unnecessary cost of an extra Mt Victoria tunnel. It also did not link well with the development growth areas, and therefore did not capture the potential ridership. The route chosen overstated the costs and understated the benefits. * The result was, as you say, that the BCR was miniscule. * The 8 out of the 11 candidates for the Wellington Constituency who are supporting light rail have been woking with transport analysts from the Fair Intelligent Transport (FIT) group. FIT has proposed a light rail spine route from the Railway station to CBD, Taranaki St, Wallace Street, Wellington Hospital, Newtown, Kilbirnie and the Airport. It links well with development growth areas in Te Aro, Adelaide Rd, and Kilbirnie, It connects to the airport. Feeder bus services would connect to the light rail, following international best practice. * FIT has calculated costs based on recent actual construction costs of light rail in France. Light rail costs have come down in recent years, with improvements in technology. The estimated cost for the railway station to airport light rail spine is between $450M and $650M depending on route. The lower cost is for an alternative route along Constable St. The space is tight but manageable . The higher cost alternative is a route by the zoo and a tunnel under Mt Albert to Kilbirnie. The capacity of the proposed light rail spine would be three times the capacity of two Mt Victoria tunnels (12,000 persons per hour versus 4,000 persons per hour). The cost of the NZTA proposed extra Terrace Tunnel and extra Mt Victoria tunnel and 4 lane highway to the airport is $1 billion plus. That is, light rail would have three times the capacity and half the cost of the NZTA proposal. It would be a substantially better public investment. I am sure you will have visited Europe, North America and Australia where many cities have adopted light rail. The reason is that international cities have recognised that building more motorways, more tunnels or lanes for private cars does not solve congestion; it creates more demand for more cars and more congestion. Public transport is a far more efficient way of transporting large numbers of people to a common destination such as the CBD or the airport, than cars (be they driven or self-driven). That is why progressive cities around the world have chosen light rail because the improved service standards have attracted motorists to shift out of their cars onto public transport. I heard Transport Minister Simon Bridges saying at the announcement on the Govt half-funding of the Auckland City Rail Link: we cant just keep adding more lanes onto motorways. On funding, my view is that the $1billion budget in the Roads of National Significance (RoNS) for the NZTA roading proposal would not be needed if light rail is implemented. Part of that could be used to pay the Governments half share in the Wellington light rail (total cost estimate $450M to $650M), as it has for other public transport projects such as the Auckland City Rail Link. The other half could come from a Public Private Partnership. Investors overseas have seen light rail as an attractive investment because of the returns. There has already been an expression of interest by an international investor in Wellington light rail. The group of 8 GWRC candidates are asking for light rail to be put back on the agenda and rigorously evaluated against other options in the Get Wellington Moving Project. This would include re-doing the PTSS study. If the BCR stacks up we would expect the proposal to be subject to commercial analysis including detailed route options, and that could include a private sector investor partner. Light rail would only proceed if it stacked up against that exacting commercial analysis. If you would like to see further information about our proposal, the link below is to an opinion piece in the DomPost on 2 September 2016: http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/comment/83689617/paul-bruce-sue-kedgley-daran-ponter-roger-blakeley-john-klaphakeand-russell-tregonning-the-case-for-light-rail-for-wellington I understand the comments you made were based on the 2013 PTSS study. I hope I have made it clear that we have gathered further evidence which demonstrates the shortcomings of that study. In that context, your comments about myself and the other named candidates are not fair. USA Today reports: Yael Haccoun and her family are Orthodox Jews from the working-class Paris suburb of Sarcelles, but they flew to Israel in late September to start a new life and escape the anti-Semitism around them. French people think that its natural when Jews are targeted in terror attacks, said Haccoun, 33, as she waited with her husband and their three children here at the airport. The fact that the army must protect Jewish schools and synagogues isnt normal. She said her family watched in horror in July 2014 as a demonstration protesting Israels war with Hamas turned into an anti-Semitic rampage. Dozens of young men chanting God is great in Arabic and death to the Jews attacked Jewish-owned businesses with clubs and fire bombs. USA Today reports: The House and Senate voted Wednesday to reject President Obamas veto of legislation allowing lawsuits against foreign sponsors of terrorism the first successful override of a presidential veto since Obama took office. The president had vetoed the legislation Friday because he said the bill known as the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act, or JASTA would infringe on the presidents ability to conduct foreign policy. It was the 12th veto of his presidency. But after an intense push by 9/11 survivors and families of victims who want to sueSaudi Arabia based on claims the country played a role in the 2001 terror attacks, even Obamas Democratic allies on Capitol Hill voted to override his veto. The House voted 348-77, well above the two-thirds majority needed. The final vote tally in the Senate was 97-1. Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., cast the lone dissenting vote. Villagers in Bohu County, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region create a magnificent Chinese flag pattern using freshly harvested peppers and corn in honor of the 67th birthday of the People's Republic of China. The flag was a joint effort by villagers of several different ethnicities, including Han, Mongol, Uyghur and Hui, as a way of expressing love for their shared country. [Photo: Chinanews.com] BEIJING, Sept. 30 -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Friday called for further reform to break institutional bottlenecks hindering economic development and social justice. Li made the remarks one day ahead of China's National Day on Oct. 1, when addressing a reception at the Great Hall of the People to mark Saturday's 67th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. Chinese President Xi Jinping, together with other senior leaders including Zhang Dejiang, Yu Zhengsheng, Liu Yunshan, Wang Qishan and Zhang Gaoli, as well as some 1,200 people from home and abroad attended the reception. Li, on behalf of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council, first extended greetings to all Chinese and expressed gratitude to foreign friends who had contributed to China's development. He said China has undergone significant changes over the past 67 years, particularly in the wake of the reform and opening up drive in the 1970s. In 2016, the country has managed to sustain moderate growth in overall demands while promoting supply-side structural reforms, and maintained economic stability while optimizing its economic structure, Li said. National development has been matched with improvement in people's well-being, the premier continued, citing the hosting of the G20 Hangzhou summit and China's medal rushes in the Rio Olympics and Paralympics as more reasons to be proud. Looking forward, he said economic development should be China's central mission. Efforts should be made to maintain medium- to high-speed economic growth while elevating its innovative capacities and developing medium and high-end sectors, Li said. Authorities should work to increase people's incomes, and boost social welfare, enhance environmental protection and food safety, to boost the Chinese public's senses of accomplishment, satisfaction and security, and lift more people from poverty. They must also comprehensively promote the rule of law, and create a level playing field to allow for equal competition among all market entities, and provide equal and accessible public services for all, Li said. "We must further open up, promote the Belt and Road initiative and facilitate international production capacity cooperation," the premier said. Li went on to say that the Chinese government will remain faithful to the "one country, two systems" policy in Hong Kong and Macao affairs, and allow the two special administrative regions to play their roles in China's modernization. Regarding ties across the Taiwan Strait, Li said the Chinese mainland will continue to uphold the one-China principle, adhere to the 1992 Consensus, and oppose all forms of "Taiwan independence," to protect and promote peaceful development of cross-Strait ties, he said. "We will follow an independent foreign policy of peace, firmly protect our national core interests, and join forces with all other countries to forge a community of common destiny and interests," Li added, calling for stepped-up efforts to turn the Chinese dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation into reality. Marcia Davis Columnist SHARE Louis Agassiz Fuertes/special to the news sentinel The distinctive orange face patch and white wing patch of a male Cape May warbler mostly disappear by fall migration but the yellow belly with dark streaks remains. The female below is much duller. Both have yellow rumps. A birdwatcher's field notes are notes written down describing the appearance, behavior and habitat of a bird while the bird is still in view. Later, field notes may prove helpful confirming a bird's identification when the bird is long gone. Most warblers have distinguishing field identification marks which help identify them. Writing down field marks at the time you see them should help you identify warblers or at least narrow your choices. Some warbler names refer to a species' distinguishing field marks. The yellow-rumped, yellow-throated, black-throated green, black-throated blue, black-and-white, chestnut-sided, bay-breasted, blue-winged, yellow, golden-winged and common yellowthroat are examples. A name describing a bird's appearance helps people identify the bird. Other warblers are named for places including Canada, Cape May, Tennessee, Nashville, Connecticut and Kentucky. These names give no clues about what a bird looks. They may tell us where a bird lives, such as in Canada, but more often they tell us where a bird was first collected (probably shot) and recognized as a species new to science. When trying to identify a warbler, look for distinguishing field marks like eye-rings, wing-bars, streaks on the belly, streaks on the back or a dark band across the end of the underside of the tail. Write down the field marks you see in your field notes. Also note colors in addition to wing-bars, streaks, eye-rings, etc. Your field notes should include every detail you see while you watch a bird, including its behavior. Some warblers like palm warblers pump their tails up and down. Later, it's usually hard to remember all the details without notes. If you're stumped about a bird's identity, you can refer to your field notes and search through bird identification guides and pictures on the Internet. A photo of a bird is always helpful, but tiny warblers partially hidden in foliage are tough subjects. Magnolia warblers and American redstarts are easy to identify. Both are common fall migrants. They're the only ones with a dark band across the underside of the tip of the tail. Magnolias are yellow underneath with a dark band across the underside of the tip of a white tail. American redstarts have yellow or orange patches on the wings and tail plus the dark band across the end of the tail. Study a field guide to learn warbler plumage patterns. Looking for a tail bands is very helpful. All too often, you find yourself peering straight up into a tall tree's dense foliage and seeing only the underside of a lot of warblers. Tail bands are an easy way to ID two of the most common ones. Last week a warbler gave me a bit of identification trouble. It was high in a tree. Looking straight up at its underside I saw only that it was yellow and streaked beneath. Very dark streaks ran all the way up to the neck. I saw a little yellow also on its face. It wasn't a Blackburnian warbler as there was no orange tinge underneath just bright yellow. I wrote down everything I could see, which wasn't much as I only saw its underside. The bird, a Cape May warbler, is named for Cape May, N.J. The specimen Alexander Wilson used to first describe it as a new species was collected in a New Jersey maple swamp in the early 1800s. It was not seen in that area again for another 100 years, so maybe that was not such a good name choice. If I'd thought about the Cape May's Latin name, Setophaga tigrina, which means an insect eater striped like a tiger, I might have recognized the underside of a Cape May warbler more easily. The Latin name referring to tiger stripes is very appropriate. The extensive black marks converging on the yellow throat on the yellow underside of this warbler really do resemble squiggly black and yellow tiger stripes. When it comes to warblers, it helps to use more than one identification book. My field guide collection includes two devoted exclusively to warblers. They contain far more details and more illustrations of warblers of different ages and sexes at different times of the year than a typical field guide. One described the yellowish underside of a Cape May warbler as covered with extensive black streaks converging on the yellowish throat exactly what I saw. Identifying warblers is a challenge, especially in fall. Many look a little drab, unlike in the spring breeding season when most are more vividly colored. The hardest part of warbler watching is getting a good enough or long enough look at a warbler to see all its field marks. They're small, and they're often hidden in dense foliage or high in trees. Field guides show them from a side view with every field mark clearly visible. They look so distinctive in the book. Unfortunately, that's seldom the view you get when you see them in nature. Freelance columnist Marcia Davis may be reached at tennwren@gmail.com or 865-518-BIRD (2473). SHARE Knoxville News Sentinel archive photograph Author Wilma Dykeman and her children, Dyke (Dykeman) Stokely, and Rory (James Rorex) Stokely III in the listening room of their Newport, Tenn, home on June 8, 1958. Dykeman, who chronicled Appalachian people and places in 18 novels and nonfiction books, died on Dec. 22, 2006 at the age of 86, in her home town, Asheville, N.C. Dykeman Stokely, center, and Jim Stokely, right, visit with an attendee at their recent talk at the East Tennessee History Center. By Georgiana Vines of the Knoxville News Sentinel The sons of Wilma Dykeman, critically acclaimed author and Tennessee's State Historian at the time of her death in 2006, are promoting a new book that came from an unpublished manuscript found in her Newport house after she died. James R. "Jim" Stokely III of Weaverville, N.C., and Dykeman C. Stokely, who divides his time between Newport and New York City, discussed the book at a September program at the East Tennessee History Center. Jim Stokely will autograph copies of the book, titled "Family of Earth," at the Museum of Appalachia Homecoming on Saturday, Oct. 8. He was the book's editor. It is published by The University of North Carolina Press. He said he found Dykeman's unpublished manuscript in a white shirt box labeled Northwestern. He figured it was something from her college days but then discovered the manuscript was a memoir. "She may have tried to get it published," he told the gathering at the History Center. In any event, "she put it away," he said. In the foreword to the book, author and poet Robert Morgan said it appears the manuscript was written during World War II, when Dykeman was in her early- to mid-twenties, probably after returning to Asheville. For Jim, the book represents just one aspect of a much greater goal. As he was retiring as director of human resources at Osram Sylvania in Massachusetts in 2008, he found people there were interested in his mother's writings. But when he and wife Anne went to the Asheville area, "one of the things that worried us (was) she was almost forgotten," he said. That's because so many of the people who knew her were no longer around, he said. "A younger generation had moved into the region. They just didn't know her name," he said. So they formed a nonprofit, Wilma Dykeman Legacy, which raises money to preserve and promote her legacy of caring and problem-solving within the region and beyond. Wilma Dykeman was born and grew up in the Asheville area. She went to Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill., where she majored in speech. After graduation she met and married James R. Stokely Jr. of Newport, also a writer. The Stokelys maintained homes in both Asheville and Newport. Dykeman's published works include "The Tall Woman," about a mother's fight for education and justice after the Civil War, and "Look To this Day," about her own life and convictions. One of her best known books was "The French Broad," which pointed out water pollution problems throughout Tennessee and North Carolina in 1955. She was ahead of her time. Jim Stokely received the Tennessee Clean Water Network's 2007 Bill Russell River Hero award on her behalf. Dykeman and her husband collaborated on "Neither Black Nor White," a view of integration in the South in 1957, and other works. She and her sons also collaborated. Son Dykeman started Wakestone Books, a publishing firm in Newport, around 1980 to reprint her works, including some original titles such as "Explorations," a compilation of columns she wrote for the News Sentinel from 1962-2000, and travel essays for The New York Times. In 2015, the UT Libraries added the Wilma Dykeman and James R. Stokely Jr., papers to its special collections. "We felt the ties with East Tennessee (were strong). She did great history writing for the News Sentinel and was teaching at UT," Jim Stokely said. De'Ossie Dingus, a former Tennessee Highway Patrol trooper to whom a federal judge has ordered the state pay $100,000 for being falsely labeled a potential terrorist because of his Sunni Muslim faith, is helping to create a Knoxville Area Black Caucus to provide oversight on elected officials. The organization is based on the Tennessee Black Caucus and Congressional Black Caucus, which are composed of elected officials at the legislative level. The Knoxville area group will be different in that the theme "is to pull together a governance, a body, to ensure policies and bills and procedures do not isolate people of color or people in the status of poverty out of the system," Dingus said Friday. The group's first public forum will be for the three candidates seeking to replace former state Rep. Joe Armstrong in Knoxville's 15th District on Nov. 8. The event will be at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 9 at an event hall, the former Song & Sons Clothing store, 2658 E. Magnolia Ave. The candidates are Democrat Rick Staples, Independent Pete Drew and write-in candidate Rhonda Gallman. Staples was chosen by the Knox County Democratic Party after Armstrong was found guilty of filing a false income tax return, a felony. His attorney, Gregory P. Isaacs, is challenging the conviction. Armstrong retired from his post before a recent special legislative session. Dingus, a military veteran, worked for the THP for a decade. He was fired in 2010 after military liaison Maj. Kevin Taylor called him a potential terrorist based on a brief encounter in 2009 when Dingus complained about a video on the radicalization of children that was shown during a training class. Dingus used to be an active Republican but says he is an Independent now. He runs the Alliance House Community of Knoxville, a nonprofit at 3020 Martin Luther King Blvd., whose mission is to help heal "through enhancing equity and healthcare literacy," its website says. Dingus said others associated with the caucus are Frank Shanklin, carpet business owner; Reggie Jenkins, owner of UUNIK Academy, a program primarily for male youth; Rodney Beverly, former Knox County schools security employee; and Dexter Buford, a community activist. The businesses are supporting the forum, he said. Dingus said the group felt a need for the caucus due to the change of political leadership in East Knoxville. "The old guard is either dead or dying, politically not physically," he said, referencing his mother, Ann, a community activist; Armstrong; former county commissioners Diane Jordan and Tank Strickland; and City Councilman Dan Brown, who's term-limited. Mary Turner, left, who has mobility issues, is given her immunization curbside by Logan Hadaway during Free Flu Shot Saturday at Farragut High School. (WADE PAYNE/SPECIAL TO THE NEWS SENTINEL) SHARE Amy Moore, center, gets immunized by Madison Meyers as 19-month-old Cody Moore sits in his stroller during Free Flu Shot Saturday at Farragut High School. (WADE PAYNE/SPECIAL TO THE NEWS SENTINEL) People wait in line as others leave as the sun rises during Free Flu Shot Saturday at Farragut High School. (WADE PAYNE/SPECIAL TO THE NEWS SENTINEL) Devon Paige, 6, turns away as he gets immunized during Free Flu Shot Saturday at Farragut High School. (WADE PAYNE/SPECIAL TO THE NEWS SENTINEL) By Noreen Premji of the Knoxville News Sentinel More than 200 people stood in line early Saturday morning, bundled in sweaters against the cold, for a chance to prevent the risk of flu this winter. The 25th annual Flu Shot Saturday provided free doses of flu vaccine at six schools across Knox County and a chance to donate to the News Sentinel Empty Stocking Fund, which provides food and gifts to around 3,500 needy East Tennessee families during the winter holidays. The event provided 4,462 flu vaccinations from 8 a.m.-noon and raised $18,000 in donations for the Empty Stocking Fund down slightly from last year's 4,702 shots and more than $20,000 in donations. The Farragut High location topped the list for the most shots given at 1,272, with $6,132 raised in donations. Charlie Barnett, cofounder of Flu Shot Saturday, said the flu vaccine is recommended from October onwards and that this year's serum contains three strains protecting against the influenza A H1N1 and H3N2 viruses and the influenza B/Victoria Lineage virus. Flu season in East Tennessee usually peaks from January to March. The flu shot takes about two weeks to take effect. "It's important for people to attain the only protection we've got from the flu," he said. "No, the flu vaccine is not 100 percent guaranteed to prevent the flu, but it's all we've got." Barnett and Bob Montgomery, both primary care physicians, began the event in 1991 as a way to aid patients facing the steady rise of health care costs. Since the event began, more than 232,000 residents have been immunized and more than $1 million has been raised for the Empty Stocking Fund. The flu shots were provided to those 4 years and older, excluding those with egg allergies. at Farragut, West, Austin-East, Halls and Carter high schools and South-Doyle Middle School. More than 5,000 doses were available across the six locations. Joshua Bledsoe got his shot at Farragut and brought his two daughters to receive their shots as well. "It was my first time coming to the high school to receive the flu shot, and I mainly came because it was free," he said. "My daughters are usually scared, but the doctors and nurses inside did a great job of making them feel comfortable, and now we are going to get ice cream to celebrate their bravery." More than 300 volunteers aided the effort citywide, including members of the local Rotary Club, News Sentinel Charities staff, University of Tennessee College of Nursing students, and volunteer doctors and nurse practitioners, according to Barnett. "I realized the importance of the flu shot after being caregivers to my in-laws, who both passed away from the flu," said Mark Bialik, leader of the Farragut Rotary Club. "It's important that everyone gets the shot to prevent bringing the vaccination home and potentially causing other harms, and my experience with death in my family motivated me to get involved with this event." The BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Health Foundation and Summit Medical Group were the primary sponsors of the event, providing funding as well as medical supplies. SHARE The Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance (TDCI) Division of Consumer Affairs warns Tennesseans to avoid fake websites. "Con artists are always looking for new ways to scam people out of their hard-earned money," Deputy Commissioner Bill Giannini said in a news release. "A phony website posing as a legitimate business is one of many online ploys used by crooks. Consumers must stay vigilant and informed to avoid these ever-changing schemes." Fake websites often look and feel real, according to a news release, and many are direct replicas of genuine websites. Some attempt to coerce users to give personal information or download software. Others may use real business information for a business that does not actually have a website. The TDCI offers ways you can protect yourself: Use information provided on the website to contact the business. If you reach an automated voice messaging system, a number that is not in service or nobody answers during regular business hours, this is a red flag. Visit the website whois.net to see domain ownership information. You can type a URL in the search box and click on the magnifying glass icon, then verify that the results page matches up with the information displayed on the website. If you are a business owner and you discover a fake website posing as your business, use whois.net to discover its host. Then contact the host and report the site as fraudulent. Once the host verifies the site is fraudulent they will take down the site. Do research before you buy products or download programs from any website and make sure the website is an authentic and trusted source. For more consumer tips and resources, visit wehelpconsumers.tn.gov. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton gestures as she greets supporters at a presidential primary election night rally, Tuesday, June 7, 2016, in New York. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) SHARE By Michael Collins of the Knoxville News Sentinel WASHINGTON Hillary Clinton's path to the White House doesn't run through Tennessee, where she's trailing Republican Donald Trump by double digits in most polls. But Clinton and her husband, former President Bill Clinton, have ties to the Volunteer State dating to their days as first lady and governor of neighboring Arkansas. Those ties stretch through their White House years, when Tennessean Al Gore served as Bill Clinton's vice president. Those Tennessee connections likely would keep the state on Hillary Clinton's radar and could produce tangible benefits for Tennesseans if she's elected president, said U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen, a Memphis Democrat and Clinton ally. "I have no question that through their familiarity with Memphis and the history of Memphis that we would benefit from her presidency," Cohen said. One of the first things Clinton will have to do if elected is put together a Cabinet and staff. Several Tennesseans could be in line for jobs in her administration, said Kent Syler, a political scientist at Middle Tennessee State University. Former Gov. Phil Bredesen, former congressman Harold Ford Jr., former congressman Bart Gordon, former Nashville Mayor Karl Dean and Democratic fundraisers William Freeman and Charles Robert Bone, both of Nashville, have all been mentioned as possible candidates for positions in a Clinton administration. In addition, Clinton could tap the mayors of Tennessee's four largest cities Megan Barry of Nashville, Madeline Rogero of Knoxville, Jim Strickland of Memphis and Andy Berke of Chattanooga. "Someone like Megan Barry might have a good deal of cache, as a progressive woman mayor of a larger U.S. city," said Bruce Oppenheimer, a Vanderbilt University political scientist who studies elections. Jackson attorney and businessman Mike McWherter, the son of former Gov. Ned McWherter, also could be in line for a position under Clinton. Bill Clinton was especially close to Ned McWherter and spoke at his funeral in 2011, recalling the former governor was the first person to suggest that he and Gore team up. "Certainly, Mike McWherter would be someone I would expect Hillary Clinton to consider," Syler said. Regardless of who would land a job in her administration, Tennessee and the other 49 states are all on Clinton's mind, said Mary Mancini, chairwoman of the Tennessee Democratic Party. "She has been here three times since she announced for president," Mancini said. "There's a state director here for the Hillary Clinton campaign who has been in touch with Democratic leaders across the state. They are already talking about the infrastructure that will remain that they can build on after Hillary Clinton wins the presidency." Clinton "knows the importance of the state party," Mancini said. "She knows the importance of having some impact on the state legislatures. And so the infrastructure she is putting in place now will continue and be built upon when she gets to the White House." Because Tennessee is such a solidly Republican state, the state's role in a Clinton administration would probably be minimal, and Clinton would see little political advantage in sending significant federal resources to the state, said Marcus Pohlmann, a political scientist at Rhodes College in Memphis. Memphis, however, could possibly reap some benefits by receiving priority for federal funding and other programs since it's strongly Democratic, Pohlmann said. Hillary and Bill Clinton have both spent a lot of time in the city and have many political friends there, Cohen said. Bill Clinton has been a longtime advocate of the Mississippi Delta region, Cohen said. As president, he signed the law creating the Delta Regional Authority, a federal-state partnership that works to improve the quality of life in parts of Tennessee and seven other states. That commitment to the region and its people would continue with Hillary Clinton in the White House, Cohen said. Cohen said he could envision a Clinton administration giving Memphis priority for various grants and programs, including the federal "Promise Zone" designation the city has been seeking for several years. The city was a finalist this year for the program, which makes federal resources available to economically distressed areas. If Clinton is elected, "I think we'll get that," Cohen said. SHARE By Georgiana Vines of the Knoxville News Sentinel One of the state's top Democrats told Knox County Democrats on Friday night he believes such issues as the lack of Medicaid expansion in Tennessee should help propel the party to success in the Nov. 8 election. State Rep. Craig Fitzhugh, House Minority Leader, came from Ripley in West Tennessee to the annual Truman Day dinner at the Foundry to deliver an upbeat message about recognizing the "probability" that a woman will be the next president. "I'm optimistic" about the prospects of Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton beating Republican Donald Trump, he said prior to his talk. About 350 people attended the event a sell-out, according to Democrats. The entire space at the Foundry was used for the dinner as well as exhibits displaying campaign and historical materials for Democratic candidates. Fitzhugh acknowledged other successful Democratic women, including Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero, state Democratic Party Chair Mary Mancini and former Rep. Gloria Johnson. Johnson faces incumbent Rep. Eddie Smith, a Republican, in the race to represent the 13th District again. Smith beat her two years ago after she served one term. Fitzhugh described Johnson as a "greater campaigner." "She has a plan, she's working her plan, and is enthusiastic for her plan. I think she's going to be successful from contacts I've made," he said. Fitzhugh, a banker and lawyer, said he had his own election battle, facing Republican Andy Cole, a Belmont University law student. Fitzhugh, who was first elected in 1994, represents the 82nd District, which includes Crockett, Haywood and Lauderdale counties. Those counties generally lean Democratic. Republicans control the state Legislature, the governor's office, both U.S. Senate seats and seven of nine U.S. House seats in Tennessee. But local and state Democratic leaders have worked to make legislative races competitive this year. Mancini said before the dinner that not only women candidates but "all of our candidates are fantastic. We have a group of candidates who are stellar." Democrats supported Gov. Bill Haslam's Insure Tennessee plan for expanding Medicaid and providing health coverage to thousands of low income residents, but the Republican-led Legislature balked. A task force set up by House Speaker Beth Harwell is working on an alternative. Various tables at the dinner were sponsored by Clinton supporters, including longtime state Executive Committee member Sylvia Woods. Former state Rep. Joe Armstrong and his wife, LeTonia, sat with Woods. Joe Armstrong, who retired from the Legislature after being found guilty of filing a false federal income tax return, went around the room and greeted friends, including Fitzhugh. Some former delegates for U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Clinton's only opponent for the nomination, attended the dinner. Amanda Kruel, vetted by the Democratic National Committee to see whether she should attend a private fundraiser in Knox County in June, was expected to attend the dinner. The vetting, disclosed by Wikileaks, showed DNC staffers favored Clinton's campaign. Kruel has posted on Facebook that she thinks the DNC takes Democrats for granted "because they've had a monopoly on liberalism for a long time but lately they're straying from the values we believe in, and so we're straying from them," she said. She encouraged Tennessee Democrats to vote for a third-party presidential candidate, since the state will go for Trump, but to vote for other Democrats running for office. Mark Harmon, another Sanders delegate now supporting Clinton, said "by and large" the Sanders delegates are voting for her. "I understand when your candidate doesn't get it. But the Sanders supporters are very savvy and know what's at stake in the election," Fitzhugh said. Besides Johnson, other state House candidates speaking were Rick Staples, running for the 15th District; Brandi Price, 18th District; and Heather Hensley, 89th District. While Democrats appeared united, one undercurrent was the presence of Rhonda Gallman, a Democrat running for Armstrong's former seat as a write-in candidate. She was being introduced at tables by lawyer Ursula Bailey. Gallman was not allowed to have campaign materials at the event. Cameron Brooks, county party chairman, said only official Democratic candidates had that privilege. Former Nashville Mayor Karl Dean, a potential gubernatorial candidate in 2018, also spoke. Donald Trump at the Knoxville Convention Center on Monday, November 16, 2015. (SAUL YOUNG/NEWS SENTINEL) SHARE Donald Trump By Michael Collins of the Knoxville News Sentinel WASHINGTON Reliably red Tennessee might not be getting as much love from GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump as important swing states like Ohio, Florida and North Carolina, but if Trump is elected, the Volunteer State could end up wielding considerable influence in his administration and on the national stage. "The likelihood is there will be a number of Tennesseans who will play a role in a Trump administration," said John Ryder, a Memphis attorney who serves as general counsel for the Republican National Committee. Several Tennesseans could be in line for jobs in a Trump administration most notably U.S. Sen. Bob Corker, whose name is often floated as a possible secretary of state or commerce secretary. Other Tennesseans sometimes mentioned for possible jobs under Trump include Gov. Bill Haslam, U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn, Rep. Diane Black and Bill Hagerty, a former Haslam aide working on Trump's transition team. In Congress, the state's stock probably would rise if the GOP maintains its House and Senate majorities. A few months ago, Democrats seemed poised to retake the Senate, but that seems less likely now. Corker chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, a high-profile position that puts him at the center of national and international issues. The state's senior senator, Lamar Alexander, chairs the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, which has jurisdiction over a broad range of issues. If Corker isn't interested in a job with a Trump administration, he and Alexander would retain their chairmanships as long as the GOP holds onto its Senate majority. Both posts already bestow considerable gravitas. The two senators would wield even more influence and power with a Republican in the White House because they would be in a position to move Trump's agenda through Congress. Earlier this year, Corker was on Trump's list of possible vice presidential running mates. Corker met twice with Trump and joined him at a North Carolina campaign rally in July but eventually took himself out of the running for vice president. Even so, Trump has expressed admiration for Corker, calling him "a great friend of mine, somebody respected by everybody." His comments have fueled speculation he would tap Corker for a Cabinet position. Just as he has done in the past, Corker recently deflected questions about whether he would be interested in joining a Trump administration. "It is too early to discuss hypotheticals," the Chattanooga Republican said in a statement released by his office. "I am honored Tennesseans have given me the privilege of serving them in the Senate, and I relish my role as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Beyond that, if asked to serve in an administration, I would likely take the advice of the late (Sen.) Howard Baker, who always said that if a president asks an individual to serve, that person should seek to fully understand what the relationship and job would look like and take it under consideration." While Alexander has expressed no interest in working for Trump, he could be an asset for a Republican president, said Ryan Haynes, chairman of the Tennessee Republican Party. Alexander, a Maryville Republican, is respected by Senate Republicans and Democrats and could become a liaison between the White House and senators on various issues such as health care reform, Haynes said. "He has positioned himself in the Senate as a deal-maker," Haynes said. "It takes a whole team (to pass legislation), and he would be a critical part of that by continuing to serve in the United States Senate." In the House, Blackburn is a rising star in GOP leadership and a vocal Trump surrogate. A champion of limited government, the anti-abortion movement and small business, the Brentwood Republican was given a speaking role at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland in July. "She's active on the national level and would be a good candidate for an administration position," said Kent Syler, a political scientist at Middle Tennessee State University. Giving Blackburn a high-profile job in his administration could help Trump mend his troubled relationship with a key demographic group: college-educated women. Blackburn's office did not respond to questions about whether she'd be interested in working in a Trump administration. BEIJING, Sept. 30 -- China will adopt a more open and inclusive policy to attract foreign talent and try to create a fair and transparent environment for them, said Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Friday. Li made the remarks when meeting at the Great Hall of the People with a group of foreign experts who had recently received the Friendship Award, given annually by the Chinese government since 1991 to honor outstanding foreign experts in China. Fifty foreign experts from 18 countries were conferred the award this year. Li thanked them for helping introducing advanced technology and management expertise to China and promoting cultural and people-to-people exchanges. China will streamline "green card" application procedures and integrating foreign experts work permits and alien employment licenses into foreigner's work permits, he said. Li also promised participation by foreign talent in China's national scientific research projects and better protection of intellectual property rights. At the invitation of Li,the recipients attended the reception marking the 67th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. SHARE For the many Tennesseans concerned that outdated criminal justice laws are endangering public safety and ruining people's lives, it's heartening that Congress has indicated that it hopes to take up the issue during the coming weeks. But it remains unclear whether any legislation will make it to the president's desk. That's why the nearly 89,000 employers that call Tennessee home should consider voluntarily taking action themselves. Businesses have a powerful role to play in giving individuals with criminal records a second chance. The easiest step they can take is to "ban the box." Right now, most employers require job seekers to check a box on an application if they have any criminal record. Too often, this can function as an automatic "application denied" for individuals who have any blemish in their past. Nationwide, some 650,000 incarcerated individuals rejoin society every year, and they desperately need jobs to help them transition back into society and to provide for themselves and their families. But the criminal record box often shuts them out of the job market before they can get a foot in the door. A 2009 study by Harvard and Princeton researchers showed individuals who checked the box reduced their chances of a callback by 50 percent, with blacks hurt twice as much as whites. Sure enough, unemployment among those with criminal records remains staggeringly high: A third of men without jobs between the ages of 25 and 54 have a criminal record. And the lack of employment is one of the key reasons why over two-thirds are re-arrested, over half are re-convicted, and two out of five are re-incarcerated within three years of release. Ex-offender unemployment not only holds back individuals working to improve their lives, it also stifles our economy. A 2010 study by the Center for Economic and Policy Research estimated the annual lost economic value at between $57 billion and $65 billion. These are a few of the reasons why my employer, Koch Industries, officially banned the box on our job application forms last year, including for applicants in Tennessee. Now we delay the question until later in the hiring process. This allows us to consider a candidate's past record in the context of their other life experiences. Companies big and small have made the same choice because it makes sense from a business perspective. With an estimated 1 in 3 adults in the U.S. having some sort of criminal record, it's shortsighted for an employer to potentially eliminate one-third of the available applicant pool. We should seek the best talent, period with or without a record. Over the years at Koch, individuals hired with a past record have been dedicated employees who have succeeded at the company. They are valuable contributors and, more importantly, they are on a path towards a productive and fulfilling life. We recognize that banning the box may not make sense for every business, which is why a government mandate isn't the solution. Each employer needs to make its own decision on this issue. If the roughly 89,000 employers in Tennessee voluntarily considered banning the box, the social and economic landscape could be defined by more opportunity and prosperity, especially for the least fortunate. Thousands of Tennesseans with criminal records try to rejoin society every year, and they want to contribute to their communities and improve their lives. Tennessee businesses can help them by breaking down barriers that stand in their way. No one should be judged forever based on what they did on their worst day and everyone deserves a second chance. Mark Holden is general counsel and senior vice president at Koch Industries. SHARE A look at recent events in the news that pleased us ... Hospital hope: Scott County's hospital, which closed over the summer, could reopen soon under new ownership. Pioneer Corp. owns the facility, which it has been trying to sell as part of a corporate bankruptcy, according to the USA TODAY Network. Scott Phillips, an adviser to Pioneer, said the hospital in Oneida could reopen around the end of the year if court approval moves speedily enough. The deadline for final offers is the end of October. The 25-bed hospital has closed twice in recent years. Small-town and rural hospitals in Tennessee have been struggling, primarily because the state has not expanded Medicaid coverage to low-income residents. Segregation reminder: The National Museum of African American History and Culture opened last Saturday in Washington, D.C., and one of its key exhibits is a Jim Crow-era segregated railroad car donated by Knoxville businessman Pete Claussen. It is the largest object displayed in the museum, and is a rare physical reminder of an ugly time in American history, said Claussen, chairman of Knoxville-based Gulf & Ohio Railways. The very design of the rail car is a lesson in segregation, Claussen said. The 70-foot-long car is split into two, 22-seat sections. The size of the seats and the legroom is the same, but the white section of the car takes up about two-thirds of the car's length. The white section has men's and women's restrooms with lounge areas that include sofas. The men's room also has a smoking area and spittoons. The black section has approximately 2-feet-by-3-feet restrooms just toilets and sinks. Also, the section for white passengers has substantial luggage racks but the section for black passengers has none. Dangerous driving: East Tennessee authorities want to know who's shooting at drivers on Interstate 81 at night. Shots apparently were fired at vehicles during at least three incidents along the freeway in recent weeks on Sept. 9, Sept. 18 and on Tuesday. Tennessee Highway Patrol investigators are working with the Tennessee Fusion Center and the Hamblen County Sheriff's Office to identify the shooters. Anyone with information about the shootings is asked to call the THP at 423-426-6571 or sheriff's office Detective Lt. David Stapleton at 423-586-3781. New York Times bestseller Jefferson Bass in Tennessee Forensic anthropologist and Tennessee resident Dr. Bill Bass and his writing partner Jon Jefferson, the New York Times bestselling team known as Jefferson Bass, will be speaking and signing at the following venues to promote their new book Without Mercy . KNOXVILLE Tuesday, October 4, 2016 @ 7:00 PM EST BARNES & NOBLE 8029 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37919 OAK RIDGE Wednesday, October 5, 2016 @ 7:00 PM EST BOOKS A MILLION 310 South Illinois Avenue, Oak Ridge, TN 37830 PIGEON FORGE Thursday, October 6, 2016 @ 7:00 PM EST BOOKS A MILLION 190 Collier Drive, Sevierville, TN 37862 KNOXVILLE Friday, October 7, 2016 @ 6:00 PM EST UNION AVE BOOKS 517 Union Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37902 NASHVILLE Saturday, October 8, 2016 @ 2:00 PM EST PARNASSUS 3900 Hillsboro Pike Suite 14, Nashville, TN 37215 Without Mercy (William Morrow, On Sale October 4, 2016, ISBN 13: 9780062363190, $26.99) is a harrowing, thoughtful and provocative thriller that explores what happens when one honorable, rational man is tested beyond all measure. This is one in a series of suspenseful thrillers based on Dr. Bill Bass, the world-renowned forensic anthropologist and founder of The Body Farm, the worlds first and foremost laboratory devoted to the study of human decomposition. Praised by fellow forensic anthropologist and author Kathy Reichs as The real deal, Dr. Basss unrivaled expertise coupled with Jeffersons narrative deftness and literary flair, create riveting forensic thrillers. WITHOUT MERCY is a seamless addition to The Body Farm series with its fascinating scientific detail and edge of your seat drama readers have come to love as they follow Brockton through each case. Review (Amazon.com): In the most suspenseful installment of the New York Times nestselling Body Farm series to date, forensic anthropologist Dr. Bill Brockton investigates a bizarre murderand confronts a deadly enemy he thought hed put behind bars for good. Forensic anthropologist Bill Brockton has spent twenty-five years solving brutal murdersbut none so bizarre and merciless as his latest case: A ravaged set of skeletal remains is found chained to a tree on a remote mountainside. As Brockton and his assistant Miranda dig deeper, they uncover warning signs of a deadly eruption of hatred and violence. But the shocking case is only the beginning of Brocktons trials. Mid-case, the unthinkable happens: The deadliest criminal Brockton has ever foiledthe sadistic serial killer Nick Satterfieldescapes from prison, bent on vengeance. But simply killing Brockton isnt enough. Satterfield wants to make him suffer first, by destroying everything he holds dear: Brocktons son, daughter-in-law, grandsons; even Miranda, his longtime graduate assistant, now on the verge of completing her Ph.D. and launching a forensic career of her own. The dangers from all directions force Brockton to question two things on which hes based his entire careerthe justice system, and the quality of mercyand to wonder: can the two co-exist? Published September 30, 2016 ESPN College Gameday supports Habitat for Humanity KNOXVILLE Knoxville Habitat for Humanitys Marketing and Communication Director April Timko and Chief Financial Officer Lance Weeden visited with members of the ESPN and Coca-Cola teams during the ESPN College Gameday production at the University of Tennessee. Following the televised production on Saturday, Sept. 24, ESPN and Coca-Cola donated building materials and drinks from their set to the Knoxville Habitat ReStore, in support of Knoxville Habitat and future homeowners in the community. Published September 30, 2016 Fleet Week sets sail for first time in Maryland; ships announced PHIPPSBURG, Maine (Sep. 7, 2016) The future guided-missile destroyer USS Zumwalt (DDG 1000) departs Bath Iron Works, marking the beginning of a 3-month journey to its new homeport in San Diego. USS Zumwalt will be formally commissioned during Fleet Week Maryland in Baltimore, Maryland Oct. 15. (U.S. Navy photo/Released) WASHINGTON (NNS) -- Five U.S. Navy ships are scheduled to participate in the inaugural Maryland Fleet Week and Air Show Baltimore, Oct. 10-17. U.S. Navy participating ships will include San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock USS Mesa Verde (LPD 19), Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Leyte Gulf (CG 55), Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Jason Dunham (DDG 109), Spearhead-class expeditionary fast transport ship USNS Carson City (EPF 7), and the U.S. Navy's newest and most technologically-advanced surface ship USS Zumwalt (DDG 1000), which will be officially commissioned Oct. 15. In addition to public visitation of participating ships, there will be numerous exhibits and military demonstrations throughout the week showcasing the latest technology of the maritime services and the skilled expertise of our service members. Maryland Fleet Week and Air Show Baltimore is the city's time-honored celebration of the sea services. It is an unparalleled opportunity for the citizens of Maryland and the city of Baltimore to meet Sailors, Marines and Coast Guardsmen, as well as witness firsthand the latest capabilities of today's maritime services. This is the inaugural weeklong celebration. It is anticipated that nearly 3,100 Sailors, Marines and Coast Guardsmen will participate. Published September 30, 2016 A U.S. House lawmaker has introduced a bill designed to completely cut off North Korea from the international banking system in what could be one of the most powerful sanctions on the communist nation defiantly forging ahead with nuclear and missile programs. Rep. Matt Salmon (R-AZ) submitted the legislation (H.R.6281) with the stated goal of curbing Pyongyang's nuclear program "by preventing specialized financial messaging services to, or direct or indirect access to such messaging services" for the North's central bank and other financial institutions. Specialized financial messaging services are essential for international financial transactions. Without such services, wire transfers and other global transactions are impossible. The most representative of such services is the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication or SWIFT. The legislation, a copy of which was obtained by Yonhap News Agency, requires that after 90 days of its enactment, the president should sanction those knowingly providing such services for the Central Bank of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, other financial institutions assisting the North with its nuclear programs and other entities blacklisted for links to the nuclear program. That means that SWIFT could be sanctioned if it provides its services to the North. "North Korea continues to develop a ballistic missile and nuclear weapons program, despite numerous United States and international sanctions," the legislation said. "By its actions and continued investments in its nuclear program, it is clear that the government of North Korea has no intention to reduce or eliminate its nuclear program." It also said that specialized financial messaging services allow for messaging and contact, including the transfer of funds, between financial institutions, and the North's central bank and other institutions "are currently able to avail themselves to financial messaging systems which could be used in funding the North Korean nuclear program." The legislation also said that experts link the North to the hacking of SWIFT that resulted in the theft of $81 million from the central bank of Bangladesh. Should the legislation be enacted, it would have powerful impacts on the North, possibly similar or even greater than the 2005 U.S. blacklisting of a Macau bank for doing business with Pyongyang. By designating the bank in the Chinese territory, Banco Delta Asia (BDA), the U.S. not only froze $24 million in North Korean money held in the bank, but also scared away other financial institutions from dealing with Pyongyang for fear they would also be blacklisted. The measure hit Pyongyang hard, and reports at the time said North Korean officials had to carry around bags of cash for financial transactions because they were not able to use the international banking system. The sanctions were later lifted in exchange for a denuclearization agreement that later fell apart. The measure has been considered the most effective U.S. sanction on the North yet. This week's legislation is the latest in a series of measures that the U.S. has been taking to punish and isolate the North in the wake of its fifth nuclear test earlier this month. Earlier this week, the Treasury Department imposed sanctions on a Chinese firm accused of exporting to the North "dual-use" items that can be used in the country's nuclear and missile programs. It was the first time the U.S. has sanctioned a Chinese entity in connection with Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programs. U.S. officials have said that they are investigating more Chinese firms over dealings with the North. The U.S. has also asked countries around the world to "downgrade or sever" their diplomatic and economic relations with the North. (Yonhap) WASHINGTON A top U.S. diplomat for East Asia told the Senate foreign relations subcommittee that the Obama administration is seeking ways to enhance the efficacy of sanctions on North Korea. Sanctions "have not yet caused the DPRK to change course" and come to denuclearization talks, although they were effective in creating "significant problems for the North Korean regime." In a hearing held on the "Persistent Threat of North Korea," September 28, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia and the Pacific Daniel Russel also testified that the administration has engaged China at the highest level for its cooperation on sanctions and "regularly urges China to do more to prevent the DPRK from using Chinese companies." On September 24, the treasury department designated a Chinese trading company Dandong Hongxiang and four individuals for sanction targets in an aggressive U.S. effort to curb the North Korean nuclear and missile programs. However, this company is not a bank, and the impact of the targeted sanction in this case will not be as great as sanctioning a bank or banks that are doing business with the DPRK. It would not be like the far-reaching impact of sanctions against the Banco Delta Asia in 2007. South Korean President Park Geun-hye, right, participates in the country's Armed Forces Day commemoration event at the Gyeryongdae military headquarters in South Chungcheong Province. / Yonhap South Korean President Park Geun-hye on Saturday renewed her calls for national unity to counter North Korea's escalating military threats, stressing internal division is "more dreadful" than Pyongyang's nuclear provocations. During her speech to mark the country's Armed Forces Day, the commander-in-chief underscored that it is the communist regime's "miscalculation" to seek internal stability and cohesion by showing off its nuclear and missile capabilities and escalating military tensions. "The North Korean regime is now testing our will, and seeking to disrupt our society by (sowing) internal division," Park said during the speech at the Gyeryongdae military headquarters in South Chungcheong Province, some 160 kilometers south of Seoul. "At this point, (the act of) aggravating division and confusion in our midst is more dreadful than nuclear provocations that North Korea wants," she added, calling for "unity beyond ideological and political differences." The president also pointed out that as the North seeks to advance its nuclear weapons capabilities, it will not renounce its nuke tests and missile provocations, and that the security situation at present is "critical." To counter the evolving threats, Park stressed the need to further strengthen "effective measures" based on Washington's extended deterrence, and to beef up South Korea's own military capabilities, its Kill Chain preemptive strike system and Korea Air and Missile Defense system. Extended deterrence refers to the U.S. stated commitment to defend its allies by mobilizing all military capabilities, nuclear and conventional, against aggression and provocations. The president, in addition, defended the decision by Seoul and Washington to deploy a U.S. anti-missile system to the Korean Peninsula by end-2017, calling the decision a "minimal self-defense" measure. Denouncing Pyongyang's two-pronged policy that seeks to simultaneously develop its nuclear arms and shore up its debilitated economy, Park underscored that the policy would only deepen the North's international isolation and its people's economic travails, and destabilize its autocratic regime. "I call on North Korea to face the trends of the time and its reality, and to return to a path towards a normal state," the president said. Park, in addition, called attention to the regime's reign of terror and human rights abuses, pointing to a recent increase in defections from North Korea, including those in the country's top echelons, which she has cited as an indication of "cracks" in the North's governing system. "Chances are high that to fend off internal instability and social confusion, North Korea will stage various acts of terrorism and provocations, such as saber-rattling along the Northern Limit Line (NLL) and the Demilitarized Zone," she predicted. The NLL refers to a de facto inter-Korean sea border, which Pyongyang has long disputed, arguing that it was unilaterally drawn by the U.S.-led U.N. Command after the 1950-53 Korean War. Park, in particular, sent a message to North Korea's rank-and-file troops and citizens, saying that South Korea is well aware of their "gruesome" realities. "The international community is also seriously concerned about the North Korean regime's human rights abuses," she said. "The universal values of freedom, democracy, human rights and welfare are the precious rights you (North Koreans) should also enjoy." The president, then, pledged that the Seoul government would do its best to shine a light on the realities of suffering North Koreans. "(South Korea) will leave the path open so that North Korean people can find hope and (new) lives," she said, inviting those that flee the country to find a new home in South Korea. (Yonhap) Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 1 Trend: Armenias armed forces have 10 times violated the ceasefire on the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops over the past 24 hours, said Azerbaijans Defense Ministry Oct. 1. Armenian army was using large-caliber machine guns. Positions of the Azerbaijani army located in the Bala Jafarli, Gaymagli and Kamarli villages and on nameless heights in the Gazakh district underwent fire from the positions located in the Paravakar and Vazashen villages of Armenias Ijevan district and from the positions in the Barekamavan village of Armenias Noyemberyan district. Azerbaijani army positions located on nameless heights of the Tovuz district were fired at from the positions located in the Chinari village of Armenias Berd district. Positions of the Azerbaijani army located on nameless heights of the Gadabay district underwent fire from the positions located on nameless heights in Armenias Krasnoselsk district. Azerbaijani army also underwent fire from the Armenian positions located near the Chilaburt village of Azerbaijans Terter district, Kuropatkino village of the Khojavand district, as well as from the positions located on the nameless heights in the Goranboy district. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts. The Chinese fishing boat that caught fire while resisting a boarding party earlier this week was operating illegally in South Korea's exclusive economic zone (EEZ), the Coast Guard said Friday. The fire, which broke out after Coast Guard officers boarded the boat Thursday, left three Chinese fishermen dead, with 14 others, including the captain, being rescued. The Mokpo Coast Guard, in charge of the case, said the boat had no permit to fish in South Korea's EEZ. It said the crew members are being questioned on why they did not follow orders to stop. The 102-ton Chinese vessel was sailing some 70 kilometers southwest of Hong Island, west of Mokpo, when the Coast Guard ordered it to stop for identification, but the boat tried to flee the area. The Coast Guard said that when its officers did manage to board the boat, some members of the crew locked themselves into the steering house and engine room. These crewmen then continued to sail the boat with officers on board despite repeated orders to stop. When the orders were ignored, the officers threw non-lethal stun grenades into locked compartments to force the people out. Authorities said they will try to determine what caused the fire. Local forensic experts will check the boat thoroughly to determine why it suddenly caught fire when it arrives in Mokpo. Investigators also said they will seek autopsies of the deceased crew members to determine the exact cause of death. The Coast Guard, meanwhile, confirmed the boat had illegally caught 2,200 kilograms of fish in South Korean waters. (Yonhap) By Eugene Lee On 28-31 of August in Astana, Kazakhstan one unique, if not historic, event has taken a place. Kazakhstan celebrated its 25th anniversary of denuclearization. With a big number of dignitaries and government officials from all over the world gathered in a very symbolically named building, the Palace of Independence, President of Kazakhstan Narsultan Nazarbayev spoke loudly against one worrying trend going against the values of the event pervasiveness of nuclear arm saround the world. His worries reflect the reality of nuclear arms pervasiveness in politics and lack of political will between powers to address the issue. The pinnacle of such tendency is a brewing conflict on the Korean Peninsula, that is worsening after the recent North Korea's successful SLBM submarine test which in return caused the current debate on THAAD (Theater High Altitude Area Defense missile system) deployment in South Korea to move towards a discourse on arms diversification through acquisition of nuclear submarines of various classes to counter ever increasing North Korea's nuclear threat. The squall of the events in past decade begins to affect not only for the two sides, North Korea and South Korea, but the region itself, if not further. The current stance is causing economic distancing and furthers alienation between China, South Korea and Japan. These developments go to a such extent that some analysts see the situation as regional arms race. It is here I would like to turn our attention to Kazakhstan with its current unique position. Kazakhstan has been able to sustain a healthy economic growth in the face of economic difficulties, but most importantly being squeezed between two superpowers, preserve its sovereignty. How Kazakhstan managed to do it so far? It is all thanks to the country's skillful diplomacy and promotion of values of peace and denuclearization in its foreign policy. Rich with national resources and growing industrial base, Kazakhstan, located in the center of Eurasia, is at the crossroad of vital trade and transportation routes. As a part of it population, Kazakhstan also has a very large group of ethnic Koreans, who also have their historic roots in North Korea. Plus, with its term in the Security Council early next year, Kazakhstan is facing a choice how to multiply mentioned benefits. In my opinion, Kazakhstan must activate its diplomacy. Despite the fact of earned international respect and legitimacy, Kazakhstan needs to take its diplomacy a notch higher. Creation of special teams, consisting of specialists and influential public figures, paired with various forms of diplomacy, such as mediation, parliamentary, a "shuttle" diplomacy paired with powerful informational illumination of the work, Kazakhstan, will be able to change many things. Breaking the mold of North Korea's thinking, for which the focal point of its discontent is the US policy, through various independent engagements would be a first step. There are other countries out of the region North Korea maintains relations with, for example Qatar, that are willing to, or can be persuaded, to start such engagement. Changing the tone of rhetoric, and eventually behavior is not easy, but possible task. The problem of contemporary debate about nuclear arm is first of all in thinking, which is often transfixed on immediate threat or creation of such threat for your adversary. Kazakhstan has taken rights steps in denouncing nuclear arms, but turning them into a taboo and turning the denuclearization into an international norm, is a much higher, nobler, but much more difficult to achieve, goal. Deeply imbedded and promoted systemically in institutions, these norms and practices should be our goal. In other words, peace and good relations do not belong to one specific region, they are a common good with benefits for all. And here I would like to add another word in regards to the current debate on security in South Korea. As it has stiffened in the face of constant North Korea's provocations and threats, the freedom of thinking about it has also shrunk greatly. And it is understandable. But, as the national security discourse is being shaped by "hawks" and military, the options for the conflict resolution have also dwindled to just few, drastic ones. Sometimes it even may seem that all achievements of previous policies, including the "Sunshine" policy, have gone to nothing, if not against South Korea's interests. I see the fault is in the approach at the core. Instead of focusing on greater values, concepts and convictions, policies focusing on immediate results are bound to go in vain. A broader encompassing intellectual approach to peace without nuclear arms can do exactly that. South Korea needs to promote good international norms, including denuclearization for all, not only remain cycled on power. Here, it would be also the right place to encourage South Korea's diplomacy to take a much broader conceptual approach. There are many great diplomats and political figures in South Korea, but only few have left great legacy. Great institutions, like Kim Dae Jung's Peace Center and alike, can become a platform for that. It isn't easy, of course, to overcome your political attachments, but if it is the nation and its future is at stake, maybe it is the time to do so. Parallel your efforts with other countries, like Kazakhstan, and the results will come not a minute too late. Eugene Lee is an adjunct professor at Department of Public Administration and Graduate School of Governance, Sungkyunkwan University. Write to mreulee@gmail.com. By Tong Kim South Korea and the United States have failed miserably to stop North Korea from developing a nuclear weapon and the delivery system for it, particularly during the past seven years and eight months under the Barack Obama presidency and the two conservative South Korean presidents Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye. Seoul and Washington are trying to "enhance and expand U.N. sanctions" against the North in the wake of Pyongyang's fifth nuclear test of Sept. 8, which was assessed to be the strongest so far. Focusing on sanctions, it is highly unlikely that there would be any chance for dialogue with the North, either for containment or dismantlement of the North Korean nuclear arsenal during the remainder of Obama's term in office. The Seoul government, since before the fifth nuclear test, has excluded the term dialogue in its vocabulary on North Korea, focusing on sanctions and retaliation against continuing provocations that would lead to "self-destruction." Seoul's prime minister told the National Assembly last week that it was not the time for dialogue but for sanctions and pressure. A few days later, President Park ruled out any possibility for Pyongyang's return to dialogue. The U.S. administration still keeps the door open to "a credible and authentic talk," meaning if the North is serious and shows credible evidence that it is committed to denuclearization and if it is ready to discuss the authentic subject of denuclearization, the United States will then meet the North Koreans. By talking the talk, Washington maintains the semblance of a long-held three-pronged policy of deterrence, sanctions and conditional dialogue. While Washington says whether or not it will engage in dialogue still depends on changes in North Korean behavior, few senior officials in Washington or Seoul believe that the North will change. In short, the prospect for dialogue is slim before Obama leaves office. On Sept. 18, the foreign ministers of Seoul, Washington and Tokyo met in New York to discuss tougher implementation of the existing sanctions and adding new measures "to restrict further revenue sources for the North Korean nuclear and missile programs," on the sidelines of the 71st U.N. General Assembly. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry reiterated that Washington would engage the North, if the North is willing to discuss the issues of denuclearization and nonaggression. The ministers from Seoul and Tokyo, while echoing Kerry's call for stronger sanctions, were silent on dialogue. A joint statement issued after the trilateral meeting mentioned the offer of conditional dialogue, which obviously was included to reflect the U.S. narrative. On Sept. 13, U.S. North Korea Policy Representative Sung Kim made a similar comment at a press conference in Seoul. Not surprised but more alarmed by the DPRK's fifth nuclear test and advancing missile technology, prominent figures on security issues are speaking out about what the next U.S. president should do. For example, former Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman Mike Mullen and former Democratic Senator Sam Nunn jointly wrote an op-ed in The Washington Post on Sept. 15, stating that "the next president will have to sharpen the choice: greater benefits for cooperation and promise greater costs for continued defiance." They made four recommendations to be implemented in parallel: First, the U.S. and China tackle the North Korean threat as a first-burner issue and the U.S. offers a new dialogue on the future of the Korean Peninsula, including the disposition of U.S. forces. Second, "new and genuine incentives be offered for substantive talks" to make a comprehensive deal, including denuclearization, a peace treaty and normalization of relations. Third, increase sanctions to restrict funding sources, create a multilateral mechanism to coordinate implementation of U.N. sanctions and "prevent the spread of nuclear and missile materials and technology." Fourth, strengthen a joint deterrence profile by expanding U.S., South Korean and Japanese cooperation. Expand naval capacity to detect submarine activity. The authors do not support "a policy of inducing a collapse of the North Korean regime" and conclude that the U.S. and China have "a shared interest in preventing war or chaos on the Korean Peninsula. And the time to act on that interest is now." Retired admiral Mullen was quoted last week as saying that "a preemptive strike on the North would be one of several options," if the North comes very close to attacking the United States. In the meantime, there was a rising voice among conservative circles in the South calling for developing South Korea's own nuclear weapon. These conservatives are strong supporters of the alliance with the U.S., yet additional protection by the THAAD missile battery deployment or Obama's reassurances of "extended deterrence" are not enough for them. Washington believes that with the ROK forces, the U.S. is sufficiently capable of deterring and defeating North Korean threats, using cutting-edge American war assets readily available, without South Korea's own nukes or without deploying tactical nuclear weapons in the South. The U.S. military is capable of launching a counter nuclear attack from sea, air or land, if necessary, without using its bases in Korea. Recent flights of B-1B bombers over the peninsula must be serving as a warning to the provocative North and as an assurance of the U.S. defense commitment to the uneasy South. Sanctions did not slow the North's nuclear and missile programs, although they had an impact of varying degree on the North, making it more difficult for it to develop its economy. The U.S. and its allies are determined to close loopholes in the sanctions and to add more sanctions, including prohibition of remittance of cash to Pyongyang from North Korean workers abroad estimated to be more than 56,000 in number. Washington hopes Beijing, which strongly opposes Pyongyang's provocative nuclear program, will join in the efforts to impose more sanctions on the North. We have learned that sanctions and deterrence alone are not enough to change the North. What's your take? Tong Kim is a Washington correspondent and columnist for The Korea Times. He is also a fellow at the Institute of Korean-American Studies. He can be contacted at tong.kim8@yahoo.com. By John Burton The recent explosion of North Korea's fifth and biggest nuclear bomb raises a key question of the whether the test will bring South Korea and China closer together or further apart. The test has hardened President Park Geun-hye's determination to deploy the U.S. advanced missile defense system, Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD), with a majority of Koreans supporting the decision. Park recently said the deployment was an "inevitable defensive measure," adding there would be no need for THAAD if Pyongyang abandoned its nuclear weapons program. A retreat from the THAAD decision now appears to be unthinkable in the face of Pyongyang's accelerated nuclear and missile tests, including the unexpectedly successful launch of a submarine-based missile, which theoretically would lead to North Korea gaining a "second strike capability." Beijing fiercely opposes the THAADdeployment because the range of the system's radar could help plot Chinese missiles once they are launched, thus undermining its nuclear deterrent. This has heightened Chinese fears of encirclement by a coalition of U.S. allies, including South Korea and Japan. What has added to Beijing's fury is that it believes it has been cooperative in carrying out the latest round of sanctions against North Korea that were stipulated by the UN Security Council in March in response to previous nuclear and missile tests by Pyongyang. The sanctions ban countries from buying some North Korean mineral products, which are estimated to account for 60 percent of Pyongyang's hard currency income, with 90 percent of North Korean total trade being conducted with China. China has already made known its displeasure about the THAAD decision by cracking down on imports of Korean cosmetics, banning the appearance of K-pop stars, and preventing Korea electric battery makers from supplying Chinese electric vehicle producers. If Seoul does not back down on THAAD, some fear that China could adopt even tougher measures on imports from South Korea. "Mishandling the issue is not conducive to strategic stability in the region and could intensify conflicts," Chinese President Xi Jinping warned Park at recent G20 Summit in Hangzhou. It would appear that Seoul's recent attempts to pursue a delicate balancing act between Beijing and Washington are doomed. While South Korea remains a staunch military ally of the U.S., China has been its biggest trading partner, consuming a quarter of Korean exports. But a counter argument can be made that the fifth nuclear test may now convince China that it must be tougher in vigorously enforcing sanctions against Pyongyang, which threatens to upset the strategic balance in Northeast Asia. North Korea's nuclear breakout could increase support in Japan and South Korea to acquire their own nuclear weapons. Both Japan and South Korea might also seek to forge defense ties with other Asian countries, such as Vietnam and India, which are seen as opposing Chinese regional expansion. Such developments would increase Chinese fears of containment. One hopeful sign was an announcement by the Foreign Ministry in Seoul last week that China had agreed with South Korea to seek new and tougher UN sanctions on North Korea. How far will China go in accepting and imposing new sanctions remains to be seen. It might also seek a trade-off: in return for implementing harsh sanctions, Beijing would expect the THAAD deployment to be abandoned. Another issue is how tough sanctions need to be to persuade North Korea to abandon its nuclear and missile programs. It appears better able to withstand sanctions than five or ten years ago. Market-based economic reforms appear to have improved living standards, which is suggested by the fact that prices of imported goods in North Korea have remained stable. The black market rate exchange rate for U.S. dollars is also stable, indicating that the country is not suffering a foreign currency shortage. This reduces the odds of regime collapse. The test of China's willingness to tighten the screws on North Korea would not only be more effective implementation of current and future UN sanctions, but its ability to work together with South Korea, and the U.S. in applying economic pressure. Such cooperation would have the added benefit of identifying one area where Beijing and Washington have shared interests and perhaps help reduce mutual mistrust. This was also conclusion of a report by a U.S. group of North Korea experts released this month by the Council on Foreign Relations. It concluded that "although China remains North Korea's primary patron, it is increasingly willing to exert pressure to curb the [North Korean] regime's erratic behavior." It also recommended that the U.S. and South Korea should talk to China about future scenarios about a reunified Korea. It suggested that ways to win Chinese support and make it more cooperative would be include offering guarantees that Beijing's interests would not be damaged in the case of Korean unification, such as possibly reducing the presence of the U.S. military on the Korean peninsula. John Burton, a former Korea correspondent for the Financial Times, is now a Seoul-based independent journalist and media consultant. He can be reached at johnburtonft@yahoo.com. Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 1 By Anvar Mammadov Trend: There are strong partnership relations between Azerbaijan and the European Union, the EU Ambassador to Azerbaijan Malena Mard told reporters in Baku Oct. 1. Regarding Azerbaijani Parliaments decision Sept. 30 to restore relations with the European Parliament, Mard noted that it is encouraging that the Azerbaijani Parliament decided to consider returning to the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly. The diplomat added that the European MPs, who recently paid a visit to Azerbaijan, openly expressed interest in cooperation with Azerbaijani counterparts. The EU is interested in strengthening relations with Azerbaijan, said Mard, adding that she hopes that these issues will be reflected in the near future at the legislative level as well. The diplomat also noted that the activity of subcommittees between Azerbaijan and the EU is gradually restored. The EU is very pleased to be able to continue cooperation through subcommittees, Mard said, adding that the first meeting within this framework will be held in mid-October 2016. She noted that this is the basis to strengthen Azerbaijan-EU relations. The diplomat said that the EU wants to continue partnership relations with Azerbaijan. There are a lot of the EU representatives at the EuroVillage 2016 in Baku, she said. This shows that the European Union wants to continue cooperation with Azerbaijan in both the field of reforms and the spheres of education, experience exchange and strengthening relations between the young generations of Azerbaijan and the EU, Mard added. Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 1 By Samir Ali Trend: Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine has taken under a serious control every criminal case regarding the violence against Azerbaijanis there, Zakir Garalov, Azerbaijans prosecutor general, told reporters Oct. 1 in Baku. Garalov said phone conservations were held and there was an official correspondence between the Azerbaijani Prosecutor General's Office and the Ukrainian side, which is seriously considering this issue. Ukraines prosecutor general will receive the chairman and representatives of the Azerbaijani commune in Ukraine in the near future and all measures will be taken in order to investigate these cases, he added. Earlier, Garalov appealed to Ukraines Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko in connection with the recent cases of violence against Azerbaijanis. The United States of America has congratulated Nigeria as it marks its 56th Independence Anniversary tomorrow, October 1st. According to a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, the US message was conveyed on behalf of President Barack Obama and the American people by the US Secretary of State, John Kerry. It reads; On behalf of President Obama and the American people, I congratulate the citizens of Nigeria as you celebrate your Independence Day on October 1. I recently returned from my third trip to Nigeria as Secretary, and I came away with a strong sense of the nations resolve to build a better future. During my trip, I was reminded that many Nigerians are engaged in bringing people together across the divides of culture, religious practices, and ethnicity. There is still much work to be done to provide economic opportunities for all, end corruption, win the fight against Boko Haram, ensure broad respect for human rights and provide humanitarian relief for millions of displaced people. But we know that Nigerians are hard at work to address these challenges. The United States looks forward to deepening our partnership and friendship with Nigerians from all walks of life, so that we may work together for the betterment of Nigeria and all of Africa. Best wishes to all of you on this the 56th anniversary of your independence. Follow Us on Facebook @LadunLiadi; Instagram @LadunLiadi; Twitter @LadunLiadi; Youtube @LadunLiadiTV for updates Vice President , Yemi Osinbajo has said the current earning of Nigeria has dropped from the N300 bn to N50bn because of the crisis in the Niger Delta. The vice president dropped the hint in Gusau, on Friday, after commissioning some projects as part of the 20th anniversary celebration of the creation of the state. He maintained that the bombings of pipeline in the Niger Delta, by the militants has greatly affected the earnings of the country, saying, the countrys earnings has dropped from N300bn to N50 bn in recent times. Follow Us on Facebook @LadunLiadi; Instagram @LadunLiadi; Twitter @LadunLiadi; Youtube @LadunLiadiTV for updates Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor, Godwin Emefiele, has expressed gratitude to President Muhammadu Buhari and the security agencies for ensuring the release of his wife, Margaret, less than 24 hours after she was abducted by heavily armed men along Benin-Agbor road. Margaret Emefiele was abducted on Thursday night alongside other people with her on Benin-Agbor road and was released Friday night after a massive police operation in the area. In a statement he issued in Abuja on Saturday, Emefiele said his wife was rescued on Friday night. He praised security agencies for their gallantry in bringing her back home within 24 hours in compliance with the directive of President Buhari. He however vowed to continue serving the country without any fear of intimidation. Follow Us on Facebook @LadunLiadi; Instagram @LadunLiadi; Twitter @LadunLiadi; Youtube @LadunLiadiTV for updates At least 700 women out of every 10,000 deliveries die annually in Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital in one of the countrys worst cases of maternal mortality. The state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Daniel Iya, who gave this information during an interview with Saturday Punch said the number was higher than the national average in the north-central zone. He said Nasarawa State like any other state got $1.5m under the Save One Million Lives initiative established by the former President, Goodluck Jonathan. While expressing worry over the high rate of maternal mortality in the state, Iya said the government was disturbed over the situation, stressing that more efforts needed to be intensified to improve medical facilities in the state. Iya confirmed that out of the 700 primary health care centres across the state, only few were dysfunctional. He said efforts had been put in place by the state government to ensure that all the health care centres in the 13 local government areas and other medical facilities were repositioned towards curbing the trend. The commissioner insisted that his ministry was making efforts to sanitise the health sector by tackling quackery in the state. He said the government had decided not to ban traditional medical practitioners in the state but to sensitise them to offer safer services to their patients. Meanwhile, the Emir of Minna, Alhaji Umar Bahago, has called for citizens engagement in service delivery in the health sector to reduce the rise of maternal mortality in Niger State. Bahago said this when a non-governmental organisation, White Ribbon Alliance, paid him a courtesy visit at his palace on Friday. Bahago said the state government had intensified its effort in the employment of more medical personnel for better service delivery. While commending the governors wife, Dr. Amina Bello, for introducing Mama Kit in the state, Bahago pledged his support for the activities of the Alliance. We commend your effort and we are in total support of your activities especially as it has to do with health and the betterment of our people, he declared. Earlier, the National Coordinator, WRA, Mr. Tonte Ibraye, commended the Governor, Abubakar Bello, for strengthening about 200 health care facilities in the state and creating 70 new ones. He lamented that 28 per cent of pregnant women in the state do not have access to good health facilities. Ibraye added that because of the neglect that had given rise to maternal mortality in the state, there was need for the government to remain accountable and deliver on promises to ensure that citizens, especially women are engaged in policy implementation. Follow Us on Facebook @LadunLiadi; Instagram @LadunLiadi; Twitter @LadunLiadi; Youtube @LadunLiadiTV for updates Former Nigeria defender Taribo West who is now a Pastor now has debunked a rumour which was widely published online on Thursday but started from smithrise.com, saying he had died at 50 at a South African hospital. According to him, he was earlier attacked spiritually and had a feeling another evil thing was going to come up. While speaking in a short interview about the rumour, Taribo said he is alive and fine and the news came to him while he was mediating on a sermon. He also said he received calls from all over the world, stating that he had never received calls that much before in his life. I received calls telling me to check Facebook about news of my death. I saw reports of my death and people were commenting. I just laughed. Ive never received such number of calls all my life. From US, UK, all over the world, the Atlanta 96 Olympics gold medallist said. Continue He added that he had a premonition that something evil was going to happen, after a spiritual attack. Taribo said, Its the handwork of the devil; they struck but they couldnt get me. Last week, I had a revelation, in which I was heavily attacked but they couldnt get me. They also tried it in the physical but they didnt succeed. So, when they couldnt kill me, they resorted to the rumour of my death. It wasnt an ordinary thing. But when they cant get you, they must join you in celebrating with you. Thats whats happening now. He also said he is relieved and happy after God used the news to reunite him with old friends and acquaintances. All the people I had lost contact with were calling, thinking I had kicked the bucket. But it helped me in reuniting with these people. Thats Gods work, when the devil means evil for you, God turns it to good for His children. I didnt travel. I only went to the American Embassy last Tuesday; I never travelled after that, Taribo said. Below is what the news medium wrote initially; Headline: Former Nigerian Defender Taribo West Dies in South Africa. The former defender of Nigeria Super Eagles who is now a pastor and founder of Shelter in The Storm Miracle Ministries of All Nations has died in South Africa early morning of Tuesday, South Africa Radio reports. He passed on at 42. According to the reports, West was flown into South Africa for medical treatment but did not state what he was diagnosed of. His body has since been sent for autopsy. He is best remembered for his various unusual and colourful hairstyles, smithrise.com reported. Another one, Nigerian website gongnews.com also puts its headline as: Another tragedy: Taribo West dies at 50. Thank God for his life. Follow Us on Facebook @LadunLiadi; Instagram @LadunLiadi; Twitter @LadunLiadi; Youtube @LadunLiadiTV for updates Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 1 By Samir Ali Trend: The Department for Investigation of Grave Crimes operating at Azerbaijani General Prosecutors Office continues the investigation into the cases of former employees of the liquidated National Security Ministry, Zakir Garalov, the countrys prosecutor general, told reporters Oct. 1 in Baku. Garalov said the investigation is being conducted on 280 cases. One of the cases has already been sent to the court, while the investigation on other cases continues, he noted, adding that perpetrators will be punished. On Oct. 17, 2015, General Prosecutors Office of Azerbaijan launched a criminal case under the Criminal Code in connection with illegal interference in the work of businesses and phone tapping by structures of the liquidated National Security Ministry with violation of requirements of legislation on operative and investigative activities. Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 1 Trend: Azerbaijans capital Baku hosted the first session of the Russia-Azerbaijan business council with the support of the Azerbaijan Export and Investment Promotion Foundation (AZPROMO). The session was attended by representatives of more than 50 leading companies working in agriculture and food industry, construction, finance and other spheres of economy, the press service of Azerbaijans Economy Ministry told Trend. Azerbaijans Deputy Economy Minister Sahil Babayev said at the session that relations between Azerbaijan and Russia in various spheres, including the economic sphere, are developing successfully. Speaking about the importance of the Russia-Azerbaijan business council, the deputy minister noted its role in expansion of relations between businessmen. He also expressed confidence that the council will successfully cope with the tasks ahead and called on Azerbaijani companies, using the councils capabilities, to expand cooperation with their Russian counterparts. The chairman of the Russia-Azerbaijan business council Iskandar Khalilov informed the participants of the session about main directions of the councils activity, tasks facing the council in connection with an even greater expansion of opportunities for cooperation, and invited businessmen to an active cooperation with the Russian-Azerbaijani business council. Moreover, during the session, AZPROMOs Vice President Yusif Abdullayev and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Ateshgah Life Insurance Company Intigam Huseynov provided information about the projects implemented in order to develop relations between the business circles. Tehran, Iran, Sept. 27 By Mehdi Sepahvand, Dalga Khatinoglu Trend: Mansur Moazzami, chairman of board of directors of Industrial Development and Renovation Organization (IDRO), has said Iran is taking various measures to meet its commitment for reducing carbon dioxide emission reduction. We are member to the Kyoto Protocol. We also attended the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP21) which was held in France, he told Trend on sidelines of a press conference September 27. Zero flaring is a main policy of the Oil Ministry. The ministry has also signed one or two contracts on the management of oil associated gas, he continued. Irans flaring amount stands at above 11 billion cubic meters per year. Iran is obliged to decrease its carbon dioxide emissions by 12 percent by 2030. Iran needs $52.5 billion investment to decrease emissions by 12 percent. From the mentioned volume, Iran plans to invest $17.5 billion from domestic reserves that would decrease emissions by 4 percent. The remaining value will depend on foreign investments. By realization of the $52.5 billion investment, Irans emissions would decrease by 230.4 million tons cumulatively (12 percent) by 2030. Also regarding cars, the Ministry of Industry has set some very strict rules. If carmakers do not follow them, their cars will not receive licenses, Moazzami noted. Irans transportation sector shares 25 percent of total emissions in Iran. The SLFP does not condone the continuation of the Emergency Regulations (The Public Security Ordinance) more than a day necessary Read more PRESS RELEASE Has Deutsche Bank Reached Its Lehman Brothers Moment? Sept. 30, 2016 (EIRNS)The financial press is on the edge of total panic over the looming blowout of Deutsche Bank and the implications for the entire trans-Atlantic banking system. Bloomberg News, in a major analysis today, warns of a zombie banking system turning into zombie economic system. The banking sector in the United States and Europe is going to post overall losses for the second consecutive month on equity markets, as fears of the Deutsche Bank blowout extend beyond just that bank. "Its not just the potential risk in Deutsche Bank, there are now lots of concerns about the global banking system and the risk spilling out of European banks," Bloomberg quoted Michael Ingram of BGC Partners in London. "We have a very connected financial system. A zombie financial system at some point translates into a zombie economy." In addition to DB and Commerzbank AG, ING Groep NV will announce massive job cuts next week, and Wells Fargos CEO John Stumpf appears to be on his way out after Congressional grilling. Bloomberg notes that more Federal Reserve Bank Presidents are calling for rate hikes, and they are noting a speech today by Dallas Fed President Robert Kaplan as an important signal. Market Watch headlines its coverage of the German banking crisis: "Opinion: [German Chancellor] Angela Merkel Has Bungled the Deutsche Bank Crisis, Like Everything Else," by Darrell Delamaide. "It would be a sadly fitting capstone of Angela Merkels checkered tenure as chancellor of Germany if her mishandling of the Deutsche Bank crisis leads to a cascade of bank failures in Europe and completes her destruction of the euro." Delamaide noted an earlier Market Watch column by Matthew Lynn, demanding that Merkel immediately announce an intervention to save Deutsche Bank. He drew the parallel to the 1931 collapse of German and Austrian banks that led to the Great Depression, as much as the Wall Street crash of 1929. Noting recent electoral defeats suffered by Merkel's Christian Democratic Union party, the author noted Merkels recent apology for "not paying attention earlier to the growing crisis in the Middle East and its potential impact on Europe. "And the reason she was not paying attention, of course, was because she was fixated on her blinkered policy of pommeling Greece into the ground for running afoul of the strict conditions Germany has placed on euro membership. In that long-running crisis, Merkel rejected any compromise or sense of European solidarity as she drove Greece into a devastating recession." After going through a history of Merkels back stabbing of Helmut Kohl, her mentor, and then a truncated history of Deutsche Banks demise after the Herrhausen assassination, under a string of foreign directors, following the ill-founded takeover of Morgan Grenfel, Delamaide concludes: "It is truly inconceivable that even Merkel would actually allow Deutsche Bank to fail, but her modus operandi of waiting too long to acknowledge crises and then kicking the can down the road may already have done irreversible damage." The Wall Street Journal lead story in the Money & Investing section is "Deutsches Lehman Dilemma," noting that Lehman fell because they lacked sufficient capital when investors fled, and DB is being viewed in parallel, as hedge funds pull out. "Lehman taught everyone that theres very little upside in keeping your exposure," one hedge fund manager was quoted. Ultimately though, DB is different than Lehman because "Most important, Deutsche has access to the European Central Bank as its house pawnbroker, meaning it can turn even fairly hard to sell assets into cash if it needs to." But "None of this makes Deutsche immune. No amount of liquidity could ever be enough if clients or depositors lose faith, because not all assets can be swapped for cash at the ECB." The Journals own solution is to screw current shareholder by issuing new shares, thus further diluting value. "Deutsche has been resisting this as its stock moves ever lower. One lesson from Lehman is that it too proudly rejected rescue capital, not liking the price. Deutsche should be careful not to follow the same logic." Fox News coverage noted that Deutsche Bank CEO John Cryan issued an open letter to employees assuring them that the bank is sufficiently capitalized to weather the crisis, triggered most recently by 10 hedge funds shorting DB. He also cited the $5 billion Goldman Sachs settlement with the Department of Justice as a more likely outcome for DB, not the $14 billion price tag put on the table at the start of the negotiations with Deutsche Bank by the Justice Department.. The article notes the possibility of a merger between DB and Commerzbank, which, Fox notes, has its own troubles. In fact, other news accounts suggest that the Justice Department is working furiously on an "omnibus settlement deal" with DB, Barclays and Credit Suisse, which, according to a Financial Times account, President Obama wants to conclude before he leaves office. DB has set aside 4.5 billion euro for penalties and legal costs in anticipation of such a sweetheart deal. PRESS RELEASE Obama, Saudis Spew Out Filthy Lies about JASTA Vote Sept. 30, 2016 (EIRNS)Obama lashed out at the U.S. Senate again on Wednesday, the day of the veto override on the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA) at a CNN-sponsored Town Hall meeting that had him sputtering that the Senate didnt know what it was doing when it, first, unanimously passed JASTA and second, overrode his veto by 97 to 1. "We found out some of the people who voted for [JASTA] said, frankly, we didnt know what was in it. And there was no debate of it," Obama lied at the CNN event. He was completely isolated and rejected by the Senateto the extent that all the Democrats present at the Senate voted to override despite a personal letter from the White House to Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) that was read to the Democratic Caucus before the vote. "Jasta La Vista, Baby" is what the Wall Street Journal called the Obama debacle. And the dozens of articles that the Senate is "reconsidering" is another lie. That letter, signed by 28 Senators was actually written and circulated before the override vote took place. Activists among the 9/11 families told EIR that the truth is that Senate leaders, Senators Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Cornyn (R-Tex.) had repeatedly tried to meet with the White House on the bill which was first introduced into Congress seven years ago, but never got a response. The Wall Street Journal yesterday quoted even Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, confirming that. Corker, who unsuccessfully tried, on Sept. 28, to delay stop the override even said that he and other Senators who asked to meet with the White House, got no response whatsoever to their calls, just a "dial tone." The Hill stressed that the release of the "28 pages" actually worked against the Saudis because instead of showing that they had no role in 9/11, "it wasnt totally clear" and "thats where ... this rises and falls." Meanwhile, the Saudis are completely paranoid and freaked out that "all the kings horses..." couldnt stop JASTA. Lobby leader Saudi Ambassador Adel al-Jubeir and multiple PR firms "lobbied hard" against the bill, reported the New York Times yesterday, quoting Saudi hired-hands in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) think tanks and newspapers. One angry Saudi publisher, Hutheifa Azzam, tweeted that "The goal of JASTA is to freeze the money of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its sources and to paralyze its movement in Yemen and Syria while releasing Iranian money to tip the balance," reported the Times. But, it was the British themselves through the "Royal United Services InstituteQatar" that delivered the threat of a Saudi break in relations with the United States. The alliance "does increasingly look like a marriage that is past its sell-by date," said RUSI-Qatar head Michael Stephens. PRESS RELEASE Russia Will Take Into Account U.S. Nuclear Saber Rattling Sept. 30, 2016 (EIRNS)Russia has taken notice of U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carters remarks in Minot, North Dakota on Sept. 26, in which he charged that an "aggressive" Russia is engaged in "nuclear saber rattling." The Russian Foreign Ministry issued a statement, yesterday, saying that the Russian government is "troubled" by Carters remarks, because it indicates "that the United States is prepared to use its nuclear capabilities in the event of an armed conflict involving Russia in order to prevent it from using nuclear weapons to repel aggression." Carter claimed, during his remarks, that the provision in Russias military doctrine, published at the end of 2014, is evidence of Russias "aggressive" nuclear posture. "To be clear, the doctrine addresses aggression against Russia, not Russia attempting to find a way out of failed conventional aggression to which Mr. Carter is referring," the ministry statement reads. "This outrageous distortion of an official Russian document shows that the U.S. Defence Secretary is either relying on an incorrect translation or planning to start a dangerous game." "The Pentagon chiefs bellicose rhetoric goes a long way toward explaining the goal of the U.S. policy to modernise its nuclear weapons and their delivery vehicles, about which he proudly talked at Minot Air Force Base," the ministry statement goes on. The planned modernization of all three legs of the nuclear triad is intended to give the United States "means of nuclear attack for decades to come," and this is to be combined with missile defense, as Carter indicated. "Thus, the strategy of exerting military pressure on Russia, which in the logic of the Pentagons planners apparently implies nuclear brinkmanship, will receive an upgraded and even more dangerous military-technical component." "Naturally, we will have to take into account the U.S. positions and take the necessary reciprocal measures to ensure our national security," the Russian statement concludes. Azercell Telecom LLC is announcing next Student Bursary Program for the academic year 2016-2017. Young fellows who want to become professional in their field of specialty and lay steady foundation for future career may apply for Bursary Program. The aim of the program is to encourage the successful students and young talents with outstanding academic achievements, and support the professional growth of the students with high potential. The talented youth qualified for the program will be offered a monthly stipend throughout the remaining period of their university studies. Furthermore, they will gain an opportunity for career growth. Thus, they will have a chance to enrich their knowledge on telecommunications, participate in Azercells corporate events and social activities, receive various trainings, as well as pass internship at Azercell In order to apply for Student Program, a candidate should go to the official webpage (www.azercell.jobs) of the company. Bachelor level students in their last 2 years at a university in Azerbaijan are eligible to apply for the program. The applicants will receive information about the progress and result of the selection round by email. Only online applications shall be accepted. Deadline for application is 31.10.2016. Azercell has held the Student Bursary Program annuallly since 2008. Over 120 students from various universities in Azerbaijan have been honored the title of Azercell Scholar". Apart from getting a monthly stipend from Azercell, they have also gained unique experience for their future careers with the support of the company employees. As a result, Azercell Telecom LLC improves its activities in terms of social responsibility and provides more benefits for the society. Along with its business activities Azercell Telecom regularly conducts projects aimed for the development of the youth. Many projects conducted by the company are related to education. Furthermore, Azercell cooperates with the leading universities and helps to improve their material and technical bases. Azercell will continue to focus on supporting education and the youth in the country. The leader of the mobile communication industry of Azerbaijan and the biggest investor in the non-oil sector Azercell Telecom LLC was founded in 1996. With 48% share of Azerbaijans mobile market Azercells network covers 80% of the territory and 99,8% of population of the country. Currently, 4,5 million subscribers choose Azercell services. Azercell has pioneered an important number of innovations in Azerbaijan, including GSM technology, advance payment system, 24/7 Customer Care, online customer services, GPRS/EDGE, M2M, MobilBank, one-stop- shop service offices Azercell Express, mobile e-service ASAN signature, etc. Azercell deployed first 4G LTE services in Azerbaijan in 2012. According to the results of mobile network quality surveys of Global Wireless Solutions company and international systems specialized in wireless coverage mapping such as Opensignal and Testmy.net, Azercells network demonstrated the best results among the mobile operators of Azerbaijan. Bayer CropScience will give up its fight with federal regulators over their ban of a pesticide commonly used on almonds, alfalfa, tomatoes and other California crops. The company said in a statement Wednesday that it was too risky to take its case to a federal appeals court or to reapply for approval of the chemical, flubendiamide, marketed by Bayer under the brand name Belt and by Nichino America as Tourismo and Vetica. The companies have stopped selling those products, although stockpiles they already shipped can be sold and used, according to a recent decision by an appeals panel of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Advertisement Pressing the fight might have allowed Bayer to renew its scientific claims that the chemical poses no serous threat to freshwater animals, such as snails, worms, and mussels, but that opportunity was far from certain, said Charlotte Sanson, Bayers director of registrations. Further appeal, Sanson said, carried a fair amount of risk, including the potential that some of the gains we made would be lost. Among the gains were a decision by the EPAs appeals board to modify the cancellation of flubendiamide to allow distributors and retailers other than Bayer and Nichino to sell or distribute existing stock. Neither the agency nor Bayer revealed how much of the product is still available to growers, who have applied it to more than 200 crops on nearly 2.5 million acres. Bayer and Nichino received conditional approvals in 2008 for flubendiamide, provided they agreed to voluntarily cancel the agencys registration of the chemical if EPA scientists later determined that its further use posed unreasonable adverse effects on the environment. That provision was created by Congress in part to allow chemical companies to receive more rapid approval of novel pesticides while further studies are underway. It included a provision for the EPA to likewise revoke the approval rapidly and ban any further use if agency scientists found the chemical caused harm. EPA earlier this year concluded that the chemical posed an unreasonable threat and gave the companies a week to surrender their registration. The companies balked, arguing that the condition of the registration including the rapid termination was unlawful, and that the EPAs scientific review ignored additional data that Bayer had gathered while the chemical was in use. An administrative law judge upheld the termination, and the appeals board agreed, but reversed the judge regarding whether stocks of the chemicals shipped by the companies before the cancellation could be sold or distributed. EPA officials told the review board that the agency didnt intend to use similar conditions to approve other chemicals, a decision Bayer hailed as a victory. California growers applied 42,495 pounds of flubendiamide to 521,140 acres in 2013, the last year for which complete data were available, according to the state Department of Pesticide Regulation. More than a third of that was applied to almonds 14,693 pounds on 125,557 acres, according to the department. Growers applied 6,002 pounds of it to 91,828 acres of alfalfa, and 3,684 pounds to 78,348 acres of processing tomatoes, which are used in paste and other products. Earlier this month, Germany-based Bayer AG, the parent company of Bayer CropScience, announced a $66 billion acquisition of U.S.-based Monsanto Co. The deal is under review by regulators. geoffrey.mohan@latimes.com Follow me: @LATgeoffmohan Real estate agents used to be privy to a lot of information that home buyers couldnt obtain on their own. But now property listings, photo galleries, historic sales prices, school ratings and neighborhood crime rates are freely accessible to anyone with just a few clicks. For some assertive buyers, thats an invitation to bypass an agent and, in the process, cut out the pesky 5% to 6% commission that is traditionally split between the buyers agent and the sellers agent. To help buyers go it alone, or close to it, several real estate start-ups have emerged that promise an easier solution to a notoriously stressful and expensive purchase. By eliminating or limiting an agents role, customers save money and streamline the process. Advertisement Its also leading to tensions with the hundreds of thousands of real estate agents around the country, who say the companies are shortsighted and overlook the skills that a professional agent can offer. Going online and looking at listings can give you a decent idea of what youre looking for and whats available, but when it comes down to it, most people still use an agent, said Adam DeSanctis, a manager for the National Assn. of Realtors. They seek that experience and expertise a Realtor in that area will have. When Wes and Laurel Duquette set out to purchase a home for the first time, the couple chose not to work with a real estate agent. We didnt find an agent to be much of an advantage, yet theyre so heavily compensated for what they do, Wes said. Instead, they turned to Open Listings, a Y Combinator-backed start-up that replaces most of what agents do with an online platform. The Los Angeles company helps customers find a home on their own by creating a personalized feed of available properties that meet their requirements, and sending them emails of open houses. Its free for customers to use the service. Once a home has been purchased, Open Listings refunds customers half of the commission it receives from a successful transaction. In April, the Duquettes purchased a three-bedroom, one-bathroom Manhattan Beach home for $1.34 million. Their refund from Open Listings was $16,000, which the couple put toward closing costs and bringing down their mortgage rate. Real estate start-up founders say the industry is ripe for change. According to the National Assn. of Realtors, 92% of buyers use the Internet during their home search and 68% of first-time home buyers are millennials, used to the conveniences of Airbnb and Uber to simplify routine transactions. The same demographic is similarly moving away from actively managed investments to lower-cost, automated financial advisors that provide a list of suggested portfolios and investment options. Millennials expect things to be easy and transparent. Theyre also used to making high-purchase transactions online, said Shelley Janes, founder of SideDoor, an app that hopes to become the Ebay of real estate, where sellers can list their homes and connect directly with buyers. The recent wave of new real estate start-ups isnt the first time the agent-assisted model has been challenged. But shaking up the industry has been difficult. For one, the National Assn. of Realtors is an influential obstacle when it comes to change in the industry. Its a powerful trade association, and its cohorts are brokerages, multiple listing services, real estate associations and individual agents. They all work diligently to keep a buyer and seller apart, said Joshua Hunt, chief executive of Trelora, a full-service, commission-free real estate agency. He said those who are part of the outdated system fight to keep things as they are to preserve current commission rates. Commissions in the U.S. are especially high. In Britain, Singapore and the Netherlands, they usually fall between 1% and 2%, according to a report by the International Real Estate Review. Open Listings still uses real estate agents in the process, but in a limited way. No more driving prospective buyers around town, or keeping a lookout for the perfect house for clients. Those tasks all fall on the home buyers shoulders. But hand-holding might be what buyers want most from their agents. According to the National Assn. of Realtors 2015 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers report, the top three benefits buyers receive from using agents is helping buyers understand the home buying process, pointing out unnoticed faults of the property and negotiating better contract terms. More resources and online tools are good for consumers they provide a good picture of current market conditions, but employing a Realtor to help find just the right home to purchase and to negotiate on your behalf is key to a successful buying experience, DeSanctis said. Open Listings understands this, which is why co-founder Judd Schoenholtz says the company hasnt totally removed agents from the picture. The start-up employs nine agents that work exclusively for the company. If its agents do not work in that neighborhood, the company also refers customers to a network of independent California agents, who are able to use the companys software. The company is building tools to minimize the mind-numbing amount of labor that comes with home buying: viewings, forms and contracts, inspections. By saving agents time in the paperwork weeds, Open Listings allows its agents to concentrate on the piece where they can make a difference: getting an offer accepted. Were able to refund that much of our commission because our agents only focus on the small but critical piece of the purchase cycle, Schoenholtz said. He said the network answers a real need for some agents. Were offering [agents] the perfect arrangement buyers that will really buy and less of the paperwork, he said. Open Listings, which launched last year and became profitable last month, says it has saved California home buyers more than $1 million since its launch. Its revenue has also doubled every quarter, according to Schoenholtz. Its independent agents work for $25 an hour, plus bonuses and a commission split between Open Listings. There are currently 12 independent agents in the start-ups network. The company is concentrating on assisting users with home buying, but in the future, it might add home selling to its offerings. Sellers, too, are turning to real estate start-ups to help them save money. Dallas-based Door launched last year. Instead of carving out a roughly 6% chunk of the sale price for commissions, it charges sellers a flat fee of $5,000 plus 2% to 3% of the purchase price for the buyers agent. Denver-based Trelora has a similar model, although it charges sellers $2,500. SideDoor, meanwhile, earns its money from tangential real estate businesses like lenders, real estate lawyers and title companies that use SideDoor to find clients. Sellers can come to the site and list for free. Buyers can use the site to schedule home showings. If they need a lender, title company or lawyer, we can put them in touch with one at the point they need it, SideDoor founder Shelley Janes said. The companies appear to be doing well. A real estate agent typically closes six transactions a year, but in just one month Open Listings agents close 12 transactions; Trelora agents wrap up about six transactions; and Door agents average three to five. But there have been hurdles. According to Hunt, agents and brokerages will go out of their way not to show a Trelora home, or have lied about the condition or availability of Trelora homes. Christian Redfearn, a real estate professor at USCs Sol Price School of Public Policy, said another issue is the high stakes involved in home buying. I have access to all kinds of data, but Ive still got to talk to a human. I dont want to overpay for property. Given how large the investment is, if Im off by 5%, thats a huge amount of money, he said. A good broker would know the market well, and its hard to put that kind of quality on a website. That kind of personalized hand-holding is one that Daisha Versaw, 38, missed when she used Trelora to sell her five-bedroom, two-bathroom home in Arvada, a suburb of Denver. The company saved her family more than $16,000, but it was hard on her nerves in some key moments. Though Trelora agents were responsive when she had reached out, it was still up to her to ask for updates and to stay on top of things. When the resolution deadline drew near for inspections, for example, it was Versaw who informed her Trelora agent of its expiration. I hated that I was the one reminding him of the deadline. Her advice to would-be buyers wanting to skip an agent: Be prepared to take more initiative and advocate for yourself. ALSO Ex-Hyperloop One execs ask if the companys doing better than ever, why is it suing them? This $5,900 chair may be the tech worlds new key to productivity This app fuels the illicit trade of dumplings and pork knuckles in Southern California The sentence structure was a mess, but it was clear during Mondays presidential debate that when Republican nominee Donald Trump mentioned Los Angeles International Airport, he was not paying the facility a compliment. You land at LaGuardia, you land at Kennedy, you land at LAX, you land at Newark, and you come in from Dubai and Qatar and you see these incredible you come in from China, you see these incredible airports, and you land weve become a third-world country. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti shot back this week, saying LAX is undergoing billions of dollars in upgrades. Advertisement SIGN UP for the free California Inc. business newsletter In fact, Garcetti took part at a ceremony Thursday to open a $148-million facility that connects the Tom Bradley International Terminal to the terminals on the south side of the airport. If Donald Trump wasnt jetting around the world on a private plane or had ever walked through our terminals like the tens of millions who fly in and out of our airport every year he might know about the largest public works program in the history of Los Angeles: the $14 billion we are spending to modernize LAX by connecting it to rail, building a brand new rental car facility and renovating eight out of the airports nine terminals, the mayor said. The comment is just another example of Donald Trump throwing around wild insults without regard for facts. Garcetti already has endorsed Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. hugo.martin@latimes.com To read more about the travel and tourism industries, follow @hugomartin on Twitter. ALSO What to buy (and skip) in October Bayer wont fight EPA ban on pesticide American Airlines new uniforms cause hives and headaches for some workers Four former high-ranking employees at transportation start-up Hyperloop One asked a judge Friday to throw out a cross-complaint lodged against them after they questioned the firms corporate governance. The legal battle, which began in July, briefly tripped up the Los Angeles companys ambitious effort to develop a near-supersonic transit system. The firm says its back on track and even stronger, with venture capital investors remaining on board and the suing employees gone. But in that assertion, attorneys for the the four plaintiffs see a contradiction: If what the company has described as the Gang of Four caused no damage, why is the company pursuing a countersuit against them? Advertisement This is the paradox of the companys predicament: It must reassure investors by claiming the company is thriving and stable, while claiming grave damage was inflicted on the company by the employees, attorneys wrote in Fridays filing at Los Angeles County Superior Court. The former Hyperloop One executives Brogan BamBrogan, who was chief technology officer; William Mulholland, who was finance vice president; Knut Sauer, who was business development vice president; and David Pendergast, who was assistant general counsel say that if anything, they left the company in better shape. The legal battle started after they led a small group of Hyperloop employees who successfully sought corporate restructuring. Eventually, the company heeded their call for investors to cede some power to employees. In their lawsuit, BamBrogan and the three others said they were concerned by what they called their superiors financial mismanagement, including the appearance that family or friends were favored over more qualified candidates in a couple of hiring and contracting decisions. The week after they filed their suit, the company countersued, seeking $250 million in damages. The plaintiffs attorneys alleged late Friday that Hyperloop One amended its claims last month in an effort to address the apparent inconsistency about the companys health. The changes, more than a month after its original filing, included a new line saying that the plaintiffs lies and misconduct raised questions from existing investors and partners, causing unnecessary costs and disruptions to the tune of millions of dollars. The Times detailed some of the concerns of investors and partners in an article published in between the two filings. The documents submitted Friday added that the companys claims about the plaintiffs alleged attempt to poach trade secrets, colleagues and investors for a competing venture were not specific enough to merit consideration. Orin Snyder, an attorney for Hyperloop One, responded Friday night in a statement: The defendants filing ignores the fact that they staged a failed coup and then tried to steal technology to create a competing company. Hyperloop One filed this lawsuit to hold the defendants accountable for their wrongdoing. In the meantime, the company is stronger than ever and on track to launch the worlds first full-scale hyperloop prototype in early 2017. A hearing on the dismissal request could come this fall. If it is rejected, the plaintiffs attorneys said Friday that Judge Suzanne Bruguera should at least strike several allegedly inaccurate passages in the cross-complaint. Among them is an accusation that the plaintiffs failed to return company property; the four former workers say they have tried to return it but havent heard back from Hyperloop One. How and when the dueling barbs get settled is far from certain. But the case could have lasting effects on how tech start-ups educate early employees about stock options and govern business deals that could be construed as inappropriate, industry experts have said. The company says BamBrogan and the other three caused significant internal strife during their campaign for changes. The four say, in turn, that they either were fired or felt pressure to resign. Weeks later, they sued the company to get their jobs back, saying they had been retaliated against for speaking out. Hyperloop One, formally Hyperloop Technologies Inc., has no commercial projects set for construction. But studies are underway across the world about potential routes for the futuristic system, which Elon Musk, chief executive of both SpaceX and Tesla Motors, introduced to the masses three years ago. paresh.dave@latimes.com / PGP Twitter: @peard33 In an ethical lapse reminiscent of its grimmer days earlier in the decade, the Museum of Contemporary Art is presenting an exhibition whose guest curator owns almost all the work on view. At MOCAs Pacific Design Center branch, Gaetano Pesce: Molds (Gelati Misti) focuses on a private collection of vases, bowls and other unique vessels made over the last two decades by the controversial Italian architect and designer. Of 39 Pesce vessels loaned to the show, 34 are owned by the shows guest curator. A solo private collection show is difficult for a museum to justify, because it restricts curatorial independence in telling arts story. However, in my experience, crediting the collector as co-curator is almost unprecedented for a major museum. SIGN UP for the free Essential Arts & Culture newsletter MOCA director Philippe Vergne, reached by telephone in London where he is previewing a Tate Modern exhibition by French multimedia artist Philippe Parreno, said the Pesce show evolved from an interest in reviving his museums long-dormant design program. I understand its unusual, Vergne said of the exhibitions reliance on one private collection. Its a legitimate concern. While acknowledging this blurred line we face every day with market forces, he expressed confidence that the collectors relationship with Pesces art is not speculative. Identifying the collector as co-organizer of the show was perhaps clumsy, he said, but I wanted to be transparent. The extraordinary conflict of interest was first reported by art journalist Hunter Drohojowska-Philp on her KCRW program, Art Talk. At MOCA PDC, visitors have no way of knowing whether the Pesce vessels they are looking at are representative of the artists work, indicative of his range or inclusive of turning points and the evolution in his arts 20-year development all fundamental aims of a serious museum survey. Instead, what unites the objects is one collectors taste and acquisition skills. The absence of a scholarly catalog or any publication at all, even so much as a brochure isnt all that blunts the shows usefulness. Instead, the curatorial reliance on one collectors shopping skills means that market success has primarily determined museum worth. When a museum turns over its exhibition galleries to a private collector, you begin to wonder just what professional purpose the museum serves. When a museum turns over its exhibition galleries to a private collector, you begin to wonder just what professional purpose the museum serves. The institution forfeits its independence and abandons its function. Because every private collection also represents a financial investment, which museum validation can help to secure, the conflict of interest is blatant. The shows opening credit wall states that it was organized by MOCA senior curator Bennett Simpson with John Geresi, whose large collection of Pesces work is its source. Geresi, a banker, is a familiar art world figure a past trustee at the Southern California Institute of Architecture, the prominent L.A. architecture and design school, and current board president at LAXART, the nonprofit alternative art space in Hollywood. But the lapse here is not his. Geresi would have done better to recognize the impending blunder and simply decline an invitation to participate. Yet, it is important to note that he didnt exactly break into the building in the dead of night and force his collection on an unsuspecting museum. The lapse is MOCAs. Its led by pros, yet they have devalued the museums independent curatorial role. That neither Vergne nor chief curator Helen Molesworth heeded the obvious red flags gives one pause. From June 2010 to November 2013, during the turbulent directorship of Vergnes predecessor, Jeffrey Deitch, MOCA was embroiled in a series of such ethical lapses. The most dramatic was the popular extravaganza Art in the Streets, a sprawling show organized with guest curators, some of whom were managers with direct financial interests in several of the graffiti artists invited to participate. Other museums have likewise tiptoed up to the collector-as-curator edge. Last year, the UCLA Hammer Museum presented The Idea of North: The Paintings of Lawren Harris, a show organized by guest curator Steve Martin, the well-known actor and a collector of Harris paintings. That was a mistake. But at least the Hammer claimed scrupulousness in not including any paintings owned by its guest curator, never mind building a show around them. Gaetano Pesce, Vaso Amazonia, 2000, polyurethane resin. (MOCA) (Test) Is Pesce even worth a MOCA show? I find his vessels to be unexciting and often plain ugly, but thats not to say an argument for a survey could not be persuasive. Pesce was born in La Spezia, south of Genoa, in 1939. He studied in Venice with Carlo Scarpa (1906-1978), the brilliantly inventive architect whose radical designs in blown glass are highly coveted. Pesces cheeky vessels disrupt conventions established by Scarpa and others. And Pesce is currently in vogue. His jokey, unrealized 1972 design for an apartment building doorway composed from a naked mans buttocks is the inspiration for a sculpture by Anthea Hamilton now under consideration for the Turner Prize at Tate Britain. His one-of-a-kind objects are typically made using industrial resins poured into elaborate wooden molds. Forms are built from drips, extrusions, dribbles and melting oozes. (Gelati misti, the shows subtitle, translates as mixed ice cream.) Their bright, saturated colors are mostly light absorbent and visually inert, unlike the luminous properties afforded by glass, while many forms derive from classical and modern precedents, including Art Nouveau. It is easy to see why MOCA might be interested in this work. Pesce started to experiment with industrial liquid resins around 1987. His use of resin harkens back to the industrial materials so common in Minimalist L.A. art of the 1960s, including sculptures by Robert Irwin, Craig Kauffman, Judy Chicago, Peter Alexander and others. MOCA has given Geresis collection some context, providing about 40 vessel drawings, chair designs and decorative wall-hangings, all lent by the artist. (He also lent three vessels. Two others came from Peter and Shannon Loughrey, proprietors of Los Angeles Modern Auctions, which has sold several of the artists pieces.) But Geresis collection is the exhibitions centerpiece. It is worth pointing out that MOCAs permanent collection includes nothing by Pesce. Thats surprising. A survey would make more sense if it illuminated an artist to whom the museum had already established a commitment. Otherwise, its merely a transient one-off. And the timing is bad. MOCA has been in the doldrums since Deitch resigned three years ago. Only now is it beginning to dust off the cobwebs and roll out a program the museum hopes will be compelling. Whats most worrisome is that the director and curatorial staff recognized this shows conflict of interest then decided to proceed anyhow. All but five of 39 vessels in MOCAs Gaetano Pesce show come from the co-curators private collection. ( Christopher Knight / Los Angeles Times) (Test) christopher.knight@latimes.com Twitter: @KnightLAT ALSO At Toba Khedoori show, mysteries burn beneath a fragile surface A different tale of the '1 percent' at the Torrance Art Museum 'Doug Aitken': Why MOCA's big new show has too few sparks When it comes to sex tapes, Donald Trump clearly doesnt get it. And that seems downright un-American. While abusing former Miss Universe Alicia Machado during an early-morning tweet, the Republican nominee for president of the United States called her disgusting and encouraged followers to look into her past, which, he said, included a sex tape. Machado, for those not following the news cycle, is the beauty queen Trump previously berated for gaining weight and called Miss Piggy and Miss Housekeeping. She since has become an American citizen and a vocal supporter of Hillary Clinton, who told her story at the first presidential debate. Advertisement Within minutes of Trumps wee-hours tweet, the sex tape had been fact-checked and revealed to be a clip from a Spanish-language reality show shot in the style of Big Brother. A strange mistake for a former reality host to make. So, in the interest of assisting Trump and anyone else still unclear about this great American art form, weve assembled a handy primer on what makes a sex tape a sex tape. Consider it debate prep. Explicit sex is mandatory In the clip, Machado is seen, through a night-vision camera, doing something rhythmic with another person under a blanket. Beyond that, its pure speculation. The couple could be simply experiencing a simultaneous tweet. At 3 a.m. Or, more probably, following a script while wearing two sets of underwear and watching the clock. Either way, thats no sex tape, Donald. Its just reality TV. A familiar face is mandatory Not that Machados win for Miss Universe 1996 wasnt an honor. Not that an acting resume packed with telenovela roles isnt something. Not that doing four episodes on a Spanish-language reality show involving night vision and a blanket isnt OK, wait, Alicia who? Donald Trump having sex on camera would qualify. Ditto a video of Hillary Clinton. Heck, old nudes of Melania Trump got their moment in the spotlight. But this? Not so much. When you cry sex tape, you better be in the league of Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee. Wed already seen her naked in Playboy, and he wound up making a big impression too. Violation of privacy is half the fun Machado knew cameras were rolling while she made like a bunny on La Granja, and presumably she knew her behavior would be catnip for the shows producers. Paris Hiltons romp with Rick Salomon, a.k.a. 1 Night in Paris, surfaced only after the celebutante neglected to pay rent on a storage unit and voila, a star was born. Farrah Teen Mom Abraham said she made that sex tape with porn actor James Deen for herself, so that when she was old she could look back on her bodys best year. But she didnt lock down a nondisclosure agreement with Deen, who kissed and told. Note to teen moms everywhere: You cant trust anyone these days. Not even a porn star. Someone should make money big money The splashiest new fish in the sex tape pond is of course Hulk Hogan, who didnt make any cash up front Gawker got all the page views but was awarded $140 million by a judge who decided it wasnt cool for the snarky website to post grainy, surreptitiously recorded black-and-white footage of the pro wrestler knocking it out with the then-wife of his then-best friend. Of course, Gawker might be best referred to now as a then-snarky website, after new owner Univision froze the operation in time on Aug. 22 after snapping it up in a bankruptcy sale. Kim Kardashian, whose sex tape with Ray J launched an empire, has made major moolah from their envelope-pushing adventure, only her money has come from viewers a few bucks at a time. Guesstimates put her half of their sex-tape haul in the multiple millions. And if youre famous, a sex tape is no longer a big deal In 1988, when Rob Lowe taped a couple of sexual encounters during the Democratic National Convention and the end result was stolen and leaked to the public, it was quite the scandal. Some thought it would end his career especially after one of the ladies involved turned out to be 16. (Lowe told authorities hed met her at a nightclub and thought she was older, and the age of consent in Georgia at the time was 14.) In September, the roasters at Comedy Central had no problem making jokes about the tape, and this past week, Code Black introduced him as a member of its cast. Mr. Trump, Americans have been served up sex tapes. It knows sex tapes. Sex tapes are its friend. And this, sir, is no sex tape. Follow Christie DZurilla on Twitter @theCDZ. ALSO Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie strike a temporary child-custody deal Melissa Joan Hart teases the possible return of Clarissa Explains it All Mary J. Blige serenades Hillary Clinton in clip released of upcoming interview How it got to be October is anybodys guess, and the fact that its often hotter in this town now than at the height of summer just means, I guess, that all those air-conditioned restaurants are that much more pleasant. More reasons to read about where to eat out! This week, Jonathan Gold heads to Silver Lake, where he finds a chef who has cooked at some of the best French restaurants in town making pizza under a constellation of Edison light bulbs. We also have stories for you about how to play the restaurant reservation game these days, when apps have replaced telephones. A 40s-era hot dog stand shaped like, well, a hot dog, returns (you will not need an app for that). And, as the November election approaches and Californians get to vote on recreational pot, we consider a wine made from biodynamic grapes and marijuana. Advertisement Amy Scattergood Pizza, pasta and Edison bulbs Jonathan reviews Kettle Black, the new Italian restaurant in Silver Lake, with chef Sydney Hunter III behind the stoves. Hunter, a veteran of Bastide, LOrangerie and not a few of Ludo Lefebvres projects, is cooking modern Italian food under a lot of lighting. Chef Sydney Hunter III of Kettle Black in Silver Lake (Katie Falkenberg / Los Angeles Times ) The new reservation game Food writer Alice Short considers how a new wave of apps and digital services has changed the way we make reservations at our favorite restaurants particularly very popular ones with long waits for tables. New apps redefine how we make reservations at restaurants. (Priya Sundram / For The Times ) Seriously old school hot dogs In the 1940s, there was a 17-foot-wide by 8-foot-tall hot dog-shaped stand in West Hollywood where you could get pretty great hot dogs. Deputy Food Editor Jenn Harris learns that the stand, called Tail O the Pup, is coming back into operation next year and until then, its been resurrected as a food truck. Dennis Blake, in 2005, worked at the Tail o the Pup hot dog stand since 1976 with his father, Eddie Blake, (not pictured). (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times ) Making wine with biodynamic grapes and pot You can find marijuana in edibles such as chocolate and pastries, but what about wine? Wine writer Patrick Comiskey talks to the folks behind Canna Vine, a high-end marijuana product that combines organically grown marijuana and biodynamically farmed grapes. Jonathan Golds 101 Best Restaurants, the authoritative annual guide to local dining, is online for subscribers. And because youre probably wondering, Golds 2016 Best Restaurants list will be out in late October, along with our annual Bite Nite celebration. City of Gold, Laura Gabberts documentary of Jonathan Golds Los Angeles, is now available on Amazon. Check us out on Instagram @latimesfood In the Kitchen: Sign up for our weekly cooking newsletter Check out the thousands of recipes in our Recipe Database. Feedback? Wed love to hear from you. Email us at food@latimes.com. More demonstrations followed the release Friday of videos showing the fatal shooting of an unarmed black man, Alfred Olango, by El Cajon police, but the protests were more peaceful than earlier in the week. The videos were broadcast by local TV stations as it was being released. About a dozen people who gathered outside police headquarters during the news conference watched the footage on their cellphones and reacted with anger as they heard the shots ring out. Some honked car horns, others shouted profanities, and one man yelled, They trapped him like an animal! Advertisement People later began gathering at the site of the deadly altercation, where a makeshift memorial continues to grow. People have set more than 50 candles and several photos of Olango under a tree. By 8 p.m., a crowd of about 200 protesters had turned out, many of whom pushed TV news cameras and reporters away. A few feet away about a dozen people formed a circle, praying and singing gospel songs. The 200 or so protesters marched though the streets for nearly two hours, at times blocking intersections as they chanted, No justice, no peace. Officers and sheriffs deputies in riot gear lined up across some streets and freeway ramps. In contrast to the previous night, there were no reports of violence, vandalism or arrests. Thursday night, five men were arrested, one on suspicion of hitting a San Diego police officer with a brick. Law officers from several local agencies used tear gas and pepperball rounds to disperse a crowd that jumped onto cars, smashed some vehicle windows and hurled rocks and bottles at officers and sheriffs deputies. Demonstrators claimed that Olango, who was from Uganda, was shot because he was black. They called for release of the cellphone video recorded by a witness who gave her phone to police to view. The video provides more context about the moments before the fatal encounter on Tuesday, though officials said their investigation remains in its early stages and that evidence is still being gathered. The cellphone video shows Olango walking back and forth in a parking lot as a police officer follows him. The video shows the officer, identified as Richard Gonsalves, with his gun drawn. pointed at Olango The men seem to feint and lunge toward each other. Olango then briefly clasps his hands together and points them at Gonsalves, who opens fire. At least four shots are heard. Olangos sister, who had called police earlier to say her brother was acting strangely, is heard wailing nearby. A second video from a fast-food restaurant security camera shows Gonsalves following Olango through the parking lot. At some point, Olango starts walking rapidly toward the officer, who appears to back up. For a few seconds, Gonsalves and Olango appear to feint and lunge at each other. A second officer, Josh McDaniel, appears to be holding a Taser, and then Gonsalves fires. The angle of this video makes it difficult to see exactly what Olango was doing. Authorities have said that Olango had an electronic cigarette in his hands and pointed it at Gonsalves in a shooting stance. ALSO Authorities release video and 911 call as detectives probe death of man who struggled with Pasadena police officers Blacks and whites differ widely on their perceptions of police shootings, study finds Prosecutors announce charges against man seen kidnapping and beating store clerk with hammer With homicides declining steadily after a large spike earlier this year, the Los Angeles Police Department has scaled back an emergency crime-fighting operation that had flooded South Los Angeles with officers from the elite Metropolitan Division. Starting on Saturday, more than half of the Metro officers who were deployed in South Los Angeles were assigned to other areas, though they will still be dispatched to crime hot spots as needed. As violent crime has stabilized in the most dangerous parts of the city, the Hollenbeck, Rampart and the San Fernando Valley areas are among those that have seen increases partly as a result of the Metro officers being diverted to the South L.A. mission, said Asst. Chief Michel Moore. The Metro officers, he said, need to go back to other neighborhoods to stop violent crime from gaining too much momentum there. Advertisement We dont want to live on borrowed time, said Moore, who heads the departments street patrol operations. Moore called the South Los Angeles operation a success but one that should be measured timidly, because there are still too many homicides and shootings in the area. The strategy of flooding problem areas with Metro officers intensified last year, when Los Angeles saw its first jump in both violent and property crimes in more than a decade. Mayor Eric Garcetti reacted in April 2015 by announcing a plan to expand Metro, which includes SWAT, K-9 and mounted units and also provides security for visiting dignitaries, from 200 officers to about 400. Metro officers working on crime suppression were initially distributed throughout the city. Then, in January, killings in parts of South L.A. jumped 50% compared to the same period last year. In response, the LAPD flooded the Newton, Southwest, 77th Street and Southeast areas, which together account for about 48% of the citys violent gun crimes, with Metro officers. The department also set up a command center to analyze crime statistics each day. Starting in March, station captains conferred by conference call every morning at 10 a.m. to go over crimes from the day before, discussing patterns and strategies as well as where Metro officers needed to be deployed that evening. The Metro officers, who receive specialized training and must pass rigorous physical fitness tests, have concentrated on areas where gangs are active or where a rash of crimes have recently occurred. They drive unmarked cars and do not have to respond to 911 calls as patrol officers do, so they can cruise around looking for vehicles to pull over for minor infractions such as tinted windows. LAPD commanders would not release the number of Metro officers deployed in South L.A., citing safety reasons. As part of the operation, motorcycle officers, who typically write traffic citations, focused on preventing robberies by spending time in areas where crimes have occurred, handing out fliers and getting to know residents. More detectives were assigned to night shifts so investigations could get started more quickly. Officers kept an eye on repeat offenders, visiting their homes and doing parole or probation checks. If a murder could spark a retaliatory killing, officers tried to prevent more bloodshed by identifying people who might have a reason to seek revenge and by using gang intervention workers to tamp down rumors. LAPD commanders point to the number of guns seized more than 800 since the operation started in March as one measure of success. We wanted to abate this crazy rise, and we did that, said Cmdr. Dennis Kato of the South Bureau. Though there will be fewer Metro officers in South L.A., the morning statistics meetings and some of the crime-fighting strategies will continue. When the South L.A. operation began in March, homicides in the area were up by 33% over the year before. By early September, the area had recorded 83 killings versus 93 at the same time last year, an 11% drop. The number of shooting victims was down by over 19%, though violent crime was still up by over 14%. Meanwhile, in the Hollenbeck Station area, which includes El Sereno, Lincoln Heights and Boyle Heights, violent crime has gone up by 28% compared to the same period last year. In the Rampart Station area west of downtown, homicides have increased by 150%, to 20 this year from eight a year ago. Citywide, there have been 205 homicides this year, down 2% from last year. Robberies are up over 12% and aggravated assaults 14%. Over the last two years, violent crime has increased nearly 37%, and property crime has risen by 18%. LAPD officials have pointed to various factors for the increases: more gang violence, a rising homeless population and Proposition 47, the 2014 law that reduced some drug and property crimes from felonies to misdemeanors. Crime is also up in areas patrolled by the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department, which has seen a 9% increase in violent crime and a 5% increase in property crime over the last year. Jon Shane, a professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and a former police officer, said that saturating an area with cops would be expected to produce short-term gains but is not a long-term solution. Solving the root cause of crime will not be accomplished by crackdown operations, thats for sure, Shane said. You need a much more systematic intervention than just going out and taking enforcement action. LAPD commanders said they have continued with community policing strategies such as foot patrols, even as Metro officers who are not based in the area are engaging in more aggressive tactics, such as stopping drivers for minor violations and then searching the cars if they can find legal justification. We made a concerted effort not to cast the net on whole communities but on the people involved in that activity, said Bill Scott, deputy chief of the departments South Bureau. But Peter Bibring, a senior staff attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California, said that making pre-textual vehicle stops alienate people in minority communities, many of whom are already suspicious of the police. Bibring likened the practice to the New York Police Departments controversial stop-and-frisk, which ended after a federal judge ruled it to be unconstitutional. In the vast majority of vehicle stops, ordinary people, law-abiding Los Angeles residents, are treated as criminals by police because they live in one of these targeted areas, which are primarily communities of color, Bibring said. The treatment of law-abiding residents as if theyre criminals is corrosive to police-community relations. Last week, on a morning conference call for the South L.A. operation, Lt. Alex Vargas of the Southwest Station detailed some crimes from the night before. A man with a tattoo of a cross on his cheek tried to rob a smoke shop using a handgun, Vargas said. In another incident, a group of juveniles suspected in several robberies ran from the police, and a 14-year-old who resembled the nerdy television character Urkel was bitten by a police dog. After Vargas finished, Kato announced that one Metro platoon would continue patrolling the lower Baldwin Hills area, where gang activity has been a problem. With a recent fatal police shooting in North Carolina sparking controversy, Kato urged the station leaders to check in with community leaders and see if any local demonstrations were planned. Then Scott, the deputy chief, spoke. With everything thats going on across the country, with the national news and policing, just remind your folks, as we do what we need to do to keep crime down, to take the time to explain to people why youre stopping them, he said. Please just talk to your folks and make sure were doing our jobs in a way the public can accept, and I think weve been doing that. cindy.chang@latimes.com For more news on the Los Angeles Police Department, follow me on Twitter: @cindychangLA ALSO Authorities release video and 911 call as detectives probe death of man who struggled with Pasadena police officers El Cajon videos show police officer shooting unarmed black man Blacks and whites differ widely on their perceptions of police shootings, study finds Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Oct. 1 By Huseyn Hasanov Trend: Turkmenistans President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov has made personnel changes in the countrys Foreign Ministry, the Turkmen government said in a message Oct. 1. Under the changes, the countrys ambassador to the US Meret Orazov was simultaneously appointed the Turkmen envoy to Canada. Moreover, Turkmenistans ambassador to the UK, Yazmyrat Seryaev will simultaneously serve as the countrys ambassador in Sweden. Energy and transportation are the priority directions in cooperation between Turkmenistan and Canada. In particular, the oil and gas company Buried Hill Energy is carrying out drilling at the Turkmen section of the Caspian Sea. Meanwhile, Canadas Thermo Design Engineering Ltd., which works at gas fields in the eastern Turkmenistan, is the countrys long-standing partner. Turkmenistan is also interested in establishing relations with Scandinavian countries. A day of demonstrations following the fatal police shooting of an unarmed black man in El Cajon earlier this week began Saturday with a peaceful gathering of clergy who called for justice and more answers. About 200 people gathered in Prescott Promenade Park in downtown El Cajon for the hourlong rally before a much larger crowd took to the streets for a march. Some in the ethnically mixed crowd carried pictures of Alfred Olango, a 38-year-old Uganda refugee who was fatally shot by an El Cajon police officer on Tuesday. Speakers at the morning rally questioned why police had their guns drawn after responding to a call about a man who appeared unstable. Advertisement On Friday, police released video that showed Olango taking a shooting stance while holding what later turned out to be an electronic cigarette before the officer opened fire. Demonstrations have been held each night since the shooting, with at least two men arrested Thursday night after some people in a crowd threw bottles and broke windows of passing vehicles. Warning: These business surveillance and private citizen cell phone videos show the fatal shooting of Alfred Olango by El Cajon Police on Sept. 27, 2016. On Saturday, following about a dozen faith leaders, Shane Harris of the Rev. Al Sharptons National Action Network introduced Olangos brother, Apollo. Wearing a black suit and white fedora, Apollo Olango struggled to speak as he became overcome with emotion. I just want to say were thankful for all the support we have received, and well forever be grateful, he said. Thank you for helping my brothers name to never be forgotten. Harris said that Sharpton was aware of the situation in El Cajon and would be coming to the city at a later date. The family is not going to stop pursuing justice, Harris said. We have to make it very clear that what we believe happened to Alfredo Olango on that day was murder. Like other speakers, Harris questioned why police used lethal force when confronting Olango, and he called for reform in the justice system. Harris said that with the death of Olango, an African immigrant, the world had taken notice. What happened to Alfred Olango shocked the world, he said. The world is watching San Diego County, and you will not get off this time. Harris also called for all protests to be peaceful. The organization Black & Blue United scheduled a march in downtown San Diego at 3 p.m. Saturday, beginning at the San Diego Central Police Station. Warth writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune. gary.warth@sduniontribune.com ALSO Immigration officials tried twice to deport Ugandan refugee fatally shot by El Cajon police Officer involved in fatal El Cajon police shooting was embroiled in sexual harassment lawsuit These things happen in split seconds: El Cajon shooting reignites debate over how police deal with the mentally ill A man seen on a convenience store security camera kidnapping the clerk as she tries to fight him off in Exposition Park has been charged with a host of felonies and faces life in prison if convicted, prosecutors said Friday. Jose Eduardo Gaxiola Caro, 29, was armed with a hammer when he grabbed the woman and dragged her out of the store to his idling car Wednesday afternoon, police said. The midday abduction triggered an intense manhunt this week. Los Angeles police responded about 2:50 p.m. to a silent alarm at the store in the 3900 block of Denker Avenue and discovered that the 28-year-old woman had just been kidnapped, Los Angeles Police Department officials aid. Advertisement Video shows the man tugging the woman by her arms as she tries to pull away. A postal worker was shown walking into the store at the same time, stepping over the womans foot and then setting down letters on a store counter. Outside the store, the woman fights back as he tries to shove her into his red Honda Civic. The man manages to open the car door and push her into the passenger seat. Police say he hit her several times. After forcing the woman into his Honda, he drove off south on Denker Avenue, police said. But the woman, who did not know Caro, managed to escape. She was found at a cemetery in North Hollywood and taken to an area hospital for medical evaluation. Police were still looking for Caro, who reportedly had been stalking the clerk, when she was found. Officers later spotted his car in North Hollywood, police spokeswoman Liliana Preciado said. When he failed to stop, a police pursuit began and ended when the driver crashed. Caro resisted arrest, and officers used a Taser to take him into custody, police said. He is charged with attempted premeditated murder, kidnapping to commit rape, assault with intent to commit rape, assault with a deadly weapon, criminal threats, stalking and fleeing police. He is also accused of using a knife and a hammer in the crime. Timesstaff writer Veronica Rocha contributed to this report. Joseph.serna@latimes.com For breaking California news, follow @JosephSerna on Twitter. With Congress opening the way for Sept. 11 families to sue Saudi Arabia, victims families are focusing on an unproven theory that a Saudi consular official in Los Angeles and a suspected Saudi intelligence operative in San Diego directly assisted two of the 19 hijackers. The alleged Southern California connection is the key to showing that Saudi Arabia financed Muslim extremists who played a direct role in supporting some of the hijackers, according to lawyers for the families of those killed in the 2001 terrorist attacks. The families contend that lower-level Saudi operatives in Southern California helped find housing for the two hijackers, both Saudi citizens, months before they muscled their way into the cockpit of an American Airlines passenger jet that smashed into the north side of the Pentagon. Advertisement If a pending lawsuit is allowed to proceed, the families hope to find the evidence in thousands of classified FBI, CIA and Treasury Department documents that could be made public as part of discovery in federal court. Saudi Arabia has repeatedly denied any direct or indirect support for Al Qaeda, the terrorist group that carried out the attacks, or any foreknowledge or involvement in the attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania. FBI and CIA reviews concluded that no senior Saudi officials were aware of the plot. The 9/11 Commission found no evidence that the Saudi government as an institution or senior Saudi officials individually funded Al Qaeda but left open the possibility that lower-ranking officials may have played a role. California is an important part of the story, former Sen. Bob Graham (DFla.), who chaired the Senate Intelligence Committee and helped lead a 2002 congressional inquiry into the attacks, said. Graham has supported the families lawsuit. I hope that during the course of the case we will learn much more about the Saudi role, he said. Graham said he wants to find out how far the 9/11 Commission went to chase down speculation and leads from FBI investigators about alleged assistance from Saudi officials to the two hijackers in California. The issue was revived after Congress passed a bill that allows the victims families to sue Saudi Arabia for damages if it played any role in the plot. Fifteen of the 19 hijackers were Saudi citizens. On Wednesday, lawmakers voted overwhelmingly to override a veto by President Obama despite his warning that the law could put U.S. military and intelligence officials at risk overseas. Officials worry that Americans could be dragged into foreign courts to answer for U.S. drone strikes and other counter-terrorism operations. The California connection involves Nawaf Hazmi and Khalid Mihdhar, two Al Qaeda veterans of conflicts in Bosnia and Afghanistan. They flew into Los Angeles International Airport as students in January 2000 and prayed at a Culver City mosque built by the Saudi royal family and frequented by a Saudi consular official. They later moved to San Diego where they tried to improve their English and took flying lessons at the Sorbi Flying Club. Their move to San Diego later drew the interest of FBI agents searching for any evidence of Saudi support for the attacks, according to the 9/11 Commission report and to recently declassified material from the congressional inquiry. While eating at a halal restaurant on Venice Boulevard in Culver City, near the blue-tiled dome of the King Fahad Mosque, the two mens Gulf Arabic drew the attention of a Saudi named Omar Bayoumi, who had a no-show job with a Saudi defense contractor in San Diego, investigators found. Bayoumi offered to let the newcomers stay in his apartment in San Diego for a few days and later helped them pay the deposit for an apartment. The FBI suspected that Bayoumi, who bureau informants considered a Saudi intelligence operative, was sent to meet the pair by a Saudi consular official named Fahad Thumairy, who also led prayers at the Saudi-funded mosque. When retracing Bayoumis steps, FBI agents found that he had visited the Saudi consulate in Los Angeles and saw Thumairy on the same day he met Hazmi and Mihdhar. Whether those meetings were coincidence or a link that proves official Saudi complicity in the plot is key to the families claims against the kingdom. No one ever said Bayoumi or Thumairy were senior government officials, but a government is responsible for lower level officials who cause death or injury to people under the cause of their employ, said Jack Quinn, one of the lawyers for more than 2,000 family members of Sept. 11 victims. Despite the circumstantial evidence, FBI investigators concluded that Saudi officials were not aware of a terrorist plot or the two mens ties to Al Qaeda. The CIA had tracked the pair overseas but didnt alert the FBI when they flew to Los Angeles. Eric Lewis, a lawyer for two Saudi charities that are also defendants in the lawsuit, said allegations that Saudi authorities supported Al Qaeda and the 2001 attacks strikes me as ridiculous since the terrorist group founded by Osama bin Laden previously had targeted the kingdom. Either way, resolution of the lawsuit isnt expected any time soon. The case is before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit in New York City. But passage of the new law, called the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act, could send it back to the Southern District of New York in lower Manhattan, where the lawyers may end up battling for years over release of classified material. If the lawsuit prevails, U.S. courts could order the seizure of Saudi assets in the United States to pay the families. Saudi officials have warned they might need to sell off hundreds of billions of dollars in U.S. holdings in response. brian.bennett@latimes.com Follow me @ByBrianBennett on Twitter ALSO A day after veto override, Congress has second thoughts and may fix Sept. 11 bill These sisters were found dead at an Indian Ocean resort. The exact cause of death is still a mystery In wake of bombing, New Yorkers are increasingly seeing threats in the trash left on the street Five years ago, Hillary Clinton reached one of the least-noticed diplomatic agreements of her tenure as secretary of State a deal obligating Japan to continue paying nearly $2 billion a year to help defray the cost of U.S. troops stationed on its territory. The money is used to build housing and training areas for U.S. forces, pay wages to thousands of Japanese workers on U.S bases and supply water and power. The payments, which began in 1978 and are considered a pillar of the post-war U.S.-Japanese alliance, cover about a third or more of the cost of keeping 49,000 U.S. troops in Japan. Advertisement The five-year extension was disclosed in a dry communique after closed-door talks in June 2011 between Clinton and Japanese officials at the State Department. Clinton didnt announce the deal, but the payments were never a secret. Despite that history, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has insisted repeatedly that Japan and other U.S. allies contribute little or nothing to the United States for their own defense. They do not pay us. But they should be paying us, because we are providing tremendous service and were losing a fortune, Trump said Monday in a debate with Clinton, the Democratic nominee, at Hofstra University in New York. The Pentagon spends an estimated $10 billion a year on overseas bases. More than 70% of the total is spent in Japan, Germany and South Korea, where most U.S. troops abroad are permanently stationed. In return, the Pentagon receives various forms of compensation from the host countries, from rent-free real estate where the bases are located to actual cash payments meant to offset U.S. costs. Trumps attacks on allies as freeloaders is core to his political message that the U.S. is being outmaneuvered by both friends and adversaries overseas. See the most-read stories this hour >> National security experts say his false claims on defense issues could undermine the network of military and diplomatic alliances constructed around the globe by U.S. presidents of both parties over the last 70 years. Can we drive a better bargain in some cases? Yeah, and [U.S. officials] are always negotiating for better terms, said Barry Pavel, a former Pentagon official who now is vice president of the Atlantic Council, a Washington think tank that supports NATO and other U.S. alliances. But we gain the most out of these alliances because it helps keep threats much farther from our shores than they otherwise would be, he added. In Asia, said Zach Cooper, a security expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a nonpartisan Washington think tank, Trumps suggestion on the campaign trail that he might withdraw U.S. troops or fail to come to the aid of allies in a crisis is generating unease among allies. Japan and South Korea already pay large amounts to host U.S. forces on their soil, he said. Trumps comments make it more likely that competitors will escalate crises into conflicts, and that U.S. allies will develop their own independent defensive capabilities, which could increase the danger of nuclear proliferation in Asia and elsewhere. Its difficult to make exact comparisons of host nation support, as the Pentagon calls contributions from allies, because assistance comes in different forms and the Pentagon doesnt provide an accounting. An annual Defense Department report tallying foreign contributions was halted in 2004. Especially opaque are contributions from allies in the Middle East. The Pentagon maintains large permanent bases in the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar and Kuwait, but those countries keep details of their military relations with the U.S. shielded from public view. In Germany, where the United States maintains 38,000 troops and dozens of bases, compensation from Berlin is largely indirect. It includes tax waivers and rent-free use of facilities as well as construction of roads and other infrastructure in communities where installations are located. Japan has been one of the most generous hosts of U.S. forces, although its willingness to pay has waned lately. Tokyos payments grew steadily for the first 20 years of the funding agreements, peaking at more than $2.5 billion a year in 2000. But the support has dropped in the last decade due to budget pressures in Tokyo and domestic opposition in Japan to the U.S. military presence, especially on the island of Okinawa, home to more than half the U.S. troops in Japan. Japan has agreed to pay as much as $12 billion to build a new U.S. base on Okinawa for thousands of Marines now at the U.S. installation in the town of Futenma. But that project has been repeatedly delayed by local opposition. Those pressures would make it difficult for Trump to fulfill his vow to force Japan to pay more money, experts say. Under the 2011 agreement, Tokyo agreed to continue paying just under $2 billion a year. But the deal also called for a phased reduction in Japans contribution to utilities and workers salaries on U.S. bases. The 1953 U.S.-South Korea defense treaty allowed the Pentagon to station troops there. But with the country devastated by war, the U.S. paid the bills. In 1966, Seoul agreed to provide all facilities to the U.S. military at no cost, with the Pentagon picking up all expenditures for keeping troops there. But in 1991, after the South Korean economy had grown into one of the worlds largest, Seoul agreed to start picking up more of the expenses of the U.S. military presence. The most recent agreement, signed in 2014, increased South Koreas contribution to more than $800 million a year. Thats equal to about half the annual cost of the 28,500 U.S. troops stationed there, according to Pentagon officials, not including personnel costs that the Defense Department would have to pay no matter where the troops were posted. The money doesnt go to Washington, however. Its used to pay salaries of Koreans working on U.S. bases or is in the form of non-cash contributions of services and construction at the installations, according to Army Gen. Vincent Brooks, the commander of U.S. troops in Korea. South Korea also is funding most of a $10.8-billion construction project that will allow U.S. troops to move from bases near Seoul and the Demilitarized Zone along the border with North Korea to new installations farther south. david.cloud@latimes.com Twitter: @davidcloudLAT ALSO Hijackers time in Southern California at center of allegations of Saudi government involvement in 9/11 attacks Republicans fear Trump is playing into Clintons hands by lashing out on infidelity A sedate Trump discusses campaign, immigrants in deposition video over hotel dispute Trump urges mostly white crowd in suburban Detroit to stand guard for election fraud Donald Trump has been trying to counter accusations that he is racist by casting himself as a defender of minorities. But at a rally in the Detroit suburbs Friday, he urged the mostly white crowd to travel to monitor other polling places on election day -- a plea that civil rights groups say is code for preventing blacks from voting. Make sure its on the up and up, the Republican presidential nominee told thousands of supporters gathered at an expo center. In court cases around the country, civil rights groups are arguing that Republicans are using bogus allegations of vote fraud to suppress the black vote on Nov. 8. Trump is least popular in urban centers such as Detroit, which is predominantly black. Make sure its on the up and up, because, you know what? Thats a big, big problem in this country, and nobody wants to talk about it; nobody has the guts to talk about it, he said at the rally. If Trumps supporters follow through on his request, legitimate voters could be blocked from the polls, voting rights groups have warned. Intimidation tactics at the polls were a hallmark of the Jim Crow era. Its not the first time Trump has raised the specter of poll monitoring. Last month, he told a largely white crowd in rural Altoona, Pa., that he was hiring a lot of law enforcement people as poll sentinels in Pennsylvania. He said they would go down to certain areas and watch and study and make sure other people dont come in and vote five times. Whats changed since then is that Trump has started selling himself as a champion of minorities. At the Michigan rally, he said his Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton, had been a disaster for African Americans. Theyre too smart, and they know they are being used, he said. He also made this plea: To the African American community, let me ask this question: Are you better off than you were eight years ago? If not, why not give Donald Trump a chance? In leaked recording, Clinton frets that Sanders supporters dont see much of a future (Andrew Harnik / Associated Press) Hillary Clinton appeared perplexed by the electorate. On one side, its nationalist, xenophobic, discriminatory, while on the other is a deep desire to believe that we can have free college, free healthcare. I am occupying from the center-left to the center-right. And I dont have much company there, Clinton said privately at a fundraiser in Virginia in February, in the thick of the primary race. Audio of Clintons closed-door statements emerged this week, first published by the conservative Washington Free Beacon, which says it came from hackers who breached the email account of a campaign staffer. In her nearly-hourlong remarks, Clinton, who at the time was locked in a contentious primary battle with Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, also offered her view of his supporters. Some are new to politics completely. Theyre children of the Great Recession. And they are living in their parents basement, she said. They feel they got their education and the jobs that are available to them are not at all what they envisioned for themselves. And they dont see much of a future. Sanders, who was especially popular with young voters, is now working to boost Clintons support among the same demographic in her general election battle against Republican Donald Trump. Sanders is scheduled to campaign for Clinton next week in Iowa and Minnesota. Clinton appears to be trying to understand the demands of Sanders supporters in her remarks, which didnt immediately threaten to unsettle her campaign as when she called half of Trumps supporters deplorables at another fundraiser last month. The racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, Islamaphobic you name it. And unfortunately there are people like that. And he has lifted them up, she said. She later expressed regret for referring to half of Trumps supporters as deplorables. Californias finances were in such trouble in the not-too-distant past that by 2009, even many tax-shunning Republican lawmakers were pleading with their constituents to temporarily increase sales, income and vehicle license taxes. Voters said no repeatedly, until Gov. Jerry Brown offered them this deal in 2012: Take just four years of higher sales taxes, and a mere six years of higher income taxes on the well-to-do, and well finally be out of the structural budget mess that has dogged the state for the better part of two decades. Well have the breathing room to plan how we move into the future perhaps, some advocates said, by redesigning the states outdated tax code, which makes California far too subservient to Wall Street and far too dependent on the whims and fortunes of wealthy investors. Then the increases will expire and we wont have to renew them. Advertisement Or dont do it, Brown said, but know that the state then will have to make a host of pre-approved trigger cuts in education and other crucial services. A tax structure that depends too heavily on a small group of people, however wealthy they may be, also presents an insidious social and political problem. Californians finally said yes to tax increases four years ago in the form of Proposition 30. It was the right decision, and it made the Legislatures primary job for the last four years to get ready for the measures expiration by doing the unglamorous but fundamental work of updating state tax laws or figuring out some other way to get revenues to match the states wants and needs. But lawmakers didnt do that. They didnt even try because they knew that big political players would relieve them of any accountability by creating a cop-out initiative like Proposition 55, which would simply extend the higher income taxes another 12 years into the future. After that happens, Proposition 55s proponents now tell us, things will be different. Lawmakers will really have the breathing room to get serious about tax and budget reform and will design a fairer and more stable tax system. Nonsense. If Proposition 55 passes, lawmakers will have no reason to do any of that work at all. Its hardly a coincidence that the tax extension would last 12 years the maximum allowable time anyone can serve in the Legislature. That means not a single person now sitting in the Assembly or Senate, nor anyone elected this November, will have to deal with Californias next fiscal cliff. Thats bad planning, bad thinking, bad budgeting and cowardly politics. Proposition 30 put California back on its feet, and now its time to move forward. The Times urges a No vote on Proposition 55 and its longer, but still temporary, tax increases. The measure would allow the higher sales tax to expire at the end of this year but would continue higher income taxes on top earners that otherwise would expire in 2018: 1% on annual earnings over $250,000 for individuals and $500,000 for couples, then 2% on higher amounts and finally 3% on the highest earners, in addition to the previous top marginal rate of 9.3%. On first blush, that may sound great to a majority of California voters and thats surely what proponents were thinking. Why worry about the rich? They can afford it. But that means hitching Californias wagon and its revenue for schools, healthcare and other programs to the investor class and others whose annual net incomes rise and fall with the vicissitudes of Wall Street, even as they keep their personal wealth intact and out of the reach of income taxation. Californias schools got a windfall in 2006 merely because a handful of Silicon Valley investors switched their holdings and had to pay a lot in taxes. Two years later, schools and the state approached insolvency because investors were having a bad year. California must be able to rely on a mix of revenue, and yes, that includes progressive taxation of wealth, but it also must include steadier and more predictable sources to help the state survive stock market dives. Instead of backing the state away from that dangerous revenue volatility, Proposition 55 ensures that we will be more tied than ever to Wall Street. There also is the very real concern that if California increasingly relies on only its wealthiest people, they will take their money elsewhere. Critics argue that the wealthy pay far less in taxes today than they would have a half-century ago, and that may well be true. But the more useful comparison is between the California of today and its counterparts with lower income taxes. Nevada, Washington and Texas have no state income taxes and are a constant lure to wealthy Californians looking for more affordable places to take their businesses, payrolls and investments. A tax structure that depends too heavily on a small group of people, however wealthy they may be, also presents an insidious social and political problem. When a majority of people provide a substantial portion of the states revenue, there is a broader demand for accountability and a greater incentive to vote. But when only a few provide most of the revenue, the majority loses not only its incentive to demand results, but its leverage to do so. The tax system that Proposition 55 locks in place until 2030 is fiscally, politically and socially unsound, and voters should reject it and demand that the Legislature produce something better. Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook Memories of the night in 2010 when Jason Feddy met Todd Mack at a Tel Aviv concert are still poignant for the Laguna Beach production director at KX 93.5. The show included performances by American, Israeli and Palestinian musicians in an effort to draw people together. At the time I didnt think there was much I could do to help, Feddy said of the 2010 encounter with the founder of Music in Common, a global nonprofit designed to encourage understanding between the Abrahamic faiths of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, strengthening ties between U.S. and Middle Eastern cultures, and giving a voice to under-served communities. The organization also incorporates youth performances into its efforts which is how Feddy was able to get involved. Advertisement Mack founded Music in Common in 2005 following the 2002 death of his friend, bandmate and Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl. Pearl was kidnapped and killed by terrorists in Pakistan while on assignment. Feddy had also been noticing a buildup of mistrust within society and evaluated his own cultural knowledge. I realized I didnt know any Muslims, and therein lies the problem, said Feddy, who is Jewish and grew up in Britain. Through connections he established in Laguna, Feddy set out to bring Music in Common youth performances to the city. With help from songwriter and composer Alisa Eisenberg, the first one was held at the Laguna College of Art + Design in December following the San Bernardino shootings. The second event was held at Lagunas BC Space Gallery on Sept.11, the 15th anniversary of the terrorist attacks. In Orange County we tend to live in our cars and rarely meet our neighbors, let alone people from other communities or faiths, said Feddy, an Aliso Viejo resident. If we want to break down barriers between people, we have to get to know one another. Eight participants from Christian, Muslim and Jewish faiths ages 14 to 20 spent two days writing a song that they eventually performed in front of what Mack described as a standing-room only crowd. In the program, participants discuss pressing issues related to religion, ethnicity and culture, and write a song together as a group. Participants filled out questionnaires upon arrival to spur ideas and generate conversation. Survey questions included, What pressures do you feel both inside and outside of your faith group? They wrote a three-minute song titled, Rehumanize, which acknowledges the impact stereotypes have on individuals and the importance of spreading tolerance of the world, said Trey Carlisle, 17, one of the group members. Trey, a student at Soka University of America in Aliso Viejo, said despite the condensed time frame, creating a song was relatively seamless. Even though everyone came from different backgrounds...we shared similar beliefs of love, peace and respect for all, Trey said. He played bass guitar while the group was buoyed by a pianist and ukelele player. Trey, who is Christian and African American, has developed a passion for fighting injustice through personal encounters and learning about groups throughout history that have been oppressed, such as the Jews during the Holocaust and Cambodians during a genocide in that country in the late 1970s. Trey co-wrote a documentary about the Cambodian genocide for the Righteous Conversations Project, a program of the Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust. Ive been perceived as a possible threat by the way I wear my hair or the color of my skin, Trey said. But, when I take the time to go up to them, be kind to them...I see their perceptions are changed. Feddy said the event was transformational. I dont use that word lightly, Feddy said. I am still on a high. Backyard sessions evolve into world tour Music in Common has directly served thousands of people in more than 250 communities across the globe. Shortly after Sept. 11, 2001, Mack said he noticed a rise in anger and unwillingness to understand other peoples narratives about other religions. Pearls death sparked Macks concept of Music in Common. In its early days, the idea was to honor Pearl with small concerts and jam sessions with friends in Macks backyard in Sheffield, Mass. The gatherings were meant to give people a sense of community. Mack and his bandmates eventually hit the road sharing the idea of understanding while playing in clubs around the country. Music in Common was born out of these events. The offshoot youth program includes song writing and video production. As a nonprofit Music in Common receives funding from private donations and grant money. Organization officials recruit youth through networking and partnerships with various institutions, including churches, synagogues and mosques, Mack said. Participants musical acumen spans a wide range, Mack said. Music in Common will provide equipment, such as guitars and pianos, if participants do not have their own. Mack hopes to hold future events in Orange and Los Angeles counties, with Laguna Beach as the hub. All we want is for them to want to be there and be curious; curious to learn about others from different faiths and cultures, Mack said. For more information about Music in Common, visit musicincommon.org. bryce.alderton@latimes.com Twitter: @AldertonBryce The salty aroma of fresh pastrami sandwiches piled high and served with homemade pickles for years filled the 3,000-square-foot East Coast-style deli tucked away in a dilapidated shopping center surrounded by Newport Beach office buildings. Now, the scent that had welcomed lunchtime customers to Arnies Manhattan Deli since 1993 is no longer. The Challita family, who has owned the business for decades, closed the doors at the Dove Street location on Friday afternoon for the last time and turned in their keys. SueAnn Challita, 30, has been working as a manager and server at the family deli for years. She first started helping out at her parents restaurant when she was 12 years old. Its something she thought she would continue throughout her life. Its going to be weird waking up in the morning and having Arnies not be here anymore, she said. Its been a huge part of my life. Antoine Challita, left, helps Jack Hernandez push a stove to his truck as the Challita family prepares to close Arnies Manhattan Restaurant and Deli in Newport Beach on Friday. (Kevin Chang / Daily Pilot) In June, the property owner served the Challita family with a notice to vacate the storefront by Sept.30. Their lease, which had been month to month for the past three years, was ending, said Elia Challita, SueAnns father. The 5.7-acre MacArthur Square commercial center, built in 1974 on the corner of Dove Street and Scott Drive, just west of MacArthur Boulevard had fallen into disrepair. The paint is peeling off the wood buildings and many of the centers storefronts once filled with restaurants, medical offices and retail shops remain vacant. Irvine-based developer Newport Place Residential LLC had sought to replace the center with a four-story residential complex with 384 apartments and 5,677 square feet of restaurant space. Owner Elia Challita, center, looks on as he sells whats left of the kitchen supplies at Arnies Manhattan Restaurant and Deli in Newport Beach on Friday. (Kevin Chang / Kevin ChangDaily Pilot) The city Planning Commission voted in June to reject The Residences at Newport Place, citing insufficient public access to a proposed half-acre park, potential parking issues and an inadequate retail component. The developer appealed the decision to the City Council in July, but council members rejected the project as well. Newport Place Residential LLC could resubmit a revised project to the city, but so far, city officials have not received any new plans for the property, said Community Development Director Kim Brandt. Elia Challita said hes not sure why his lease is ending now, but he suspects his daughter showing up at city meetings to rally against the development didnt help. A lawyer representing Newport Place Residential LLC and a representative for Business Properties Management Company, the centers property manager, did not respond to phone calls seeking comment Friday. SueAnn Challita vacuums an eating area as her family officially closes Arnies Manhattan Restaurant and Deli in Newport Beach on Friday. (Kevin Chang / Kevin ChangDaily Pilot) On Wednesday, the family served the last of their customers. The next two days were devoted to cleaning out the restaurant, selling what they could and leaving behind what no one wanted. By Friday morning, the counters, once filled with assembled sandwiches and hot soup, sat bare. The case at the front of the restaurant that displayed fresh deli meat was empty. The light blue paint peeling from the walls hinted at the murals of New York City landmarks that had been ripped down in preparation of the closure. The business had been bustling for years and earned a 4.5 out of 5 star rating on the delis Facebook page. By noon on weekdays, the line would often be out the door. Three phone lines for to-go orders would ring off the hook, said SueAnn Challita. We can seat 200 people and wed be completely full, she said. Arnies Manhattan Restaurant and Deli in Newport Beach is closing. The restaurant has been at this location in Newport Beach since February 1993. (Kevin Chang / Daily Pilot) Dozens of longtime customers showed up at the deli on Thursday, unaware of the closure and surprised by the state of the restaurant, SueAnn Challita said. A lot of people didnt think it would really happen, she said. If Im being honest, Im not sure I thought it would really happen. Elia Challita purchased the Arnies Manhattan Deli original location on Bristol Street from a man named Arnie in the early 1990s. An architect by trade who attended college on the East Coast, Elia Challita was attracted to the business in part for the desire to be his own boss. But it was the deli fare that really sold him. I wanted to start my own business and I didnt want to work for anybody, he said. This was the best opportunity for me to do that and enjoy the food I love. Elia Challita said while he doesnt have immediate plans to reopen at another location, he said he doesnt think this will be the end of his deli adventure. If he does reopen, he said, hell do one thing differently. Im going to name it Elias deli, he said. hannah.fry@latimes.com Twitter: @HannahFryTCN Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 1 By Fatih Karimov Trend: The National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) has finalized a deal to export crude oil to Hungary, Mohsen Qamsari, director of international affairs at the NIOC, said. The deal to export a 1-million-barrel oil cargo to the European country in next month has been concluded, Qamsari said, the oil ministrys SHANA news agency reported Oct. 1. All crude oil shipments to Europe should be 1-million-barrel to be able to cross the Suez Canal, Qamsari said. Prior to sanctions, France, Italy, Spain and the UK were among Iran's traditional customers in Europe. Nonetheless, since sanctions were terminated last January, East European states have also submitted proposals to purchase oil from Iran. Negotiations for crude export to Hungary launched in early 2016. In mid-July, Qamsari said Hungarian multinational oil and gas company MOL called for importing 40,000 barrels of light crude oil per day from Iran. However, he added that Tehran is not ready to provide MOL with light crude currently. Irans August crude oil exports jumped 15 percent from July to more than 2 million barrels per day (bpd). The volume is close to Tehran's pre-sanctions shipment levels in 2011. The strong demand in Irans crude in Asia and Europe has enabled it to raise its oil output to just over 3.8 million bpd, still below the 4 million bpd level termed by Tehran as a precondition for discussing output limits with other oil producers. Three people were hospitalized Friday after their car crashed into a light pole next to South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa, authorities said. Firefighters responded to a report of a crash at about 3:30p.m. at Sunflower Avenue and Bear Street, said Capt. Chris Coates of the Costa Mesa Fire Department. All three occupants of the car had to be taken to a trauma center, Coates said. The crash backed up traffic near the shopping center. Theodore Bob Robins Jr., a fixture of Newport-Mesa and the philanthropic patriarch of the family who runs one of the areas oldest car dealerships, has died. He was 87. Robins died peacefully Monday, surrounded by family at his Newport Beach home, according to his son, Jim Robins. Robins maintained an active presence in the Newport-Mesa community for decades both as dealer principal and chairman of the board for Theodore Robins Ford on Harbor Boulevard in Costa Mesa, and as a dedicated community volunteer and philanthropist. He was full of love, not only for his family, but for his employees, Jim Robins said Thursday. He loved his community. Thats why he was always part of so many different service groups and so focused on giving back. Born in 1929 in Newport Beach, Bob Robins attended Newport Elementary School and graduated from Newport Harbor High School in 1947. He married his wife, Virginia whom he had met at the Balboa Bay Club in 1957. They were married for 59 years and had three children: Sarah, Jim and David. David Robins is general manager of the family dealership. Jim Robins is its president. Jim Robins said his father was a daily presence there until about two months ago, when his health began to decline. All he would talk about with the doctors and nurses was that he wanted to get back to work, Jim Robins said. Strong work ethic was something Robins was born into. His father, Theodore Robins Sr., began the familys foray into the automobile business in 1921, when he opened a service garage on the Balboa Peninsula. Young Robins helped ferry parts throughout town, even getting his license at 14 so he could accomplish the job in a delivery truck. Two years later, as family lore goes, Robins Sr. jumped behind the wheel of his Model T and drove to Los Angeles to sign a deal with Ford to open a dealership. After expansions in Newport Beach, the business moved to its current Costa Mesa location, 2060 Harbor Blvd., in 1966. Robins joined the dealership full time in 1950. You could say I was born in the business, he told the Daily Pilot in 2011. Of course, I was just watching and hanging around the shop for the first few years. But I grew up in the shop helping Dad on the weekends and [during] summer when school was out. Costa Mesa resident Mike McIlroy worked at the dealership for more than 40 years before he retired about two years ago. He remembered Robins as generous and a great guy who was deeply involved in the family business. Any problems you had, hed come out and talk them out with you, McIlroy said. He just really helped you out whatever you needed. During his lifetime, Robins donated his efforts and money to a host of organizations such as the Costa Mesa and Newport Beach chambers of commerce, Hoag Hospital, Segerstrom Center of the Arts and the Balboa Bay Club, among many others. Sen. John Moorlach (R-Costa Mesa) called Robins a five-star guy and a pillar of the community. Bob was personable, Moorlach said. He was a down-to-earth, friendly guy who was always available and reachable. Hell be missed. Steve Rosansky, president and CEO of the Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce, said Robins was always quick with a joke. He was well-loved and respected in the chamber and was a big supporter of ours, Rosansky said. He always wanted to help out and volunteer. Newport Beach resident Dr. Donald W. Wise, whos known Robins for several years, called him a remarkable human being. He was so incredibly grounded, Wise said. He always had a twinkle in his eye. He was just a salt-of-the-earth, good person, Wise added. He and his wife were involved in so many different philanthropic endeavors in and around Newport Beach. He was just a really, really special man. For his philanthropic work, Robins was named Newport Beach Citizen of the Year in 1994. The Costa Mesa Chamber of Commerce gave him a lifetime achievement award in 2005. It certainly gives you a lot of respect for the person and makes you proud of all of his accomplishments, Jim Robins said of his fathers years of community involvement. It makes you want to follow in his footsteps. Services are scheduled 11a.m. Tuesday at St. Joachim Catholic Church, 1964 Orange Ave., Costa Mesa. A reception will follow at Santa Ana Country Club, 20382 Newport Blvd., Santa Ana. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Hoag Hospital Foundation or Exchange Club of Newport Harbor. luke.money@latimes.com Twitter: @LukeMMoney Its been 19 years since I moved to Newport Beach. Back then I was a young OK, younger reporter with two kids and a husband who was losing his mind driving the 405 Freeway every day between our home in Los Angeles and his business in Orange County. There was an opening in the Los Angeles Times Orange County edition, and I grabbed the chance for a transfer south. We decided that we wanted to live within the boundaries of Newport-Mesa Unified School District. We stretched our budget to buy a house in Newport Beach. At the time I thought it would be a brief interlude until our next move. You can see how that turned out. Many years have passed since I left my full-time reporting gig. I gave up the job of my dreams because I thought that my sons would benefit from more of my undivided time and attention. It was one of the toughest decisions I ever made, and not a day goes by that I dont miss the daily grind. No regrets, though. Im a fortunate woman to have had the luxury to make such a choice, and Ive led what by any measure can only be described as a charmed life here in Orange County. Meanwhile, my love of news endures even as the newspaper business, buffeted by the winds of our Internet-driven age, continues to shrink and many of the places where old-school journalists and pressmen once plied their trade become relics of times passed. Now I hear that the building where I used to work, the former Times plant in Costa Mesa on Sunflower Avenue also once home to the Daily Pilot is slated to be repurposed into one of those trendy, open office space facilities that are supposed to inspire creativity and innovation. In an homage to its ink-stained heritage, it will be called The Press and will feature volleyball courts, grills and outdoor seating, because, we are meant to believe, such amenities inspire workers to change the world for the better. And that just makes me sad. Or laugh. Sad laugh. The now-vacant Los Angeles Times building at 1375 Sunflower Ave. in Costa Mesa opened in 1968 and closed in 2014. (Scott Smeltzer / Daily Pilot) The plan is to sell tenants on the ambience of the buildings origins, although my erstwhile colleagues would no doubt snicker at my use of the term ambience in connection with our charmless former digs. As much as I loved my old job, the structure itself is little more than a big box where giant presses once droned on one side and, on the other end, reporters and editors were stuffed into a honeycomb of drab cubicles adorned with varying levels of clutter. Were going to play off that history, that authenticity of the building. All that stuff makes it cool, said one of the developers to The Times last month. While its not a bad idea to recycle this rather characterless monument to print journalism, I cant help but cringe at the thought of empty newsrooms now apparently of value only due to hipster nostalgia. If I sound a bit bitter, so be it. But to me, that building stands as a symbol of loss, because no matter how much deference is paid to its heritage, its what used to happen inside that made it great. And now thats all gone. The slow and agonizing decline of print journalism is creating a void that, so far, no one has quite figured out how to replace. Newspapers, even in their vastly diminished state, are still the places where real journalism happens, where writers and editors adhere to time-honored principles of researching, fact-checking and digging deep to uncover information, insights and vivid details that are presented in thoughtful, well-written articles. Consider the Academy Award-winning movie Spotlight, which tells the true story of a team of investigative journalists at the Boston Globe who broke new ground on the Catholic Churchs cover-up of pedophile priests. The most accurate depiction of newspaper work that Ive ever seen, the film nails the painstaking, oftentimes tedious work and difficulty that goes into producing quality news reports. That kind of depth and diligence is a far cry from the Twitter feeds and video sound bites that dominate our news cycle today. Indeed, Spotlight"-style investigations are becoming far less common as news organizations run up against plummeting advertising revenue and readership. According to a Brookings Institution report, the number of newspaper journalists dropped 39% from 1989 to 2012. Theyll likely never come back. This is something we should all care about. As newspapers across the country close down or limp along in diminished states, our democracy suffers too. A dearth of reliable journalism can only mean that corruption will go uncovered, power will remain unchecked and substantive stories wont be told. I drove past the old plant recently. It looked much the same, except that the big Los Angeles Times sign has been replaced with new signage for ThePressOC.com. I checked out the website for the project. Artistic renderings for it depict a modern, airy workspace. It actually looks pretty decent. It promises a space not only worthy of how far youve come, but designed to take your creative culture and your business to the next level. A space where a storied past serves as the backdrop for an awe-inspiring future. It invites prospective tenants to treat tomorrow as a chance to outshine yesterday. If only. --- PATRICE APODACA is a former Newport-Mesa public school parent and former Los Angeles Times staff writer. She lives in Newport Beach. Here are some signs that youre a dinosaur: 1) Youre reading this on newsprint. 2) You still think Happy Days was a great show. 3) You believe the slow death of handwriting is a sign that civilization as we know it is doomed. I can easily count myself among the dinosaurs of the world, and I have plenty of other evidence to attest to this. I learned to type on a manual typewriter, took sewing and cooking classes in middle school, and still take copious notes using pen and paper. But I am not among those who hold with No. 3 above. The way I see it, the raging controversy over the steady decline of penmanship taught in our schools is overblown, and the most ardent defenders of handwriting could do more good if they directed their passions toward other educational failings. Now I know Im not alone, as a new book thats getting a lot of attention seeks to calm the storm and let us know that the de-emphasis of handwriting isnt as terrible a development as some fear. And by the way, when I refer to this as a raging controversy, Im not kidding. As Anne Trubek notes in The History and Uncertain Future of Handwriting, it was a tendentious topic as far back as 1528, when the Dutch scholar Erasmus wrote, I never saw a hotter argument on so unexciting a subject. That statement rings true today, as debates over cursive writing are waged in state legislatures across the country. The recent squabble has been stoked by the introduction of Common Core educational standards, which dont include a requirement for the teaching of cursive writing and seem to favor electronic keyboards rather than handwriting. The backlash spawned an effort to protect handwriting. Today, many states, California included, have cursive writing requirements in their educational standards. Yet worries continue that as handwriting is driven to obsolescence in our technology-enabled world, all manner of negative effects will proliferate, including a lack of fine motor skills, decreased neurological development, and a dearth of romanticism. I even read an editorial recently that championed the theory that an absence of handwriting instruction could lead to impulse-control problems in children. As Trubek, an Oberlin College English professor, writes in the introduction to her well-researched book, the prospect of not teaching students handwriting strikes many as unimaginable. She persuasively argues that our fixation with writing by hand is driven more by emotion than evidence, as it is perceived to be inextricably linked to our history, core values and individual identities. Innovations, cultural shifts and changing technologies have always been greeted with trepidation, she notes: In Ancient Greece, Socrates thought the written word would lead to a dumbing-down of society by discouraging memorization and critical thinking, and 16th-century monks decried the invention of the printing press. Trubek reminds us, however, that with every new development, while some qualities may be lost, much can sometimes be gained. And so it will likely be as society becomes increasingly digitized. Older folks the aforementioned dinosaurs might fret over how little our mobile device-addicted kids write by hand. But if the goal of public education is to prepare students to become successful, employable adults, typing is unarguably more useful than handwriting, Trubek wrote in a recent New York Times Op-Ed piece. There are few instances in which handwriting is a necessity, and there will be even fewer by the time todays second graders graduate. Indeed, she contends, childrens mastery of keyboarding at ever-younger ages allows them to focus on higher-order cognitive functions, such as rhetorical structure and word choice. Todays kids may become better and more prolific writers, and those with certain learning disabilities will benefit. Moreover, the inherent bias toward awarding better grades to those with neater penmanship will disappear. The kids will be all right, Trubek assures us. Predictably, Trubeks book and the attendant publicity have spawned a rash of opposing-view editorials, letters and commentaries. Although her critics are largely thoughtful and can cite lots of brain-based research in their defense of handwriting, I have certainly noticed the inclination noted by Trubek toward more visceral arguments. I feel sorry for any person who has never had the pleasure of receiving a beautifully crafted or perhaps clumsily handwritten letter in cursive writing that reflects time, effort and the personality of the writer, one letter writer stated. Another lovingly recalled her husbands hand-written marriage proposal decades ago. Yet another wondered how future generations would be able to sign checks. I assume the latter wasnt intended to be sarcastic, despite the blindingly obvious inevitability that checks will die out long before handwriting disappears. I cant deny the appeal of these handwriting admirers poignant devotion to the craft, nor can I ignore the reality that writing by hand does have many well-demonstrated merits. Neither does Trubek. But if I may presume to sum up her point, very roughly, it is that things change, progress often comes with a cost, and our nostalgia for a time past shouldnt preclude us from appreciating the real benefits that can be attained through new developments. Fellow dinosaurs, dont despair. Handwriting might be a dying art. But well always have Happy Days reruns. -- PATRICE APODACA is a former Newport-Mesa public school parent and former Los Angeles Times staff writer. She lives in Newport Beach. With a little over a month before voters decide on Nov. 8 whether or not to pass a $325-million facilities bond that would pay for significant upgrades at Glendale Community College, school officials and supporters have spread the word about the campus need for bond-funded improvements. If passed by 55% of voters, the bond, known as Measure GC, would cost property owners about $21 per $100,000 of assessed value. Officials who are making rounds to local neighborhood associations and community groups to inform voters about the need for the bond to upgrade aging facilities are finding that many locals support the idea, said Glendale Community College President/Supt. David Viar. Join the conversation on Facebook >> I have presented to a number of the clubs and organizations. So far, Im finding very respectful support and a strong understanding, he said, adding that many residents tell him theyve attended the college or they know a friend or family member who did. Im talking to people who really understand this college, what its meant. Thats very positive, Viar said. After passing a comprehensive facilities master plan late last year, which included an idea for a new facility for the colleges highly esteemed engineering, robotics and computer-aided manufacturing program, officials began eying a bond as the best way to fund major improvements. Measure GC would also pay for key infrastrcuture upgrades, such as replacing deteriorating electrical, sewer and gas lines, in addition to improving classrooms and job-training facilities used by students transferring to a four-year school or those training to become nurses or firefighters. Soon after the colleges board of trustees passed a resolution to put the bond on the ballot, Viar tapped former Clark Magnet High School Principal Doug Dall to help run the measures grassroots support campaign. Dall graduated from the college before pursuing a career in education, going on to lead one of Glendale Unifieds most premiere campuses focused on science and technology, before resigning at the end of the last school year. He said he was eager to get to work with the support campaign, calling it a no-brainer, to get involved, he said. A recent tour of the campus convinced Dall even more so that the college could benefit from significant improvements because some areas on the schools grounds havent changed from the time he was a student there 35 years ago, he said. Theres just areas there that havent been touched. It looks just the same as when I was there. You cant stay current in 21st-century education without the proper facilities and infrastructure, Dall said. The committee has set up social-media accounts and a website, YesOnGC.org, and plan to run phone-banking events and send mailers to residents leading up to election day. Any clear opposition to the bond appears to be absent from much of the dialogue about the measure, so far, and nobody stepped forward to put in the ballot book any opposition or reason for opposing it, Viar said. However, some residents have asked Viar why state officials wont pay for the colleges upgrades. Hes replied that theres limited funding from the state and its important for local citizens to support the college, he said. I emphasize we really are local in nature, he said. Dall said hes confident voters will back the measure. I predict there will be a strong level of support from the community, Dall said. Theres such need and theres such support for Glendale College as a community institution. GCC is a true community partner. -- Kelly Corrigan, kelly.corrigan@latimes.com Twitter: @kellymcorrigan ALSO 37 years later, Barbara Ballmans killer is brought to justice and now faces the death penalty Documented gang member suspected of selling heroin, meth out of Glendale home Glendale Memorial Hospital marks its 90th year of operation A convicted killer who could be executed for the 1979 rape and murder of a Glendale woman grew up in an abusive household in a gang-infested Echo Park neighborhood, witnesses testified this week. Defense attorneys called several witnesses to describe Darrell Gurules troubled upbringing to jurors who last week convicted him of murdering Barbara Ballman and are now considering whether he should be sentenced to death. A neighbor who shared an Echo Park duplex with Gurules family in 1963 testified Wednesday that she heard screaming and crying, constantly, coming from upstairs. I saw bruises on the children, all four of them, said Violet Martinez, referring to Gurule and his three brothers. Bruises on the mom, her face. Join the conversation on Facebook >> The boys were always hungry, she said. Sometimes, when they came over, they headed straight to the refrigerator. A social worker who handled the familys case for two years in the 1970s would struggle to track down Gurules mother, who she testified was either gone from the home or sleeping off a drug or alcohol binge. She said she remembers getting calls that the kids werent showing up for school. Gurule, sitting in court wearing a purple shirt and tie, wiped his eyes with a tissue as the woman described his familys case as among the top 10 worst of her six-year career. A 1973 newspaper article revealed that on Fourth of July that year, Glendale police found Gurules seven siblings Gurule was in juvenile hall at the time in a home alone, among rotting food, feces and overflowing toilets, according to Philip Peng, an alternate public defender representing Gurule. Gurules mother, who died in 1997, was on a date at the time. Gurules brother Joseph Jr., the oldest of four boys and four girls, testified that he lost contact with his siblings after they were placed in different foster homes. He didnt have a chance. He didnt have a fighting chance, Gurules maternal aunt Lita Hopkins told the jury after Peng asked what qualities shed miss about her nephew if he were executed. Before this week, she hadnt seen Gurule in 50 years. Darrell Gurule is a good boy, a good man, she said. Had he had the opportunities, I believe that Darrell wouldve shown the world a lot of good. Gurule, who his brother said joined a gang in his youth with the moniker Loco, has a criminal history that stretches back to 1973, when, according to Glendale police, he was arrested for larceny and assault. In 1977, at 17 years old, he pointed a shotgun at a woman who was leaving work in her car and forced his way into the drivers seat. After driving her somewhere, Gurule told her to take off her clothes and forced her to perform oral sex. She distracted him and escaped before Gurule drove off in her car. Los Angeles police later caught him driving the car, with the womans belongings in his pockets. Five months after his release from a juvenile facility in 1979, children found Ballmans body, lying naked on the front seat of her Volkswagen Beetle, across the street from Thomas Edison Elementary School in Glendale. Shed been raped and killed by a single shotgun wound to her abdomen. Ballmans case went cold for decades, until breakthroughs in DNA analysis led Glendale detectives to Gurule in 2004, according to Deputy District Atty. Jonathan Chung. By that time, he was serving a life sentence for kidnapping and fatally shooting a man in the back of his head in 1987. In 2009, Glendale homicide detectives visited Gurule in prison, carrying photos of Ballman, along with shots of her crime scene. Gurule denied ever having met her. During a cross-examination of Hopkins, Chung recounted Gurules violent criminal history and asked: Would you still say your nephew is a good man? The Darrell I knew was a good man, she said. He asked her when she last saw Gurule. Not since he was 6 or 7 years old, she said. The Darrell you knew when he was 6 or 7 was a good man? he asked. Yes, sir, Hopkins replied. A chaplain testified Thursday that in more recent years, Gurule taught Bible study to other inmates and attended her and her husbands chapel services, where he sat behind her and protected her from other inmates. He follows the Lord. Hes helping other individuals, Joseph Gurule Jr. testified a day earlier. Until this week, the pair hadnt seen one another since 1987. I just ask you guys to please consider letting my brother live, he said. Testimony is slated to resume next week. -- Alene Tchekmedyian, alene.tchekmedyian@latimes.com Twitter: @atchek ALSO New Glendale High principal settling in after taking the reins two days before start of school year Documented gang member suspected of selling heroin, meth out of Glendale home Glendale Memorial Hospital marks its 90th year of operation A 48-year-old homeless man accused of viciously raping and beating a woman in a Vons parking lot in Glendale early Thursday morning led responding officers on a foot chase that ended in a boiler-room fight, authorities said. Shortly before 4 a.m., Michael Zinzun, a registered sex offender, approached a stranger sleeping on a bus bench near Los Feliz Road and Central Avenue, and reportedly asked her if she wanted to smoke meth. She said no. After he continued to speak to her, she asked him to leave her alone. Zinzun then allegedly began sexually assaulting the victim, threatening to harm her if she didnt stop screaming, according to Glendale Police Sgt. Robert William. After dragging her away from the bench, he reportedly pushed her over a 3-foot retaining wall that separates the sidewalk from the Vons supermarket parking lot. There, he raped her, strangled her and punched her face repeatedly, William said. A worker loading his truck at the grocery store saw the attack and called 911. The first officer on scene saw Zinzun standing over the woman, who was lying on the ground half naked with visible injuries. As the witness told police what happened, Zinzun took off running, leading officers on a short pursuit into the boiler room at Dignity Health Glendale Memorial Hospital, where he fought with officers, William said. As of Friday afternoon, the victim remained hospitalized in stable condition. An officer involved in the fight, meanwhile, was taken to the hospital on Thursday with injuries to his hand. Zinzun, whose sex-registrant status stems from an offense in Florida, was charged on Friday with one count each of rape, oral copulation by force, sexual penetration by means of force, kidnapping to commit rape and resisting an executive officer by the use of force or violence. He is being held in lieu of more than $3 million bail and is due in court next week. Police believe there could be other victims. Anyone with information about Zinzun is asked to call Glendale police at (818) 548-4911. -- Alene Tchekmedyian, alene.tchekmedyian@latimes.com Twitter: @atchek ALSO Shake Shack opens its second California location in Glendale New Glendale High principal settling in after taking the reins two days before start of school year Documented gang member suspected of selling heroin, meth out of Glendale home A Glendale man was sentenced to 16 months in federal prison this week for his role in a synthetic drug ring that manufactured and distributed synthetic marijuana, commonly known as spice, federal officials said. Faisal Iqbal, one of 16 people indicted in Los Angeles last year in connection to the ring, pleaded guilty to one count each of conspiracy to distribute synthetic cannabinoids and structuring a financial transaction to avoid a reporting requirement, according to the U.S. Attorneys office. Iqbal was accused of operating businesses in the skid row area of Los Angeles to facilitate and oversee the production and sale of the drug, sold wholesale to bodegas and convenience stores under names such as Crazy Monkey and Mad Monkey, according to the federal indictment. Join the conversation on Facebook >> Packaged in bright colors with cartoon labels, the drug, produced to mimic the high of marijuana, is designed to attract teenagers who cant legally buy pot, but federal officials said its extremely dangerous. Though the drug is labeled as potpourri with disclaimers such as not for human consumption, and DEA compliant, federal officials said the defendants knew the drugs were being sold for human consumption. To manufacture the drug, chemicals analogues of controlled substances are often blended with acetone to create a mixture thats then sprayed onto plants, such as marshmallow leaves, to create synthetic marijuana, according to court records. The products were reportedly sold to customers in multiple states, including California, Arizona, Georgia, Texas, Colorado, South Carolina and Utah. The investigation was part of a nationwide crackdown on synthetic-drug distribution that included an operation in Los Angeles that targeted three organizations that officials said manufactured and distributed thousands of kilograms of synthetic cannabinoids. In the last several years, the Drug Enforcement Administration has identified more than 400 new designer drugs, most of which are manufactured in rogue labs in China and solid online or at smoke shops and gas stations, officials said. -- Alene Tchekmedyian, alene.tchekmedyian@latimes.com Twitter: @atchek ALSO 37 years later, Barbara Ballmans killer is brought to justice and now faces the death penalty Documented gang member suspected of selling heroin, meth out of Glendale home Glendale Memorial Hospital marks its 90th year of operation The strained relationship between Washington and Moscow deteriorated further Saturday with new threats over Syria but no sign of relief to widespread bloodshed there. As yet another hospital in the besieged city of Aleppo was reported bombed by Russian or Syrian government warplanes, a senior Russian official warned of tectonic consequences if the United States attacked forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar Assad. The U.S., clearly frustrated and angry at what it describes as brutal, indiscriminate attacks on civilians by Syria and its Russian allies, warned this week it would end cooperation with Moscow over Syria if the violence continues. Advertisement Washington would end diplomatic negotiations with Russia over Syria and renege on an offer to share military intelligence if the attacks dont stop, and would consider all other options, the State Department said. So far, that has been an empty threat. Though portrayed as an urgent ultimatum delivered Wednesday, the Obama administration by midday Saturday had not changed course. Secretary of State John F. Kerry has spoken by telephone to his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, nearly every day since. Still, Moscow reacted angrily to the threat. On Saturday, Russian news agencies quoted Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova as warning that U.S. military operations against the Syrian army would trigger terrible, tectonic consequences across the Middle East. A State Department spokesman, John Kirby, had earlier warned that Russias failure to secure a cease-fire in Aleppo and beyond would lead to Russians going home in body bags. However, the quagmire that Obama administration officials predicted would suck in Russia when it entered the Syrian conflict a year ago has yet to materialize. Russia, which insists it is targeting only jihadist groups, has paid a price for its military involvement, but it has also succeeded in saving the Assad government from defeat, shifting the battlefield dynamic and reasserting its influence in the region. Also Saturday, reports from Syria indicated that what rebels called a major offensive was underway, with additional sorties by Russian warplanes attacking supply routes into Aleppo, while Iranian-backed Syrian government ground forces attacked rebel positions in the divided city. A field hospital in the eastern, rebel-held Sakhour district was bombed and heavily damaged by Russian warplanes, the second such strike in a week, according to the London-based monitoring group the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Despite the soaring death toll, including at least 100 children killed in the last week in Aleppo and surrounding areas, the Obama administration has continued to insist that diplomacy still may have a chance. If we do walk away from this diplomatic process, moribund as it is, State Department spokesman Mark Toner said Friday, what are the options? Many of them are not good options. I agree [diplomacy] is on life support, but its not flat-lined yet. tracy.wilkinson@latimes.com Twitter: @TracyKWilkinson ALSO World leaders gather as former Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres is laid to rest Hijackers time in Southern California at center of allegations of Saudi government involvement in 9/11 attacks Its been one year since Russia began bombing in Syria, and there may be no end in sight UPDATES: 12:40 p.m.: This article was updated throughout with staff reporting. This article was originally published at 5 a.m. This Jewish outpost, built illegally on Palestinian land, became a potent symbol of the resolve of West Bank settlers in 2006 after a center-left Israeli government sent bulldozers to demolish nine houses and religious activists tried to block them. Riot police won that battle, but only after teenagers clinging to the empty houses were pried away. Eyal Vidal and his wife moved to Amona two years later and into a mobile home not far from the rubble where the old structures once stood. Others have followed. Advertisement We see value to settling the country and boosting settlements, 33-year-old Vidal said from his wooden porch with a view of the Palestinian villages in the distance. We wanted to be part of that. Now the settlers of Amona are bracing for a new showdown, this time vowing to defy a court-ordered deadline of Dec. 25 to evacuate. The settlers present a dilemma for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus government, which gets much of its political strength from their support but is now faced with the prospect of having to forcibly expel them. Desperate to avoid a repeat of 2006, it is searching for a legal fix that would allow them to stay. Amona is becoming a defining moment for Israels moral and legal approach to settlements. Michael Sfard, lawyer for Yesh Din Roughly 10,000 Jewish settlers live in similar outposts, hilltop communities of mobile homes that were hastily erected next to older West Bank settlements in the 1990s. At the time, the government was engaged in peace talks with the Palestinians and, at least officially, not authorizing the formation of new settlements. But with the help of government bureaucrats and the support of right-wing politicians, settlers were encouraged to occupy the hilltops. The fate of Amona, the largest of the outposts, could set a precedent for the other communities where Palestinians make property claims. Amona is becoming a defining moment for Israels moral and legal approach to settlements, said Michael Sfard, a lawyer for Yesh Din, an Israeli nonprofit that along with Palestinian landowners has petitioned the Supreme Court to disband Amona. It will tell a lot about the character of the occupation regime. In 2003, the government promised the U.S. it would evacuate several dozen outposts, and in 2005 an inquiry commissioned by the prime minister deemed them illegal. But most were never disbanded, and the settlers continue to enjoy protection by the army and government-sanctioned infrastructure such as electricity and telephone lines. In 2012, a committee appointed by Netanyahus government recommended legalizing the settlements. More recently, the government has been trying retroactively to do just that, despite court petitions by human rights groups and Palestinians who claim the outposts are built on private property. International diplomats have warned that legalizing the outposts could render the creation of a Palestinian state impossible and that the push to do so calls into question Israels commitment to a negotiated settlement with the Palestinians. Legalization is fundamentally undermining prospects for a two state solution, John Kirby, a spokesman for the U.S. State Department, said in July. Nickolay Mladenov, the United Nations special coordinator for the Middle East peace process, told the Security Council that preserving the outposts appears to reinforce a policy, carried out over decades, that has enabled over half a million Israelis to settle in territory that was occupied militarily during the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. Amona residents have mounted a public campaign to remain. The outposts Facebook page calls on Israelis to stop a second disengagement, a reference to the evacuation of Gaza settlements that occurred in 2005. Settlers have been putting up posters warning of horban, a Hebrew term that invokes the destruction of the ancient Jewish temples in Jerusalem. Government ministers and legislators have been visiting the outpost to express solidarity with the settlers and reassure them that there would be no forceful evacuations. Last month pro-settler demonstrators gathered outside the prime ministers office to call for a solution. The baggage associated with 2006 implies that if the government decides to do something unacceptable to the settlers, there will be big clashes, said Ofer Zalzberg, an Israel analyst at the International Crisis Group. The government mulled legislation to legalize Amona and offer Palestinian landowners financial compensation, but it dropped the bill over concerns about diplomatic fallout and legal challenges. Some Cabinet ministers are still advocating for it. In August, the Justice Ministry considered moving Amona residents to nearby plots whose Palestinian owners dont reside in the West Bank. Critics say such a move would break with the Israeli policy not to build on lands of absentees. Two miles east of Amona, in the Palestinian village of Ein Yabrud, Ibrahim Yakoub recalled harvesting tomatoes, chickpeas, and wheat where the settlers mobile homes now stand. An engineer who petitioned Israels Supreme Court against Amona, he said he hasnt been able to reach his land in 18 years. All of my land is in their hands, he said. Despite the court ruling, he said, they have given us nothing. But they make excuses. Vidal said that if the government decides to evacuate Amona, the settlers will resist. We wont go on our own initiative, he said. We will want them to have to come here and take us out. The future of the outpost is a test case for the government, he said: If they destroy Amona, it will create an appetite to destroy other settlements. Mitnick is a special correspondent. Tehran, Iran, October 1 By Mehdi Sepahvand - Trend: An Iranian company is in talks with the German Siemens for cooperation on building wagons, according to Deputy Minister of Industry Mojtaba Khosrowtaj. If the cooperation bears fruit, it will obviate the need for importing wagons from Russia, Khosrowtaj said, Tasnim news agency reported October 1. There are four wagon makers in Iran, grounded by old technology and financial problems. Government spokesman Mohammad Baqer Nobakht ib August 30 said the government had Okayed $2 billion finance to go to the four firms for wagon making. A deal by the Islamic Republic Railways to buy about 500 wagons from Russia was revoked early June by the General Inspection Office, which announced home-made wagons were prioritized over foreign-made. A January 20 report said a private company in Iran had lease-purchased 500 cargo wagons from Russia. Deputy Minister of Transport of Iran Mohsen Pourseyyed Aghaei in reference to the contract had said then that the most suitable way for Iranian companies to acquire wagons is lease-purchasing. Irans transport sector has remained underdeveloped due to mismanagement as well as international sanctions. The imports were discussed at a time when Iran is itself a producer of wagons. A May 16 report said the major Iranian wagon maker Pars Wagon was operating at 25 percent of its full capacity because of scanty liquidity with railway companies and too few orders from customers. Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 1 By Fatih Karimov Trend: Irans IRGC has unveiled a new domestic version of the US RQ-170 drone, Tasnim news agency reported Oct. 1. The long-range combat drone dubbed Saeqeh (thunderbolt) is capable of carrying four smart bombs. Saeqeh enjoys high level of precision-striking power. Iran unveiled the first domestic version of the sophisticated drone in May 2014. The US RQ-170 was reverse-engineered by IRGC experts. The RQ-170 is an unmanned stealth aircraft designed and developed by the Lockheed Martin Company. The aircraft was downed with minimal damage by the Iranian Army's electronic warfare unit on December 4, 2011, while flying over the Iranian city of Kashmar, some 225 kilometers from the Afghan border, Iranian media outlets claimed. Although US officials never confirmed it, Iran says it used its radio electronic warfare skills and vulnerabilities in the Sentinel's GPS receiver to trick it into landing on Iranian territory instead of its designated military base. The claims are considered plausible by many, since the drone did not sustain any visible damage during its alleged crash-landing. Iranian media outlets report that Iran has made great achievements in its defense sector and attained self-sufficiency in producing essential military equipment and systems in recent years. Tehran established an arms development program during the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s to counter the weapons embargo imposed on it by the US and its Western allies. Since 1992, Iran has manufactured its own tanks, armored personnel carriers, missiles, radars, boats, submarines and fighter planes. Iran also unveiled its first domestically-manufactured long-range Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) in 2010. Finland President Sauli Niinisto is to visit Iran in November 2016 to help develop trade and economic relations, Finland Ambassador to Iran Harri Kamarainen said on Saturday, IRNA reported. He told IRNA that President Niinisto will accompany a big trade delegation to Iran aiming to take major steps to develop trade relations between the two countries. Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in a meeting with President Niinisto in Helsinki in July 2016 extended a formal invitation of President Rouhani to his Finnish counterpart. Kamarainen said that Wood and Papers Industry Conference is to be held in Iran in a near future and 15 reputable wood production companies are to attend conference. He said the aim of his visit to Semnan province is to get acquainted with capacities and investment opportunities of the province. The Finland senior diplomat said that Finland has different capabilities and a front runner in modern technology. He said that Singapore is using elevator technology; Brazil and Argentina are using agricultural technologies of Finland. He said that Finland was front runner in production of cell phone, but, currently Finland shut down the cellphone factory and focused on setting up telecom networks and manufacturing medical equipment. The three Bethlehem houses condemned due to structural damage following a water main leak and sinkhole are going to be razed, one of the residents there said Friday. Scott Parkinson lived in one of the apartments in the duplex at 715-717 N. New St. The duplex and the adjacent home at 713 N. New St. were condemned Thursday following the discovery of a water main leak, a natural gas leak and a sinkhole along North New Street. Parkinson said he spoke with the site manager on Friday and learned the three condemned buildings will be razed. Fire chief Bob Novatnack said he had not heard about plans for the buildings when he was updated Friday afternoon. Novatnack said crews discovered a second water main leak and were working on that; North New Street remained closed Friday night between North Street and Union Boulevard. Utility service was restored to the 700 block of North New Street by 9 p.m., meaning residents whose homes are not condemned could return, Mayor Bob Donchez said via Twitter. Water service has been restored to North New St. Those living on the East side may now return to their homes. Work continues on the street. Robert Donchez (@BethlehemMayor) October 1, 2016 The American Red Cross of the Greater Lehigh Valley was continuing to assist displaced residents, and Donchez urged those wishing to help to contact the nonprofit. For anyone interested in donating to those displaced by the situation on New Street. Please contact the Red Cross at 610-865-4400. Robert Donchez (@BethlehemMayor) September 30, 2016 Parkinson said he and his girlfriend were able to grab some necessities before the building was evacuated Thursday morning, and they may be allowed to return to grab some more items. But it doesn't appear residents in the other two buildings will be allowed to return, according to Parkinson. Parkinson, who works as a bartender at Allentown Brew Works, said the experience has been terrifying. He usually works into the early morning, and was up around 3:30 a.m. Thursday when he saw flowing sediment-tainted water in the street. The water eventually dissipated, and Parkinson said he didn't notice anything else amiss when he went to sleep. The couple was woken up at about 7:15 a.m. by a firefighter clearing the neighborhood. When they walked outside, the couple saw a fleet of utility and emergency vehicles and crews "furiously working," Parkinson said. "We were scared. We didn't know what was happening," he said. The couple has been staying with a friend nearby, and are looking for a new apartment. "We're lucky we have resources," the 28-year-old Parkinson said. But the couple has been waiting for news on if the building was going to be razed, and whether they would be able to get inside to grab additional items. "We just want to know," he said, adding the couple did not have renter's insurance. Parkinson said his girlfriend went to the Red Cross reception center Thursday morning and received some assistance, but that the couple isn't interested in any online fundraising efforts. "It's not a sob story. The cost of all of this is not the concern," he said, adding his landlord, who works out of the building "has been nothing but great." Sarah Cassi may be reached at scassi@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @SarahCassi. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. The city of Bethlehem's spent recent months focused on ways to improve the north side neighborhoods bordering the historic Downtown. Council just approved a new tax incentive district aimed at encouraging owners to make major improvements to their home and convert multi-unit homes back to single-family by phasing in new taxes over 10 years. Just before city council's final vote on the Local Economic Revitalization Tax Assistance -- or LERTA -- district, Moravian College asked for the boundaries to be expanded to include more of the homes around the campus. Council held off on an expansion and asked for more information on the condition of that neighborhood. The new LERTA district runs from Main and Maple streets on the east and west and Liberty High School and Broad streets on the north and south. An expansion would move the line further west of Main. Now, city council President J. William Reynolds is challenging Mayor Bob Donchez's administration and council to think bigger. A more comprehensive approach is needed to help reverse a north side slide, shown in rising free and reduced lunch rates at neighborhood schools and an increase in sheriff's sales, he said. LERTA is just one of many tools available to shore up neighborhoods, Reynolds said. Donchez has not had a chance to fully review the proposal yet, so he declined comment. City Director of Community and Economic Development Alicia Miller Karner said she agrees a comprehensive approach, looking at more than just housing, is necessary, but she thinks it's already underway. "I am so glad that President Reynolds is listening to what we are talking about. We have been saying from the get-go this is only one tool," she said. "LERTA alone won't transform a neighborhood." Reynolds wants to create a north Bethlehem neighborhood community investment program similar to Southside Vision 2014, which has gotten corporate partners to invest millions on South Side Bethlehem since 2001. Southside Vision's brought about the Yosko Park splash park, ball fields in Saucon Park, improvements to the skateplaza and an upgraded city eastern gateway. Reynolds proposes Moravian College, the Bethlehem Area School District and the city, along with corporate and financial partners, launch a north side investment program. The program would encompass the neighborhoods surrounding Thomas Jefferson and William Penn elementary schools. Karner said she believes the city is already laying the groundwork for such a comprehensive neighborhood revitalization. "LERTA is the tool in front of you to kind of define the neighborhood, but it is a bit of a bigger look," she said. She noted the city has created a committee including Moravian, the district, the United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley and the Community Action Committee of the Lehigh Valley (CACLV). "We were already pursuing this," she said, further commending Reynolds' interest "in accomplishing those same goals for the neighborhood." Companies giving money through Southside Vision get tax credits through the state's Neighborhood Partnership Program. Reynolds did not specifically suggest applying to the program in his memo, which only mentioned corporate partners and financial institutions. He did not return a phone message seeking further clarification. Karner said the city has no plans to seek another designation. It struggled to get the funds for the South Side program and she noted Easton's West Ward Partnership shut down due to a lack of funding. There's been talk of modifying the LERTA to require developers pitching large projects within the district donate money to entities like CACLV or the United Way to be reinvested in the neighborhood, Karner said. "We are trying to talk about a more flexible and immediate way to raise funds," she explained. Moravian College President Bryon Grigsby said Friday that he fully backs Reynolds' idea. "Moravian College supports the proposal of Councilman Reynolds and the work of the mayor and city council," Grigsby said." We would be happy to engage in ways we can support the city and improve the quality of life for all residents of Bethlehem and the students of Moravian College." Reynolds is suggesting that the mayor, Grigsby and Bethlehem schools Superintendent Joseph Roy or their designees could lead a north side steering committee. Bethlehem Area School Board President Michael Faccinetto said declined to comment on Reynold's proposal Friday because he was unaware of the idea and wanted to learn more. Faccinetto supports expanding the LERTA boundaries because it would benefit the school community and include more commercial properties, he said. The Bethlehem school board has held off on approving the existing LERTA district until council decides whether to expand the boundaries. Council is awaiting a letter from the board outlining its views on LERTA before any further action Grigbsy recently told the school board during a committee meeting that Moravian believes the larger district could help bolster the college's work at William Penn Elementary. Moravian is the lead community school partner at the school through the United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley. Improving the housing stock around Moravian helps the college as it is growing its graduate school programs and releasing its upper class students to again live off-campus, he said. Moravian also wants to create incentives for faculty to rehabilitate homes around the campus and live in the neighborhood. Moravian students and grad students, who often have spouses or significant others, need affordable housing. "We think LERTA will help us meet all those ends," Grigsby told the school board. "We think it is a worthwhile expansion." Sara K. Satullo may be reached at ssatullo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @sarasatullo and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. wawalogo.jpg An Allentown man allegedly hit and choked his ex-girlfriend outside an Easton Wawa. (lehighvalleylive.com file photo) A 21-year-old Lehigh County man is accused of hitting and choking his ex-girlfriend in public early Saturday in Easton. Richard J. Jackson, of the 2700 block of Dianne Boulevard in Hanover Township, was arrested about 2:15 a.m. in the Wawa parking lot on Larry Holmes Drive, Easton police said in a news release later Saturday morning. Jackson allegedly had followed his ex from the Square One convenience store at the South Third Street Exxon less than a block away. Police said Jackson hit the woman and choked her, injuring her face, neck and chest. He is charged with simple assault and harassment. Steve Novak may be reached at snovak@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @type2supernovak and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. One of three armed intruders who robbed a Catasauqua apartment Friday night was apprehended while trying to make a getaway, according to borough police. The other two remain at large. A 31-year-old man and 28-year-old old woman were inside the apartment about 9:15 p.m. in the 100 block of Church Street when two of the robbers, armed with handguns, came to the door, Catasauqua police said in a news release Saturday. A gun was pointed at the man's head as he was pushed against the wall and told not to move, police said. They allegedly took his cellphone and keys, ordering him up the stairs as they left. Police found the suspects in a vehicle at Railroad and Middle streets. Heriberto Santiago, 35, of the 700 block of North Fair Street in Allentown, was driving and backed the car into a retaining wall when he saw officers, then drove forward slamming into the front of a police car as the group ran off. Neighbors helped find Santiago, who police said was hiding on a second-floor deck at the rear of a property in the 400 block of Front Street. Two weapons, masks and gloves were recovered from the robbery scene. No injuries were reported. Santiago is charged with robbery and firearms offenses. He was sent to Lehigh County Prison in lieu of $100,000 bail. The other suspects were not identified. Borough police were assisted by Catasauqua firefighters and officers from North Catasauqua, Whitehall and Lehigh Valley International Airport. Steve Novak may be reached at snovak@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @type2supernovak and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. TROPHIES A nonstop investigation by in the wake of a horrifying shooting paid off quickly, with the arrest of shooting suspect Tracey Lee Williams the following day. Williams is accused of firing shots at a house in the 1400 block of Ferry Street on Sept. 22, just moments after children had gotten off school buses. A young girl doing homework on the targeted house escaped unharmed. Easton investigators developed a description of the suspect and arrested him in a car on William Penn Highway in Palmer Township, after getting a tip from Wilson police. Williams was charged with five counts of attempted homicide, among other charges. , a 20-year-old college student from Lower Nazareth Township, was one of four national finalists for the NASCAR-sponsored Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award. His essay brought a $25,000 prize. The money will go to Mikayla's Voice, Houpley's chosen charity, named for his long-time friend. Mikayla Resh participated in regular classes in the Nazareth Area School District despite profound disabilities. The charity advocates for the inclusion of disabled students in mainstream classes. will be hosting "Pizza with Police" events in October. Officers will make pizza pies with kids from 5 to 7 p.m. each Tuesday in October at Gara's Pizza, 200 Stryker Road. In addition to pizza-making, officers will answer questions and have kid-friendly demonstrations, including fingerprinting. is doing their best to fulfill his bucket list. After the 10-year Easton boy succumbed to neuroblastoma, his family has honored his wish to raise awareness and money for cancer research. They established a St. Baldrick's Foundation hero fund, David's Warriors, which has raised more than $400,000 since 2011. This week they hosted their Flashes of Gold fundraiser at Riverview Country Club to benefit David's Warriors. One was a red carpet event for children with cancer, who get their hair and makeup done, pick out a dress and put on a fashion show. David is remembered by many for his outreach that sent thousands of paper cranes to pediatric cancer centers around the country. The Bangor have realized a fund-raising goal to help replace the high school's band uniforms, which date to 1974. The boosters raised $61,500 toward the $117,5000 cost for 125 new uniforms. The school district will pay the balance of the cost over two years, less any additional money raised by the boosters. TURKEYS The creepy clown phenomenon might have started out as harmless craze, but it's morphed into something worse. After police in South Carolina investigated complaints of clowns trying to lure children into the woods in late August, increasingly disturbing incidents began to feed a copy-cat frenzy. Some school districts have had to deal with threats -- including the cancellation of classes Friday in Reading, Ohio, after a woman told police she was attacked at 4 a.m. on her porch by someone in a clown suit. Locally, Pohatcong Township police issued a ticket to who was seen riding on the hood of a hearse in a shopping mall parking lot. On Friday, a social media threat involving clowns kidnapping students and killing teachers in Easton was determined to be "not viable." Phillipsburg schools went into shelter in place Friday after the district developed information about "suspicious activity" and turned it over to police. A movement for justice in trading relationships throughout the developing world celebrated its twenty-fifth anniversary last weekend in the location where it had its most important early existence - in county Laois. Over thirty people from the county and beyond met at The Rambling House in the Rockview Walkways and Resource Centre at Cashel, Ballyroan, to remember the launch of the Irish Fair Trade Network in 1991. The launch followed over fifteen years of preparatory work by a young Englishman named Richard Leech, who began importing fairly-traded products from around the world and distributing them through a network of local representatives. Two of the earliest were Rosemary Kingston, then living in Portlaoise, and May Fingleton of Cullenagh. May and her husband Brendan were also involved in the setting up of the Laois Justice and Peace Group and MDA, a development organisation and employment project in Portlaoise to service a number of community projects, including the fair trade concept. Over the next five years both groups helped to develop the idea on a practical basis, with Richard Leech still operating the distribution system, first from Athlone and then from Newcastle West. Fair traded coffee and bananas were also introduced in the years that followed. Carol Bergin and later John Daly headed up the executive of the Irish Fair Trade Network, which held a worldwide conference of producers and voilunteers in Kilkenny in 1991. The gathering at Portlaoise heard that Fairtrade Ireland, as it is now known, has acted as a conduit for over 20 million of Irish Aid funding to producer groups and associated agencies and co-operatives in more than a dozen countries over the past two decades. There are now 53 Fair Trade towns in Ireland, and 23 licensees who can attach the Fair Trade Mark to products from fruit to coffee to crafts. Ireland has the highest recognition in the world of the fair trade concept, with almost 80% knowing what the Fair Trade Mark stands for. Peter Gaynor, the current director of Fair Trade Ireland, heads a team of six at the movements Dublin headquarters. He said that Laois should be proud of the role it had played, and continues to play, in delivering respect for the rights of people across to be treated fairly in their business dealings. Such respect for human rights, environment, and nutritional values makes for a level playing field, in which young people of every race and colour have equal opportunity, Mr. Gaynor said. Tehran, Iran, October 1 By Mehdi Sepahvand - Trend: Heavy dust has forced the closure of governmental organizations in the city of Ahwaz, Khuzestan Province in western Iran. The Governorate-General of Ahwaz ordered all governmental offices to be closed at 13:00 due to the dust, Fars news agency reported October 1. All universities and schools were also closed in the afternoon shift, sources said. The dust started to cover the area in the morning by first hitting Abadan and Khorramshahr and now it has swept across the province. Khuzestan Province is one of the worst hit by dust in Iran over the past few years. Other provinces such as Ilam, Luristan, and Kermanshah follow behind. A general drought in Iran as well as Iraq where winds come to Iran has caused the dust attacks. Unbridled use of water resources in agriculture is another cause of the drought that leaves the soil unprotected and prone to wind sweeps. As the Laois Fianna Fail Organisation resumes after the summer break members will stand in silence and reflect on the life of a man who made an enormous contribution to the organisations success. Paddy Lalor died on July 30th after a lifetime of dedicated service to the Fianna Fail Party and to his country. He bridged the gap between the era of his familys very significant involvement in the struggle for Independence and the era of a free and democratic Ireland in which he had the opportunity to serve. He came to public office from a rich tradition of republicanism, inherited in particular from his mother Fanny Kelly but also from the entire Kelly clan and their involvement in shaping Irelands destiny. I had the privilege of serving with Paddy during the 34- years of his political life and benefited from his work in re structuring and building the Fianna Fail organisation in County Laois to its becoming the best in the country. Paddy Lalors huge success as a Laois/Offaly politician over a period of 34- years reflects his personal popularity, integrity and dedication to hard work. His commitment to public service was an example for all in public life to admire and emulate. During all of this time he was, of course, influenced and supported by his wife Myra, who pre-deceased him, by his family; his son Joe and his daughters, Frances, Helen and Veronica and by the entire Murphy family. Following his election to Laois County Council he was first elected to Dail Eireann in 1956 and continued to serve his constituency for a period of twenty years. Following this Paddy was elected to the European Parliament where he served for a further period of 20 years. His elevation to Ministerial office in Dail Eireann was of course the highlight of his career. He served as Parliamentary Secretary to both the Minister for Agriculture and and Minister for Transport and Power. In 1969 Taoiseach Jack Lynch appointed Paddy as Minister for Posts and Telegraphs and later Minister for Industry and Commerce. He responded to the demanding challenges of both these positions with great dedication. Paddy Lalor was elected as MEP for Leinster and served in Europe until 1994 during which time he held the position of vice president of the Parliament. This was a significant endorsement of a career dedicated to the service of Ireland and Europe. The Laois Fianna Fail organisation, public representatives and constituents proudly salute a man and a career that served them well. On their behalf I extend sympathy to his family and all who grieve his loss. Ar Dheis De go raibh a Anam. Liam Hyland A KILMALLOCK woman was fined 250 for delivering take-aways without the correct motor insurance. Michelle OSullivan, aged 37, of Castlecourt, Kilmallock pleaded not guilty to the offence at the local court. Her solicitor argued that there was no evidence there was food in the foil container pizza box as the garda didnt open it. A separate count of parking in a disabled persons bay was dismissed by Judge Marian OLeary. Garda Robert Young said at 9pm on June 12, 2015 he was on patrol on Sarsfield Street. I observed a person, who I now know to be Ms OSullivan, in the process of receiving a large delivery of items from a take-away. I observed her getting into a vehicle. On the following Sunday, June 14, I observed the same vehicle in a disabled parking bay on Sarsfield Street. Ms OSullivan was sitting behind the wheel. There was a large pizza delivery take-away box and a large plastic container of change on the floor of the vehicle, said Garda Young. The court heard he asked Ms OSullivan if she was carrying out deliveries and she said no. Garda Young said she became extremely irate. He added that he spoke to the take-away manager who said she was carrying out deliveries. He said Ms OSullivans car insurance was for domestic and social use only and it wouldnt cover deliveries. Regarding her disability parking permit Garda Young said he contacted the disability permit allocators and it is not supposed to be used in such a fashion. Marie Forde, solicitor for Ms OSullivan, said many people have pizza take-away boxes and containers for change in their car. Garda Young said it was a foil container to keep food hot and not a pizza box. Ms Forde asked him if he opened it to see if there was food in it. No, said Garda Young. Ms Forde asked why wasnt the manager in court to give evidence. Garda Young said he wasnt currently in the country. She also asked was there CCTV footage, and was told that there was not. The solicitor asked Garda Young why he didnt follow Ms OSullivan if he believed she was making deliveries. I made a judgment due to the delivery box and container for change. I believe it is very strong evidence, said Garda Young. Regarding parking in a disabled bay, Ms Forde said a number of businesses use those parking bays if their employees are disabled. Ms Forde said there was insufficient evidence and asked for the case to be dismissed. Judge OLeary said on the basis of Garda Youngs evidence, Ms OSullivan has a case to answer. Ms Forde said her client has no previous convictions. She suffers from a disability and attends the National Orthopaedic Hospital. She has chronic pain on a daily basis and takes very strong painkillers, said Ms Forde. Judge OLeary dismissed the parking in a disabled bay summons and fined Ms OSullivan 250 for no insurance. COOL CATS from across Limerick and the Mid-West and from hundreds of miles afar witnessed one of the grooviest weekends of jazz in the city last weekend. The Limerick Jazz Festival, now in its fifth year, underlined the citys undoubted allure for national and international acts, marking a monumental 35th year of jazz performances across the city and county. The swing festivities kicked-off in lavish fashion last Friday evening, with an ebullient concert by the Dublin City Jazz Orchestra, whose 17-piece band relived the magnum opuses of Stan Kenton and Gerry Mulligan. Renditions of the prog-jazz pianist, Kenton, were aided by the melodious Norma Winstone, while New York-based baritone saxophonist, Claire Daly took charge of Mulligans standards. Even for Winstone who became a jazz vocalist revolutionary for her 1972 LP Edge of Time the Belltable performance proved to be an exciting challenge". Speaking to the Limerick Leader at an intimate jazz workshop in the Hunt Museum, she explained that her flight to Ireland had been delayed by a day, causing her to miss a rehearsal with the orchestra on Thursday evening. This left the expert with under two hours on Friday evening to re-familiarise herself with the Kenton setlist and Brendan Doyles and Ciaran Wildes eclectic arrangements. Jazz pianist and writer, Brian Priestley, who has been attending the festival since its inception, said Winstones performance had the mark of a great musician. He said he had been watching Normas career from the beginning. Not only are you flexible enough to perform well when you are in a situation like that, but that you are ready to go for it and put something of yourself into it. And if there were any slip-ups, which I didnt notice, the audience wont notice. And, of course, Norma is so experienced. Following the opening act, crowds shifted to Dolans Upstairs where heavy jazz band Partisans broke the decibel meter with insatiably fast guitar rhythms by Phil Robson and energetic drumming by Gene Calderazzo mirroring a tame aggression similar to Billy Cobham. Another feature of this festival something not so prevalent in other popular occasions, such as the Cork Jazz Festival was the educational aspect for children and young adults. Musician Ruti Lachs ran her Music Tots programme at Ormston House on Saturday morning, exposing young children to the sound and practice of instruments. Also seeing these programmes as important was jazz guitarist virtuoso David ORourke, who helped a large crowd of children at Music Generation on Saturday afternoon. Later on Saturday, ORourke led a small jazz workshop at the Hunt. This proved to be a serendipitous occasion for those who attended, as an impromptu performance kicked off featuring Winstone, Claire Daly, Paul Dunlea on trombone, John Daly on drums and Peter Hanagan plucking the double bass. Speaking days after the festival, organiser John Daly said that it was a fantastic weekend, and it was the most exceptional one to date. It does take five years to build it up to this, and we are absolutely delighted. One of the highlights of the festival was Canary Islands seven-piece Latin jazz-fusion band, Atchere on Saturday night. Performing a series of Latino, Bossa Nova and jazz fusion pieces, Atchere also provided a platform for both relaxing and riveting listening with Milton Nascimento-esque originals. Saxophonist Daly and guitarist ORourke, when speaking to the Leader, emphasised the importance of funding for projects like the Limerick Jazz Festival. Limerick Jazz Society received 10,000 in Arts Council funding this year. The dead include two adults and a six-month-old baby girl, Aerocivil said as cited by El Nacional, Sputnik International reported. "It was a charter flight So far we do not know what might have happened," Jose Antonio Acevedo, Manager of the Llanera de Aviacion company, which operated the plane, told the El Colombiano newspaper, as quoted by El Nacional. The plane crashed while en route from Enrique Olaya Herrera Airport in Medellin, Colombia, to the city of Jurado in the countrys western Choco Department. There were ten passengers on board the aircraft. A Turkish soldier was martyred and five others wounded in a PKK attack in Turkeys southeastern province of Hakkari, military sources said on Saturday, Anadolu reported. A group of PKK terrorists attacked a Turkish army base in the Cukurca district of Hakkari, said the sources who spoke on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on speaking with the media. An air-supported operation was launched in the area to apprehend the terrorists. The PKK is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S., and the EU and resumed its 30-year armed campaign against the Turkish state in July 2015. Since then, PKK terrorist attacks martyred more than 600 security personnel and also claimed the lives of many civilians, including women and children, while more than 7,000 PKK terrorists have been killed in army operations. The Scopes "Monkey" Trial was an American legal trial in Dayton, Tennessee, during the summer of 1925. Also known as The State of Tennessee vs. John Thomas Scopes, the case tried high school substitute science teacher John Scopes for violating Tennessee's ban on the teaching of evolution in all public and state-funded Tennessee schools. The ban, formally the Butler Act, was passed in March of 1925, according to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). The trial lasted eight days. John Scopes was found guilty but the verdict was overturned on a technicality. The true importance of the trial was not the verdict, however; the Scopes trial increased American awareness and interest in the issue of teaching theology and/or modern science in public schools. It also drew attention to the divide between religious Fundamentalists and Modernists who took a less literal approach to the Bible and supported modern science, as well to the schism between urban and rural American values. According to the Philadelphia Independence Hall's US History website, despite the ruling, the public saw Scopes and supporters of evolutionary theory as the victors in the case. Though the debate over teaching evolution in American public schools continues today, the Scopes trial proved to be highly influential in American culture. "It is, for better or for worse, emblematic of the creationism/evolution controversy," said Glenn Branch, an author, philosopher and deputy director of the National Center for Science Education. "It showcased the enduring themes of creationist rhetoric and provided a template through which many continue to understand the controversy." The Scopes trial inspired the 1960 film "Inherit the Wind." The film is not a documentary and contains several exaggerations and historical inaccuracies. Historical background In his book "When All the Gods Trembled: Darwinism, Scopes, and American Intellectuals (opens in new tab)," historian Paul Keith Conkin argued that the Scopes trial was one of the most dramatic events that came about in the wake of the publication of Charles Darwin's "On the Origin of the Species" in 1859. Darwin's theory of evolution sent shockwaves across the world, and while many scientists and naturalists embraced it, some people found it disturbing. In America, churchgoers and religious leaders debated whether to accept the modern scientific theory, especially as it pertained to the origins of humans, or to reject it in favor of their traditional literal reading of scripture. According to US History, many urban churches decided to reconcile evolution with their beliefs, but rural churches maintained a stricter stance. Branch explained other significant factors that led to the Scopes trial, in addition to the increasing prominence of evolutionary theory. One such factor was World War I, which had ended just seven years before. "There were a few who blamed the war in part on the acceptance (and misunderstanding) of evolution by German militarists, including even confirmed evolutionists," he told Live Science. Additionally, after the war, American public education expanded. "For the first time, students, particularly in rural areas, were being expected to continue their education into high school, and were correspondingly being exposed to more with books like Hunter's 'A Civic Biology' which broached the conception of evolution being used throughout the country (including Dayton, Tennessee)." Branch also noted the importance of the early 20th century revival of Fundamentalism. Evolution was not initially a target of Fundamentalism, but became one by the 1920s. John Scopes was a substitute teacher who volunteered to violate the ban on the teaching of evolution. (Image credit: Public domain) Controversy comes to Tennessee According to Conkin, John Washington Butler was a member of the Tennessee House of Representatives, a farmer, and a Baptist. Butler decided that Tennessee textbooks contradicted the Bible. He drafted a bill prohibiting teaching "Evolutionary Theory" in any state-supported schools, colleges, or universities. It banned teaching any theory that suggested man descended from "lower animals" or that contradicted divine creation. Though the bill was vague and "Evolutionary Theory" had a wide definition in Tennessee at that time, it was passed and became the Butler Act in March 1925. On May 4, a newspaper published an announcement: the ACLU was looking for a teacher willing to rebel against the Butler Act. The ACLU would defend the teacher in court for free. The next day, local business leaders decided that holding the trial in Dayton would put their town on the map (and hopefully bring jobs; the town had been struggling economically). They asked 24-year-old substitute science teacher John Scopes to participate, and he agreed. "Scopes was willing to be the defendant in part because he accepted evolution and objected to the law, and probably in part because he had witnessed the faculty at the University of Kentucky successfully lobby against a similar bill," said Branch. Scopes had studied law in college and was working in Dayton to save money for law school. Therefore, said Branch, he was not concerned about negative career consequences from the trial. Scopes was voluntarily arrested by his good friend Sue Hicks, Dayton city attorney, and, said Branch, inspiration for Johnny Cash's hit "A Boy Named Sue." The town prepared for the trial by outfitting the courtroom with the latest broadcast technology, constructing a pedestrian mall and tourist camp, hanging banners, and creating an overall carnival atmosphere. The trial began July 10. Nearly 1,000 people crammed into the courthouse. Outside, people opposed to evolution sold anti-evolution literature and performed a side show with chimpanzees, according to Douglas O. Linder, a law professor at the University of Missouri, Kansas City. Bryan and Darrow: A match made in legal heaven One reason the public flocked to Dayton was to witness two superstar attorneys known to have outsize personalities: William Jennings Bryan for the prosecution and Clarence Darrow for the defense. Bryan was a three-time Democratic presidential nominee, former secretary of state, and charismatic anti-evolution leader popularly known as "The Commoner." Though he had not practiced law in 30 years, he volunteered for the case. H.L. Mencken, the cynical and snarky journalist from "The Baltimore Sun," portrayed Bryan as symbol of anti-intellectualism and Southern ignorance (Bryan was from Illinois). That was an oversimplification, according to US History. In addition to contradicting his religious beliefs, Bryan believed that teaching evolution violated local control of school curricula, promoted laissez-faire capitalism, and justified war and imperialism. Furthermore, Bryan was not opposed to science. He belonged to several national science organizations. In his book "Darwinism Comes to America," historian Ronald L. Numbers notes that, in private, Bryan did not always take the Bible literally. At nearly 70, Clarence Darrow was an old antagonist of Bryan's. When Darrow learned of Bryan's involvement in the Scopes trial, he volunteered for the defense. Darrow was famous for his agnosticism, wit, and history of defending notorious murderers, according to Conkin. The ACLU did not initially want him as a defense attorney (one of the Dayton businessmen involved in getting the case going wanted H.G. Wells) out of concern that his "zealous agnosticism might turn the trial into a broadside attack on religion," according to Linder. Other attorneys played important roles, including Arthur Garfield Hays, a free speech advocate, and Dudley Field Malone, an international attorney, on the defense, and two former attorney generals of Tennessee and Bryan's son for the prosecution. The trial Fundamentalist Christian judge John Raulston presided over the trial. He opened each day with a prayer in spite of Darrow's objections. Scopes' role was small; the trial quickly became a verbal battle between lawyers. Bryan claimed it was a choice between evolution or Christianity; Darrow said that civilization itself was on trial. Bryan originally hoped to attack the scientific status of evolution, said Branch, but was unable to find expert witnesses. Therefore, the prosecution quickly called witnesses who had seen Scopes' admitting he taught evolution and rested their case. The ACLU had never intended to win the case, according to Numbers. Rather, they wanted to appeal it to the Supreme Court, where they believed they could test the constitutionality of the law. They believed the Butler Act violated the 14th Amendment. "Hays wrote that the goal was to make it 'possible that laws of this kind will hereafter meet the opposition of an aroused public opinion,'" said Branch. The defense made several arguments. Hays argued that the Butler Act violated the rights of teachers, said Branch. "Malone (a liberal Catholic) emphasized that evolution isn't necessarily in conflict with Genesis but only with a particular literalistic reading of it. Darrow emphasized that scripture is not a suitable basis for legislation about what is taught in public schools." Malone's argument was likely the most influential on public opinion. It is Branch's opinion that the most rhetorically effective speech was Malone's "Duel to the Death," given early in the proceedings and regarded by Bryan, Scopes and Mencken as the best of the trial. "Darrow's hostility toward religion probably made it harder for his argument to be well-received," added Branch. The defense hit a roadblock when Raulston refused to let them call expert scientific witnesses to validate evolutionary theory. Darrow had an unorthodox response: since he could not defend Darwin, he decided to challenge the Fundamentalist reading of the Bible. On the seventh day of the trial, which had been moved outside, the defense began what "The New York Times" called "the most amazing court scene in Anglo-Saxon history." Bryan himself was called to testify as an expert on the Bible. Things began calmly, writes Linder. "You have given considerable study to the Bible, haven't you, Mr. Bryan?" asked Darrow. Bryan politely replied that he had studied it for about 50 years. Bryan's expertise thus established, Darrow began a series of questions that undermined Bryan and the literal interpretation of the Bible at every turn. Darrow asked Bryan about believing that a big fish had really swallowed Jonah, that Joshua had made the sun stand still, the truth of Adam's temptation and of the Genesis creation story. As he was questioned, Bryan became flustered. According to US History, perhaps the most famous exchange involved the story of Noah's Ark. When asked about the process of determining when the flood occurred, he said, frustrated, "I do not think about things I don't think about." Darrow replied, "Do you think about things you do think about?" Bryan replied, "Well, sometimes," to derisive laughter. Exasperated, Bryan said that Darrow was slurring at the Bible. Darrow said that Bryan had "fool ideas that no intelligent Christian on earth believes." At that, Raulston halted the trial and adjourned the court. The next day he ruled that Bryan's testimony should be stricken from evidence. The damage to Bryan and the Fundamentalist side had already been done, however; the press proclaimed Darrow the victor of the examination. Darrow was out of options for the case, and hoping to ensure an appeal to the Supreme Court, asked the jury to find Scopes guilty. This move prohibited Bryan from giving his closing remarks, said Branch, and historians wonder if the public perception of the trial would have been different if he had been able to speak. Scopes was found guilty and fined $100. Six days after the trial, Bryan lay down for a nap after a big dinner and died in his sleep. A year later, the verdict was overturned on a technicality so the ACLU could not appeal the ruling. Influence The Scopes trial has had a wide-reaching effect on American culture and policy regarding the evolution education debate. Bryan made three claims that continue to be influential, said Branch: "Evolution is scientifically problematic; that evolution undermines morality, society, and religion; and that this position on teaching evolution is supported by secular considerations like fairness, objectivity, etc." These ideas have been called the pillars of creationism. The public perception, heavily influenced by the media's coverage of the case, was that the anti-evolution crusade was dealt a serious blow. Linder wrote that in 1925, 15 states had anti-evolution legislation in the works, but after the trial only Arkansas and Mississippi passed the laws. "But," said Branch, "the case had a chilling effect on the teaching of evolution. Fearing controversy, publishers frequently removed, downplayed, or used euphemisms in the treatment of evolution in their textbooks including Hunter's "Civic Biology." This development was not reversed till the 1960s, as the federal government started to pour money into science education as part of the Space Race with the USSR. "We don't have a good baseline for the situation before Scopes, but a 1940 national survey of high school biology teachers found that only slightly more than half were teaching evolution (and teachers from parochial and Southern schools were probably underrepresented in the survey, so that overstates the likely rate); one in five reported avoiding or denying it. It's hard not to believe that the memory of the Scopes trial played a role." Branch advised against interpreting the Scopes trial as the creationism/evolution controversy in a nutshell. "It was artificial, overblown, and not decisive; a lot of its features are peculiar to its historical context (constitutional law, for example, has developed significantly since the 1920s)," he said. Nevertheless, it is the form through which many understand controversy. As recently as 2012, a Tennessee legislator dubbed a new anti-evolution legislation "the monkey bill." The memory of the Scopes trial lingers in the American consciousness because of its larger-than-life players, its rhetorical spectacle and, perhaps most of all, because it raised questions that continue to divide the country. Additional resources Turkey must not forget the July 15 coup attempt, said the Turkish president during the parliaments opening ceremony on Saturday, Anadolu reported. Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave a speech at the parliament for the opening of the second legislative session of the year, in which he said the deputies had shown a proud and strong stance against the coup. Our parliament has become a veteran for a second time, after the Turkish War of Independence, on July 15. Turkey, with all 79 million citizens, gave a freedom and democracy lesson that should be shown as an example throughout history to the world, Erdogan said. Turkey blames the Fetullah Terrorist Organization, or FETO, for the July 15 plot. At least 241 people were martyred and nearly 2,200 injured in the failed coup which the government said was organized by followers of Fetullah Gulen, the FETO leader who lives in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania. Gulen is 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. "I am expressing and underlining once again: We must not forget July 15, and we must not make them forget." Erdogan also praised the Yenikapi spirit which was demonstrated in a massive rally organized to highlight the Turkish peoples resistance against the coup. Protecting and maintaining the Yenikapi spirit is our responsibility, he said. The Democracy and Martyrs' Rally was held in Istanbul on Aug. 7. Other demonstrations took place all across the country. -Military Operation against Daesh Erdogan also brought up Turkeys ongoing Operation Euphrates Shield against Daesh in Syria. These operations are being supported by local communities, he said. We are in an intense effort to erase the traces of the devastation made by separatist terrorist group in the region [southern and eastern of Turkey], to resolve our citizens grievances and to rebuild our cities, Erdogan said. Operation Euphrates Shield began last month and saw the Free Syrian Army, backed by the Turkish military, take control of the city of Jarabulus from Daesh. Turkey has said the operation is aimed at bolstering border security, supporting coalition forces and eliminating the threat posed by terror organizations, namely Daesh. Erdogan also reiterated the need for a safe zone for refugees in northern Syria. Our aim is to establish 5,000 square kilometers [1,900 square miles] of secure area which will be cleared of terrorist organizations, he said. Erdogan had previously said the fulfillment of three conditions a safe zone, a no-fly zone, and a train-and-equip program for Syrian rebels would help solve the refugee issue. -Visa-liberalization deal The Turkish president also addressed the issue of visa-free access to the EU for Turkish citizens. The visa-liberalization deal should come into force this month, he said. Visa liberalization has been one of the key promises of the European Union as part of a deal hammered out in March to enhance EU-Turkey cooperation in addressing the refugee crisis and to accelerate Turkeys membership talks. Turkey has so far met most of the requirements for visa liberalization, but the EUs demands for change in Ankaras anti-terrorism laws led to a deadlock in negotiations. The foiled July 15 coup attempt in Turkey and Ankaras declaration of a three-month state of emergency led to further uncertainty about future talks on visa liberalization. Ankara insists that due to the serious terrorism threat, it will not make any changes. If you do not have a current print subscription to the Lodi News-Sentinel, but want to view unlimited articles for the month, please choose this option. China has announced a new series of inspections on online game operators. (Photo : Twitter) China has announced that it is stepping up inspections for online gaming operators to crack down on those violating regulators. The Ministry of culture made the announcement on Wednesday, saying that it plans to conduct inspections of 200 online games operators in the country, Technology News China reported. The ministry detailed that it will be personally conducting the inspections for 50 of the randomly-selected online game operators. Advertisement On the other hand, local officials from the cities of Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Shenzen, and Hangzhou will review 30 operators each. The ministry added that the inspections will home in on operators that are violating regulations, including not having licenses, importing games without official approval, showing banned content, and not implementing real-name registration of players. The number of operators to be inspected represents about 13 percent of online games operators in the country. Ministry officials also said that they also plan to conduct additional inspections on a regular basis in order to cover all of the other operators within two years. The ministry added that it will focus on repeat offenders, as well as those which are the subject of public complaints. China has very strict regulations when it comes to online games, with operators being required to limit the playing time of minors by implementing in-game measures. In August, the ministry also called on 26 operators to rectify various violations. Meanwhile, major games publisher Blizzard announced that it has renewed its partnership with Chinese company NetEase for the publications of the former's game titles in the country. Venture Beat reported. According to Blizzard co-founder and CEO Mike Morhaime, their partnership with NetEase helped them bring the best gaming experience to Chinese players. Meanwhile, NetEase CEO William Ding added that the collaboration has brought in a lot of success for the two companies. Blizzard partnered with NetWese in 2008 as part of Chinese regulations, bringing many of the former's popular titles like StarCraft, Warcraft, and Overwatch. As well as its Battle.net service, into the country. The two companies have repeatedly said that their goal is to have Chinese releases of new Blizzard games occur simultaneously as other regions. Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content. Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist. If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter . Support our mission and join our community now. 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 The real estate market anticipates the increase of more property buyers from China. (Photo : Getty Images) As the Chinese upper class gets richer, real estate developers forecast that Chinese buyers will eventually buy more properties overseas. Victor Li, director of international project marketing for the US developer CBRE, said, "China is so big. "I think it is just beginning. You do the figures: China has a population of 1.4 billion. If you target only 1 percent of China's population, that's 14 million people--so it's already almost two Londons." Advertisement He added, "China is a big market, you know?" he says. "They are getting wealthier and wealthier." In one real estate expo, a wealthy Chinese businessman told him that he is eying a property near Thames Barrier in London. The businessman said, "I have one [London property] in Canary Wharf, one in City Island, one in Wembley Park, one in Elephant and Castle." Real estate players think that there is a new generation of investments coming to China and as growth comes in, businessmen entertain the prospect of having second houses in the U.K. Charles Pittar, real estate investor and chief executive of Juwai.com, said, "Our thesis--and this is supported by quite a lot of evidence--is that in many ways the international Chinese investment journey is probably just starting." "It's a big market now, but it is likely to be anywhere from two to four times the size in 10 years' time," he added. "The exciting thing about China is that there are 168 cities with more than a million people. So this is just such a huge market." The two real estate experts believe that there are many reasons why the rich Chinese like owning houses overseas. Li said, "Some people are buying for their family to use it. Some are buying to diversify, some are buying because they want to own a property for investment - and some people are buying for prestige, to say: 'I own a piece of property in London.'" USS John S. McCain (DDG 56) (Photo : US Navy) The Vietnam People's Navy (VPN) and the U.S. Navy are now into their 7th annual Naval Engagement Activity (NEA) Vietnam emphasizing non-combatant events. NEA Vietnam 2016 includes symposia in military medicine and maritime law; subject-matter expert exchanges in navigation; shipboard medicine and damage control and community service events, including multiple performances by the United States Seventh Fleet's rock band, "Orient Express." Advertisement U.S. warships participating in NEA Vietnam 2016 include the USS John S McCain (DDG 56) and destroyers from Destroyer Squadron 7 (DESRON 7). Personnel from Commander, Task Force (CTF) 73, are also involved in the exercise. DESRON 7's mission is to conduct prompt, sustained operations at sea in support of United States national policy and maritime security objectives as part of Forward Deployed Naval Forces in the United States Seventh Fleet. The new warship, the USS Fort Worth (LCS-3), is part of DESRON 7. USS Fort Worth is a Freedom-class littoral combat ship optimized for combat in shallow coastal waters such as those prevalent in Asia. Task Force 73 is the Seventh Fleet's provider of combat-ready logistics. It maintains and operates government-owned ships and operating government-contracted vessels to sustain combatant ships and units throughout the Seventh Fleet area of operations. The USS John S. McCain is an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer that's part of the Seventh Fleet. She's homeported to Yokosuka Naval Base in Japan and is part of Destroyer Squadron 15. July marked the 21st anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between the United States and Vietnam, and these activities are designed to foster mutual understanding, build confidence in the maritime domain, and develop relationships between the people and navies of both nations. This year's NEA Vietnam 2016, which began Sept. 28, evolved from annual port visits to Da Nang by U.S. Navy ships more than a decade ago to a multi-day bilateral naval engagement ashore and at sea. Each year, the engagement becomes more complex, and last year marked the first time a littoral combat ship, USS Fort Worth (LCS 3), participated. "Our coordination with the VPN and Da Nang People's Committee continues to be positive and productive, and we appreciate the efforts of the U.S. country team in Hanoi to continually deepen our partnership with the VPN," said Capt. H. B. Le, commodore, DESRON 7. "We've expanded the sea phase this year to incorporate a more complex CUES (Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea) event and search and rescue scenario. We're looking forward to working with USS John S McCain and interacting with the VPN and people in Da Nang, building on the success and lessons from last year's NEA." During the sea phase, the two navies will practice communications using CUES and conduct a search and rescue scenario. "My sailors are excited to visit Vietnam and look forward to the unique opportunity to operate alongside the Vietnam People's navy," said Cmdr. Jessie Sanchez, commanding officer, John S. McCain. "I look forward to getting underway as part of our continued efforts to increase our ability to operate alongside our VPN partners." The US military continues to classify combat operations against Shabaab, al Qaedas branch in Somalia, as self-defense strikes, even though many of the incidents reported, such as the targeting of training camps and raids in Shabaab-held territory, are clearly offensive in nature. United States African Command, or AFRICOM, has now launched two so-called self-defense strikes against Shabaab in three days. During a Somali-led counterterrorism operation to disrupt an al-Shabaab Improvised Explosive Device (IED) making network, a group of armed al-Shabaab fighters attacked, threatening the safety and security of the Somali force and their US advisors, AFRICOM said in a press release. Somali forces returned fire in self-defense, AFRICOM continued. The US conducted a self-defense strike to neutralize the threat, killing nine enemy fighters. The operation took place in Galcayo, more than 430 miles north of Mogadishu. AFRICOM dismissed reports that civilians were killed in the strike. We have assessed all credible evidence and determined those reports are incorrect, AFRICOM stated. The strike is the second of its kind in Somalia in three days. On Sept. 26, AFRICOM launched another self-defense strike against Shabaab forces in Caba near Kismayo. AFRICOM said it killed four fighters during a counterterrorism operation, but did not discuss the target of the raid. Press reporting indicates that the Somali and US forces raided Shabaab training camps. [See Threat Matrix report, US launches self-defense strike against Shabaab in southern Somalia.] AFRICOMs attempts to mask direct combat operations against Shabaab targets such as training camps and IED factories as advise and assist missions whitewashes the more than 10-year-old war that the Somali government, the African Union, and the United States has waged against al Qaedas branch in Somalia. This year, AFRICOM announced nine self-defense strikes and defensive fires missions in Somalia. The Department of Defense has even justified airstrikes on Shabaab training camps, such as the one in Raso on March 5, 2016, as defensive operations. The US military has been launching airstrikes and naval bombardments, as well as special operations raids against Shabaab and its predecessor, the Islamic Courts Union, since 2006. Many of these raids were in direct support of military operations, such as airstrikes and naval bombardments in 2007 and that supported Ethiopias invasion to depose the Islamic Courts Union. The Long War Journal has recorded 29 such operations against Shabaab and the Islamic Courts since 2006 (see list below). The number of US military operations in Somalia may well be higher, however, it has been difficult to track strikes against Shabaab as there are multiple actors involved in targeting the group, including Kenya and Ethiopian. The US military has not released statements for each encounter. Additionally, for a long period of time, Iranian news outlets muddied the waters by attributing every nearly every action against Shabaab in southern Somalia as a US drone strike. Verifiable press reporting has also been inconsistent. AFRICOM has loosely defined targets such as IED facilities and training camps as counterterrorism operations, when in reality these are military operations since they are often launched against hardened or well-defended targets in areas under direct Shabaab control. Like other al Qaeda branches, Shabaab controls a significant amount of territory and operates a military, intelligence and services, and governs areas it controls. AFRICOM planners are clearly aware of this, and, as the last two missions attest, air assets were on station to quickly strike Shabaab fighters. AFRICOM has admitted that it is conducting military operations in areas governed by Shabaab, and yet labels these operations as self-defense missions. US operations targeting Shabaab since the beginning of 2007: Sept. 28, 2016 US forces kill nine Shabaab fighters during a raid on a Shabaab IED factory near Galcayo. Sept. 26, 2016 US forces kill four Shabaab fighters during raids on training camps near Kismayo. Sept. 5, 2016 The US launched two self-defense strikes near Tortoroow after a large Shabaab force attacked a a Somali-led counterterrorism operation. Four Shabaab fighters were killed. Aug. 30, 2016 US forces killed two Shabaab fighters after they attacked a Somali counterterrorism force near Gobanale. June 21, 2016 US troops conducted a self-defense strike against Shabaab, killing three. The operation was conducted after it was assessed the terrorists were planning and preparing to conduct an imminent attack against US forces. May 31, 2016 Somali troops, backed by US forces, killed Shabaab member Mohammed Dulyadeen, a.k.a. Mohammed Kuno and Kuno Gamadere, during an operation near Gaduud. May 27, 2016 The US killed Abdullahi Haji Daud, a senior military commander for Shabaab, in south-central Somalia. May 13, 2016 The US launched defensive fire missions which took place in remote locations in Somalia under al-Shabaab control. May 12, 2016 The US launched defensive fire missions which took place in remote locations in Somalia under al-Shabaab control. May 12, 2016 The US launched defensive fire missions which took place in remote locations in Somalia under al-Shabaab control. May 9, 2016 The US launched defensive fire missions which took place in remote locations in Somalia under al-Shabaab control. March 31, 2016 The US killed Hassan Ali Dhoore, a dual hatted al Qaeda and Shabaab leader who also served in the Amniyat, in an airstrike. March 10, 2016 US special operations forces targeted a Shabaab training camp in Awdigle raid. March 5, 2016 The US military announced that it launched an airstrike which targeted a Shabaabs Raso Camp north of the Somali capital of Mogadishu. The US justified the strike on al Qaedas official East African branch by saying that fighters there posed an imminent threat. More than 150 Shabaab fighters are said to have been killed. Dec. 2, 2015 US killed Abdirahman Sandhere, a.k.a. Ukash, a senior Shabaab leader, and two other associates in an airstrike. March 12, 2015 The US military confirmed that it killed Adan Garaar, a senior official in the Amniyat and a key operative responsible for coordinating al-Shabaabs external operations in a drone strike. Feb. 3, 2015 US troops targeted and killed Yusuf Dheeq, the head of the Amniyat. Dec. 29, 2014 US forces killed Tahlil Abdishakur, the leader of the Amniyat, in an airstrike in Somalia Sept. 1, 2014 The US military killed Ahmed Godane, the co-founder of and emir of Shabaab, also known as Sheikh Mukhtar Abu Zubayr, in an airstrike south of Mogadishu. Jan. 25, 2014 A US airstrike killed Sahal Iskudhuq, a senior Shabaab commander who served as a high-ranking member of the Amniyat. Oct. 23, 2013 A US drone strike killed Anta Anta the mastermind of al Shababs suicide missions. Oct. 5, 2013 US special Operations Forces targeted Shabaabs external operations chief Abdulkadir Mohamed Abdulkadir (Ikrima), but fails to capture or kill him. A Swedish and a Sudanese Shabaab fighter were killed. January 2012 A US airstrike killed Bilal al Berjawi, a British national of Lebanese descent. September 2009 US special operations forces killed Saleh ali Nabhan, a top al Qaeda and Shabaab leader who was involved in the Kenya and Tanzania bombings May 2008 A US airstrike killed senior Shabaab and al Qaeda leader Aden Hashi Ayro. March 2008 A US airstrike targeted a safe house in Somalia. Spring 2008 The US killed Aden Hashi Ayro and Sheikh Muhyadin Omar in an airstrike in the spring of 2008. Before his death, Ayro was the leader of Shabaab. June 2007 US targeted Saleh ali Nabhan, a top al Qaeda and Shabaab leader who was involved in the Kenya and Tanzania bombings January 2007 The US military targeted Abu Taha al-Sudani (or Tariq Abdullah), Qaedas leader in East Africa, and either Fazul Abdullah Mohammed and Saleh Ali Saleh Nabhan, both who . Fazul is al Qaedas operations chief for East Africa, while Sudani is the chief strategist and ideologue. Sudani is thought to have been killed in that airstrike (Shabaab said he was killed in an airstrike in 2007.) 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. Irans security forces have reportedly killed the designated emir of the Islamic State in Iran, according to an Iranian media outlets report citing unnamed sources published on Sept. 27. The Islamic State has yet to confirm or comment on the report, which cannot be independently verified by The Long War Journal. The circumstances surrounding the attack are consistent with one conducted and reported in August in which authorities claimed to kill a high-ranking Islamic State member, though the details were murky. Iranian authorities have announced a series of operations against alleged Islamic State operatives attempting to infiltrate Iran to launch attacks. These announcements, however, follow the Islamic Republics pattern of exploiting sectarian sentiment to bolster its regional adventurism. The biggest security measure to prevent the formation of the nucleus of DAESH [a pejorative term for Islamic State] in Iran has taken place, claimed Pars News, a media outlet affiliated with Irans radical principlist camp. Some time ago in one of the border cities of Kermanshah an individual who was supposed to be announced the Emir of DAESH in Iran was killed in a complex and massive operation with the hard work of the Unknown Soldiers of the Imam, in a reference to Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) agents. Some internal sources [MOIS] have not revealed his name, but some local sources have called him Abu Ayesheh, which is not his real name and was only called so in the organization under this name. It is said that Shafii Sunnis live in that area [and] that the Shafii ulema [clerics] and the people of this region highly cooperated in the success of this operation. Abu Ayesheh was the self-declared leader of DAESH for all of Iran, and DAESH had entered Iran multiple times for operations, but fell in the trap of the Islamic Republic and security systems in all of these operations. This time, Abu Ayesheh himself came to Iran to form DAESH in Iran and was detected during this operation. In this pursuit, a sniper killed him. Pars claims that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Law Enforcement Forces (LEF), and the regular Army cooperated in the operation. The LEF Counter-Terrorism Special Forces (NOPO) snipers had serious roles in this operation, according to the report. MOIS was credited for tracking the alleged Islamic State operative from within Iraq in cooperation with the IRGC, which has its own Intelligence Organization. This would indicate cooperation between the Islamic Republics intelligence agencies and law enforcement. The Pars report appears to match some of the details of back-to-back operations last month in Kermanshah Province against two purported Islamic State teams in the city of Kermanshah, which is predominantly Shiite Kurdish, and Javanrud County, a Shafii Sunni Kurd area close to the border with Iraq. On Aug. 16, Iranian media first reported that security forces killed three members of a takfiri terrorist cell in the citys Baq-e Abrisham neighborhood. The Kermanshah province LEF chief confirmed to reporters that LEF-NOPO, in coordination with MOIS, raided the safe house of the takfiri team after it crossed from Iraq, killing all three team members and confiscating one AK-47 rifle, two magazines, and a suicide-bombing belt. Government officials then revealed that a second operation had taken place on the night of Aug. 15 in Javanrud. They said that six perpetrators were arrested, and that the one suspect killed was a high-ranking Islamic State member and an influential element based out of Iraq. The Pars report that cites unnamed intelligence and local sources matches official accounts from the operation in Javanrud. Iranian authorities have yet to publicly speak about whether they have killed the alleged emir of the Islamic State in Iran attempting to form a cell in the country. However, Irans intelligence minister, who does have a penchant for exaggeration, did say that one of the individuals killed was a regional emir. It is also puzzling that major Iranian outlets have not picked this up yet. Islamic Republic authorities and major state-affiliated media would have every reason to disclose such information, unless, say, sensitive operations are in play. Amir Toumaj is a independent analyst and contributor to 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 Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has confirmed the death of a senior Iranian Special Forces officer in Syria. Colonel Second Class Mohammad-Reza Zarealvani was a member of the Ground Forces (IRGC-GF) Saberin unit who was killed during an advisory operation on Sept. 27, according to a statement by the IRGCs Ansar al Hossein Corps (Hamedan province). The IRGC continues to call its regular forces in Syria advisors, though the announcements of Iranian fatalities and the engagements of IRGC-backed Shiite militias indicates that IRGC-GF officers lead these forces directly in combat. The eulogy for Zarealvani claimed he was killed by the takfiri DAESH (the pejorative acronym for the Islamic State) terrorists [while] defending the shrine of Sayida Zaynab and in defense and strengthening of the Islamic resistance front. Iranian official propaganda regularly refers to all of the Syrian opposition as terrorists, not just the Islamic State or al Qaedas affiliates. Although the location of the IRGC officers death was not immediately given, forces allied with the Syrian government including IRGC-led Shiite militias, launched major offensives in Aleppo on the same day he was killed. US officials told Fox News on Sept. 26 that 3,000 Iranian-backed militias converged on Aleppo and The Guardian put the number of Shiite fighters at 5,000. Just yesterday, Iranian outlets announced that a member of the all-volunteer Basij the IRGCs paramilitary force affiliated with the Komeil Basij Resistance Bases 345th Hazarat-e Javad al Aemmeh area of Tehran province was killed. The Basij serve as auxiliary forces to the IRGC Ground Forces. This particular Basij member was killed in southern Aleppo. Earlier this month, Major General Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the IRGCs elite foreign operations unit, the Quds Force (IRGC-QF), was photographed in southern Aleppo inspecting the positions of the Harakat al Nujaba Iraqi Shiite militia [See LWJ report, Soleimanis presence in Aleppo underscores strategy of crushing rebels.] Soleimani directs Iranian strategy in Syria in coordination with top Russian and Syrian military commanders. Since mid-July, the majority of announced IRGC deaths were senior Ground Forces officers with the ranks of major and above in the ongoing battles for Aleppo. A handful were also brigadier generals. This indicates that senior IRGC-GF officers are involved in planning operations at the highest level and then directly leading Shiite militias in battalion-sized units and above. These commanders take pride in directly participating in battle at the front lines, exposing them to enemy fire. Iranian fatalities since July have included a Basij anesthesiologist medic and a regular Army artillery third lieutenant, highlighting the diverse roles that Iranians play in the combat theater under the commander of Qassem Soleimani. IRGC-backed Shiite forces encompassing Lebanese Hezbollah, Iraqi militias, Afghan Fatemiyoun, and the Pakistani Zeynabiyoun Brigade are also known to have operated in Aleppo. And, most recently, at least 17 Afghans have been killed since mid-September, according to data compiled by independent analyst Ali Alfoneh. Since August, when Hezbollahs elite Radwan Battalion was deployed, at least 29 Hezbollah members have been killed, with seven this past month, according to Alfoneh. The death of the IRGC Basij member is noteworthy. The Guard has deployed its regular ground forces and Basij to Syria when it has needed to inject additional manpower for offensives. It remains too soon to tell, however, whether significant regular IRGC forces have been deployed now. Nonetheless, the death of the Basij member is a sign that at least some regular IRGC forces are engaged in combat as part of the IRGC-led Shiite expeditionary force, possibly on an ad hoc basis. No matter the cost, Iran and its allies are committed to military victory in Syria. After all, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said two days ago that the final word [will remain] for the battlefield. The on-the-ground actions of Iran and its Russia and Syrian allies reflect this strategy. Amir Toumaj is a independent analyst and contributor to 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. Lifestyle / Alcohol A bartender from Paris has become the first female to claim the lofty title of Worlds Best Bartender at a major competition in Miami. Oct 01, 2016 | By AFPRelaxnews A bartender from Paris has become the first female to claim the lofty title of Worlds Best Bartender at a major competition in Miami. Jennifer Le Nechet of Cafe Moderne in the French capital beat out 10,000 bartenders from around the world after dominating the final challenge of the weeklong World Class competition in Miami: creating a pop-up bar in just 24 hours. Le Nechets concept, a Steampunk-themed pop-up, had the wow factor needed to give her the leading edge over her five rivals from Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Japan and Taiwan. Jennifer just nailed it in the Superstar Pool Party showing all the skills you could want in a bartender, and her pop-up bar blew us all away with its cool Steampunk theme and twist on classic cocktails with homemade emulsions, cola and organic ingredients, said judge Alex Kratena, a mixologist who has been called the best international bartender who helped the Artesian in London score the title of worlds best bar when he was at the helm. Le Nechet is one of the main personalities behind Cafe Moderne, a low-key watering hole for locals living in the 11th arrondissement, which attracts patrons as much for the cafes signature meatballs as it does for her cocktails. Im completely blown away, she said in a statement. Its such an honor to take home the title of Worlds Best Bartender, especially when competing against such talent from around the world. This week has inspired me to continue pushing the boundaries of flavors and to explore how all the senses can be engaged through cocktails. As the winner, Le Nechet will travel the world as a Diageo Reserve Brand Ambassador host of the event judging competitions and taking her cocktail wizardry around the world. Green Olive Tree has been in the Managed Hosting business for over 15 years. We have the expertise to build and manage an infrastructure perfect for your needs. Did we mention we are also a veteran owned business? President Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus visited China to renew ties. (Photo : Getty Images) President Xi Jinping and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko signed 26 agreements for the two countries to formalize partnerships on investment, trade, education and science. The Belarusian president was in Beijing on Thursday. The two countries also agreed to form strategic partnerships to enhance mutual trust. President Xi Jinping was also given the medal of "Peace and Friendship" from Belarus. Advertisement "We have exchanged views many times on the bilateral relationship and issues of joint concern," Xi said. He also called Belarus "an old Chinese friend." China considers Belarus an old partner in many areas. President Xi said that both countries have stood side by side on many global issues. Lukashenko also said that his country will play an active road in Chia's Silk Road Economic Belt Initiative, where a trade and transport connection between Europe and China will be built. "The China-Belarus Great Stone Industrial Park, which the two countries are building together, is an important part of the Silk Road Economic Belt," he said. According to Charge d'Affaires of China to Belarus Luo Zhanhui, "In Beijing Alexander Lukashenko and Chinese President Xi Jinping have completed a long-term planning of strengthening the Chinese-Belarusian relations. The two heads of state decided to establish the trustworthy comprehensive strategic partnership and mutually beneficial cooperation." "Over the past 67 years and especially the last 38 years of the policy of reforms and openness, China has achieved colossal success and made a huge historic leap in the development of the state and enhancement of the living standards and also made an important contribution to the world's development," the diplomat said. He added: "2016 is an important year for our country. It is the start of the country's 13th five-year period. Amid weak recovery of global economy the Chinese economy has managed to withstand the pressure and posted a 6.7 percent growth in the first half of the year." The supervisory authority of the EPO, the Administrative Council, decided in its July meeting on the long-debated structural reform of the Boards of Appeal. Despite rumours that the Boards would be moved away from Munich to for example Berlin or Vienna, the AC eventually decided that the Boards will remain in Munich, albeit in premises not shared with other departments of the EPO. The Council also decided on an organisational reform which entails "a better cost coverage for appeals". According to a report presented by the president of the EPO to the Council, the ratio of the income of the Boards of Appeal to their costs amounted to just 4.2% in 2015, whereas a cost coverage of about 20%-25% purportedly could be reached by increasing the appeal fee and improvement of efficiency. A first increase of the appeal fee is envisaged to come into effect in 2018, and the ultimate 20%-25% cost coverage goal is aimed at within the next five years. In addition to predictable concerns among users of the EPO as regards preservation of quality and independence of appeal decisions, the EPO's ambitions with regard to cost coverage are seen as problematic by many due to the future increase of the appeal fee. A four- or five-fold increase of the appeal fee may well prove prohibitive to appeals, even in respect of clearly flawed first-instance decisions, or may put a heavy economic burden on parties to proceedings in respect of cases which are subject to multiple appeals in respect of the same patent or patent application. Initiatives to reduce the risk of cases ping-ponging between the Boards of Appeal and the lower instances, as well as initiatives to increase predictability and quality of first-instance decisions, would seem appropriate and necessary if the appeal fee in fact increases significantly within the next five years. Jakob Pade Frederiksen Inspicos P/SKogle Alle 2DK-2970 HoersholmCopenhagen, DenmarkTel: +45 7070 2422Fax: +45 7070 2423info@inspicos.comwww.inspicos.com New Delhi : A member of special operations team that carried out surgical strikes across LoC received minor injury during exfiltration but it was not due to any enemy or terrorist action, Army sources said today, trashing reports in Pakistan about Indian casualties during the operation. They said some Pakistani TV channels are playing "morphed" video clips showing Indian Army casualties as part of "black propaganda". One member of the team involved in Surgical Operation received minor injury during exfiltration. The injury is not on account of any enemy or terrorist action," the sources said. The Indian Army sources said, in another incident, a soldier from 37 Rashtriya Rifles had inadvertently crossed over to Pakistan side of LoC in Mendhar Sector and Pakistan has been informed by the DGMO about it on the hotline. India yesterday said it carried out surgical strikes on seven terror launch pads across the LoC on the intervening night of September 28 and 29, inflicting "significant casualties" on terrorists preparing to infiltrate from PoK. Pakistan, however, dismissed it as "fabrication of truth" and a "quest" by India to create media hype by rebranding cross-border fire as surgical strike PTI Bombed-up Rafale and a Mirage (rear). (Photo : Dassault Aviation) China claims India plans to deploy its new Dassault Rafale fighter bombers to its border areas with China and Pakistan, noting these new jets are capable of unleashing nuclear missiles at their targets. State-run Global Times asserts India will position its 36 Rafale fighter jets along the border with both countries to enhance its deterrence capability. It noted the Rafale fighters in flyaway condition can mount tactical nuclear warheads, and this means India's nuclear deterrence capability will be greatly improved. Advertisement "India also wants to purchase the Rafale technology from Dassault but France refused, meaning France has no intention to help India promote its military industrial system," claimed Zhao Gancheng, director of South Asia Studies at the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies. "India picked French-made jet fighters because they are cheaper and have a nuclear deterrence capability." Zhao said India was also considering buying US-made General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon. This aircraft is also on the inventory of the Pakistan Air Force. India's Cabinet last week approved the purchase of 36 Dassault Rafale multi-role fighters from France's Dassault Aviation. The Rafales give India a weapon potent enough to carry on the fight against Pakistan's F-16 air superiority fighter jets and the PAC JF-17 Thunder multi-role fighters produced jointly by Pakistan and China. India hopes the Rafales, which can carry nuclear weapons, can help address the military imbalance in its favor. Despite the acquisition of the French fighters, the Indian Air Force (IAF) still needs more modern combat aircraft. IAF said it needs jets to fill 42 squadrons, 10 squadrons fewer than what it has now. The Rafales will help fill the gap but numbers count when India has to face both Pakistan and China. India plans to equip the remaining squadrons with F-16s and HAL Tejas single-seat, multi-role light fighters made by India's Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. Nuclear-armed Rafales in addition to India's new ballistic missiles lend more credibility to India's nuclear deterrent. Dassault will modify India's Rafales to make them nuclear-capable. In Defence of Marxism is committed to safeguarding your privacy. At all times we aim to respect any personal data you share with us, or that we receive from other organisations, and keep it safe. 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(Photo : US Navy) It's now almost certain China's second and third aircraft carriers will feature catapult-assisted take-offs but the type of catapult to be used -- steam or electromagnetic -- hasn't been decided. The People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), however, seems to be leaning towards using steam catapults on Shandong, its second aircraft carrier. Advertisement China now understands the main technologies of the steam-powered catapult, but what kind of catapult will be used on China's second or third aircraft carrier isn't clear, claims Li Jie, a leading researcher at the People's Liberation Army Navy Naval Military Studies Research Institute. He's also a retired Senior Captain of the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN). The institute is the PLAN's think tank. Li believes it would be best if electromagnetic catapults could be used on China's second and third carriers. The second carrier named Shandong is now being built at Liaoning province and is expected to enter service after 2020. The third carrier is still being planned. Li said China is developing its own Catapult-Assisted Take-Off But Arrested Recovery (CATOBAR) system, the same technology used on U.S. Navy aircraft carriers. He feels the safer and more rational route will be to first use steam catapults since China has a better grasp of this technology. He noted that even the U.S. Navy hasn't completely understood electromagnetic catapult technology and continues to test this technology. Using electromagnetic catapults also means ship-borne fighters must be heavily modified to meet the demands of this technology. China's only carrier launched fighter is the Shenyang J-15 multi-role fighter still plagued by its underpowered and unreliable engines. The J-15 serves aboard the Liaoning, which has a ski-jump flight deck. Li noted this jet was specifically designed for ski-jump take-offs and can't be launched by catapult. Catapult assisted take-offs will be a "major challenge" for the J-15, said Li. He said CATOBAR is powerful but expensive. Because of this cost, several navies (among them Britain, Russia, Spain and India) have adopted a similar but cheaper launch system called Short Take-Off But Arrested Recovery (STOBAR). New England is famous for its beautiful fall foliage, drawing visitors from across the United States and the world, to admire nature's breathtaking fall color palette as leaves turn from green to a rainbow of bright red, orange and yellow across the region. This year MassLive and The Republican celebrate our 10th annual Fall Photo Contest as we ask for readers to again submit their favorite photos that capture Massachusetts and New England at its most beautiful and magical. Readers have submitted thousands of photos over the first nine years of the contest, with the images published in galleries on MassLive, and the best of the best each year being chosen as grand prize winners and run on Page One in The Republican. For the first time in 2016 we'll also be incorporating social media, with readers able to submit images both on MassLive directly and through MassLive's Facebook page. From Saturday, Oct. 1 to Monday, Oct. 31 (Halloween), readers can submit their best photo that captures the essence of the fall season. Each contestant will be entered for the chance to have their photo published on the front page of The Republican. All approved entries will be published on MassLive. The top seven photos, as voted by our panel of editors and photographers, will be published for seven consecutive days on Page One of The Republican. They will be displayed from Thursday, Nov. 10 through Wednesday, Nov. 16 and these winners will also receive a plaque displaying the page on which their photo was featured. Runners-up will also be printed inside the newspaper for each of the seven days. One Grand Prize winner will receive 12 large candles, shipped out one per month for one year, from our sponsor, Yankee Candle Village. Only one submission will be accepted per person, and the photo you submit must be your own and not a violation of copyright law. To enter, fill out the online entry form below and attach your photo. Image specifications: Our online photo galleries require .jpg files that are 1300 pixels wide at 72 dpi. But, we'll be running winning entries in the newspaper, so you'll need to be able to supply us with a high-resolution image file if your photo is chosen as a winner. For print purposes, we'll need .jpg image files that are a minimum of 1000 pixels wide at 180 dpi. That translates to decent reproduction of a photo spanning three newspaper columns. Larger files are OK -- the rough maximum we'd use in print would be 3200 pixels wide at 300 dpi. Most modern smartphones and digital cameras will surpass these specifications; consult your device's manual to ensure you're shooting at the highest quality setting. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. To enter and for full rules, go to www.masslive.com/fall-foliage/. Please also review our privacy policy. BROCKTON Two Brockton police officers have been cleared of responsibility for shooting and killing a Brockton man in 2015. Attorney General Maura Healy's office released its determination that officers Richard Sturdevant and John Gaucher were justified when they opened fire on 45-year-old Douglas Buckley in July of 2015. The Boston Globe reported that Special Assistant Attorney General John Verner released his report Thursday. In it, Verner said Buckley emerged from a dark area with a realistic looking replica type BB gun and approached the two officers. The policemen drew their weapons and repeatedly ordered Buckley to drop his weapon, but he did not comply. "(Officers)...discharged their weapons because they feared for their safety, the safety of each other and the safety of others in the area," Verner wrote in the report. Buckley died from a single gunshot wound to the torso. Toxicology tests conducted at an autopsy indicated Buckley has a blood alcohol level of twice the legal limit and had written a note indicating he was about to attempt suicide. Domestic Violence Photo showing part of the exhibit, "Displays of Character: Men Reimagining Manhood" now on display at Tower Square, 1500 Main St., Springfield. (Photo courtesy of Facebook) SPRINGFIELD -- As part of their ongoing work to raise awareness of domestic violence, Womanshelter/Companeras and Jane Doe, Inc., are presenting a two-week exhibit at Tower Square titled "Displays of Character: Men Reimagining Manhood." On Tuesday, the groups will present a program on that topic at Tower Square's ground level at 1500 Main St. in Springfield, starting at 12:30 p.m. "The event will feature guest speaker State Representative Aaron Vega (D-Holyoke) and a special presentation of recognition to the Ware Public School District," the Holyoke-based Womanshelter/Companeras stated in a press release. "This museum-quality exhibit features powerful portraits and interviews with thirteen Massachusetts White Ribbon Day Campaign Ambassadors who represent thousands of men and boys across the Commonwealth who have taken the White Ribbon Day Pledge to be part of the solution." October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. "We know that domestic violence/intimate partner violence, teen dating violence and sexual violence will never end without the engagement of men and boys in the work that we do," Karen B. Cavanaugh, Executive Director of Womanshelter/Companeras, said. "That engagement is happening, and we are proud to be showcasing this display and hope it will encourage more men to get involved," she said. Womanshelter/Companeras, operating since 1980, has provided emergency shelter to more than 3,000 women and children, and has assisted more than 10 times that number who have been victims of domestic violence. "Womanshelter/Companeras' philosophy is based on the understanding that victims and survivors of domestic violence deserve respect and can make their own choices. Staff present options and offer a high level of emotional support for independent decision-making. Confidentiality is held in highest regard," the nonprofit community group states on its website. The exhibit will be on display through Oct. 14 on Tower Square's ground floor. The Ware High School Domestic Violence Task Force is coordinated by faculty member Dan Orzulak. Northwestern District Attorney David Sullivan recognized the Ware school's effort in 2014, inviting the students to his office for an award in recognition of a video the high school's DVTF produced. District attorneys across the state have specialized units to address domestic violence. Warren vs. Trump 2016.jpg U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, seen at Boston's annual St. Patrick's Day breakfast on Sunday, is shown in this composite photo with Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, speaking at the Palm Beach County GOP Lincoln Day dinner in Florida Sunday. (Associated Press) Hours after Donald Trump took aim at a former "Miss Universe" contestant in an early morning Twitter rant, U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., condemned the Republican presidential nominee in her own social media tirade. Warren, who has repeatedly exchanged barbs with the businessman throughout the 2016 presidential campaign, accused Trump of criticizing women on social media instead of focusing on issues like college affordability, Wall Street oversight and Social Security. Referencing the GOP nominee's early morning tweets directed at Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and campaign surrogate Alicia Machado, a former "Miss Universe" winner, the Massachusetts Democrat asked if "thinking of new (and) interesting ways to call women fat or ugly or sluts?" is what keeps Trump up at night. Warren, who has campaigned for Clinton, contended that the businessman doesn't "tweet at 3 a.m. with ways to help students getting crushed by debt or seniors struggling on Social Security" or about how to create new jobs for workers and to enhance Wall Street accountability. You never tweet at 3am with ways to help students getting crushed by debt or seniors struggling on Social Security, @realDonaldTrump. Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) September 30, 2016 You never tweet at 3am with ways to help students getting crushed by debt or seniors struggling on Social Security, @realDonaldTrump. Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) September 30, 2016 Calling Trump a "thin-skinned bully," who is unfit to lead, Warren accused him of being kept up at night by his "next racist, sexist tweets (and) disgusting lies." Nope, @realDonaldTrump: the only things that keep your mind racing at night are your next racist, sexist tweets & disgusting lies. Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) September 30, 2016 A thin-skinned bully who thinks humiliating women at 3am qualifies him to be President does not understand America & is not fit to lead. Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) September 30, 2016 Trump, in a series of early Friday morning tweets, slammed Machado, alleging that she has made a sex tape and has a "terrible" past. He further questioned Clinton's judgment for bringing up the former "Miss Universe" winner in the first presidential debate, as well as speculated that his Democratic rival helped Machado become a U.S. citizen. Aside from Warren, Trump's tirade drew a series of tweets from Clinton, who called at her GOP opponent's tweets "unhinged," and asked, "What kind of man stays up all night to smear a woman with lies and conspiracy theories?" Presidential candidates on the campaign trail week of Sept. 25 Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. acknowledge the audience at a campaign stop at the University Of New Hampshire in Durham, N.H., Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2016. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton reportedly raised questions earlier this year about primary rival Bernie Sanders' so-called "political revolution," telling donors it was a "false promise." Clinton took jabs at the Vermont senator's call to achieve policies like universal health care and free college tuition by sparking a "political revolution," according to leaked audio of remarks she reportedly made during a Feb. 16 private event in McLean, Virginia. Contending that it will take more than one or two presidential terms to revolutionize politics, Clinton accused her primary opponent of promoting a "false promise." "In order to have the revolution, first we have to take back the Senate and get to 60 votes. Then we've got to take back the House and that may require some redistricting in order to get people out of safe Republican seats so they can be competitive again," she reportedly told donors at the fundraiser. "I think we're already in like year six or seven...Those of us who understand this, who have experience, who've worked in it, know that it's a false promise." The former secretary of state, however, encouraged her supporters to not be the "wet blanket" on the idealism of young voters who came together behind Sanders, according to the leaked audio. Instead of telling them they "bought into a false promise," Clinton said she is trying to tout her plans as something that can be achieved from day one. The Democrat further urged backers to be "very understanding" of experiences that have likely shaped the political views of young Sanders supporters. "Some are new to politics completely: They're children of the Great Recession and they are living in their parents' basement, they feel that they got their education and the jobs that are available to them are not at all what they envisioned for themselves, and they don't see much of a future...That is a mindset that's really affecting their politics," she reportedly said. "So if you're feeling that you're consigned to being a barista or some other job that doesn't pay a lot and doesn't have much of a ladder of opportunity attached to it, then the idea that maybe, just maybe you could be part of a political revolution is pretty appealing." According to the Washington Free Beacon, which posted Clinton's reported remarks, audio from the gathering of major campaign supporters was revealed by hackers who accessed a campaign staffer's email account. Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, who has sought to appeal to the Vermont senator's supporters, jumped on reports of Clinton's leaked fundraiser remarks, contending that she is "nasty to Sanders supporters behind closed doors." Crooked H is nasty to Sanders supporters behind closed doors. Owned by Wall St and Politicians, HRC is not with you. https://t.co/WN1lyCDXla Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 1, 2016 Release of the reportedly hacked audio comes just days after Sanders, who has endorsed Clinton's White house bid, urged voters to support the former first lady during a joint appearance at the University of New Hampshire. While many rally attendees who backed the Vermont senator in the primary said they have come around to the idea of supporting Clinton in November, some remained firm that they will not get behind the Democratic nominee. Secretary of State Linda McCulloch is asking state lawmakers to pass an automatic voter registration bill in the next legislative session Five states have passed laws or regulations that automatically register eligible citizens who have drivers licenses. McCulloch says the measure would expand voter rolls and save the state money. Full Story: http://www.kulr8.com/story/33289599/secretary-of-state-calls-for-automatic-voter-registration SepticNET http://www.septic-net.com/ and Blacklock Block Manufacturing have taken up residence in a new 12,000-square-foot building built by SepticNet in the complex. Its adjacent to the Port of Montana, a transportation hub that provides access to rail and highway transportation, which celebrated its 30th anniversary Friday. SepticNET wants to collaborate with Montana Connections http://montanaconnectionspark.com/news to build four more buildings in the future, which he hopes will "plant the seed" for the establishment of more manufacturing firms in the county. Annie Pentilla [email protected] Full Story: http://mtstandard.com/business/manufacturers-find-home-in-butte-business-park/article_5c589501-40c8-5a82-98e4-5852cdd1e28d.html Kidnapper Holds Girlfriend Hostage in Kunming (Photo : Getty Images) A village in Kunming Province is mourning after a man in his 20s killed his parents because of money and then murdered 17 other neighbors. Yang Qingpei killed his 17 neighbors in Yema Village on Wednesday evening after he killed his parents and out of fear he would be identified, reported Xinhua News Agency. A few hours after the dead bodies were discovered, police arrested Yang on Thursday in the provincial capital of Kunming. Advertisement The 19 victims of Yang came from six different families. He killed 11 males and eight females, with the youngest victim being a three-year-old girl and the oldest 72 years old. Three were children. The massacre is considered one of the worst mass slayings in China in recent years. Most of the mass killings use knives, poison, homemade explosives or burning since the country has tough gun laws. Yang had confessed to killing his parents after he returned to his hometown village to ask them for money, according to Agence France-Press. Police said the incident was not linked to terrorism. A working group from the Ministry of Public Security has been deployed to oversee the case and manage local authorities in investigating the incident. Two years ago, there was a deadly rampage in a train station in Kunming which left 30 people dead and injured more than 130 people Pakistan Army infantry. (Photo : Pakistan Army) Men of the Indian Army and the Pakistan Army engaged in a four-hour long firefight in the early morning of Oct. 1 along the Line of Control -- another escalation triggered by the bloody attack by Muslim militants on the Indian Army base at Uri in Kashmir last Sept. 18. While analysts on both sides say the armies are putting on a "show" to placate the increasingly warlike mood among their citizens, the risk grows these demonstrations of toughness might spin out of control. Advertisement Government leaders on both sides are openly talking about nuclear war and the media seems to be inflaming the martial mood, especially in India where "peaceniks" are being denounced as traitors. Two days ago, India's movie industry body banned Pakistani artists and technicians from working in India. Pakistan retaliated on Oct. 1 by banning the broadcast of all Indian television channels in Pakistan. Also in Pakistan, cinemas have stopped screening Bollywood films in solidarity with the armed forces. The funerals of two Pakistani soldiers killed in India's surgical strike two days ago were given wide media coverage. Both sides exchanged mortar and machine gun fire at the Bhimber sector on the Pakistani side of the border at 2300 GMT. No casualties were reported. "Pakistani troops befittingly responded to Indian unprovoked firing," said a statement from the Pakistani Army. "There was small arms fire and mortar shells fire from across the border in Akhnoor sector which lasted for around two hours (4:00 am to 6:00 am)," said an official from the Jammu and Kashmir state government. "No damage was caused. We are ready for any eventuality but it is peaceful in Jammu region." Despite saying it has "no desire to aggravate the situation," India began evacuating villages within 10 kilometers of the Line of Control. Tensions remain high between India and Pakistan, which each have over 100 nuclear warheads, following the killing of 18 Indian soldiers in the Uri attack. Chinese boat caught fishing illegally burns off South Korea. (Photo : Korea Coast Guard) Three Chinese fishermen whose fishing boat was seized by the Korea Coast Guard for illegally fishing inside South Korean waters died when their boat caught fire. The dead Chinese were part of a 17 man crew whose boat was stopped and boarded by the coast guard. Instead of surrendering, the victims barricaded themselves in the wheelhouse. Advertisement The coast guardsmen then threw a stun grenade or a "flashbang" into the wheelhouse. The grenade exploded and ignited a fire that eventually engulfed the wheelhouse and the boat. The South Koreans believed the dead men died of smoke inhalation and an autopsy has been ordered. The 14 survivors were taken to South Korea for questioning. The Chinese boat was caught fishing off the southwest of the Korean peninsula, some 70 km southwest of Hongdo Island. China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs lodged a protest with Seoul about the incident. Spokesman Geng Shuang urged South Korea to hold a "comprehensive and objective" investigation into the incident along with China. Korea Coast Guard vessels regularly chase Chinese boats for fishing illegally and there have been violent confrontations in the past. Fishing in South Korean waters by Chinese vessels is permitted but with the proper authorization from South Korean authorities. Last June, South Korea sent its ships from its navy to chase off Chinese fishing boats illegally harvesting prized blue crabs near the disputed sea boundary between the Koreas. Four naval and marine boats entered neutral waters around South Korea's Ganghwa island to chase away about 10 Chinese boats, which escaped into North Korea-controlled waters. The operation was approved by the United Nations Command that governs the zone where fishing is prohibited. While other MediaPost newsletters and articles remain free to all ... our new Research Intelligencer service is reserved for paid subscribers ... Subscribe today to gain access to every Research Intelligencer article we publish as well as the exclusive daily newsletter, full access to The MediaPost Cases, first-look research and daily insights from Joe Mandese, Editor in Chief. by Karlene Lukovitz @KLmarketdaily, September 30, 2016 As part of its 150th anniversary celebration, Jack Daniels has launched a series of videos, from Arnold Worldwide, that pay tribute to the unique residents of JDs unique hometown, Lynchburg, Tenn. The anthem spot for the Our Town campaign (below) is set in a verdant field, with fiddle music in the background. It shows actual citizens of the town (population 6,400), quite a few of whom are employed by the distillery. The video first highlights folks who were born in Lynchburg, ones who are fifth-generation, ones who have served in the military, and ones who are descendants of Jack Daniels himself. Individuals are also spotlighted, including a woman named Hiawatha Kitty McGee, a man who can lift a 526-pound barrel of whiskey, and a woman who hails from Taiwan. advertisement advertisement The anthem ends with this voiceover messaging: This is our town. For 150 years, the home of Jack Daniels. If you cant get here, just look for one of our postcards. We send them all over. They look like this... An image of a hand holding up a bottle of JD comes on the screen. The 30-second version of the anthem is running as a TV spot. The anthem videos and two 15-second videos one focusing on the man who can lift the 526-pound barrel, and the other on the postcard theme are all viewable on Jack Daniels YouTube channel. The ads are also being featured on the Brown-Forman brands other social media channels, including Facebook and Twitter. The stories were designed to reinforce an emotional connection with the Jack Daniels faithful. "When you look at Jack Daniels advertising history, all the way back to the inception of their Postcards from Lynchburg print campaign in the 1950s, it was always most powerful when the work felt less like an ad and more like an exchange like the people at the Jack Daniels Distillery were just talking to you, directly and sincerely, explained Wade Devers, Arnold Worldwides managing partner and executive creative director. Our Town is a modern take on that concept, and is the first of many stories to come that will honor the truth behind the brand and the people who proudly craft it." The brands marketing team launched its anniversary celebration on July 1 with a three-month global hunt for 150 hidden whiskey barrels. Advertisement The most common difference in white matter structure that Langenecker's group found present in every emotional disorder they looked at was disruption in a region of the brain that connects different parts of the "default-mode network," which is responsible for passive thoughts not focused on a particular task. That area is the left superior longitudinal fasciculus. The superior longitudinal fasciculus, or SLF, also connects the default-mode network and the cognitive control network, which is important in task-based thinking and planning and tends to work in alternation with the default-mode network.The constant negative thoughts or ruminations associated with most emotional disorders appear to be due to a hyperactive default-mode network, Langenecker said."If the part of the brain that helps rein in the default-mode network isn't as well-connected through the SLF, this could explain why people with emotional disorders have such a hard time modulating or gaining control of their negative thoughts," he said.The researchers systematically searched the scientific literature for studies that performed whole-brain "diffusion tensor" imaging on adults with major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, social anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, or post traumatic stress disorder, as well as healthy control participants. 37 studies met those criteria and included a combined 962 participants with emotional disorders and 892 healthy control subjects.The researchers then performed a meta-analysis to determine which white-matter alterations may be common across multiple mood disorders and which are unique for a particular mood disorder. White matter includes the long nerve fibers called axons that transmit electrical signals.Diffusion tensor imaging, or DTI, measures the degree to which water molecules move in one direction rather than randomly diffusing in all directions. It provides "an indirect measurement of the microstructure of white matter, and can give information about connectivity of different parts of the brain," said Lisanne Jenkins, postdoctoral research fellow in psychiatry in the UIC College of Medicine and first author on the paper."If you think of white matter as the highways of the brain, connecting all the different regions and networks," Jenkins said, an area with highly directional water movement "could be a major superhighway where all the cars are moving along quickly with little traffic." An area with less-directed water movement could be "a two-lane road, with several exits and stop signs, maybe even some potholes, which slow down traffic."Brain regions connected by these slower pathways "may not communicate as well as they would in someone where this road looks more like a superhighway," said Dr. Olusola Ajilore, associate professor of psychiatry in the UIC College of Medicine and a co-author on the paper.In the 37 studies the researchers looked at, participants with emotional disorders had less directed water movement in their white matter compared to participants who did not have emotional disorders.One of the most surprising findings to Langenecker was that people with obsessive-compulsive disorder shared the most brain abnormalities with people with other emotional disorders."We would have expected - OCD to look very different from other emotional disorders, because the symptoms are so unique and distinct," Langenecker said. "But this kind of flips how we see OCD, which clearly has more in common with other emotional disorders than we think."The traditional diagnosis for OCD, he said, is repetitive thoughts about specific objects or tasks thoughts that pertain to the world outside the self. The thoughts can also be internally-directed."Other emotional disorders, like depression, social anxiety, and panic disorder the repetitive thoughts are directed at the self," Ajilore said. "So our finding that OCD is more like the other emotional disorders makes sense, and we may now be able to further examine commonalities between these disorders that could improve our treatment of them individually."The disorder that stood out and shared the fewest white-matter characteristics with the others was post-traumatic stress disorder.PTSD is triggered by a traumatic event and involves being reminded of that event at unwelcome times, not unlike the repetitive negative thinking in other emotional disorders. But people with PTSD had several areas of low white-matter connectivity that weren't seen in the other emotional disorders, Langenecker said."While milder forms of trauma is common in other conditions, like major depression or generalized anxiety, it is possible that the brain regions we saw that were distinctly affected in PTSD participants are related to the experience of severe trauma or the re-experiencing of that trauma," he said.In bipolar disorder, characterized by periods of both depression and mania, the researchers saw generally decreased water-directionality in the right side of the brain, including the right SLF, the area that connects the default-mode network and the cognitive control network."All emotional disorders had disruptions more so in the left hemisphere, but for bipolar disorder, we saw disruptions in white matter in both the right and left sides of the brain," Langenecker said.Older studies of stroke patients have shown that abnormalities in the right hemisphere are associated with externally-focused symptoms, like mania, while left hemisphere involvement which the current study found in most emotional disorders was more often associated with inwardly-focused symptoms, like depression.Langenecker said the bilateral changes his team observed in bipolar disorder may reflect vulnerability to mania and to depression and anxiety.Source: Newswise Advertisement 'These are not wrinkles These are survival lines of my life Each one holds a story, a laugh or a memory They are like snowflakes, no two are alike' Educating and creating knowledge among the public, policy makers, employers and service providers about aging through concerted campaigns. Changing existing laws against age-based discrimination. Role of media in putting forth a balanced view on ageing Heart disease, Stroke Chronic lung disease Sensory impairments, especially visual and auditory Depression Neck pain Frequent falls Diabetes Dementia Osteoarthritis , is rampant and is akin to racism and sexism.Societal attitudes towards elderly, institutional policies and governmental apathy tend to perpetuate these beliefs further and the elderly are caught in a vicious cycle that may negatively impact their health and well-being.Ageism in society also tends to unconsciously influence the way the elderly feel about themselves, as being physically weak and incapable, as economic burdens on the family and mentally deficient. Quite a few of these beliefs stem from incomplete knowledge and awareness of certain conditions such as dementia , and mistaking it to be a normal part of ageing.Long-term health care of the elderly is commonly equated with poor working conditions, and makes it difficult to employ paid caregivers for the elderly. This in turn, makes life difficult for the elderly.Ageism restricts broader thinking and manner of looking at problems and arriving at solutions.Ageism has been shown to affect the heart, cause lower levels of self-efficacy and decrease productivity of the older adults.The society values youth more than elderly, hence tackling ageism will not be easy. However old age brings with it wisdom and experience and the elderly in the society needs to be cherished and not scorned away. One old person expressed himself eloquently when he wrote onSome actions that may aid in combating ageism include -Changing and correcting widespread misconceptions about ageing will not be easy, but a beginning has to be made sooner than later.The global aging population (people over 60 years) is set to double in the next ten years. Countries need to come up with policies and develop infrastructure to meet their requirementProviding accessible health care will be a major challenge. The common diseases among the elderly include -The following tips may improve quality of life for the elderly -It should be remembered that the elderlySource: Medindia Advertisement The new disease, which still has no name, does have similarities to two other rare genetic disorders arising from related genes. A condition called Bohring-Opitz syndrome is the result of a mutation of the ASXL1 gene, while Bainbridge-Ropers syndrome is caused by a flaw in the ASXL3 gene. Both conditions are also rare, and result in similar, but more severe impairments.Dr.Shashi used the tools of the Undiagnosed Diseases Network (UDN) at the National Institutes of Health, which links Duke and six other medical teaching sites around the country. The participating centers pool information and innovations about diseases that are so rare they often stump the broader medical community.Within just six weeks, five additional children, all with the same physical features and the ASXL2 gene mutation had been identified."We can now definitively say this is a newly identified disease," Shashi said. "With just one case, we could not say the gene mutation was the underlying cause. But with six cases, all with the same ASXL2 mutation, it is definitive."Shashi and colleagues from other UDN institutions published their findings online in theThough how the ASXL2 genetic mutation arises is unknown, identifying the root cause of the children's condition is a first step, and could help drive new therapies and treatment approaches.The immediate benefit is to the families of the children, who now have an answer to their most basic question."It has been wonderful to be connected to other families who share this genetic condition," said Teresa Locklear, whose son, Issac, was the first patient to present with the mutation at Duke. "When we started, we hoped we would find other families with children who were older than Isaac, to provide a sort of roadmap for what to expect. But it turns out, Isaac is the oldest and we are the ones sharing our experiences with parents of younger children, and that's been so rewarding."Study co-author Loren del Mar Pena, assistant professor in the Department of Pediatrics at Duke, said reducing isolation for families with a rare disease has tremendous impact."These families feel truly alone when their child clearly has a disorder, and yet there is no name for it, and no community of people they can relate to with shared experiences," Pena said. "This will help them be able to connect with others and compare notes. That's a huge deal - to know you aren't the only one and there a five other children out there."Source: Medindia Advertisement NEI awarded its grant to Massachusetts Eye and Ear (MEE), an affiliate of Harvard Medical School (HMS). DBT has provided funding to the Vision Research Foundation, part of Sankara Nethralaya, a specialty institution in India for ophthalmic care. The combined grants will total more than $1.3 million over three years, pending availability of funds.The primary focus of the research team in India will be on clinical evaluations, collecting samples for genetic testing, and looking for risk factors in patients with glaucoma. The study will include roughly 400 people from 30 families in southern India who share close ancestry."We will conduct detailed eye examinations for these large families in India," said Ronnie George, senior consultant in the Department of Glaucoma at the Vision Research Foundation. The exams include a vision test and quantitative measurements of roughly 40 traits, including ocular pressure, dimensions of the eye and cornea, and size of the optic nerve. "We will also collect blood samples and prepare them for DNA analysis."Researchers in the U.S. will focus on state-of-the-art genetic analyses to identify risk factors for the clinical traits associated with glaucoma."We are planning whole genome sequencing of this unique participant pool," said Janey Wiggs, associate director of the Ocular Genomics Institute at MEE/HMS. "This study should give us a great opportunity to identify specific genes and gene variants underlying these quantitative traits."The combined research will build on a pilot study, which was also a collaboration between NEI and DBT, and similar NEI-funded research. The researchers emphasize these projects are excellent examples of how important collaboration and exchange of ideas are for scientific research."A unique population combined with cutting-edge technology has the potential to improve our understanding of glaucoma," said George. "It would not be possible for us to do this individually."In addition to building a database of gene variants and traits among families with glaucoma, the research team plans to complete a first-ever glaucoma phenome-wide association study (PheWAS).Wiggs explained that a typical genome-wide association study compares the DNA of a group of people with a particular disease to a group without disease to find the genetic associations. "A PheWAS turns it around where the association of one genetic variant with a variety of different clinical traits is evaluated," she said. Usually researchers need large sample sizes, in the thousands of participants, but the pilot study showed that this type of family-based study can work with smaller sample sizes and still provide meaningful data."The only treatment for glaucoma is to lower intraocular pressure, which is the only modifiable risk factor at the moment," explained Wiggs. "The more we know about the genes that contribute to glaucoma, the better our chances in identifying therapeutic targets."Source: Newswise VERONA TOWNSHIP Each fall, after a full day at the office, Michelle Pollum will quickly head off to turn in another full shift at her second job. This has been the case for the past 15 years for the Minden City resident, who has moonlighted as a seasonal employee for Michigan Sugar. For about a month, starting around mid-October, Pollum will serve as a piler operator at the companys Verona Piling Ground. During the day, she works in the circulation department at the Huron Daily Tribune in Bad Axe. Its tiring, but its a lot of fun, said Pollum. There is a lot of camaraderie you get to know the farmers and the families. I enjoy doing it. Added Pollum: Its like a family out there. Pollum said she first started working seasonally for Michigan Sugar at its Ruth Piling ground, before moving on to Sandusky. This fall will be her fourth year at Verona. During the harvest season, Pollum will work a regular day at the Tribune office in Bad Axe until 3 p.m., then head out to Verona to work from 3:30 to 11 p.m., sometimes later. She also takes on weekend shifts. While the schedule may seem hectic to some, Pollum said it has become commonplace for her. Ive done it so many years, its weird when I dont do it, she said. Ive worked two jobs my whole life, so to not do something like that is stranger for me. Over the years, Pollum has performed just about every job at the piling grounds, including piler operator, wing operator, collecting tare samples, tractor driver and weigh station attendant. She said the harvest season used to be longer than a month, back when the trucks had to go through the fields to get the sugar beets loaded. Now technology is making the process more efficient, with pickers called mousers being able to load trucks up from the roadside. Pollum said safety is of the utmost importance when on the job, especially with all the trucks and heavy machinery scattered about. With that in mind, employees are required to go through safety orientation each year. That class is fast approaching, meaning Pollums days working a single job will be coming to an end. But she doesnt really mind. You get to know these truckers and the families and you kind of look forward to seeing them, she said. Yes, you only see them once a year, but you look forward to seeing them. Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc., through its subsidiaries, produces, markets, and distributes fresh and fresh-cut fruits and vegetables in North America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and internationally. It operates through three segments: Fresh and Value-Added Products, Banana, and Other Products and Services. It offers pineapples, fresh-cut fruit, fresh-cut vegetables, melons, and vegetables; non-tropical fruits, such as grapes, apples, citrus, blueberries, strawberries, pears, peaches, plums, nectarines, cherries, and kiwis; other fruit and vegetables, and avocados; and prepared fruit and vegetables, juices, other beverages, and meals and snacks. The company also engages in the sale of poultry and meat products; and third-party freight services business. In addition, it manufactures and sells plastic and box products, such as bins, trays, bags, and boxes. The company offers its products under the Del Monte brand, as well as under other brands, such as UTC, Rosy, Fruit Express, Just Juice, Fruitini, Mann's Logo, Arcadian Harvest, Nourish Bowls, Broccolini, Caulilini, Better Burger Leaf, RomaLeaf, and other regional brands. It markets and distributes its products to retail stores, club stores, convenience stores, wholesalers, distributors, and foodservice operators. Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc. was founded in 1886 and is based in George Town, Cayman Islands. To share with friends and brethren The Gospel of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (the Everlasting Gospel), and to prepare a people to stand when He returns to redeem His remnant. Also, to share relevant information of current events, and to show how they relate to prophecy; By means of articles, editorials, opinions, scripture readings, and poetry. Disclaimer Endrtimes does not necessarily endorse or agree with every opinion expressed in every article/video posted on this site. The information provided here is done so for personal edification; It's up to the reader to separate truth from error, and to examine everything (like the Bereans) from a Biblical perspective. Let the Holy Scriptures be you guide! - - - FAIR USE NOTICE: These pages/videos may contain copyrighted () material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. Such material is made available to advance understanding of ecological, POLITICAL, HUMAN RIGHTS, economic, DEMOCRACY, scientific, MORAL, ETHICAL, and SOCIAL JUSTICE ISSUES, etc. It is believed that 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, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior general interest in receiving similar information for research and educational purposes. Aetna Inc. operates as a health care benefits company in the United States. It operates through three segments: Health Care, Group Insurance, and Large Case Pensions. The Health Care segment offers medical, pharmacy benefit management service, dental, behavioral health, and vision plans on an insured and employer-funded basis. It also provides point-of-service, preferred provider organization, health maintenance organization, and indemnity benefit plans, as well as health savings accounts and consumer-directed health plans. In addition, this segment offers Medicare and Medicaid products and services, as well as other medical products, such as medical management and data analytics services, medical stop loss insurance, workers' compensation administrative services, and products that provide access to its provider networks in select geographies. The Group Insurance segment offers life insurance products, including group term life insurance, voluntary spouse and dependent term life insurance, group universal life insurance, and accidental death and dismemberment insurance; disability insurance products; and long-term care insurance products, which provide the benefits to cover the cost of care in private home settings, adult day care, assisted living, or nursing facilities. The Large Case Pensions segment manages various retirement products comprising pension and annuity products primarily for tax-qualified pension plans. The company provides its products and services to employer groups, individuals, college students, part-time and hourly workers, health plans, health care providers, governmental units, government-sponsored plans, labor groups, and expatriates. Aetna Inc. was founded in 1853 and is based in Hartford, Connecticut. Alibaba Group Holding Limited is an eCommerce and Internet technology giant headquartered in the People's Republic of China. Its core platform, Alibaba.com, is the worlds 3rd largest eCommerce platform by sales. The company, through its vast network of subsidiary companies, provides the infrastructure and marketing to help merchants of all sizes develop their brands and to connect with customers in the People's Republic of China and internationally. The company also aids other businesses with a vast array of digital and logistical solutions with a reach that spans the globe. Alibaba was co-founded by Jack Ma in 1999 when it became clear the Internet and digitization were the future of commerce. Mr. Ma is a billionaire investor, businessman, and philanthropist who believes in an open and free-market economy. The company went public in September 2014 with an IPO on the NYSE. The IPO set a record with its valuation of $25 billion and the company is now worth more than $225 billion and ranked among the 10 most valuable companies by market cap. Alibaba is also ranked 5th largest globally in regards to its work in AI, and it owns the world's largest B2B, B2C, and C2C eCommerce portals. In 2022, Alibabas Singles Day event brought in $139 billion to set a new one-day record. The principal purpose of Alibaba Group Holding Limited is to open the Chinese market and connect it to the world. The company operates through seven segments including China Commerce, International Commerce, Local Consumer Services, Cainiao, Cloud, Digital Media and Entertainment, and Innovation Initiatives and Others. The companys eCommerce platforms include Taobao Marketplace, Tmall, Alimama, 1688.com, Alibaba.com, Aliexpress, Lazada, Trendyol, and Daraz. Taobao Marketplace is a social-media eCommerce platform while Alimama is a monetization platform for entrepreneurs. 1688.com and Alibaba.com are wholesale marketplaces where individuals and businesses can connect with bulk items and the remainder are eCommerce retail platforms and search engines targeting specific markets. In addition, the company also operated a retail chain called Freshippo and Tmall Global which is an import platform for eCommerce. Other digital services provided by Alibaba include Taoxianda, which is a digital integration service for FMCG goods and grocery retailers, and Cainiao Network which is a logistical services platform complemented by Ele.me, a delivery and services platform. Alibaba also supports the infrastructure of the Internet with a range of products and services that include computing, storage, network, security, database, big data, and IoT connectivity. This segment includes a suite of cloud-based services such as Alibaba Pictures and content platforms that provide streaming media. The following companies are subsidiares of D.R. Horton: 10700 Pecan Park Austin Inc., 11241 Slater Avenue NE LLC, 2 C Development Company LLC, 8800 Roswell Road Bldg. B LLC, 91st Avenue & Happy Valley L.L.C., ANN & 215 LLC, Austin Data Inc., BP456 Inc., C. Richard Dobson Builders Inc., CH Funding LLC, CH Investments of Texas Inc., CHI Construction Company, CHM Partners L.P., CHTEX of Texas Inc., CV Mountain View 25 Inv LLC, Cane Island LLC, Continental Homes Inc., Continental Homes of Texas L.P., Continental Residential Inc., Continental Traditions LLC, Crown Operating Company Inc., Cypress Road L.P., D.R. Horton - CHAustin LLC, D.R. Horton - Colorado LLC, D.R. Horton - Crown LLC, D.R. Horton - Emerald Ltd., D.R. Horton - Georgia LLC, D.R. Horton - Hawaii LLC, D.R. Horton - Highland LLC, D.R. Horton - Indiana LLC, D.R. Horton - Iowa LLC, D.R. Horton - MV LLC, D.R. Horton - Nebraska LLC, D.R. Horton - Permian LLC, D.R. Horton - Regent LLC, D.R. Horton - Terramor LLC, D.R. Horton - Texas Ltd., D.R. Horton - WPH LLC, D.R. Horton - Wyoming LLC, D.R. Horton BAY Inc., D.R. Horton CA2 Inc., D.R. Horton CA3 Inc., D.R. Horton CA4 LLC, D.R. Horton Commercial Inc., D.R. Horton Cruces Construction Inc., D.R. Horton Inc. - Birmingham, D.R. Horton Inc. - Chicago, D.R. Horton Inc. - Denver, D.R. Horton Inc. - Dietz-Crane, D.R. Horton Inc. - Greensboro, D.R. Horton Inc. - Gulf Coast, D.R. Horton Inc. - Huntsville, D.R. Horton Inc. - Jacksonville, D.R. Horton Inc. - Louisville, D.R. Horton Inc. - Midwest, D.R. Horton Inc. - Minnesota, D.R. Horton Inc. - NNV, D.R. Horton Inc. - New Jersey, D.R. Horton Inc. - Portland, D.R. Horton Inc. - Torrey, D.R. Horton Inc. Foundation, D.R. Horton Insurance Agency Inc., D.R. Horton LA North Inc., D.R. Horton Life Insurance Agency Inc., D.R. Horton Los Angeles Holding Company Inc., D.R. Horton Management Company Ltd., D.R. Horton Materials Inc., D.R. Horton Realty LLC, D.R. Horton Realty of Atlantic County LLC, D.R. Horton Realty of Central Florida LLC, D.R. Horton Realty of Delaware LLC, D.R. Horton Realty of Georgia Inc., D.R. Horton Realty of Melbourne LLC, D.R. Horton Realty of Northwest Florida LLC, D.R. Horton Realty of Southeast Florida LLC, D.R. Horton Realty of Southwest Florida LLC, D.R. Horton Realty of Tampa LLC, D.R. Horton Realty of Virginia LLC, D.R. Horton Seabridge Marina Inc., D.R. Horton Serenity Construction LLC, D.R. Horton Urban Renewal LLC, D.R. Horton VEN Inc., D.R. Horton Corpus Christi LLC, DBC54 LLC, DHI Commercial - Lakeview LLC, DHI Commercial - Signal Butte LLC, DHI Commercial - Tamarron LLC, DHI Commercial Inc., DHI Communities Construction LLC, DHI Communities Construction of Arizona LLC, DHI Communities Construction of Colorado LLC, DHI Communities Construction of Florida LLC, DHI Communities Construction of Iowa LLC, DHI Communities Construction of Nevada LLC, DHI Communities Construction of North Carolina LLC, DHI Communities Construction of South Carolina LLC, DHI Communities Construction of Texas LLC, DHI Communities Construction of Utah LLC, DHI Communities Construction of Virginia LLC, DHI Communities II LLC, DHI Communities Inc., DHI Engineering LLC, DHI Insurance Inc., DHI Mortgage Company, DHI Mortgage Company GP Inc., DHI Mortgage Company LP Inc., DHI Mortgage Company Ltd., DHI Ranch Ltd., DHI Realty of Alabama LLC, DHI Realty of Mississippi LLC, DHI Title GP Inc., DHI Title LP Inc., DHI Title of Alabama Inc., DHI Title of Arizona Inc., DHI Title of Florida Inc., DHI Title of Minnesota Inc., DHI Title of Nevada Inc., DHI Title of Texas Ltd., DHI Title of Washington Inc., DHI Verandah South Shores Communities LLC, DHIC - Bridges LLC, DHIC - Brittmore LLC, DHIC - Carolina Forest LLC, DHIC - Desert Peak LLC, DHIC - Durbin Creek LLC, DHIC - Freestone LLC, DHIC - Hammock Landing LLC, DHIC - Heritage LLC, DHIC - Horizon Uptown LLC, DHIC - Jacobs Reserve LLC, DHIC - Lakeview LLC, DHIC - Lipoma LLC, DHIC - Minton Cove LLC, DHIC - Mountain Vista LLC, DHIC - Naco LLC, DHIC - Northshore LLC, DHIC - Prairie Village LLC, DHIC - South Creek LLC, DHIC - Tamarron LLC, DHIC - Valley Vista LLC, DHIC - Varina Gateway LLC, DHIC - Waterleigh II LLC, DHIC - Waterleigh III LLC, DHIC - Waterleigh LLC, DHIC - Westridge LLC, DHIC LLC, DHIC Glendale LLC, DHIC Grove West LLC, DHIC South Park LLC, DHIC Westinghouse LLC, DHIR - Aspen Vista LLC, DHIR - Avian Pointe LLC, DHIR - Emerald Lakes LLC, DHIR - Fosters Ridge LLC, DHIR - Gulf Stream LLC, DHIR - Parkview at Lynn Haven LLC, DHIR - Poplar Terrace LLC, DHIR - Properties I LLC, DHIR - Rock Ridge LLC, DHIR - Sunset Village LLC, DHIR - Village at Hickory Street LLC, DRH - ARK LLC, DRH - ASG LLC, DRH - HWY 114 LLC, DRH Cambridge Homes LLC, DRH Capital Trust I, DRH Capital Trust II, DRH Capital Trust III, DRH Colorado Realty Inc., DRH Construction Inc., DRH Energy Inc., DRH FS Mortgage Reinsurance Ltd., DRH Land Opportunities I Inc., DRH Land Opportunities II Inc., DRH Mountain View LLC, DRH Oil & Gas Inc., DRH Opportunities I Inc., DRH Properties Inc., DRH Realty Company Inc., DRH Realty of Iowa LLC, DRH Regrem L LLC, DRH Regrem LI LLC, DRH Regrem LII LLC, DRH Regrem LIII LLC, DRH Regrem LIV LLC, DRH Regrem LV LLC, DRH Regrem VII LP, DRH Regrem XII LP, DRH Regrem XIV Inc., DRH Regrem XIX Inc., DRH Regrem XLIX LLC, DRH Regrem XLV LLC, DRH Regrem XLVI LLC, DRH Regrem XLVII LLC, DRH Regrem XLVIII LLC, DRH Regrem XV Inc., DRH Regrem XVI Inc., DRH Regrem XVII Inc., DRH Regrem XVIII Inc., DRH Regrem XX Inc., DRH Regrem XXI Inc., DRH Regrem XXII Inc., DRH Regrem XXIII Inc., DRH Regrem XXIV Inc., DRH Regrem XXV Inc., DRH Southwest Construction Inc., DRH Tucson Construction Inc., DRHI Inc., Deer Valley Office Park LLC, Desert Ridge Phase I Partners, Emerald Creek No. 4 L.P., Emerald Realty of Alabama LLC, Emerald Realty of Central Florida LLC, Emerald Realty of North Florida LLC, Emerald Realty of Northwest Florida LLC, Emerald Realty of Southeast Florida LLC, Emerald Realty of Southwest Florida LLC, Encore II Inc., Encore Venture Partners II (California) L.P., Encore Venture Partners II (Texas) L.P., Encore Venture Partners L.P., Express Realty of Central Florida LLC, Express Realty of North Florida LLC, Express Realty of Northwest Florida LLC, Express Realty of Southeast Florida LLC, Express Realty of Southwest Florida LLC, Forestar Group, Forestar Group Inc., Founders Oil & Gas II LLC, Founders Oil & Gas III LLC, Founders Oil & Gas IV LLC, Founders Oil & Gas LLC, Founders Oil & Gas Operating LLC, GP-Encore Inc., Georgetown Data Inc., Germann & McQueen L.L.C., Grand Title Agency LLC, Grande Realty Incorporated, Grande Realty of Pennsylvania LLC, Greywes LLC, HPH Homebuilders 2000 L.P., Hadian LLC, KDB Homes Inc., Kaomalo LLC, Lexington Homes - DRH LLC, MRLF LLC, Martin Road Lake Forest LLC, McQueen & Willis LLC, Meadows I Ltd., Meadows II Ltd., Meadows IX Inc., Meadows VIII Ltd., Meadows X Inc., Melody Homes Inc., Pacific Ridge - DRH LLC, Rielly Carlsbad LLC, Rielly Homes Madison LLC, SFTEN LLC, SGS Communities at Grand Quay L.L.C, SHA Construction LLC, SHLR of California Inc., SHLR of Nevada Inc., SHLR of Washington Inc., SRHI LLC, SSHI LLC, Schuler Homes of Arizona LLC, Schuler Homes of California Inc., Schuler Homes of Oregon Inc., Schuler Homes of Washington Inc., Summerlin Pkwy & Cimarron LLC, Surprise Village North LLC, The Club at Cobblestone LLC, The Club at Hidden River LLC, Tierra Financial Advisors LLC, Travis County Title Company, Treasure Assets LLC, Venture Management of South Carolina LLC, Vertical Construction Corporation, WPH-Camino Ruiz LLC, WPH-Copper Canyon II LLC, WPH-Copper Canyon LLC, Walker Drive LLC, Western Pacific Brea Development LLC, Western Pacific Housing - Mountaingate L.P., Western Pacific Housing - SDG LLC, Western Pacific Housing - Westlake II L.P., Western Pacific Housing Inc., Western Pacific Housing Management Inc., Western Pacific Housing-Antigua LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Broadway LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Canyon Park LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Carrillo LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Communications Hill LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Copper Canyon LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Creekside LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Lomas Verdes LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Lyons Canyon Partners LLC, Western Pacific Housing-McGonigle Canyon LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Norco Estates LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Pacific Park II LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Park Avenue East LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Park Avenue West LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Playa Vista LLC, Western Pacific Housing-River Ridge LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Terra Bay Duets LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Torrey Meadows LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Torrey Village Center LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Windemere LLC, and Wilson Parker Homes. Read More Juniper Networks, Inc. designs, develops, and sells network products and services worldwide. The company offers routing products, such as ACX series universal access routers to deploy high-bandwidth services; MX series Ethernet routers that function as a universal edge platform; PTX series packet transport routers; wide-area network SDN controllers; and session smart routers. It also provides switching products, including EX series Ethernet switches to address the access, aggregation, and core layer switching requirements of micro branch, branch office, and campus environments; QFX series of core, spine, and top-of-rack data center switches; and juniper access points, which provide Wi-Fi access and performance. In addition, the company offers security products comprising SRX series services gateways for the data center; Branch SRX family provides an integrated and next-generation firewall; virtual firewall that delivers various features of physical firewalls; and advanced malware protection, a cloud-based service and Juniper ATP. Further, it offers Junos OS, a network operating system; Contrail networking, which provides an open-source and standards-based platform for SDN; Mist AI-driven Wired, Wireless, and WAN assurance solutions to set and measure key metrics; Mist AI-driven Marvis Virtual Network Assistant, which identifies the root cause of issues; Juniper Paragon Automation, a modular portfolio of cloud-native software applications; and Juniper Apstra to automate the network lifecycle in a single system. Additionally, the company provides software-as-a-service, technical support, maintenance, and professional services, as well as education and training programs. It sells its products through direct sales, distributors, value-added resellers, and original equipment manufacturers to end-users in the cloud, service provider, and enterprise markets. The company was incorporated in 1996 and is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California. A New Cairo car explosion on Thursday evening was targeting the country's top prosecutor's assistant, Egypt's interior ministry said in a statement. The ministry said the car bomb exploded as the top prosecutor-general's deputy Zakaria Abd El-Aziz was passing in a convoy in the First Settlement area of New Cairo. The ministry added that Abd El-Aziz and his guards were not injured, though that a citizen in the area was injured and transferred to hospital. Security forces were shortly dispatched to the scene, closing off the road and combing the area to arrest the assailants. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack. In June 2015, Egypt's top prosecutor Hisham Barakat was assassinated in a Cairo bomb attack. Barakat, 64, was killed when a car bomb struck his convoy in the upscale eastern Cairo district of Heliopolis last year. Sixty-seven people were referred to the criminal court over the assassination of Barakat, where the general-prosecution accused the defendants of being members of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood who "conspired" with militants of the Gaza-based Islamist Palestinian group Hamas to kill the Egypt's top attorney Hamas denied any involvement in the assassination. Search Keywords: Short link: Skechers U.S.A., Inc. designs, develops, markets, and distributes footwear for men, women, and children; and performance footwear for men and women worldwide. The company operates through three segments: Domestic Wholesale, International Wholesale, and Direct-to-Consumer. It offers casual, casual athletic, sport athletic, trail, sandals, boots, and retro fashion footwear for men and women under the Skechers USA, Skechers Sport, Skechers Active, Modern Comfort, Skechers Street, Mark Nason, and BOBS brands; sneakers, casuals, boots, and sandals for boys and girls under the Skechers Mega-Craft, S-Lights, SKECH-AIR, Foamies, Twinkle Toes, Z-Strap, Skechers Stretch Fit, and Skechers Street brands; and technical footwear under the Skechers GOrun, Skechers GOwalk, Skechers GOtrain, Skechers GOtrail, and Skechers GO Golf brands. The company also provides men's and women's slip-resistant and safety-toe casuals, boots, hikers, and athletic shoes; and lifestyle apparel for men, women, and kids. As of December 31, 2021, it operated 4,306 company and third party owned Skechers stores. The company sells its products through department and specialty stores, athletic and independent retailers, boutiques, and online retailers; and through its e-commerce sites, concept stores, and factory and warehouse outlet stores. It also licenses its Skechers brand. Skechers U.S.A., Inc. was incorporated in 1992 and is headquartered in Manhattan Beach, California. Carnival Corporation & plc is a leisure travel company operating a fleet of cruise ships, hotels, and resorts with international destinations. Brands under the Carnival Corporation umbrella include Carnival Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, Holland America, P&O Cruises, Seaborn, Costa Cruises, AIDA Cruises, and Cunard. The companys goal is to provide extraordinary vacations at an exceptional value. As of 2022, the company laid claim to nearly half of the global cruising market share with several new ships in the works. Carnival Cruise Line was launched in 1972 with one second-hand ship and a tank of fuel. The first port of call was San Juan, Puerto Rico, but soon more were added. The original growth strategy included a festive atmosphere, features and amenities unlike any other cruise line at the time. Slow to start, the growth strategy shifted into overdrive in 1980 when Carnival shocked the world by building its own ship. The Tropicale became an iconic name in the cruising industry and sparked a wave of shipbuilding that is still underway. The companys growth hit a new stride in 1987 following the IPO which floated 20% of the company on the open market. The proceeds from the IPO allowed the company to embark on a voyage of acquisition and now Carnival is the worlds largest travel and leisure business. Today, Carnival Corporations 87 ships visit approximately 700 ports worldwide and employ more than 120,000 people while serving more than 13 million guests annually for a total of 85 million passenger cruise days per year. Net revenue, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, peaked out at over $6.5 billion annually. Carnival Cruise Line is the companys largest brand serving guests on all coasts of North America. The brand's 22 ships make 1500 voyages per year with trips ranging from 2 days to 3 weeks and ports of call from the Caribbean to Alaska. The company's largest ship is named Panorama and can accommodate more than 4,000 passengers. Carnivals 9 brands provide access to a wide range of cruising styles and destinations including the Caribbean, Alaska, Australia, New Zealand, Hawaii, England, and ports in Asia. The company is headquartered in Miami, Florida and has offices around the world. The company also has the distinction of being the only company included in both the S&P 500 and FTSE 250 indices. A car bomb, claimed by a little-known militant group, missed Egypt's second prosecutor on his way to work Thursday The US Embassy in Cairo condemned on Friday with the "strongest terms" the attack on Egypt's deputy prosecutor-general Zakaria Abd El-Aziz Azmy in New Cairo Thursday, an embassy statement read. A car bomb detonated as Azmy was heading in his convoy in the First Settlement area of New Cairo to his office. The prosecutor and his guards escaped unscathed but a passerby was injured. The US embassy, in the statement published on Facebook, described the attempted assasination on Azmy as "an attack against one of the most important institutions in Egyptian society," adding that perpetrators must be brought to justice. A little-known Egyptian militant group, named Hasm, claimed responsibility for the attack, threatening further attacks against what it described as "the oppressive judiciary," AFP reported. In June 2015, Egypt's late top prosecutor Hisham Barakat was assassinated in a similar bomb attack by militants near his home in Cairo. Search Keywords: Short link: One year after Russia first launched airstrikes in Syria, Moscow reportedly sent more warplanes Friday to a base in northern Syria to back the air forces of President Bashar al-Assad in the battle for Aleppo. Russia's Izvestia newspaper said a group of Su-24 and Su-34 aircraft had arrived at the Hmeymim base near the coastal city of Latakia and additional Su-25 ground attack fighters would also be deployed "if need be," Reuters reported. The aircraft deployment came as Assad's ground forces, backed by Iranian and Lebanese Hezbollah fighters, clashed with rebels in the center of Aleppo, once a city of two million and Syria's commercial hub before the civil war began in 2011. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a British-based monitoring group, reported heavy bombardment by government forces and "back and forth" fighting in the city. Stephen O'Brien, the top emergency relief official for the United Nations, told the Security Council Thursday that Aleppo faced a "humanitarian catastrophe unlike any we have witnessed in Syria." Dr. Richard Brennan, emergency response director for the UN's World Health Organization, said that 338 people, including 100 children, had been killed in Aleppo by Russian and Syrian bombardment in the past week. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov charged that the U.S. was complicit in the carnage in Aleppo by backing rebels holding the eastern sector of the city, where the United Nations estimates that about 250,000 people have been blocked from receiving humanitarian aid convoys. Lavrov told the BBC that the U.S. had reneged on a pledge to attack the al-Qaida-linked Jabhat Fatah al-Sham group, formerly known as the al-Nusra Front, which has joined more moderate rebel groups in the fight against Assad's forces. "They (the US) pledged solemnly to take as a priority an obligation to separate the opposition from Nusra," Lavrov said. State Department spokesman Mark Toner called Lavrov's charges "absurd." On Thursday, Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov, a spokesman for the Russian Defense Ministry, said "the whole 'opposition' ostensibly fighting a 'civil war' in Syria is a U.S.-controlled terrorist international." Three weeks ago, Lavrov and Secretary of State John Kerry negotiated a "cessation of hostilities" that was to lead to U.S.-Russian coordination in attacks on al-Nusra and the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. The cease fire collapsed within a week after U.S. and coalition mistakenly bombed what were reportedly Syrian government forces in eastern Syria and Russian and Syrian aircraft were blamed for bombing a UN aid convoy headed to Aleppo. Russia began bombing and sending artillery and anti-aircraft batteries into Syria last Sept. 30 to prop up Assad. "Of course, we're not going to plunge into the conflict," Russian President Vladimir Putin said at the time. -- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@military.com. The Army has reversed course on a move to kick out a paralyzed Green Beret and strip his military benefits after congressional intervention and national media attention. Sgt. 1st Class Timothy Brumit was paralyzed from the chest down after diving head first into shallow water in July 2015, attempting to rescue what he thought was a drowning girl. The Army initially said his decision was reckless and negligent and said he was under the influence of alcohol and drugs at the time. Because of that, he was facing the likelihood of a discharge that could jeopardize his benefits. Recent congressional attention and a public plea helped launch a review of Brumit's case, which ended with the Army determining his injuries were sustained in the "line of duty," allowing him to keep receiving aid to pay his medical bills. "I feel blessed, and so thankful to so many people, starting with my dad, who is my caregiver, and stayed by my side to use any means necessary to right this wrong," a relieved Brumit told The Daily Beast on Thursday. In the revised record, the Army concluded Brumit's actions constituted "simple negligence" and occurred in the "line of duty." Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-California, who had pushed for a review of Brumit's case, thanked the Army for its decision. "This decision shows that even when a soldier's command makes the wrong call, the Army is willing and able to evaluate cases on the facts and correct the mistake," he said in a statement. Brumit, who served eight combat tours in Afghanistan and Iraq, argued that the Army "failed" him as he struggled with PTSD, traumatic brain injury and substance abuse. After the July 2015 incident, he was found to have a blood alcohol level of 0.1 percent and traces of cocaine in his system. He has never denied he was drinking during the diving incident but insists he wasn't "drunk" when he made the decision to jump in the water. Brumit reportedly heard a Coast Guard alert for a missing girl and thought he saw her. He jumped into the water, hit a sand bar and broke his neck. In looking into Brumit's case and his disability benefits, the Army conducted a "Line of Duty" probe to determine the circumstances of his injury. Its original determination that he was reckless had increased the likelihood he would face an other-than-honorable discharge and potentially lose benefits. The Army said it revised its decision after "taking into account the storm arising at the time of your injury; the confusion around multiple watercraft attempting to get back to shore; the swells both increasing and decreasing the depth of the water; the report of a missing girl; and, the fact that others in the same boat as yours had entered the water to assist in searching for the girl." 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. Integrating former military service members into your company is not only a noble and patriotic gesture, it makes good business sense. Veterans bring character qualities of loyalty, leadership, resiliency, and integrity to the workplace. As many companies seek to build their position as a military-friendly employer, they find the challenges of integrating someone with no (or very limited) civilian work experience manageable with training and awareness. Employers who are recognized as military friendly companies typically earn their ranking because they demonstrate a commitment to: Hiring large numbers of veterans, Guard and Reservists, and military spouses; Creating robust recruiting and hiring initiatives focused on the military service member; Promoting special programs and affinity groups for veteran employees; Collaborating with other companies pursuing veteran hires; Growing veteran employees into leadership roles; and Measuring the outcomes of their hiring and retention efforts. Once the veteran is hired into the organization, the effort doesn't stop there. To engage your entire team, and make your company truly military friendly, consider these best practices: Create an open dialog Oftentimes, the veteran will find himself or herself working alongside civilian employees who have no personal connection to military life. The civilians on the team might have questions about military service, what skills the veteran brings to the job, and how to best work with their new colleague. They might even feel intimidated by a veteran employee with combat experience. As a manager, you can begin the conversation about the new team member by inviting employees to ask questions and offer input where desired. Creating an open dialog can foster a healthy working environment for the veteran employee and their colleagues alike. Encourage collaboration By virtue of the work the military requires, veterans bring leadership skills to their civilian jobs. But veterans also make great team members. They are accustomed to being part of a team, and collaborating across multiple channels to meet goals. Because the veteran employee comes from a different work culture and style, they can bring fresh perspective to the corporate discussion. Encouraging them to share their insights and perspectives on existing programs and efforts can bring collaboration to a whole new level in the organization. Encourage participation in your affinity group Hopefully your company has a group focused on veterans' issues and needs. A veteran resource group, or affinity group, is a great place for the new veteran hire to meet people with similar backgrounds and experiences, and share mentoring with other former service members now at your company. Employers who encourage individuals to engage in groups and clubs in the company find that job satisfaction increases. Pave the way for growth Creating a military friendly company means having a clear path for veteran employees to grow within the company. From the hiring process, to onboarding, to leadership positions, make clear what is needed to build a career at your company. Remember, in the military career progression is more predictable than in the civilian world, and spelling out career advancement steps will help veterans to stay focused on the mission of their work, and how they can grow their career. Include military families Companies that recognize the role that a military spouse and family play in the veteran's reintegration typically receive high praise from veteran employees. Consider programs to hire military spouses, and include the spouse in events and group opportunities. This gesture and effort goes a long way in recognizing that the whole family sacrifices for the commitment of the service member. When integrating a veteran employee into your team, a few tweaks to your current systems, some training and education around their talents and skills, and awareness of the opportunities hiring a former service member offers the team and the company are worthy investments. In previous years the meeting was held at the prime ministerial level Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and Sudan's President Omar Al-Bashir will co-chair a bilateral high committee meeting in Cairo next week, Al-Ahram Arabic website reported on Saturday. This is the first time that the two presidents have headed the committee, which was in preivous years held at the prime ministerial level. High officials of the two countries will meet on 2 and 3 October, the two cabinets will meet on 4 October and the presidents will meet on 5 October. The Egyptian-Sudanese high committee consists of sub-committees for economy, military affairs, politics and security, economic and finance, transportation, education, culture, health, water resources and agriculture. A number of economic agreements and memorandums of understandings are expected to be signed during the meetings. Search Keywords: Short link: BAY CITY, MI - Bay County Habitat for Humanity is working to wrap up exterior work and move inside at 803 Jane St. on Bay City's west side before colder weather puts the brakes on their first build in more than five years. Still on the to-do list outside are removal of the shipping container on the home's lawn -- now drained of supplies needed earlier in the project -- moving the volunteer-built shed to the back of the property, a concrete pour for the driveway and landscaping. Supervisor Jason Skirlo says Habitat hopes to have all of that done and the exterior finished in the coming three weeks before temperatures drop too low for easy landscaping. Inside the home, the work has just begun: After volunteers installed sheathing and siding earlier this month, Habitat brought in contractors forheating and air conditioning, roofing and plumbing. The rest of the interior work, from framing and insulation to windows and weatherproofing, was done by volunteers. A pair of master electricians volunteered to provide wiring for free. This week, a team of volunteers burned through dozens of containers of sealant to caulk every spot inside the home where the frame meets the exterior plywood sheathing to make heating and cooling the home as energy-efficient as possible. "It's exciting when people come in and say 'You did all that with volunteers?'" said Community Outreach Coordinator Nicole Kinde. "Everybody's willing to bring what they can to the table." The cabinetry in the home will be built on a different kind of volunteer basis -- Habitat partners with the Michigan Department of Corrections Prison Build program for custom-made, hand-built cabinets made by trained inmates in Michigan prisons. Future homeowner Cairra Berry, a 26-year-old certified nursing assistant, says her favorite part of working on the home has been learning new skills. When her mother wanted a DVD shelf to fit into a tight corner in her living room, Berry set out to build one herself. She drew up a plan, took measurements and had the pieces cut to length at Home Depot in order to avoid having to buy expensive woodworking equipment. The project went well enough that she's now considering building a miniature picnic table. While building the shelf, Berry ran into an issue that's familiar to Habitat - she ended up over-budget. Kinde says that the usual construction road bumps mean this build is in need of funding and donations. Skirlo says mounting expenses include insulation, trim, an exterior concrete pour, flooring, drywall and miscellaneous hardware. These costs could be alleviated by fundraising or donations, Skirlo said. Kinde says Habitat is especially appreciative of experienced community members like landscapers, contractors and drywall specialists who are willing to volunteer their supplies, tools or services. Anyone can help, however, by volunteering at the site, donating to Habitat's Re-Store at 519 Washington Ave., or helping out with fundraisers, like the organization's upcoming gift-wrapping service, which runs from Black Friday to Christmas Eve at the Bay City Mall. Monetary donations can be made on Bay County Habitat for Humanity's website. "It can be $1 or $1,000." Kinde said. "We're grateful and appreciative -- every little bit helps, there's nothing too big or small." FLINT, MI - Former Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley made a case for presidential candidate Hillary Clinton during a UAW rally in Flint as part of a daylong trek in Michigan where he visited Flint, West Bloomfield, East Lansing and Kalamazoo. "I'm here because Michigan plays such a critically important role in this presidential contest," said O'Malley regarding his trip to Michigan. O'Malley talked about the job market including wages and the automotive industry in his plea for Clinton's run for president. O'Malley along with state, local, federal, UAW and community leaders including Congressman Dan Kildee, Flint City Council President Kerry Nelson and council members Scott Kincaid and Eric Mays were at the rally at UAW Local 599 at 812 Leith Street. Former Flint Mayor Dayne Walling and Michigan AFL-CIO president Ron Bieber were also at the event. Since the water crisis Flint has become a political hotbed drawing presidential hopefuls to the city including Donald Trump who visited Flint last month. O'Malley said Flint is a city where government failed under Republican leadership pointing to the city's water crisis. "This is where you see what happens when people are not respected, when people's voices are not heard, when people become anonymous to those that would govern them," said O'Malley. That's not the type of future we want for our country." Last week, Clinton's daughter, Chelsea Clinton visited a church and a Democratic National Committee office in Flint also campaigning for Clinton. Chelsea Clinton also talked about the city's water crisis and promised that her mother would support Flint if Hilary Clinton wins the president's seat. Hillary Clinton's officials also announced that former President Bill Clinton will be in Michigan next week campaigning for Hillary Clinton and encouraging people to register to vote before the Oct. 11 voter registration deadline. The public can register to see Bill Clinton by visiting one of the three links below. Saginaw Flint Rochester Hills GRAND RAPIDS, MI - A decade ago, Giovanni Casper, then a 17-year-old accused of killing a gang rival at a Kentwood skating rink, had a stunning question for the judge at his initial court appearance. "Can I go home now?" He stood before another judge on Friday, Sept. 30. "I'm not the same person I was 10 years ago," he said. "I made a terrible decision that night. I think about it constantly. The night I killed Kenneth Dear I didn't understand the pain I was actually causing his family, agony, anguish. It's just something I didn't understand." Giovanni Casper Casper was sentenced to mandatory life in prison without parole in the November 2006 shooting death of the 16-year-old Dear. The U.S. Supreme Court later ruled that mandatory life without parole for juveniles was cruel and unusual punishment. Casper committed his horrible crime when he was young and immature, a high-school dropout and troublemaker reluctant to take blame for the killing. His attorney, James Brady, said Casper once tried to justify his actions. Now, he recognizes what he did. Kent County Circuit Judge Dennis Leiber said he was willing to give Casper a chance at parole but it will not happen soon. He re-sentenced Casper to 40 to 60 years in prison. It is the harshest penalty available short of confirming a life sentence. Giovanni Casper in 2006 file photo. "At least he admits responsibility today," Leiber said. Casper was the fourth juvenile lifer to have his sentenced reduced on Friday. Ahmad Williams, who was 15 in 1998 when he shot and killed Derrick Pimpleton, 15, outside of a Southeast Side party store, was re-sentenced by Kent County Circuit Judge Mark Trusock to 25 to 60 years in prison. Saulo Montalvo and Christopher Peltier were re-sentenced by Trusock in the Feb. 1, 1996, killing of Rodney Corp. Montalvo, who was 16 and the getaway driver, was sentenced to 25 to 60 years in prison. Peltier, then 15, was sentenced to 35 to 60 years. He hauled out the cash register at the party store. They split $175. Kent County Prosecutor William Forsyth said he will fight any attempt by the gunman, Robert Maze, then 15, to have his sentence shortened. In Dear's killing at Kentwood Fun Spot, Leiber said that if Casper does what he's supposed to do in prison, and takes advantage of learning opportunities, he could be paroled once the minimum sentence is served. "The major issue is one of hope," the judge said. Still, Casper has to confront his own actions. "It is disappointing and perhaps insightful, the realization he has yet to cross the threshold of truth. Mr. Casper is not there, yet," Leiber said. The Supreme Court decision granting young lifers the chance at resentencing opens old wounds for victim's families, the victim's mother, Charlie Steen-Dear, and sister, Kenisha Harris, told the judge. They feel that the justice system failed them. The mother said she has moved on with her life. Her son had a daughter, now 10. She asks about him. "This still hurts," she said. "To Giovanni Casper, I forgive you. That's about all I can say to you." Harris said she believed in giving second chances but did not want Casper to get the minimum of 25 years. She and her brother were close. She has trouble even looking at his photo. She told Casper: "I do believe that you can change and I hope that you have changed." NOVI, MI -- Donald Trump promised several thousand Michigan supporters Friday evening that he would "make every dream you ever dreamed for your country come true" if he's elected in 39 days. In a speech that covered many of Trump's oft-discussed topics -- including trade, the media, immigration, outreach to African Americans, the working class and harsh criticisms of opponent Hillary Clinton -- he appealed to his audience to show up at the polls, saying the stakes in the election were too high not to vote in November. If the doctor says, "'I'm sorry, Jim,' 'I'm sorry, Alice,'"... You're not going to make it. You'll be gone by the end of November. I don't give a damn," Trump said. "Show up and vote on Nov. 8." Trump also encouraged his supporters to be on the lookout for voter fraud on Election Day, arguing that it "would be one hell of a way to lose" if it was a rigged election. Trump said the election was in the hands of voters -- their chance to get rid of establishment candidates and have a politician who represents all people, he said. "Imagine the look on their faces when you tell them you're fired," Trump said. If elected, he said, he would be able to tell "millions of unemployed Americans my two favorite words: you're hired." The crowd was responsive to Trump's comments, frequently breaking out into chants of "lock her up," and "USA, USA." Trump also railed against Lester Holt, moderator of the first debate between Trump and Clinton earlier this week, and members of the media for giving him intense scrutiny and criticism, alleging Clinton is getting a pass. He called media coverage of the election "the greatest pile-on in the history of America." As he has often in Michigan, Trump promised to bring manufacturing jobs back to the state and improve the lives of members of the working class. He briefly mentioned outreach to African Americans -- another theme he's discussed frequently while in Michigan -- arguing that "they know they're being used entirely." Michigan has been a target state to win in the November presidential election for the Trump campaign, and Friday marks the fifth time the candidate has been in Michigan since he accepted the nomination in July. The current Real Clear Politics polling average for Michigan, which includes post-debate data, has Clinton averaging 5.3 points ahead. Earlier in the day, Trump made his way to Grand Rapids for a fundraiser and also stopped by the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum, where he got a brief tour of the museum and placed flowers on the grave of President Ford and Betty Ford. Trump also made a brief appearance at the Kent County GOP Headquarters, where Trump spoke to roughly 80 supporters, telling them: "The reason I am here is because we are winning." He promised he "wouldn't let them down." In a statement, Michigan Republican Party Chair Ronna Romney McDaniel asserted that Michigan is in play this cycle, made evident by the fact that Trump keeps coming back. She criticized Hillary Clinton for continuing to "duck Michigan voters" by sending surrogates to speak for her. "Michigan voters understand what's at stake in this election," Romney McDaniel said. "Michiganders know that Donald Trump will fight for us, and he won't forget about Michigan, or our issues, once he is in the White House." Democrats were quick to hit back at Trump's Michigan stop. Michigan Democratic Party Chair Brandon Dillon said there is "absolutely no comparison" between Trump and Clinton, arguing that the more Trump comes to Michigan, the more working families "realize how much of a disaster he would be for them." Prior to his visit, U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Dearborn, said in a press call for the Clinton campaign that Trump's proposals and comments made throughout the campaign show he would be the wrong choice for Michigan workers. "Donald Trump has said that wages are too high, that having a low minimum wage is not a bad thing for this country, and has advocated for abolishing the federal minimum wage altogether," Dingell said. "Bottom line: Donald Trump cares about himself, and he's in it for himself and his billionaire friends." NOVI, MI -- Chris Clark of Pontiac is supporting Donald Trump because he believes the Republican nominee for president is speaking to him and for him. "He's speaking for the people. He's giving us a voice. We haven't had much of a voice," Clark said shortly after Trump departed the stage Friday in a Novi campaign rally. Clark was one of thousands who turned out for Trump's speech at the Suburban Collection Showplace Throughout the speech, supporters chanted and cheered as Trump appealed to Michigan's working class, touching on auto manufacturing, job creation and foreign policy. It was the first time Clark was able to watch Trump speak in person. He said he left even more impressed with the GOP nominee. "Everything he says resonates with the blue-collar worker, with the everyday person who doesn't feel like the government isn't giving them a voice," Clark said. "It's very clear that (typical politicians) are all bought and paid for. They're very corrupt." For Debra Mitchell of Howell, she believes that Trump is the right candidate because of his strong stance on the military and foreign threats. "If we have a solider in a foxhole, I'd rather have him fighting for us than Hillary," Mitchell said. Mitchell also said she was impressed with Trump in person and believes he has the right mentality to provide a better life for younger people in the country. "He will fight for our country. We want to see the younger people in the country have a chance to own a house, have jobs and be proud of our country and our military." Jessica Ross of Birmingham has heard Trump speak before, and said it's his connection with the audience that helps His message land with crowds. "He's not conventional. He's not typical government and people like that. People want change, they want something different," Ross said. Like Mitchell, Ross believes Trump will do what's best for the military and returning veterans. "I think our military isn't taken care of. They're fighting still today and yet nobody knows or cares and I think he's one that will," Ross said. The rally marked the fifth time Trump has visited Michigan since winning the Republican nomination in July. Previously, Trump visited a church in Flint and gave a speech in front of the Detroit Economic Club where he unveiled his economic plan. Trump's Novi appearance is also his first in the state since the presidential debate held on Monday Sept. 26, 2016. Along with the rally in Novi, Trump also attended private fundraiser events in Grand Rapids and in metro Detroit on Friday. Update, 1:41 p.m. Oct. 2: Bill Clinton will no longer be stopping in Rochester Hills, according to the campaign. Former President Bill Clinton will be returning to Michigan Monday to campaign for his wife, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. The former president will be stopping in Saginaw and Flint, where he will "lay out the high stakes of November's election for Michigan's working families" and discuss Hillary Clinton's plans, according to a campaign announcement released Saturday afternoon. Clinton was originally scheduled to make a stop in Rochester Hills as well, but that event was canceled Sunday afternoon due to a schedule change. Members of the public can RSVP for the Saginaw and Flint events on the Clinton campaign's website. It's Bill Clinton's second appearance in the state since Hillary Clinton accepted the presidential nomination. He previously made an appearance in Detroit to attend the city's annual Labor Day parade. His appearance comes shortly after Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump made his fifth Michigan campaign stop since his nomination with a rally in Novi. Both the Hillary Clinton and Trump campaigns have continued focusing on Michigan, with candidates and surrogates continuing to come well into the fall in what in modern presidential elections has been known as a reliably Democratic state. Egypt's High Administrative Court will hold next Saturday the first session to hear the government's appeal against a court ruling which voided Cairo's decision to acknowledge Saudi sovereignty over two Red Sea islands. In June a lower administrative court ruled that the islands of Tiran and Sanafir are under Egyptian sovereignty. Egypt's government had agreed in April to return the two islands off the coast of southern Sinai to Saudi Arabia, saying they had always belonged to the Gulf country. On Thursday, a court for urgent matters issued a ruling suspending the lower administrative court decision. Lawyers in that case said they intend to appeal the urgent matters court decision. The decision to recognise the two strategic islands at the southern tip of the Gulf of Aqaba as belonging to Saudi Arabia sparked widespread public outcry; dozens of people were arrested and put on trial for protesting the deal, though many have since been released after paying hefty fines. Search Keywords: Short link: KALAMAZOO, MI - Western Michigan University President John M. Dunn gave his final State of the University address Friday, as he enters his 10th and final year leading WMU. "I am and will always remain incredibly proud of what we have accomplished together," Dunn said during the WMU's annual Fall Convocation. Dunn, who announced in August that this academic year would be his last at WMU's helm, made several remarks about his hopes for the next president and his upcoming retirement in June 2017. He highlighted past accomplishments, current projects and the university's future endeavors in his half-hour speech. Recent accomplishments included a new partnership with Florida Southwestern State College, which will bring WMU's aviation program to its campus. WMU already has a Florida presence nearby in Tampa Bay, a location of the WMU Cooley Law School. Dunn also pointed to numerous grants the university has received, including $500,000 in state from the state for the WMU-based Michigan Geological Survey to map Michigan's subsurface and $2.1 million from the U.S. Economic Development Administration for the planned expansion of the university's Business Technology and Research Park, which he used Friday's speech to announce. He touched on WMU's fall enrollment numbers released this week, noting that over his 10 years leading the university that minority student enrollment has increased each year. Minority students now account for 22 percent of WMU's enrollment, which dropped slightly overall this fall. While Dunn will be retiring at the end of this academic year, he said his work for the university will continue. "I began this address by referring to this as the 'Consider it Dunn' State of the University address," he said. "I'd like to assure you we're not "done" yet." In fact, Western's eighth president will serve as president emeritus for a year following his retirement, taking on special assignments from his successor. WMU announced in early September it had formed a 22-member Presidential Search Advisory Committee to assist in identifying candidates. The Fall Convocation was revamped this year to include a full day of activities in WMU's Bernhard Center, including video presentations for award winners, a Teaching and Learning Bash in the morning and appearances by Buster Bronco and the university's marching band, among other things. Prior to Dunn's speech was an award ceremony for faculty members and employees. Honored for their work and service to WMU were: Sheila Atherton, Earl Conner, Stacy Thinnes and Cynthia Town with the Make a Difference Award; Jennifer Machiorlatti and Lisa Paulius with the Distinguished Teaching Award; Jessaca Spybrook with the Emerging Scholar Award; and Howard Dooley and Amy Seth with the Distinguished Service Award. KALAMAZOO, MI -- Kharisma Richardson's mother has been found guilty of murder, child abuse and torture in her death, but more charges could be forthcoming in the case. Kalamazoo detectives are looking into who knew about the abuse Kharisma was suffering, and what they told police. "The case is not over yet," said Capt. Victor Ledbetter, who heads up the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigations Division. "What we want to do is go back and look at what people told the investigators previously before trial, and compare them to what was testified against." A jury Thursday found Kharisma's mother Daveeta Walker guilty of two counts of first-degree murder and single counts of first-degree child abuse and torture in the death of Kharisma. Walker faces life in prison without the possibility of parole. She will be sentenced Nov. 7. Ledbetter said detectives suspect some people they interviewed lied when asked what they knew about Kharisma's injuries. "People who knew what she was doing to that little girl, and the injuries she had, they lied about it when we questioned them," Ledbetter said. Ledbetter said the crime of lying to a peace officer during an investigation can be a misdemeanor or felony charge. In this case, because the case ended in first degree homicide, the penalty for lying in the investigation is a four-year felony, Ledbetter said. "If we can prove it, we can try to hold those accountable who lied to us in this investigation," Ledbetter said. Kharisma was found dead on the morning of her fourth birthday. She had over 40 to 50 scars, 150 scabs, 10 bruises and 25 individual burns on her body at the time of her autopsy, along with four or five other areas of hemorrhage inside her body, Dr. Brandy Shattuck, deputy medical examiner at the Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine, testified during Walker's trial. Shattuck concluded Kharisma's cause of death was complications from multiple injuries, including blunt and thermal injuries, and that the manner of Kharisma's death was homicide. Walker, who called police to report she had found her daughter dead on March 26, was charged three months later. Shattuck said the Kharisma had an infection caused either from hemorrhaging of her pancreas or burns on her feet caused by hot bath water. She testified the kind of hemorrhaging she had in her pancreas is typically something see sees in victims of motor vehicle crashes, or people who have fallen from heights. Her body also showed symptoms that led Shattuck to conclude she had been in shock before her death. Taking the stand in her defense, Walker denied using corporal punishment on her children, saying she only "popped" them on their hands. She denied responsibility for burning Kharisma's feet with the hot bath water and said she only admitted to "whooping" Kharisma and burning her feet because a Kalamazoo detective threatened to charge her with murder. Kharisma was a sweet girl and happy girl, witnesses testified during Walker's trial, which began Tuesday. She was talkative, liked to color and enjoyed playing with her brothers and cousins. An abuse and neglect case involving Walker and her children is pending in the Family Division of Kalamazoo County Circuit Court. That case, opened upon Kharisma's death, includes her three brothers, ages 6, 5, and 2 at the time she died. It also includes and Walker's youngest son, who was born and removed from her care July 6. Ledbetter said the case affected many people who worked it, including the detectives and dispatchers who worked it. He said detectives wanted to arrest Walker the day Kharisma died but had to wait on her autopsy to confirm their suspicions. "You have a 4-year-old girl who was killed on her fourth birthday on Easter weekend by her mother," Ledbetter said. "A lot of us have kids, a lot of us have empathy and compassion and we wanted to bring justice to Kharisma." ATLANTA -- At times on Friday night, Daniel Norris said he imagined Chipper Jones at the plate. The Tennessee native grew up an Atlanta Braves fan, attending games at Turner Field, which will host its last games this weekend. "I grew up watching games here, I grew up in this park. Everything was so surreal just being out there and envisioning Chipper in the box," Norris said after Detroit's critical win. "That was cool." Jordan Zimmermann, who's starting for the Tigers on Saturday, doesn't have to imagine facing Chipper Jones. He faced him 11 times, allowing only two hits (although one of them was a home run in Turner Field in 2011). That was the only home run he's ever allowed in five starts at Turner Field. Zimmermann went 3-1 with a 2.06 ERA in 35 innings with the Washington Nationals. He struck out 33 and walked only four. "I've pitched here plenty over the years," Zimmermann said. "It's going to be fun playing these last three games at this ballpark. There's a lot of history and a lot of memories here. Hopefully we can sweep these guys and get back home." Norris and the Tigers took the first step with a 6-2 win on Friday night. They also got help from the Boston Red Sox, who beat the Toronto Blue Jays. The Tigers (86-73) now trail the Jays (87-73) by only a half-game in the wild card race. The Seattle Mariners (86-74) are only a half-game behind the Tigers and could still be a factor in the race. The Blue Jays have two games remaining; the Tigers have three if the make-up game against the Cleveland Indians is played on Monday. Putting the Mariners aside for the moment and looking only at the Tigers and Jays, here's how this weekend could play out: * Tigers and Jays both go 2-0: The Tigers must beat the Indians to qualify for a 163rd game in Toronto to break the wild card tie. * The Tigers go 2-0 and Jays go 1-1: The Tigers could win the wild card by beating the Indians Monday. If they lost, they would have to play the 163rd tiebreaker game in Toronto on Tuesday. * The Tigers go 2-0 and Jays go 0-2: The Tigers qualify for the wild card and don't have to play Monday's game against Cleveland. Of course, there's no guarantee the Tigers will sweep the Braves, and there are still scenarios in which the Tigers could make it with a loss. But the presence of the Mariners lurking just behind makes the scenarios more complicated and even raises the possibility of a three-way tie for the second wild card spot. For now, the Tigers are focused on Saturday. Zimmermann, who has only two unsuccessful starts since June 30, will face rookie Aaron Blair (1-7, 8.02 ERA). "It's been a tough year with the ups and downs and being shut down and built back up a couple times and dealing with these various injuries," Zimmermann said. "But right now I feel healthy, I feel strong and I feel like I'm ready to go." Kinshasa (AFP) - The Democratic Republic of Congo's electoral commission on Saturday said it would seek to delay calling voters to the polls until late 2017, though the opposition swiftly rejected the proposal. The announcement came amid opposition fears that President Joseph Kabila will not step down when his term expires in December. "Voters will be called to the polls for the presidential and provincial and national legislative elections simultaneously in November 2017," electoral commission chief Corneile Naanga told reporters. "That is when the candidacies will be submitted," Naanga said after making the proposal before participants in a so-called national dialogue aimed at ending a tense political standoff in the vast, resource-rich nation. Naanga told participants in the dialogue that the commission would require "504 days starting from July 31, 2017" to deal with a string of challenges in its bid to organise the presidential and legislative votes. Electoral authorities would need time, Naanga said, to distribute voting material and to deploy the staff to 136,000 voting offices. The opposition however swiftly hit back, with spokesman Jean Lucien Bussa saying the electoral commission "must heed the instructions delivered by (participants in) the dialogue, and not do what it wants." Naanga however said the electoral commission's job was to announce the electoral calendar. Saturday's statement, Naanga said, was by no means meant to be a decision, but rather was to act as a "guideline." A wave of deadly clashes pitting police against demonstrators hit the Democratic Republic of Congo in late September, as the opposition demanded Kabila's resignation. The US Treasury has since placed two of Kabila's top allies on its sanctions blacklist, tying both to rising political violence and human rights violations. In the latest of his controversial proposals, Ilhami Agina said that any woman applying to university should be subject to a virginity test Egypt's National Council for Women will file a report with the states top attorney against a parliamentarian over his "offensive remarks against women in Egypt and abroad," Dina Hussien a member of the council said on Saturday. Ilhami Agina, an independent MP from the Nile Delta governorate of Daqahliya, said last week that girls hoping to attend university should first undergo a mandatory "virginity test." The council is also preparing a complaint to give to the speaker of parliament against the MP, requesting that he undertake all the legal procedures against the MP according to the constitution and parliamentary bylaws to be investigated for his latest and previous remarks," Hussien told Ahram Online. "Any girl who wishes to join university must undergo this test on a regular basis to prove that she is still a virgin," Agina said. "She also must submit a document that she is still a virgin in order to be officially admitted to the university." That was not the first controversial public statement by Agina, who said in early September that he voted against a new bill that made female genital mutilation (FGM) a felony, arguing that the FGM should remain in place to balance the "weak" sexual prowess of most Egyptian men. Earlier this year, the MP also said that female MPs should modest wear clothing inside parliament. Amna Nosseir, a female MP and a university professor in Islamic law, told reporters that "Agina's remarks represent an insult to women and public manners in Egypt." "I hope that parliament will move this time to take a serious and firm stand against Agina, discipline him and stem the tide of his statements, which might convey a bad message about Egypt's parliament," Nosseir said. Agina has said previously that his statements about public issues in Egypt should be viewed as reflecting his right to practice freedom of speech. Search Keywords: Short link: Cairo (AFP) - An Egyptian militant group said on Friday that it tried to assassinate the deputy prosecutor general with a car bomb, a day after the blast in a Cairo suburb. Police had said the Thursday night bombing had occurred as the official's convoy drove past the rigged car wounded a passerby. The prosecutor, Zakareya Azmi, was unharmed. The Hasm group, which has claimed attacks in Cairo in recent months, said it was was behind the bombing in a statement circulated on social media. The recently emerged group published purported pictures of the moment the bomb exploded, and threatened further attacks against "the oppresive judiciary." The group, about which little is known, had previously claimed responsibility for killing a policeman and for the attempted assassination of a pro-government Muslim cleric. In 2015, a car bombing killed prosecutor general Hisham Barakat. No group has claimed responsibility for that attack. Police later said they arrested the perpetrators of the attack, charging that they were members of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood movement of deposed Islamist president Mohamed Morsi. Hundreds of soldiers and policemen have also died in jihadist attacks since the military overthrew Morsi in 2013 and unleashed a deadly crackdown on his supporters. The African Union Commission in collaboration with the NEPAD Agency, today opened a technical validation meeting for a Continental Agribusiness Strategy and a framework, operational structure, and implementation business plan for a continental African agribusiness apex body. The Apex Body will be one of the implementation modalities for the Agribusiness Strategy with a focus on stronger engagement of the private sector for agribusiness development on the continent. The main objective of the meeting is to discuss and validate the Continental Agribusiness Strategy and Implementation Plan and review the outcomes of the ongoing efforts on development of the continental framework for the establishment of the Private Sector Apex Body. The meeting will further provide inputs for the development of a framework for boosting intra-African Trade in advancing the implementation of the 2014 Malabo Declaration, which was adopted by AU Heads of State and Government, and spells out seven key commitments for agricultural transformation in Africa. Opening the meeting, AUC Department of Rural Economy and Agriculture (DREA), Senior Advisor to Commissioner Tumusiime Rhoda Peace, Ernest Ruzindaza, called for enhanced action towards the implementation of the Malabo commitments. He noted that the role of the private sector towards the realization of the Malabo commitments is critical, emphasizing that, one of the commitments in the Malabo Declaration which is on Enhancing Investment Finance in Agriculture, calls for increased involvement of the private sector, especially targeting strategic agricultural commodities value chains at national, regional and continental level. Engaging the African Domestic Private Sector in Agriculture The pivotal role of the private sector in promoting agribusiness guided the development of the Agribusiness Strategy in 2012.The strategy provided a clear indication of the direction continental agencies were taking with agribusiness promotion, identified the elements to be carried forward, and outlined the institutional and thematic set-up for agribusiness and trade promotion at the various levels. Following the adoption of the Malabo Declaration, it became necessary to review the strategy and align it with the commitments made, while highlighting the critical role of the private sector in agribusiness development on the continent. The various consultations undertaken by the AUC and NPCA as part of Sustaining the CAADP Momentum and the experience by AU Member States, and RECs in CAADP implementation have highlighted and underscored the need to strengthen private sector participation in CAADP implementation as part of expanding and strengthening agribusiness in African agricultural value chains. Establishing a Continental Apex Body of African Agribusiness Actors The CAADP Results Framework 2015-2025 places emphasis on the role of the private sector as a central catalyst and driver of inclusive agribusiness development for sustainable agricultural growth. The framework is further underpinned by a strong commitment to realise improved African agriculture performance through increased private sector investment along the continents agricultural value chains. To achieve the food security and general sector expansion, development and growth desired, it has been recognized by policy makers in Africa, and continental domestic private sector actors themselves, that a strong and involved domestic private sector will be critically important toward the implementation of CAADP and the achievement of the Malabo Commitments. The outcome of the meeting will be submitted to the AU Specialized Technical Committee (STC) on Agriculture, Rural Development, Water and Environment, in December 2016. Accra, Sept. 29, GNA - Tigo Business, the enterprise arm of Tigo, has partnered Microsoft, Lenovo and IT Worx to support small to medium businesses with relevant connectivity to maximise their operations and boost productivity. Tigo Business, which offers world-class information and communications technology solutions for corporates and SMEs, would provide the support through an initiative called the 'Tigo Business SME Empowerment Roadshow.' The partnership brings together an ecosystem of business solution providers ranging from content, connectivity, devices, software and financial expertise to help businesses build solid processes at world class standards and give them a competitive edge both locally and in the sub-region. Commenting on the partnership, Roshi Motman Chief Executive Officer, Tigo Ghana, said: 'We are very excited about this partnership because it's the first of its kind in our market. 'As a telecom business solutions provider, we believe in providing our clients with tools that will make them more efficient, have greater control, and ultimately become more productive.' The motivation behind this partnership was founded on the need to provide a creative alternative to multiple service providers, each offering a plethora of overlapping services to the same business audience. With the partnership, Tigo intends to develop a one-stop solution for smarter working for SMEs - one that would provide greater cost effectiveness and operational efficiency. 'At Tigo, we are not only interested in providing connectivity, but creating a platform where all the major players who offer solutions to the SME ecosystem can merge and offer a one-stop-shop with tailor made solutions for diverse business needs. "Our key message to all SMEs is, you don't need to go to any other provider to take care of your needs. Come to Tigo Business and we will take your business to the next level,' Motman added. Each partner brings an array of expertise to the table. Microsoft would provide access to email, domain names, and basic book keeping tools under the Office 365 services. Through its subsidiary partners; ITworx, would provide a rich portfolio of enterprise productivity solutions, while Zepto would provide tablets with keyboards for easy use in stores, POS terminals and software solutions specifically designed for the enterprise space by ITWorx. The Tigo Business SME Empowerment Roadshow will see all member organisations travel around key cities in Ghana to provide content, device and connectivity solutions to SME stakeholders. The SME Clinic Series provides a very real opportunity to make an impact in developing skills, professionalism and entrepreneurship within the SME community, through the delivery of cutting-edge tools and rich expertise, thus contributing positively to the country's economy. The Country Manager for Microsoft Ghana, Derek Appiah, noted: 'Microsoft's goal is to enable SMEs in Africa to start, grow and accelerate their businesses through affordable access to technology, world-class skills and innovation. 'We aim to help this sector sustain their growth, reach their full potential and turn their ideas into reality via initiatives such as Biz4Afrika - an online hub for SMEs in Africa'. The Tigo Business SME Empowerment Roadshow would enable SMEs in Ghana to know how to make sense of these solutions for their businesses, have a solid understanding of the local environment and most importantly tap into the power of mobile and cloud technology to increase productivity, communicate and collaborate anytime, anywhere, from any device,' Mr Appiah said. GNA By Albert Futukpor/Frederica Kyeremateng, GNA Tamale, Sept. 30, GNA - Institute for Democratic Governance (IDEG) has said there is the need to reform the current local governance system to ensure the inclusion of all groups at the local level. IDEG has, therefore, called for the election of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) on political party lines to ensure that they (MMDCEs) are accountable to the people at the local level instead of the president. Mr Kwesi Jonah, a Senior Research Fellow at IDEG, said the election of MMDCEs on political party lines would ensure effective development as all shades of opinion would be represented at the local level. Mr Jonah was making a presentation on democratic devolution at a forum organized by IDEG and Civic Forum Initiative (CFI) in Tamale. The forum formed part of IDEG and CFI's regional dialogues on democratic devolution on the theme, 'Strengthening Democratic Development through Multi-party based Local Government'. Mr Jonah said the appointment of MMDCEs by the president took away the democratic right of the people who were being ruled locally by the MMDCEs. Dr Peter Atupare, a Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Law, University Of Ghana, expressed his displeasure that government has not accepted the Constitutional Review Commission's recommendation on the election of MMDCEs. GNA By Francis Ameyibor, GNA Accra, Sept. 30, GNA - The Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) said the circumstances under which the 'Ford Expedition gift' vehicle was delivered to President John Dramani Mahama and his conduct after the gift was made, sufficiently rebutts the presumption of acceptance of a bribe by a public officer. CHRAJ said at the end of the preliminary investigations, the allegations that the President Mahama has contravened Article 284 of the 1992 Constitution by putting himself in situations of conflict of interest has not been substantiated. Consequently, the Commission holds that full or further investigations into the allegations are not warranted and the allegations therefore, are hereby dismissed, CHRAJ said in an 80-page investigative report made available to the Ghana News Agency in Accra. The GNA hereby produces a summary of the Section 10 of the entire report - Analysis of the evidence in the light of the issues and applicable laws and policies: Issue 1: Whether the acceptance of the Ford Expedition vehicle by the (President Mahama) Respondent contravened existing Gift Policy under the Code of Conduct for Public Officers. The Commission is satisfied that the gift in question forms part of gifts prohibited under the Gift Policy under the Code of Conduct. Although the evidence shows that the Respondent subsequently surrendered the gift to the State, the action nonetheless contravened the gift policy. Issue 2: Whether the acceptance of the gift by the Respondent placed him in a conflict of interest situation under the Code of Conduct for Public Officers and Conflict of Interest Rules? CHRAJ said having reviewed the evidence on the actions and conduct of the Respondent after the gift was made the Commission is satisfied that his actions and conduct sufficiently dealt with any conflict of interest that could have been occasioned. In the circumstances, the Commission finds that the Respondent did not put himself in a conflict of interest situation or contravene the conflict of interest rules under Article 284 of the 1992 Constitution. Issue 3: Whether the Vehicle which is said to be a brand new vehicle at the time it entered Ghana was cleared at Tema Port as a used car in order to undervalue it and pay less duty. On the basis of the evidence, the Commission is satisfied with the explanation from the GRA that the vehicle was assessed in accordance with sections 89 & 91 of Act 330, and not described as used vehicle to undervalue the duty payable. The term 'used' therefore, is not synonymous with the term 'secondhand' vehicle. Issue 4: If the Vehicle was declared as 'used' when it was 'new' on entry into Ghana, whether the State suffered a loss of revenue. In the absence of direct evidence to the contrary, the Commission accepts that the duty paid on the vehicle was the regular duty payable under the law, and therefore the State did not lose revenue on the vehicle. Issue 5: Whether the Registration details of the Vehicle can be found at the DVLA and if so, in whose name was the Vehicle Registered On the evidence available, the Commission is satisfied that the vehicle is registered and used as State property in same manner as other operational vehicles at the Presidency. Issue 6: Whether the Vehicle has been added to the Presidential pool and if it has, when was it added? Based on the overwhelming evidence before the Commission, the Commission is satisfied and finds as a fact that the vehicle was received and added to the Presidential Pool on 2nd November, 2012. Issue 7: Whether the Respondent has perpetrated fraud on the people of Ghana by representing to Ghanaians that Ouedrago Cheik Mohammed was actually the importer of the vehicle in question when indeed the vehicle was transported by road with personnel from both Ghana Embassy at Burkina Faso and Ghana Boarder at Paga through to Accra. On the basis of the available evidence, the Commission finds that the allegation that the Respondent perpetrated fraud on Ghanaians is unfounded. Issue 8: Whether the Gift was given with intent to corrupt the Respondent and whether the Respondent knew that Djibril Kanazoe made him the gift with intent to corrupt the Respondent The Commission is satisfied with the actions of the Respondent after the gift was made, and accordingly finds that his conduct was not consistent with that of a person who had been corrupted by a gift or improperly influenced by same. Issue 9: Whether the acceptance of the gift (Ford) amounts to a bribe. The Commission accordingly finds that the circumstances under which the gift was delivered to the Respondent, and conduct of the Respondent after the gift was made sufficiently rebuts the presumption of acceptance of a bribe by a public officer. Issue 10: Whether due process and procedure were followed by public officials in the award of contracts On the strength of the evidence, the Commission is satisfied that the procurement process and procedure were regular and within the Public Procurement Act, 2003 (Act 663), in particular, Section 43(1). In the absence of direct evidence to the contrary, the Commission accepts the evidence of the Public Officials involved that the contracts were awarded regularly and in the normal course of their duties. Issue 11: Whether the Ministry of Roads and Highways was in the process of "handpicking" Djibril Kanazoe for the award of a 28-kilometer Wa-Hamile Road worth GHC 82,000,000.00 because of the gift of the vehicle to the Respondent. Under the circumstance, the Commission finds the allegation that the Ministry of Roads and Highways was in the process of awarding the contract for the construction of the 28 kilometre Wa-Hamile road worth GHC82, 000,000.00 to Djibril Kanazoe through sole sourcing speculative and not supported by the evidence. Issue 12: Whether the Respondent influenced the award of contracts In the absence of evidence to the contrary, the Commission reiterates its earlier finding that the evidence do not shows that the Respondent influenced the award of the two contracts won by Djibril Kanazoe or his company, Oumarou Kanazoe Construction Limited. Issue 13: Whether the Respondent has conducted himself in a manner that has violated Article 284 of the 1992 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana by a receipt of a gift of the vehicle In the circumstances, the Commission is satisfied that the Respondent's conduct did not violate Article 284 of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana. GNA By Deborah Apetorgbor/ Edwina Ocansey, GNA Accra, Sept. 30, GNA - Mr Emmanuel Turkson, a woodworker at the Azargu Furniture Works at Dome, in Accra, has appealed to the Government to revamp the industry as it has the potential of employing thousands of youth. He described the handicrafts industry as 'an untapped gold mine', which had a huge potential of generating high forex earnings. Speaking in an interview with the GNA, Mr Turkson, however, expressed concern about the cost of raw materials for the industry and said Governmental interventions were critical to create the enabling conditions. He said the prices of materials, such as wood of various sizes; plywood, and nails were so high, explaining: 'Handicrafts workers spend more on acquiring the raw materials, which affects the price of the finished products in the market'. Mr. Bright Antwi, an Official in Charge of the Arts Centre, complained about the deplorable state of the artifacts village, popularly known as the Arts Centre in Accra, also touted as Ghana's main arts hub. Mr Antwi noted that most handicrafts workers, sales men and women at the Center had over the years, cried for renovation of the place and support from government to upgrade their output. He urged the Accra Metropolitan Authority (AMA) to support the Centre to undertake the necessary renovations. Other traders and customers, who spoke to the GNA, corroborated the issues raised and called for immediate assistance to transform the Village to contribute more to the national economy. The traders, however, commended Nana Glover Acheampong, the Administrator of the Centre, for instilling discipline, driving away the illegal traders who normally paraded the entrance and harassed customers. 'Nana Acheampong has united the splinter groups into one association, formed a unified task force and set up a disciplinary committee at the centre,' said Mr Kwamina Gyentua told the GNA. GNA By Bajin D. Pobia, GNA Wa, Sept. 30, GNA - Crop production in the Upper West Region is expected to increase by 20 per cent, while livestock production go up by 15 per cent in the Wa Municipality of the Upper West Region by the end of the year, following the distribution of fertilisers. A total of 26,312 bags of NPK fertiliser and 8,950 bags of Urea fertiliser have been distributed to 12,182 farmers in the Municipality under the Fertiliser Subsidy Programme. As a result of the intervention, Mr. Issahaku Nuhu-Putiaha, the Wa Municipal Chief Executive, announced this at the Second Ordinary Meeting of the Assembly in Wa. He said reports from the agricultural sector indicated that the rainfall pattern for the year were favourable for crops and livestock production. 'There is sufficient water in the soil for crops growth and performance and for grass growth for livestock feeding, among other things,' he said. 'Various veterinary, animal husbandry, and crop extension services activities have also been carried out, including the vaccination against diseases, treatment of livestock against minor ailments, crop and livestock demonstration, field days, home and farm visits as well as pests and diseases surveillance,' the Municipal Chief Executive stated. Mr. Nuhu-Putiaha said the implementation of the Government's pro-poor policies such as the Public Sector Support, the Northern Rural Growth Project, and the Fertiliser Subsidy Programme, with a total of 15,879 livestock being vaccinated against various diseases. He said more than 12,348 birds, 2,700 cattle, 300 sheep and goats and 531 dogs and cats had been vaccinated against the respective diseases among them. The agricultural sector also carried out 20 demonstrations, including 14 on rice, two on maize and four on groundnuts, while seven technologies were disseminated to 60,000 farmers to help them increase their crop yield. Mr. Nuhu-Putiaha said under the Public Sector Support Programme, about 337 hectares out of 773 hectares of developed rice valleys had been cropped with about 179 farmers, benefiting from the project this year alone. He said under the Northern Rurual Growth Project, 60 farmer-based organisations had been animated and linked to various credit institutions to access credit for farming. On the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP), Mr. Nuhu-Putiaha said so far 3,096 persons had benefited, with GH222,914.00 disbursed at the end of the second quarter of the year. A total of 85 schools in the Municipality have been benefiting from the School Feeding Programme with 33,252 pupils being fed from 106 caterers engaged to prepare nutritionally balanced meals for the children. GNA The Progressive People's Party (PPP) risks being cited for contempt of court for presenting its filing fee to the Electoral Commission (EC), despite being the very entity to place an injunction on the process, a private legal practitioner, John Ndebugri has said. Mr. Ndebugri explained on Eyewitness News that, because there is an injunction already pending because of the application they have gone to tender, they might be cited for contempt because they are seeking to do exactly what they are praying the court to prevent the Electoral Commission from doing. The Attorney General or the EC could invoke the jurisdiction of the court to punish the PPP for contempt, he added. Nii Allotey Brew Hammond, PPP Chairman and team presenting Dr. Nduoms forms The PPP filed a suit at the High Court on September 19, seeking an interlocutory injunction to prevent the Commission from receiving the nominations in protest of the ECs much criticized hike in the filing fees for presidential and parliamentary aspirants. on Thursday, the EC said it would not be accepting filing fees from the presidential and parliamentary aspirants because of the injunction. But it collected that of the PPP, when the partys Chairman, Brew Hammond, presented it together with the partys nomination forms. Later, he asked for it to be returned to them, but the Commission turned down that request. Addressing the media later on Friday, the EC Chair, Charlotte Osei, remarked that she accepted the filing fee because she assumed that the PPP had withdrawn the suit from court, hence their decision to present the filing fee. Mr. Ndebugri echoed that sentiment when he said, for they themselves [the PPP] to go and tender that one [the filing fee], it would appear as if they had abandoned their application. By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana By A.R. Gomda Workers of the state broadcaster yesterday embarked on an internal demonstration and in the process locked up the offices of some top management staffers after chasing them out. DAILY GUIDE gathered that the Ag Director of Finance came to work yesterday morning but reportedly fled but the Director of Human Resource didnt show up at work. The Director of Corporate Affairs was chased out of her office after which the place was locked up. Clad in red fabrics, they sang protest songs, the second in a few months, against the board members of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) with whom they have been on a collision course for some time now. What triggered yesterday's protest could be the inability of the Minister for Communication to meet the workers as earlier scheduled, for a planned durbar. The minister was said to have failed to show up, angering the workers. They asked the board members to leave the premises a repeat of a similar action earlier. Leading the charge were members of the workers union who were said to have earlier visited the office of the Acting Director General yesterday morning to inform her about the planned action. During the demonstration most of the workers abandoned their duty posts, bringing work to a virtual standstill. In an earlier protest the workers accused the board members of bad governance and acting in manners not helpful to the growth of the corporation. They had hoisted red bands at the entrance of the corporation. They had at the time suspected the extension of the tenure of the CEO, Albert Don Chebe something denied by the National Media Commission (NMC) anyway. The Richard Kwame Asante-led board is particularly targeted by the workers who they insist should pack and leave the premises of the corporation. They particularly cited the creation of a TV Licence Division which for them was not done properly. Under such a situation, they found it preposterous that a director and staff were going to be appointed for the unit, insisting that the laid down procedure for such creation be followed. The board has also been accused of violating employment procedures by recruiting directors without clearance from the Finance Ministry a situation which has led to the persons being paid from the corporation's internally generated funds. This, the workers have kicked against vehemently. The workers avoided the camera, fearing what some of them said is possible victimization. DAILY GUIDE was however, able to lay hands on some images. The Electoral Commission (EC) yesterday drew the curtains on the filing of nominations for both presidential and parliamentary aspirants as part of the processes leading to the December 7, 2016 general elections. However, by the close of the two-day exercise, 15 out of the 16 political parties and two out of the nine independent candidates who picked nominations forms were able to submit them, which means that eight aspirants have dropped out of the race. Some of the independent candidates who were unable to meet the EC's deadline were Kwaku Antwi Owusu, Lawrence Yamil Nketia, John Alex Hamah, father of Victoria Hamah, one-time minister of state, Major Ibrahim Rida (rtd) and Chief Dr Yaw Kumey, who had erected some giant billboards across the country to compete with NDC's John Mahama. Ramon Osei Akoto of the United Love Party (ULP) also did not show up, leaving the race for 17 political parties and independent candidates. However, it is not clear if all the candidates who have filed their nominations would be cleared by the EC after going through their documents, especially since the case of the GH50,000 filing fee for presidential aspirants and GH10,000 for the parliamentary candidates is still pending in court. Some of the aspirants insist that the fees are outrageous. The first day of the event saw the New Patriotic Party (NPP), the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), Independent Peoples Party (IPP), Ghana Freedom Party (GFP), United Progressive Party (UPP), All Peoples Congress (APC), Reformed Patriotic Democrats (RPD), United Front Party (UFP) and the National Democratic Party (NDP) filing their nominations. Yesterday, the Progressive People's Party (PPP), Unity Development System Party (UDSP), Great Consolidated Popular Party (GCPP), Convention People's Party (CPP), People's National Convention (PNC) and the Democratic People's Party (DPP), together with two independent presidential aspirants Jacob Osei Yeboah and Kwame Asiedu Walker managed to register for the December elections with the filing of their nominations. But the exercise did not go without a drama. First was an issue involving the PPP about the controversial filing fee. Confusion Even though the party has placed an interlocutory injunction in court challenging the EC's decision to charge GH50,000 and GH10,000 as stated earlier, the PPP strangely offered to make payment with a banker's draft for the very amount it is contending. Chairman of the party, Nii Allotey Brew Hammond, did the presentation together with National Treasurer of the PPP, Felix Ograh, who doubles as the party's lawyer. Interestingly, Chairperson of the Commission, Charlotte Osei, received the banker's draft without hesitation together with the nomination forms unlike in other instances where she had refused the temptation of accepting the payments from other political parties and candidates because of the pending legal suit. This came as a surprise to many onlookers, especially journalists who could not comprehend what was taking place. That was after the PPP Chairman had asked Madam Charlotte Osei to give the banker's draft back to him. But the EC boss would not budge because according to her, Nii Allotey Brew Hammond had already given it out. The puzzle is yet to be solved by the High Court when the case comes up for hearing on October 11, 2016. Candidates After the PPP came the USDP's Richard Nixon Tetteh, followed by Dr Henry Lartey and his running mate of the GCPP, John Ameka, to submit their nominations forms. Then came CPP's Presidential Candidate, Ivor Kobina Greenstreet and his running mate, Nana Gabby Nketiah a former Ambassador in the erstwhile Kufuor administration. Due to the non-availability of an elevator in the EC building, Mr Greenstreet, who is physically challenged, had to be lifted to the second floor where the event was taking place. Dr Edward Nasigri Mahama of the PNC followed suit to file as well as independent candidates Jacob Osei Yeboah and Kwame Asiedu Walker, with good old Thomas Nuako Ward-Brew being the last to submit his forms. Drama Another drama unfolded when George Boateng, the man who attempted to contest President Mahama for the flagbearership position of the NDC, popped up. George, who claimed he was a running mate to one Lawrence Nketia Kuti, who had picked nominations forms to contest in the 2016 elections as an independent candidate, said he was there to ascertain whether the EC boss had received a petition they sent to her against the payment of filing fees. But that was not without an issue since the EC boss said she had not received any petition to that effect. In the process, he burst out and left without submitting the nomination forms. EC's Decision At a later press conference, Charlotte Osei noted, The submission of forms does not mean that their nominations have been accepted. Instead, she indicated, We will now vet the forms to make sure that they are in compliance with the legal requirements under the Constitution and subsidiary legislation. After going through the forms, she emphasized, For the candidates who have met the legal requirements, their nominations would be accepted, which would mean that they would be on the ballot paper for the December 7 elections. Same, according to her, applied to the parliamentary aspirants who filed their nominations across the country. The EC, therefore, has seven days to vet the nomination forms after which it would come out to announce the final list of those who were able to meet the criteria. It would be followed by balloting of slots [positions] on how the candidates would appear on the ballot paper on Election Day. By Charles Takyi-Boadu Five police conscripts were killed when militants ambushed their vehicle in Egypt's North Sinai city of Arish on Saturday evening, Al-Ahram Arabic website reported. The militants released the driver and shot the conscripts dead. Hundreds of security forces in North Sinai have been killed in similar attacks by Islamic militants since the ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013. Egyptian security forces also killed hundreds of suspected militants in North Sinai during the same period. Search Keywords: Short link: There is clear apprehension among some elements of the Mahama-led ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) over the possibility of opposition leader Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo becoming president. A number of leading members of the NDC are beginning to run for cover because they believe strongly that Nana Akufo-Addo is capable of putting them in jail. These NDC bigwigs go round the country polluting the minds of some sections of the public about Nana Akufo-Addo without telling them the real crimes they might have committed against the state which could land them in trouble. The latest to express such apprehension is NDC Eastern Regional Chairman, Bismarck Tawiah Boateng, who said in Akropong recently that the NPP leader who is noted for his incorruptible lifestyle will put some of them in jail if he wins power. When Akufo-Addo was the Attorney General during the Kufuor regime, all he could offer the country was to ensure that many of our leaders were put in jail, he told a fractured NDC group. All he could do for Ghana was that Ibrahim Adam was thrown into jail. Kwame Peprah went into jail. Sipa Yankey was jailed. Atta Mills' wife should go to counterback. E.T. Mensah should go to jail; (E.T. was never jailed). That is what he is remembered for as an AG, Tawiah Boateng claimed in a shaky voice. He also claimed, The only thing we can remember him for as Foreign Minister is the killing of 44 Ghanaians in the Gambia and he not taking any action. His record is there and so if Akufo-Addo says he is coming to continue from where Kufuor left off then I am telling you that our ministers, DCEs, appointees and board members should prepare themselves for jail because he is capable of repeating what he did when they had power, once he becomes the president. He advised his party members to unite and not allow envy to take over their decisions as the party gears up for the December 7 general election saying, If we don't exercise caution and decide that because of what somebody has done against us we are going to vote out that person and kill the party, we will live to regret our actions. We should ponder over it and reflect on how they (NPP government) jailed some of our leaders. Sometime in April, Dzifa Attivor, who resigned as Minister of Transport following the infamous GH3.6 million bus branding saga, at an NDC public rally at Aflao in the Ketu South Constituency, urged the people of the Volta Region not to vote for the NPP in the December election because the NPP has a track record of putting Ewes (people from the region) in jail. She said that the Kufuor administration specifically jailed former NDC appointees who are from the region and went on to mention some of them as Dan Abodakpi and the late Victor Selormey before saying that if the NPP wins the December election, it will repeat the same thing by jailing only Ewes, including herself. When the NPP came to power in 2001, a lot of our people were sent to prison; Victor Selormey, Dan Abordakpi and so on, were imprisoned. Was it because no other persons committed crime in Ghana? But it was only Ewes that they jailed. I want to entreat you not to do anything for Fifi Kwetey and I to go to prison. It lies with you all to ensure that no Ewe person goes to prison. So I am pleading with you to work hard and deliver the 120,000 votes target for the party in the constituency, she was quoted as saying. Dzifa Attivor's comment sparked heated political debate, with some opinion leaders and personalities condemning her unreservedly. By William Yaw Owusu Members of the women's wing of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in Sekondi-Takoradi in the Western Region yesterday poured onto the streets of the metropolis in their numbers to express their readiness to support the campaign for change. The event, dubbed, Walk for Change, was to create awareness about the need for the electorate in the area to vote against the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) government in the December 7 general elections, among others. They also explained to the people why they should vote for Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as the next President of Ghana to form the next government. They started the walk from the Asempa Hotel area in Takoradi and went through the Takoradi Market circle amidst brass band music and ended at Astoria in Effiakuma New Site where leaders of the group took turns to address the women. Addressing the enthusiastic women at the event, the National Women's Organizer of the NPP, Otiko Afisa Djaba, noted that the NDC administration had imposed untold hardships on Ghanaian women and children through its bad policies and programmes. She said women record low sales whenever they go to the market to sell their wares, coupled with the high taxes on most items. The numerous challenges, she said, should serve as a wakeup call for all women in the country to stand up and campaign vigorously to reject the NDC's 'bad government' in 2017. She urged Ghanaian women, particularly young ladies, who would be voting for the first time on December 7 to vote massively for Nana Addo Dankwa Addo and the NPP in order to obtain jobs. She said an NPP government would put in place the right policies and programmes, including the one-district one factory that would create jobs for women and create opportunities for all Ghanaians to reduce poverty in the country. Otiko Djaba bemoaned the mismanagement of the economy by the current Mahama administration. She told the young ladies that they should not vote for the NDC because their parents to belong to the ruling party, explaining that a vote for the NPP would improve Ghana's fortunes. National NPP Womens Organizer said that the Mahama administration had woefully failed to improve the lives of the people of Ghana, especially women. She said women were created in a very unique way and possess some qualities which when put into proper use would produce good results. Lets use these unique skills to help the NPP to come to power. It's only the NPP that can rescue the economy of the country, she disclosed. She stated that the battle ahead is very daunting which needs more hands, therefore women in the NPP should not sit back and watch their male counterparts fight alone on the battlefield. She, however, warned the NPP women against casting insinuations and hurling insults at their political opponents during their campaigns, insisting that your campaign should be devoid of insults. She admonished the NPP women to campaign from house-to-house based on issues and propagate the policies of Nana Akufo-Addo to floating voters. NHIS has collapsed: School Feeding Programme, Free Maternal Healthcare and other social intervention programmes President Kufuor brought have all collapsed. Mahama has failed women, let's come together to vote him out. Vote for the NPP to save the country so that we can have value for the tax we pay, she added. From Emmanuel Opoku, Takoradi LADIES closed to 1,000 ladies named '' Abuakwa Ladies For Mrs. Rebecca Akuffo Addo'' from both the Abuakwa South and North Constituency in the Eastern Region on Sunday hits the streets of Kyebi to embarked on a keep fit walk with the aim to campaign effectively for the success of Nana Akufo-Addo and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the upcoming general election. The ''Abuakwa Ladies For Aunty Bekie'' which is yet to be launch in next month was organized by the Assemblyman of Ahenbronu Electoral area of the East Akim Municipal Assembly, Hon Edward Aseidu Bekoe, vowed to work tirelessly for Nana Akufo-Addo to secure 90 per cent of the valid votes cast in the Abukwa South Constituency in the December 7, 2016 general election. Hon Edward Aseidu Bekoe, speaking to the media said, the agenda of the group is to convince the residents and ordinary Ghanains suffering under the hardship of the NDC to cast their votes for Nana Akufo-Addo and Hon Samuel Atta Akyea, added that, they and their wives would also conduct house-to-house campaigns during their free time for Nana Akufo-Addo According to the Assemblyman, they formed the association to vote President John Mahama and the NDC government out because of the economic hardships they were facing. He cited some of the hardships as outrageous electricity tariffs; indiscriminate increases in fuel prices; cancellation of the nurses and teachers allowances. Hon Samuel Atta Akyea, Abuakwa South MP, who was the guest of honor in his address, said he was confident that when Nana Akufo-Addo was elected as President, he would reduce the high electricity bills, the numerous taxes and fuel cost, reinstate the nurses, teacher's allowances, also build the one district, one factory project, to bring lasting relief to them. Hon Atta Akyea, however, entreated the ladies to embarked on one on one campaign and preach the message of the NPP to enable Nana Akuffo Addo to win the polls and turns the fortunes of Ghana economy. The Abuakwa Ladies For Aunty Bekie which has been outdoor will be launch in next month where the wife of the NPP flagberear will be the special guest of honor to official inaugurated it. The Eastern Regional Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana has donates sought of items and relief drugs worth GH Cedis 3,000 such as Liquid soap, Antibiotics, bags of Rice, Milk, Toiletries, Antiseptics, blood tonics and relief Pain drugs among others to Koforidua Prisons Service. The Deputy Director of Koforidua Prisons Mr. Joseph Attabiri who on behalf of the Prison Service receives the items, thanks the Regional Pharmaceutical Society Chairman Pharm Sellas Agyekum and members for the kindness shown to the Prisoners and pledge to make good useful of the products purposely to cure the diseases affecting the Prisoners. Mr. Attabiri said there are congestion in each room, whereby the maximum should have been 250 in each room, but the Prisoners are more than the number expected, which has let spreading of skin rashes and other diseases around. He further asked the Pharmaceutical society and other entitys to comes to their aid. The Regional President of GHOSPA Pharm Sellas Agyekum during the presentation said as part of the World Pharmaceuticals Celebration, the Pharmacists came to survey and observes that the spreading of malaria, anemia, skin rashes and body pains has been the major challenges confronting the prisoners which has let most of the Prisoners to be unhealthy, that has let the Pharmaceutical Members in the region to donates such relief items in order to help the Officers to cure such diseases affecting the Prisoners. According to him, most of the prisoners dont eat healthy food which let most of them to fall sick and lacks blood, while some work harder which weak their body, so the blood tonic and the pain killers will help cure and help them to get better. He stated that their outfit came to assist the inmates to cure all skin rashes affecting the Prisoners, so that when they go home will be able to live healthy, added that, by not taking any sickness home as he stated and will continue to collaborate with the Officers to get better healthy life through nutritional foods and education for the Prisoners. The sight of President John Mahama clad in a military uniform has apparently shocked quite a number of people. And for a very good reason. Few in Ghana remember military rule with fondness. For however well military rule begins, the end is usually ruinous. It comes with the territory: if you are trained to do things by buga-buga, you cannot be blamed if you soon get lost in the details that can make civilian rule so tiresome. People who have experienced military rule do not want to be reminded of it, and it was insensitive of Mr Mahama to don a uniform to remind everyone that he is the Commander-in-Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces. It was also a meaningless gesture. For no matter how much he would like to be regarded by the military as one of their number, they will never do so. Unless you have spent five days unwashed in the jungle participating n strenuous exercises or have been put in the guard-room for not shaving or been bawled at by a sergeant-major for failing to get fell in smartly, you will never be regarded as a soldier by soldiers. Politically, too, it is fatuous. Civilians who use soldiers to achieve political ends end up, like those who strive to ride tigers, inside the belly of the tiger. Ask Laurent Gbagbo, who, believing that he could rule the Ivory Coast by armed force, is today cooling his heels in the Hague, where both he and his wife can expect to be donated quite a few more months of life under lock and key. What made Mahama do it? I dont claim to know for sure! But I am worried about his current state of mind. And the psychological condition of any head of state needs watching. Mark this: shortly after his Generalissimo impersonation, Mr Mahama trotted off to the United Nations in New York, and made a speech, parts of which sounded like a throw-back to the days of Dr Kamuzu Banda [of Malawi] Felix Houphouet-Boigny [of the Ivory Coast] Mobutu Seseseko [of Congo/Zaire] or Emperor Jean-Bedel Bokassa [of the Central African Republic] Africa, Mahama philosophised, must be allowed to develop its own form of democracy. Ah? Mahama brought back that old-chestnut of a forgotten apology for totalitarian rule? Yes! Just read on: QUOTE: There is a lot more that can be done to allow Africans the space to express themselves. Democracy is not a one-size-fits all system. Different countries are at different stages of the democratic journey. Democracy evolves and cannot be forced. It doesnt help for bigger powers to go proselytizing democracy. It can have its negative consequences.. The mistake with Africa is that we are seen as a homogeneous unit and treated as such, not taking cognizance that we are a whole continent with different aspirations, cultures, democracies and economic development. UNQUOTE Well, whats wrong in saying that? Nothing except this: Emperor Bokassa equally hated what he called foreign-imposed democracy so much so that he actually forbade the use of the words democracy and elections.! He understood African rule to mean the unfettered ability to promote himself to the rank of general and then marshal. In public appearances, he wore specially designed uniforms to accommodate all the African medals and awards that he bestowed upon himself. Model? Idi Amin Dada of Uganda! As for Dr Banda, a major feature of his African democracy [a report on his regime] was ruthless treatment of political opponents.Political dissenters were routinely detained and tortured in Bandas notoriously horrific prisons. Those less fortunate (usually because they were perceived as more threatening to the regime) were simply made to disappear, often in murders set up to look like road accidents. The most shocking example was the case of Ministers Dick Matenje, Aaron Gadama, and Twaibu Sangala and MP David Chiwanga, whose bullet-riddled bodies were found in an overturned car in Mwanza near the Mozambique border in May 1983. The day before, Matenje, then the secretary general of [Bandas own] party, had introduced a motion in parliament that would have resulted in a modest liberalization of the regime. But African democracy is too well known an oxymoron for me to burden you with more examples. What I want to alert you to is that in his UN speech President Mahama sarcastically reported that every day, a huge number of radio stations broadcast views from people who claim to know how to do his job better than him! Was this the sort of speech a serious head of state should make to a UN General Assembly session attended by some of the most important world statesmen? Anyway, some Ghanaians are very perturbed by the blurring of lines between the executive and the state institutions deliberately designed by the Constitution to hold executive power in check. Our Parliament, under Sergeant Doe [Adjaho] cannot even debate what the Minority wishes to debate (though that right is clearly given to the Minority under the rules for conducting parliamentary business.) Mahama has told the Supreme Court in no uncertain terms that if it acts in a way that displeases the President, he will find ways to negate its actions [as was patently executed in the Montie 3 contempt pardon case]. And Mahama will get his way in a manner that appears to accord with the provisions of the Constitution, while ignoring the spirit in which they were written. Mahama has also appointed an Electoral Commission Chair in whom the Opposition detects signs of partisanship. And by refusing to appoint a substantive Chair of the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), Mahama has ensured that the Commission will give rulings that contain internal contradictions conjured up to favour the President (the latest has been described by a former Chair of the CHRAJ, Mr Emile Short, as problematic.) Well, a Generalissimo would do all that, wouldnt he? Shall we salute him or what? By Cameron Duodu -cameronduodu.com By Lydia Asamoah, GNA Accra, Sept. 30, GNA - The Federal Republic of Germany would on Monday October 3, celebrate its national holiday, to mark the Day of German unity. The German Embassy would, therefore, mark the day in Ghana, with a reception to celebrate together with their Ghanaian counterparts, 26 years of German Unity and the strong German-Ghanaian relations, a release issued by the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany and copied to GNA said. The Germans commemorate the anniversary of the reunification of their country on October 3 every year as a day of joy and gratitude for the gift of history, marking the fall of the wall of separation between the "Federal Republic of Germany" in the West and the "German Democratic Republic" in the eastern part of the country in 1998. On October 3, 1990 the West and the East formally reunited thereby overcoming the artificial separation created after the Second World War. 'Germany is grateful to its European neighbours and friendly countries without whose partnership, support and determination this feat could not have been achieved. The German reunification and the European integration are the joint effort of many states,' the release said. The release said Ghana and Germany are working together in many fields of international politics and the large number of German institutions in Ghana attests to the diverse nature of the relations between the two countries. It said development cooperation is and remains a focal point for Germany in Ghana, however, bilateral trade and investment as well as cultural relations are equally important fields of cooperation. It said Ghana and Germany share a strong commitment to tackling global challenges like peace and security and the protection of the environment. The release said every year in Germany, the official ceremony of German Unity Day takes place in a different part of the country. Traditionally, an open public festival is organized on the day and this year in Germany, the Free State of Saxony would play host to the open public festival in its capital city Dresden. "Building Bridges" is the motto of this year's National Day celebration: Nine bridges from different eras connect different parts of Dresden on the left and right sides of the river Elbe. But motto is not only about infrastructure, but primarily about strong connections between different ideas, cultures, life experiences, between politics and society, and between today and tomorrow. The people of Germany are convinced that bridges will help, especially in these turbulent times, to reach mutual understanding and to build peace', the release said. GNA By Kodjo Adams/ Gideon Ahenkorah, GNA Accra, Sept. 30, GNA - Three Ghanaian African writers have been recognised by the Burt Award for African Literature for their sterling contributions in literary works and promoting the love for reading among the populace. The event was to recognise excellence in young adult literature, fill in the gap for the shortage of relevant, and quality books for young people. They include Mrs Ruby Yayrah Goka, who emerged the winner with her book titled, 'The Step-Monster 'and received an amount of GH25,555.00, while Mrs Elizabeth Irene Baitie came second with her book titled, 'Rattling in the Closet' and took home GH19,877.00 and Nii Kpani took the third position with his book titled 'Red Spectacles' as well as GH 14,198.00. The event was organised by the Ghana Book Trust and supported by the Canadian High Commission in Ghana. Mr William Burt, a Canadian philanthropist, mooted the initiative as part of his effort to recognise young Africa writers who have excelled in literary works. Mrs Goka's book 'The Step Mother' has 149 pages with 18 chapters which touches on the wicked nature of stepmothers. She said Buerki Puplampo cannot believe that her widowed father is getting remarried when her mother has not even been dead for long. Mrs Goka, a dentist by profession, said the daughter knew that Naadu Nartey is wrong for her father and vowed to do everything in her power to save her younger brother and herself from the fate she knows was awaiting them. Mrs Baitie's book on 'Rattling in the Closet' focused on a dialogue story between Mercy and Perry who where torn between truth and lies. Mercy had to decide on how to protect her hopes, her best friend and her own carefully kept secret. Mrs Baities is a new sensation in contemporary Ghanaian and African literature and works as a clinical biochemist. Mr Kpani's book 'Red Spectacles' dwells on the adventure of Dusty and Motion who escape from paradise and the sister of their closest friend at Marlin Hall, where the brothers now live, goes missing. A nameless stranger 'Red Spectacle' seems to be the only link to the missing teenager. Mr Kpani is studied Science at Achimota Secondary School and is a biochemistry professional. He is the Executive Partner of Heritage Confectionery, a food processing company. Other dignitaries present include Mr Nat Nuno-Amarteifio, Former Mayor of Accra, Mrs Genevieve Eba-Polley, Executive Director of Ghana Book Trust, Mrs Yvonne Appiah, Chairperson of Ghana Book Trust and Mrs Heather Cameron, Canadian High Commissioner-Designate to Ghana. GNA Accra, Sept. 30, GNA - Dr Edward Mahama, the presidential nominee of the People's National Convention (PNC) has submitted his nomination forms to the Electoral Commission (EC) contest the December 7 general election. He was supported by Mr Bernard Monah, the National Chairman, and other party officials. Mr Mahama did not attach his bankers draft for the filing fee of GHa50,000, due to an injunction filed by the Progressive People's Party against the EC. Mrs Charlotte Osei, the Chairperson of the EC asked Dr Mahama to submit his pictures before the close of nomination at 17 hours, which was later done. Mr Mahama on his party's behalf pledged to ensure that there is the peace of the country is sustained. He urged the EC to ensure that the elections were free, fair and transparent. GNA Starbow has resumed its Tamale flight, Friday, after months of suspension over challenges the company said were beyond its control. With a new 97 seater Avro RJ 100 aircraft, the company flew its first batch of passengers which had Dance Hall artiste Shatta Wale, CEO of Starbow James Eric Antwi and selected journalists on board. Mr Antwi told the journalists the Tamale flights have come to stay, with exciting new offers and affordable prices for passengers. "The RJ 100 is a latest model of the BA 146. It is modern, very reliable, it powerful and is spacious. It can take all passengers willing to go to Accra," he said. According to him, the company will do one flight per day till next week Friday when two flights, one morning, one afternoon will be introduced. "We are assuring Tamale passengers we are in for business. We are not going to stop," he promised. Whilst optimistic about the possibility of remaining in good business, the Starbow CEO was quick to point out the single most important challenge he said could hamper all business activities by the domestic airlines. "When the VAT was introduced it drove away a lot of passengers because the price had to go up. Our biggest challenge is the VAT. It is affecting our cash flow. We can't afford to pay. It's been a problem for us all along. When the VAT is [reduced] i think we will be in business," he said. Mr Antwi said the airline will soon begin its inter regional flights to Liberia, Nigeria, Guinea Burkina Faso by December this year. Story by Ghana|Myjoyonline.com Indigenous airline, Starbow, has acquired a 97-seater Avro RJ Jet to augment its fleet as it looks to expand its operations in the West African sub-region. The Avro RJ plane has four engines and can make steep approaches and short take-offs. This makes it safer in the event of an engine being lost. The 97-seater Avro RJ Jet comes to add to the fleet of aircraft of Starbow. The company operates 46 departures a week with the largest market share in the domestic market. Citi Business News has gathered the airline is expecting another 97-seater Avro RJ Jet to begin its regional operations starting with Senegal. The plane which also allows for higher overall thrust while still running each engine at lower power, will reduce noise. The maiden inaugural flight was on Friday September 30, to Tamale and back to Accra with full flight. By: Norvan Acqua-Hayford/citibusinessnews.com/Ghana Protesters have shut down two key Tunisian phosphate mines in a weeks-long dispute over jobs, a mining company official said on Saturday. The mostly unemployed university graduates blocked the entrances of sites in the central region of Gafsa to demand work, Ali Ouchetti, spokesman for the Gafsa Phosphate Company (CPG), told AFP. "Production and transport of phosphates has been totally halted since yesterday (Friday) at the Metlaoui site because of demonstrations by dozens of unemployed" who stopped a bus carrying workers from entering the site, he said. Protesters also prevented trucks carrying phosphate from leaving another site at Mdhilla, 15 kilometres (10 miles) to the south, where production had been halted for a week, he added. Similar protests in August prompted government intervention, and the CPG agreed to run a competition to hire hundreds of graduates. "We are protesting again after negotiations collapsed on Wednesday at the Ministry of Energy and Mines", said protest leader Ahmad al-Jdidi. The CPG, one of the world's top phosphate producers, is the biggest employer in Gafsa, one of Tunisia's poorest areas. The region witnessed an uprising in 2008 that was bloodily repressed by the regime of former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, which was toppled by a revolution in 2011. In five years, Tunisia's phosphate production has fallen by 60 percent, Prime Minister Youssef Chahed said in late August. In June, President Beji Caid Essebsi said that had cost the country $5 billion (around two billion euros). Tunisia is battling high unemployment and has been hit by a spate of labour protests and also jihadist attacks. The government announced last week that British energy firm Petrofac would resume operations at a major gas plant that had been shut down since January by workers demanding permanent contracts. Search Keywords: Short link: A leading member of pressure group, OccupyGhana, Sydney Casely-Hayford has accused the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) of doing a poor job in investigating the $100,000 Ford gift expedition case. According to him the report released by CHRAJ is a mechanism to prevent others from suing President John Mahama for accepting the gift from a Burkinabe contractor who is said to have benefited from some lucrative government projects. CHRAJ has done a poor job and continuous to do a poor job. This is not an independent appraisal of anything. This is a white wash to try and give the president an opportunity to block anything that anybody comes up with to try and sue him further and it is not good enough we should stop this, Casely-Hayford said. CHRAJ was petitioned by the Progressive People's party (PPP), Youth wing of the CPP and a private citizen to investigate the presidents acceptance of the car which they say leads to a conflict of interest and corruption. But CHRAJ in its report released on Thursday noted that, it did not find the President guilty of bribery, fraud or conflict but said President Mahama breached the gift policy. But speaking on the Big Issue, Casely-Hayford said CHRAJs report is disappointing. It [The report] doesn't make any sense, there are so many things that are wrong with this transaction and CHRAJ as an organization is honestly so disappointing. There is a lot of material in that report, [that] it would have been better off not even disclosing because it makes the whole thing look so bizarre that it raises more questions than answers, he added. CHRAJ report shames critics But the Co-ordinator of the 2016 National Democratic Congress (NDC) campaign, Kofi Adams argued that the CHRAJ report vindicates the president . Today is a day of shame for them, they [critics] have been exposed that they are only trying to destroy a gem, a pearl that we have, he said. By: Godwin A. Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana Follow @AlloteyGodwin The New Patriotic Party's running mate, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has rubbished claims made by the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) at its Setting the records straight forum held about a week ago in response to his 170 statements on the economy. The NDC at the forum lambasted Dr. Bawumia and the NPP but was unable to fully tackle the 170 concerns. Dr. Bawumia had accused government of ballooning Ghana's debt stock and mismanaging the economy, whiles the living standards of citizens worsen. Addressing students and lecturers of the Assin Fosu College of Education on Thursday, Dr. Bawumia said the only issue that needs to be straightened is corruption and mismanagement of the economy led by President Mahama. Last week, they came out to say they wanted to set the records straight after my lecture. I gave the NDC 170 statements and asked them to respond to them, they have run away, they have not been able to respond. The only record that we are going to set straight is their record of corruption in this country, their record of mismanagement and their record of incompetence, that is the record Nana Akufo-Addo is going to set straight, he said. He also used the opportunity to highlight on some of the projects and initiatives an NPP government would implement if given the nod in the upcoming December 7 polls. We are really set for a major transformation of this economy; it will not be the type of propaganda transformation John Mahama is talking about when he says he's Transforming lives and changing Ghana. When the NPP had only 20billion Ghana cedis, you saw transformation. You saw the National Health Insurance Scheme, the School Feeding Programme, the National Youth Employment Programme, the free Maternal Care Programme, Metro Mass, Mass Cocoa Spraying exercise etc.; all these interventions were done with only 20 billion but with 248 billion that has come to the NDC, they have collapsed all these programmes and yet they have the audacity to say that they have transformed Ghana, they have only transformed their pockets, he added. Dr. Bawumia is currently on a campaign trail in the Central Region and has so far toured the Gomoa East, Asikuma-Odoben-Brakwa, Ekumfi, Ajumako-Enyan-Essiam, Upper Denkyira West and East and the Assin Central and North Constituencies. By: Godwin A. Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana Follow @AlloteyGodwin By Iddi Yire, GNA Accra, Oct. 1, GNA - Businesses in the United Kingdom are seeking businesses opportunities in Ghana, Mr Carl Woolf, International Trade Advisor for the UK Department for International Trade (DIT) has said. He explained that the opportunities would enable them establish long term relations with other Ghanaian companies, adding: 'They also bring a wide range of their products, service and expertise". Mr Woolf made these remarks in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on the side-line of the DIT London Trade Mission to Ghana forum, in Accra. Eight UK companies participated in the Accra meeting held with the objective of establishing a long term-business relations and to gain deeper understanding of business practices in the Ghanaian market. Representatives from the energy sector, infrastructure, engineering, and education and training companies participated in the trade mission. Mr Woolf said Ghana's economy has been less stable as compared to the last four years; a condition the UK companies may consider as a challenge, however, he expressed optimism that the situation would stabilise. He explained that even though the market conditions in Ghana would be a key consideration for the UK companies, the mission would be to sell their products and services, and not to directly invest. Madam Joy Maitland, a member of the trade mission said members had been informed that Ghana is ambitious for growth that could be achieved through having the right partnership. She said there is a lot of enthusiasm among the UK delegation, though, they have been cautioned to understand the need to build the right partnership and to understand the offers and the requirement of Ghanaian businesses and organisations. Madam Maitland who is a UK based Leadership Excellence Consultant, was of the view that companies must help individuals understand how to relate to others; it has to do with self-awareness, building a team, energising leadership and driving that improvement and enhancement in performance. Mr Kwame Baah-Nuakoh, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Research and Corporate Affairs at The Royal Bank, Ghana, told the GNA that, Ghana needs to improve her business environment especially for private sector. He said the size of economy stands at about $ 40 billion, which implies that there is more room for growth: 'We need to accept that there is room for improvement, how do we improve it and what are the strategies government must come up with?' As part of the European Regional Development Fund's Global Growth Project, the mission aims to enhance the competitiveness of London SMEs in international markets; whereas, the mission's participants have a range of objectives, including looking for local representatives, qualified distributors or agents and clients. GNA Accra, Oct. 1, GNA - Christians have been asked to impart the youth with values that would help transform them to live meaningful lives, that would enable them contribute to nation building. Very Reverend Philip Tsatsu Norgbodzi, Circuit Minister of the Mt Zion Methodist Church said this at the 30th Anniversary and thanksgiving service of Mt Zion Methodist Men's Fellowship at Korle Gonno Circuit in Accra. Speaking on the theme: 'Imparting the Generation with core Christian Values- the Role of the Men's Fellowship,' he noted that the inability of younger people to live exemplary lives could be attributed to the failure of Christians to impart Christian values to them. He said: 'Christians should make conscious efforts to impart Christian values into younger ones. Values such as love, unity, peace, holiness among others are gradually not appreciated in the country but rather we are faced with situations where the love for money has increased. 'There is selfishness, disunity among others. This is certainly wrong and shouldn't happen,' he said. He admonished Christians to love one another and live in unity especially during the election period and not to be divided by ideologies that has the tendency to divide the nation.'' Rev Norgbodzi noted that the fruit of the spirit is to carry Christ; it is not about ideologies or philosophies. 'In oneness we can move this nation forward, churches can move forward, families can stand stronger especially during this election period. 'We need to foster unity in the society so that we can walk into the purpose of Christ for our generation. Beauty will fade, and strength will fade and so all these thing should be used to glorify his name. 'Let us therefore stand together in unity, lift His banner high and draw men and women to Christ with the love Christ has shown us.' He said Christian values are timeless and therefore appealed to the youth to be careful not to be imparted by negative values in the society that may be described as modern. He said: 'The values of today are not different from values of yesterday. it doesn't change and so people we shouldn't discard these values because of economic situations. 'The Jesus Christ we knew yesterday is the same today. Truth is truth, it is not time bound. 'The important thing is to know Christ and know Him better. If you know Him all other things shall be added unto you. Christ is the same yesterday, today and forevermore. If we hold unto Him, he will direct a pace for our life.'' Mr Joseph Andrews, the Chairman of the Men's Fellowship said the Methodist Men's fellowship in collaboration with the Church have embarked on a number of programmes tailored to satisfy the varied needs of members. He said: 'Apart from the spiritual wellbeing of members, we are also interested in addressing the social, educational and financial needs of members. We have embarked on periodic medical screening for members, programmes to educate members on sound financial management practices among others.' He observed that Christians should not forget about The Great Commission enjoined by their faith and reach out to more people particularly the younger ones to know Christ and should be able to instil into them sound Christian values. 'The role of the Men's fellowship is very appropriate in these times where the church is embarking on evangelism. Let us resolve to do the Kingdom's business with more passion and commitment by leading the youth to Christ,' he said. He asked Ghanaians to tolerate each other and embrace whoever becomes victorious in the December 7 general election, to help in the peaceful co-existence of everybody. 'Ghana is what we have, we don't have any country anywhere, and we need to think of Ghana first. To make the right decision by staying together peacefully even after the elections. The Mt Zion Methodist Men's Fellowship was inaugurated in June 1986 by the Rt Rev Samuel Kwame Hodasi who was the Superintendent Minister of the Korle Gonno Circuit. GNA 01.10.2016 LISTEN By Erica Apeatua Addo, GNA Tarkwa (W/R), Oct. 1, GNA - A Tarkwa circuit court, has sentenced three persons to 12 years' imprisonment each for robbery. The convicts are Albert Kobbina Sam, a driver, Yaw Frimpong, illegal miner and Richmond Ababio, aluminium fabricator apprentice were convicted on their own pleas. The prosecutor, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Valentine Akposu told the court, that the complainant, Ernest Adjei Weridu is a supervisor at the Bogoso branch of Total filling station, whilst the convicts are residents of Yamoransa, Wasa Saa and Wasa Gyapa in the Central and Western regions. He said on July 23 around 9:30 pm, the complainant's driver, John Arthur, who operates from Tarkwa to Bogoso with a taxi was at the Bogoso lorry station waiting for passengers to Tarkwa when Sam, Frimpong and Ababio boarded the vehicle under the pretence of going to Bogoso. ASP Akposu said when they arrived at Bogoso the convicts asked the driver to convey them to Bawdie and on their way Sam pointed a knife at him and he and his accomplices dragged him to the back seat, gagged him and tied his legs and hands with a rope whilst Frimpong drove the vehicle. He said when Frimpong got to Bawdie he drove to Adonoi road through to Dunkwa and abandoned Arthur in a nearby bush. A hunter, who was returning from his farm rescued the driver and rushed him to the Bogoso health centre, where he was treated and discharged. The Prosecutor said Arthur narrated the incident to the complainant and he reported the case to the police. The Prosecution said, thereafter, the offenders proceeded to Kumasi in the Ashanti Region and had the stolen taxi re-sprayed. ASP Akposu said on July 31, Sam and Frimpong returned to Ayanfuri with the cab and sold it to one Kobina Gyasi for GH 18,000, who made a part payment of GH 5,000. The two promised to bring the documents covering the vehicle for the remaining balance. ASP Akposu said Mr Gyasi reported Sam and Frimpong to the police as he suspected the vehicle was stolen. On August 3, the Prosecutor said Frimpong presented a new number plate, insurance and a road worthy certificate to enable him collect the balance, but he was arrested by the police. He assisted the police to apprehend his accomplices. GNA 01.10.2016 LISTEN By Erica Apeatua Addo, GNA Tarkwa (W/R), Oct. 1, GNA - A Tarkwa circuit court has fined a community task force guard, GH 480.00 for stealing a heavy duty starter, belonging to Goldfields Ghana Limited (GGL) at the Tarkwa mine. The convict, Stephen Asante, 40, who pleaded guilty to stealing, would in default serve 14 days' imprisonment in hard labour. The Prosecutor, Police Detective Chief Inspector Oscar Amponsah told the court, presided over by Mr. Emmanuel Bart-Plange Brew, that the complainants, who are security officers together with the convict, work at GGL He said on May 10, at about 1:00 pm, the complainants were on routine patrol at the GGL mining site around the north ADR road, when they spotted Stephen holding the starter valued GH 2,777.00 concealed in a rug. The complainants suspected the item was stolen and so arrested the convict. According to Detective Amponsah, when the complainants enquired from the convict, where he had the starter from, Stephen could not give any tangible reason. He was therefore handed over to the police. GNA Badu (B/A), Oct. 1, GNA - Vice President Keri Amissah-Arthur, has led a high powered government delegation to the burial and final funeral rites of Lt Col. Enock Kwame Tweneboah Donkoh at Badu in the Tain District of the Brong-Ahafo Region. The delegation includes Dr Ben Kumbour, Minister of Defence, Alhaji Collins Dauda, Minister of Local Government, Mr Eric Opoku, Regional Minister, Dr Kwabena Donkor, former Minister of Power and Member of Parliament for Pru and Mr Kwesi Agyeman Gyan-Tutu, MP for Tain. Other important dignitaries who attended the burial service include Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketia, General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Lt General Peter Blay, former Chief of Defence Staff and serving military officers. Vice President Amissah-Arthur and the delegation filed past the body of the Lt Col Donkoh to pay their last respect to the deceased. The late Lt Col who died at the age of 77 was former Ghana's Ambassador to Cote d' Ivoire and Chief of Staff under the erstwhile Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC). The late Lt Col Donkoh was given a full military burial with his casket wrapped in national colours. Vice President Amissah-Arthur described Lt Col Donkoh as a patriot and God fearing man who served his country very well. He said being the first military man to be Chief of Staff he was able to bring both the military and their civilian counterpart together for the development of the nation. He said his good works on earth also bare testimony of his relationship with his maker in Heaven. Vice President Amissah-Arthur said Lt Col Donkoh was a good friend, brother and colleague whom he had the opportunity to work with from the PNDC to NDC days. He said late Lt Col Donkoh was a very humble and forthright personality who served his nation very well in all the positions he occupied. He said his death is a great loss to the nation and the NDC fraternity. The Ghana Armed Forces in a tribute said the varied nature of appointments he held across most of the units, formations and headquarters of the army was proof of his versatility resilience. According to the Ghana Armed Forces, Lt Col Donkoh believed in the principles that everything was possible in life as long as one believed and worked towards it. The Lt Col Donkoh became Chief of Staff from 1985 to 1989. He was appointed Deputy Minister of Defence from 1994 to 1999 and was later made the substantive Minister of Defence from 1999 to 2001. In 2009, he was appointed Ghana's Ambassador to Cote d'Ivoire until 2013. From 2001, until his demise on July 13, Lt Col Donkoh remained a member of the Council of Elders of the ruling NDC. GNA 01.10.2016 LISTEN By Erica Apeatua Addo, GNA Tarkwa (W/R), Oct. 1, GNA - A former worker of Chirano Gold Mine Limited (GCML) has been fined GH 3,600 for defrauding 13 people amount of GH 18,000. Atta Kwabena, who is unemployed, pleaded guilty to the charge of defrauding. Prosecuting, Detective Chief Inspector Oscar Amponsah said the complainant is Mr Emmanuel Nana Asante, a staff of Gold Fields Ghana Limited, Tarkwa mine. Inspector Amponsah said in November, 2013, Kwabena informed the complainant to organise some men in Tarkwa so that he could assist them to get employment at CGML. Based on the information Mr Asante convinced the 13 people and Kwabena demanded GH1,500 from each person. He said although the complainant gave the money to the convict at Tarkwa, he failed to fulfil the promise and went into hiding. The complainant, therefore, reported the matter to the police, and Kwabena was arrested on March 21, 2015 from his hideout in Takoradi He admitted the offence in his caution statement. GNA Parliamentary nominee for the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Klottey Korle constituency, Philip Addison, has said he would have restrained himself from mainstream politics if he had known some of the things he knew now, prior to getting into the terrain. Speaking to Citi News Umaru Sanda Amadu on Citi TV's Politicos, Philip Addison said he is surprised by some of the things he had come to know about politics. It's been turbulent, I didn't anticipate some of the things that I have come to know but once I take a decision I don't step back. I wouldn't say I'm terrified over some of the things; maybe surprised. Maybe I should say that if I knew some of the things that I know now, I may have hesitated in jumping in, he added. Mr. Addison, who was the lead lawyer for NPP flagbearer, Nana Akufo-Addo during the 2012 Election Petition case, later expressed interest in representing the party in Parliament in the Klottey Korle constituency. Although the road hasn't been rosy for him, he managed to get elected as the parliamentary nominee for the area amidst a legal tussle and a disputed primary. His main contender in the primary, Nii Noi Nortey, once an NPP constituency chairman in the area, is contesting as an independent candidate because he was aggrieved by the process that got Mr. Addison elected over him. Mr. Addison told Umaru Sanda that going to Parliament would help him have a change in atmosphere from the court room. I want to have a change of atmosphere. Well; I thought that it's about time some of us get involved in the political institution in this country and hence my decision to go to Parliament. So far it has been exciting, he said. August 2 primary re-run Addison triumphed over Nii Noi in the party's second primary. The lawyer polled 396 votes while Nii Noi had 367 votes. Nii Noi Nortey Pro-December 7 polls analysis The Korle Klottey constituency is considered as one of the seats in the country which would be keenly contested in the December general elections, following the internal wrangling within both the NPP and the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC). NDC camp The NDC in the constituency has also seen some issues in recent times which culminated in months of legal tussle. The Incumbent Member of Parliament, Nii Armah Ashietey, who lost in the NDC's primary to Dr. Zanetor Rawlings, Daughter of Jerry John Rawlings, dragged the former to court to have the polls annulled. Zanetor Rawlings greeting NDC General Secretary and Greater Accra NDC chairman He complained that Dr. Zanetor should be disqualified because she was not a registered voter prior to her election. But the court eventually cleared Dr. Zanetor and Nii Ashietey discontinued the case. PPP camp The running mate to the Progressive People's Party (PPP) flagbearer in 2012, Eva Lokko, is also aspiring to represent the constituency in Parliament on the ticket of the PPP. Eva Lokko [Right] and Paa Kwesi Nduom [Left] By: Godwin A. Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana Follow @AlloteyGodwin As part of efforts aimed at providing the right quantity of fuel to its consumers, Oil Marketing Company, Petrosol has launched the 'Full Quantity Campaign' in Accra. The move is also intended to complement the work of the Ghana Standard Authority (GSA) and National Petroleum Authority (NPA) by creating awareness of the availability of the 10-liter Measuring Can at various fuel stations to ensure accuracy at the pump. Speaking to Citi Business News, the Chief Executive Officer of Petrosol, Mr. Michael Bozumbil stated that even though price of fuel has gone up under the Deregulation Policy, a research conducted by the company showed that consumers are more concerned about the right quantity they pay for. The Chief Executive Officer of Petrosol, Mr. Michael Bozumbil Of all the issues raised, what became their top-most concern was the fact that they want to always receive accurate quantity of fuel they purchase, he said Working with the recommendation of the research, Mr. Bozumbil stated that steps were taken to assure Petrosol consumers that they will receive the right quantity they purchase. As a result of this commitment to meeting the needs of consumers, we commissioned a nationwide research about a year ago to find out from consumers of petroleum products what have been their key concerns, he said. He stated that Petrosol has completed all works to roll out the exercise as part of its corporate responsibility to educate the public. In the next three months, we will be educating consumers and the general public on the processes and procedures for checking and verifying accurate pump delivery quantities, he said. He stated that the exercise will complement the work of the GSA and NPA by alerting consumers of the availability of the 10-litre Measuring Can, locally called Ntease Kruwaa. By: Lawrence Segbefia/citibusinessnews.com/Ghana Israel has approved the construction of 98 settler homes in the occupied West Bank and an industrial zone near Palestinian political capital Ramallah, the watchdog Peace Now said on Saturday. Search Keywords: Short link: Government has reviewed upwards the producer price for cocoa at a ceremony to commemorate this years national cocoa day in Tepa in the Ashanti Region. The new price will go for GHS 475.00 per bag, 50 cedis higher than what it was previously sold for. This was announced Saturday, by the Deputy Minister of Finance Ato Forson who is also Chairman of Producer Price Review Committee after a meeting Saturday. Mr Forson said the new price takes immediate effect. Last year the average FOB per tonne of cocoa sold was $2900 and this year the average FOB to be sold and in some cases have been sold forward is $2950 he said. On how much a tonne of cocoa will be sold for in Ghana, the minister said the prices have been increased from 6800 per tonne to 7600 per tonne for the 2016-2017 cocoa season. This amount represents an increase in price of 800 per tonne or 11.76% increase. The increase will come as a welcome news for cocoa farmers who have been clamoring for a hike in prices. The minister charged the License buying companies to ensure that the farmers are paid the new price at the point of sale. Cocoa has been a major foreign exchange earner for the country and rakes in millions of dollars in revenue. -myjoyonline It is abhorrent that NDC have presented a Manifesto in which over 70% of its content talks about their achievement which unashamedly avoiding their previous commitments. Given that the true objective of a political manifesto is to outline goals and intentions to which a party is to be held accountable this highlights the NDC ignorance at best and chicanery and dishonesty at worst. As a physical Planning and Development Analyst I feel obliged to identify and pinpoint some flaws in the NDCs Manifesto on infrastructure with specific reference on housing issues. In 2008, the NDC under Atta Mills delivered a Manifesto for a Better Ghana, which they indicated that this pledge is our covenant with the people of Ghana. In 2012 the NDC under John Mahama delivered the Ghanaian people a Manifesto Advancing the Better Ghana Agenda and now in 2016 a new Manifesto Changing Lives Transforming Ghana. Since 2008 the Ghanaian people have been waiting. Waiting and suffering. Those in Ghana and those with family in the world diaspora have been experiencing the suffering of a decline in the fortunes of Ghana. Where the Better Ghana is promised us? What good are manifestos that promise improvement if you cannot stick by it and deliver it? Things have deteriorated to such a point that the platform of a better Ghana has been abandoned, now under Mahama, if Ghana continues to follow the NDC we have to transform it! The most fundamental obligation of government involves respecting the essential needs of the people. The Ghanaian Constitution enshrines this principle (2) Every person in Ghana, whatever his race, place of origin, political opinion, color, religion, creed or gender shall be entitled to the fundamental human rights and freedoms of the individual contained in this Chapter but subject to respect for the rights and freedoms of others and for the public interest. A traditional list of immediate basic needs is food/water, shelter and clothing. This is preserved in Article 25 of the 1948 UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights which states Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care. Housing, Urban Development, Rural Development and Slum Upgrading and Prevention were all big ticket items in the 2012 NDC Manifesto. In 2016 the emphasis has intensely shrunk. What an abject failure the NDC has been in the area of housing provision. The so called Manifesto for a Better Ghana first agenda for housing development was to create Land Banks to ensure available, affordable serviced plots, with proper compensation for stool and family lands. Eight years later not even one square meter of land has been expropriated and banked. The second agenda that the NDC would enforce land use planning and property rights, emphasizing District level accountability was just another vain promise. Today the planning system is in gridlock, people are forced to illegally build their homes (whether they be mansions or slums) and that has led to building collapse and flooding. The NDC also promised to set and enforce building and building materials standards. Ghana is experiencing worsening predatory development under the NDC government where slums and ghettos have increased by 20%. Today the crisis of shoddy workmanship and flawed construction is escalating at a frightening rate. Not only is the crisis intensifying but lives have been lost through the ineptitude of government policy executed by incompetent, immoral and corrupt cutthroats within the NDC government. The NDC under Mahamas flawed leadership has rapidly ignored in an expedient display of memory loss that hundreds of lives were lost within Mahamas four years term in office due to his flawed planning policies and regulatory system. Given the high level of demonstrated risk associated with the potential further risks to lives and property, a flood mitigation policy should have had a prime place in Mahamas Changing Lives Transforming Ghana Manifesto. Those who have previously been impacted and those who carry future risk would do well to ask what is being done to save lives in a transforming Ghana. Without key safeguards, the way lives will be changed and Ghana transformed is not positive or proactive at all. Housing provision linked to careful planning for healthy communities with adequate sanitation, water, power, good roads network, access to jobs and education is critical to a sustainable and prosperous Ghana. The 2008 NDCs housing policy entitled the right to shelter was clearly just another gimmicky catchphrase. The NDC wants to establish a district-wide affordable housing scheme in which 2-3 bedroom semi-detached houses will be built mostly with local material. Unless housing provision is linked to access to employment, building affordable housing in each district is counter-intuitive. The NDC have been public in their criticism of NPPs one district one factory agenda yet this would appear to sit better with a decentralized affordable housing policy unless the intent is to create housing to shelter unemployed or underemployed citizens with no hope of advancement. The cost of 2-3 bedroom semi-detached houses in each district to offset housing deficit at district level will be much higher than building a factory that will create jobs and reduce the staggering 50 percent of the youth in the country who have no jobs. Employment is the key to district housing as employment leads to housing construction and as demand in turn creates further local jobs. In 2012 the NDC Manifesto identified that there was then an estimated national backlog of 1.5 million housing units increasing at a rate of 100,000 per year. Then it was an imperative for accelerated construction of housing units in all settlements. Ghanas current housing supply is predominantly delivered by the private sector and individuals which cumulatively produced below 45,000 units per annum. In 2016 the NDC highlights as its achievement in this area some interventions at various stages of completion totaling only 14,888 housing units. If you are living in crowded conditions or are without permanent shelter, these startling figures will fill you with more dread. Adults today who were children in 2008 are still without adequate shelter but we are being told the answer is in providing tablets to schoolchildren. How can our youth achieve their full potential through education if they are missing basic accommodation? How can you find permanent work, let alone meaningful work, if you have no fixed address? To extrapolate 15,000 new housing units in eight years to fix a shortage of almost 2 million dwellings is more than transformational, it would be miraculous. But as we know Mahama is no savior, he is a false messiah who promises much and delivers nothing. To quote Kofi Anan To live is to choose. But to choose well, you must know who you are and what you stand for, where you want to go and why you want to get there. Choose well my fellow Ghanaians, as it is clear that we cannot afford another Mahama term if we are to prosper and grow. E-mail: [email protected] By Angela Ayimbire/William Fiabu, GNA Accra, Oct. 1, GNA - The United Bank for Africa (UBA) as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility, has launched the third edition of the national essay competition for secondary school students across the country. It is therefore calling on all senior high school students to participate in this year's edition. The competition which was launched in 2014 in Ghana, has provided a competitive platform to develop the intellectual and writing abilities of SHS students in Ghana, Nigeria and Senegal. Miss Ijeoma Aso, Managing Director of the UBA Foundation said in a press launch at the weekend that, students who participate in the competition stand the chance of winning educational grants to help with their tuition in any African university of their choice. The national essay competition in Ghana has so far produced six winners, some of which are studying in various universities. Ms Evelyn Araba Zentey, the Deputy Divisional Director of Curriculum Research and Development Division of the Ghana Education Service, expressed appreciation and joy at the good works that the UBA are doing and the opportunity to be part of the partnership. She also suggested to the UBA to consider visual arts and technical students too, adding: 'If some students can't write, they can draw.' Mrs Ajuba Adu-Tutu, Programmes Coordinator for Secondary Education Division added that, measures have been put in place to make the 2016 edition of the essay competition better and attractive than the previous years. Mrs Abiola Bawuah, the Chief Executive Officer of UBA appreciated government's zeal to support the programme and called on the media to project the initiative for more students to come on board. 'It was not encouraging at all last year but we hope for a better competition this year and we are counting on the media to disseminate the information widely,' she added. Miss Dorcas Nuku Darko, a beneficiary of the 2014 competition thanked UBA for sponsoring her at the University of Ghana. She is a third year political science student. Entries for the third edition started on Friday September 30 and would close on Friday, November 11. Applicants are to send in handwritten essay entries of not more than 750 words on the topic: 'Can young persons in leadership promote national development in Ghana?' This is to be submitted to UBA Ghana, Heritage towers in Accra. GNA 01.10.2016 LISTEN Accra, Oct. 1, GNA - Standard Chartered Bank on Friday organised an employee volunteering exercise at the Ayalolo Cluster of Schools, in Accra. The exercise, which formed part of activities lined up to mark the Bank's 120th anniversary celebration, was also to give back to the society in which it operates. Ms Asiedua Addae, Head, Corporate Affairs, Brand and Marketing said the event formed part of the banks 120 years' sustainable agenda of giving back to communities in which they have operated over the years. She said the Ayalolo Cluster of Schools is the first school to benefit from the volunteering exercise, which would last for the next three months. She said the exercise would see the more than 400 staff of the bank sensitising students on the need to maintain a clean environment, about HIV and AIDS, and some financial education. Ms Addai noted that the primary school pupils would also be taken through eye screening. The Chief Executive Officer of the Bank, Mr Kweku Bedu-Addo donated hand washing stations for all the schools in the cluster as well as two water storage tanks since the major problem of the cluster of school was lack of potable water. Other activities lined up for the 120 years' anniversary celebration include, a public lecture, client loyalty events and a thanksgiving service in December. Mrs Christiana Maclean, Circuit Supervisor Ghana Education Service, expressed appreciation to the Bank for the choice of the Ayalolo school to benefit from the exercise. She said the storage tanks would go a long way to help the schools, by improving its sanitation condition. She called on other corporate bodies to give back to the society in order to help improve living conditions and also to touch individual lives. GNA Accra, Oct. 1, GNA - Six candidates have been proposed by Member States of the World Health Organisation (WHO) for the position of WHO Director-General. A statement issued by the WHO and copied to the Ghana News Agency said Member States proposed the following candidates: Ethiopia, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, while the Italy submitted Dr Flavia Bustreo. France submitted the name of Professor Philippe Douste-Blazy, whereas the United Kingdom submitted the nomination of Dr David Nabarro. Pakistan submitted Dr Sania Nishtar, whilst Hungary submitted Dr MiklAs SzAcska. The statement said the deadline for proposals closed on September 22; adding that since April 22, WHO's 194 Member States have had the opportunity to propose candidates. The Director-General is WHO's Chief Technical and Administrative Officer and oversees WHO's international health work. The current Director-General, Dr Margaret Chan, was appointed in 2006 and would complete her second term on June 30, next year. On November 1- November 2, a forum would be held for candidates to present their visions to WHO Member States, and the public, and answer questions from Member States on their candidacy. The forum would be webcast in all UN languages on the WHO website: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish. In January 2017, WHO's Executive Board would draw up a shortlist with a maximum of 5 candidates. Executive Board members would then interview these candidates and nominate up to three to go forward for consideration by the World Health Assembly in May 2017, when Member States would vote in a new Director-General. Previously, just one nomination was submitted by WHO's Executive Board to the World Health Assembly, which then made the final appointment. The new Director-General would take office on July 1, 2017. The World Health Assembly is the decision-making body of WHO. It is attended by delegations from all WHO Member States. The main functions of the World Health Assembly are to determine the policies of the Organisation, appoint the Director-General, supervise financial policies, and review and approve the proposed programme budget. The Executive Board is composed of 34 technically qualified members elected for three-year terms. The Board meets twice a year: in January, when the members agree upon the agenda and the resolutions to be considered by the World Health Assembly, and again in May following the Assembly. GNA Walewale (N/R), Oct 1, GNA - The National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), says prayers alone could not bring violent free elections and called for inter-stakeholders collaboration where the emphasis would not be just talking but imbued in youth national patriotism. "As a country, we should have a nationalistic approach to our political engagement, accept responsibility for our actions and inactions, condemn proponents of hate speech, and name and shame parties and activities who uses fear and intimidation as a campaign weapon,' Mr Samuel Asare Akuamoah, a Deputy NCCE Chairman stated. Mr Akuamoah was speaking at workshop organised by the NCCE in collaboration with the Ghana News Agency with funding from the European Union for more than 40 young activities of National Democratic Congress (NDC), New Patriotic Party (NPP), Convention Peoples Party (CPP) and Peoples National Convention (PNC) at Walewale in the Northern Region. The workshop was to promote non-violence electioneering before, during and after the December 7 polls especially among the youth. The NCCE Deputy Chairman said as a matter of priority, the nation's democratic apparatus should intensify strategic policies and actions to ensure that democracy is sustained in the country. 'We must imbed in every Ghanaian the culture of tolerance, dialogue and compromise, cooperative living, patriotism and an lineate nature of striving for the common good, which are critical for the sustenance of democracy,' he said. He explained that Walewale has become a hot spot as result of the nature of the struggle for political space by the three dominant political forces; NDC, NPP and PNC. Mr Akuamoah noted that the struggle for political space by the three parties has become so intense that some violent crushes have already been recorded. He said the charged political atmosphere necessitated the targeting of the youth activists by the NCCE for the sensitisation programme, to promote tolerance and enhance peace. Topics discussed includes Electoral offences and sanctions; concept of non-violence; and the public order Acts. Facilitators were drawn from the Ghana Police, the Electoral Commission and NCCE GNA By Iddi Yire, GNA Accra, Oct. 1, GNA - Regulatory reforms and the ease of doing business matter for long term economic growth and prosperity in Ghana, Mr Jim McAlpine, Country Director of United Kingdom's Department for International Development (DfID) - Ghana has said. Speaking in Accra to mark the maiden Better Regulatory Forum and Ghana Business enabling environment programme annual review, he said Ghana has so much to gain going for the reforms. This is because Ghana's ranking for starting a business has fallen from 97th in 2015 to 102nd in 2016 in the World Bank's world 'Doing Business' rankings," he said. "With the exception of construction permits, every other key indicator in the Doing Business survey has stayed the same or worsened, Mr McAlpine said. "This is bad news for Ghana because a country's business environment matters, not just for the entrepreneurs, but also for the people who have jobs in their businesses, and the families that depend on these incomes. "It's also bad news for economic growth and poverty reduction, for all Ghanaian's today and for future generations," he stated. Citing the UK's Engine programme held in September, for 108 companies whose business ideas have been selected to receive support, Mr McAlpine said the talent and entrepreneurial spirit of Ghana's young women and men abounds for all to see for themselves. He stated that it is high time the young people are assisted to deliver for themselves and for Ghana in the face of the challenges of doing business. The Country Director said the business environment is an important part of the broader investment climate and refers to the quality and efficiency of business laws and regulations, which together with the rule of law, political stability, issues around corruption, land tenure, the macro-economic framework and infrastructure constitutes the investment climate. He said taken together, the factors help to determine the cost and risk involved in doing business in a country and could affect the opportunities that firms have to expand. Mr McAlpine explained that they often represent a number of constraints to both domestic small and medium-size enterprises, and foreign direct investors. He said for UK companies looking to invest in finance, insurance, energy (both conventional and renewable), real estate, hospitals, and agriculture, issues around the investment climate make them think twice, particularly if there are other markets in the region that they consider to be easier. "Underneath this gloomy news, there is no doubt that Ghana is making progress in rethinking approaches to the business environment," he stated. He recounted that the World Bank, funded by the DfID presented research on how government, donors and the private sector could learn from the experiences of Ghana's two previous Private Sector Development Strategies. He noted that this renewed sense of the need to come to together to effect a Public Private Dialogue that really delivers across sectors must work within the framework of the 40- year Long Term Development Plan for Ghana currently being finalised by the National Development Planning Commission. He said the Plan would guide the medium term planning process and provide an important framework for action that can guide this dialogue. "Ghana's peers in Sub-Saharan Africa are reforming faster and going further. For example, Kenya has improved its Doing Business ranking from 129 to 108 in the last year alone," he said. "Ghana faces competition from other countries that have cottoned on to the importance of institutional reforms and cutting red tape, initiatives that allow businesses to thrive, create jobs and pay taxes," he said. He said many countries are redoubling their efforts in reforms and in some cases are cutting substantially the regulatory burden and thereby easing the cost of compliance. Adding that in some jurisdictions businesses could be registered in a day. He said in Sub-Saharan Africa the best performers for starting a business are Burundi where it takes four days and Liberia, four and a half days. Mr McAlpine said: "In Ghana it takes on average 14 days to register a business, and the cost of starting a business rose by 70 per cent in 2012 alone. "This means Ghana has competition for investment, and needs to do more to attract it." The two-day Better Regulation Forum in Accra, brought together 70 participants from the public sector, the business community, policy think tanks and civil society to look at best practices and new approaches to reducing the regulatory burdens. Guest speakers came from countries such as Bangladesh, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Uganda and Kenya to share their experiences of reform and the tools they have used. The Better Regulation Forum was organised by the Business Enabling Environment Programme (BEEP), a 10 million business environment reform initiative by the Government of Ghana and DfID. BEEP facilitates policy dialogue between government agencies and the firms that have to comply and implement regulation, and supports government to enact reforms that make it easier and cheaper for agencies to regulate and firms to comply. GNA By Josephine Nyarkoh, GNA Tepa, (Ash), Oct.1, GNA - The government has announced a new producer price for cocoa for the 2016/2017 cocoa season. A tonne of cocoa now sells at GH 7,600 as against the previous year's price of GH 6,800. This means that a bag of 64 kilograms of cocoa, will now sell at GH 475 as against GH 425 in the previous season. Mr. Cassiel Ato Forson, the Deputy Minister of Finance announced this at the 2016 International Cocoa Day celebration, at Tepa in the Ashanti Region. This year's celebration which was on the theme, "Transforming the cocoa sector for economic growth- the role of the youth', was to appreciate the role of cocoa farmers in national development. It was also to promote the consumption of cocoa products among Ghanaians to enable them derive the nutritional benefit of cocoa. Mr. Forson said the average Free On Board (FOB) per tonne for this year is US$2,950, representing a change of 5.7 per cent in cedis, from last year's average FOB which was US$ 2,900. He urged licensed buying companies to take note and pay farmers with the new producer price. The Deputy Minister said the Product Price Review Committee shall continue with the Stabilization Funds with annual contributions from the FOB price as a risk mitigation mechanism against decline in international cocoa prices. Dr. Stephen Kwabena Opuni, the Chief Executive Officer COCOBOD, touching on the theme, said the Youth in Cocoa Farming Programme has so far motivated over 40,000 youths to go into cocoa farming. He said the ongoing cocoa roads rehabilitation project, is to ensure good road network in all cocoa growing areas in the country. Dr. Opuni said the free hybrid seed and fertilizer distribution, mass spraying, as well as extension services were some of the strategies his outfit had put in place to improve cocoa production in the country. GNA Ntotroso (B/A), Oct. 1, GNA - Vice President Kwesi Amissah-Arthur says government is committed continue to invest in the youth since are they future of the country. He explained that investing in educational and health infrastructure of the country also translates into investing in the prospect of the youth. Vice President Amissah-Arthur was speaking at the presentation of a 52-Seater Benz Bus to the Ntotroso College of Nursing in the Asutifi North of the Brong- Ahafo Region. The bus, which was acquired by GETFund and presented by the Vice President to the school was in fulfilment of a promise he made to the College. The school, which was established about three years ago currently has a student population of 820 and staff strength of 34. Vice President Amissah-Arthur also commended the Ntotroso Traditional Council for the initiative to establish the nursing training institution in the area. He said the government would continue to offer support for such laudable initiatives, which are intended to educate the youth in Ntotroso. Vice President Amissah-Arthur appealed to the people especially the youth in the area to renew the mandate of President John Dramani Mahama and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the December 7 elections. He said their vote retain the NDC government in power would ensure the continuous benefits of the people from numerous developmental projects initiated by government in the area. Barima Twereku Ampem III, Omanhene of the Ntotroso praised Vice President Amissah-Arthur for fulfilling his promised to provide the school with a bus. He also commended the NDC for initiating numerous developmental projects in the area. He explained that the Ntotroso Nursing College was established from the community's share of royalties from the Newmont Mining Company working in the area. Barima Twereku Ampem appealed to the government and the GETFund to provide the school with a science laboratory and boys dormitory to enhance the accommodation needs of the students. The Chief the Ntotroso Traditional Council donated a ram to Vice President Amissah-Arthur to show their appreciation for the goods things that he has been doing for the area. GNA Ashanti Regional Secretary of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), says the party has not received any letter from the incumbent NPP Member of Parliament for the Bantama constituency, concerning his supposed resignation from the party. This follows the circulation of a letter containing the intention of the incumbent MP, Henry Kwabena Kokofu, to resign from the NPP. The letter claimed that, the MP, who was defeated in the partys primary, had filed his nomination as an independent candidate to contest the seat. But speaking to Citi News, Sam Payne said, its not true, he has not written any letter to us, we havent received any letter from him. The incumbent MP is one of the bigwigs in the NPP, who lost their seats to new entrants in the party, during the NPPs parliamentary primaries. The incumbent, however vowed to work with the elected parliamentary candidate for the Constituency, Wofa Atta, to attain victory for the NPP in the coming general elections. The news of him filling as an independent candidate, comes as a surprise to many in the region and die-hard NPP loyalists. Sam Payne, the Regional Secretary of the NPP says the matter can now only be treated as hearsay. You said they are speculations right, lets keep it at the speculative level, let them speculate. He was quick go add that, Im waiting on the EC to give us the details of all those who have filled so we know the truth. By: Lauretta Timah/citifmonline.com Pentagon chief Ashton Carter on Friday criticized the "deeply troubling" remarks by Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, in which he likened his deadly war on crime to Hitler's efforts to exterminate Jews. Carter's comments came during a regional security summit with Southeast Asian ally nations, where he sought to reassure counterparts that Washington's ongoing commitment to its Asia "rebalance" would continue into the next US administration. Earlier Friday, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte had made televised remarks drawing parallels between his campaign to wipe out his country's drug problem and Adolf Hitler's genocidal drive. "Hitler massacred three million Jews. Now there are three million drug addicts (in the Philippines). I'd be happy to slaughter them," Duterte told reporters in his home city of Davao. Carter said the remarks were not discussed at the summit. But "speaking personally for myself, I find those comments deeply troubling," he said. The "informal" meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), held on Oahu in Hawaii, focused mainly on longer-standing regional issues such as continued unease over China's growing reach across the South China Sea. Beijing has in recent years expanded its physical presence in the strategically vital waterway, turning small maritime features, islets and reefs into much larger islands capable of holding military facilities. Carter has repeatedly stressed that the US military will ignore Beijing's contentious South China Sea claims, and keep operating in waters and airspace surrounding the islands. "The United States would like to help all our nations see more, share more, and do more to keep Southeast Asia's vital waterways open and secure," Carter said earlier Friday. Another topic high on the agenda was the rise in Islamic State-affiliated groups, especially in Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines, as well as the return from Iraq and Syria of war-hardened militants. "I was able to describe how the defeat of (IS) in Iraq and Syria would demonstrate that there is no state based upon (their) Ideology," Carter said. But that "I also expected to see real and attempted metastases to ASEAN nations." Singapore Defense Minister Ng Eng Hen said the issue was a "core concern" among ASEAN members, and warned that IS and affiliated jihadists had grown better organized and networked over the past year or so. "If ISIS is diminished or dismembered in Iraq and Syria, in the short term we would actually suffer because they have more than 1,000 foreign fighters there. They will decide to come back -- some energized, some trained and the networks will still be existing," Ng said. Ongoing 'Pivot' The US rebalance towards Asia -- or "pivot," as it is sometimes called -- has been a cornerstone of President Barack Obama's foreign policy, with a shifting of focus away from the Middle East and toward the Asia-Pacific region. Obama has mended relations with Myanmar, Vietnam and Laos while bolstering regional blocs and providing a counterbalance to China's regional ambitions. Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines recently agreed to conduct joint sea patrols to fight piracy, organized crime, and terrorist activity in the Sulu Sea. A senior US defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said he was confident that the United States would retain its Asia focus whatever the result of November's presidential election. "We've got a good thing going," he said. "There are a lot of opportunities left over. And we want to make sure that our position in the region is solid for the next president." The Pentagon chief met privately with all 10 defense ministers, including the Philippines' Delfin Lorenzana, a former diplomat who lived for 14 years in Washington. Carter said the two had "very good" discussions about the continuation of the two countries' military alliance, which dates back more than 60 years, and which the Pentagon chief on Thursday said was "ironclad." Their meeting drew intense scrutiny following Duterte's Hitler comments, and other remarks earlier this week in which he vowed to end joint military exercises with the United States. The firebrand leader has also called Obama a "son of a whore" and extended overtures to China, potentially upsetting the strong US-Philippine alliance. Lorenzana declined to comment on his president's comments when contacted by AFP. Search Keywords: Short link: you are here: Taliban fighters have advanced closer to Lashkar Gah, capital of the strategic southern province of Helmand, pushing into a farming district on the other side of the river from the town, officials said on Saturday. Though the Western-backed government in Kabul pushed the insurgents back with the aid of U.S. airstrikes in August, it is struggling to reverse the tide of the fighting. Capturing the city would give the Taliban their first provincial capital since the northern city of Kunduz fell briefly a year ago and would reinforce the impression that government forces are losing momentum in the war. The insurgents, who control large sections of the opium-growing province, are now in Bolan, an agricultural zone that links Lashkar Gah with Gereshk, a town that straddles the main Highway One, as well as Marjah district center to the west. "The Taliban came to our villages, blocked the main road and are attacking security forces," said local resident Rozi Mohammad. Local officials said security forces were engaging the insurgents and were expected to begin offensive operations soon though they faced strong opposition. "We are about 300 meters away from the Taliban positions. They are firing at us from residents' homes and we are waiting for fresh forces to repel them," said Hesmatullah, a policeman whose unit was involved in the fighting. Taliban spokesman Qari Yousuf Ahmadi said government forces had taken heavy casualties. The Taliban has tightened pressure on Helmand for much of the past year and is now estimated to control or contest most of the districts in the province, which supplies a major proportion of the world's illegal opium. Last week, frustrated by police and army units that have left a string of checkpoints across the province without fighting, the governor of Helmand Hayatullah Hayat threatened to put troops on trial for abandoning their positions. "Those who have escaped and come to Lashkar Gah will be tried. They will be investigated," he told a meeting of officials and tribal elders. Search Keywords: Short link: The Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce will host a forum for city council and mayoral candidates Monday, Oct. 3 at the Community Playhouse. Doors will open at 6 p.m., with a question/answer session with three mayoral candidates going from 6:30 to 7:15 p.m. Running for mayor are Kirk Bertolet, Joseph Carrillo and Steve Tate (incumbent). After that and a short break, council candidates will answer questions from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. Running for two seats on the council are Mario Banuelos, Armando Benavides, Larry Carr (incumbent), Marilyn Librers (incumbent) and Rene Spring. Because the forum is sponsored by the chamber, questions will be weighted toward economic development and business issues that affect the community of Morgan Hill. Audience members can submit questions to ask the candidates from 6 to 6:30 p.m. The Morgan Hill Community Playhouse is located at 17000 Monterey Road. Admission is free. Ukraine's army and pro-Russian separatists both announced Saturday the pull back of their troops from a small eastern city as agreed in a demilitarisation accord signed last month. Ukrainian military spokesman Valentyn Shevchenko told AFP that both sides had moved their forces to several kilometres (miles) away from Zolote. "Some representatives of the OSCE observer mission confirmed the retreat," he said, referring to the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe. The official press agency of the separatists in eastern Ukraine also announced the retreat of their troops from Zolote. "Not a single soldier remains at the positions which they previously occupied, conforming to what is required by the Minsk peace accord," rebel commander Mikhail Filimonenko said, according to the agency. Negotiators for Kiev and the pro-Moscow rebels reached an agreement in Minsk in September to demilitarise three frontline areas in eastern Ukraine, withdrawing heavy arms and fighters from the towns of Stanytsya Luganska as well as Zolote in the Lugansk region and Petrovske in the Donetsk region. The retreat of troops has not yet taken place in the other two cities, according to the separatists. Enacting this accord would create a security perimeter of two kilometres (1.2 miles) around the three frontline towns and is seen as a small step forward in Ukraine's stalled peace process. The conflict erupted after Moscow annexed Crimea from Ukraine in March 2014. Kiev and the West accuse Russia of fuelling the conflict, which has killed more than 9,640 people. Moscow however denies government involvement. A peace deal brokered by Germany and France in February 2015 reduced the intensity of fighting but has failed to stop it. Search Keywords: Short link: Egypt is expected to sign a financing agreement worth $500 million with the World Bank next week to support the Upper Egypt Local Development Programme, after the bank's board approved the programme. In a statement published on the international cooperation ministry's website, International Cooperation Minister Sahar Nasr said the agreement, which will be signed on the sidelines of the World Bank Annual Meetings scheduled to be held in Washington which she is chairing, will focus on Qena and Sohag governorates and on delivering services to lagging regions, providing youth and women with job opportunities and improving infrastructure. Qena and Sohag are two of the poorest governorates in Egypt. According to the ministry's statement, the programme aims to "enhance competiveness of economic sectors with unrealised potentials, support industrial zone management, apply a performance-based grant system and increase the budget of both governorates." This programme comes within the framework of the bank's Country Partnership Framework (CPF) for 201519, which provides about $8 billion for supporting Egypt's economy, the statement read. The World Bank finances several projects in Egypt, including projects related to energy, transport, water and wastewater, agriculture and irrigation, population and health, and social safety nets; as well as supporting employment-intensive projects and financing small- and medium-sized enterprises. In earlr September, the internatioanl lender has provided Egypt with the first $1 billion tranche of a total $3 billion loan, which is planned to be delivered over three years to fund "labour-intensive projects and achieving sustainable economic development." The current portfolio of the World Bank in Egypt includes 26 projects for a total commitment of $5.92 billion, according to the bank's website. Search Keywords: Short link: Pillars of Blood is a performance focusing on memories of the Iraqi crisis as captured by Anmar Taha, the Iraqi-Swedish director who is also a main character in the play. The performance was staged twice, on 27 and 28 September, within the 23rd edition of the Cairo International Festival of Contemporary and Experimental Theatre, a festival that ran from 20 to 30 September. Ahram Online spoke to Taha about his journey from Iraq to Sweden and the concepts behind the play. Ahram Online (AO): Pillars of Blood is a physical performance with very few words and almost no music. Yet the audience was able to understand the crisis of Iraq in every scene. How was that? Anmar Taha (AT): Pillars of Blood is a very simple and very personal performance. I have many obsessions, memories, and nightmares which re-appear in my works. This does not mean that I try to make political statements; I just try to survive as I keep struggling with my obsessions. Theatre and art in general help me free those emotions. Art is that vehicle of beauty; our world is not perfect and art fills this gap. AO: When you say personal nightmares, do you refer to you your journey from Iraq to Sweden? AT: Yes and no. Maybe the nightmare started in 2005 after the fall of Baghdad, when a bullet penetrated my body between the liver and the spleen. It was very dangerous and though I did not die I decided to leave. Many of my friends had already been killed. One of them was a close friend and an actor in a performance we presented in Egypt in 2002. Coming back this year to the same festival brings back many memories. A few months after being shot I moved to Sweden. I didnt think of starting a new life per se but to continue it, only in a different way on different terms. My nightmares are not only what happened to me, but also to my friends, to Baghdad, to my mother and my sister whom I often visit in Iraq. It is also about the struggle we had as art students in Baghdad, torn between how we wanted to practice art and the conservative old school education methods, the system that is dominated by hierarchy. This has also contributed to my formation as a young man and everything is now reflected in my art. AT: We belong to a society where the body is our biggest taboo. For example, during my study at the Institute of Fine Arts' Theatre Department in Baghdad, theatre for us was limited to either its intellectual aspect or rhetoric. We never used our bodies to express certain ideas. We didnt use any visual art aspects for that matter. We had dancing courses but that was not a part of a bigger theatrical concept, it was not a part of anything. Also when we started to practicing theatre, there were hardly any actresses, so men had to present the female roles. Our bodies are imprisoned under layers and layers of restrictions. To liberate ourselves we need to liberate our bodies. This is part of the physical theatre I choose to work in. AO: When were you introduced to physical theatre for the first time? AT: It was totally by chance. I was still a student when an Iraqi-Sweden based artist visited Baghdad and gave a two-week workshop that incorporated jazz and ballet. We were many participants in this workshop, but only seven of us thought about how to apply the gained skills onto theatrical practice. Of course we knew very little but we were very inspired. Together with those friends, we started researching, reading and practicing. We staged our dance performance during the Cairo International Festival for Experimental Theatre, back in 2002. In 2005, after the fall of Bagdad, we decided to establish a theatre troupe, and the first performance directed by me was The Bald-Headed. It was selected for the Philadelphia Theatre Festival in Jordan, and it won many awards, including the jury award for directing. After that I had the accident and it was the end of my short artistic journey in Iraq. On the other hand, as you know, life was getting worse in the country and there was no room for artists. In 2006, I left for Syria where I stayed briefly before eventually relocating to Sweden. In Sweden I found more opportunities to learn and to practice physical theatre in different ways. AT: It is a life-changing experience, a different society with totally different values. But it gave me the opportunity to review all the values I had practiced throughout my life. I stayed two years learning the language and joining several dancing schools. I was looking for a physical theatre opportunity not only a technical dance school. Around this time, a few members of my Iraqi troupe began leaving Iraq as well; many settled in the Netherlands and invited me to join a touring play that toured around Europe. A few years later, we established the Iraqi Bodies troupe, and we registered it in Sweden 2009. At this point five of the original troupe members were already living in Sweden. The title of the troupe reflects our concept. We made several performances and even when a few members left the troupe and gave up art altogether, I decided to keep going under the same name, casting different people. The first breakthrough came when a Swedish cultural institution agreed to produce one performance. Ever since, I have been under the umbrella of a variety of cultural bodies in Sweden. AO: Starting as an Iraqi emigrant, how is your work being received, by audiences, the media and the critics? AT: I believe that my work is unique in a way yet I am not being judged based on where I came from but for artwork that I create. Though I insist on using Iraqi Bodies as the name of the troupe, this not enough reason to be recognised, and being an Iraqi is not a passport for success in Sweden. On the one hand, I am a theatre school graduate, not an amateur, and there are artistic values in my work. On the other hand though my life experience is full of tragedies and my background is different to those of my Swedish colleagues, I chose not to present politics in my work. I present personal stories of my mother, my sister, and friends. I also believe in myself. I learnt from my experience that theatre is an ongoing process of learning and practicing. I learn new techniques, new tools, I read books, watch movies, do my research, I make sure I keep developing continuously. AT: In the performance we presented at Cairo Theatre Festival, one actress is also my directing partner from Sweden, and other two are dancers from Italy and Syria. In a way this performance is about women's situation in my country. It is about my mother and my sister and the way they are being treated in my society. But I also presented the same performance with more actors. It is a developing project. AO: You used English and Swedish language in a performance that talks about Iraqi context. What is the significance of language in your works? AT: I used Arabic quotes from a song by Umm Kalthoum. However, to me art is an alternative language and it does not have to be translated into words. My main concern in theatre are visuals. It is not the language or even the physical aspects that matter but how the ideas and feelings are translated visually. I am inspired by a text or a poem or a painting then it develops. My use of language is that of an artistic and aesthetic purpose. I do not find that I have to use Arabic because I am originally Arab or to use Swedish or English because I live in Europe. AO: How would you compare your experience from the festival in 2002 and 2016? AT: I am glad the festival has returned. During 2002 we were very young, only 17 and 18 years old. Though we are different people today, there is still the same people, the same atmosphere, and the same Cairo. But what I missed is my friends whom I lost for every kind of reason. Life experience had taught me that you may lose your home, your family, your friends, but the only thing left at the end of the day are your attempts to find your internal peace. Art should be our peaceful choice. For more arts and culture news and updates, follow Ahram Online Arts and Culture on Twitter at @AhramOnlineArts and on Facebook at Ahram Online: Arts & Culture footer Pillars of Blood Pillars of Blood Search Keywords: Short link: Be measured in the margins you ... The Egyptian foreign ministry is following carefully the new bill that would allow relatives of 9/11 victims to sue countries that 'sponsor terrorism' Egypt is following with interest the consequences of Congress' decision to override President Barack Obama's veto of legislation allowing relatives of the victims of the September 11 attacks to sue Saudi Arabia, the Egyptian foreign ministry announced on Thursday. Ministry spokesman Ahmed Abu Zeid said that Egypt was carefully following the consequences of the legislation for the course of international relations. On Wednesday, the US Senate approved overwhelming a vote overriding Obama's veto of the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA). The bill authorises US courts to hear cases involving claims against a foreign state for injuries, death, or damages that occur inside the United States as a result of an act of terrorism, committed anywhere by a foreign state or official. Legal experts say the bill could allow the families of those killed on September 11 to sue the Saudi Arabian government, as 15 of the 19 hijackers were from Saudi Arabia. Previously, the Egyptian foreign ministry stated that Obama's veto of the legislation upheld international law as it supported the principles of sovereign equality and state immunity by avoiding the imposition of domestic laws on other countries. Mohamed Atta, one of the hijackers in the 9/11 attacks, was an Egyptian national, although it is unclear if Egypt could potentially be sued under the new legislation. Several hashtags in Arabic, #JASTA_law and #11_September, were trending on Thursday morning in Egypt and in Saudi Arabia, with social media users debating the possible consequences of the new law. Search Keywords: Short link: MML informal Poll View Photos Two informal polls this week dealt with two of 17 propositions on the November ballot. Regarding Proposition 51 we asked, Do you support the state issuing $9 billion in bonds to fund K-12 schools and community colleges? The results were 65 percent No, 29 percent Yes, and 6 percent Dont Know. Across the state Prop. 51 has also met with opposition, including from Gov. Jerry Brown. If passed $3 billion would fund the construction of new school facilities across the state, and another $3 billion would got to the modernization of school facilities. An additional $2 billion would go toward for acquiring, constructing, renovating, and equipping community college facilities. The Proposition also outlines $500 million to provide school facilities for charter schools while another $500 million would go to providing facilities for career technical education programs. The voters guide notes the fiscal impact to the State will be $17.6 billion to pay off both the principal ($9 billion) and interest ($8.6 billion) on the bonds. To repay the bonds about $500 million per year for 35 years would need to be set aside. State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Tom Torlakson says, Prop. 51 allows local schools and community colleges to upgrade vocational education classrooms so students can train for goodpaying careers and contribute to Californias growing economy. And, we owe it to our veterans to provide training and help them transition to the workplace. Opposition statements point out Last June voters approved over 90% of local school bonds on the ballot, providing over $5.5 billion for school construction. It is also noted that school enrollment is expected to decline over the next 10 years and Large wealthy districts would receive the lions share because they have dedicated staff to fill out paperwork. This shuts out smaller, poorer districts that need help most. Regarding Proposition 52 the informal MyMotherLode poll question asked Do you support extending the Medi-Cal Hospital Fee Program? The results were 43 percent No, 32 percent Yes and 26 percent Dont Know. Prop. 51 extends indefinitely an existing statute that imposes fees on hospitals to fund Medi-Cal health care services, care for uninsured patients, and childrens health coverage. If the Proposition does not pass the Hospital Fee Program, which began in 2009, will end January 1, 2018. For most costs of the MediCal program, the state and the federal government each pay half of the costs. In some instances, the federal government pays a greater share of the costs than the state. California must follow various federal laws and requirements in order to receive federal funding for MediCal, in 2015-16 the hospital fee revenue of $4.4 billion was matched with federal MediCal funding, resulting in $8.1 billion in total MediCal payments and grants to hospitals. The opposition says there is not sufficient oversight or accountability of the Medi-Cal funds. Does the narrative of Western media coverage of Egypt contribute to the sense that the country is being maligned intentionally? Politics aside, the answer also lies in the way foreign coverage comes to being Going native is the blight of any foreign correspondent reporting to his Western media outlet from a foreign land. And yet non-native foreign coverage rarely provides the kind of complex and nuanced understanding of the highly complex and nuanced foreign realities it seeks to cover. Which raises the question: is the foreign correspondent the right way to go in a profoundly interconnected world of complex, global stories, or has the time come to move on towards a new realm of cross country/region conceived and executed journalism? Heading the long-term agenda items that pre-occupy the West and the Western media are issues of a global nature: think the environment, refugee crises, terrorism and the rise of religious extremism. There could be no stronger argument for powerful, nuanced and truly informative foreign reporting, and yet newsrooms continue to cut back on their foreign coverage for budgetary and security concerns and perhaps, for the fact that it is all rather unwieldy in such a turbulent world. Which is why the work of such giant, global-oriented news organizations as The New York Times is so important. Despite drastic cutbacks over the past decade, NYT continues to be able to provide its readers not only in the US (let alone New York), but around the world with long form stories such as Fractured Lands: How the Arab World Came Apart. They break the mold of limited space and interest, expending time, effort and expertise in trying to present an understanding of a complex region, the twists and turns of which are of an increasingly global far-reaching nature. Related by novelist and Middle East war correspondent Scott Anderson and captured in the photographs of Paolo Pellegrin, this exceptionally hefty feature set out in five parts: Origins, The Iraq War, Arab Spring, ISIS Rising and Exodus was the first ever stab by NYT to devote its Sunday magazine to a single narrative, rendering it, in the words of the newspapers Public Editor, Liz Spayd, a history making issue. The local protagonists tell heart-rending stories and the narrative is easily accessible even to those who know very little of the region. Accolades were in order, and neither did NYT shy from blowing its own trumpet. But let me beg to differ, after all, an Egyptian American, born to an American mother and an Egyptian father, I didnt need to go native, I was so, already. You might think that perhaps the bar was set impossibly high. According to NYT Magazine Chief Editor Jake Silverstein It is unprecedented for us to focus so much energy and attention on a single story [..] We would not do so were we not convinced that what follows is one of the most clear-eyed, powerful and human explanations of what has gone wrong in this region that you will ever read. And yet, what unfolds in the story is in to my mind a highly opinionated narrative which in proving its point glaringly omits a great many facts facts, which when added to the mix might contribute to a different perception and understanding of the Arab world today, which is where the clear-eyed nature of the piece comes into question. It starts with the framing. The current ruin of the Arab world begins, according to Scott, in many of its constituent states being unreal, products of an artificial edifice of nationhood created by western powers after WWI. And yet, while he makes the effort of going so far back in history to set the stage, never once is the creating of the nation state of Israel again by foreign powers mentioned as a destructive and arbitrary division of Arab lands wreaking havoc in its wake. In the same breath, Arab leaders that stoked the fear of Zionism and Imperialism among their peoples are scoffed at by Scott as having created fictitious enemies, yet irrespective of ones views on these leaders, it would be difficult to argue that imperialism, the Zionist movement and the creation of the state of Israel were good for the Arab people. And how is Egypt a unified state for thousands of years supposed to fit the mold of arbitrary, artificial nationhood? And deeply troubled as it is, todays Egypt can hardly be described as a state in ruin. Which brings to what in fact was a highly arbitrary, dare I say manufactured selection of states covered by Scotts gargantuan feature. No less arbitrary, it seem to me, was a time-line that sets the foiled process of democratic change in the region a decade before the Arab Spring, and not as almost everybody in the world recognizes the Arab Spring itself. And why Iraq, which was never part of the Arab spring? Unless Scott would have us believe along with George Bush Jr. and his circle that the American invasion of Iraq launched a revolutionary process towards democratization in the region. A hard pill to swallow if you consider the multi-faceted evidence of the enormous human cost of the patently illegal invasion (acknowledged years ago by NYT itself) and the occupation that followed it, what with Abu Ghraib or the cancer toll among Iraqi children caused by the use of depleted uranium in the weaponry of the US and its allies in Iraqi warzones. Indeed, if there is a causality to be drawn here, it is that many of the young people who triggered the Arab Spring, particularly in Tunisia and Egypt, began their political activism by rallying against the invasion and occupation of Iraq. Yemen is mentioned in passing, but never revisited, begging the question of whether such an omission had anything to do with the counter-revolutionary role played by Saudi Arabia in that country? Bahrain, the revolution of which was repressed and ignored, is not even mentioned. Tunisia, which set it all in motion, and is generally held to have been a success story, is never visited in the lengthy narrative. And if youre going to bring in Iraq, why not Saudi Arabia, which is arguably the most manufactured and unreal of the lot. The same could be said of all the oil rich Arabian Peninsulas monarchies and princedoms, with the exception perhaps of the republic of Yemen and the Sultanate of Oman, which are short on oil but very long on history. There is little doubt that enormous oil wealth has been an element of stability for these states (notwithstanding Osama Bin Laden), but what happens then to the basic premise of unreal, manufactured states as a fundamental source of fracture and ruin. By the end part 1 of the narrative we find ourselves faced with a region made up predominantly of unstable, mostly unreal Arab countries. We have the US forces moving into Baghdad with the selective images of a dictator being brought down the very dictator strongly bolstered by the US and its allies when his guns were turned towards Iran. Through Mr. Scotts Iraqi protagonists we see a country that the invasion found in ruins, but no mention is made of the effects of a brutal 13-year economic and trade blockade that devastated among a great many components of Iraqi life the countrys health and education systems, which had been considered among the best in the region. The invasion brought the devastation to massive proportions. The Anglo-American US occupation of Iraq is described by Scotts two Iraqi protagonists in the most innocuous of terms. Friendly aliens is one description, and his only nod to the brutality of that occupation are in the words of his other protagonist, who acknowledges: I know others had problems with the Americans but my family no they were quite respectful. And while these are doubtlessly the experiences of these particular two Iraqis, one might well wonder of their twin stories and perspectives make for a narrative that in anyway offers a clear-eyed and human understanding of Iraq during the past 13 years? How clear eyed could we be when we ignore or gloss over the enormous toll in human lives, the Abu Ghraib human rights abuses, the corporate plunder of the beleaguered countrys wealth? And how could we explain ISIS while ignoring the wealth of evidence of the deliberate playing of the sectarian card by the British rulers of Iraq in pre-independence times, and by Anglo-American occupation after 2003? Scott sums up all of this as missteps, citing mainly the disbanding of the Iraqi army. In Egypt Mohamed Morsi, 'the elected Muslim Brotherhood president' is portrayed as a beleaguered force for democratic change. Not once does the narrative mention the collusion of the MB and the MB-dominated parliament with Egypts Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) prior to Morsis election. The brutality of the Muslim Brotherhoods militia attacks on peaceful protestors in Tahrir in Accountability Friday (October, 2012) and before the Presidential Palace (December, 2012) is not mentioned. Neither is the fact that the MB-drawn constitution annulled Egypts adherence to the Convention Against Human Trafficking, which is seen by many as a move aimed to support legalizing girl child marriage arguments in support of which were then being aired on prime time TV. Most notably he neglects to mention that under Morsi human rights violations by the police forces continued unchecked while the democratically electected president continued to laud the security forces going to the extent of raising them as an integral force of the Egyptian Revolution. Scott claims that it was the secular forces that were getting nervous with MB rule. In fact it was a much wider constituency who were increasingly alarmed by the MBs voracious appetite for power. It was the average Egyptian father and mother who did not feel comfortable with religious pundits talking on television about what sexual practices are acceptable for a girl as young as 8 and 9 years old. Also ignored in Scotts account are such facts as that people in Egypt were increasingly anti-Morsi because whenever he made a public address he addressed himself to ashiraty my clan a usage which implied he spoke to the MB and not the wider constituency of the Egyptian people. Also ignored were the deep economic recession, the near collapse of public services, the lack of security and the daily disruption of daily life. Scott seems unaware that the a great many of the hundreds of thousands of Egyptians who rallied against Muslim Brotherhood rule did so because they believed their revolutionary struggle for freedom, social justice and human dignity had been betrayed, and that many others simply wanted a return to normalcy and stability. Instead, Scott expresses his disdain for the brutality of the public response in favor of the massacre at Raba. I could go on but this is not the point. The point Im trying to make here is that the truth of the Arab world cant be brought down to one narrative, and may not be reduced to mere ruin. Not in a single image nor in one of the multitude of stories recounted in this historic full magazine-size feature do we glimpse the albeit short-lived moments of victory and joy, heroism and hope that were so much a feature of the Arab Spring, and at the time acknowledged with wonder by all, including NYT. The real point I would like to make here is that stories of a globalized nature will only be true when they are executed by a new form of journalism, one that not only brings together the collaboration of journalists across countries and regions, but also ensures that the very setting of the story and the editorial process that brings it to being is made native. We see this happening increasingly in the sphere of data journalism. A prominent example is the Panama Papers with their far reaching impact in uncovering corruption and speaking truth to power. These were the product of the work of 370 journalists from across the world. Maybe the time has come to see this model applied to how foreign coverage is conceived and implemented: not via a foreign correspondent no matter how proficient coming into a region for any amount of time; not via fixers, translators or co-reporters/researchers, but through a journalistic process that brings it all together. The way journalism is done has changed in so many ways and yet the conversation about foreign correspondents remains to a great extent focused on personal security and budgets. While these are serious concerns there is also the matter that we may need to reformat the genre. Fatemah Farag is a Nieman Felllow, Board Member of the World Editors Forum and CEO of Welad ElBalad Media Search Keywords: Short link: This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate No woman should ever have to live life not knowing; especially when there is a 97 percent chance of survival when breast cancer is detected early. Its a heartbreaking fact, but one in eight women will develop breast cancer in her life. However, over the past few years, the community has graciously given the gift of assurance to many local women by donating to the Plainview/Hale County Health Departments Mammography Drive. This is something that kills so many people, and I think the community is very interested in helping, said Dr. Sergio Lara, chief medical officer at Covenant Health Plainview and medical director for the Plainview/Hale County Health Department. Partnering with Covenant Health Plainview in 2014, the Health Departments mammogram drive accepts donations that go toward providing free breast cancer screenings to local woman without health insurance. Lara said there are countless women that dont have the means to pay for mammograms and usually ignore the critical screening. The cost of a breast cancer screenings is about $75. Cost is an issue for these women, Lara said. To ensure that every woman has access to the screening, the mammogram drive was created by the Health Department and the Covenants Plainview hospital. Its helping local woman. This is something that the community gives to the community, Lara said. And in an essence, the donation is a gift of life as catching breast cancer early enough can save your life. The earlier you catch developing breast cancer, the higher the survival rates are, said Covenant Health Plainviews Dr. Jessica Charest, who practices obstetrics and gynecology at the hospital. Every woman should have access to these screenings, said Charest, who called mammograms a very simple procedure. Charest also praise comfort and accuracy provided by the mammogram department of Covenant Health Plainview. Charest recommended an initial screening for most women at age 40. If the woman has risk factors, the screening should take place much earlier. Risks include age, genetics, obesity and more. On Oct. 27, Charest will host a special Health Forum to talk more in depth about the risks of breast cancer as well as prevention and treatment. The forum, sponsored by Covenant Health Plainview, will be held at 12:30 p.m. at the Plainview/Hale County Health Department, 111 E. 10th St. Refreshments will be served. Women keep us going. They are our mothers, sisters and daughters and care is available to them, said Charest. To support the mammogram drive, donations can be made at the Health Department, Covenant Health Plainview at 2601 Dimmitt Road, or to the Covenant Plainview Medical Clinic at 2606 Yonkers. Donations can also be sent by mail to 2601 W. Dimmitt Rd. Plainview, TX, 79072, Attention: gift a mammo. For more information contact Covenant Health Plainview at 806-296-5531 or Plainview/Hale County Health Department at 806-293-1359. The drive kicks off in October during Breast Cancer Awareness month. Vouchers for free breast cancer screenings can be picked up at Covenant Health Plainview. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 3 1 of 3 Gabrielle Lurie/Special to The Chronicle Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Gabrielle Lurie/Special to The Chronicle Show More Show Less 3 of 3 The autopsy of a 45-year-old homeless man killed in April by San Francisco police officers on a Mission District street found he was struck by six gunshots, including one to the head. The city medical examiners office report revealed Luis Gongora was shot in the forehead, right lower chest, right upper back, left shoulder and twice in his right forearm. The exam also concluded that Gongora had traces of methamphetamine and marijuana in his system at the time of the shooting. Troy An Albany man pleaded guilty in Rensselaer County Court Friday to stealing $268,391 from a Schaghticoke company, a spokesman for District Attorney Joel Abelove said. Jordan B. Henderer, 43, of Buckingham Drive, pleaded guilty to second-degree grand larceny and third-degree criminal tax fraud in a plea deal. Henderer admitted to stealing $268,391 from HMA Contracting Corp. while working for the company as an accountant. Henderer transferred the money to a personal account. After he was fired, the missing money was uncovered by an audit leading to a State Police investigation, the district attorney's office said. The investigation determined Henderer owed $419,178 in income tax for 2015. Judge Debra J. Young will sentence Henderer on Nov. 23 to three to nine years in prison as part of the deal. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 3 1 of 3 Show More Show Less 2 of 3 PAUL BUCKOWSKI Show More Show Less 3 of 3 ALBANY A 22-year-old Albany man was sentenced Friday to 22 years in state prison for the fatal stabbing last fall of Albany High School senior Louis Haynie, prosecutors said. Brandon Walker pleaded guilty on June 10 to one count of first-degree manslaughter, a violent felony, for causing the death of Haynie in the early morning hours of Sept. 20, 2015. Haynie was with a 20-year-old man, whose name was never released, when he was stabbed to death on Elberon Place, Albany County District Attorney David Soares' office said. Donald J. Trump declared a $916 million loss on his 1995 income tax returns, a tax deduction so substantial it could have allowed him to legally avoid paying any federal income taxes for up to 18 years, records obtained by The New York Times show. The 1995 tax records, never before disclosed, reveal the extraordinary tax benefits that Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, derived from the financial wreckage he left behind in the early 1990s through mismanagement of three Atlantic City casinos, his ill-fated foray into the airline business and his ill-timed purchase of the Plaza Hotel in Manhattan. Tax experts hired by The Times to analyze Trump's 1995 records said tax rules that are especially advantageous to wealthy filers would have allowed Mr. Trump to use his $916 million loss to cancel out an equivalent amount of taxable income over an 18-year period. Although Trump's taxable income in subsequent years is as yet unknown, a $916 million loss in 1995 would have been large enough to wipe out more than $50 million a year in taxable income over 18 years. ALSO Greg Casar gets major boost from political superstar The $916 million loss certainly could have eliminated any federal income taxes Trump otherwise would have owed on the $50,000 to $100,000 he was paid for each episode of "The Apprentice," or the roughly $45 million he was paid between 1995 and 2009 when he was chairman or chief executive of the publicly traded company he created to assume ownership of his troubled Atlantic City casinos. Ordinary investors in the new company, meanwhile, saw the value of their shares plunge to 17 cents from $35.50, while scores of contractors went unpaid for work on Trump's casinos and casino bondholders received pennies on the dollar. "He has a vast benefit from his destruction" in the early 1990s, said one of the experts, Joel Rosenfeld, an assistant professor at New York University's Schack Institute of Real Estate. Rosenfeld offered this description of what he would advise a client who came to him with a tax return like Mr. Trump's: "Do you realize you can create $916 million in income without paying a nickel in taxes?" Trump declined to comment on the documents. Instead, the campaign released a statement that neither challenged nor confirmed the $916 million loss. "Mr. Trump is a highly-skilled businessman who has a fiduciary responsibility to his business, his family and his employees to pay no more tax than legally required," the statement said. "That being said, Mr. Trump has paid hundreds of millions of dollars in property taxes, sales and excise taxes, real estate taxes, city taxes, state taxes, employee taxes and federal taxes." The statement continued: "Mr. Trump knows the tax code far better than anyone who has ever run for President and he is the only one that knows how to fix it." Separately, a lawyer for Trump, Marc E. Kasowitz, emailed a letter to The Times arguing that publication of the records is illegal because Trump has not authorized the disclosure of any of his tax returns. Mr. Kasowitz threatened "prompt initiation of appropriate legal action." Trump's refusal to make his tax returns public breaking with decades of tradition in presidential contests has emerged as a central issue in the campaign, with a majority of voters saying he should release them. Trump has declined to do so, and has said he is being audited by the Internal Revenue Service. At last Monday's presidential debate, when Hillary Clinton suggested Trump was refusing to release his tax returns so voters would not know "he's paid nothing in federal taxes," and when she also pointed out that Mr. Trump had once revealed to casino regulators that he had paid no federal income taxes in the late 1970s, Trump retorted: "That makes me smart." The tax experts consulted by The Times said nothing in the 1995 documents suggested any wrongdoing by Trump, even if the extraordinary size of the loss he declared would have probably triggered extra scrutiny from Internal Revenue Service examiners. "The I.R.S., when they see a negative $916 million, that has to pop out," Rosenfeld said. The documents consisted of three pages from what appeared to be Trump's 1995 tax returns. The pages were mailed last month to Susanne Craig, a reporter at The Times who has written about Trump's finances. The documents were the first page of a New York State resident income tax return, the first page of a New Jersey nonresident tax return and the first page of a Connecticut nonresident tax return. Each page bore the names and Social Security numbers of Trump and Marla Maples, his wife at the time. Only the New Jersey form had what appeared to be their signatures. The three documents arrived by mail at The Times with a postmark indicating they had been sent from New York City. The return address claimed the envelope had been sent from Trump Tower. The Chippewa Nature Center is hosting an afternoon of cider-making the traditional way at Cider Sunday on Oct. 2 from 2 to 4 p.m. Among heirloom apple trees at the Homestead Farm, visitors can help crush and press apples by hand to make pure apple cider and learn how to make small batches of cider at home. They can also watch volunteers make apple treats on the cabins woodstove, pick up some tasty recipes and enjoy samples of local cider and snacks. STAMFORD The three-year, $450 million renovation of Stamford Hospital is mostly complete, with all private patient rooms, a much larger emergency room, a new pediatric emergency room, state-of-the-art operating rooms and many amenities. But so far there are no plans for a service that is lacking in lower Fairfield County inpatient hospice. We are not looking at that, hospital spokesman Craig Andrews said. We are an acute-care hospital, which is a different kind of care. Andrews said patients seeking end-of-life care are referred to three inpatient facilities, all some distance from Stamford Calvary Hospital in the Bronx, N.Y., The Connecticut Hospice in Branford and Regional Hospice and Home Care Center in Danbury. According to the states Network of Care website, half a dozen nursing homes in Stamford also offer inpatient hospice care. Demand for it has grown significantly. The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organizations 2015 annual report found that most Americans prefer to die where they live, whether its their own home, a relatives home, a nursing home or similar place. But an increasing number of patients are spending their last days in a facility specializing in hospice care. More for you Greg Casar gets major boost from political superstar Nearly 32 percent of hospice patients died in such a facility in 2014, up from 22 percent in 2010, according to the report. About half of older Americans receive hospice care before they die. Care, not cure The goal of hospice is not to cure, but to provide medical care, pain management and emotional support for patients with life expectancies of less than six months. The demand rose after 1982, when Medicare created a hospice benefit, mostly to serve terminally ill cancer patients. It soon became clear the need was much greater, and hospice care expanded to include patients with dementia, heart disease, lung disease and more. There were 164 hospice providers in the United States in 1985. There were 6,100 in 2014, according to the NHPCO report. About 59 percent are independent facilities, 19 percent are part of a hospital system, 16 percent are part of a home health agency and 5 percent are associated with a nursing home. Most hospice agencies provide care at home; about one in three also run an inpatient facility, according to the report. They range in size from small volunteer agencies that care for fewer than 50 patients a year to corporate chains that care for thousands of patients a day. Medicare pays for more than 85 percent of hospice care in the United States. Stamford had its own inpatient hospice for 12 years. The Richard Rosenthal Residence, a 12-bed hospice on the Stamford Hospital campus, was operated for most of that time by Visiting Nurse and Hospice Care of Southwestern Connecticut. But the facility ran annual deficits that peaked at nearly $1 million. So, despite an outpouring of community support, VNHC closed the Rosenthal Residence in 2012. A new home That same year, a national report by the Commonwealth Fund found that Connecticut ranked in the bottom quarter of states on quality of home health care. One of the reasons, officials with the Connecticut Association for Home Care and Hospice said at the time, was that too many patients go from hospitals to home care then back to hospitals before receiving hospice care. Many families are unable to care for dying loved ones at home, they said. Two years ago, a group from Westport, citing the dearth of hospice facilities, announced a plan to create a six-room Fairfield County Hospice House on Roxbury Road in Stamford. As with the Rosenthal Residence, community support was significant the land was donated by the Roxbury Community Association, contractors offered to work at cost, corporations made grants and individuals donated money. Fairfield County Hospice House is set to open in the first quarter of next year, said Rick Redniss, a Stamford land-use consultant who helped the group navigate zoning regulations. Theres definitely a demand in the area, no question, Redniss said. We limited ourselves to six beds because of a new state law that allows a hospice to function as a group home, exempt from zoning. Its a model. Well see how it goes. The group is working to collect donations to build an endowment so we dont have to turn anyone away for not being able to pay, Redniss said. We will be a home for people who cannot be served in their own homes, he said. We will be open to all hospice providers. If a person does not have a provider, we can help them find one. We are talking about possibly having a lead provider, but thats still in discussion. Relief team At Stamford Hospital, inpatient hospice care is reserved for people who are in the last week to 10 days of life and require hospital-level care for symptom management, particularly the administration of pain medication, said Dr. Anne Brewer, director of palliative care. We take that very seriously as a community hospital, Brewer said. Some people do not need hospice care at the end of life, but many do. One of our jobs is to be that place where some people spend their last days because the care they need is available only in a hospital setting. Every room in the new hospital is one where hospice care can be readily delivered because now they are all private and spacious. According to the NHPCO report, about 9 percent of hospice patients died in a hospital in 2014. Most patients would prefer to be at home, but its not for everyone, Brewer said. In some family situations, people are anxious about young children there, she said. Or the patient might live alone or with an elderly spouse who is not up to the care. For Stamford Hospital patients, Brewers team administers palliative care, which is for those dealing with serious or life-threatening illness and severe symptoms, she said. Palliative care encompasses hospice, but thats not all we do, she said. Probably a third to a half of patients receiving palliative care are either discharged with hospice care, go to a facility that offers hospice care, or end up in inpatient hospice. There are many misconceptions about end-of-life care, Brewer said. People think hospice care and palliative care means they are giving up on life, she said. But usually the care extends life and makes their time better, because they are less burdened by symptoms and provided more support. angela.carella@scni.com; 203-964-2296; stamfordadvocate.com/angelacarella. Solarize Michigan is hosting two more Driveway Open Houses for area residents interested in learning more about residential solar energy systems. The open houses will take place: Saturday, Oct. 1: 12:30 to 2 p.m.; 1478 S. Miller Road, Saginaw Saturday, Oct. 8: 12:30 to 2 p.m.; 3001 Lakeview Dr., Sanford Residential solar energy systems are possible on any budget, said Stephen Wooden, Solarize Michigans project manager. Talking with a homeowner who has made the transition to solar energy is a good first step in learning how it works and the savings it can generate. Solarize Michigan representatives will be on hand to answer questions about going solar through the program. Representatives will also be available to answer questions about how residents can install solar systems with low-interest financing from Michigan Saves. Solarize Michigan is a grassroots effort modeled after successful programs across the country that allow homeowners and small business owners to generate a portion of their own power using rooftop solar systems. Savings are achieved by partnering with solar installers and manufacturers, and by joining together large pools of interested homeowners and small businesses, negotiating discounts and passing the savings on to customers. More for you Greg Casar gets major boost from political superstar Visit Solarize Michigan on Facebook or at www.solarizemichigan.com for more information. The Community Alliance 4 Youth Success is hosting a town hall meeting for parents on the topic Youth Mental Health and Wellness. The town hall is free to the public and will take place from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at the MidMichigan Medical Center-Midlands Towsley Auditorium. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 3 1 of 3 Google Maps Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Google Maps Show More Show Less 3 of 3 A San Antonio Police Department report reveals blood and money were found surrounding the spot where a man was discovered dead in his vehicle Sunday morning on the South Side. James Ernest Wallace, 35, wasnt breathing when officers inspected the drivers seat of a 2016 Mitsubishi Outlander at about 1:30 a.m. in the 1200 block of South Presa Street, according to the police report. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate DALLAS Just minutes before Bexar County District Attorney Nico LaHood was to address attendees at the Autism Education Summit in Dallas, an Express-News reporter was removed from the event. LaHood, who was listed as a celebrity keynote speaker along with his wife, Davida, at the three-day conference, has caused controversy through his statements about links between vaccines and autism. In a promotional video filmed in his office, LaHood said vaccines can and do cause autism, and has made clear he doesn't accept scientific evidence as proof to the contrary. The summit is being put on by Generation Rescue, a non-profit led by Jenny McCarthy, an anti-vaccine activist. Upon approaching the event the reporter was met by individuals wearing event lanyards. One official offered a refund of the $89 registration fee, and then said I do need to ask you to leave. When asked by the reporter why he was being removed the woman who did not identify herself motioned to two nearby Dallas County Sheriffs deputies to assist her. The deputies escorted the reporter out to the south side of the building without incident, saying that hotel security may determine later that the reporter would have to leave the premises. More for you Greg Casar gets major boost from political superstar Approximately 10 minutes later, the deputies reappeared, saying that the Intercontinental Hotels security had requested the reporter be removed from the premises. When asked why, the deputies said they were simply following what they were told by hotel security. The deputies, who said they were contracted by the hotel to provide security, escorted the reporter to his vehicle and facilitated his exit from the premises. In a brief interview last month, LaHood made a robust defense of transparency when told of criticism from defense lawyers who were comparing him to his predecessor. Im available. Im transparent. I meet with (defense) lawyers. Ill review cases if someone wants to meet with me. rdruzin@express-news.net Staff writer Guillermo Contreras contributed to this story. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate UPDATE: Bexar County Sheriff's Office issued a release Saturday reporting Kalia Martinez was found alive and safe in Dallas Saturday morning. According to the release Dallas authorities are currently searching for the father, Fortino Cornejo, who fled from police when approached by officers. No other information was available. Original Story Continues: Local authorities have issued an Amber Alert for a 14-month-old girl who they suspect was abducted by her father. Kalia Martinez was last seen at 10 p.m. Wednesday in San Antonio. Bexar County Sheriff's Office said it believes Kalia is with her father, Fortino Cornejo, 50, according to its Facebook page. He may be driving a black Dodge Nitro, with the license plate HDD0725. RELATED: Second mosquito with West Nile found in Northwest Bexar County Bexar County Sheriff's Office said in a release Saturday that Cornejo lost custody of the child on Friday. She was already with Cornejo when the order was issued. A warrant for Cornejo's arrest was issued after BCSO reported that he allegedly sent a photo of the child that indicated she may have been sexually assaulted. More for you Greg Casar gets major boost from political superstar Cornejo is 5-foot-3, 140 pounds and has black hair and hazel eyes. Kaila is 30 pounds and has brown hair and hazel eyes. Anyone with information is asked to call 911 or the Bexar County Sheriff's Office at 207-5786. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate In the final day of testimony Friday in the capital murder trial of Joshua Joyner, yet another juvenile witness who was at the scene of a 2015 shooting admitted lying to sheriffs investigators before telling a jury what he said was the truth. Joyner, now 17 and certified for trial as an adult, is a former Judson High School student accused of killing Albert Nelson III on July 24, 2015, in what prosecutors contend was a drug-related robbery plotted by Joyner. Nelson, then 19 and also a former Judson student, was shot once through the right arm and chest as he sat in his mothers Lexus in the parking lot of Elolf Elementary School just outside Converse. Nelson drove to his house about a mile away and died in the driveway, his foot on the brake, the engine still running. Fridays witness testified that on the morning of the shooting he had seen Joyner with a gun in his front waistband and that Joyner was orchestrating a robbery of Nelson with the other juveniles acting as witting or unwitting accomplices. He said the young crew only planned to rob Nelson, not shoot him. More for you Greg Casar gets major boost from political superstar The witness was not being identified in news accounts because of his age like the three other teens who earlier in the week testified they were in the group and gave varied accounts of a shooting that only one of them said he saw as it happened. Under questioning by prosecutor Jacqueline Valdes, the teen said he provided the drug dealers phone number, referring to Nelson, and waited on the side of the school for 10 minutes while Joyner allegedly bought marijuana from Nelson, out of sight in the front of the school. Then I heard a gunshot, he said, and we all started running, and as I did I turned and saw Josh with a gun, turned toward (Nelsons Lexus). But when he gave Bexar County Sheriffs detectives a statement, the young witness admitted that it was so riddled with inconsistencies, officers suggested he start over and do a second version. Your first statement to the police was a complete blatant lie, barked defense attorney Mario Trevino. And the second was not truthful either. Yes, said the young man. Attorneys and state District Judge Laura Parker repeatedly asked him to speak more clearly. Members of the six-man, six-woman jury often strained to hear him. Weve had four juvenile males testify against my client this week and each has testified that in some way they lied to police, Trevino said in an interview. He said the jury, expected to begin deliberations Monday, might be given the option of convicting Joyner on a crime less severe than capital murder. Forensics experts said Joyners DNA was found on a 9-millimeter Glock pistol found near the school, whose bullets matched the one found in Nelsons body, but said no gunpowder residue was found on Joyner. Joyner sat expressionless through the testimony, even as autopsy photos of Nelson were displayed and as Nelsons grieving mother testified. I didnt want to leave my son in the car like that, said Geana Nelson or the ordeal of waiting for medical examiners at the crime scene. They told me he was deceased, but I didnt want to leave my son. bselcraig@express-news.net Just because one can do something doesnt mean one should. One such example is getting out of paying taxes and bragging about it. Oh, I know there are ways to avoid paying taxes. And I know that there are different levels of this. I know there are ways to hang on to some of what ought to go to the taxman. I know there are tax breaks meant to help others that are stretched to line the pockets of the unscrupulous or merely manipulated to help the creative and clever hold on to some money. And I know that there are some who, with help, have figured out how to whistle right past the taxman without him being able to do anything. I know it happens legally. To be clear, I dont have the first clue how to get out of paying taxes. And, to be honest, I am not sure Id feel good about keeping money I knew should go to the federal government. But since Im not in that situation, its a moot point. Am I jealous? Not really. OK, maybe just a little bit, for a little while. After all, I dont want to feel like a chump any more than the next guy. Id be lying if I didnt admit to the tax cheat fantasy although, in the interest of accuracy, the word cheat changes things since were talking about skating on taxation through legal means. From time to time, I come across some creature comfort, something that is more a want than a need, that makes me wish I had an extra $500 lying around. Or an extra $5,000. Or an extra $500,000 Just kidding! I dont know how to get out of paying taxes, but I know the feds couldnt take that big a bite from my wedge of cheese. There are bigger, tastier wedges out there, wedges that remain fully intact and well-protected by laws that people such as myself dont understand. But sometimes, in mid-April when we send the IRS money after smugly refusing to give Uncle Sam an interest-free loan, I dream of vacations. Of driving a fast, soupy car that would surely get me in trouble. Of expensive shoes that are both stylish and comfortable. And in those moments, I think of those characters who have bragged about not paying taxes they probably should have paid and I seethe. Then I think about the possibility of needing the police during a vacation when Im untethered and far away from home. And I think about which good roads Id need if I had a sporty vehicle to keep safely under the speed limit. And I think about people who need a pair of shoes with which to walk to the bus stop or to work, school or the grocery store. And I think of my taxes. I think how cool it is to live in a country where I dont have to wonder if someone will show up if I call 911. I think of the public library, the senior center and the elementary school that have made a difference in my life. I think of the individual strands of the national web of highways I use every summer. And I think of all the other stuff out there that, until now and by the grace of God, I havent needed. After that, the taxes dont seem so bad. Then again, maybe Im just not that smart. mariaanglin@yahoo.com The Charlotte rioters didnt know whether the controversial police shooting of Keith Scott was justified or not, and didnt care. They worked their mayhem trashing businesses and injuring cops, with one protester killed in the disorder before anything meaningful could be ascertained about the case except that the cops said Scott had a gun and his family said he didnt. Charlotte is the latest episode in the evidence-free Black Lives Matter movement that periodically erupts in violence after officer-involved shootings. The movement is beholden to a narrative of systematic police racism to which every case is made to conform, regardless of the facts or logic. It doesnt matter if the police officer is an African-American with an unblemished record and numerous character witnesses. This describes Brentley Vinson, the officer who fatally shot Keith Scott. It doesnt matter if the victim disobeys the police in a tense situation and acts in a potentially threatening manner. Despite cops with guns drawn yelling orders at him (and his wife shouting, Dont you do it), Scott exited his vehicle and approached officers without raising his hands. It doesnt matter if the allegedly unarmed victim turns out to have been armed. Everything points to Scott having had a gun, even though the family insists he had a book (the police didnt find one at the scene). The police dashcam and body-camera video of the Scott shooting is inconclusive but broadly supportive of the police story. The quality is too grainy to show definitively that Scott held a gun in his hand, but what appears to be an ankle holster is visible on his leg. His movements and those of the officers around him are consistent with him brandishing a gun. The police recovered an ankle holster and a pistol at the scene. For the police to have planted the gun would require a vast conspiracy involving multiple officers, the top brass of the department and whoever faked lab results showing Scotts fingerprints and DNA on the weapon. It doesnt necessarily mean he did anything wrong in this instance, but Scott also has a long rap sheet including weapons offenses, lending additional credence to the idea that he had a gun. These facts didnt penetrate the Black Lives Matter narrative of the Scott shooting. Such facts never do. The narrative is immune to complication or ambiguity, let alone contradiction. Every police-involved shooting of a black man is taken, ipso facto, to confirm that the police are racists. When the evidence in any particular instance makes it obvious that the narrative is a lie or a gross oversimplification e.g., in Ferguson or the Freddie Gray tragedy the movement simply moves on to the next case, as reckless as before. It is increasingly hard to deny that the movement is anti-police. When any evidence supporting the police is disregarded, and rioters hurl insults and objects at officers whose only offense is trying to maintain public order at a protest, the agenda is clear. And there might be widespread cost to the agitation. The disturbances coincide with an increase in violent crime in 2015, according to new FBI data. It is too early to draw firm conclusions from the numbers. They may be statistical noise, but they also could indicate an uptick in crime resulting from chastened police forces around the country pulling back. After an event like Charlotte, a more responsible movement would keep the pressure on for more facts and wouldnt indict police conduct without them. It would have a healthy skepticism about both the official version of events and the version of bereaved relatives. It would embrace peaceful protest as warranted, and avoid anything to bring discredit to itself or endanger wholly innocent police officers. But that movement would be something else entirely. In Charlotte, as in so many other places, it was riot first, and ask questions later. comments.lowry@nationalreview.com Democracy is not served when the popular will is not reflected in the outcome of elections. This has happened in the past two U.S. House elections. In 2012, 1.4 million more Americans voted for Democrats, but Republicans came away with a 33-seat advantage. In the 2014 elections, Democrats received 1.3 million more votes than Republicans. Yet Republicans increased their majority with 59 more seats than Democrats. How did it happen in a legislative body that one of its designers, John Adams, hoped would become a portrait of the people in miniature? Such a large distortion of the will of the people can only occur because of gerrymandering. Racial gerrymandering deciding the boundaries of electoral districts in a manner that unfairly limits the chances of racial and ethnic minorities to elect their preferred candidates is unconstitutional and a violation of federal law. But the courts have tolerated partisan or political gerrymandering, which is defined as creating districts to benefit one political party over another. As late as 1991, Democrats were still in control of redistricting in the South, much to the disadvantage of African-Americans and Republicans. Six of the 11 states of the Old Confederacy had no African-Americans serving in Congress. The other five states had only one black member each. Lee Atwater, chairman of the Republican National Committee, and RNC counsel Ben Ginsberg devised a plan to help blacks get elected to Congress but at the same time deliver the South to Republicans. Atwater died in 1991 of a brain tumor at the age of 40. Ginsberg was left to implement the plan, which he referred to as Project Rat(expletive). Political operatives first used the colorful phrase during the Watergate scandals to describe dirty deeds done cheaply. The plan would use the Voting Rights Act to forge an unholy alliance with minority Democrats and pack African-American and Latino voters into districts they could not lose. This would bleach the surrounding districts, replacing minority voters with more conservative non-Hispanic whites likely to vote for Republican candidates. The unholy alliance Ginsberg knew that forming relationships and building trust was a necessary first step in working with minorities in redistricting. He brought a team of attorneys to San Antonio at the beginning of the 1990 redistricting cycle to learn how one of the Latino voting rights groups the Southwest Voter Research Institute was helping draw districts. The RNC teams visit to the institute as well as other minority voting rights groups involved in redistricting was preceded by a desktop computer loaded with map-making software, a gift from another nonprofit set up by Republicans. This was the first redistricting cycle in which personal computers could be loaded with census and voter data to draft district maps. Whether the RNC team had a significant influence on the process during the 1990 round of redistricting is unclear. Republicans had control of redistricting in only five states, so they were not in a position to lead gerrymandering efforts. What is clear is that enforcement of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 spurred minority voter participation and representation in the South. From 1982 to 1992, the number of black Democrats in Congress increased from two to 17. The number of non-Hispanic white Democrats shrank from 76 to 54, while the number of non-Hispanic white Republicans increased to 49 from 34. The unintended consequence was party realignment in the South, culminating in a GOP majority in the House in 1994. Two decades later, Republicans took political gerrymandering to a whole new level. The legal heist is described in great detail, state by state, in David Daleys new book, Ratf**ked: The True Story Behind the Secret Plan to Steal Americas Democracy. The project was redesigned in 2010 and named the Redistricting Majority Project, or REDMAP, by Republican strategist Chris Jankowski. The goal was to place state legislatures in charge of redistricting in Republican hands. The U.S. Supreme Courts Citizens United decision in January 2010 helped the cause by allowing corporations to spend unlimited amounts of money on elections. Jankowski was able to raise $30 million to bankroll key state legislative races and reverse control of redistricting from Democrats to Republicans in New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, North Carolina, Alabama and Wisconsin. The scheme worked. The 2010 election yielded 680 new state legislative seats for Republicans nationwide. Now in control of redistricting in those states, Republicans could use the improved mapping programs and almost unlimited data available on voter behavior to gerrymander districts, block by block, with great precision and efficiency. An analysis by Stephen Wolf of the online forum Daily Kos estimates that Republicans drew the lines for 55 percent of the districts in 2010, while Democrats drew only 10 percent. The remaining districts were drawn by commissions or in states with just one representative. Collateral damage The collateral damage to democracy caused by partisan gerrymandering has been enormous. Voters no longer choose members of the House. Instead, House members effectively choose their voters by drawing their own district lines. Of the 435 House districts, 400 have been manipulated to practically guarantee re-election. Thats why, despite polls showing 84 percent of voters view incumbent Congress members negatively, those incumbents are re-elected at a rate of 90 percent. General elections are no longer competitive. Prior to the 2014 election, the Center for Responsive Politics projected the winners in 368 U.S. House races with 99.7 percent accuracy without having to consult the polling data. Because the only real contests occur in party primaries, House members answer only to primary voters. These voters tend to be disproportionately from the ideological fringes of their parties. This explains the rise of the tea party in 2010, the loss of control within the party by Republican leaders, and Donald Trumps emergence as their nominee this year. Collaboration between the parties the historical measure of effective government in action no longer exists. Largely because of partisan gerrymandering, Republicans have the biggest House majority since World War II, so they dont have to compromise on legislation. President Barack Obama has been frustrated in his attempts to get any legislation passed by in gridlocked legislative bodies. While legal challenges to extreme partisan gerrymandering in several states are winding their way trough appellate courts, some experts say there is little hope of undoing the 5-to-1 Republican advantage in drawing congressional districts for at least a generation. In the meantime, the two major political parties are caught up in what author Daley describes as a decennial arms race that escalates with each redistricting cycle. Democrats launched Advantage 2020 and will spend nearly $70 million to chip away at the Republican majorities. Republicans announced plans to raise $125 million for REDMAP 2020 to increase and consolidate their gains. Regardless of which side wins, democracy loses. Robert Brischetto of Lakehills is a sociologist and former executive director of the San Antonio-based Southwest Voter Research Institute, now called the William C. Velasquez Institute. I teach an MBA course titled The Legal and Ethical Environment of Finance. I fear that I may have to retitle it The Illegal and Unethical Environment of Finance. The finance sector seems to be a cesspool in so many ways. I had no sooner finished reading a horrifying article about Deutsche Banks role in helping Russians funnel money offshore to evade taxes and hide corruption after paying more than $9 billion in fines in recent years for other wrongdoings when I saw the headline come across the internet: Wells Fargo Hit Over 1.5 Million Fake Accounts. It seems that Wells Fargo Bank employees some 5,300 of them, at least have been creating fake accounts and applying for credit cards in their customers names without the customers knowledge. This generated fees for Wells Fargo and compensation for the employees but was rather costly for the banks customers. Wells Fargo was fined $185 million by regulators, including the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. As I teach in my class, it is often in an employees best interest not to do what benefits his or her employer. At some level, many employees may conclude that their own interests would be best served by doing as little as possible to keep their jobs and continue to collect their paychecks. To address this conflict, employers often do what Wells Fargo did create incentives in an attempt to align employee interests with the employers interests. Unfortunately, human nature is such that if incentives can be gamed with little chance of detection, they probably will be. The managers at Wells Fargo should have heeded this, because the problems it warns of came to fruition at Wells Fargo. According to the New York Times, Wells Fargo is famous for its culture of cross-selling products to customers routinely asking, say, a checking account holder if they would like to take out a credit card. Regulators said the banks employees had been motivated to open the unauthorized accounts by compensation policies that rewarded them for opening new accounts; many current and former Wells employees told regulators they had felt extreme pressure to open as many accounts as possible. This scandal was quite predictable, given human nature and the impact of social and organizational pressures in the workplace. It is well known that one of the most intractable problems in the workplace is to hit the right compensation balance that will encourage hard work and activity that advances the employers goals without creating both the incentive and the opportunity for corrupt behavior that games the incentives. Wells Fargo must go back and try again. It missed badly this time, and it missed while recklessly pressuring employees to cross-sell products and services that its customers probably neither wanted nor needed. The bank must also work on its culture. This was clearly a widespread problem and not just 5,300 bad apples. People take their cues as to proper behavior from those around them. Wells Fargo has a lot of places it can start to make improvements. Robert Prentice is chair of the Business, Government and Society Department in the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin. He is the faculty director for Ethics Unwrapped, a free educational video program on ethics. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Believe it or not, there are issues in this presidential campaign beyond Donald Trump, though he isnt an insignificant one. Its not that the building blocks of character honesty, empathy, tolerance, temperament and steadiness arent important in a presidential campaign. But there is also the capacity of the candidates to grasp the issues and to present cogent policy prescriptions. And in this regard, one of the candidates is head and shoulders better. The San Antonio Express-News Editorial Board recommends Hillary Clinton for president. Both candidates reject the Trans-Pacific Partnership, and both are wrong. But on the broader issue of free trade, Trump would throw out the baby with the bath water. His seeming hostility toward global trade would put that commerce at risk. RELATED: Governor hopefuls distancing themselves from Clinton, Trump Global trade generates $2.23 trillion in U.S. exports and more than 10 million jobs. Texas firms exported $289 billion in goods last year, supporting 1.1 million jobs. Clinton is a late opponent of the TPP, but on free trade generally, she recognizes that 5 percent of the worlds population cannot prosper unless it trades with the other 95 percent. Trump has consistently accused major trading partners China and Mexico in particular of bad-faith bargaining. His plans promise a trade war, spawning the economic damage of tariffs and fees that would drain this nation of jobs and prosperity just as the economy is rebounding. And those tough negotiating skills that he will bring to trade? Americans might have a better feel for his business acumen if he were to release his tax returns, as Clinton has. Trump says he wont release his tax records because he is being audited, but this isnt actually an impediment. The records would allow voters to weigh his actual yearly income, net worth, charitable donations, how much he pays in taxes, and business ties abroad and domestically. Revealing such ties would also allow voters to determine what potential conflicts of interest would lie ahead in a Trump presidency. On immigration, Clinton backs comprehensive immigration reform that, yes, includes a secure border but also a pathway to legal residency for the estimated 11.2 million undocumented immigrants here. RELATED: Our judicial picks for the 2016 election She defends the president's executive actions that give people who were brought here undocumented as children and their parents some respite from fear of deportation. Trump's bombastic plan would deport 11.2 million undocumented immigrants, build a border wall and make Mexico pay for it. His plan would be detrimental to San Antonio's community and economy. Mexican migration to the United States is actually at net zero, peaking in 2007. A 2,000-mile wall to stop Central American women and children? Theyre walking to the border and giving themselves up, hoping to gain sanctuary because of dangerous conditions in their own countries. Trumps tax plan is unrealistic, raising the national debt $5.3 trillion. Clintons plan would raise it $200 billion. On national security, former U.S. Sen. and Secretary of State Clinton has a firm grasp of geopolitical issues, from Iran and North Korean nukes to Syria to Russian and Chinese aggressions. She has experience working on international issues. Trump has said defending NATO allies should depend on how much they have fulfilled their obligations to us. He has made suggestions that could incentivize South Korea and Japan to develop their own nuclear arms, unmindful of the threat to global peace. RELATED: Clinton wins endorsements, but they may not hold much sway And his fawning comments on Russias strongman, Vladimir Putin whose enemies end up dead or imprisoned and his neighbors invaded are downright dangerous. If the U.S. Supreme Court is your single issue, consider the price of a conservative majority in a Trump presidency the untold damage that his policies will wreak on every other arena of federal governance and on global stability. In Clinton, Democrats have offered a flawed candidate with a penchant for unforced errors and secrecy, both of which fuel distrust. But Trumps policy prescriptions alone much less his abundant character flaws simply render him unqualified. Clinton is the only logical choice in this presidential election. Have thoughts to share? Join the conversation in the comments below. Our topic today: The Supreme Court and third-party candidates. Among those who refuse to believe that the most important issue in this presidential campaign is Donald Trump, there is a fallback position that allows them to ignore his intemperance, recklessness, habitual lying, cruelty and intolerance. You know, allows them to ignore advocacy of violence, torture, a police-state-like roundup of immigrants and the murder of innocents. That fallback position is the U.S. Supreme Court. Pew Research Center polling reveals it is a top issue generally with 65 percent listing it as such. But weve all heard of that certain subgroup those who are aware of Trumps flaws but who say they are allowed to ignore them because the court is the most important issue. They have to vote for Trump simply no other choice because Hillary Clinton will pack the court with Sotomayors. These are not the undecideds whose reluctance to embrace Trump lies with suspicions that the candidate is as bigoted, misogynist and ignorant of issues as he sounds. They may positively hate Clinton but need convincing that this gives them leave to vote for someone they think is intolerant. These are the voters largely, not blacks and Latinos Trump is trying to assuage by projecting a scripted, kinder-and-gentler, presidential persona, an attempt he undermined with his recent debate performance. But then theres that camp that must vote for Trump because of the court. Lets see Trump has suggested allowing our government to torture and the military to purposely kill the innocent family members of terrorists. He has said he wants to prosecute journalists. He has said we should close up parts of the internet. He has generally portrayed himself as the decisive, politically incorrect chief executive to, virtually on his own, set everything right again. Vladimir Putin appears to be a role model. Respect for the judiciary? He has criticized the judge hearing one of the Trump University cases because of the judges Mexican heritage. Deport millions of undocumented immigrants? No threat of racial profiling in that, stop and frisk and in his suggested steps at combatting terrorism, right? Oh, yes, checks and balances will stop him if he doesnt ignore them. A Clinton court isnt a grave threat to the Constitution; Trump is. Trump nominees are likely to sit on a court consumed with cases challenging his unilateral rewriting of the Constitution and his attempts to brush Congress aside. We can disagree about the Constitution as a living, growing document or one requiring strict constructionism; each demonstrates a kind of reverence for the ideals within. But Trumps proposals arent anywhere close to reverent. And there is cause to believe that Trump isnt even conservative, despite Sen. Ted Cruzs feckless reversal to endorse him. Given the candidates propensity for changing his mind remind me, where was President Obama born? wheres the assurance he would even nominate the people on his Supreme Court list? On to third-party candidates Gary Johnson, the Libertarian; Jill Stein, the Green. Neither will be president. Clinton or Trump will. Which one depends on who gets the most votes. Votes for a third-party candidate or staying home on Election Day will deny votes for one or the other. You believe Trump is better on the issues? OK, your standard then is that it is all right to put someone who spews bigotry, misogyny and nativism in the White House as long as you agree with him on the issues. Sounds perverse to me. Or maybe you dont think he is at all bigoted, misogynist or nativist. In which case, you need a visit with the dictionary. This man dispenses with the usual dog whistle. That leaves: We need an outsider to overcome governmental dysfunction. Whats that change look like, precisely? Apparently, the only important thing is that it isnt a third Obama term. Yup, economy rebounding, more folks have health insurance, stock market up. Cant have that. Maybe youre voting for a third-party candidate or sitting out the election as a matter of conscience. Whats your conscience tell you about a President Trump? Early voting in Texas starts Oct. 24. The deadline to register is Oct. 11. o.ricardo.pimentel@express-news.net. Twitter: @oricardopimente Court Stops U.S. Fish & Wildlife from Killing Wild Red Wolves EcoWatch (furzy) China? More adventures of the awesome octopusDuterte, Citing Hitler, Says He Wants to Kill 3 Million Addicts in Philippines New York Times. This is ugly, but the US has backed plenty of strong men with brutal domestic policies. As Micael wonders: Is Duarte too friendly with China? Is philippines next country for an invasion? The Real Scandal Behind the Panama Papers Vanity Fair (furzy) Refugee Crisis Germany said it took in more than 1 million refugees last year. But it didnt. Washington Post. Furzy: Good table of refugees by country. Syraqiatan Big Brother is Watching You Watch Clinton E-mail Tar Baby 2016 Obama administration may use obscure fund to pay billions to ACA insurers Washington Post (furzy) Shadow Regulation: the secret laws that giant corporations cook up in back rooms BoingBoing (resilc) Four states sue to stop internet transition The Hill (furzy) Wells Fargo Deutsche Bank Escaping the New Normal of Weak Growth Project Syndicate (David L) PE Firms Give up Equity Stake in Caesars Entertainment to Settle Bankruptcy: Who Are the Real Losers? Eileen Appelbaum. CEPR. CalPERS and CalSTRS were both investors, natch. Real GDI Provides Strong Recession Warning Michael Shedlock (furzy) Rents Plunge in San Francisco, New York. Mixed Nationally Wolf Richter Strange Deaths of JPMorgan Workers Continue Pam Martens and Russ Martens Johnson: The Fed is losing its aura of expertise Institute for New Economic Thinking Puerto Rico handed deadline by debt board Financial Times AHEAD OF FIRST MEETING OF PUERTO RICO CONTROL BOARD (IN NEW YORK), GUTIERREZ SEES A VERY BAD OMEN Luis Gutierrez Guillotine Watch Secret Alpine Gold Vaults Are the New Swiss Bank Accounts Bloomberg (furzy) Class Warfare How to Retire at 40 Bloomberg. John W: So many audacious assumptions! Antidote du jour (Lulu): See yesterdays Links and Antidote du Jour here. Belt and Road Initiative to embrace greater achievements From:Xinhua | 2016-09-29 11:50 Three years ago, Beijing unveiled its Belt and Road Initiative to deepen Chinas own reforms and opening-up, and better connect itself with the rest of the world in terms of policy coordination, trade, transportation, energy and information facilities. Beijing wants to see that the bounty of development arising from the landmark initiative can be shared among all who are part of the program. Over the past three years, significant and broad achievement has been made, which proved the initiatives effectiveness and demonstrated its nature that favors common development. Rich results According to a report issued by Chinas Renmin University at a two-day international seminar that opened on Monday in the northwestern Chinese city of Xian, more than 100 countries and international bodies are currently involved in the initiative, while over 30 countries along the new Silk Road have signed cooperation agreements with Beijing. China is also working with more than 20 nations on industrial capacity projects. Among all other things, the most strategic accomplishments have been the successful development policy coordination between China and the countries along the belt and road. The report said China has already begun the coordination of its signature initiative with the development strategies of many countries involved in the program, including Kazakhstans the Bright Road and Russias Eurasian Economic Union. In boosting facility connectivity, China is working with countries and regions in coordinating infrastructure standards, connecting transportation and energy infrastructure, and boosting information connectivity, said the report. In trade, the past three years have seen Chinas consistent efforts to join belt and road countries to promote trade and investment activities by negotiating bilateral agreements to remove trade and investment barriers and create a healthy business environment. By the end of June, China has signed bilateral investment treaties with 104 countries along the belt and road, while its investment in these countries have totaled US$51.1 billion, said the report. To ensure adequate financial support for the initiative, China, said the report, has been vigorously pushing forward financial cooperation with countries joining the initiative, as well as RMB trade settlement, currency swap, and other financial services. The Beijing-based Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), founded at the end of 2015, considers projects related to the initiative as one of its top priorities. The banks 509-million-dollar investment in its first four projects, which was approved in late June, and focuses on power, transportation, urban development and other areas, has all gone to countries along the belt and road. Meanwhile, Beijing has also attached great importance to enhancing cooperation in education, health care, as well as people-to-people and cultural exchanges, an effort to win public support for the implementation of the initiative. Well received around the world Ever since China launched the initiative, it has received positive responses worldwide as Beijing has vowed to promote the program based on mutual benefit and the spirit of inclusiveness as well as sustainable development. Engstrom Anna, analyst for economics, policy and governance at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, told Xinhua that the initiative certainly is getting a lot of attraction worldwide, adding that everyone is quite excited about Chinas idea. We are seeing a lot of cooperation from China in Thailand, Serbia, and Hungry, she said, adding that the most substantial achievement for the initiative is that China has actually bolstered its mutual trust with other countries, which she believes is the foundation for their future cooperation. Jonathan E. Hillman, fellow and director of the Reconnecting Asia Project, Center for Strategic and International Studies, believes the initiative is hugely ambitious. He said many in the West are encouraged by the economic potential, because if it works well, it does benefit all the participants, including the West. Charles Dkechukwu Onunaiju, director of the center for China studies in Nigeria, said the initiative is one of Chinas most important contribution to human kind in the 21st century, and it presents great opportunity to connect the entire African continent, and the Africans take it very seriously. Challenges & bright future Still, giant as the Belt and Road Initiative is, there is no doubt that it will have to face and fend off risks and difficult challenges along the way forward. Engstrom Anna believes political risk has to be considered. As many of Chinas overseas projects under the initiative need many years to finish, they could run into troubles under such a scenario as the change of government in the countries Chinese investors work with. In Hillmans view, if the initiative to achieve greater success in the future, it needs to set clear priorities, like what kind of projects would be chosen. Its like that if you have so many goals, its hard to implement that. You need to focus on what matters most, he said. Despite the potential challenges, the initiative is going to have a bright future, for the potential demand is enormous and the benefits are also great for all sides. According to the AIIB, the belt and road region has about US$750 billion for infrastructure a year through 2020. A recent Bloomberg report said that if these infrastructure investments were to be fully realized, then that would mean 580 million tons in annual cement demands. The report also said that meeting all of Asias demand for railways, pipelines and power stations and other projects may generate 272 million tons of demands for steel. The huge demand in cement and steel bears tremendous opportunities for China to advance industrial capacity cooperation. Those who choose to work with China, especially countries and regions in the less developed world, can use this chance to close up their infrastructure gap to prepare for future economic takeoff. Moreover, the program could also boost shipping and cargo demands as planned infrastructure investments improve ports that dot the silk route. On Sept 30, Premier Li Keqiang greeted the foreign experts who received the 2016 Friendship Award granted by the Chinese government in Beijing. Premier Li congratulated the experts and their families on behalf of the government and expressed his appreciation for their help with Chinas modernization drive, technology and cultural exchanges with the international community. The foreign experts awarded work in many fields, including engineering, education and medical care. They include both elders and young adults. The Premier also said that China will be more open to global talent. The government will create a fair and transparent work environment for foreign talent, respecting the market and rule of law. The Chinese government will simplify the application process for the Foreigners Permanent Residence Card, try to integrate the Foreign Expert Certificate and the Alien Employment Permit, support foreign workers to participate in national scientific research projects and protect their intellectual property, according to Premier Li. He also said that China and the rest of the world share the same fate and interests. All countries need to respect and learn from each other, promoting sustainable development and globalization. He hoped that foreign experts can introduce China in an objective way, serving as a cultural bridge between China and other countries. The foreign experts expressed gratitude toward Premier Li for the meeting and the Chinese government for conferring the prize. They said they will continue to take part in Chinas development, and make contributions. Vice-Premiers Zhang Gaoli and Ma Kai also attended the meeting. (NaturalNews) In between the Trinity Alps and the coastal ranges of Northern California's Humboldt County, the Trinity River has etched a narrow, verdant valley, where the Hoopa people have lived for thousands of years.There, redwood trees share space with oaks, ancient traditions co-exist with modern culture, and the reservation's small Hoopa Tribal Museum holds scores of treasures ranging from obsidian blades to woven reed hats, reports. Nearly all of the artifacts can be checked out by members of the 3,000-person tribe and used in ceremonies."The museum is for the people," curator Silis-chi-tawn Jackson said. "It's not about the people."The report continued:He does so because, unlike most artifacts in the Hoopa museum, those particular objects -- all of which were retrieved from Harvard University's Peabody Museum -- are coated in dangerous amounts of mercury, arsenic, DDT and lead. Normally, the tribal museum keeps the objects wrapped in plastic and quarantined."Just working here, I consider it to be a health hazard," Jackson said, as he turned on some air conditioning for extra ventilation.In the previous two centuries, state and national museums, reports, used more than 90 different pesticides on artifacts to protect them from rodents and bugs. As a result, it is believed that as much as 80 percent of all U.S. ethnographic collections are contaminated with heavy metals , which pose dangers to staff, visitors and, since the passage of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act in 1992, tribes who have sought out the safe return of their artifacts."It's been the museum world's dirty little secret for decades," Peter Palmer, a San Francisco State University chemist and leading expert on the issue, told the paper.What's more, it's an expensive problem as well. That's because screening for such toxins requires the use of equipment that is anything but cheap. And tribes that are cash-strapped must often just accept their repatriated artifacts and keep them locked away in quarantine.That is ironic and painful for the Hoopa, because handling artifacts and using them in ceremonies is supposed to ensure longevity and health for the people Emerging research, however, could make it easier for tribes to clean up their poisoned relics."If it works, it would be wonderful. These things were meant to dance, and now they sit in this box," Jackson said.Before Europeans settled the area, the Hoopa were united by religion; dancing, according to custom, was a form of prayer. For instance, the 10-day jump dance, in which participants wore deer-hide headdresses and grass skirts, was held every year on the Trinity's banks as a means of restoring balance to the earth.But after gold prospectors arrived in the mid-1800s, these traditions were nearly lost. And pollution from mining killed off the Hoopa's staple food, salmon. In addition, Hoopa children were sold off as slaves, and disease decimated their numbers. And while many Hoopa died prematurely, many other California tribes were systematically exterminated. By 1900, California's indigenous population fell to just 17,000, a 60-fold decrease.Nevertheless, despite the decline in tribal populations all over the country, demographers, historians and scientists worked to collect the physical aspects of their lives in a bid to preserve the remnants of what they saw as vanishing cultures. One of the most ambitious and tireless of these scientists was Charles Wilcomb of Connecticut, who dipped everything he found in a solution of gasoline and mercuric chloride.The Oakland Museum of California now displays much of his collection, including Hoopa artifacts. "These would be dust without his secret formula," said Louise Pubols, senior curator of history. And while the century-old artifacts are very well preserved, they are stored in glass cases, and gloves and dust masks are recommended for handling them. 'I don't know of any instance of them reversing themselves' Evidence exists that pot, kratom are effective against opioid abuse (NaturalNews) The scientific and medical communities have known for years that there are many problems associated with the abuse of prescription opioid medications. The federal government itself is also well aware of the problem So why would a federal agency, especially the one agency in charge of medication regulation, make itto deal with this opioid abuse epidemic?As reported by, the Drug Enforcement Administration would not move pot off its list of Schedule I drugs, even though it doesn't belong there and never has. Worse, at the end of August, the agency announced it would add kratom to its list of scheduled drugs.Kratom is a South Asian herbal remedy that is often used to treat chronic pain and. Now it's on the same list as pot, a listing that is slated to begin Sept. 30, and will last at least two years.For the record, Schedule I drugs are those deemed to be highly susceptible to abuse, and which have "no currently accepted medical use,"noted, quoting the DEA website. Sales and possession of such drugs are illegal (unless, of course, you're a president who used to smoke pot and you've decided you've "got bigger fish to fry" instead).Though medical research to some extent can still be conducted, the bureaucratic approval process is slow, time-consuming and costly, all of which combine to allow the government to continue claiming "no currently accepted medical use" as the current narrative and reality."I don't know of any instance of them reversing themselves," Jag Davies, director of communications strategy for the Drug Policy Alliance, told, regarding the federal government and its drug scheduling decisions.In recent days a bipartisan group of 45 lawmakers has written to the DEA , asking the agency to postpone its kratom ban. Led by Reps. Mark Pocan, D-Wis., and Matt Salmon, R-Ariz., the group sent a pair of letters, one to Chuck Rosenberg, acting administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the other to Shaun Donovan, director of the Office of Management and Budget,reported."This significant regulatory action was done without any opportunity for public comment from researchers, consumers and other stakeholders," the lawmakers say in the letter to Rosenberg. "This hasty decision could have serious effects on consumer access and choice of an internationally recognized herbal supplement."The lawmakers are asking Donovan to overrule the FDA, which is acting under a rarely used emergency power allowing it to give just 30 days notice. The warned in their letter that the action "will put a halt on federally funded research and innovation surrounding the treatment of individuals suffering from opioid and other addictions."And, in terms of treating those addicted to opioids , which everyone admits is a major problem, the move appears especially tone-deaf.That's because a growing body of evidence also suggests that both marijuana and kratom are much better pain-relieving alternatives. For instance, this study , published this month in the, found a 50 percent drop in the number of drivers between the ages of 21 and 40 who were involved in fatal car crashes and who tested positive for opioids in medical marijuana states (suggesting that pot use was curbing opioid abuse).And there is this study from 2014, published in the, which found a 25 percent decline in the opioid death rate in states that made some pot use legal between 1999 and 2010. The reduction grew over the years after states legalized marijuana.What's even more crucial,notes, is that kratom does not seem to have the effect that frequently leads to death in an overdose situation: Slowing down respiration activity until it eventually stops altogether.Leave it to federal drug bureaucrats in the Obama administration to ban it anyway. A Chicago doctor was suspended by the Illinois regulators for giving unapproved modified vaccinations that reportedly included cat saliva and vodka. Some health care providers complained to the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation that the accused doctor was administering vaccinations to children without their parents knowing that the vaccine that involved cat saliva and vodka in the mix. Dr. Ming Te Lin told the investigators, who visited his clinic, that he has been creating his own mix to include in his vaccines for more than a decade. The investigators reportedly saw a cluttered and unsterile office and a box that contains vials and tubes that the doctor used in making his own vaccine shots. Lin allegedly uses vodka as a substitute for alcohol. Meanwhile, he also gathers cat saliva in cotton swabs for children who have allergies. Lin has suspectedly given these vaccines to children, including a 7-day-old infant. The doctor administered the vaccinations through the nose or orally if the patient has a history of autism, eczema and neurological disorder. The authorities even found an electronic device called "Wavefront 2000." According to its website, the electronic device can be used for homeopathic remedies. Lin uses the device "to detoxify vaccinations from mercury," Chicago Tribune reports. Though it is still unclear as of press time if Lin is a Chinese traditional medicine practitioner or a homeopath, he has good reviews in Vitals.com, mostly from his patients that are subscribers of homeopathic remedies. Lin was accused by the state officials of signing a certification that said he had given patients with conventional shots and he also failed to inform his patients about the guidelines and effects of the vaccination. More so, none of the doctor's methods are approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Lin will be in a hearing at Medical Disciplinary Board on Oct. 11. New evidence revealed that the legendary Amelia Earhart did not die on a plane crash; rather, she perished as a castaway. Earhart is known as an aviation pioneer and as the first female aviator to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean, making her one of the biggest woman figures in history. She was considered as a heroine in 1920s as she made her unbelievable air exploits. In July 1937, however, as she was fulfilling her ambition to fly around the world, she and Fred Noonan mysteriously disappeared while flying on the Lockheed Electra over the Pacific Ocean, History.com said. Since her disappearance, many theories emerged. Some said Earhart and Noonan crash-landed on a Japanese island where they were executed. Others said her plane ran out of fuel, crashed in the ocean and sank quickly. The official report by the U.S. government said they were killed in a crash. After 22 years of research, the International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery (TIGHAR) has come up with full evidence proving that Earhart and Noonan did not die from a crash. According to the New York Post, TIGHAR's Ric Gillespie backed up all of the group's theories and presented it, saying that contrary to what was previously believed, Earhart and Noonan landed on an island in the middle of the ocean after failing to navigate where Howland Island is. The island is believed to be the Gardner Island, which is located southeast of Howland Island. The theory that she was alive as they landed was proven by the radio distress calls traced from the disabled plane in the island, several days after the reported crash, New York Post notes. It added that the distress calls, which included they landed in part water part land, were heard as far as Texas and Australia. "People started hearing radio distress calls from the airplane and they were verified," Gillespie said. "She's out there calling for help." Rescue battleship arrived in the island a week later and Gillepie said by that time, the debris have been pulled by the tide in the deep waters. The rescuers did not see any body and the plane and since had written it off. According to National Post, in Gillepie's team's three visits to the Gardner Island between 2001 and 2010, he found artifacts and traces of meals such as bones of birds and burned fish bones, proving that Earhart survived for months in the island. They also found evidence that Earhart has learned to boil her own water while stuck in the deserted island. "She apparently gathered water from small puddles after rain showers in a small bottle and used that to put in a larger bottle which stood in a fire," said Gillespie. Gillespie believes Earhart most likely died because of malnutrition or sickness. "The public wants something ironclad. They don't want to hear about artifacts or radio signals. They want a damn airplane," he said. A new bylaw has ordered pit bulls and any pit bull type dogs (i.e., American Staffordshire terriers, Staffordshire bull terriers and American pit bull terriers) to be banned in Montreal. According to Washington Post, the bylaw, proposed by the Montreal mayor's office, was voted upon by city council, 37-23, in favor if the bylaw. As reported by the Montreal Gazette, under the new bylaw which will take effect across the boroughs beginning Oct. 3, adopting a new pit bull in the city is illegal. Whereas for those who already owned pit bulls, they are mandated to secure a permit until Dec. 31 to legally keep their pit bulls. For owners who would not comply, their pit bull will be put down. All dog and cat owners are also mandated to secure permits and are required to renew the permits each year. Those who would not comply will be fined a minimum of $300. Montreal Gazette noted that with the new bylaw signed, owners of some 7,000 dogs will be affected. "My duty as mayor of Montreal is making sure I am working for all Montrealers," said Denis Coderre, Montreal's Mayor, in an interview with CBS. "And I am there to make sure they feel safe and that they are safe." As posted on the website, the new bylaw was enacted to "ensure harmonious cohabitation between residents and pets and ensure residents' safety." Global News reports that under Montreal's breed-specific legislation, pit bulls are now ordered to be muzzled whenever outside. In an interview with one of the many pit bull owners in the city, Erika Ashley Matta expressed her disagreement toward the bylaw saying that instead of creating such bylaw targeting dogs, they should focus more on the human owners as their upbringing greatly influences a dog's behavior. "Because of this new law any pit bull or mix will have to be muzzled and live life like a prisoner," she said. "No more playing ball in a park or running around catching sticks." The legislation was brought into action four months after the 55-year-old Christiane Vadnais of Montreal was mauled to death by a dog later on identified as a pit bull. State officials have raised the alert level in California after 200 tremors that started inside the Salton Sea have occurred in just 24 hours earlier this week. In a statement, Governor's Office of Emergency Services announced that more earthquakes could come in the next few days and they are estimated to be stronger and bigger than 4.3 magnitude. According to LA Times, the quakes happened in one of California's most seismically complex areas, just south of where the forceful San Andreas fault ends. The series of quakes could have added stress to the San Andreas fault. Hence, the council fears that the slumbering San Andreas fault might be awakened anytime. The earthquake swarm has significantly increased the chance of another quake in the next few days, seismologists note. And although the chance of the swarm of quakes setting off a big one is small, it is still possible. Thus, everyone should be alert. "Any time there is significant seismic activity in the vicinity of the San Andreas fault, we seismologists get nervous because we recognize that the probability of having a large earthquake goes up," said Thomas H. Jordan, director of the Southern California Earthquake Center. Advisory posted on the website of California ordered the residents advises in Ventura, San Diego, San Bernardino, Riverside, Orange, Los Angeles, Kern and Imperial counties-all along the southern section of the San Andreas Fault-to be prepared, San Francisco Gate reported. "California is earthquake country. We must always be prepared and not let our guard down," said Director Mark Ghilarducci in a statement. "The threat of an earthquake on the San Andreas Fault hasn't gone away, so this is another important opportunity for us to revisit our emergency plans and learn what steps you need to take if a significant earthquake hits." For the past years, there has been evidence suggesting that "alien abductions" had occurred. Collective Evolution cites The Hill's story which occurred in 1961 is possibly the most documented UFO abduction case in history. A movie based on the alleged alien abduction was produced in 1975. It was titled "the UFO Incident." The mystifying case of the Hills was studied by many researchers. The Hills, who were placed under hypnosis, said they were taken by a big disc shaped aircraft and where taken into some kind of operating room where various invasive medical procedures were performed to them. Since then, many people have come forward to divulge their own extraterrestrial experience. Nonetheless, many at present are still skeptic about this phenomenon. Fast forward to today, there are various organizations established to study UFO occurrences. One of which is the UFO & Paranormal Research Society of Australia (UFO-PRSA). In an exclusive take, News.Au reported that this group which is composed of professionals claims they have enough proof of alien abductions, telepathy, encounters and sightings as they are the ones who experienced it themselves. Researcher Moira McGhee, author of Contact Down Under: A Century of UFO sightings in Australasia and the Western Pacific said: "I don't agree with everything people say. There's a lot of conspiracy stuff. You don't know what's true and what's not. Maybe none of us have the right answer. But the worst thing a researcher can do is to close their mind." "They need to believe anything is possible but have a big dose of skepticism too. If even one of these reports is true it will change mankind forever." Just recently, a report by Mirror UK said UFO enthusiasts had once again spotted a strange disc in one of NASA's videos. Meanwhile, a real video of an alien abduction is being recreated in movie "Redlight." It shows the story of a man from Florida trying to recall what has happened to him when he was abducted, through the smart phone video of the actual encounter. It will be produced by Dempsey Tillman and Lawrence Razo. Harbor Commission candidates for four open seats overseeing the San Mateo County Harbor District took questions at a public forum Wednesday. Between a lawsuit settlement costing hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars according to a commissioner, concerns of micromanagement and suggestions of dissolution by the San Mateo County civil grand jury and Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCo), the candidates had a full house. However, these are "sins of the past," according to Ed Larenas, one of two candidates running for a two-year term. Larenas is a co-founder and chair of the Surfrider Foundation and said that with proper management, dissolution wouldn't make sense. His primary concerns in the Harbor District are the sea level rise and water quality issues arising from the landfill. With more effort, Larenas said he believes the commissioners could find solutions to prior issues. NBC Bay Area/Rebecca Greenway Brian Rogers, who ran previously in 2014, is running against Larenas for the two-year seat and agrees that environmental concerns are the biggest problem. Rogers said the commission has the proximity and resources to govern the Harbor District and says he believes it is going in the right direction. With that, Rogers wants greater accountability for the developers hired by the commission and for tax dollars to be diverted to support improvements in public spaces, putting a priority on making business enterprises in the Harbor District self-sufficient. While incumbent Sabrina Brennan said the Harbor District is extremely expensive, she said she was able to play a part in paying back its incurred debt over her last term. She also spoke about her efforts on the development of volleyball courts and involvement of women at the Mavericks. The topic of inclusion of women into Mavericks competitions has been an ongoing one on the peninsula's coast side. NBC Bay Area/Rebecca Greenway Just this week, four women competing in the Titans of Mavericks competition in November submitted a request to the California Coastal Commission for a league of their own. Incumbent Virginia Kiraly, who has a professional background in financial planning, also put an emphasis on her role turning around the budget since being appointed to the commission, adding that a review of lease agreements is necessary during the upcoming year. Collaboration is key to incumbent Tom Mattush, who said there should be less "financial finger pointing" between boards and commissions and more efforts to work together on solutions. Shawn Mooney, who ran previously in 2014, put a heavy emphasis on the creation of a South Bay Ferry Service and extension of commercial properties for added revenue. This forum is one of several organized by the League of Women Voters ahead of the November elections. The next forum will be on Tuesday, October 4, 2016 and include candidates from the Midcoast Community Council and Montara Water and Sewer District. Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to pour into San Francisco's Golden Gate Park this weekend as the 16th Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival comes to the city. The free annual concert, which will feature over 100 musical acts on seven stages, began Friday around 12 p.m. and will last through Sunday, according to the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department. Some of the performers gracing the stage this weekend include CAKE, Cyndi Lauper and Chris Isaak, among others. In addition to performances, there will also be 50 food vendors. The stages will be located at Hellman Hollow, Lindley Meadow and Marx Meadow areas of the park. Recreation and parks officials expect about 750,000 people to attend. That's more than triple the number of visitors who descend upon San Francisco during the Outside Lands festival. "Thats been the average for the past few years, so pretty much the entire population of San Francisco and then some," said Tracey Buck, the bluegrass festival's publicist. But music could lead to madness for those trying to get around the city this weekend, with heavy traffic and road closues guaranteed. Many concert-goers said on Friday that they walked, biked and took public transportation to avoid traffic, and say that decision meant they felt relaxed and ready to enjoy the music when they walked through the gates. "You better ride your bike or walk dont drive a car, said San Francisco resident Ianthia Smith. Youll be 10 blocks that way, so this is the only way to come. Security will also be tight with an increased number of police and state parks officials patrolling the area. I live here, but its the first time Ive ever been to this, but it seems pretty well organized, said Lisa Gimbel of San Francisco. Its quiet. The Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival was first organized by the late Warren Hellman, whose family foundation continues to fund the festival. "It's become the event we plan our year around and we couldn't be more thankful for everyone who helps," Hellman's eldest granddaughter Laurel Hellman said in a statement. Just before his passing in 2011, Warren Hellman began a tradition of holding a special pre-festival event for thousands of San Francisco school children. In keeping with that tradition, about 3,000 San Francisco middle school students were treated to a free outdoor 10:30 a.m. concert Friday morning at the park by the group Poor Man's Whiskey, recreation and park officials said. "Providing music of this caliber for free in our beloved Golden Gate Park is an experience of a lifetime," recreation and parks General Manager Phil Ginsburg said in a statement. "We're extremely grateful to the late Warren Hellman and his family for their generosity in supporting San Francisco parks, and for making the arts within them a priority." Throughout the weekend, several street closures with the park will take effect, according to recreation and park officials. John F. Kennedy Drive will be closed between Transverse and Spreckels Lake drives, as well as between Stowe Lake Circle and 36th Avenue. John F. Kennedy Drive will also be closed between 36th Avenue and Chain of Lakes Drive. Also, 36th Avenue will be closed between Fulton Street and John F. Kennedy Drive. 30th Avenue between Fulton Street and John F. Kennedy Drive will also be closed. Transverse Drive will be closed between Crossover and Martin Luther King Jr. drives. Overlook Drive will also be closed between Transverse and Martin Luther King Jr. drives. Middle Drive will also be closed between Transverse and Martin Luther King Jr. drives. Metson Drive will be closed between Middle and Martin Luther King Jr. drives. Additionally, the parking area near the Polo Fields will be closed, according to recreation and park officials. Paid parking will be located all three days on a first come, first serve basis at George Washington High School at 600 32nd Ave. and at Argonne Elementary School at 680 18th Ave. Paid parking on Saturday and Sunday only will be located at Lafayette Elementary School at 4545 Anza St., Jefferson Elementary School at 1725 Irving St. and Lawton Alternative School at 1570 31st Ave., recreation and park officials said. Organizers are encouraging concertgoers to use ride-share services or take public transportation to the festival. Extra San Francisco Municipal Railway service will be offered starting today through Sunday, between 11 a.m. and 8 p.m., on Muni lines 5, 5R, 5X Fulton, 31 Balboa, 38 Geary and N Judah, according to recreation and park officials. Taxi stands will be located on Fulton Street, from 29th to 28th avenues and between 36th and 35th avenues, as well as on Lincoln Way between Sunset Boulevard and 25th Avenue. Drop-off and pick-up locations for ride-sharing services will be at Balboa Street and 30th Avenue, recreation and park officials said. For more information about the event, concertgoers can visit www.hardlystrictlybluegrass.com. The massive 4,416-acre Loma Fire in the Santa Cruz Mountains has destroyed 12 homes and is 66 percent contained as of Saturday evening, but some folks have been given the green light to return home, Cal Fire said. Cal Fire hopes to fully contain the blaze by Monday and accounced Saturday that evacuation orders for Croy Road and Sveadal were lifted. Mandatory evacuations in Santa Clara County remain in effect along the Loma Prieta ridgeline area, Uvas Canyon County Park, Loma Chiquita, Casa Loma, and Loma Prieta Way. In addition to the 12 residences, the Loma Fire has gutted 16 outbuidlings. One house has also been damaged and a firefighter was injured on Thursday, according to Cal Fire. Dramatic Images: Destruction, Aftermath of the Loma Fire Antsy residents impacted by the fire met Saturday morning at a community meeting in Morgan Hill to discuss current firefighter tactics and the timetable for when displaced folks could return to their homes. Jeremy Rahn, Battalion Chief and Public Information Officer for Cal Fire, understands the frustration, but said that fire crews preach a safety first mentality and will only let residents return when the threat of wildfire and subsequent infrastructure issues such as blocked roads and downed power lines are resolved. "We need to keep people out of the area to allow us to get in there to get services restored and to improve containment before we're going to be able to allow more people to come in," he said. From tragedy to relief, waves of varying emotions have overcome worried residents since the fire broke out. Lucie Vogel and her husband Roman Petres were forced to evacuate from their home as the Loma Fire quickly came close, but thanks to the dedicated work of fire crews, the couple and their animals are back home. Marianne Favro reports. Lucie Vogel and her husband Roman Petres were ousted from their home Monday evening and had just enough time to spare the lives of their goats, cats and dogs. "The few little things that define the thin line of our lives," Vogel said. The couple was able to return to their property briefly on Thursday and scope out the scene, but not without facing a lot of uncertainty. "Right off our back porch there were six helicopters," Vogel said. "It looked like a war zone. They were just looping the ridge there. I've never seen anything like it in my life and, I mean, they just worked for hours." For the next two days, the couple waited anxiously to figure out if their house was still standing or not. Petres wasn't sure that he would ever see his home again. "That was the toughest moment in my life, knowing this might be the start of a new life," he said. "I hope it won't be, but it may." Vogel and Petres did not have to start from scratch. They instead shed a smile Saturday after receiving word that they could gather their prized possessions and go home for good. "I think we held hands and cried," Vogel said. Upon return, the happy couple settled in, counted their blessings and expressed unending praise to the firefighters that helped saved their abode. "I just feel like I owe everything to them," Vogel said. Another homeowner, a volunteer firefighter, said he lost his vineyard but his home was saved. But the same can't be said for many of his neighbors. "It was an inferno," said David Ward, who owns a home on Loma Chiquita Road. "It looked like bombs were going off and so the only thing youre thinking is 'Are we going to make it out of here?'" Even those who were not required to leave their homes in the San Jose's Almaden Valley feel they're in an at-risk zone from all the smoke and ash. [NATL-BAY] Photos from Fire in Santa Cruz Mountains Meanwhile, road closures also remain in the area. Non-residents are urged to avoid Ormsby Cutoff, Haven Hill Lane, Pacific Rim, Loma Prieta Way, and Rancho Prieta, Mt. Bachi and Summit roads. This is the fourth significant wildfire to rock the area in 14 years: The Croy Fire erupted in 2002, the Summit Fire broke out in 2008, and another Loma Fire burned in 2009. The origin and cause of the Loma Fire remain under investigation. An evacuation center can be found at Morgan Hill Presbyterian Church at 16970 De Witt Avenue. Marin County Superior Court Judge Kelly V. Simmons on Friday ordered two drifters to stand trial for a pair of killings during a robbery in Marin County and San Francisco a year ago. Morrison Haze Lampley, 24, of San Francisco, and Lila Scott Alligood, 19, of San Rafael are accused of killing tourist Audrey Carey, 23, of Quebec in Golden Gate Park on Oct. 2, 2015 and sex therapist Steven Carter, 67, of Marin County on Oct. 5, 2015 on a park trail in Fairfax. Judge Kelly Simmons ruled each murder count will include special circumstances of lying in wait, committing more than one murder and committing a murder during a robbery. Alligood and Lampley were held to answer to robbing both victims, vehicle theft, receiving a stolen vehicle and possessing a stolen vehicle and property. Lampley also was held to answer to a cruelty to animal charge, but Alligood was not. Carter's dog was shot on the park trail but survived. A third defendant charged with the murders, Sean Michael Angold, 25, of San Francisco, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and faces a 15-year prison sentence. He testified against Alligood and Lampley during the preliminary hearing. Defense attorneys contend Angold, not Lampley, shot the victims. They told the judge this morning Angold's testimony was unreliable and he was implicating Lampley to escape a life-prison term. Defense attorneys also said Angold has a history of blaming others for crimes he committed in Southern California. They said Alligood and Lampley, who are in a relationship, only intended to rob the victims, not kill them. Alligood's attorney Amy Morton said she is disappointed with the ruling, and she will challenge the lying in wait allegation against her client before a trial. She said Angold is as guilty as his co-defendants, "but he is getting 15 years," Morton said. Alligood "is in a world of pain," Morton said. Angold testified he stole the gun used in the murders from an unlocked vehicle in San Francisco and helped plan the robberies, but he said Lampley shot the victims. Angold said he walked away from where Carey was robbed in some bushes in the park and heard gunshots. He testified Lampley told him, "She's dead dude, don't worry about it." Angold said he was farther away from the spot on the trail in the Loma Alta Open Space Preserve in Fairfax when Carter was killed. Defense attorneys Morton and David Brown said a big question during the hearing was who had the gun. Angold said Lampley shared possession of the gun: Lampley in the day and him at night. He testified he has trouble keeping track of time and pinpointing when certain events occurred. Angold said he and the two defendants were using drugs he bought, including LSD, heroin and methamphetamine, during the week they were traveling together in the Bay Area and Portland, Oregon where they were arrested Oct. 7. Angold said he was using a lot of methamphetamine before the crimes occurred and went about a week without solid sleep before all three met up in late September. Instead of repeating the evidence and testimony at the hearing, Deputy District Attorney Leon Kousharian focused his argument on Friday on the common elements of the murders. Both were intentional and willful first-degree shooting murders in a short period of time with the same weapon and the same plan to get money to go to Oregon and grow marijuana, Kousharian said. "They concealed their purpose from the victims and waited for an advantage to attack," Kousharian said. He said Lampley was the one in charge, and Alligood participated more actively after Carey's murder. Alligood and Lampley are scheduled to re-enter pleas to the charges on Oct. 28. Attorneys for a woman at the center of a police sexual misconduct scandal on Friday said they have filed claims against the cities of San Francisco, Richmond, Livermore and Alameda County. The claims follow another previously filed against Oakland. The 19-year-old woman, Jasmine, said she worked as a prostitute and exchanged sex with officers for money or protection from arrest. She says she has had sex with 30 northern California officers, four of them before she turned 18. In each case, Jasmine, who formerly self-identified as Celeste Guap, is asking for $3 million compensation for each officer involved. A $30 million claim against the city of Richmond said five Richmond police officers trafficked Jasmine among Bay Area officer or failed to report the abuse. The claim said they "deepened her spiral down into the sex trade." Meanwhile, former Contra Costa County Sheriff's Deputy Ricardo Perez on Friday pleaded not guilty to a felony charge of oral copulation with a minor and misdemeanor charges of lewd conduct. Court documents said Perez had sex with the Jasmine some 10 times when she was 17 years old. The judge allowed Perez to go home without being booked into jail or posting bail. In addition to Perez, the Alameda County District Attorney's Office has filed felony charges against two Oakland police officers. A former Oakland police sergeant and a former Livermore police officer have also been charged with misdemeanors and two other Oakland police officers are also expected to face misdemeanor charges. One of the five Oakland police officers charged in the case, Brian Bunton, last week pleaded not guilty. Bunton, 40, is accused of warning Jasmine to stay away from an intersection known for prostitution because of an ongoing police operation. In Richmond, City Manager Bill Lindsay recently announced disciplinary recommendations for nine police officers tied to Jasmine. According to the discipline letters, one Richmond police officer will be fired, one demoted, two suspended, and five reprimanded for their actions. Bay City News and the Associated Press contributed to this report. Hours after a three-alarm fire ripped through the iconic First Congregational Church, traffic crawled on the south side of the University of California, Berkeley campus. The police department closed streets around the building while crews battled flames and even after. Fire officials are concerned the weakened brick walls could collapse, so some of those closures are expected to remain in effect and likely cause gridlock during homecoming weekend through Sunday. Cal's Golden Bears are scheduled to take on the Utes at 3 p.m. Saturday on Kabam Field at California Memorial Stadium. Sree Boyella of Berkeley said traffic is already super crazy on game days. With this unfortunate incident, traffic is going to be even worse. On Saturday, the fire department says Dana Street between Durant and Channing Way, and Channing Way between Fulton and Dana streets will be closed to traffic. Officials urged people to park further away from the venue and walk. Some parking will also be affected because the church lot is off limits. Church neighbor David Aguirre said a lot of people use the church parking spaces during UC Berkeley games, and the money collected supports the church. Aguirre took video of the fire when crews arrived. It was hot, he said, and smoke was blowing toward dorms, forcing residents to shut their windows. Aguirre said he was relieved no one was hurt, but was sorry to see that the congregation will have to rebuild. The first 12 hours of Chicagos weekend saw a teen girl and man killed, along with at least 15 other people were wounded several critically in shootings on the South and West sides, police said. A 17-year-old girl was in the backseat of a vehicle traveling north in the 4500 block of South Wood in the Back of the Yards about 12:30 a.m. when a male on the sidewalk shot her in the head. She was taken to Holy Cross Hospital, where she was later pronounced dead, police said. The Cook County medical examiners office did not confirm the death Saturday morning. Less than 30 minutes later, a man was fatally shot in Chatham. A 35-year-old man was shot in the buttocks about 12:56 a.m. in the 7900 block of South Champlain. He was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he later died, police said. The medical examiners office confirmed the death, but didnt realize his name Saturday morning. The most recent nonfatal shooting was reported in Little Village. A 27-year-old man told police he was driving in the 2400 block of South California about 5 a.m. when he heard several gunshots and felt pain, police said. After he realized he was shot in the chest, he took himself to Mount Sinai Hospital. He was listed in serious condition. A 20-year-old man was shot in the right hand about 4:40 a.m. in the 1400 block of North Spaulding in Humboldt Park, police said. He was taken to Norwegian American Hospital in good condition. About 4:15 a.m., a 26-year-old man was leaving a party in the 7100 block of South Vincennes in Englewood when he heard gunshots and felt pain, police said. He took himself to St. Bernard Hospital with gunshot wounds to the leg and foot. His condition was not disclosed and police said he was not cooperating with investigators. Three people were shot at another party, also in Englewood, about an hour earlier. The two men and woman were at the party in the 6800 block of South Emerald about 3:10 a.m. when someone pulled out a gun and shot them, police said. One man, 25, was shot in the chest and taken to Stroger Hospital in critical condition, police said. Another man, 25, was shot in the leg. The woman, 24, was shot in the wrist. Both were taken to St. Bernard Hospital in good condition. A 21-year-old man told police he was walking in the 5400 block of South Damen about 3:10 a.m. when he was shot in the left leg, police said. Nearly two hours later, a friend took him to Holy Cross Hospital, . His condition was not immediately known. A 46-year-old woman was walking in her front gate in the 1400 block of South St. Louis in Lawndale about 1:40 a.m. when she saw two men arguing, then heard gunfire and felt pain, police said. She was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital with a gunshot wound to her leg. He condition had stabilized. A 26-year-old told man investigators he was walking in the 3600 block of West Polk in Homan Square about 12:25 a.m. when he got into a fight with someone who shot him in the buttocks. He was taken to Stroger Hospital in good condition, police said, who added the man was being uncooperative. Two men, ages 35 and 57, were in a vehicle in the 4800 block of South Elizabeth in the Back of the Yards about 11:45 p.m. when they were shot, police said. The younger man was shot in the abdomen and left and ankle. He was listed in guarded condition, police said. The older man was shot in the ankle and his condition stabilized. Both men were being treated at Stroger Hospital. A 14-year-old boy was walking in the 3300 block of West 16th Street in Lawndale about 10:15 p.m. when someone in a white sedan shot him in the right knee, police said. He was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where his condition stabilized. A 27-year-old man was in a vehicle traveling north in the 3200 block of South Lituanica in Bridgeport just before 9 p.m. when he heard gunshots and felt pain, police said. The man was taken to Stroger Hospital with a gunshot wound to his ear. He was listed in serious condition. About 6:45 p.m. Friday, a 19-year-old man was on the sidewalk in the 200 block of West 107th Street when someone walked up and shot him in the back, according to police. He was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn in critical condition. The weekends first shooting left a school bus driver hurt in West Garfield Park. The 31-year-old man was driving a bus with 32 students and a chaperone on board at 5:33 p.m. in the 4300 block of West Jackson when a gunman fired shots from outside the bus, police said. The driver wasnt a target but was hit by a stray bullet. None of the children was hurt. The bus was one of two bringing students home after a work study program at Christ the King College Preparatory School. Destini Smalls, a junior at Christ the King, said she got on the first of two buses leaving Christ the King. She and her classmates were unaware of what happened on the second bus behind them until panicked relatives began calling them. Im shocked, but then Im not, because I know about the violence that happens in the city. Im glad I wasnt on that bus. It could have been me that had to witness that, Smalls said. The school was expected to provide counselors to students on Monday. Small and medium-sized public universities hurt by the state's historic budget standoff saw the biggest enrollment declines this year compared with similar-sized schools in nearby states. The nonpartisan Illinois Campaign for Political Reform said in a report released this week that Chicago State University's enrollment declined by nearly 25 percent the largest decrease among schools with less than 10,000 students. Eastern Illinois University had the third highest decline in that group at 13 percent. The report compared the schools with universities in Missouri, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Wisconsin and Kentucky. Enrollment at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale decreased by 7.5 percent. That was the largest enrollment decrease among universities serving between 10,000 and 20,000 students. Western Illinois University, which is also in that size category, saw enrollment decrease by 6.5 percent the second largest decrease in that group. The Springfield bureau of Lee Enterprises newspapers says the report emphasized that several factors besides the state budget impasse could have contributed to the declines. But university officials and lawmakers have said high school counselors have been encouraging students to apply out of state because of Illinois' financial uncertainty. SIU spokeswoman Rae Goldsmith said state universities' efforts to recruit students will continue to be negatively impacted by the lack of a state budget. "It is still going to hang over us and many other public institutions in the state as along as the budget impasse continues," Goldsmith said. The state has gone without a full budget since July 1, 2015 because of an ideological battle between Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner and Democrats who control the Legislature. The state is currently operating under a six-month stopgap budget, and universities received a small boost in funding in April. But before that infusion of cash they had gone nearly a year without state support, prompting Chicago State University to lay off about 300 staffers and at one point the school considered closing its doors. "Without drawing a direct correlation, I think we all should be a little bit alarmed at what we're seeing and hopefully keep this in mind when it comes time to renegotiate the stopgap budget," said Sarah Brune, the executive director of the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform. Illinois' larger universities, those with more than 20,000 students, have fared better than smaller institutions. Illinois State University and the University of Illinois' three campuses saw slight enrollment increases, ranging from 0.2 percent and 1.8 percent. Two Illinois business partners who are veterans of the Iraq War now find themselves in a race against time to help an Iraqi man who risked his life to help American troops. Jaguar, as he is known to his military friends, said he faces near daily threats in Baghdad after working as an interpreter and security specialist for the US government during the height of the war and insurgency. Even shopping I cant go outside, Jaguar said. I send my wife and my kid. Majid Jabber, a former translator who obtained a Special Immigrant Visa in 2007 and now lives in Toulon, Illinois, said the threat to Jaguar and other Iraqis who were employed by the US government remains all too real. When you work with the US, youre technically declaring Im a traitor, Jabber said. Ive been shot at it several times. My car got blown up. My father was killed because of that. Illinois National Guard veteran John Taylor patrolled alongside Jaguar in areas near Baghdad in 2004 and 2005 and said his friend does not have time to wait. To me, these men are heroes and leaving them behind is the equivalent of leaving behind one of my fellow comrades and essentially a death sentence, Taylor said. Jaguar received recommendations from military officers and supervisors and applied for a Special Immigration Visa in 2011. He is awaiting a second interview in the approval process. Taylor has contacted lawmakers regarding updates in Jaguars visa application and also helped him apply for humanitarian parole through the US Department of Homeland Security. The parole is used sparingly to bring someone who is otherwise inadmissible into the United States due to a compelling emergency. The US State Department said more than 19,000 Iraqis and their families benefited from the Special Immigrant Visa. However, the government cancelled the program for Iraqis in 2014. Many of those who applied before the cutoff, including Jaguar, are still waiting for approval. A spokesperson for the State Department told NBC 5 wait times vary by applicant and each application is thoroughly vetted. These translators risked their lives to serve alongside US servicemen and servicewomen, said Senator Mark Kirk (R-Illinois). I have long advocated that we should do all we can to help those who have helped our troops and now find themselves in danger. Meanwhile, Taylor said Jaguars humanitarian parole application was officially received and a decision will be made at some point in the future. Jaguar said he has computer and security skills in addition to his experience as a translator. He told NBC 5 via Skype that he appreciates the people and congressmen of Illinois. He also acknowledged Taylors help and dedication. He give me all the time support and we have a chance to move me with my family to United States, Jaguar told NBC 5 via Skype. Jabber, who was nicknamed GQ by US troops, found work as an engineer soon after moving to Toulon. He later connected with Taylor and the two formed a business partnership. They own seven Sinbad Vapors stores across northern Illinois. A spokesperson for the humanitarian group No One Left Behind estimates two to four families from Iraq and Afghanistan come to Chicago each month ready to start a new life. The farewell parties at the White House have officially begun. On Friday night, President and Mrs. Obama hosted a reception at the White House for Illinois supporters who were among the first to support his 2008 campaign for president. A source at the event told Ward Room that about 250 people attended the private gathering and it was "a great group of Chicago and Springfield people." President Obama flew back to Washington from Israel on Friday, returning to the White House just in time after attending the funeral of former Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres that morning. In a moment captured on video, the president was seen acting rather impatient, encouraging former President Bill Clinton to hurry to board Air Force One, calling out, "Bill, let's go. Let's go home." [[395511991, C]] The guest list for Friday night's party included former Senate President Emil Jones, who was considered instrumental in Obama's rise from the state senate to the U.S. Senate, along with former Republican State Senator Kirk Dillard. Back in 2007, Dillard was featured in a television ad campaign for Obama, highlighting the then-junior senator's support from both parties. That same ad later played a negative role in Dillard's failed GOP primary campaign for governor. Also in attendance at the White House were Aldermen Joe Moore and Leslie Hairston, as well as congressional leaders from the Chicago area and other staffers. One notable absence was Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who did not partake in the festivities. Dozens of bills passed during this years legislative session take effect Saturday. Phony school threats were one issue addressed by legislators this year. This is becoming such a big problem. Youve seen school systems shut their entire school systems down for days, said Deputy Police Chief Brian Foley. Now those found guilty of making a threat intended to cause a school evacuation during school hours could go to prison for up to ten years. Pardons can be granted to those under 18, but police said these threats often come from overseas and are intended to cause fear in the school system. State Senator Tony Hwang was a champion for tougher punishments. This is not a practical joke. It is not funny. The implications and traumas that you cause in these kinds of threats are so devastating. Minors suffering from certain illnesses will also have access to prescription medical marijuana. The president of the Connecticut Epilepsy Advocate says the cannabis oil is often the final option for some young patients. Patients under 18 can register if they have conditions including Cerebral Palsy, Cystic Fibrosis, irreversible spinal cord injury with objective neurological indication of intractable spasticity, severe epilepsy, a terminal illness requiring end-of-life care or uncontrolled intractable seizure disorder. The Connecticut Humane Society hopes a pair of laws focused on our four-legged friends will make it easier to prosecute animal abusers. Weve looked at the success rate of prosecution in the state of CT and it is not very good, said Gordon Willard, the Executive Director of the Connecticut Humane Society. Law students will serve as animal advocates in court cases and the penalty for repeat offenders will be bumped up to ten years in prison. Other new laws that take effect on Saturday are tougher penalties for ATV drivers operating illegally and more access to experimental drugs for terminally ill patients. For a full list of the new laws and details on each of them, visit the Connecticut General Assembly website. Clinton police have arrested a woman accused of making illegal copies of credit cards. Kumarie Patel, 27, of Far Rockaway, New York, faces 45 counts of unlawful reproduction of a credit card, 11 counts of illegal use of a credit card, third-degree larceny and second-degree forgery. According to police, Patel was shopping at the Clinton Crossings on Friday using multiple fake credit cards. Workers reported that if a card was declined, Patel just pulled another from a stack of cards, which they found suspicious. Police said when they caught up with Patel as she left the Clinton Crossings, she had 45 cloned credit cards on her and a fake New Jersey license. According to police, the fake license matched the name on the fake credit cards, but the number on the cards did not match the information stored in their magnetic strips. Police said Patel had merchandise and receipts in her car from various malls in the Tri-state area as well as $2,800 worth in merchandise and gift cards from Clinton Crossing. Patel was released on a $20,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in Middletown Superior Court on October 10. Asian American boy band "The Slants" is headed to the nation's highest court and the fate of the Washington Redskins' name could hang in the balance, too. The Supreme Court agreed Thursday to hear the case involving The Slants' controversial name choice in the question of whether the group should be allowed to trademark it. The case could have implications for the Washington Redskins trademark status by setting a precedent on the matter of free speech in trademarks, according to The New York Times. In 2011, band founder Simon Tam filed for a protected trademark for The Slants with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) but the office denied it. The band is still allowed to use the name, but without the trademark they are not able to prevent others from using the same name, according to the Los Angeles Times. The band saw a major victory last year when a federal appeals court backed the band, calling the PTOs rejection of an offensive trademark a violation of the right to free speech. The Obama administration has asked the Supreme Court to overturn that ruling. In February the appeals court categorized the bands name as private speech and called the rejection of the trademark a result of the governments own disapproval of the message. The First Amendment can protect even hurtful speech. Lawyers for Tam have said that the PTO has been inconsistent on when it deemed names offensive, citing the 1980s hip-hop group N.W.A. as an example. That group was allowed to trademark their name. In response to the appeals court, the Justice Department said that a trademark is in fact a government benefit, not private speech, and therefore could be seen as an endorsement. In a dissent on The Slants name, the Justice Department argued that granting a trademark would convey that the United States regards racial slurs as appropriate, Los Angeles Times reported. The Slants, originally from Portland, Oregon, was formed in 2006. The self-proclaimed Chinatown dance rock group has released four albums under an independent label. The Supreme Court has so far declined to hear the Washington Redskins case. The team has had a history of controversy over its name. In 2014, the PTO canceled the teams six trademarks, including the teams logo, following the years-long complaints from Native American groups. The team name has been called offensive, as the term redskin is a derogatory term for Native Americans. President Obama has called on numerous occasions for the D.C. team to change its name, citing a need to break stereotypes. Tam, for his part, has called the Redskins a racial slur against Native Americans. He has said that the difference lies in the fact that The Slants does not intend to offend anyone and is not an inherent racial slur. The court is not expected to rule on the issue for several months. The Slants has not returned NBCs request for comment. An 8-year-old Garland girl has her mother and a viral video to thank for a $10,000 college scholarship and guaranteed admission to the University of North Texas. The Denton Record Chronicle reported the student, Jordin Phipps, attends Watson Technology Center for Math and Science. Phipps' mother, a UNT alum, recently recorded her speaking about her belief in the power of education and passion for UNT. The video, which now has more than 90,000 shares on social media, caught the attention of UNT President Neil Smatresk. According to the DRC, Smatresk decided to award Phipps with the Presidents Award for Excellence -- which comes with a $10,000 scholarship to the university. According to the Denton Record Chronicle, UNTs Undergraduate Admissions has Phipps on track to apply in 2025. She has been pre-admitted and the presidential scholarship will be waiting for her. Click here to read more from our media partners at The Denton Record Chronicle. "Affluenza" teenager Ethan Couch will remain in jail after his request for a new judge was denied Thursday. Attorneys for Couch, 19, argued that the judge who ordered Couch to serve nearly two years in jail for a 2013 drunken-driving wreck that killed four people had no jurisdiction in the matter. Couch's attorneys said the case should have remained in juvenile court because he was 16 years old at the time. Judge David L. Evans signed an order Thursday saying, "Any further relief requested in connection with this Defendant's Motion to Recuse District Judge and not granted herein is hereby Denied." An Amber Alert for a 14-month-old San Antonio girl was canceled Saturday morning after she was located in Dallas, police say. The Dallas Police Department said the child was found on the 3500 block of Telephone Road in good condition. She was transported to Children's Medical Center in Dallas for a standard health exam and will likely be returned to her mother in San Antonio. A spokesman for the Bexar County Sheriff's Department said the man who abducted the girl is her father, 50-year old Fortino Cornejo. Dallas police said they observed Cornejo handing off the girl and fleeing into a wooded area. As of Saturday evening, Cornejo remains at large and Dallas police are no longer actively searching for him. Cornejo was traced to two neighborhoods in Oak Cliff overnight, the 2800 block of Salerno Drive and the 4700 block of Keeneland Parkway. Neighbors on Salerno Drive told NBC 5 officers approached several homes asking if anyone had seen Cornejo. On Friday, the Bexar County Sheriff's Office issued a warrant for Cornejo on the charge of sexual exploitation of a child. They believe Cornejo sent a photo of the girl that indicated she had been sexually assaulted. An order was also issued Friday in which Cornejo lost custody of his daughter. Cornejo has black hair and hazel eyes. He is 5 feet 3 inches tall and 140 pounds. He was believed to be driving a black Dodge Nitro with license plate HDD0725. Editor's Note: Because of the sexual exploitation allegations, we are not publishing a picture of the victim now that she is in the custody of police. When you're desperate for a new home, any advertisement promising free rent can seem like the answer you've been waiting for. But two North Texas women say they wish they'd just kept on waiting. A Craigslist scheme left two families without a home and cost them hundreds of dollars. The two families saw the same post on Craigslist that offered a sub-lease on an apartment and guaranteed the first two months were rent free. But they quickly realized their dream apartment was too good to be true. "I responded to an ad that sounded great," Rosa Martinez said. A two-bedroom, two-bath apartment at Summer Villas in Dallas with the rent paid through October was just what her family needed. The woman sub-leasing her apartment said she needed to move quickly and was hoping to help Martinez and her family out. "She just wanted to bless someone with a place, free-rent until October, so I jumped on it," Martinez said. The sublease for the apartment was $750 a month with a $300 down payment. Within days, Martinez moved in. "She gave us the keys and everything," Martinez said. "I thought it was God-sent." But the Martinez family learned their so-called gift from above had been offered to another family as well. "A lot like Rosa, I had been looking at the Craigslist," said Heather Bentz, who saw an ad for the same apartment. In her case, a $350 down payment got her the keys and she was ready to move in. "We walked up, opened up the door and, boom, there was somebody else's stuff in that apartment," Bentz said. That stuff belonged to the Martinez family. It turns out both women sub-leased the same apartment from a tenant who'd been evicted. Bentz went to the leasing office and found out the apartment complex doesn't even allow subleases. "That's one of the things I would have done is gone to the apartment and say, 'Do you sublet,'" Bentz said. A manager at the apartment complex told NBC 5 Responds she regrets this happened to the two families but recommends all future tenants work with the apartment directly and never enter a sublease agreement with a tenant alone. As for the woman behind the Craigslist post, she vanished, leaving Bentz and Martinez without their money and without an apartment. Subleases in Texas require the landlord's consent. A quick phone call would have saved both women so much pain and money. Bentz and Martinez say one good thing came out of the experience. They are both good friends now. They went to police, but unfortunately there wasn't much they could do to help in this case. A federal judge has rejected an attempt by three conservative states to block the U.S. government from ceding oversight of some of the internet's core systems. U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks Jr. in Galveston, Texas, denied Friday a lawsuit filed by the attorneys general of Texas, Oklahoma and Arizona. They sought to keep the Commerce Department from relinquishing oversight of ICAN, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers. The internet relies on the domain name system, or DNS. That includes directories helping computers on the network send data. ICAN has overseen the directories since 1998. Some conservatives opposed ceding oversight, which was approved by Congress as part of a temporary spending bill. But Hanks ruled that the states suing had failed to provide sufficient evidence that transitioning ICAN oversight would cause harm. The colorful state of Texas outline on the Interstate 20 median in far southwest Dallas has become such a popular attraction for photos that vehicles have carved a dirt pathway into the grassy area between Mountain Creek Parkway and Spur 408. Stopping with her daughter for pictures there Friday, visitor Haukesia Satchell said the pathway from eastbound I-20 was inviting. "I see that they put that little driveway coming from the highway, where it's got that little trail where you can just pull right on in, so I think that's kind of neat," said Satchell. She was part of a steady stream of visitors on the sunny Friday. Sethlina Amakye stopped with two out-of-town friends for pictures in front of the iconic red, white and blue Texas-shaped display. "I come here all the time and it's always a mass amount of people here. And getting off the highway can be a little funny. So, I think there should be a parking lot here. And people should be able to take a picture," said Amakye. "I've been here about 10 years and I don't think there's ever been a time I've passed by without people here." The display was built at least a decade ago as a Boy Scouts project, according to Tony Hartzel with the Texas Department of Transportation. "Looking back at that now and seeing how it's evolved, we wouldn't encourage that and we wouldn't do the same thing again," Hartzel said. "It's just really not a safe place to stop and take pictures." The dirt path off the freeway was carved by drivers ignoring "Keep Off Median" signs on the shoulder. "Really? I didn't even see the sign," driver Haukesia Satchell said. "They should make this a tourist attraction, because it's a beautiful sight, especially with all the greenery in the background." Other drivers visiting Friday agreed there appears to be plenty of room for a proper rest area and parking lot on the wide median site. "They can easily build like an exit right here that would allow the traffic to come and go," said visitor Jennifer Windmeyer, who stopped to take pictures with her parents and their visiting exchange student from Tiawan. "I wanted him to be able to experience it and have his picture taken here in Texas," Windmeyer said. Most challenging for visitors with the current arrangement is getting back on the interstate from the bumpy median shoulder. An 18-wheeler honked at Haukesia Satchell as she and her daughter merged into the fast freeway traffic. Driver Sethlina Amakye said she has been honked at before, too, on past visits to the site. "I can see why that would be a problem," said Amakye. Hartzel said TxDOT does not build rest areas in medians with center lane access because of safety concerns. "It goes against driver expectations where you have to pull off from the fast lane, to get into a rest area," Hartzel said. "If you're having to account for people merging back in from the left side, that creates a different safety challenge and we just don't want to create that possibility." Amakye said the state should make an exception for this spot. "To me, either make it legal and people can do it, or make it illegal and people will do it anyway. So might as well make it legal and do it," she said. The Dallas County Sheriff's Department is responsible for traffic enforcement on the interstate and Dallas police are responsible for law enforcement on the median. Information requests to both resulted in no records of significant accident history or ticket writing at the location. Even so, Hartzel stressed that the state still considers the location dangerous and urges drivers not to stop there. Officials say nobody has been hurt in an East Texas derailment that sent four freight cars off the tracks including one crashing into an unoccupied warehouse. Kilgore police say the accident happened before dawn Friday and one of the Union Pacific cars overturned. Police say the cars were hauling auto parts and no hazardous materials were involved in the derailment in Kilgore, about 110 miles southeast of Dallas. Authorities are trying to determine what caused the derailment. Some nearby roads were closed during the cleanup. Message left for a Union Pacific spokesman weren't immediately returned Friday. Things tend to move at their own pace in the city of Kaufman. For two decades the wheels of justice moved slowly as the department worked to solve the murder of Francisco Salazar. On June 9, 1994, the 25-year-old was fatally shot outside a laundromat in the 1000 block of South Washington Street. "What we were told from witnesses was that two individuals, of course our suspect and our victim, were in an argument back here in the alley. The suspect opened fire on the victim," said Detective Jason Stastny, who started investigating the case last month. An eyewitness identified Alvaro Iglesias Rodriguez, but days after a warrant was issued for his arrest, he fled to Mexico. The case went cold. Twenty-two years later, a decision by the Kaufman County sheriff to start publishing a list of most-wanted suspects resulted in a tip. "Because this is the only unsolved homicide here in Kaufman, he put that out there to further the case," said Detective Tommy Black. "A tip developed that basically advised us where Mr. Rodriguez was." Rodriguez was located in Wichita, Kansas, living under an assumed name. Detectives in both jurisdictions successfully matched Rodriguez's fingerprints from two separate crimes. He was taken into custody by Wichita police before Black and Stastny confronted him with their evidence. "He sighed. He kind of looked down. He realized, in my opinion, that he knew that he had been caught," Stastny said. Rodriguez was charged with murder, and the Kaufman County District Attorney hopes to have him extradited back to Texas to stand trial. Authorities are trying to track down Salazar's family in Mexico to tell them the news. "It was gratifying to know that after 22 years the family of the victim would finally get justice," Stastny said. "We're glad to finally put this case to rest." A large crowd of demonstrators shut down the streets of Pasadena on Friday, as police release the 911 calls and surveillance video in the incident of a man who died after a confrontation with officers. The protesters, many carrying signs, marched on streets, bringing traffic to a halt at some intersections in Old Town Pasadena. They came out after the girlfriend of the man who died demanded answers, claiming officers used excessive force when they restrained him. The man's girlfriend, Shanie Lindsey, identified him as 36-year-old Reginald "J.R." Thomas. "I'm hurt, disgusted, disappointed and just upset," Lindsey said. Pasadena police received a call reporting a family disturbance around 2 a.m. Friday, said Capt. Steven Katz of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Homicide Bureau. Then they received a second call around 2:35 a.m., and were told that a man had a knife and a fire extinguisher. Authorities said the caller identified the man, and that they heard a struggle during the call. Although investigators do not know who made the calls, they believe both were made by the same person. Katz noted detectives were working to identify who that caller was. Police were able to trace the second call to an apartment, and responded to the 200 block of East Orange Grove Boulevard in Pasadena, according to authorities. When Pasadena police officers arrived, they attempted to detain Thomas to take him into custody, and "he struggled with the officers," Katz said. Police used a Taser and non-lethal force, and restrained him with handcuffs and ankle restraints. Surveillance video from the complex shows officers rushing across the courtyard of the apartment where Thomas was visiting his family. Officers noticed Thomas was no longer breathing and removed all of his restraints and started performing CPR, according to authorities. Pasadena Fire paramedics "took over life saving efforts," before Thomas eventually died, Katz said. Lindsey believes officers used excessive force on her boyfriend, who she says was mentally ill. "They knew he was disabled, they knew he was bipolar, they knew he was on social security, and they still killed him," she said. Lindsey said Thomas called police claiming someone was in their apartment, and said he was holding a knife in one hand and a fire extinguisher in the other when police arrived. Officers told him to drop both items and used a Taser twice when he did not, according to Lindsey. Then, Thomas got up and slammed the door on the officers. "They busted through the door and they wrestled him down to the ground, they started kicking him and beating him with the stick, and then they start tying him up," Lindsey said. "And that was it, and they told us to get out." Los Angeles County Sheriff investigators are investigating the circumstances of his death, and Katz noted that there were six detectives at the scene Friday around 11 a.m., adding that the investigation was in its "infancy." Two officers were also injured during the confrontation, Katz said. Police had not identified the man as of 12:30 p.m. Friday. Anyone with information about this investigation was encouraged to call the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department's Information Bureau at 213-229-1700. With frustrations boiling over San Franciscos entrenched homeless crisis, city voters will be asked to weigh in and ban tents from sidewalks. Proposition Q on the November ballot would empower police to remove tents and encampments with 24 hour notice, as long as the city can provide a shelter bed or housing to the displaced. Nobody is getting better sleeping in tents nothing good is happening in tents, said San Francisco Supervisor Mark Farrell who authored the proposition. We need to get people off the streets and into shelter and housing. The proliferation of camping tents used by the homeless has compounded over the past two years increasing the visibility of the homeless population. The problem reached its height last spring when an encampment on Division Street swelled to around 300 tent campers before police cleared it out in time for the Super Bowl. Splinters camps from that encampment spread across the city. The tents that have emerged in San Francisco, Farrell said, have really become the symbol of the issue we face as a city. Farrell accused the tent encampments of becoming dens of crime and prostitution, hosting bicycle chop-shops and laden with human waste and unsanitary conditions. Joe Rosato Jr./NBC Bay Area As a city government, to encourage these tent encampments or institutionalize them to me is exactly the wrong approach, Farrell said. Its dangerous for the people living in them. Its dangerous for the rest of San Francisco residents. But homeless activists said Farrells plan is flawed because the city lacks enough housing options to offer shelter or housing to those being evicted from their sidewalk lodging. Theres no housing in the measure, said Jennifer Friedenbach, executive director of the Coalition on Homelessness. Its basically about taking away peoples tents so theyre sleeping on the cold hard concrete. Joe Rosato Jr./NBC Bay Area Friedenbach said the proposition only calls for the homeless to be housed for one night after which she said they would return to the streets. She called the proposition political grandstanding without helping to solve the greater issue of homelessness. The tents are already illegal so enforcement is not working, Friedenbach said. The only solution on this situation is housing. Sitting near a row of tents near Folsom and 16th streets, Mario Diaz bristled at details of the proposition. After living on the streets for three years, he said the homeless are already rousted regularly with little notice and the proposition would only make conditions worse. Its unfair to give guys 24 hour notice to confiscate and the law is protecting that, Diaz said. That is not right at all. The proposition would call for the Department of Public Works to retain confiscated belongings for 90 days which Farrell called an improvement over the current system. Prop. Q will hit the ballot at a time when the city is expanding homeless services including highly touted navigation centers which offer all-in-one services and lodging for the homeless. But the sight of encampments and piles of associated trash have frustrated residents who have grown weary of the camps. Diaz said while he disagrees with the intention of Prop. Q, he said he understands the inspiration for it. Its only understandable why a hard working family man wakes up in the morning and sees needles on the floor and tents bunched up, Diaz said. Its understandable why theyd feel that way. One day after police released video of the controversial deadly shooting of an unarmed black man in El Cajon, hundreds took part in protests and rallies across San Diego County. The day's first gathering began at 10 a.m. at the Prescott Promenade on E. Main Street where faith-based leaders came together for a prayer rally. A diverse but peaceful crowd listened as leaders spoke about the police shooting of Alfred Olango, 38. Many demonstrators held signs; one large banner read "#NotOneMore" while a another smaller sign read "White Silence=Violence." "[It's] time for immediate and urgent action," local Bishop George McKinney said to the crowd, also asking for peace and justice. Rev. Shane Harris, of the San Diego chapter of the National Action Network, also spoke at the prayer rally. "Today when we march, we're marching for peace, we're marching for justice. No justice, no peace!" said Harris. A peaceful march down the streets of El Cajon followed, with demonstrators chanting Olango's name. "What do we want? Justice! When do we want it? Now!" the protesters chanted. At around 3:30 p.m., another march began in downtown San Diego. "No justice, no peace!" those demonstrators chanted. One woman held a sign that read: "Comply or not, we're shot." A much larger group of protesters gathered at Balboa Park in the early evening. The large crowd prompted transportation officials to close the State Route 163 connector to Interstate 5 at Park Boulevard. Protestors chanting at the Hall of Justice downtown San Diego. Want justice for #AlfredOlango. #NBC7 pic.twitter.com/n3dv8PR8Rd Ashley Matthews (@ashleyNBC7) October 2, 2016 The protesters made their way to downtown San Diego by way of Park Boulevard. They turned onto Broadway and convened at the Hall of Justice. Along the way, they shouted "Alfred Olango" and "No justice. No peace." Besides blocking some traffic on Park Boulevard, the evening protest stayed peaceful. #CHP blocking off traffic at 11th and A St. to make sure protestors don't go on freeway. #NBC7 pic.twitter.com/VX8mjHNxHQ Ashley Matthews (@ashleyNBC7) October 2, 2016 Watch the Facebook live of the march below or here. Olango was shot and killed by officers with the El Cajon Police Department (ECPD) on Tuesday in the parking lot of a shopping center in the 800 block of Broadway. Police said Olango refused to comply with the officers orders to get his hands out of the pockets of his pants. Police said he pulled a 4-inch-long vaping device from his pocket and pointed it at the officers in a shooting stance. At that point, ECPD Officer Josh McDaniel deployed a Taser on Olango; Officer Richard Gonsalves fired several shots at Olango, critically striking him. The encounter was captured on cellphone video by a witness who was working at a nearby taco shop, as well as on a surveillance camera from that business. Following the shooting, the ECPD released a single still photograph pulled from that video of Olango in that shooting stance. Civil rights leaders urged the police department and San Diego District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis to release the full video. ECPD Chief Jeff Davis said the decision to release the video Friday stemmed from concern for public safety. However, Harris argued that the video was not shown to Olangos family before it was publicly released, which was upsetting to the family. He argued that Davis, Dumanis and El Cajon Mayor Bill Wells released the video to only quell protests. They want peace. But what they dont understand is that if there is no justice, there is no peace, said Harris at his own news conference following the release of the video. The shooting of Olango is the latest case in a series of police shootings of unarmed black men across America. The case has sparked days of protests in El Cajon. Some demonstrations have been peaceful, others have been heated, leading to arrests. September, as a rule 'round this longing-for-fall region, is all about the major theme park haunts, from Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood to Fright Fest at Six Flags Magic Mountain to the family-cute Mickey's Halloween Party at Disneyland. October, though? That's when the handmade yard haunts begin to pop up, with pluck and spunk, as All Hallows Eve draws near. And while there are many excellent examples, we must pause and pay teeth-clattering tribute to Boney Island, the Sherman Oaks skele-tacular, for it is a haunt that's known far beyond its neighborhood. So widely have tales of an island full of skeletons spread that traffic has become a bit of a sticky wicket in recent years. But the people behind the yard haunt, led by the humorous Rick Polizzi, a former producer of "The Simpsons," want to see the grinning, skull-sweet high jinks live on (if "live on" is the right way to refer to a suburban front yard overrun by all sorts of bone-showing revelers). So to keep Boney Island's mysterious mid-yard tree house lit up, and the skeleton fortune teller telling the future, and the other eerie vignettes that have become classics to a generation of Valley denizens, the hard-working dreamers behind the haunt have a GoFundMe page up, all to "help alleviate congestion of cars" via the hiring of traffic officers. If you've stopped by to pay your seasonal respects to Maestro Maxilla, the bone-afide master of ceremonies for the attraction, then you know this is a wise move, because the cars? They do come to Boney Island's shores. In droves. The long (femur) and short (ulna) of it is this: Everyone wants a trip to Boney Island come late October, and that its makers don't sell tickets, or charge for the getaway, is a kind-hearted gesture. So if you're a fan, and want to make a kind gesture back, start here, at the Go Fund Me page, and provide some spooky support to a SoCal classic, one that's been haunting Sherman Oaks for nearly two decades. What other yard haunts has this primo screamo spot inspired? It truly is one of the skele-titans of Southern California, and there are no ifs, ands, or bones about that statement, full stop. Boney Island is open nightly in 2016 from Oct. 22 through Halloween. A shelter operations manager is expected in court on Monday to face charges involving an inappropriate relationship with a 15-year-old shelter volunteer, authorities said. John Patrick Moreno, 35, who is on leave from his job at Friends of Upland Animal Shelter, was arrested Sept. 21, police said. He's in jail awaiting his court hearing scheduled for Monday. For years the suspect lived in Maryland working as the executive director of the Worcester County Humane Society. He's also a Navy veteran who worked with military dogs. He moved to Ontario and took a job in July as the operations manager for the Upland shelter. Earlier this month, the 15 year old girl told her parents that Moreno was trying to lure her into having sex, police said. She said the inappropriate behavior began when Moreno gave her a ride home. The girl's parents told police and detectives used her cellphone to engage in sexual conversations with Moreno via text. Detectives, acting as the girl, arranged for a meeting at a park in Upland. "He showed up in the park with a detective waiting for him," said Lt. Eleno Arriaga, of the Upland Police Department, adding that he had alcohol and a motel room key. The animal shelter released a statement, saying that they are cooperating with police and that moreno has been placed on administrative leave. In California, we are reminded of our first Spanish settlers all the time, but not all are just antiquated reminders of our past. Jonathan Lorenzo Yorba continues to honor his family's legacy to this day. He's dedicated to helping people in the very same communities his ancestors once called home as chief executive of the Community Foundation. The Community Foundation, the oldest and largest community foundation in all of Riverside San Bernardino counties, is celebrating 75 years this month. Its mission is to strengthen inland Southern California through philanthropy. The Yorba family roots in America date back to 1769, when much of the West Coast was controlled by the Spanish Empire. When Jose Antonio Yorba, one of the solider escorts to the king of Spain arrived, he was granted thousands upon thousands of acres for his services to the crown. "There is a saying in my family: 'As far as you can see, this is Yorba land,'" Jonathan Lorenzo Yorba says. He was told at one point "Yorba land" stretched from San Juan Capistrano to San Francisco. The Yorbas and other prominent families worked their properties until they prospered with livestock and agriculture. By the mid-1800s, they were called ranchos, with names like San Joaquin, Palos Verdes, La Cienega, Los Cerritos and Santa Ana. In one photo, Juan Antonio Yorba could be seen posing with the Sepulveda brothers. "People were at peace, they enjoyed one another's company," Jonathan Lorenzo Yorba says. But in a new country, growing pains were inevitable. "California ultimately became a republic, there was the Mexican-American War - all of that turmoil occurred, and my family was witness to that history," Yorba says. When he was just boy, the patriarch of his family told him something he vowed never to forget. "He would say, 'Remember, always remember, you are going to be somebody.' So to have that instilled in you at an early age I think has held me in a number of situations," Yorba says. Though he wonders if the motto and the memories may fade, just look to the Community Foundation, where assistance is given to those who live on what was once Yorba land and where Yorba lessons still resonate each and every day. "Whether you call it charity or philanthropy or helping somebody out, that comes from deep within me, and that comes from my family. Yorba acknowledges the land the Yorbas' were given by the king of Spain centuries ago belonged to Native Americans. The Tribal Alliance of Sovereign Indian Nations and Inland Southern California Tribes will be honored when the Community Foundation hosts its 75th anniversary gala on Oct. 15th in Riverside. A mastery of words is a skill that very few have been able to conquer. Then there's Vin Scully, a man who makes eloquence look easy, a poet, masquerading as a play-by-play announcer. For 67 years, Scully has spun a web of language that has no equal. Did he memorize the dictionary? Spend his school years studying the poets of yesteryear? Was he born with a God-given talent? No. Ask the man himself, and he tongue-in-cheek has a two-word answer for why he has become one of the greatest storyteller's the world has ever seen. Blarney Stone. That's right. The ancient stone located atop the Blarney Castle with mystical powers rooted heavily in Irish lore. Scully was born in the Bronx to an Irish mother who passed on her red hair to her only son. At the age of four, his father, Vincent Aloysius, died of pneumonia and his heartbroken and homesick mother decided to take her son back home to Ireland. The Scullys landed in Dublin in the summer of 1932, just in time for the 31st International Eucharistic Congress where a huge majority of Ireland attended a mass in Phoenix Park held by Cardinal Lorenzo Lauri. "They were saying mass in the streets in Dublin," Scully recalled. "My father had died and I guess I was not quite five, so my mother, heartbroken, brought me back home and we spent quite a bit of time not only in Ballyconnell [The birthplace of his mother], but out on the farms wherever the family was." Scully and his mother explored Ireland together and made a stop in the small country town of Cork, located just a few miles from the imposing medieval ruin known as Blarney Castle. So Bridget and her son made the same trek up the foremost tower that over 300,000 people a year do, to the powerful talisman known simply as, "The Blarney Stone." The origin of the stone is rooted in mystery and legend. It dates back to the 15th century around Cormac McCarthy, the builder of Blarney Castle. The story goes that McCarthy sought the assistance of Cliodhna, a Banshee Queen and goddess of love and beauty rooted in Irish mythology. McCarthy was at the center of a lawsuit that could have cost him his castle, and Cliodhna told him to kiss the first stone he saw in the morning before he arrived at court. He did, and he was suddenly blessed with a golden tongue that enabled him to plead his case before the judge with eloquence and ease. From that day forward, the legend goes, that anybody who kisses the Blarney stone will be endowed with the gift of gab, or an innate ability to speak with eloquence and flattery. "My mother took me back to Ireland and I actually went and kissed the Blarney Stone," Scully told ESPN's Dan Lebatard when asked the secret of his speaking skills. "There's an old legend about the stone, that if you kiss it, it will help you in speaking. So tongue and cheek, perhaps it's that." However, kissing the stone is no easy feat. It involves tremendous courage and trust, as the stone is located in an inaccessible spot. It requires the kisser to suspend themselves upside down, with their legs held by another person, as they dangerously hang above a sheer drop in order to place one's lips on the stone. Scully credits his mother for instilling in him the courage to kiss the stone and his strength throughout his life. He calls his mother a "very strong" person, especially "spiritually, mentally and physically." "God has been very generous to me," Scully expanded with Lebatard. "To be given the opportunity to do it at a very young age and then through the Lord's grace, allowing me to do it for 67 years." Scully returned to Ireland on a detour from Japan when he travelled with the Dodgers to Tokyo in 1956. Alongside friends, he returned to Dublin and was able to attain an audience with the Pope, Pius XII, Euegenio Maria Guiseppe Giovanni Pacelli. Scully is set to retire following the Dodgers final game of the regular season on Sunday, October 2, at AT&T Park in San Francisco. KTLA, Spectrum SportsNetLA, MLB.com and AM570 on radio will all carry Scully's final call of his career as the Dodgers face off with their longtime rivals, the Giants. A coroner says a 6-year-old boy has died days after he was critically wounded in a school shooting in South Carolina. Anderson County Coroner Greg Shore said Jacob Hall died about 1 p.m. Saturday. Jacob had been fighting for his life at a hospital since the shooting Wednesday at Townville Elementary School. A bullet struck Hall in a main artery in his leg, causing him to lose a lot of blood. Shore said an autopsy would take place within the next couple of days. Once those results have been received, the Sheriff's Office and the Solicitor's Office will discuss whether to upgrade any of the charges against the shooter. "We have all been affected by this terrible event," Sheriff John Skipper said. Authorities say another student and a first-grade teacher were also shot when a 14-year-old boy opened fire on a playground. They were treated and released. A GoFundMe page was set up by a friend of Jacob Hall's family and had raised about $100,000 by noon Friday. The boy's parents needed financial assistance after missing work to be with him in the hospital, according a message on the crowd funding site. Sandy Hook Promise, an organization that advocates for gun control legislation, founded by family members who lost loved ones in the Sandy Hook Elementary school shooting, sent condolences to Jacob Hall's family and the community. Our Condolences to Jacob Hall's Family and Community https://t.co/bK7bdcST9k pic.twitter.com/yHTsJYvRxn Sandy Hook Promise (@sandyhook) October 1, 2016 In a statement, Sandy Hook Promise said its members are "heartsick" over Hall's death. "We know firsthand the anguish his friends, family, teachers and classmates are facing. This didnt have to happen, it should not have happened, and we are deeply saddened to add Townville, and any town, to the growing list of American communities forever touched by gun violence." The small Connecticut town of Newtown was thrust onto the world stage on December 14, 2012, when 20-year-old Adam Lanza fatally shot 20 school children and six teachers. Authorities say the teen killed his father before he drove to the school. He was charged as a juvenile Friday with murder and three counts of attempted murder. Authorities have not released a motive. [NATL] Top News Photos: Pope Visits Japan, and More Philadelphia police officers fired 109 shots at a Cobbs Creek father who went on a stabbing spree in his neighborhood Wednesday night. The sheer number of rounds that whizzed down a residential street concerns the department's top brass, Commissioner Richard Ross said Friday. A number of bullets sprayed two homes at the intersection of Cobbs Creek Parkway and Webster Street. They also took down 32-year-old Christopher Sowell. NBC10 Police said Sowell snapped Wednesday evening, choked his daughter, stabbed his young son and a friend and then assaulted a woman and slit the throat of a elderly neighbor after barging into her home. All victims remain hospitalized, Ross said. The three stabbing victims remain in critical condition. Nine officers opened fire on Sowell, whose daughter believed he under the influence of drugs, after he walked out of the neighbor's home and failed to listen to their commands, according to investigators. The medical examiner has not yet said how many times Sowell was hit. The standard service weapon for Philadelphia officers is a Glock handgun. Depending on the caliber of the bullet, the gun can fire up to 17 rounds before needing a new magazine. Investigators said police thought Sowell was pulling a gun from his pocket when they opened fire. The initial dispatch information they received reported that the children had been shot, not stabbed, Ross said. "They had every reason to believe that he was armed with a gun because even the officers who broadcasted that they were headed to the hospital with the victims, they believed the children were shot," Ross said. A weapon was not found on or around Sowell's body, but a cell phone was. Danny Sowell, a man alleging to be Christopher Sowell's brother in a Facebook post, admonished police for killing him and the media for describing the man in a negative light. "My brother is not no killer, he not no menace...he a teddy bear. He'd do anything for you," Danny Sowell wrote in a post. "He just got on some bad s--t, man." NBC10 No one else on the block was injured by gunfire, but another resident being hurt by friendly fire is central to Ross' worry. He said officers could have fallen victim to "contagious shooting" -- where they followed each other in discharging their weapons. "Other officers hear that gun fire and they believe they are under fire. And they return fire. And in this case firing multiple times," Ross said. Ross said there may be a training issue that needs to be addressed. The officers who opened fire have not yet spoken to Internal Affairs investigators about what transpired. The department carries out an investigation every time an officer uses their service weapon. The officers involved were identified as: Anthony Britton, a 17 year veteran; Jeremy Olesik, a 9 year veteran; Michael Kane, Jr., a 9 year veteran; Thomas Thompson, a 1 year veteran; Walton Scott, a 2 year veteran; Ronald Green, a 19 year veteran; Adrian Hustler, a 9 year veteran; Richard Edwards, a 8 year veteran; and Timothy Moebius, a 3 year veteran. The department is currently undertaking reality-based training where officers are put in a number of real-world scenarios to see how they react. Ross said 1,000 officers have gone through the program and it specifically focuses on "contagious shooting." "They have to maintain their ability to hold their gunfire while the officer next to them is firing simultaneously," Ross said. A dual investigation into the stabbing and the police-involved shooting are ongoing. More creepy clown sightings in Florida have residents concerned and authorities investigating. Students at Largo Middle School near Clearwater reported seeing a clown lurking outside the school Friday morning, WFLA reported. School district officials said a resource officer and officers responded but didn't find anyone dressed as a clown. An automated message was sent to parents to inform them. Meanwhile, authorities in Pasco County just north of Tampa said Friday that they're investigating multiple sightings over the past few days. Pasco County Sheriff's Office officials said sightings have occurred in Hudson, Port Richey and Holiday. They said people dressed as clowns are also creating profiles on Facebook and requesting kids as friends. In one post, a clown requested a juvenile meet the clown at a park at night, the sheriff's office said. Officials added that the incidents aren't being taken as a joke and are being investigated as threats. Earlier this week, a video of a clown hiding in woods in Marion County was posted on Facebook. Another sighting was reported by a woman who was walking her dog in Palm Bay. A South Florida school bus driver is facing charges after authorities say she abused a severely autistic woman. Jeannette Johnson, 58, was arrested Thursday on charges of battery and abuse of a disabled adult, according to a Miami-Dade Police arrest report. Johnson was booked into jail and later released on bond. No attorney information was immediately available. According to the report the victim is a severely autistic adult woman who receives a ride to the Ruth Owens Kruse Educational Center on a school bus. She is non-verbal but must be harnessed in the bus, investigators said. Johnson allegedly pushed, mocked and verbally abused the woman, and the incident was caught on video, the report said. The tape shows Johnson intentionally sitting on top of the victim, the report said. The educational center's principal declined to comment Friday. Employees at the center said they weren't aware of the arrest. "The alleged actions of the employee are abhorrent and are in no way condoned by the school district," Miami-Dade Schools officials said in a statement. "This type of behavior by an employee will result in reprimands, up to and including termination." The allegations had neighbors upset Friday. "It's horrific because you leave your kids trusting they're in good hands and you assume everyone on the bus is someone that is mindful of their condition," Betty Hegland said. A day after Donald Trump took to Twitter in the middle of the night to shame a former beauty pageant winner and criticize Hillary Clinton, his rivals team fired back with its own tweet storm in the wee hours of Saturday morning. It's 3:20am. As good a time as any to tweet about national service, began a series of messages tweeted from Clinton's verified account. It's 3:20am. As good a time as any to tweet about national service. https://t.co/6hRCC16UiV Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) October 1, 2016 The five-part series makes no mention of Trump and instead encourages followers to answer the call to public service and lift each other up," a positive message at glaring odds with her rival's comments the previous night. Early Friday, Trump launched a social media tirade against the 1996 Miss Universe winner Alicia Machado and accused Clinton's team of helping her get U.S. citizenship. Did Crooked Hillary help disgusting (check out sex tape and past) Alicia M become a U.S. citizen so she could use her in the debate?" read one tweet Trump posted on his account at 5:30 a.m. Anytime you see a story about me or my campaign saying "sources said," DO NOT believe it. There are no sources, they are just made up lies! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 30, 2016 Trump ignored questions from reporters about the tweets as he campaigned in Michigan. But he wrote on Twitter Friday afternoon that his pre-dawn tweeting was a sign that "I will be there, awake, to answer the call." Clinton retorted in a tweet of her own saying the episode was "unhinged. Even for Trump." While Donald continues day 5 of his Machado meltdown, we'll be in Florida talking about national service. You'll want to watch. Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) September 30, 2016 She elaborated at a campaign event in Florida Friday, where she questioned "who gets up at 3 o'clock in the morning to engage in a Twitter attack against a former Miss Universe?" "I mean he hurled as many insults as he could. Really, why does he do things like that?" She said the actions proved "yet again that he is temperamentally unfit to be president and commander in chief." "I have said it before and I have said it again," Clinton added. "A man who can be provoked by a tweet should not be anywhere near the nuclear codes." Earlier, Machado took to her Facebook page to say Trump's tweets were part of a pattern of "demoralizing women." "These attacks are cheap lies with bad intentions," Machado said. (See a translation of her full post here). But Trump appeared undaunted, even as his broadside against Machado ricocheted across the campaign, and Democrats seized it as to criticize him all the more. [NATL] Highlights From the 2016 Campaign Trail His campaign described the hullabaloo as the consequence of collusion between biased news outlets and Clinton's campaign. "This is the single biggest coordinated media attack in history," said Trump campaign spokeswoman Jessica Ditto. Machado, the Venezuela-born actress, has been center stage in the campaign since Clinton noted in Monday's debate that Trump had mocked her publicly for gaining weight after she won Miss Universe, a pageant then owned by the businessman. Clilnton brought up that Machado said Trump called the woman "Miss Piggy" and "Miss Housekeeping." If that was a trap laid by Clinton, the irrepressible Trump dug himself deeper the next day by saying Machado's "massive" weight gain had been "a real problem." His latest taunt appeared to refer to footage from a Spanish reality show in 2005 in which Machado was a contestant and appeared on camera in bed with a male contestant. The images are grainy and do not include nudity, though Machado later acknowledged in the Hispanic media that she was having sex in the video. NBC News has not verified its authenticity. https://www.instagram.com/p/BK Clinton's campaign has released videos featuring Machado and has arranged for reporters to interview her in an effort to use Trump's comments against him just as early voting in critical states gets underway. Her spokesman said she called Machado Friday to thank her for her courage. Clinton, in her response to Trump on Twitter, tied his broadside against Machado to his previous attacks on Rosie O'Donnell and Kim Kardashian about their looks. "When something gets under Donald's thin skin, he lashes out and can't let go," Clinton said. "This is dangerous for a president." Shaming Machado over intimate details from her past could be particularly risky as Trump tries to win over more female voters, many of whom are turned away by such personal attacks. It also risks calling further attention to the thrice-married Trump's own history with women. Clinton's campaign has highlighted Machado's status as a new American and her plans to cast her first vote for Clinton. But Clinton spokeswoman Jennifer Palmieri said Clinton did not help Machado get U.S. citizenship. The flurry on Twitter began shortly after 3 a.m. on the East Coast when Trump complained about stories about his campaign based on anonymous sources and told his supporters not to believe them. For those few people knocking me for tweeting at three o'clock in the morning, at least you know I will be there, awake, to answer the call! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 30, 2016 "There are no sources, they are just made up lies!" he wrote. Trump has repeatedly gotten himself in trouble with his late-night and early-morning tweets, which appear to be written by the candidate himself. Trump has, at various points during his campaign, toned down the content, but rarely for long. His Republican allies have implored him to stick to attacks on Clinton over her family foundation, her emails or her long history as a political insider, critiques that fall further out of view whenever he sparks a new controversy. Even some of Trump's most vocal allies seemed at a loss for words at the candidate's latest actions. "He's being Trump. I don't have any comment beyond that," said former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, a top supporter. Generally chatty and occasionally critical of Trump, Gingrich said tersely that Trump sometimes does "strange things," but that Clinton lies. "I'll let you decide which is worse for America." But Trump's inner circle followed his lead by refusing to concede any missteps. Trump didn't mention the tweets Friday evening as he rallied supporters in Michigan. The vendetta against Machado adds fuel to a burgeoning debate in America about putting down women over the perception of promiscuity. Women's advocates have said the phenomenon, which takes place largely online, holds women to a different standard because men are often praised for having multiple partners. A day earlier, as Trump tried to bounce back from his widely panned debate performance, he warned voters that a Clinton victory would bring her husband's sex scandal back to the White House. The fresh rehash of the 1990s Monica Lewisnky scandal came despite Trump's insistence that he's been courageously restrained by not bringing it up. What to Know FBI agents were back at Ahmad Khan Rahami's family's home in Elizabeth, New Jersey, on Friday to conduct interviews and collect evidence The home is located on Elmira Avenue, above the family's fast-food chicken restaurant Rahami remains hospitalized with gunshot wounds after a police shootout that led to his capture outside a bar in Linden Federal investigators are again gathering evidence from the home of a man charged with setting off bombs in New York and New Jersey. FBI special agent Michael Whitaker says agents were back at Ahmad Khan Rahami's family's home in Elizabeth, New Jersey, on Friday to conduct interviews and collect evidence as part of their investigation. He says there's no threat to public safety. The home is located on Elmira Avenue, above the family's fast-food chicken restaurant. A man who works nearby said FBI agents showed up in tactical gear. "They said 'bring the dogs,' and they take a box from the house," said Armando Fernandez. "First of all it was a big shock in the beginning and now you see it happening again," neighbor Erik Fiorillo said of investigators swarming the block. "It's just like, when is it going to end?" The local mayor told NBC News the area may be closed for several hours. The Sept. 17 blasts came two years after the FBI looked into Rahami but found nothing tying him to terrorism. The bombs injured 31 people. Rahami is an Afghan-born U.S. citizen. He remains hospitalized with gunshot wounds after a police shootout that led to his capture outside a bar in Linden, New Jersey. He hasn't made an initial court appearance, and his American Civil Liberties Union lawyers have declined to comment. Thousands gathered in Yonkers Saturday to memorialize FDNY Battalion Chief Michael Fahy, the father of three and longtime firefighter who was killed when a suspected drug lab exploded in the Bronx earlier this week. Among the throngs of people who convened at Annunciation Church to pay their respects were Mayor Bill de Blasio and FDNY commissioner Daniel A. Nigro. "[Mike's] life work was to protect others," said Mayor de Blasio. "He expressed that profoundly. He was something we could look up to every day." FDNY officials marched through the streets dressed in crisp, double-breasted navy blue jackets. Overcasted skies mirrored the funeral's somber mood. As the crowd silently filed into the church, the honks of passing FDNY trucks and the rumbling of FDNY Emerald Society Pipes' snare drums were the only audible sounds. Fahy was remembered by colleagues and friends as a "do-er", someone who was able to overcome obstacles. His family remembered him as a dedicated father who never passed up an opportunity to watch a soccer practice or cook his signature meatballs. Fahy was killed by falling debris when a house fronting a suspected marijuana operation exploded at West 234th Street near Tibbett Avenue in Kingsbridge Tuesday. An hour prior to the explosion, firefighters responded to a report of a gas smell at the location and found the house, police say. Firefighters found the alleged lab and notified police, but before they could investigate, the home blew up. Fahy was the only fatality; several other people were injured. Two days after his death, Fahy was posthumously promoted to deputy chief, the highest civil service promotional achievement in the FDNY, by Mayor de Blasio and Commissioner Nigro. A devoted husband and father of three young children, ages 6, 8 and 11, Fahy became a firefighter in 1999 after practicing as a lawyer for nine months and served through 9/11. He ascended through the ranks to become battalion chief in 2012 after 13 years of service, making him the second fastest to ever do so in FDNY history. His desire to do good was instilled before he became a civil servant: He helped to establish a fellowship that provides legal service for those in need at New York Law School, where he also obtained a law degree with honors. "He could have been anything he wanted to be, but what he wanted more than anything was to be a New York City firefighter," said Commissioner Nigro. "The fact that he chose this career shows a lot about his commitment to serving others." He received his undergraduate degree from Binghamton University in 1994 and his master's degree at the Center for Homeland Defense and Security's Naval Postgraduate School, according to education records. Colleagues of Battalion Chief Michael Fahy took part in tributes across the city. His colleagues remember the 44-year-old father of three as a calm and collected leader even in the most dangerous situations. Gus Rosendale reports. Fahy is the 1,145th firefighter to die in the line of duty since the FDNY's inception in 1865. He is the first member of the department to die since 2014. Draped in a bright red FDNY flag, his coffin was loaded onto the back of a fire engine. Onlookers watched as the truck slowly drove away, followed by a cavalcade of FDNY vehicles. Fiona Fahy noted the irony in the street closures and traffic congestion created by her husband's funeral: Mike hated traffic because it kept him from being where he was needed. "Mike climbed 100 mountains to be with his children and protect them," she said as her voice trembled. "I have to believe that my husband has it all figured out, and he will always be with us." Authorities have two people in custody in connection with Tuesday's blast, which officials said was sparked by an illegal gas line. One of the men is awaiting extradition to New York after being arrested on a fugitive warrant in New Jersey; the other faces marijuana possession charges. A New Jersey man wanted on charges of terroristic threats and weapons offense is now being sought for questioning after someone exposed himself to a 10-year-old girl and attempted to lure her Friday morning, police say. Elizabeth police say they had already been looking for Jair Ramirez for allegedly threatening a 15-year-old girl at knifepoint on Sept. 15. Now he's a person of interest in the incident involving the 10-year-old girl Friday morning, police said. In that case, a man exposed his genitals to the girl and tried to lure her into a secluded alleyway on Orchard Street. He ran away when a concerned neighbor intervened, according to police. The suspect's identity in the case has not been established, and Ramirez is only considered a person of interest right now, police said. Anyone with information is asked to contact Elizabeth police at 908-558-2111 or 908-558-2004. Ramirez should be considered armed and dangerous, police said. Gov. Greg Abbott says he's withdrawing Texas from the refugee resettlement program because the federal government refuses to provide assurances refugees don't post a security threat. Experts say, however, that the move will not stop refugees from finding a home in Texas. Abbott first said he planned to withdraw from the program last week after asking the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Director of National Intelligence to "provide assurances that refugees resettled in Texas will not pose a security threat, and that the number of refugees resettled in Texas would not exceed the States original allocation in fiscal year 2016." With those requests denied, Abbott said he's pulled out of the program to prioritize the safety of all Texans while urging the government to overhaul the broken system. Texas is the third state to leave the program, along with New Jersey and Kansas. Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins told NBC 5 last week that the governor pulling out of the program won't stop the refugees from coming. "The state government doesn't have the power to build a wall around the state and refuse to let the children come here," Jenkins said. According the Office of Refugee Resettlement, or ORR, the director can appoint a designee to administer the assistance to refugees, if a state opts out of the program. "ORR and its federal partners across the administration are working with states to ensure that all refugees and entrants have access to the critical support needed to help them rebuild their lives in the United States in a manner that protects them as well as the safety and security of the communities where they settle," ORR said in a statement Friday afternoon. "While we of course regret Texas' decision, ORR is working to appoint designees to administer services to refugees in Texas, until a later time when competitive bids will be accepted for a Wilson-Fish alternative program. ORR is working to prevent a disruption in the delivery of services and benefits to refugees and entrants in Texas." Last week Bill Bernstein, deputy director of Mosaic Family Services, a state-funded program that helps refugees once they arrive in North Texas, said he was confident the federal government would find another way to channel money to the agencies serving the refugee population. In a statement to NBC 5 Friday afternoon, ORR said refugees will continue to be resettled in Texas only after extensive screenings are conducted by the State Department and Department of Homeland Security. In the last year, about 2,000 refugees have resettled in the Dallas area, with about one in every 10 of them coming from Syria. NBC 5's Julie Fine contributed to this report. A Prince William County, Virginia, teen is headed to court after being charged in a dispute over a carton of milk, according to The Washington Post. Ryan Turk, 14, was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct and petty larceny after being accused of stealing a 65-cent carton of milk and pushing a school resource officer. The incident occurred at Graham Park Middle School on May 10. Turk said he forgot to get his milk the first time through the lunch line and just went back to grab it, the Post reports. He said as a recipient of free lunches at the school, he felt he was just doing what he did every day. Authorities told the Post that a school resource officer saw Turk take the milk and accused him of stealing it. When the student did not cooperate with a trip to see the principal, he was arrested and charged. "No one needs to be punished for stealing a 65-cent carton of milk," Emmett Robinson, the family's attorney told the Post. "This officer treats kids like theyre criminals, and guess what happens theyre going to become criminals." Shamise Turk, Ryans mother, alleges Ryan was discriminated against and targeted because he is a black teenager who didnt want to go with the officer, who she said was being unfair, according to the Post. The officer and principal involved are also black. Phil Kavits, a Prince William County schools spokesman, said that he could not comment on the specifics of the incident but that it is not a race-related issue, noting "all the key parties involved, including the principal and the police officer, are African-American. "The staff members are well known in our highly diverse community for their dedication and caring approach to all students, Kavits added. The Washington Post generally does not identify minors charged with misdemeanor crimes, but Ryan Turk and his family opted to speak publicly to bring attention to the matter. Construction on an expansive elevated Philadelphia park could begin as early as this fall thanks to a $3.5 million grant. The Center City District announced on Friday that construction of Phase 1 of the Viaduct Rail Park could begin this fall after a Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program grant was awarded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Phase 1 of the project will improve the 1300 block of Noble Street and will transform a quarter-mile portion of the former Reading Viaduct into a green park with lit walking paths, seating, and gathering areas. The viaduct runs from 13th and Nobel streets across 12th Street to Callowhill Street The entire Rail Park will connect Fairmount Park with Center City for a length of 3 miles. The trail will run through ten different neighborhoods and will expanse 50 city blocks, all on the tracks of the old Reading Railroad. The Viaduct Rail Park will be a welcoming green space amenity for residents, workers, and students from across the city, as well as visitors to Philadelphia, said Paul R. Levy, President and CEO of the Center City District. It will also help prompt new business and residential investment in the area. We are grateful to Governor Wolf and all the generous supporters who worked to make this new park a reality. The Center City District began the competitive bid process in July 2016 and once a contractor is selected, construction is projected to take 15 to 18 months. The project is being funded through a combination of state, city, foundation and private resources. A man who fatally stabbed his estranged wife's boyfriend is now headed to prison. Burlington County prosecutors say John Borger IV received a nine-year sentence this week. The 41-year-old Maple Shade man initially was charged with murder in November 2013 killing of 44-year-old Mark Brooks. But a jury acquitted him on that count in May and instead convicted him of passion-provoked manslaughter. Brooks was found stabbed outside his unit at the Park Crossing apartment complex in Maple Shade. Prosecutors say Borger was armed with a knife when he went to the complex and confronted Brooks. Besides the manslaughter charge, Borger also was convicted of weapons offenses and hindering apprehension. A teenager who punched a man in an unprovoked street corner attack that was captured on video has been sentenced to three years in prison. Kristian Gonzalez apologized to the victim during his sentencing Friday. He had pleaded guilty in August to aggravated assault. The 18-year-old Paterson resident was 17 when the attack occurred. He initially was charged as a juvenile, but the case was moved to adult court. Gonzalez punched the 37-year-old victim on December 2015 as the man walked to a Paterson bodega. The victim was seriously injured but has recovered. Authorities launched an investigation after a video of the assault surfaced online. A 16-year-old boy who allegedly encouraged Gonzalez and also recorded the attack is charged with aggravated assault and endangering an injured victim. His case is pending in juvenile court. An eastern Pennsylvania man has been convicted of first-degree murder and other charges for killing his father and grandmother. A Berks County jury quickly returned the verdict Friday after the week-long trial of 36-year-old Johnny T. Branford. Branford had been staying in the victims' Reading home before he was kicked out in December 2014 after an argument with his father, and had a protection-from-abuse order lodged against him. Prosecutors say he returned Jan. 26, 2015 to stab 52-year-old Johnny M. Branford 30 times, then strangled 74-year-old Mary Branford so she couldn't report the first killing. Branford then took his grandmother's credit cards and went on a shopping spree before the bodies were discovered, then was arrested 10 days later. Branford denied the killings, testifying, "That goes against my beliefs." Musicians of the Philadelphia Orchestra went on strike Friday evening, minutes after they were scheduled to perform for an Opening Night gala at the Kimmel Center. The vote took place inside the performance center shortly before the event's 7 p.m. start time. Carrying signs and, for some, instruments, the musicians loudly made their way through the the center to Broad Street where they began to picket. A few of the musicians played their instruments as concert attendees filed out of the the hall. In a statement, the Philadelphia Orchestra Musicians said the strike is not a "greedy search for ever more money," but rather a stand for fair compensation. "Over the past nine years, we have endured multiple cuts to our wages, pension, and working conditions in the hopes that our sacrifices would give the Association time to rebuild and restore us to our proper status," the statement read in part. The Philadelphia Orchestra filed for bankruptcy protection in 2011 and emerged a year later. The 116-year-old institution is one of America's oldest and most acclaimed orchestras. Musicians were working on a one-year contract that recently expired. They continued to work as negotiations continued, but those talks broke down Friday. Under the orchestra's offer, musician's annual base salary would have been $127,608 a year with two percent increases for three years. A profit sharing fund would also have been created, officials said. The musicians union said they are compensated much less than players in comparable ensembles like the Boston Symphony Orchestra and San Francisco Symphony. Philadelphia Orchestra Musicians "If a talented musician has to decide between auditioning for Philadelphia or Boston or San Francisco, which orchestra will they choose?" the group wrote. "We can no longer remain silent while we continue in a downward spiral." Earlier Friday, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra went on strike after rejecting a proposed 15 percent pay cut and pension and staffing reductions. The Philadelphia Orchestra's weekend performances have been canceled. Contract negotiations are expected to resume on Monday. Friday marked a sad day for Wilmington as the Delaware city laid two well-known firefighters to rest. Christopher Leach and Jerry Fickes were killed in an intentionally set fire after being trapped in the basement. But as funeral services went on in Wilmington, just 50 minutes south, there was a cause for celebration. Kyle Benjamin prepared for the Monster Mile, a car race in which he would drive No. 40 Chevrolet, proudly displaying the Wilmington Fire Department crest on the hood. Doug Poore I felt like it brought us a little luck today, having it on the hood, Benjamin said in a release after securing his first career win at Dover International Speedway. A spokesperson for the track says dozens swarmed the car after it crossed the finish line, celebrating Benjamins win, but also remembering the fallen firefighters the car was represented. A 59-year-old man who wore a bikini fashioned out of see-through plastic wrap on a New Jersey beach is facing a criminal charge. Beach Haven police said Stephen Wojciehowski spent two days on a Long Beach Island beach wearing a homemade bikini in which his genitals were clearly exposed. The department posted censored photos of the man to its Facebook page last week asking for help in identifying him. Beach Haven Police Department The Stafford Township man was arrested Monday and charged with lewdness. He was released pending further court proceedings. A woman who answered the phone at his house said "nobody's here" and hung up. It's unclear if he has an attorney who could comment on his behalf. [NATL]Dr. Beach's Top 10 Best Beaches in the US for 2016 Two former Southern California law enforcement officials weighed in Friday night on whether protocol was followed during the El Cajon police shooting of Alfred Olango based on video evidence released by police. Alfred Olango, 38, was shot by officers with the El Cajon Police Department (ECPD) on Tuesday in the parking lot of a shopping plaza on Broadway. His death sparked protests in the community, with many demanding police release the video evidence of the shooting. El Cajon Police Chief Jeff Davis released the video on Friday, sparking dialogue on if the shooting was justified. Former El Cajon Police Officer Kevin LaChapelle told NBC 7 that he viewed the video multiple times. "The officer pretty much was following protocol," he said. "Training in the academy was pretty much like clockwork." But Los Angles County Sheriff's Department veteran and consultant Roger Clark said he disagrees. Clark was critical of the officer approaching Olango with gun drawn in his left hand while he says Olango backed away. "He's trying to stay away from an officer who has a gun in hand," Clark told NBC 7. "Another thing with people who are upset, as you increase anxieties, their ability to comply decreases proportionately." LaChapelle countered saying, "Training talks about not being afraid to unholster. Make sure you're in the ready because there are holster retention issues. There are devices on holsters built in. When you pull gun out it doesnt slip out you have to push it forward and pull up so when you're scared or whatever or in action you could have trouble getting it out." The video shows ECPD Officer Richard Gonsalves shadowing Olangos movements, getting closer to him. LaChapelle said thats part of an officers training to stay focused. However, Clark said: If an officer has a gun in hand he should only do it if he feels theres a credible threat. If there is, he's not going to be in the open he's going to stand in cover." A local medical marijuana dispensary owner says detectives with San Diego Police are taking their time giving his belongings back. Ebon Johnson had thousands of dollars worth of his product seized by police but a judge ruled that it all had to be returned. Johnson said he spent years getting proper permits to make his dream of owning a medical marijuana dispensary a reality. He had a major setback in 2015 when his product were seized. "I need product for this business. I even showed detectives and people who were there that I have this documentation and I just got approved for having one of the legal stores in San Diego," Johnson said. He was originally charged with a felony for possession with financial gain, but that was dropped to a misdemeanor which he pleaded guilty to as part of a plea deal. "I didn't want to go through a trial because it would've taken too much money and the misdemeanor was for marijuana anyway, which is my business so I didn't care," Johnson explained. A judge ruled that all product seized must be returned to Johnson but when he went to pick up his belongings on Thursday, some of it was still missing, including more than $400 and two pounds of marijuana. "They even told me when I went down there to pick it up 'this is not all your product' so they already knew there was something wrong when I picked it all up," he said. NBC 7 met with Johnson's attorney, who says everything is documented and should be accounted for on both sides. "Theres no questions as to what walked out the door with police. It's all itemized, it was A, B, C, D," said attorney Stephen Cline. They gave me this release of property but for weird reasons, they didn't give everything back to me," Johnson added. NBC 7 contacted San Diego Police and sent over the official court order. They told us they are working with their narcotics unit to make sure everything is returned in a timely manner and it was most likely just an oversight with the paperwork. Johnson said there are no hard feelings and that he's just excited to get all of his product back. One day after police released video of the controversial deadly shooting of an unarmed black man in El Cajon, hundreds took part in protests and rallies across San Diego County. The day's first gathering began at 10 a.m. at the Prescott Promenade on E. Main Street where faith-based leaders came together for a prayer rally. A diverse but peaceful crowd listened as leaders spoke about the police shooting of Alfred Olango, 38. Many demonstrators held signs; one large banner read "#NotOneMore" while a another smaller sign read "White Silence=Violence." "[It's] time for immediate and urgent action," local Bishop George McKinney said to the crowd, also asking for peace and justice. Rev. Shane Harris, of the San Diego chapter of the National Action Network, also spoke at the prayer rally. "Today when we march, we're marching for peace, we're marching for justice. No justice, no peace!" said Harris. A peaceful march down the streets of El Cajon followed, with demonstrators chanting Olango's name. "What do we want? Justice! When do we want it? Now!" the protesters chanted. At around 3:30 p.m., another march began in downtown San Diego. "No justice, no peace!" those demonstrators chanted. One woman held a sign that read: "Comply or not, we're shot." A much larger group of protesters gathered at Balboa Park in the early evening. The large crowd prompted transportation officials to close the State Route 163 connector to Interstate 5 at Park Boulevard. Protestors chanting at the Hall of Justice downtown San Diego. Want justice for #AlfredOlango. #NBC7 pic.twitter.com/n3dv8PR8Rd Ashley Matthews (@ashleyNBC7) October 2, 2016 The protesters made their way to downtown San Diego by way of Park Boulevard. They turned onto Broadway and convened at the Hall of Justice. Along the way, they shouted "Alfred Olango" and "No justice. No peace." Besides blocking some traffic on Park Boulevard, the evening protest stayed peaceful. #CHP blocking off traffic at 11th and A St. to make sure protestors don't go on freeway. #NBC7 pic.twitter.com/VX8mjHNxHQ Ashley Matthews (@ashleyNBC7) October 2, 2016 Watch the Facebook live of the march below or here. Olango was shot and killed by officers with the El Cajon Police Department (ECPD) on Tuesday in the parking lot of a shopping center in the 800 block of Broadway. Police said Olango refused to comply with the officers orders to get his hands out of the pockets of his pants. Police said he pulled a 4-inch-long vaping device from his pocket and pointed it at the officers in a shooting stance. At that point, ECPD Officer Josh McDaniel deployed a Taser on Olango; Officer Richard Gonsalves fired several shots at Olango, critically striking him. The encounter was captured on cellphone video by a witness who was working at a nearby taco shop, as well as on a surveillance camera from that business. Following the shooting, the ECPD released a single still photograph pulled from that video of Olango in that shooting stance. Civil rights leaders urged the police department and San Diego District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis to release the full video. ECPD Chief Jeff Davis said the decision to release the video Friday stemmed from concern for public safety. Protesters marching from prayer vigil on Main Street to @elcajonpolice department #NBC7 pic.twitter.com/V2GI3H3pc1 Liberty Zabala (@LibertyNBC7SD) October 1, 2016 However, Harris argued that the video was not shown to Olangos family before it was publicly released, which was upsetting to the family. He argued that Davis, Dumanis and El Cajon Mayor Bill Wells released the video to only quell protests. They want peace. But what they dont understand is that if there is no justice, there is no peace, said Harris at his own news conference following the release of the video. The shooting of Olango is the latest case in a series of police shootings of unarmed black men across America. The case has sparked days of protests in El Cajon. Some demonstrations have been peaceful, others have been heated, leading to arrests. Matthew weakened slightly from a Category 5 to a powerful Category 4 hurricane in the Atlantic early Saturday as it drenched coastal Colombia and roared across the Caribbean on a course that still puts Jamaica, Haiti and Cuba in the path of potentially devastating winds and rain. At least 2 people were killed. The National Hurricane Center in Miami said Matthew's maximum sustained winds had slipped from a peak of 160 mph (260 kph) to a still-devastating 140mph (220 kph). As of 8 p.m. ET, the NHC was reporting that the storm has barely moved during the past few hours. A "slow northwestward motion" is still expected to begin Saturday night. The center of Matthew will approach Jamaica and southwestern Haiti on Monday. The forecast track would carry it across Cuba and into the Bahamas, with an outside chance of a brush with Florida, though that would be several days away. Parts of coastal Miami-Dade and Broward entered the forecast cone Friday, and Florida Gov. Rick Scott said the Florida Division of Emergency Management was actively monitoring the hurricane. National Hurricane Center "While the National Hurricane Centers current forecast predicts Matthew traveling east of Florida, we all know that the track of these storms can quickly change which is why it is imperative that all Floridians and visitors continue to monitor Hurricane Matthew and make sure to have a plan in place in the event of severe weather," Scott said in a statement. As Matthew skimmed past the northern tip of South America there were reports of heavy flooding and at least one death the second attributed to the storm. Authorities said at least 18 houses were damaged along the La Guajira peninsula of Colombia, which has been suffering from a multi-year drought. They said a 67-year-old man was swept away to his death by a flash flood in an area where it hadn't rained for four years. In Jamaica, high surf began pounding the coast and flooding temporarily closed the road linking the capital to its airport. Carl Ferguson, head of the marine police, said people were starting to heed calls to relocate from small islands and areas near rural waterways. At its peak, Matthew was more powerful than Hurricane Gilbert, which made landfall on the island in September 1988 and was the most destructive storm in the country's modern history. "Hurricane Matthew could rival or possibly exceed Gilbert if the core of the strongest winds does actually move over Jamaica," said Dennis Feltgen, a meteorologist and spokesman for the hurricane center in Miami. "There is no certainty of that at this point." Matthew was expected to bring heavy rainfall especially to the eastern tip and higher elevations, which could trigger flooding and landslides, said Evan Thompson, director of Jamaica's National Meteorological Service. Forecasters said rainfall totals could reach 10 to 15 inches (25 to 38 centimeters) with isolated maximum amounts of 25 inches (63 centimeters) in Jamaica and southwestern Haiti. A hurricane watch was in effect for Jamaica, as the country activated its National Emergency Operations Center and Prime Minister Andrew Holness called an urgent meeting of Parliament to discuss preparations for the storm. A tropical storm watch was issued for Haiti's southwest coast form the southern border it shares with the Dominican Republic to the capital of Port-au-Prince. Rain and winds from the strengthened Hurricane Matthew whipped at Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao early Friday. Authorities on the Dutch Caribbean islands had urged residents to reinforce their homes and stock up on emergency supplies. Some streets flooded on Aruba and Curacao in the early hours of the storm's pass-by, though there were no reports of evacuations. Matthew's approach prompted long lines at gas stations and supermarkets on the so-called "ABC islands." Authorities in Aruba ordered government offices closed Friday and Curacao's parliamentary elections were postponed until next week. The U.S. Navy base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, is also potentially in the path of the storm. A mandatory evacuation of non-essential personnel, including family members of military personnel was underway and everyone remaining behind was being told to take shelter, said Julie Ann Ripley, a spokeswoman. There are about 5,500 people living on the base, including 61 men held at the detention center. @chematierra Huracan Matthew ya deja inundaciones en Maicao, La Guajira en Colombia.. pic.twitter.com/KvhnNxPvVd ClimaSeveroMundial (@Monttgreen) September 30, 2016 Matthew caused at least one death when it entered the Caribbean on Wednesday, with officials in St. Vincent reporting a 16-year-old boy was crushed by a boulder as he tried to clear a blocked drain. UPDATE: The teenagers have been found safe, police say. Two teens have been found who went missing in Prince George's County, Maryland, police say. Police said 16-year-old Jordan Jennings and 15-year-old Sinthia Parade went missing on Thursday. Jordan was last seen on Grandhaven Avenue in Upper Marlboro about 1:30 p.m. and the last time someone saw Parade was about 6:30 a.m. on Catesby Terrace in Landover. Detectives believe the two teens could be together. Jordan is described as an African American female who is 5 feet 3 inches tall and 130 pounds with dark brown hair and brown eyes. She was wearing a white polo shirt, tan pants and a yellow backpack. Parade is described as a Hispanic female who is 5 feet 1 inch tall and 150 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes. She was wearing a black jacket, navy blue shirt, tan pants and tan shoes. Police ask that anyone with information about where they are to call (301) 772-4911. A Maryland man posing as a police officer turned his lights and sirens on behind a real police officer, officials said. John Vincent Angelini, 51, of Baltimore, was arrested Wednesday after Montgomery County police said he trailed an off-duty detective driving on the Intercounty Connector in an unmarked car. The detective was headed eastbound on the ICC near Georgia Avenue about 8:15 p.m. Wednesday when he saw a car alongside him. It was a Ford Crown Victoria that looked like an unmarked police car, police said. The driver of the Crown Victoria then slowed down so that he was behind the detective's car and turned on his siren, police said. "The detective felt like he was being pulled over, began to reduce his speed and pulled over to the side of the road, at which point the Crown Victoria abruptly changed lanes again and continued past him," police spokesman Officer Rick Goodale said. The detective then turned on his own lights and siren and stopped the driver near Layhill Road. He approached the Crown Victoria and saw it had red and blue lights on the grill and multiple antennas, police said. Inside, the car had a radio microphone, emergency lights and switches, a dashboard-mounted camera and other police gear. The detective determined that Angelini was not an officer and arrested him. "By activating his siren, he represented his vehicle as an emergency vehicle, and he's not authorized to do that," Goodale said. He was charged with impersonating a police officer and released after posting $2,500 bond. Anyone who believes that Angelini misrepresented himself to them as an officer is asked to call police at 240-773-6370. Try a taste of every flavour around the world at Kochi's ABOE Restocafe Two men were arrested in Frederick, Maryland, and charged with human trafficking-related offenses, according to Frederick police. Officers responded to the Super 8 Motel on Monocracy Boulevard for reports of a domestic dispute. When they arrived, a juvenile victim said she was reported missing out of Texas and brought to Maryland by one of the men. Thomas Duane Jones, 35, of Houston, Texas, and Marvin Bernard Armstrong, 46, of High Point, North Carolina, were arrested. Police said the men were charged with rape, sex offense, human trafficking by force, human trafficking (take cause), false imprisonment and second-degree assault. The victim told police the men forced her to have sex, allegedly done for an exchange of money. The victims name is not being released. The men were being held at the Frederick County Adult Detention Center on Saturday, awaiting a court appearance. A man suing a northeast Ohio police department alleges his rights were violated by an officer who slammed his head into a cruiser's windshield with enough force to crack the glass. Dashcam video of the September 2014 arrest, obtained by NBC affiliate WKYC, shows 32-year-old Pele Smith, being escorted to the patrol car by four Loraine police officers while handcuffed. Smith's head then violently hits the windshield. The glass cracks from the impact. "Why are you doing this to me?" Smith is heard saying as he is held on the cars hood. He was treated at Mercy Regional Medical Center for facial injuries, WKYC reported. Smith was later charged with "tampering with evidence, obstructing official business and resisting arrest. In a plea deal with prosecutors, Smith pleaded guilty and received probation," according to court records WKYC reviewed. Last month, Smith filed a civil rights lawsuit against the city and several officers. In his lawsuit, Smith says that Lorain Officer Zachary Ferenec, who was walking Smith to the cruiser and pushed him into the windshield, used excessive force during a 2014 arrest that he claims was warrantless. "Its unbelievable. Its sad. Its frightening that an individual while in handcuffs has something like that happen to them, Mark Petroff, an attorney representing Smith, told WKYC. Smith also alleges that three other Lorain officers at the scene did not intervene and that one of the officers, identified in the lawsuit as Michael Gidich, got in the back of Ferenecs cruiser and began to taunt and insult the bleeding [Smith] while being transported in the patrol car for treatment. The video does not show the beginning of the traffic stop. Lorain police Capt. Roger Watkins said Smith swallowed suspected drugs and struggled with officers during the arrest, The Associated Press reported. He says the slamming of Smith's head into the windshield was unintentional. In a statement, Lorain Police Chief Cel Rivera said "During the arrest and Mr. Smiths active resistance, he was placed on the hood of the police unit to gain control and conduct a search, as per policy." Rivera called Smith a "violent drug trafficker" and said the cautioned "observers to not rush to judgment relative to the actions of the police on scene." But according to the Lorain County Clerk of Courts website, Smith has no felony convictions for violent crimes. He has prior convictions for drug offenses and possessing a firearm. WKYC says it has requested all records associated with Smiths arrest and any subsequent internal investigations. Lorain police have not provided any records related to the incident, the station says. Janitors in Greater Boston came to a tentative agreement with employers to avoid a strike Friday. Hours before the previous contract was set to expire, the union representing 13,000 janitors in the area agreed to the new deal with Maintenance Contractors of New England. Under the deal, which still needs to be ratified, maintenance workers will get annual wage increases of 12 percent, with Metro Boston janitors expected to make $20 an hour by its expiration. The agreement was announced by 32BJ, a part of the Service Employees International Union. A front stalled south of New England brings periodic, rain especially the first part of the weekend. Some locations get an inch or more of rainfall through Saturday afternoon. Low pressure on a stalled front will move east of Nantucket overnight, allowing for brighter and drier weather Sunday. High temperatures this weekend will be in the 50s Saturday. Temperatures should rise into the lower 60s Sunday with bright spots and a mostly dry day. Drier air may move in for Monday and Tuesday, but the presence of an upper level low will keep the threat for showers off and on during each afternoon, especially away from the coast. High temperatures Monday and Tuesday will be in the 60s. While all this weather happens in New England, several thousand miles south is Hurricane Matthew. Over the open water of The Caribbean, the hurricane strengthened to wind of 150 mph Friday night, and will be threatening Jamaica on Monday. The slow-moving storm will be crossing Cuba Tuesday into the Bahamas on Wednesday. While there isn't an immediate threat to New England, we keep an eye on the storm late next week and next weekend. A top state Department of Conservation and Recreation official has resigned after he inappropriately used the emergency lights and sirens of his state vehicle. Matthew Sisk, a deputy commissioner at the DCR, resigned effective immediately, officials said Friday. A spokeswoman for Republican Governor Charlie Baker said Saturday that Baker was "disappointed" at Sisk's "poor judgment." Peter Lorenz, a spokesman for Baker's Energy and Environmental Affairs office, said the administration has launched a review to ensure lights and sirens on state vehicles are being used for emergency purposes only. Sisk didn't respond to requests for comment Saturday. Earlier this year, Sisk and DCR Commissioner Leo Roy had been placed on one week unpaid leave for using taxpayer resources on an Independence Day party at the Boston home of GOP national committeeman Ron Kaufman. A search is underway for a missing 64-year-old man in Lewiston, Maine. Claude Hopkins was reported missing from his 1 Macsullivan St. home Friday afternoon. He was last seen going in the woods on Jenkins Road around 3:15 p.m. Hopkins is described as a white with blue eyes and brown hair, 5 feet 7 inches tall and 175 pounds. He was last seen wearing a blue shirt, red shorts and carrying a colostomy bag. Lewiston Police advise that Hopkins not be approached if seen as he suffers from intellectual disabilities and may not respond well to people he doesn't know. Anyone with information on the man's wherabouts is asked to call 911 or public safety at 657-3030. T20 World Cup: Ravichandran Ashwin Can't Believe Virat Kohli Had Dropped Aiden Markram | WATCH VIDEO T20 World Cup: With Delicious Indian Food And Laidback Culture, Perth Proved Excellent Host for India 'India ne Marwa Diya Humein': Shoaib Disappointed With India's Loss, Says 'Their Batting Got Exposed' 'Could Have Made The Difference': Bhuvneshwar Kumar on Missed Chances Against South Africa What if one blood test could screen for more than 50 types of cancer? Champaign, IL (61820) Today Foggy early. Then periods of showers late. Areas of patchy fog. Low around 55F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight Foggy early. Then periods of showers late. Areas of patchy fog. Low around 55F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%. This year, everyone will have to roll up their sleeves and receive the flu shot via injection, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) no longer recommends the nasal flu mist vaccine due to ineffectiveness. "Feeling the pinch is a small price to pay to protect your health and, importantly, to protect the health of those more vulnerable to illness," said Jorge Parada, MD, MPH, medical director, infection prevention and control program, Loyola Medicine. "The message is still loud and clear," said Dr. Parada, a professor in the Division of Infectious Disease of Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine. "Everyone six months and older should be vaccinated effective immediately. The flu shot is safe and effective and it's a myth that you can get the flu from the flu vaccine." Flu season traditionally begins in October and ends around April, peaking in January and February. "It takes almost two weeks after vaccination for the flu shot to become fully effective," said Dr. Parada. "Similarly, it can take four to five days after exposure to the flu virus to develop symptoms." According to the CDC, the flu kills 3,300 to 49,000 people each year, with children and the elderly particularly vulnerable. "Unlike many infectious diseases, the flu can be prevented and even eliminated when everyone in a community gets the vaccine," said Dr. Parada. "Just as a hard hat is necessary safety equipment for construction workers, those of us who work in healthcare know that we need to take special precautions. Getting a flu shot protects ourselves, our patients and our entire community from harm." Loyola is a leader in infectious disease prevention and is in its seventh season of mandatory flu vaccine as a condition of employment. Each February, an FDA committee determines which virus strains will go into vaccines sold in America for the coming season. The committee considers which viruses are making people sick in Asia, where the flu season first begins, and the effectiveness of the previous season's vaccine. According to the CDC, flu vaccines protect against the three or four viruses that research suggests will be most common. For 2016-2017, three-component vaccines (trivalent) are recommended to contain: A/California/7/2009 (H1N1)pdm09-like virus A/Hong Kong/4801/2014 (H3N2)-like virus B/Brisbane/60/2008-like virus (B/Victoria lineage) Four component vaccines (quadrivalent) are recommended to include the same three viruses above, plus an additional B virus called B/Phuket/3073/2013-like virus (B/Yamagata lineage). Dr. Parada offers the following tips to protect yourself and your community this flu season: Get your flu shot anytime starting now, and certainly before the end of October Wash your hands thoroughly and frequently throughout the day Cover your mouth and nose with the crook of your arm when you sneeze to limit the spreading of germs Stay home if you have the flu "You'll know you have the flu, and not just a cold, if you also have a fever," said Dr. Parada. "Stay home for two to three days until you are not in danger of infecting others. And remember there are multiple strains of the flu virus so it is possible to get sick with flu more than once during the flu season." National Cardiovascular Data Registry provides data for published research studies The American College of Cardiology's National Cardiovascular Data Registry was the source of data for research published throughout 2016, including a study examining if atrial fibrillation patients are being prescribed oral anticoagulants, how appropriate use criteria correlates to angioplasty rates and the variation among racial groups for revascularization procedures. NCDR Study Shows In-Hospital Mortality Rate of CS-AMI Patients Continues to Rise The in-hospital mortality rate among patients with acute myocardial infarction complicated by cardiogenic shock who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) increased from 27.6 percent between 2005 and 2006 to 30.6 percent between 2011 and 2013, according to a study published Jan. 20 in JACC: Cardiovascular Interventions. Using data from the American College of Cardiology's CathPCI Registry, researchers assessed records from 56,497 patients between January 2005 and December 2012. Results showed that the use of bivalirudin instead of other anti-coagulants such as heparin increased (12.6 percent earlier vs. 45.6 percent later), while the use of an intra-aortic balloon pump declined (49.5 percent vs. 44.9 percent). In addition, in the 2005-2006 time period, 31.5 percent of patients had more than one lesion treated during PCI, while in the 2011-2013 period, the number decreased to 25.8 percent. Furthermore, only a small fraction of these patients had the procedure done via radial access. Read more: http://www.acc.org/latest-in-cardiology/articles/2016/01/20/16/25/ncdr-study-shows-in-hospital-mortality-rate-of-cs-ami-patients-continues-to-rise?w_nav=LC Are High-Risk Atrial Fibrillation Patients Receiving Recommended Oral Anticoagulant Therapy? Outpatients with atrial fibrillation (AFib) may be more likely to be prescribed an oral anticoagulant as their number of stroke risk factors increase. However, less than half of high-risk patients at the highest ranges of stroke risk are prescribed an oral anticoagulant, according to a study published March 16 in JAMA Cardiology. Jonathan C. Hsu, M.D., M.A.S., and colleagues looked at 429,417 outpatients with AFib enrolled in the American College of Cardiology's PINNACLE Registry between January 2008 and December 2012. The researchers calculated the CHADS2 score and the CHA2DS2-VASc score for all patients, and examined the association between increased stroke risk score and prescription of an oral anticoagulant. Results showed that prescribed treatment consisted of an oral anticoagulant (44.9 percent of patients), aspirin only (25.9 percent), aspirin plus a thienopyridine (5.5 percent), or no antithrombotic therapy (23.8 percent). Each 1-point increase in risk score was associated with increased odds of oral anticoagulant prescription compared with aspirin-only prescription. However, a plateau of oral anticoagulant prescription was observed as oral anticoagulant prescription prevalence did not exceed 50 percent even in higher-risk patients with a CHADS2 score exceeding 3 or a CHA2DS2-VASc score exceeding 4. Read more: http://www.acc.org/latest-in-cardiology/articles/2016/03/16/15/44/are-high-risk-afib-patients-receiving-recommended-oac-therapy?w_nav=LC Should TAVR be Performed in Nonagenarians? Although nonagenarians had higher mortality rates following transcatheter aortic valvle replacement (TAVR) than their younger counterparts, quality-of-life data at one year may suggest its efficacy for selected patients, according to a study published March 21 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. Using data from the STS/ACC TVT Registry, researchers examined records from 24,025 patients, of which 3,773 patients were 90 or older, from 329 hospitals between November 2011 and September 2014. Results showed that at 30 days, the mortality rate was higher in the nonagenarian group (8.8 percent) than in the younger group (5.9 percent), as it was at one year: 24.8 percent vs. 22 percent. There was not, however, a statistically significant difference in stroke incidence at 30 days (2.9 percent vs. 2.4 percent) or at one year (4.4 percent vs. 3.9 percent). The 30-day KCCQ-12 score was slightly lower in nonagenarians compared to younger patients but was similar at one year. Read more: http://www.acc.org/latest-in-cardiology/articles/2016/03/21/16/45/should-tavr-be-performed-in-nonagenarians?w_nav=LC NCDR Study Finds Lower PCI Rates Correlate to Appropriate Use Geographic areas that perform the lowest number of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) procedures also perform appropriate procedures had a higher rate than those that perform a greater number of PCI, according to a study published in PLOS ONE. Furthermore, as the rates of appropriate PCI decrease, they increase for inappropriate and uncertain procedures, as well as for procedures not correlated to appropriate use criteria (AUC) established by the American College of Cardiology, the American Heart Association, and the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions. Using data from the ACC's CathPCI Registry linked with a limited dataset from Medicare, researchers assessed 2,010 records from 380,981 patients from 178 heath referral regions, or health care markets with at least one hospital performing major cardiovascular procedures and neurosurgery. These regions were divided into quintiles, with "1" representing the lowest utilization of PCI and "5" representing the highest. Results showed that when stratified by clinical status, the rates for appropriate PCI to treat acute conditions were high across all quintiles (range between 95 percent and 96 percent). For non-acute conditions, the rate of appropriate PCI decreased from 27 percent in quintile 1 to about 22 percent in quintile 5, and the rate of inappropriate PCI increased from almost 12 percent to almost 13 percent. The rate of uncertain procedures also increased, from 20 percent to 23 percent. There was no difference in risk-adjusted mortality across quintiles. Read more: http://www.acc.org/latest-in-cardiology/articles/2016/07/07/10/02/ncdr-study-finds-lower-pci-rates-correlate-to-appropriate-use?w_nav=LC NCDR Study Shows Variation Among Racial Groups for Revascularization Procedures Different approaches may be taken for carotid artery revascularization among patients from different racial and ethnic backgrounds, with a trend toward carotid artery stenting (CAS) among non-Hispanic whites and other groups (Native Americans and Asians) and endarterectomy (CEA) among Hispanics and blacks, according to a study recently published in Stroke. Using data from American College of Cardiology's CARE Registry, now the PVI Registry, researchers assessed records from 24,082 patients between May 2007 and Dec. 2012. Among these patients, 13,129 had carotid artery stenting and 10,953 had endarterectomy. Of those in the carotid artery stenting group, 89 percent were non-Hispanic whites; 4.4 percent were black; 4.3 percent were Hispanic; and 2 percent were from other groups. Researchers observed a similar distribution among patients undergoing endarterectomy: close to 93 percent were non-Hispanic whites; 3.5 percent were black; 2.8 percent were Hispanic; and 1 percent came from other groups. Results showed that patients who had undergone carotid artery stenting were prescribed aspirin and clopidogrel at a rate greater than 90 percent and statins at a rate of about 80 percent, with little difference among races. After endarterectomy, however, the rate of aspirin prescriptions was less than 90 percent, with a significantly lower rate for blacks and Hispanics. Prescription rates for statins after endarterectomy were significantly lower for non-Hispanic whites compared with Hispanics and other groups. Read more: http://www.acc.org/latest-in-cardiology/articles/2016/07/07/09/52/ncdr-study-shows-variation-among-racial-groups-for-revascularization-procedures?w_nav=LC NCDR data was also used in studies previously highlighted during this time period: Heart Attack Patients with Cardiogenic Shock Fair Well 60 Days Post-Discharge Read more: http://www.acc.org/about-acc/press-releases/2016/02/18/10/29/heart-attack-patients-with-cardiogenic-shock-fair-well-60-days-post-discharge?w_nav=S Stenting of Narrow Pulmonary Artery Benefits Patients with Congenital Heart Disease Read more: http://www.acc.org/about-acc/press-releases/2016/03/14/14/01/stenting-of-narrow-pulmonary-artery-benefits-patients-with-congenital-heart-disease?w_nav=S U.S. Prediction Models for Kidney Injury Following Angioplasty Hold up in Japan Read more: http://www.acc.org/about-acc/press-releases/2016/04/04/15/04/us-prediction-models-for-kidney-injury-following-angioplasty-hold-up-in-japan?w_nav=S Reasons for Hospital-Level Variations in Bleeding Post-Angioplasty Are Unclear Read more: www.acc.org/about-acc/press-releases/2016/04/18/14/47/reasons-for-hospital-level-variations-in-bleeding-post-angioplasty-are-unclear?w_nav=S Study Identifies Aortic Valve Gradient as Key to TAVR Outcomes Read more: http://www.acc.org/about-acc/press-releases/2016/05/16/14/11/study-identifies-aortic-valve-gradient-as-key-to-tavr-outcomes?w_nav=S AFib Patients at Risk for Stroke Often Prescribed Aspirin Instead of Anticoagulants Read more: http://www.acc.org/about-acc/press-releases/2016/06/20/13/47/afib-patients-at-risk-for-stroke-often-prescribed-aspirin-instead-of-anticoagulants?w_nav=S Study Validates New In-Hospital Mortality Risk Model for Heart Attack Patients Read more: http://www.acc.org/about-acc/press-releases/2016/08/01/15/19/study-validates-new-in-hospital-mortality-risk-model-for-heart-attack-patients?w_nav=S Beta-Blockers Following Angioplasty Show Little Benefit for Some Older Patients Read more: http://www.acc.org/about-acc/press-releases/2016/08/15/14/15/beta-blockers-following-angioplasty-show-little-benefit-for-some-older-patients?w_nav=S Low Statin Use in People with Diabetes Despite Cardioprotective Effects, Guidelines Read more: http://www.acc.org/about-acc/press-releases/2016/09/12/14/14/low-statin-use-in-people-with-diabetes-despite-cardioprotective-effects-guidelines?w_nav=S Although rare, sudden cardiac death in young athletes raises serious concerns, especially because most victims report no warning symptoms. Pre-participation screening aims to identify children, adolescents, and young adults at risk, but there is not yet consensus regarding the best way to accomplish this. A new report in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology sheds light on this controversial topic by describing a new screening protocol that offers advantages over American Heart Association (AHA) recommendations and shows that the electrocardiogram (ECG) is the best single screening method. Cardiologists from the University of British Columbia Vancouver Coastal Health, Vancouver, BC, Canada, compared their own innovative screening protocol to that recommended by the AHA. Both protocols use 12-lead ECGs and questionnaires. However, one problem associated with the AHA questionnaire is the high rate of false positives (identifying someone as having a serious condition when he does not). A false-positive result requires extensive further testing and consultation with a cardiologist, leading to worry, secondary testing, and higher costs. The researchers' new evidence-based questionnaire was designed to better differentiate between symptoms indicative of serious cardiac disease and those related to more benign conditions. The AHA method also involves a physical exam conducted by a physician that includes listening to the heart (auscultation). Investigators screened more than 1400 young competitive athletes ages 12-35 years. Approximately half underwent the AHA recommended screening, and the other half the experimental protocol. Seven participants were found to have serious heart conditions, and six were identified by ECG. Only two of the seven would have been detected as the result of a medical history and physical exam. "The current study provides further evidence to support the use of the ECG as an important tool in the screening of young competitive athletes," explained lead investigator James McKinney, MD, MSc, of the Division of Cardiology of the University of British Columbia. "The ECG is more sensitive in detecting heart muscle problems (cardiomyopathies) and potentially life-threatening electrical disorders such as Wolff-Parkinson-White and long QT syndrome." "An Achilles heel of pre-participation screening has long been the unacceptably high false-positive rate and the costs associated with screening large numbers of athletes," noted co-investigator Saul Isserow, MBBCh, of the Division of Cardiology of the University of British Columbia. In the study, the false-positive rate of the new protocol was less than half that of the AHA protocol (3.7% vs. 8.1%). Investigators found that the physical examination was unhelpful and costly. The physical exam prompted further evaluation in 10 athletes without identifying any of the athletes who actually had heart disease and contributed to higher false-positive rates. "This is not surprising because cardiac auscultation requires years of experience and conditions during mass screening are not ideal for meticulous cardiac auscultation," commented Michael Papadakis, MBBS, MD, and Sanjay Sharma, MBChB, MD, of St. George's University of London in an accompanying editorial. The research indicates that a screening protocol that includes a more specific questionnaire and ECG, but excludes a physical examination, eliminating the need for an on-site physician, would be desirable to optimize efficiency and produce important cost savings. The researchers calculate that eliminating physician costs would result in huge reductions in per person screening costs ($14.42 for new protocol vs. $97.50 for AHA protocol) and costs per diagnosis ($3,822.70 vs. $41,320.49, respectively). "A large proportion of sudden cardiac deaths in young athletes are secondary to inherited or congenital cardiac diseases that are detectable during life and for which several therapeutic options are available to minimize the risk of death. Pre-participation screening is widely used to detect athletes at risk of exercise-related sudden cardiac death, but the optimal approach remains elusive," added Dr. Papadakis and Dr. Sharma. The results of this study indicate the need to harmonize the results of research findings with current practice. Still to be determined is the important question of whether screening saves lives. The Phillips School of Nursing (PSON) at Mount Sinai Beth Israel announced today that it has received approval from the New York State Education Department to offer a second degree accelerated bachelor of science in nursing (ABSN) beginning in the spring of 2017. Designed for students and professionals who already have a bachelor's degree in another discipline, this full-time program leads to an ABSN degree in as little as 15 months. Following a New York State mandate, the first cohort will accept 40 students. The program is intended for academically talented, compassionate professionals who are highly motivated to become registered nurses. Graduates are eligible for licensure as registered nurses and qualify for admission to graduate programs. "The nursing profession has never before experienced such professional opportunity," said Todd F. Ambrosia, DNP, MSN, RN, FNP-BC, FNAP, Dean of PSON. "At our school, we are committed to preparing our graduates to become highly skilled professional clinicians in a variety of settings." The degree consists of a minimum of 120 credits, of which 54 will be designated for nursing courses offered at the School; the remaining credit hours may consist of previous coursework in the natural and social sciences and the humanities completed through an earned bachelor's degree. The accelerated program uses theory and hands-on training to prepare students to care for diverse populations. PSON's program features nearly 600 hours of clinical experiences at sites throughout the Mount Sinai Health System. Students will have the opportunity to learn alongside some of the best nursing preceptors in a variety of environments including community hospitals, academic medical centers, and neighborhood health care centersall providing high-quality care to culturally and ethnically diverse men, women, and children. PSON's accelerated nursing program is currently accepting applications, and the first classes will begin in January 2017. Ancient artifacts found at an archeological site in Argentina suggest that humans occupied South America earlier than previously thought. Approximately 13,000 years ago, a prehistoric group of hunter-gathers known as the Clovis people lived in Northern America. Previous research suggests that the Clovis culture was one of the earliest cultures in the Americas. However, more recent research from the Pampas region of Argentina supports the hypothesis that early Homo sapiens arrived in the Americas earlier than the Clovis hunters did. The evidence for earlier human arrival in the Americas comes from a rich archaeological site in southeastern South America called Arroyo Seco. A group of scientists led by Gustavo Politis from CONICET and the Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires present the research in a new PLOS ONE study. At Arroyo Seco, the researchers excavated ancient tools, bone remains from a variety of extinct species, and broken animal bones containing fractures caused by human tools. They used radiocarbon dating to determine the age of the mammal bones and analyzed the specimens under a microscope. The analysis revealed the presence of limb bones from extinct mammals at the site, which may indicate human activities of transporting and depositing animal carcasses for consumption at a temporary camp. The bones of some mammal species were concentrated in a specific part of the site, which could indicate designated areas for butchering activities. Microscopic examination also revealed that some bones contained fractures most likely caused by stone tools. The remains were dated between 14,064 and 13,068 years ago, and the authors hypothesize that Arroyo Seco may have been occupied by humans during that time. This timeline, along with evidence from other South American sites, indicates that humans may have arrived in southern South America prior to the Clovis people inhabiting the Americas, but after the onset of the Last Glacial Maximum, the last glacial period, which took place 19,000 to 20,000 years ago. While the characteristics of some of these archaeological materials could be explained without human intervention, the combination of evidence strongly suggests human involvement. Humans' arrival in southern South America 14,000 years ago may represent the last step in the expansion of Homo sapiens throughout the world and the final continental colonization. The case-control method, where researchers compare patients with a particular disease to healthy control participants, has increased understanding of disease-related effects at a group level. However, psychiatric pathology complicates assumptions of the method - that the illness can be defined and that patients cleanly fit the definition. Although psychiatry has characterized different diagnoses, patients within a diagnosis vary widely and symptoms often overlap diagnostic labels. To address this issue, the National Institute of Mental Health recently developed the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC), a new framework to move away from diagnostic categories in favor of linking symptom domains with biological systems. However, without a practical way to implement the criteria, psychiatric research studies continue to fit patients into predefined categories. Genetics & Genomics eBook Compilation of the top interviews, articles, and news in the last year. Download a copy today In a new study published in Biological Psychiatry, Andre Marquand, PhD, of the Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour in The Netherlands, and colleagues establish a new framework for studying psychiatric pathology without losing the heterogeneity of patients. "In contrast to virtually all existing approaches, our approach does not require partitioning the cohort into groups," said Marquand, explaining that it instead aims to chart variation across the entire population. They achieve this by mapping the relationship between biology and behavior in each participant. Because variation associated with disease often overlaps normal variation, the new framework offers a way to map healthy variation and determine where a patient falls on that continuum. According to Marquand, this approach is similar to the way normative growth charts are used to map child development. The researchers demonstrated their approach by mapping variation in the relationship between trait impulsivity and reward-related brain behavior, which targets core features of many psychiatric disorders, in 491 healthy participants. The analysis not only identified participants that deviated from the rest of the group, but could infer how each individual differed. "This study exemplifies the power of understanding the range of normal variation when attempting to characterize psychiatric pathology," said John Krystal, Editor of Biological Psychiatry. "This approach enables us to move beyond the case-control framework and make statistical inferences in a way that matches the clinical view: where diseases in individual patients are recognized as deviations from a healthy pattern of functioning," said Marquand. The researchers believe this new approach will become an instrumental tool to understand individual variation in many psychiatric disorders. In recent years, Physicians' Orders for Life Sustaining Treatments (POLST) forms have been seen as an important way to honor the end-of-life wishes of frail elderly or terminally ill patients who cannot speak for themselves. But while the goal of filling out POLST forms is to let providers know patients' preferences regarding life-sustaining treatments, the information they contain is often ambiguous, a new University at Buffalo study has found. Published online yesterday in the Journal of the American Medical Directors Association, the study is called "Decisions by Default: Incomplete and Contradictory POLST in Emergency Care." "We called it 'Decisions by Default' to make patients aware that if they don't make a decision about a specific life-sustaining treatment, then in an emergency, they will most likely get the most aggressive treatment available," said Brian Clemency, DO, associate professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine in the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at UB and first author on the paper. He also is a physician with UBMD Emergency Medicine. Deborah P. Waldrop, PhD, professor in the UB School of Social Work and a nationally- recognized expert on palliative care, is senior author. The study was conducted in the busy Emergency Department of Erie County Medical Center (ECMC), a partner hospital of the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, where Clemency is an emergency medicine attending physician. "In emergency medicine, we are trained to do everything we can to prolong life," Clemency said. "The goal of this paper is to help us as emergency medicine physicians honor our patients' wishes as much as possible." Strictly speaking, the study's focus was not on the patients themselves, but on the forms that had been completed before their emergency. In New York State, the forms are called Medical Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment or MOLST forms. One hundred MOLST forms were collected from patients arriving at the emergency department. Items included on the form cover whether or not patients requested cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), do not resuscitate (DNR) orders, intubation, hospitalization, intravenous fluids, feeding tubes and antibiotics. Incomplete forms Of the 100 forms collected, 69 percent were incomplete with at least one section left blank. That may compel emergency medicine providers to perform interventions the patient would not have wanted. "We want to do what the patient wants," explained Clemency, "but if you don't tell us what you want, we're forced to assume you want 'everything' done." Waldrop, who has spent her career working to provide families dealing with end-of-life issues with better options, says that the research demonstrates a need for greater training among primary care providers. "Primary care providers are having these difficult conversations with their patients," said Waldrop. "More education and training are needed to help them be comfortable guiding people with serious illnesses to effectively communicate their wishes about life-sustaining treatment." That means going over any inconsistencies in the patients' responses, Clemency said. For example, if a patient says they don't want any life-saving interventions but they do want a breathing tube inserted, Clemency said that that discrepancy may reflect a lack of understanding on the part of the patient and should be questioned by the physician. "I think the doctor's job is to guide the patient through it and ask them about the implications of their decisions," said Clemency. Waldrop noted that the forms about life-sustaining treatment and the conversations about them are a major step toward improving end-of-life care for patients, but there is room for improvement. "This research shows that to be effective in reflecting patients' wishes, these forms need to be filled out completely and without contradictory orders after an informed conversation between a primary care provider and the patient," she said. Improving communication "Our hope is that this paper will improve communication between patients and providers, better informing the end-users, the emergency medicine doctors who typically meet these patients when they arrive at the emergency department at 3 a.m.," Clemency added. And it isn't only the emergency physicians who need more clarity, he noted. Families need it too. "You already have many stressors when an elderly parent is ill," Clemency said, "but if the parents' wishes aren't clearly articulated, you might have multiple children, all of whom have the best of intentions, each of whom has a different understanding of what that parent wanted. "Patients and their families can only benefit when the patients' wishes are clearly articulated." Exosomes, which are derived from the late endosome, are microvesicles that are usually described as being less than 120nm in diameter. They are released by all types of cells and have been shown to play a role in cancer metastasis. The characterization and analysis of exosomes is a rapidly evolving field, although their biological function is still not fully understood. Exosomes contain lipids, proteins, and microRNA that can regulate an array of target genes. Although exosomes are routinely separated from other bodily fluids including plasma, serum, urine and breast milk, most exosome research involves a cell culture platform. Cell culture usually involves the addition of fetal bovine serum (FBS) to media despite there being very high levels of innate bovine extracellular vesicles in FBS, which can make downstream analyses difficult. Recently, there has been a call among the research community for the importance of depleting cell culture media of contaminating bovine exosomes. Ultracentrifugation is the preferred method for depleting FBS of bovine exosomes because the process is simple and efficient. It enables easy centrifugation of FBS at high speeds to remove native extracellular vesicles, usually in an overnight spin. However, commercial products are also available that have preconditioned media for depleting exosomes and other microvesicles. This process is proprietary and dependent on the manufacturer, but it is typically more expensive than source FBS. This article discusses the method for home-brewing exosome-depleted FBS using ultracentrifugation and compares the cell viability and media depletion percentage from two individual cell lines following treatment with various types of media. Suggested methods for isolating exosomes of interest from cell culture with an example centrifugation protocol are also discussed. Materials and Methods Culture media was made in three different ways: Source media 50mL of standard HI-FBS (Gibco) was added to 450mL of both RPMI 1640 (Gibco) for HCT 116 cells and MEM (Gibco) for Jurkat cells. The next step was supplementing the media with 10mM HEPES and 100U/mL Penicillin-Streptavidin (Gibco). Ultracentrifuged media 500mL of standard HI-FBS was added equally to 6 Beckman Coulter Ultra-Clear 94mL centrifuge tubes with an adaptor, placed in a Beckman Coulter Type 45 Ti rotor and spun in a Beckman Coulter Optima XPN ultracentrifuge at 120,000 x g at 4C for 18 hours. The next step was recovering and aliquoting the supernatant of each tube to 50mL and storing it in the -20C freezer for future use. This was followed by adding 50mL of the centrifugally-depleted FBS to 450mL of both MEM and RPMI 1640 media and supplementing the media with 10mM HEPES and 100U/mL Penicillin-Streptavidin. Commercially-depleted media 50mL of Exo-FBS Exosome-depleted FBS (System Biosciences) was added to both 450mL of MEM and RPMI 1640. The media was also supplemented with 10mM HEPES and 100U/mL Penicillin-Streptavidin. After thawing and suspending the frozen stocks of both cell lines in the separate buffer types, they were initially added to 6 well culture plates (Becton Dickinson). The cells were expanded as they reached confluency and added to T-175 flasks (Greiner). Beckman Coulters Vi-Cell was used to assess viability on days 3 and 7 of culture with a passage in between. Briefly, 116 cells were trypsinized, re-suspended in appropriate buffer and spun at 500 x g at 20C for 5 minutes in a Beckman Coulter Allegra X-15 R in a SX4750A rotor. This was followed by re-suspending the cells again in the appropriate buffer and adding 1mL to vials, which were then introduced into the Vi-Cell for analysis. 1mL of the suspension Jurkat cells was added directly to the Vi-Cell. For Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis (NTA) of FBS sources to measure depletion,12mL of each source was filtered through a 0.22m filter (Millipore) and added to Beckman Coulter Ultra-Clear centrifuge tube and then put in an SW 41 Ti rotor and centrifuged at 120,000 x g at 4C for 2h in a Beckman Coulter Optima XPN (Figure 1). This was followed by aspiration of the supernatant and re-suspension of the pellet in 100l 1X PBS pH 7.2 (Gibco). A Nanosight v.2.3 (Malvern Instruments) was used to analyze the resulting particles. Beckman Coulter centrifugation was used to isolate the target exosomes from both cell types and all three culture conditions and Beckman Coulters DelsaMax Core was used to characterize them by size. Figure 1. Beckman Coulter Optima XPN. Image credit: Beckman Coulter The workflow for isolation is depicted in Figure 2A. Once the highly viable cells were obtained, assayed by the Vi-Cell, 50mL conical tubes were filled in with 40mL of cell culture and put in an SX4750A rotor with 50mL conical adapters in the Allegra X-15R tabletop centrifuge and spun at 750 x g for 10 minutes. Next, the supernatant was recovered, filtered through a 0.45m filter, and centrifuged at 2000 x g for 20 minutes. The Optima XPN ultracentrifuge featuring an SW 32 Ti rotor was then used to centrifuge the supernatant at 10,000 x g for 30 minutes in order to eliminate cell debris. The supernatant was again recovered, filtered through a 0.22m membrane and centrifuged at 100,000 x g for 90 minutes using a SW 41 Ti rotor in an Optima XPN. This time, the supernatant was aspirated and the pellet recovered by re-suspending in phosphate buffered saline (PBS). The resulting sample is labeled as crude exosomes and remains stable for an extended period at -20C. Figure 2A. Cellular exosome recovery and analysis. A workflow is defined to isolate exosomes of interest by Beckman Coulter centrifugation. Image credit: Beckman Coulter Gradient Layer Estimated Density (g/mL) Volume (mL) % Iodixanol (0.25M Sucrose; pH 7.5) 1 1.223 3 40 2 1.127 3 20 3 1.079 3 10 4 1.054 2 5 Figure 2B. Iodixanol density gradient parameters layered sequentially by the Biomek 4000 Workstation. The sample was further purified using Beckman Coulters Biomek 4000 Laboratory Automation Workstation (Figure 3), which provided rapid, consistent and reproducible approach for layering a centrifugation density gradient with the volumes and density presented in Figure 1B. The re-suspended crude exosome sample was then layered on top of the gradient and spun using an SW 41 Ti rotor and Optima XPN at 100,000 x g at 4C for 18h. Following the centrifugation step, the gradient was fractionated using the Biomek 4000 again. Liquid level tracking was used to collect 1mL fractions from the top for a total of 13 fractions. An Optima Max-XP bench-top centrifuge with a TLA 120.2 rotor was then used to pellet the fractions. The resulting pellet was re-suspended again in PBS and analyzed for size. Based on the expected density and size of the recovered exosomes, fractions 6 to 9 were combined, pelleted again using the TLA 120.2 rotor and then re-suspended in a small volume of PBS. The Beckman Coulter DelsaMax was then used to analyze the purified fractions for size, using a representative trace of Jurkat exosomes (Figure 4). Figure 3. Beckman Coulters Biomek 4000 Laboratory Automation Workstation. Image credit: Beckman Coulter Figure 4. Representative histogram of DelsaMax dynamic light scattering assay describing exosomes of expected size. Image credit: Beckman Coulter Results Depletion Percentage Assayed by Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis (NTA) was carried out on all FBS sources. In comparison with the source media, the number of traces was nominal for commercially available media and centrifugally-depleted media (Figure 5), implying that both techniques were successful in voiding the FBS of contaminating exosomes and other particles. Figure 5. Depletion assay of FBS after treatment. Three FBS sources were centrifuged. The resulting pellet was recovered and analyzed for contaminating exosomes. Image credit: Beckman Coulter Cell Viability of Serum Type Beckman Coulters Vi-Cell was used to measure cell viability at two different time points before isolating exosomes for each cell line, in order to gain insights into the impact depleting exosomes has on cell health. The instrument is extremely user-friendly and provides excellent reproducibility in an automated manner, relying on high-powered optics and Trypan blue staining for cell count and viability. As shown in Figure 6, the process of depleting media had little to no impact on the survival of cells. Figure 6. Effect of FBS source on cell viability on two cell lines. Jurkat (A) and HCT 116 (B) cells were grown for seven days and passaged at days 3 and 7. Cell count and viability was measured for all 3 FBS sources on these days. Image credit: Beckman Coulter Conclusion Extracellular vesicles such as exosomes exist in FBS in high concentrations. As the field of exosome research continues to expand, there is an increasing need for standardized methods for FBS depletion in analyses that involve cell culture. The cost of commercially available depleted FBS is currently more than twice the cost of heat-inactivated, highly-pure FBS at most distributors. This article has demonstrated an alternative solution to ease the pain associated with high experimental costs. It has been shown that the centrifugally-depleted FBS retained cell viability during culture, proved low in contamination of particles such as exosomes as probed by NTA and offered a way of properly purifying cellular exosomes by differential centrifugation and density gradient clarification. Acknowledgment Article produced from content authored by Chad Schwartz, Ph. D. Beckman Coulter Life Sciences, Indianapolis, IN 46268. References Vader, P., Breakefield, X.O., Wood, M.J.. Extracellular vesicles: emerging targets for cancer therapy. Trends Mol Med. 2014. 20(7): 385-93. El Andaloussi, S., Mager, I., Breakefield, X.O., Wood, M.J.. Extracellular vesicles: biology and emerging therapeutic opportunities. Nat. Rev. Drug Discov. 2013. 12(5): 347-57. Simpson, R.J., Lim, J.W., Moritz, R.L., Mathivanan, S.. Exosomes: proteomic insights and diagnostic potential. Expert Rev. Proteomics. 2009. 6(3): 267-83. De Toro, J., Herschlik, L., Waldner, C., Mongini, C.. Emerging roles of exosomes in normal and pathological conditions: new insights for diagnosis and therapeutic applications. Front. Immunol. 2015. doi: 10.3389/ fimmu.2015.00203. Amabile, N., Rautou, P-E, Tedgui, A., Boulanger, C.M.. Microparticles: key protagonists in cardiovascular disorders. Semin Thromb. Hemost. (2010) 36:90716. doi:10.1055/s-0030-1267044Asdf DeJong O.G., Verhaar, M.C., Chen, Y., Vader, P., Gremmels, H., Posthuma, G., et.al. Cellular stress conditions are reflected in the protein and RNA content of endothelial cell-derived exosomes. J Extracell. Vesicles (2012) 1:18396. doi:10.3402/jev. v1i0.18396. Waldenstrom, A., Genneback, N., Hellman, U., Ronquist, G.. Cardiomyocyte microvesicles contain DNA/RNA and convey biological messages to target cells. PLoS One (2012) 7:e34653. doi:10.1371/journal. pone.0034653. Robbins, P.D., Morelli, A.E.. Regulation of immune responses by extracellular vesicles. Nat Rev Immunol (2014) 14:195208. doi:10.1038/nri3622. Rajendran, L., Honsho,M., Zahn,T.R., Keller,P., Geiger,K.D., Verkade,P., et. al. Alzheimers disease beta-amyloid peptides are released in association with exosomes. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA (2006) 103:11172 7. Doi:10.1073/pnas.0603838103. Danzer, K.M., Kranich, L.R., Ruf, W.P., Cagsal-Getkin, O., Winslow, A.R., Zhu,L., et. al. Exosomal cell-to-cell transmission of alphasynuclein oligomers. Mol Neurodegener (2012) 7:42. doi:10.1186/1750-1326-7-42 Kruh-Garcia, N.A., Wolfe, L.M., Chaisson, L.H.,Worodria, W.O., Nahid P., Schorey J.S., et. al. Detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis peptides in the exosomes of patients with active and latent M. tuberculosis infection using MRM-MS. PLoS One (2014) 9:e103811. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0103811. Colino, J., Snapper, C.M. Exosomes from bone marrow dendritic cells pulsed with diphtheria toxoid preferentially induce type1 antigen-specific IgG responses in naive recipients in the absence of free antigen. J Immunol (2006) 177:375762. doi:10.4049/ jimmunol.177.6.3757. Gould S.J., Booth, A.M., Hildreth,J.E.K.. The Trojan exosome hypothesis. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA (2003) 100:105927. doi:10.1073/pnas.1831413100. Shelke, G.V., Lasser, C., Gho, Y.S., Lotvall, J.. Importance of exosome depletion protocols to eliminate functional and RNA-containing extracellular vesicles from fetal bovine serum. J Extracell Vesicles. 2014. Doi:10.3402/ jev.v3.24783. About Beckman Coulter Beckman Coulter develops, manufactures and markets products that simplify, automate and innovate complex biomedical tests. More than a quarter of a million Beckman Coulter instruments operate in laboratories around the world, supplying critical information for improving patient health and reducing the cost of care. Sponsored Content Policy: News-Medical.net publishes articles and related content that may be derived from sources where we have existing commercial relationships, provided such content adds value to the core editorial ethos of News-Medical.Net which is to educate and inform site visitors interested in medical research, science, medical devices and treatments. News18 Blogs World Pakistan's Bermuda Triangle File image of Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif (R) and Iran's President Hassan Rouhani. (Photo Credit: Getty Images) Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had a comfortable meeting with the Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on the side lines of the UNGA. They talked about further promotion of economic co-operation between the two countries including the progress on Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline and electricity import from Iran and bilateral trade relations. Iranian president also showed keen interest in CPEC. One must give credit to former president Asif Ali Zardari's far sightedness for reaching an agreement for gas pipeline with Iran despite it being under severe American sanctions. It was definitely a very bold foreign policy initiative. If sincerely pursued Pak-Iranian gas pipeline would help overcome Pakistans energy shortages in the coming years. The main thrust of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif during UNGA was to draw the attention of the members of the United Nations to the current explosive situation in held Kashmir. Prime minister apprised President Rouhani of gross human rights violations. Iranian president not committing on the Kashmir situation, however, assured Pakistan that its security was of brotherly interest to Tehran. Looking at Iran-Pakistan relations in retrospect post revolution, they have always been a matter of debate. But one thing is clear that our ties have been rooted in history which predate to Pakistan as a nation. Language, art, architecture and close interaction between the people have been ingrained in the chemistry of the two nations irrespective of the political systems followed by them. However, difference in political systems between Iran and Pakistan and the entry of Saudi Arabia as a challenger to Iranian revolution has created a triangle which if not handled properly can plunge the entire region into a quagmire. For Pakistan the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan had been a nightmare which created many formidable challenges for Pakistan already facing a perennial adversary on its eastern borders. After General Zias coup onward we have seen the nations plunge from sublime to the ridiculous, nay, even worse. By design society was pushed into quagmire of sectarianism, religious extremism and ethnicityto conveniently divide and rule. A certain brand of Sunni sect was launched as a sort of state religion. Though it seemed very strange, yet it happened. Religious parties and even parties of the left were initially very enthusiastic about the Iranian revolution. Jamaat-e-Islami whose founder Maulana Maudoodi had found a common cause with late Ayatollah Khomeini and his Revolution -- his party after his death did not have a long honey moon with the Iranian clergy. Parties of the left that see silver lining in every street revolution, though enamored by the Iranian Revolution took no time to distance themselves from the new leadership when it started targeting the secular forces inside Iran and declared Shiaism as an official religion in the new Iranian constitution. The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan also saw Iran supporting only Shias among the Mujahideen that had been clobbered by Pakistan and the United States to get Russians thrown out. General Zia got on his American bandwagon all the Wahabi-Sunni Maulvis while Iran supported a separate alliance of Mujahideen that were dominated by Shia and non-Pashtun parties. The result was obvious; the post Soviet Afghanistan was plunged into a fierce civil war between north and south. Pakistan also chose sides. Despite the fact that Northern Alliances Tajik Commander Ahmed Shah Masud was not averse to have a truck with Pakistan; Islamabad put all its eggs in Pashtun basket alienating others forcing them to seek their options with India. Pakistan, however, made a distinction between pro-monarchist parties and religious factions. Saudis too played a major role in terms of support to the Afghan religious (Sunni) parties. For Saudis, the Jihad in Afghanistan had twin objectives: one to keep the infidel Soviets at bay and, two, preempt Iranian revolutionaries from spreading their tentacles in the Gulf region. The rest, as they say, is history. However, the worst after effect of the Afghan Jihad was the birth of sectarian parties in Pakistan under the patronage of Iran and Saudi Arabia. Both the "pillars" of Islam fought their battle on the Pakistani soil. For Ziaul Haq rise of religious parties was a golden chance to create his own constituency and to crush the Pakistan People's Party, his bete noire. But our Muslim brothers following different sects had their own reasons to promote sectarianism in Pakistan. Saudis saw Pakistan as the largest "Sunni" country in the region which could act as a bulwark against Iran's perceived expansionist designs without sacrificing their own sweat or blood. Iran, on the other hand, saw Pakistan as the second largest Shia population (after Iran) despite the fact that Shias make only 25 percent of the country's population. However, in their scheme of things by injecting the revolutionary zeal they thought they could create a substantive pro-Iranian support in Pakistan. And analysts claim this they have done. Predominantly Sunni media reports allege that the Shia revolutionary organisations have recruited Pakistani Shia youths to fight ISIS/Daesh in Syria. Interestingly both Iran and Saudi Arabia swear by their friendship and brotherhood with Pakistan. This is true to an extent that they have stood by Pakistan whenever the country has been in dire straits. But both the countries have become victims of their own sectarian rhetoric, especially at this crucial juncture of the Middle Eastern politics when ISIS/Daesh is posing a mortal threat to the Gulf monarchies. These monarchies led by Saudi Arabia, with the support of Americans, have thrived in promoting their agendas. But they have been incapable of dealing with challenges inside their own countries or next door. Yemen is a case in point. Instead of waiting for the UN Security Council to pronounce judgment, Saudis launched attacks on Yemen to put pressure on the US to abandon nuclear talks with Iran which the US refused and the Joint Comprehensive Programme of Action (JCPOA) was signed with lots of fanfare. Ironically, five percent Houthis which are supported by Iran toppled the Hadi government supposedly representing 95 percent of Sunnis. Saudis had to pay the price of ignoring Yemen when it needed their support both politically and economically. Americans are playing a dangerous game in the region. While they believe that Iran can effectively deal with ISIS/Daesh threat in Syria and Iraq and that Saudis are not only incapable of meeting the threat but are also responsible in promoting Wahabism which is now transformed into a divisive Takfiri ideology. Not only that Americans are running with the hare and hunting with hound in this whole game. They are selling arms to Saudis and other Gulf states by the billions while acknowledging Iran as a major power in the region. Iran may for the time being project its successes in Syria, Iraq and Yemen, but if history is a guide, Iran should not repeat the mistakes which Soviets did. Militarily Soviet Union was not defeated in Afghanistan. It was the economic burden which broke the back of this super power. Not only in Afghanistan but its liabilities in former Eastern Europe and Africa sapped its economic muscles at the cost of its own break up. Iran cannot be an exception given the limitations it faces in the region and the opposition within to the clergy rule. Pakistan has learnt a couple of lessons due to Saudi and Iranian competition and rivalry. By not joining the Yemen war Pakistan gave a clear signal to the entire region that it no longer can tolerate sectarian squabbles played by outsiders on its soil or elsewhere. Secondly, its message to Iran has been that its expansionist policies would ultimately consume its energies to the peril of its own people who have been suffering isolation for the past three decades. Thirdly, an effective defence against ISIS/Daesh is only possible if all the countries of the region cutting across their sectarian lines join hands and defeat the forces of ignorance which are responsible for creating xenophobia against Islam and Muslims. It is sad that the conflict between the two have contributed towards clash of civilizations divided house of Islam pitched against a united, better organised, financially sound Judaist and Christian civilisations. Instead of fostering overall peaceful co-existence on Gods little earth, it seems clash between rich and the poor - irrespective of religion - would dominate the twenty first century and as we entered a century of terror so shall we end with more terror. The author is the former High Commissioner of Pakistan and a veteran journalist Honda Civic Type R from the side. (Photo: AFP Relaxnews) The hot hatch version of any new car usually takes at least a year to appear but Honda has thrown away the rule book and unveiled what it promises is the hottest Civic hatchback in history alongside the reveal of the standard 10-generation Civi c."We promised the most ambitious, sportiest Civic lineup ever and we're delivering on that promise with each new Civic," said Jeff Conrad, senior vice president and general manager of the Honda Division of American Honda Motor Co., Inc.The current generation Type R has only been on sale for a year and is one of the fastest front-wheel-drive cars in history to lap the Nurburgring. This new model, shown in Paris in prototype form with massive flared carbon fiber side skirts, carbon fiber diffuser and spoilers and three tailpipes, will pick up where the existing Type R will leave off. Thanks to a huge hood scoop, side air intakes and 20-inch alloys, even standing still it already looks faster. However, the biggest surprise is that this will be the first truly international Type R. By bringing its hottest hot hatch to America, Honda is following Ford's lead with the Focus RS."For the first time ever in America, Honda fans and enthusiasts will have access to the ultimate in Civic performance in the form of the new Type R," Conrad said.So, after the Paris Motor Show is finished, this car is heading to the US and will make its American debut at SEMA 2016 in Las Vegas this November. The production version of the Type R will be going into production in 2017 and expect its rollout to coincide with another attempt at the front-wheel-drive Nurburgring lap record. New Delhi: Polythene will be banned at all national monuments from October 2, the second anniversary of the Swachh Bharat Mission which coincides with Gandhi Jayanti. "Taking forward the Swachh Bharat Mission, we have decided to ban polythene at all national monuments and tourist destinations from Gandhi Jayanti this year," Union Tourism Minister Mahesh Sharma said. He, however, clarified that plastic bottles will not be banned, but tourists will be asked to place those in the recycle bins. With the trial phase of the initiative launched last month, the ban will be applicable in 100-metre radius of the monuments. As part of the initiative for 'polythene-free monuments' the Union Minister will visit Red Fort, Humayun Tomb and Qutab Minar. It will be easier to implement this initiative as the monuments have security personnel who can check tourists at the entrance, Sharma said. The initiative will be reviewed after a month to decide whether there is any need to impose fines on the offenders, an official said. The Centre had in March banned the manufacture of plastic bags of below 50 microns as these are difficult to dispose of thus posing a major threat to the environment. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had launched the Swachh Bharat Mission on October 2, 2014. It aims to eliminate open defecation, manual scavenging and encourage modern and scientific municipal solid waste management, among others. Siddaramaiah said there was a demand for release of water to save standing crops in the Cauvery basin but a decision on that too had to be taken by the legislature, which had earlier decided that water should be used only for drinking purpose. Unrelenting in its position despite the fresh Supreme Court order to release 6,000 cusecs of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu, Karnataka cabinet on Saturday night decided to convene a legislature session on October 3, the second recently, to take a call on the apex court directive.Refusing to budge from its stand a day after the Supreme Court gave the "last opportunity" to comply with its order, the state questioned the constitution of the Cauvery Water Management Board and decided to file a review petition in this regard on Monday.Chief Minister Siddaramaiah spelt out the state's stand to reporters after an all-party meeting convened by him told the government not to release "at any cost" 6,000 cusecs of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu as directed by the Supreme Court, and to oppose the formation of the Board."All-party meeting has told us not to release the water. We have to go back to the legislature," Siddaramaiah said, adding "as far as release of water (is concerned), we will go back to the Assembly on Monday."He emphasised that a special session of both the Houses of the state legislature had on September 23 mandated through a resolution that water should be used only for drinking purpose, and not be spared for any other use.Siddaramaiah said the state would also question the formation of the water management board, for which the Supreme Court had set 4 PM as the deadline for the riparian states to give the names of their representatives. "That we are questioning. That is why we are filing the review petition on Monday."Taking Karnataka to task for its repeated "defiance" by flouting its orders on release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu and giving it a last chance, the Supreme Court had yesterday asked it to discharge 6,000 cusecs from October 1 to 6, warning no one would know when the "wrath of the law" would fall on it.The court had also directed the Centre to constitute the Cauvery Water Management Board by October 4. "We have not defied the orders of the Supreme Court... There is no wilful disobedience or deliberate disobedience," Siddaramaiah said, adding the legislature session was binding on the government.He said, "Our argument since the beginning is that Management Board cannot be created. Since the final award (Cauvery tribunal's) came on February 5, 2007, we have been saying that Management Board cannot be created."He also said on October 18, the SLP by Karnataka challenging final award of the Cauvery tribunal was coming up before the court's three-judge bench. "There it will be decided, because Tamil Nadu's Interlocutory Application has said this application can be heard along with main petition.""They (TN) have said that three-judge bench can decide on it (the Board), but here two-judge bench has done this. There was no prayer either by Tamil Nadu or by Karnataka. Also, notices were not issued to Kerala and Puducherry (riparian states). In their absence, this order has been passed.""So according to me it is a defective order. That is why we have decided to file a review petition. Most likely Monday we are filing the review petition."He said procedures under the Inter-State Water Dispute Act, 1956 had to be followed and the issue has to be placed before Parliament. After the scheme is drawn in Parliament, the states have to send nominees for the Board to the Water Resources Ministry. "This is the legal position."Before he went into a huddle with his ministerial colleagues, Siddaramaiah held consultations with Opposition leaders at an all-party meeting on the state's next move as it suffered repeated judicial setbacks on the issue.Emerging from the over three-hour long all-party meeting, BJP and JDS leaders said they told the government to stick to the resolution passed by both the Houses of state legislature that water should be used only for drinking purpose, and not be spared for any other use."We should not obey the Supreme Court order at any cost as it is unimplementable. The House (legislature) decision should be upheld. Government should stick to the decision," Opposition Leader in the Assembly Jagadish Shettar said.He said BJP was opposed to formation of Cauvery Water Management Board. "We will do all that is necessary to put pressure on the Centre (not to constitute it)," he said.JDS leader Y S V Datta said the state should not release 6,000 cusecs as directed by the apex court "at any cost"."Whatever may be the consequences, we will all face it together. We are with the government," he said.He said if a situation of contempt of court was to arise, all MPs, MLAs and MLCs should submit affidavits, stating that they all be made responsible and not just the Chief Minister and the Chief Secretary. Bengaluru: Opposition parties in Karnataka on Saturday asked the Siddaramaiah government not to release "at any cost" 6,000 cusecs of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu as directed by the Supreme Court, and to oppose the formation of the Cauvery Water Management Board. Emerging out of a more than a three-hour long all-party meeting, BJP and JDS leaders said they told the government to stick to the resolution passed by both the Houses of state legislature on September 23 that water should be used only for drinking purpose, and not be spared for any other use. Soon after the all-party meet, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah went into a huddle at a meeting of the Council of Ministers which would take a call on the Supreme Court directive. Taking Karnataka to task for its repeated "defiance" by flouting its orders on release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu and giving it a last chance, the Supreme Court yesterday asked it to discharge 6,000 cusecs from October 1 to 6, warning no one would know when the "wrath of the law" would fall on it. The court had also directed the Centre to constitute the Cauvery Water Management Board by October 4. "We should not obey the Supreme Court order at any cost as it is unimplementable. The House (legislature) decision should be upheld. Government should stick to the decision," Opposition BJP leader in the Assembly Jagadish Shettar told reporters. He said BJP was opposed to the formation of the Cauvery Water Management Board and added, "We will do all that is necessary to put pressure on the Centre (not to constitute it)." JDS leader Y S V Datta said the state should not release 6,000 cusecs as directed by the apex court "at any cost". "Whatever may be the consequences, we will all face it together. We are with the government," he said. He said since the state was opposed to the formation of the Cauvery Water Management Board, it should not name its representatives to it. Datta said that if a situation of contempt of the court was to arise, all MPs, MLAs and MLCs should submit affidavits stating that that they all be made responsible and not just the Chief Minister and the Chief Secretary. Meanwhile, former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda on Saturday began an "indefinite" fast seeking "justice" for Karnataka in the ongoing row with Tamil Nadu. The 83-year-old Janata Dal (Secular) supremo is sitting on fast near the Mahatma Gandhi statue next to Vidhana Soudha, the state secretariat here, saying, "We want justice. Drinking water is essential for humans to survive." New Delhi: CPI-M leader Sitaram Yechury on Saturday said India should initiate a dialogue with Pakistan to resolve issues, and there should be no further escalation of conflict between them. "We think there should now be no further escalation of conflict and in order to ensure that we are saying that there should be diplomatic and political hopes that should be initiated," he said while addressing a press conference here . The Left leader also suggested that India should lead the way in initiating the talk with Pakistan after the recent tension in relations. "India from its position of strength should initiate these things (dialogue) so that some degree of understanding and an agreement can be reached in order to eliminate the scourge of cross border terrorism emanating from Pakistan," he added. Relations between India and Pakistan have hit all time low after terrorist attack on an Army camp in Uri of Jammu and Kashmir last month. It followed India's reaction in form of surgical strike in Pakistan administered Kashmir across Line of Control (LoC). New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi understands the "pain" of the people of Balochistan, the leadership of which has sought India's help for the "first time in 70 years", a prominent Baloch leader said on Saturday. Activist Mazdak Dilshad Baloch expressed satisfaction with the Indian response to the "Baloch appeal", saying Modi's Independence Day speech had played "a major role in spreading awareness" about the "atrocities" of the Pakistani State on Balochistan. But, during the event on 'Baloch Nationality' where the young leader spoke, social commentator Tarek Fatah countered his claim, saying exiled Baloch leader Brahumdagh Bugti had been to India for medical treatment. Bugti has recently sought asylum in India. "India is with us. Narendra Modi understands our pain. In the last 70 years, no Baloch leader has come to India. But now, we have come and we are happy with the response. We thank (External Affairs Minister) Sushma Swaraj for her UNGA speech. "Today, even an autowallah asks me whether I am the same Baloch Modiji spoke about. Since August 15, I have had many such encounters," Mazdak said. He also took a dig at Pakistan over the recent surgical strikes of the Indian Army on terror launchpads in PoK and the subsequent denial of the Pakistani civilian and military leadership of the same, saying "everyone knows" who staged the attack on the army base at Uri in Kashmir. Describing as "false" the distinction made between the Pakistani State and its people, Mazdak questioned the latter's "silence" on the "acts of oppression" at Balochistan. "But, they voiced their opposition against the terror attack in Paris," he said. The event, organised by right-wing thinktank India Policy Foundation and attended by many at Constitution Club, was punctuated with slogans of "Bharat Mata ki Jai" and "Pakistan Murdabad". BJP MP Udit Raj was present in the audience. Former diplomat Vivek Katju, who termed the Baloch issue the "unfinished agenda of partition", and retired armyman GD Bakshi were among the other speakers at the event. A booklet, titled 'Balochistan: What World Needs to Know', was released on the occasion. Washington: The United States has strongly objected to threats of nuclear warfare made by Pakistan against India and has conveyed its displeasure to that country in this regard. "We made that (American objection on nuclear threat) clear to them (Pakistan). Repeatedly," a senior State Department official said. The official who spoke on condition of anonymity, however, would not reveal the level at which the message was conveyed to Pakistan. "It is very concerning. It is a serious thing," the official said when asked about Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif's assertions, twice in the last 15 days, that his country could use nuclear weapons against India. Asif had told a Pakistani news channel in his latest interview, "We will destroy India if it dares to impose war on us," "Pakistan army is fully prepared to answer any misadventure of India. We have not made atomic device to display in a showcase. If such situation arises we will use it (nuclear weapons) and eliminate India," Asif had said. The statements raised eyebrows in the Obama Administration and is seen as "irresponsible" behaviour by top Pakistani leadership. In a tacit acknowledgement that it has concerns over the safety of nuclear weapons in Pakistan, the official said the US is closely monitoring the safety and security of those weapons of mass destruction. "The safety of these weapons is always a concern for us. So we are always monitoring it, regardless of what they said on this particular occasion," said the State Department official. Meanwhile, Deputy State Department Spokesman Mark Toner told reporters at his daily news conference that nuclear-capable states have "a very clear responsibility to exercise restraint regarding nuclear weapons and missile capabilities". The United States, meanwhile, continued to urge both India and Pakistan to take steps to de-escalate tension following the Uri terror attack that has claimed the lives of 19 Indian soldiers. "At the same time we have made it very clear that what happened in the Indian army base (Uri) is an act of terror," the senior State Department official said. According to another official of the department, "everyone knows" where the perpetrators of the Uri terrorist attack came from. At his news conference, Toner said the US continues to follow the situation on the ground very closely. "From our perspective, we urge calm and restraint by both sides. We understand that the Pakistani and Indian militaries have been in communication and we believe that continued communication between them is important to reduce tensions. I think we certainly don't want to see any kind of escalation and certainly any kind of break in that communication. We have repeatedly and consistently expressed our concerns regarding the danger that cross-border terrorism poses for the region, and that certainly includes the recent attacks - terrorist attacks in Uri," he said. "We continue to urge actions to combat and de-escalate - and delegitimise terrorist groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba, Haqqani Network, as well as Jaish-e-Mohammad," Toner said. Amid speculation about Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaas health, leaders of the ruling AIADMK on Saturday said she was responding to treatment and will soon "return home." "Jayalalithaa is recovering well. Hope she will be discharged shortly. Why should we bother about rumours?" party spokesperson Panruti S Ramachandran said seeking to address concerns about her health. Former state minister B Valarmathi also made similar reassuring statements. On Friday night, Dr. Richard John Beale from the London Bridge hospital entered the Apollo Hospitals facility on Greams Road, triggering another round of fresh speculation. While multiple sources confirmed his entry, there has not been any official word on his involvement in medical treatment. Sources at Apollo Hospital neither denied nor confirmed his presence. Party spokesperson Ramachandran however said, "Dr Richard from London has started treatment. We are satisfied. Anyone can fall sick. Even Hillary Clinton fell sick. Only doctors can give the right picture." Responding to DMK chief M Karunanidhi's demand that the government release pictures of Jayalalithaa to end speculation about her health, party leaders said they are answerable to the public and not to the Opposition. Apollo had issued a medical bulletin on Thursday saying she has been "responding well" to treatment and has been advised to stay in hospital for a few more days. The hospital will issue its next medical bulletin by Saturday evening. The party in fact has filed four police cases against people who commented on Jayalalithaas health over social media. A popular social media user Tamizhachi, who had put out a speculative Facebook post on Jayalalithaas health, was later booked under three sections, including one for promoting enmity between different groups. Patna: Opposition BJP on Saturday asked Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to reconsider the government's decision to implement the new liquor law having same provisions as the one scrapped by Patna High Court and suggested convening of an all-party meeting to discuss prohibition in future. "In the light of Patna High Court's verdict quashing the government's notification for enforcement of prohibition in the state, the Bihar government should not make it a prestige issue and reconsider implementing the new liquor law from October 2 which has the same provisions as in the April 5 notification which was quashed by HC," senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi told reporters. Hours after the Patna High Court had struck down the April 5 notification on prohibition, Kumar had convened a high-level meeting yesterday which decided to call a cabinet meeting on Saturday to go ahead with bringing the new liquor law. Asserting that BJP was never in favour of the 'Talibani' liquor law having unreasonable provisions, he said the government should enforce new prohibition law only after incorporating certain amendments so that it is not quashed again by the High Court. "The government should not be adamant on implementing the new liquor law from October 2 without giving much thought to the High Court verdict. It can wait for another 10 days or so and in the meantime it can convene an all-party meeting to discuss the issue," he suggested. The government could bring an ordinance in this regard and if required a special session of legislature could be convened to pass a completely new law by incorporating amendments for prohibition in future, Sushil Modi, a former deputy chief minister, said. He said the excise law which was struck down had stringent provisions like community fine, confiscation of premises, personal punishments, both physical and monetary including arrest for possessing liquor bottle. Asked to comment on the adamant stance of Kumar in enforcing the new prohibition law from October 2 with the same provisions as the one struck down by the HC, the BJP leader said the chief minister was hunting for some alibi to get rid of alcohol ban. "In the past six months, Nitish Kumar has got the experience that it was very difficult to implement prohibition in the state and hence he is looking for some excuses and opportunity to say that he wanted to implement it but the high court came in the way," he said. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday chaired an all-party meeting to decide future course of action a day after the Supreme Court issued a warning to Karnataka's politcal leadership for defying its orders to release Cauvery waters to Tamil Nadu. This will be followed by a meeting of the State Cabinet meeting later in the evening. In Bengaluru former prime minister HD Deve Gowda has already begun a day and night hunger strike over the Cauvery issue. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi could have intervened in the matter. I had hoped he would do something. I had even met him to discuss the issue. I am disappointed," the 83-year-old JD(S) patriarch told CNN-News18. Gowda expressed shock over the SC order and felt that Karnataka's lead lawyer Fali S Nariman who told the SC that he was relinquishing his brief in the Cauvery, could have at least opposed the constitution of Cauvery Water Management Board. "I had expected at least this much from Nariman. He did not do that," he said. On Friday, the Apex court asked Karnataka to release 6,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu from Saturday to Thursday . In another setback to the state, the court also asked the Centre to set up a Cauvery Water Management Board. Dramatic moments were witnessed during the course of proceedings, with Karnatakas lead lawyer and eminent jurist Fali Nariman saying he was relinquishing his brief since his client had failed to obey the courts earlier orders. NXP Semiconductors NV is exploring selling itself to Qualcomm Inc in a deal that could be valued at more than $30 billion, two sources familiar with the matter said on Thursday. The deal would help diversify Qualcomm's business and make it a bigger supplier to the automotive industry. Talks are in the early stages and NXP may entertain other offers, should they emerge, according to one of the sources. An agreement with Qualcomm could be struck in the next two to three months, according to the Wall Street Journal, which first reported news of the talks. Representatives for Netherlands-based NXP and San Diego-based Qualcomm declined to comment. NXP shares rose 16.9 percent to close at $96.12 on Thursday, while Qualcomm's rose 6.3 percent to $67.45. NXP closed a nearly $12 billion deal to buy U.S.-based Freescale Semiconductor last December, creating the world's top maker of automotive electronics and doubling the percentage of its auto-related revenue to 40 percent. It could also attract interest from other large semiconductor companies such as Broadcom and Texas Instruments Inc, analysts have said. Qualcomm, which supplies Android smartphone makers and Apple Inc, has been dealing with slowing smartphone sales and stiff competition from Chinese and Taiwanese rivals. Qualcomm has so far sat out the transformative consolidation sweeping the industry, which has seen mega-deals such as Avago buying Broadcom for $37 billion last year. Qualcomm gets the bulk of its revenue from chip sales but most of its profit comes from wireless patents it licenses to the mobile industry. It explored a plan to break up its chip business from its patent licensing unit after pressure from activist investor Jana Partners but decided to remain whole. Mizuho Securities analyst Vijay Rakesh said that the deal would give Qualcomm a roadmap for the next decade while moving away from a maturing handset market and toward the faster growing opportunity in automotives. Qualcomm was ranked third in terms of revenue among global semiconductor companies in 2015, while NXP ranked No. 7, according to research firm IHS. RBC analyst Amit Daryanani said the potential deal would be accretive to Qualcomm, which could also use offshore cash. "Assuming a reasonable valuation is paid, this would be an attractive acquisition for Qualcomm and a good use of $30 billion in cash Qualcomm currently has on their balance sheet," Daryanani said. NXP has a market value of about $28.5 billion, while Qualcomm's is about $93 billion. United Nations: Pakistan has told UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon that India's claim of carrying out a surgical strike across the LoC was false and insisted that the responsibility for the "escalating crisis rests entirely on India". In her meeting with the UN chief, Pakistan's Permanent Representative to the UN Maleeha Lodhi told Ban that Pakistan has exercised maximum restraint but would respond forcefully to any acts of aggression and provocation. Lodhi said India's "claim" of carrying out a surgical strike across the Line of Control was "false" but added that India had by its own admission "committed aggression" against Pakistan, according to a statement by the Pakistan mission here. She added that the responsibility for the "escalating crisis rests entirely on India", the release said. Briefing him about the escalating situation, Lodhi said "India has, by its declarations and actions, created conditions that pose an imminent threat to regional and international peace and security." She said India provoked the crisis to divert international attention away from the "Indigenous Kashmiri uprising" and asked the Secretary General to intervene in bringing an end to the alleged grave human rights in Kashmir. Lodhi further said the Secretary General is "bound by the UN Charter" to "intervene boldly and unequivocally" by calling on India to halt its "aggressive actions and provocations", lest these lead to an even more dangerous situation. During a briefing, Ban's spokesperson Stephane Dujarric had said that Lodhis meeting with Ban was held at her own request and added that Ban's office does not give readouts of his meetings with Permanent Representatives. Washington: The army has often played a prominent role in the governance of Pakistan as democracy has not been tailored to its environment, the country's former president Gen (Retd) Pervez Musharraf has said. "Army has always had a role since our independence. It has played a very prominent role in the governance of Pakistan, mainly because of misgovernance by all the so-called democratically-elected governments," Musharraf said in an interview at the Washington Ideas Forum here on Thursday. He said the "inherent weakness" of Pakistan is that democracy in the country has not been tailored in accordance with the dictates of the environment. "There are no checks and balances within the system. The constitution doesn't provide those checks and balances. Therefore, the military is forced and pulled, sucked into the political environment, especially when misgovernance is going on and Pakistan is going down in all socioeconomic indicators. The public and the people massively run towards the army chief, and that is how the army gets involved," Musharraf said, justifying the frequent military coups in the country. He said this was the reason for Pakistan having military governments and the army enjoying high stature. "The people of Pakistan love the army and demand a lot from it. So I'm very proud of the fact that army has backed me because I've been with them for over 40 years. I fought wars with them. So I know they are my constituency," he said in response to a question. "So, therefore, we have to may be tailor the political structure in accordance with the dictates of Pakistan, introduce checks and balances so that misgovernance does not take place and the army does not has to come into politics," Musharraf said. He also alleged that the United States has used his country at its convenience and ditched it. Musharraf said he has plans to return to his country. "I know that the trial is all politicised. One has to face it. And no risk, no gain, as they say," he said, adding that he would not go back if the government in Pakistan were performing well. I have no such ambition of going back and ruling again. I just want people to run Pakistan well, because Pakistan is my passion," he said. However, the former president put forth conditions for his return. "I'm not that foolhardy. So therefore, I would like to see the correct environment where a political change, the third political force is a possibility. I would like to see that the cases are to a degree at a level where my movements are not restricted, the cases can continue, I'll face them," he said. "I want my movement not to be restricted because I realise that unless I lead from the front, I wouldn't be able to generate the public support that I would require to create the third front," he argued. Claiming that he did not knew that Osama bin Laden was living in Pakistan, Musharraf objected to his hideout being called a palace. Constructing a wall outside ones home, he said, is a "normal thing" in that part of his country, so Bin Laden living in a house fenced with a high wall was nothing that could have been thought of as unusual. Musharraf said he had doubts whether Bin Laden had indeed lived at his Abbottabad house for five years. "Maybe he was going and coming, I still believe that. In one of the public gatherings, where I was being grilled on this aspect, I finally said that the man was living for five years in one room with three wives and 18 children, I think he must have rang up CIA himself and declared that he's there," he said, drawing laughter from the audience. Musharraf also said that if he was in power, he would be "counter-threatening" India in the wake of the recent surgical strikes in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). "They are threatening us that they are going to strike us at the time and place of their choosing. Now, this has been said by nobody less than Prime Minister, Defence Minister and the Director General of Military Operations (DGMO). This is a very serious matter," he said. "I think the war hysteria that is being created in India, I repeat, India, not in Pakistan, is an issue. They do that always. This is not the only time," Musharraf said. Kathmandu: Nepal, the current Chair of SAARC, has said it will take the necessary initiatives and hold talks with member countries to press for holding the postponed 19th Saarc Summit. Nepalese Foreign Minister Prakash Sharan Mahat, addressing a press conference, said SAARC member states must be sensitive towards holding the Summit by ensuring the participation of every member. The 19th South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Summit, which was scheduled to be held in Islamabad in November, has been postponed after India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka pulled out, citing terrorism concerns in the region. Mahat said the eight-member South Asian grouping is an important forum for advancing regional cooperation and development, and underlined that harmonious relations between member states would enhance utilisation of the association and encourage regional development, the Himalayan Times reported. Mahat also said that Pakistan as host should make a conducive environment for holding the summit. The 19th SAARC Summit was scheduled from November 9-10. Earlier, the Nepalese Foreign Ministry said that even if one member pulls out the summit cannot be held, as Saarc works on the basis of consensus. Hawk Claus spreads Christmas cheer in DC's Grifter Got Run Over By a Reindeer first look Take a look at two stories from the DC holiday special including the titular chapter and a Hawkwoman and Hawkman tale Playing the devil with reality Of course in repressed, spiritual TT we talk about neither. We also ignore the grim implications of the vast inequalities of wealth nurtured and perpetuated by our rigidly-structured society. Play the Devil premiered on opening night at the recently concluded Trinidad and Tobago Film Festival (ttff). It won first place tying with The Cutlass in the Best Trinidad and Tobago Feature Film category. The cast includes Petrice Jones, Gareth Jenkins, Penelope Spencer, Che Rodriguez, Tenielle Newallo and Nickolai Salcedo. The film follows Gregory (Petrice Jones), a disciplined, subdued and struggling 18-year-old student who meets James (Gareth Jenkins), an older, wealthy businessman. James makes a move on Gregory who, in turn, encourages and accepts the older mans advances. In one important scene, the younger man actively explores his sexuality with James. The trope of doomed love between two people of widely differing ages is a classic one in art. Consider Nabokovs Lolita, Brontes Jane Eyre, Hardys Tess of the DUrbervilles, and Eliots Middlemarch. In all of these male cougar stories, the love under examination is heterosexual. Here, the film-makers flip the switch. Other sources abound. Comparison with the 2014 musical theatre production Jab Molassie which also starred Nickolai Salcedo (who appears in this film and is even more incredible on screen than he is on stage) is inevitable. Like that tale, the story is set high above the capital in the hills, and a central character is seduced by a devil. But whereas the temptation in Jab Molassie was highly symbolic, in Maria Govans film the power of the erotic is not sublimated within the story. It is the movies central conflict. Gregorys inability to come to terms with his sexuality and James dogged campaign to take up residence in Gregorys life breed disaster. While we must be weary of the trope of violence being used against gay characters in art, the resolution of the plot is, in this instance, not contrived and is in line with the demands of tragedy. The resolution is not gratuitous and also channels the grim reality of our violent society. In the opening scenes, actor Jenkins leaves enough room for us to have different interpretations of Jamess motives. Does he want just a hot date? Or is he looking for something more? From the perspective of Gregory and also evidently some audience members at MovieTowne James might come across as predatory. But the projection of negative motives on others is a hallmark of a life of isolation and in the closet. What Gregory actually fears is himself. To some extent, James, for all his audacious provocations, is the true victim because his actions may well be motivated by a genuine yearning for love. Though clothed with greater wealth and power, James is as trapped as Gregory in a world where every aspect of his life has been brought under manners: his career, his family life, his attempt to act out his core being. Therefore the roles of victim and villain are as interchangeable as the movies Carnival costumes. Gregorys anguish at the films haunting climax is not just a reflection of the fact that all doors have closed on him, it is also the Edvard Munch Scream of all minorities relegated to life at the margins. The subtle way the film handles questions of class, education and social power is among its strengths. Visually, this Abigail Hadeed-produced film is also sophisticated but not ostentatious. There is a memorable shot from cinematographer James Wall of Gregory literally shutting a closet, as well as one where he is split in the face of a mirror. Govans script does a very good job of turning the screw, pitting Gregory against the forces of family, of religion, of gender norms for males in a macho society, of criminal violence, of peer pressure, of a scholarship-obsessed education system and of wealth disparities caused by a society concerned with money above all else. Here, at last, is a film of great integrity for the age in which we Trinibagonians live. WITCO slams new cigarette tax Obviously, we would have preferred to not go through this pain, because even as (Finance Minister Colm Imbert) said, there are still lots of black market products on the market... I would have thought if they were aware of the problem they would have fixed it and then implemented taxes, WITCO Managing Director Jean-Pierre DuCoudray told Newsday. In his Budget address yesterday, Imbert said the proposed increase along with a 20 percent increase in alcohol sales would net the Government approximately $60 million. DuCoudray said the added tax would only make the black market problem even bigger. The company already pays $3.88 per 20-pack of cigarettes. A pack of DuMaurier, one of the companys best known brands, retails for about $28 while smuggled brands are $12 to $15. The Minister mentioned the black market, and that he was aware of the problem and that he has plans to address it but he didnt say what they were and how long it would take, but he went ahead and raised the taxes anyway, DuCoudray said. The industry is already hit by high commodity prices up nearly 14 percent in 2015 so this is an additional blow. In 2015 WITCO paid $450 million in taxes, including customs duties, value added tax and corporation tax or 55 percent of total revenue, DuCoudray said It also employs over 200 people, is a net foreign exchange earner, and one of the largest manufacturers in the country the one sector of the economy Minister Imbert said was holding its own, he added. So youd think that a little more love would have been shown, he said. Amcham gives thumbs up Overall we believe this is a positive Budget and we believe the announcement of Private Public Partnerships (PPP) is a welcome and consultation needs to continue, AMCHAM said in a statement yesterday. Among the other highlights for the group was the announced overhaul of the petroleum tax regime, the appointment of a procurement regulator, its commitment to the establishment of the Revenue Authority, information and communications technology policies for education, and the extension of the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act extension. The biggest disappointment for the group, however, was the implementation of a seven percent online tax from October 20 without consultation, even though Finance Minister Colm Imbert had commited to discussing it with them. AMCHAM also suggested that more could have been done in reducing transfers and subsidies. The government has recognized that it cannot be business as usual and has taken steps to cut back on expenditure... AMCHAM recognizes this philosophy as we strive to address the current economic challenges, the group said. (CARLA BRIDGLAL) Pundit says fix the home in order to fix crime Many people look to the police or perhaps to a change of government that can bring about a miracle and remove all the lawlessness and violence, Maharaj observed. But you have to understand that each person that is being driven to commit violent acts towards his fellow human being was once a child. Maharaj said all children should be taught two basic principles that maintain harmony - respect for the lives of others and respect for the property of others. Are these being taught? Are parents reminding their children or teaching their children of these two basic principles? The pundit said when the crime situation in Trinidad and Tobago is assessed, it is these two principles that are most violated. Until such time that we can really educate our people, then we will continue to be bombarded by some new situation that is so inhumanely being perpetrated against our fellow human beings. Dookie went missing on September 15 and was found dead 11 days later near an oil well in Santa Flora with his hands tied behind his back, his body wrapped in tarpaulin and hidden under a couch. An autopsy found that he died from asphyxiation. Because of the degree of his bodys decomposition, his funeral service was kept short and his family chose not to eulogise him. Pundit Maharaj ended the ceremony with a reminder that for Hindus, Dookie was not dead, but was returning to Lord Krishna. This part of his journey has come to a close, but his journey continues. Penal police continue to investigate Dookies murder, but the van he drove off in the day he went missing has not yet been found. Griffith gives thumbs up for National Security allocation He was responding to the presentation of the 2016 / 2017 national budget by Finance Minister Colm Imbert yesterday. For another year National Security received the highest allocation in the 2016/2017 budgets with $7.6 billion but was slashed by about $3 billion compared to last year. In the 2015/2016 budget the ministry received $10.81 billion which was $6.994 billion compared to the previous year. While speaking on national security, Imbert reported that Government recently approved $117 million for major equipment to upgrade the intelligence gathering efforts of the police, for evidence gathering and law enforcement capabilities. Griffith, speaking during a telephone interview yesterday, said the Finance Minister spent two minutes glossing over National Security and it would be impractical for anyone pro or against the budget to make any constructive comment. He pointed to the reduction and questioned if it was solely based on recurrent expenditure like salaries and maintenance of vehicles or injection of serious assets demanded by law enforcement agencies. He spoke specifically of the 360 degree radar which required more than $400 million to be properly upgraded, the Coast Guard requiring 500 sailors to man asset acquisitions and the Armoured Personnel Carriers (an initiative he started while in office) which the army was pleading for because they recognise the threat of terrorism and gang related incidents. He added that the Coast Guard requires interceptors and old helicopters needed replacing. I do not know if that is part of the budget. It cannot be just recurrent expenditure. It must be more than that, he stressed. Griffith, however, did praise the $117 million for intelligence apparatus as excellent. We have been way behind the eight ball for too long in terms of intelligence gathering, he added. He said this will assist in improving detection rates. He stressed however, that Government has to ensure that assets which are urgently needed will be provided. Attempts to contact National Security Minister Edmund Dillon by telephone yesterday were unsuccessful Woman: My Dad Was Serial Killer; I Helped Bury the Bodies in case you missed it advertisement Superheroes Keep Romance at Bay box office First They Found Her Sandals, Then a Bloated Snake in case you missed it advertisement Obama Heckled as He Talks About Political Civility video advertisement For 77 Years, Nobody Noticed It Was Hanging Upside Down in case you missed it advertisement Town Balks at $110M Mansion Teardown: 'It's Kind of Gross' IN CASE YOU MISSED IT State Watchdog Agrees With NTSB on Blame in Limo Crash updated Stampede at Halloween Event Kills at Least 146 in Seoul updated advertisement Airline Gets Creative in Getting Travelers to Take Middle Seat IN CASE YOU MISSED IT The Cardboard Box Just Got Political longform advertisement Sisters' Claim About Sacheen Littlefeather Raises Eyebrows IN CASE YOU MISSED IT (Newser) Charlo Greene made headlines in 2014 when the then 26-year-old memorably quit her TV reporting gig on air while announcing her intention to push for the legalization of marijuana in Alaska: She said, "F--- it, I quit," before walking out of view. But as the Guardian reports, her ensuing off-screen plight has been largely ignored, even though she faces more than a half-century in prison. That's because Greene, whose legal name is Charlene Egbe, isn't just a cannabis advocate but the owner of the Alaska Cannabis Club, which she created on April 20, 2014, a full six months before Alaska voted to legalize the adult use of cannabis. In other words, she was receiving "donations" for marijuana through club "memberships" before it was legal to do so. Police raided the club twice and detectives made several undercover purchases, and though Greene wasn't directly involved in them, state prosecutors are charging her because the club is registered under her name. She's pleaded not guilty to charges of "misconduct involving a controlled substance," and the original indictment listed eight offenses that amounted to a possible 24 years in jail. The Guardian broke the news to Greene that six offenses have since been added, raising the total to 54 years. In the Weed Blog, Greene calls this a "modern-day lynching," and tells High Times that she hopes the cannabis community rallies behind her. "I need help more than ever," she says. "Now that I could lose the rest of my life because of cannabis, it feels like the people I fought for have abandoned me." (Alaskans can't smoke weed in public.) (Newser) A man called The Generalthough he's gone by other namescarries at least five cellphones at all times and always has an eye out for hidden enemies. And in 2010 at a McDonald's in New York, he became $100 million richer. DNAinfo has the improbable story of a mob informant who befriended a toothless widow and inherited her fortune. The General fled the army in his European home in 1992 and was given asylum in New York with his wife and four children. He would later do what DNAinfo calls "valorous work for the US government" testifying against organized criminals. But after one federal case in 2006, it became too dangerous, and The General entered witness protection, becoming Alben Sagan and relocating to Wisconsin. Sagan left the program in 2008, calling witness protection "worse than any prison," and rejoined his family and friends in New York. He met Lee Power while inquiring about an open apartment in one of the buildings she owned. Despite looking like a homeless woman, the elderly Power owns real estate worth up to $120 million. Sagan quickly became Power's driver, then head of maintenance. In 2010, she signed a will giving him 90% of her fortune and power of attorney. This came as a shock to her family when she died in 2014. They claim Sagan took advantage of Power. Tenants in Power's buildings claim Sagan kept her alive. Now the ensuing legal struggle is bringing The General's new identity crumbling down and maybe endangering his life. Read the full story here. (Read more witness protection stories.) (Newser) As befitting one of the most talked-about crimes of the past decade, the Meredith Kercher murder and ensuing Amanda Knox saga are the subject of a new true-crime documentary. Amanda Knox, released Friday on Netflix, has a 91% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. It opens with Knox herself looking at the camera and stating: "Either I'm a psychopath in sheep's clothing, or I am you." It goes on to recount Knoxan American college student in Italybeing twice convicted and acquitted of killing her roommate, Kercher, over a span of eight years. Here's what the critics are saying about Amanda Knox: RogerEbert.com says Amanda Knox won't change anyone's mind about her, but it shows how a "seemingly sweet naive girl was accused of something she didn't do" and "how something like this could happen to anyone." The film also helps explain how Knox was so easily turned into a "tabloid villainess," according to the Wall Street Journal. "Its the curse of our media-driven age that anyone seeking a sympathetic hearing needs to have a convincingly sympathetic persona." Entertainment Weekly calls Amanda Knox a good refresher "for everyone who lost track of the trials, appeals, and independent investigations amid tabloid tales of a sex-torture party gone wrong." The Guardian laments that the conclusion the film reaches is the obvious one: "The Italian police and judiciary were guilty of grotesque incompetence, panic, misogyny, and misplaced national pride" resulting in their turning Knox into an "evil witch." Amanda Knox"equal parts Alfred Hitchcock and Patricia Highsmith"seems to be "the last word in this most divisive of cases," the Los Angeles Times writes. "Like too many recent documentaries, [Amanda Knox] is filled with missed opportunities," according to the Village Voice. Those missed opportunities include too little time spent on Knox's time in prison or with the lawyer of Rudy Guede, the man eventually convicted of Kercher's murder. (Read more Amanda Knox stories.) (Newser) When Peter Maillis told his 7-month-old son William to go to bed, William replied, "I don't want to," KDKA reports. It was clear from very early on that William was no ordinary child, and he recently proved that once again by becomingat 9 years oldone of the youngest people ever to be accepted into college. According to People, William graduated from high school in May, is currently taking classes at Community College of Allegheny County, and will enroll in Carnegie Mellon University next fall. A psychologist declared William a genius at just 5 years old, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports. By that time, he knew multiplication, reading, and writing (2 years old); could use sign language and read Greek (4 years old); and had learned geometry in one night (5 years old). William says being the youngest person in his college classes doesn't bother him. "I'm used to it by now," he tells People. (Even at home, William's siblings are 17 and 20 years older than he is.) And the dean at CCAC tells KDKA that William is "more than excelling," earning As in all the courses he's taken. William hopes to become an astrophysicist, and he already disagrees with Albert Einstein and Stephen Hawking when it comes to black holes. His ultimate goal? "I want to prove to everybody that God does exist," he tells People. "I tell him, 'God gave you a gift,'" Peter Maillis, a Greek Orthodox priest, says. "The worst thing would be to reject that gift and not use it for the betterment of the world." (Distracted at work? You may be a genius.) (Newser) The nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates says there was indeed a problem with Donald Trump's microphone during Monday night's first general election debate, the AP reports. The commission says on its website that "there were issues regarding Donald Trump's audio that affected the sound level in the debate hall." There was no noticeable issue with the sound on television. The GOP nominee complained about his mic the morning after the debate, even suggesting he may have been sabotaged. Rival Hillary Clinton had mocked the complaint, saying anybody who complains about a microphone "is not having a good night." (Read more Donald Trump stories.) (Newser) The face of a police officer killed by a drunken driver will appear on ignition interlock devices installed in the vehicles of Maryland motorists convicted of a DUI. A postage stamp-sized sticker bearing Officer Noah Leotta's picture will be attached to the devices to remind drivers of the 24-year-old Montgomery County officer who was struck and killed by a drunken driver at a sobriety checkpoint in December last year, the Washington Post reports. The sticker coincides with "Noah's Law," which goes into effect Oct. 1 and is named after Leotta. the AP reports. The law expands the requirements for convicted drunken drivers to blow into the devices to prove they haven't drunk too much alcohol before their cars will start. The devices will now be mandatory even for first offenders, reports the Baltimore Sun. The law will also significantly increase driver's license suspension periods. The driver who killed Leotta, 47-year-old Luis Reluzco, is a repeat offender who faces up to 10 years in prison when he is sentenced later this year. (In Thailand, drunk drivers are sent to work in hospital morgues.) (Newser) A woman who says her relatives had no choice but to sell a Picasso when fleeing the Nazis in 1938 wants New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art to hand over the paintingor pay more than $100 million in damages. Laurel Zuckerman is the great-grandniece of German Jewish businessman Paul Leffmann, who sold the 1904-5 work The Actor for $13,200, the Times of Israel reports. Leffmann and his wife had fled Nazi Germany for Fascist Italy the previous year. According to a lawsuit filed in New York on Friday, they sold the Picasso they had bought in 1912 at a discount to fund their escape to Switzerland. It was donated to the Met in 1952 by Chrysler heiress Thelma Foy. A lawyer for Zuckerman, who administers the Leffmann estate, says the painting "is tainted by the history of the Holocaust, and the Leffmanns, given the circumstances under which they sold it, never lost title," Reuters reports. The New York Times reports that the museum says it has "indisputable title" to the painting and will fight the lawsuit. The museum says the price dealers in Paris paid for the Picasso was fair market value at the time and notes that the Leffmanns, who settled in Switzerland after the war, reclaimed some of the property they had been forced to sell but did not make a claim on the painting. (A stolen $15 million Picasso was sent to the US as a $37 Christmas gift.) (Newser) A California woman is seeking an apology after she says United Airlines forced her to change seats because two Pakistani monks refused to sit next to a woman. "I thought I lived in a culture where women were equal to men," Mary Campos tells CBS Los Angeles. She says she was about to board a flight to Houston last month when she was informed by a gate agent that her pre-booked seat had been switched. She says the agent told her the men in the seats next to hers had "cultural beliefs that prevent them from sitting next to, or talking to, or communicating with females." Campos says she was told the men were Pakistani monks and that the female flight crew weren't allowed to serve them. Campos wrote a letter to the CEO of United Airlines. She was told the company would look into the incident, but she never heard back again. She tells CBS she wants United to apologize to every woman who was on her flight and then change their policy to protect women's rights and make sure it doesn't happen again. (Read more air travel stories.) (Newser) It appears Rudy Giuliani didn't read the room. The New York Observer reports the Commercial Finance Association was forced to apologize to its members after a speech by the former New York City mayor at its 40 Under 40 dinner went a bit off the rails. In an email Monday, the financial services trade group acknowledged that Giuliani, who was supposed to talk about leadership, "veered sharply off course" and apologized for his "unscripted personal opinions." While what Giuliani said during the dinner Sept. 22 at the Waldorf Astoria hasn't been made public, one attendee tells the Observer that the audience was "shocked" and started complaining immediately afterward. "Rudy talked about immigration and made a really, really inappropriate comment about the quote-unquote Mexicans in the kitchen at the Waldorf, the attendee says. It was bad. You could hear a pin drop. I think he was looking for applause. A second attendee confirmed that was about the gist of it, which may explain why the apology from the CFA specifically notes that it "abhors discrimination of any kind." TPM believes Giuliani's "presumably...racist" misstep is the result of getting used to what works in front of Trump crowds and forgetting that it doesn't play with the "Wall Street richies" in Manhattan. Giuliani has since been removed as keynote speaker for the upcoming New York National Deal Making Conference, Politico reports. (Read more Rudy Giuliani stories.) (Newser) Thousands of Poles, many dressed in black, rallied Saturday in front of parliament in Warsaw to protest a proposed bill that would impose a complete ban on abortion, the AP reports. Speakers at the so-called "Black Protest" said a total ban on abortion, including for victims of rape or women whose lives are endangered by a pregnancy, would be "barbaric." Poland already has one of Europe's most restrictive abortion laws. Organizers chose black as a symbol of mourning for the loss of reproductive rights that they say women could suffer if the law passes. In rallying speeches, they said they want as few abortions as possible in Poland, but that this goal should be achieved with better sex education in schools and easier access to birth control. Protesters chanted "Stop the fanatics!" and "We want doctors not, missionaries," while slogans on banners included: "My body, my choice." Police estimated 5,000 people took part. One protester, Gosia Goszczynska, 36, said she is furious not only about a possible total abortion ban, but also other elements of the law which she sees as harmful to women, including a provision that would deny women prenatal testing. The proposal for the total ban on abortion, and the outrage it has sparked, are the latest example of deepening social tensions under Poland's conservative Law and Justice party, which took power last year and holds a majority in the parliament. The proposal for the stricter law came from a citizens' initiative that had gathered 450,000 signatures. (Read more abortion stories.) New Delhi: The unprecedented surgical strikes by the elite troops on Thursday across LoC that left two Pakistani soldiers dead was kept under high wraps, though, the government and top brass were well aware of it. According to Indian Express, the broad relevant details of targeting the terrorists were discussed in advance with Home Minister Rajnath Singh and other members in a meeting on September 24. But the main operational details pertaining to the strikes were only known to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Army Chief General Dalbir Singh and Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar. A top government source says that according to Indian armys estimate casualties are substantial and if and when photographs and videos are released, the Army will be able to buttress the claim of success. Though the government believes that premature release of pictures or videos can badly affect the post-strike situation. Pakistan has been in a denial mode which is quite evident in the way Pak media has responded by rubbishing the Indian claims of surgical strikes. India is now on high alert to counter any possible attack by Pakistan in the coming days. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Pakistan yet again violated ceasefire early on Saturday morning in Pallanwala sector of Akhnoor, Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). The firing has been going on since 4am, Pakistan resorted to heavy mortar shelling along the border. Since Indias surgical strike on Thursday, this is the the fourth incident of ceasefire violation by Pakistan. The Indian Army caused significant casualties to terrorists, destroying seven terrorists launchpads across the LoC. On Thursday also, Pakistan resorted to small arms fire along the Line of Control (LoC) in Akhnoor sector. People residing near the border areas have already been evacuated as preventive steps. The four border areas of Punjab, Kashmir, Rajasthan and Gujarat are already on high alert. More details are awaited on ceasefire violation. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Washington: Pakistans former President, General (retired) Pervez Musharraf praised the Pakistani army by claiming that it had often played a prominent role in the governance of Pakistan. He went a step further while stating that democracy was not tailored to his countrys environment. "Army has always had a role since our independence. It has played a very prominent role in the governance of Pakistan, mainly because of misgovernance by all the so-called democratically-elected governments," Musharraf said in an interview at the Washington Ideas Forum here on Thursday. He said the "inherent weakness" of Pakistan is that democracy in the country has not been tailored in accordance with the dictates of the environment. "There are no checks and balances within the system. The constitution doesn't provide those checks and balances." "Therefore, the military is forced and pulled, sucked into the political environment, especially when mis-governance is going on and Pakistan is going down in all socioeconomic indicators. The public and the people massively run towards the army chief, and that is how the army gets involved," Musharraf said, justifying the frequent military coups in the country. He said this was the reason for Pakistan having military governments and the army enjoying high stature. "The people of Pakistan love the army and demand a lot from it. So I'm very proud of the fact that army has backed me because I've been with them for over 40 years. I fought wars with them, I've fought two wars and I've fought a number of actions with them. So I know they are my constituency," he said in response to a question. "So, therefore, we have to maybe tailor the political structure in accordance with the dictates of Pakistan, introduce checks and balances so that misgovernance does not take place and the army does not have to come into politics," Musharraf said. He also alleged that the United States has used his country at its convenience and ditched it. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Mumbai: Actor Ranbir Kapoor hopes the youth of the country is not swept away by the violence that is happening around and continue to steer away from any bitterness. I dont want to sound preachy and like a healer talker but we are living in some hard times right now. I hope that you guys dont get swept away with the bitterness and negativity, the violence thats happening around the world and around us. The actors next, Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, seems to be in trouble after MNS demanded a ban on Pakistani artistes in Bollywood after the Uri terror attack. The Karan Johar-directed romantic drama features Fawad Khan in a cameo. Johar had earlier said that banning artistes from across the border is not the solution to stop terrorism. Ranbir, however, refrained from directly commenting on the issue and instead urged fans to remain gentle. I want you guys to stay sweet, gentle, amazing and beautiful. Because even though the world may think that its a shitty place to live in, it is beautiful. You guys are the force. And the force is going to be with you, forever. The Bombay Velvet star was speaking at Close Up First Move Party here last evening. The actor asked the fans to hug each other as a gesture to spread love and solidarity. He also sang and danced on newly launched track Channa Mereya song from the film, which also stars Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Anushka Sharma in lead roles. For all the Latest Entertainment News, Bollywood News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. United Nations: India says Pakistan approaching United Nations over the issue of surgical strikes in PoK has not found any resonance in the world body and rejected claims that the UN mission monitoring ceasefire has not directly observed any firing along the LoC. Indias Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin dismissed remarks made by Secretary General Ban Ki-moons spokesperson Stephane Dujarric that the UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) has not directly observed any firing across the LoC related to the latest incidents, a reference to the surgical strikes conducted by India on September 29 targeting terror launch pads in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Akbaruddin told reporters at the Indian Permanent Mission here yesterday that the facts on the ground do not change whether somebody has observed it or not. I have nothing to say because what (Dujarric) said was directly observed. Its a call that they have to take. I cannot place myself in their boots and directly observe something, the Indian envoy said when asked to comment on Dujarrics remarks. Akbaruddin said the facts on the ground do not change whether somebody acknowledges or not. Facts are facts, we presented the facts and thats where we stand. India on Thursday carried out surgical strikes on seven terror launch pads across the LoC with the Army inflicting significant casualties on terrorists preparing to infiltrate from PoK. When pressed at the daily press briefing to explain how UNMOGIP can say it did not observe any firing even as India said it has conducted the surgical strikes, Dujarric repeated that UNMOGIP has not directly observed any of the firing. They are obviously aware of the reports of these Presumed violations and are talking to the relevant concerned authorities, he had said. Akbaruddin said while Pakistan has reached out to the UN Chief and the 15-nation Council over the issues of the surgical strike and Kashmir, its call for intervention by the world body has not found any resonance as there was no further discussion on the matter. Yesterday there was some action. You are also aware of the reaction, Akbaruddin said referring to Pakistans envoy Maleeha Lodhi meeting New Zealands UN Ambassador Gerard van Bohemen, president of the Council for the month of September, And raising in the UNSC the issue of the action by India. Yesterday the Pakistan ambassador did approach New Zealand. What they didnt tell you after that was what happened. Did anyone raise anything after what was explained to in the UN Security Council. The answer that I know of is that there was no further discussion of this (surgical strike and Kashmir matter), Akbaruddin said. He said Pakistan had raised the issues through the New Zealand ambassador in informal consultations of the Council. Was there a resonance. I didnt hear that, nor did anybody else in those informal consultations. We are a responsible state. It is not our intention to aggravate the situation. However as a responsible state we will not tolerate any impunity. We will not be indifferent to territory being used to kill innocent citizens of our country, Akbaruddin said adding that India hopes and expects support from Pakistan also in that endeavor. Ultimately they are committed to a bilateral understanding on this. The Indian envoy also added that Pakistan had raised the Kashmir issue in the General Assembly but asked how many nations supported it. By my count there were none, he said adding that there is no resonance among UN member states for Pakistans claims on Kashmir. At the high-level General Debate, there was a specific and long Pakistani submission (on Kashmir). I did not hear any resonance of that among any of the member states who took the floor. Ultimately 193 of them took the floor. There was no resonance. If you find anything contrary Im willing to listen, Akbaruddin said. Akbaruddin stressed that as a responsible state, India will not be indifferent to impunity as an option. Our approach is that the response (surgical strike) we undertook yesterday...was a measured, proportionate, counter-terrorist strike. It was reflective of our desire to stop a clear and imminent threat. Our objectives have been met and that effort has since ended, he said. He reiterated that Indias effort as a responsible state is to respond proportionately and in a measured manner and achieve its objectives. In that case, we consider our objectives fulfilled. What spin somebody puts, whether somebody has seen it or not seen it, is not a germane to the issue. That it was undertaken, that we feel that it achieved our objective is important for us as a country, he said. On whether India has been approached by the office of the Secretary General or the Security Council regarding de-escalation of the situation, Akbaruddin said, I did not hear any response to the submission (by Pakistan) yesterday. He said as a normal diplomatic practice, if there are any requests to him or other Indian diplomats on any matter, it is our job as diplomats to respond to them. In the UN we have a very expansive agenda. We have an agenda that deals with peace and security and also climate change, sustainable development goals. It also deals with having a culture of peace integrating and working together with others. We are focused on that expansive and extensive agenda. We are not a one agenda state, he said. The surgical strike by India came just days after the attack by Pakistan-based terror outfit JeM on the Indian army camp in Uri in Kashmir that killed 18 jawans. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: According to the reports in Pakistani websites, the government of India has suspended the Dosti (Friendship) Bus Service between Lahore and Amritsar citing 'unfeasible' conditions. However, Indian authorities have rejected the reports in Pakistani media and told our sources that there is no plan to suspend the Amritsar-Lahore bus service. The DelhiLahore Bus, officially known as Sada-e-Sarhad (Call of the Frontier), is a passenger bus service connecting Delhi with Lahore, Pakistan via the border transit post at Wagah. The bus plies between Lahore and Amritsar every Tuesday and Friday. According to the reports in Pakistani websites, the bus had left Lahore on Friday as per schedule but did not return. India has already cancelled the flag ceremony at Wagah border after the rising tensions between the two countries. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Beijing: As the construction work of the most expensive hydro project goes on, China blocks a tributary of the Brahmaputra river in Tibet. The blockage may trigger a concern in India as it may impact water flows into the lower riparian countries. The Lalho project on Xiabuqu river, a tributary of Yarlung Zangbo (the Tibetan name for Brahmaputra), in Xigaze in Tibet involves an investment of 4.95 billion yuan (USD 740 million), Zhang Yunbao, head of the projects administration bureau was quoted as saying by Chinese state-run Xinhua news agency today. Xigaze also known as Shigatse is closely located to Sikkim. From Xigaze, the Brahmaputra flows into Arunachal Pradesh. Terming it as the most expensive project, the report said the project, whose construction began in June 2014, was scheduled to be completed in 2019. It is not clear yet what impact the blockade of the river will have on the flow of water from the Brahmaputra into the lower riparian countries like India and Bangladesh as a result. Last year, China had operationalised the USD 1.5 billion Zam Hydropower Station, the largest in Tibet, built on the Brahmaputra river, which has raised concerns in India. But China has been maintaining that it has taken into consideration Indias concerns and allays apprehensions of restricting the flow of water, saying its dams are run of the river projects not designed to hold water. The outline of Chinas 12th Five Year Plan indicates that three more hydropower projects on the mainstream of the Brahmaputra river in Tibet Autonomous Region have been approved for implementation. In March, Union Minister of State for Water Resources Sanwar Lal Jat said in a statement that India had expressed its concerns to China about the likely impact of the dams. While there is no water treaty between the countries, India and China established an Expert Level Mechanism (ELM) on trans-border rivers and in October 2013 the two governments signed a memorandum of understanding on strengthening cooperation on trans-border rivers under which Beijing provides data to India on the water flows. The blockade of the Brahmaputra river tributary comes at a time when Indias reported decision to suspend talks with Pakistan under Indus Water Treaty as part of its efforts To hit back at Pakistan in the aftermath of the Uri attack. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang gave a guarded reply when asked on September 27 about Indias reported move. As a friendly neighbour to both India and Pakistan, China hopes that India and Pakistan can properly address disputes and improve relations through dialogue and consultation, maintain and enhance all-round cooperation and join hands to promote regional peace, stability and development, Shuang told PTI. Some of the rivers under the Indus water treaty originate in China. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. London: The company we keep may decide how attractive we appear to others, according to a new study which found that judgement of attractiveness vary depending on who is nearby, and how good-looking they are in comparison. A person will rank higher on a scale of attractiveness when compared alongside less attractive people, than they would when judged alone, researchers said. Popular opinion points to a person's perceived level of attractiveness as somehow fixed. However, research from University of Royal Holloway London in the UK shows that context is key to assessing attractiveness. "Rightly or wrongly, the way people look has a profound impact on the way others perceive them," said Dr Nicholas Furl, from Royal Holloway's Department of Psychology. "We live in a society obsessed with beauty and attractiveness, but how we measure and understand these concepts is still a grey area," said Furl. "Until now, it has been understood that a person's level of attractiveness is generally steady. If you saw a picture of George Clooney today, you would rate him as good-looking as you would tomorrow. However, this work demonstrates that the company we keep has an effect on how attractive we appear to others," he said. The study demonstrates that how attractive we are is far from static, it can fluctuate. According to the research, an averagely attractive face surrounded by undesirable faces will become more appealing than it would on its own. Participants in the study were asked to rate pictures of different faces for attractiveness, one by one. They were then asked to assess the same faces, placed alongside ones perceived to be undesirable. When adding these 'distractor faces', the attractiveness of the same faces increased from the first round of ranking. Participants were then shown two attractive faces, alongside a 'distractor' face and asked to judge between them. "The presence of a less attractive face does not just increase the attractiveness of a single person, but in a crowd could actually make us even more choosey! "We found that the presence of a 'distractor' face makes differences between attractive people more obvious and that observers start to pull apart these differences, making them even more particular in their judgement," Furl said. "It's perhaps not too surprising that we are judged in relation to those around us. This is a trope often seen in teen movies and romantic comedies, where a character associates themselves with a less attractive friend to elevate their own dating stakes," Furl said. The study was published in the journal Psychological Science. For all the Latest Lifestyle News, Others News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Los Angeles: Actor Daniel Radcliffe has revealed he was left amused by Republican presidential nominee Donal Trump's self-confidence when he first met him more than 10 years ago. Stopping by "The Graham Norton Show", the 27-year-old British actor recalled the first time he met the Republican nominee when he was still a pre-teen and revealed the eyebrow-raising advice he got from the businessman, reported Aceshowbiz. Radcliffe, who appeared on the show alongside "Trolls" co-stars Justin Timberlake and Anna Kendrick, first told the host that he ran into Trump while he was promoting the first "Harry Potter" film. He was 11 or 12 at the time. "They took us to New York and it was sort of the first time doing any of the morning shows in New York and I was about to do the 'Today' show and I'd never been American morning TV before, and I was quite nervous," he shared. Trump happened to be there as well and they got to interact before Radcliffe began his interview. That's when the 70-year-old told the young star to brag about their meet-up to the morning show's viewers. "They sort of walked me over to him and he said, 'Oh hi, nice to meet you.' And I said, 'Nice to meet you.' He said, 'How are you?' I said, 'I'm quite nervous. I've never been on TV before, I don't know what I'm gonna talk about.' And he brilliantly just said, 'You tell them you just met Mr. Trump,'" Radcliffe said. As Timberlake and Kendrick showed unimpressed expressions, the actor added, "To me, that is the Everest of self-confidence. Imagine if I'd just been to you, 'When you go on that show, just talk about me. Don't talk about your stuff'." For all the Latest Entertainment News, Hollywood News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: The country's largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki India achieved a 31.1 per cent growth in its passenger vehicle sales in September at 1,49,143 units. Its a great occasion for the carmaker as it witnessed its highest-ever domestic sales. The company had sold a total of 1,13,759 units in September 2015, Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) said in a statement. Domestic sales were at 1,37,321 units as against 1,06,083 units in the same month last year, up 29.4 per cent, it said adding this was "also the company?s highest ever domestic monthly sales" beating the previous best of 1,25,778 in July this year. Sales of mini segment cars, including Alto and WagonR models, were at 44,395 during the month as against 35,570 units in the year-ago period, a growth of 24.8 per cent. The compact segment comprising Swift, Ritz, Celerio, Baleno and Dzire models clocked sales of 50,324 units compared with 44,826 in September last year, up 12.3 per cent, MSI said. The company's Dzire Tour model saw a growth of 23 per cent at 3,973 units from 3,229 units in the same month last year while the mid-sized sedan Ciaz sold 6,544 units as against 4,291 last year, a jump of 52.5 per cent. The utility vehicles consisting of Gypsy, S-Cross, Vitara Brezza and Ertiga saw sales of 18,423 units as against 6,331 in September last year, a jump of 191 per cent, the company said. MSI, which had recently forayed into the light commercial vehicle segment, sold 44 units of its Super Carry models in September. Exports during the month stood at 11,822 units as against 7,676 in the same period a year earlier, up 54 per cent. For all the Latest Business News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday met former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda, who went on an indefinite hunger strike in Bengaluru over the Cauvery Issue. Earlier in the day, Gowda began an "indefinite" hunger strike, seeking "justice" for Karnataka in the ongoing row with Tamil Nadu over release of Cauvery water. The 83-year-old Janata Dal (Secular) supremo is sitting on fast near the Mahatma Gandhi statue next to Vidhana Soudha, the state secretariat in Bengaluru. Gowda's sudden decision comes in the backdrop of the Supreme Court order on Friday, asking Karnataka to release 6,000 cusecs of Cauvery water till October 6 to Tamil Nadu and the Centre to constitute the Cauvery Water Management Board. "We want justice. Drinking water is essential for humans to survive," Gowda, a former Chief Minister, told reporters, as he launched the hunger strike. Asserting that he would continue his protest till Karnataka gets justice from the Union government, Gowda said he still has "confidence" in the Prime Minister that the issue will be resolved. Gowda said he would not be attending the all-party meet called by Chief Minister Siddaramaia later today to chalk out the next course of action in the light of the apex court order, which came as a huge setback to the state. Home Minister G Parameshwara, who visited Gowda, said the former Prime Minister had always fought for the state's interests and added, "I hope it (the hunger strike) will open the eyes of the judiciary." He said the Attorney General agreeing in the Supreme Court to the formation of the Cauvery Water Management Board also showed that "it (Union government) is also against us". Taking Karnataka to task for its repeated "defiance" by flouting its orders, the apex court had on Friday asked it to release 6,000 cusecs water from tomorrow till October 6 to Tamil Nadu, warning "no one would know when the wrath of the law" would fall on it. A bench of Justices Dipak Misra and U U Lalit had also? directed the Centre to constitute the Cauvery Water Management?Board by October 4. Siddaramaiah is also holding a Council of Ministers meeting after the all-party meet. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Kolkata: The CPI(M) urged the Center to continue with the "diplomatic and political" moves to defuse tension and eliminate cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan and hoped that there would not be any further escalation of conflict between the two countries in the near future. The party's general secretary, Sitaram Yechury, also urged the Center to ensure the safety and security of the people from cross-border terrorism. "We have been following the operation of the Indian Army. We hope that now, incidents like the one at Pathankot and the recent one at Uri will not recur. We feel that the government should ensure the safety and security of our people from cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan," he told reporters here. "We hope that there is no further escalation of conflict henceforth. We urge upon the Government of India, from its position of strength, to continue with the diplomatic and political moves to defuse tension and eliminate the scorch of cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan," Yechury said. India, on the intervening night of September 28 and 29, carried out surgical strikes on seven terror launchpads across the LoC with the Army inflicting "significant casualties" on terrorists preparing to infiltrate from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). It happened days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's warning that the Uri terror attack would not go unpunished. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Beijing: China on Saturday said its technical hold on Indias move to get Pakistan-based JeM chief Masood Azhar designated a terrorist by the United Nations has been extended, days before the expiry of the hold. The Chinese technical hold was set to lapse on Monday, and had China not raised further objection, the resolution designating Azhar as a terrorist could stand passed automatically. The hold has been extended for another six months. The technical hold on Indias listing application submitted to the 1267 committee in March, 2016 has already been extended, Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told PTI here. There are still different views on Indias listing application. The extended technical hold on it will allow more time for the Committee to deliberate on the matter and for relevant parties to have further consultations, Geng said. On March 31 this year, China, a veto-wielding permanent member of the UN Security Council, had blocked Indias move to put a ban on the Jaish-e-Mohammed leader and Pathankot attack mastermind under the Sanctions Committee of the Council. China was the only member in the 15-nation UN organ to put a hold on Indias application with all other 14 members of the Council supporting New Delhis bid to place Azhar on the 1267 sanctions list that would subject him to an assets freeze and travel ban. Geng said the 1267 Committee of the UNSC organises its work as mandated by relevant resolutions of the Security Council. China always maintains that on the listing matter, the 1267 Committee should stick to the main principles of objectivity, impartiality and professionalism, base its judgments on solid evidence and decide upon consensus among the members of the Security Council, he said in a written reply to a question. Following the decision, the hold now has been extended in the midst of India-Pakistan tension over the Uri terrorist attack, which was blamed on the JeM group. Chinas technical hold coupled with its move to block Indias membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) cast a shadow on the Sino-India ties. Both the countries have held several rounds of talks on the issues in recent months. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. News Delhi: A retired pilot, who lived at a posh area in New Delhis Mayur Vihar area, committed suicide by shooting himself after firing at his wife and daughter, reports said. The retired pilot, Anand Kumar Singh, 61, lived in the Mavila Apartment with his family. He had some arguments with his wife and daughter after they returned from Germany, reports said. The incident took place at around 4:00 PM when after a heated argument, Anand lost his cool, took out his licensed revolver and opened fire. The frightened wife and daughter ran out of the room. When they came back to the room, they saw Anands body lying on the floor in a pool of blood. The pilot before committing suicide, opened fire at his wife and daughter but both escaped unhurt. According to sources, pilots wife and daughter had come from Germany to their flat in Mavila Apartment. The police is probing the matter. One of the two daughters of Anand Singh is married and lives in Germany, while another was living with him at his Mavila apartment. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: A petition has asked the UK government to "strongly condemn Pakistan for providing safe haven for terrorists". The petition has received nearly 6, 491 signatures so far and the number is increasing frequently. The petition was posted on the UK Parliament website after 19 soldiers were martyred in a terror attack in Jammu and Kashmirs Uri, triggering massive outage in India and leading to surgical strikes across the LoC by the Indian Army. In the UK, the government responds to such petitions if they reach 10,000 signatures. If it reaches 100,000 signatures, the petition is considered for debate in Parliament. A day after the Uri attack, UK's Foreign Minister called on External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and told her that the UK stood shoulder-to shoulder with India in defeating terrorism. On September 21, an Indian-American petition was started asking the Obama Administration to declare Pakistan a 'State Sponsor of Terrorism.' The UK petition reads: Pakistan continues to double speak on issue of terrorism. It has aided & abetted enemies of the international coalition (of which Britain is a leading partner with the US) against terrorism. Osama Bin Laden's hide out was in Pakistan. Pakistan continues to harbour UN sanctioned terror networks. The Inter-Services Intelligence has often been accused of playing a role in major terrorist attacks across the world including the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States, terrorism in Kashmir, Indian Parliament Attack and Mumbai terror attacks. It has been noted by many that several militant & criminal groups are backed by senior officers in the Pakistani army & the country's ISI intelligence establishment. Daniel Byman says Pakistan is probably today's most active sponsor of terrorism. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi/Bangalore: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday said that the state government has taken decision not to release Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu. Earlier on Saturday, the Karnataka government on Saturday moved the Supreme court seeking a review of its order directing the state to release Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu even as it faced strident calls from opposition parties not to release the water at any cost. Here is what all Siddaramaiah said in a Press Conference: # We have taken decision not to release the water # As far as the releasing of the water is concerned, we'll go back to the assembly # Assembly has passed a resolution, so it is binding on us # We have not defied the orders of the Supreme court, there is no wilful disobedience or deliberate disobedience # Special session of Karnataka legislature called on Monday # We have taken decision not to release the water # It is a defective order, so we have decided to file a review petition on Monday # We have decided to file a review petition on Monday ALSO READ | SC chides Karnataka, says release 6,000 cusecs of Cauvery river water to Tamil Nadu from October 1 to October 6 The Karnataka government filed a review petition in the apex court against its three recent orders on Cauvery water release to Tamil Nadu and direction for constitution of Cauvery Water Management Board by Centre saying it would cause undue hardship to the state. In the petition, it said that grave miscarriage of justice has been caused to it pursuant to three orders of the apex court dated September 20, 27 and September 30, by which it directed the state to release 6,000 cusecs of water till October 6 and constitution of board by Centre till October 4. It said that apex court has committed an error in directing the Centre to constitute Cauvery Management Board, without considering the fact that three judges of apex court has held in 2013 that direction to constitute the board can wait and may be heard along with the Civil Appeal. The court has not taken the cognizance of the fact that the constitution of the Cauvery Management Board, being Legislative in character, depends upon the authority exercising the power as well as the nature of the function and obligation arising from the Legislation, it said in the review plea. The plea moved by Karnataka said further water release orders from the reservoirs of Karnataka would cause irreparable injury to Karnataka as once the release are made from the reservoirs of the state, the water cannot be retrieved in case of good normal North-East monsoon. The apex court had on Friday taken Karnataka to task for its repeated defiance by flouting its orders for release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu and had directed it to discharge 6,000 cusecs water from today till October 6. It had warned Karnataka that no one would know when the wrath of the law would fall on it. Emerging out of a more than a three-hour long all-party meeting in Bengaluru, BJP and JDS leaders said they told the government to stick to the resolution passed by both the Houses of state legislature on September 23 that water should be used only for drinking purpose, and not be spared for any other use. The opposition parties also asked the Siddaramaiah government to oppose the formation of the Cauvery Water Management Board. We should not obey the Supreme Court order at any cost as it is unimplementable. The House (legislature) decision should be upheld. Government should stick to the decision, Opposition BJP leader in the Assembly Jagadish Shettar told reporters in Bengaluru. JDS leader Y S V Datta said the state should not release 6,000 cusecs of water as directed by the apex court at any cost. Whatever may be the consequences, we will all face it together. We are with the government, he said. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Kathmandu: SAARC Chair Nepal on Saturday said it will hold talks with member states to press for holding the groupings summit which has been postponed following a pull-out by five countries, including India. Nepal would take necessary initiatives and hold discussions with member countries to press for holding the 19th South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation Summit (SAARC Summit), Minister for Foreign Affairs Prakash Sharan Mahat said. The 19th SAARC Summit was scheduled to take place in Pakistani capital Islamabad from November 9 to 10 but was postponed yesterday following the pull-out by five countries -- India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka. The SAARC member states must be sensitive towards holding the Summit by ensuring the participation of every member, Mahat said while talking to media persons upon his arrival at the Tribhuvan International Airport here. SAARC is an important forum for advancing regional cooperation and development, said the Minister, landed in Kathmandu after leading the Nepali delegation to the 71st United National General Assembly (UNGA). Harmonious relations between the member states would enhance utilisation of the association and encourage regional development, he was quoted as saying by Himalayan Times. Besides India, three other SAARC membersBangladesh, Bhutan and Afghanistanpulled out of the summit, indirectly blaming Pakistan for creating an environment which is not right for the successful holding of the meet. Sri Lanka also pulled out of the SAARC Summit, becoming the fifth country to do so. Citing continuous cross border terrorism by Pakistan, India had announced earlier this week that in the prevailing circumstances, the Government of India is unable to participate in the proposed Summit in Islamabad. SAARC member states include Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, the Maldives, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. DANBURY When firefighter Gabriel Rivera was approached by a suicidal man with a loaded shotgun pointed at his chin, he had little time to think. You never know what youre walking into, but you have to make a quick assessment and adapt to the situation, said Rivera, who will receive the departments Bravery Award this weekend. Thats the job. Most firefighters thought it was a routine call last April when they were called to put out a fire in a boat parked between two homes on Hospital Avenue. After extinguishing the flames, Rivera was helping to put the equipment back onto the ladder truck when there was a call on the radio about a situation on the front lawn. When Rivera turned the corner of the house, he found himself less than 15 feet away from the suicidal man. Some might have run from the scene or frozen in fear, but Rivera approached the man without a second thought. I asked him what he was doing and just starting walking towards him, said Rivera, who has been with the department for 10 years. He said he wanted to kill himself, but I just pretended like I didnt hear him and walked closer. When Rivera was within five feet of the man, the man lowered the gun. The firefighter tackled him and and pulled the weapon away. The rest of his crew and police officers helped to restrain the man. I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time with the right outcome, said Rivera, who served with the U.S. Marine Corps six years before joining the department. I like to think that anyone who was in my position would have reacted the same way. Rivera is one of only 10 firefighters to receive the bravery award in the past three decades. He and other firefighters being honored will receive their awards during the annual ceremony on Sunday at department headquarters on New Street. Firefighters arent the only ones who will be awarded for their actions. Civilians including Lynda Miguel and her daughter Karyssa are also being honored. Miguel and her daughter were driving along Germantown Road near Jimmies Market in July when they saw a young man kicking a police car. We thought about stopping to help, but by the time we pulled into the driveway the guy had the officer on the ground and was punching him, Miguel said. When the Taser was kicked out of the officers hand, thats when my daughter called 911. It took upwards of five minutes for backup officers to respond, so Miguel and her daughter stayed in contact with dispatchers to give them up-to-date information on the assault. They eventually drove to a nearby firehouse to seek help for the officer. My daughter stayed very calm throughout the whole incident and gave the dispatcher all the details, Miguel said. We just tried to help, its what anyone in that situation should do. But I am really proud of my daughter for her composure. dperrefort@newstimes.com This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The Western Connecticut Health Network has had to get creative to find ways to deliver crucial mental health services at a time when resources are limited but demand is steadily rising. Last December, Western Connecticut launched its telemedicine program, where patients can use an iPad to teleconference with a mental health clinician who works at the network. The service is offered at New Milfords emergency department and in primary care practices in Brookfield, Ridgefield and Southbury. In late October, the health network will start offering patients free therapy through a computer program that the network bought for about $100,000 from Magellan Health, an Arizona company that, among other healthcare services, provides computerized therapy for an array of mental health conditions, including depression, anxiety and insomnia. Shortages of behavioral health providers, health plan limitations, lack of coverage and/or inadequate coverage are all barriers to behavioral healthcare access, said Dr. John Murphy, the networks president and CEO. In addition, behavioral health services are poorly reimbursed and state funding for behavioral health programs continue to be cut year after year despite growing needs. Since Dec. 1, 57 patients have used the telemedicine program at New Milford Hospital 83 percent talked with a clinician within 90 minutes, a drastic decrease in wait times for consultations before the service existed. Patients have waited several hours, sometimes up to a day, to speak to someone and, at times, had to be transferred by ambulance to Danbury Hospital, when a provider wasnt available. We took them out of their home environment, brought them to Danbury and then they had to figure out a way to get back home, said Ronald Stephens, nurse manager of the emergency department at New Milford. That was a very challenging and very trying time for the patient. Now, if no clinician is available, patients are given the choice to use the telemedicine program. No one has refused since the program started almost a year ago. It is a great service, Stephens added. It gets those who are having a behavioral health crisis the ability to talk to someone in a more appropriate time period than what we were able to do in the past. Western Connecticut officials are also considering expanding telemedicine to Norwalk Hospital, which is part of the network, during after-hours. Computerized therapy At a time when more and more research is finding that medications arent always the most effective treatment for mental illness, providers like those at the Western Connecticut Health Network are focusing on ways to offer alternative treatments like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). According to the National Alliance of Mental Illness, CBT focuses on exploring relationships among a persons thoughts, feelings and behaviors. During CBT, a therapist will actively work with a person to uncover unhealthy patterns of thought and how they might cause self-destructive behaviors and beliefs. But it has been challenging to find ways to offer these services during the provider shortage. There are few providers, but there are even fewer providers who specialize in CBT, said Dr. Tait Michael, a psychiatrist working with the network to implement its various mental health initiatives. Western Connecticut started exploring computerized CBT about a year ago and will roll out the program to patients, with a focus on those in primary care offices, on Oct. 24. The network will offer Magellans anxiety, depression and insomnia programs. This gives us a tool that is as effective as medicine and that patients can keep with them ... they will be able to use this throughout their lifetime, Michael said. Those who opt into the program will each have their own unique sign-in and will be able to access the software anywhere they have wifi. Each session, or module, as Magellan describes it, lasts 30 to 45 minutes. Patients are prompted do an array of interactive exercises. In the insomnia program, for example, they keep a sleep diary. In the anxiety program, they are asked to examine their thought patterns. All the programs include videos of people portraying experiences and scenarios that are common to those who have these mental health conditions. Dr. Seth Feuerstein, the chief medical officer for medical/digital innovation at Magellan, was working in the psychiatry department at Yale University when he noticed that while New Haven had plenty of mental health clinicians, it was still hard to get the right appointment with the right person. Feuerstein looked more deeply into the problem and came across a research paper highlighting the use of software to deliver CBT. He began working with other faculty members including the chairman of psychiatry at Yale, traveling around the world to look at similar computerized options. Eventually they launched their company, Cobalt Therapeutics, in 2009, which offered software to deliver CBT in the United States. After Superstorm Sandy, Cobalt partnered with the state of New York to launch an online program to help those suffering from emotional distress from the storm. Magellan, which was founded in 1969 and has offices in Avon, acquired Cobalt in 2014 and started offering computerized cognitive behavioral therapy at that time. Magellans programs offer individuals the ability to get the help they need, when they need it, in the privacy of their own home, and in a way that supports our busy lifestyles, Feuerstein said. The programs are engaging, and most importantly, effective. NEWTOWN - It may be, as one statehouse challenger suggests, that residents have turned a corner in their mourning over the Sandy Hook shootings and are entering a new realm of grief. Or it may be, as the incumbent state representative suggests, that recovery from the worst crime in Connecticut history has 28,000 varieties - one for each Newtowner. However recovery is characterized, four years after a troubled 20-year-old named Adam Lanza shot his way into Sandy Hook School and killed 26 first-graders and educators, the candidates running to represent the 106th District in the state House agree that mental health policy is Connecticuts No. 1 priority. People want mental health reform and mental health funding and more allocations for special needs, because the fear is that Adam Lanza was someone with special needs who had mental health problems that werent addressed, and that caused the demise of many families, said Eva Bermudez Zimmerman, the Democratic challenger for the 106th District. Families are vocalizing that, and we need to make sure those families are supported. Two-term Republican Rep. Mitch Bolinsky agrees. We have built a community-based mental health infrastructure in town that has reached out not just to the families of the victims but to everyone who needs it, because the grieving doesnt stop, Bolinsky said. Its critical that we manage our mental health needs, because if we were managing our mental health needs, we might not have had a tragedy at all. Momentum for nationwide mental health reform has been growing recently with efforts from lawmakers such as Sen. Chris Murphy, who has introduced legislation to make mental health ailments as easy to treat as physical illness. But in Connecticut, where the state expects to start the new budget year with a $1.3 billion deficit, cuts to mental health programs have already been felt with layoffs in the spring in the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services. In Newtown, where a six-member trauma team had been providing recovery care to hundreds of families, the town was forced to improvise when the federal grant ran out in March. Using smaller grants and its own money, the town has managed to rebuild the trauma team with four full-time specialists. Bolinsky, a 58-year-old marketing consultant seeking a third term, said he has been a strong advocate in Hartford for Newtowns mental health needs. I am involved deeply in caucus work supporting special education and developmental disabilities, and advocating for deploying services before peoples needs become an emergency, said Bolinsky, who serves on the Appropriations Committee, the Education Committee and the Aging Committee. I have inside access to conversations about this, and I find that this is all incredibly bipartisan stuff, Bolinsky said. I represent Newtown and Sandy Hook, and when I speak about these things, people do listen - people still regard us with respect and empathy because of what we went through. His challenger, Bermudez Zimmerman, who served one term on Newtowns Legislative Council, said her experience as a community organizer, and her activism in causes such as enhanced health care coverage for Sandy Hook first-responders, means she already understands the dynamics of state government. I will just be working on the other side, Bermudez Zimmerman said. If I am elected I will be shouting and hollering that in Newtown we have a tragedy that is not going to go away, and we cannot be forgotten. At the same time, Bermudez Zimmerman says, Newtown has made important strides to come together as a community. I think the Sandy Hook School reopening was a catalyst that helped us turn the corner, Bermudez Zimmerman said, referring to the August debut of the $50 million state-funded elementary school. And the memorial, once they find a site, will be another one, Bermudez Zimmerman said of efforts to commemorate an event many here refer to as 12/14. Even though Newtown has more than 28,000 people, we are very close-knit. Stability and security The direct effect that the Sandy Hook massacre had on Connecticut politics was clear just four months after the tragedy, when the state legislature passed a bill that expanded background checks and banned firearms such as the AR-15-type rifle used in Sandy Hook. Bolinsky, a rookie legislator, went against the GOP grain when he voted for the bill. I had 2,250 people contact me and 2,250 people said, Vote yes, Bolinsky said. I lost a certain portion of my base with that vote, but I am okay with that. Can you imagine me voting any other way? The AR-15-type rifle used in the Sandy Hook massacre was manufactured legally, distributed legally and bought legally by Nancy Lanza, the mother of Adam Lanza. Lanza himself suffered from communications disorders and received special education for autism in Newtown schools, but his needs were misclassified, among other concerns, according to the state Office of the Child Advocate. When his condition worsened in high school and he started being home-schooled by his mother, she rejected medication and other therapy, according to a state report. By the time he was 20, Lanza had become isolated, and fascinated with mass murder. When we made the big vote (in 2013) I wanted to make sure we had a strong mental health support to offer people before they become time bombs, Bolinsky said. I still get phone calls from parents at the end of their rope, who think they could be on parallel with Nancy Lanza, and they dont know what to do. Bermudez Zimmerman said the mass shooting at Sandy Hook pointed to the need for visionary leadership. For example, she noted that Newtown recently hired a social worker as part of the transition from the federally funded trauma team. Finally getting a social worker in town shouldnt have happened as the result of a tragedy, said Bermudez Zimmerman, who has worked as a legislative aide in Congress. A social worker is something we should have already had, she said. We need to be sure we think of these ideas in a pre-emptive fashion and not just react. rryser@newstimes.com; 203-731-3342 India's relations with Africa not a transactional partnership: Hamid Ansari New Delhi, Sat, 01 Oct 2016 NI Wire Addresses Mali National Assembly The Vice President of India, Shri M. Hamid Ansari has said that India's relations with Africa was not a transactional partnership. Emphasizing the long history of relations from the time of common struggles against colonialism, he said that India is not merely returning to Africa what was earlier robbed from it. He was addressing the Mali National Assembly in Bamako, Mali, yesterday. The Speaker of Mali National Assembly, Mr. Issaka Sidibe and other Members of Parliament were present on the occasion. He said that he was delighted to be in the Republic of Mali, an ancient seat of learning and a nation that was for centuries a melting pot of cultural traditions and influences. The Vice President said that the African impact on India is found in our genetic make-up, cultural and linguistic traditions, our artefacts, gastronomic choices, and our common world view. The strong sense of political affinity and solidarity between India and Africa dates back several decades to when the peoples of India and Africa were engaged in an unremitting struggle to gain independence from colonial rule, he added. Looking forward, the Vice President said that he had come to share a vision of the future, a future that is peaceful and prosperous and where India and Africa stand shoulder to shoulder claiming their rightful destinies and justice for our peoples. This visit, the first high level visit to Mali from India, takes place at a time of excellent bilateral relations between India and Mali and when the world is acknowledging the India growth story, he added. Outlining India's approach, the Vice President said that India's relations in Africa were driven by the aim of empowerment, capacity building, human resource development, access to Indian market, and support for Indian investments in Africa. He further said that India's relationship with Africa is unique and does not need any point of reference and our partnership is a two way street. There are many inspiring models and examples of African success stories in sustainable development and empowerment of people, especially youth and women that we could do well to emulate, he added. The Vice President said that both countries would raise the partnership to a much higher level in the years ahead and would also make the partnership more effective, based on a comprehensive review of our Development Partnership programme with Africa. India was confident, that with its sagacious leadership; abundant natural resources; and its talented youth, Africa is well on its way to realise the vision of Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want, he added. The Vice President said that the partnership can be a source of great strength for each other, both to reinforce and accelerate each other's economic development and to build a more just, inclusive, equitable and sustainable world, possible due to complementary resources and markets and the power of human capital. He further said that we must also reckon with the impediments to development and the foremost among them is the scourge of terrorism, regionally and globally. The Vice President said that spreading tide of extremism and terrorism is a threat we both face and India faces it from across the borders. India condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and is of view that international and cross-border terrorism should be dealt in a comprehensive manner, he added. The Vice President said as the world becomes more globalized and inter-connected, the salience of global cross-cutting issues is rising. He further said that these issues cannot be resolved by a handful of powerful countries or even through regional efforts. Active participation of large and populous countries like India and those in Africa, becomes indispensable in resolving such global issues, he pointed out. That is why India advocates reforms in global political, economic and security institutions and unfortunately, many do not yet give voice to Africa or the world's largest democracy, constituting one-sixth of humanity, he added. Turning his attention to the recent challenges faced by the Government and people of Mali, he said that the Indian Government firmly supports the unity and territorial integrity of the Republic of Mali and is committed to supporting Mali in its reconstruction and developmental efforts under democratic governance, he added. The Vice President said that India see itself as a partner in Mali's reconstruction, economic development and growth and the Government of India has extended 7 Lines of Credit, worth US$ 353 million to Mali. He further said that economic and trade relations were expanding, with bilateral trade having trebled in the last five years. We are confident that continued stability and peace would encourage Indian companies to look at Mali as an attractive investment destination, he added. The Vice President said that India looks forward to enhancing cooperation and exchange in the culture and educational sectors. He concluded by condemning the destruction of heritage sites of Timbuktu by extremists and offered support to Mali's efforts to revive and restore the rich glory of the city, he added. Following is the text of Vice President's address: I am delighted to be in the Republic of Mali, an ancient seat of learning and a nation that was for centuries a melting pot of cultural traditions and influences, and home to great scholars, musicians and historians. I feel truly honoured to have an opportunity to address this august House of the leaders and representatives of the people of Mali. I am accompanied by Minister of State, Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal, and by three Members of the Indian Parliament, Shri Bhubaneswar Kalita, Shri Dilip Kumar Tirkey and Shri Mohd. Salim. We bring to you the greetings and best wishes of the people of India. In recent years we have sought to close the distance that separates us physically. We were happy to welcome His Excellency President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita when he participated in the 3rd India - Africa Forum Summit hosted by India in October last year. We value the contribution of Mali to the success of the Summit. Much has been said about the long and illustrious history that connects Africa and India. The African impact on India is found in our genetic make-up, cultural and linguistic traditions, our artefacts, gastronomic choices, and our common world view. We shared a colonial past and India's independence had a positive impact on anti-colonialism and freedom movements in Africa. The strong sense of political affinity and solidarity between India and Africa dates back several decades to when the people of India and Africa were engaged in an unremitting struggle to gain independence from colonial rule and to become arbiters of their own destinies. After India gained its independence in 1947, we became a leading voice in the United Nations to promote decolonisation. The first UN resolution against apartheid in South Africa was sponsored by India. Even though in the early years, India had limited resources, it nevertheless considered it its duty to share whatever it had to promote development in the newly independent African countries. My purpose today is not to talk about our glorious past. I come to share with you a vision of the future, a future that is peaceful and prosperous and where India and Africa stand shoulder to shoulder claiming their rightful destinies and justice for our peoples. My visit, the first high level visit to Mali from India, takes place at a time of excellent bilateral relations between India and Mali. My visit comes at a time when the world is acknowledging the India growth story. This economic growth provides India more resources not just for its own development, but also more financial leverage in expanding the scope of its engagement with emerging growth poles of the world like Africa. It comes at a time when Africa, awash with the spirit of democracy, has consolidated its control over its resources and accelerated its march towards securing a prosperous future for its people. India's commitment to its partnership with Africa was underlined by Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he depicted it as: a relationship that is beyond strategic considerations. It is a relationship with a strong emotional link. It has been forged by our intersecting history; our centuries-old ties of kinship, commerce and culture; our common struggle against colonialism; our quest for equality, dignity and justice among all people; and, our shared aspirations for our progress and a voice in the world. We are blessed with vast reservoir of mutual goodwill and confidence. Ours is no transactional partnership. Nor does India merely return to Africa what was earlier robbed from it. Our approach to partnership with Africa is driven by the aim of empowerment, capacity building, human resource development, access to Indian market, and support for Indian investments in Africa, so that the people of Africa have the capacity to make their own free choices and the capability to shoulder the responsibility for their continent's development. Our relationship with Africa is unique and does not need any point of reference. Our partnership is a two way street. Africa's development in recent years, a result of African vision and leadership, has been impressive. There are many inspiring models and examples of African success stories in sustainable development and empowerment of people, especially youth and women that we could do well to emulate. We will always work in accordance with the requirements and priorities of our friends in Africa. The roadmap for the future will reflect our shared vision and goals, and our respective strengths and capabilities. These could include areas such as human resource development, institution building, infrastructure, clean energy, agriculture, health, education and skill development. We will also work together on addressing common issues like climate change and sustainable development of blue economy. India's development partnership is centred on human resource development and establishment of institutions in Africa, which are, in turn, creating skills and capacities in Africa, including in areas like agriculture, food processing, textiles and small industries to expand exports to India and other countries. We will certainly raise our partnership to a much higher level in the years ahead. We will also make our partnership more effective, based on a comprehensive review of our Development Partnership programme with Africa, particularly in terms of capacity building, infrastructure support and technology sharing, in discussion with our African partners. We are confident, that with its sagacious leadership; abundant natural resources; and its talented youth, Africa is well on its way to realise the vision of Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want. And in this journey, India will be there as a friend and privileged partner, to share our experience and resources, to support African nations in whatever manner they want. Our partnership can be a source of great strength for each other, both to reinforce and accelerate each other's economic development and to build a more just, inclusive, equitable and sustainable world. We have complementary resources and markets; and, the power of our human capital. We also have a shared global vision. As we move forward, individually and together, to build a better future for our people and societies, we must also reckon with the impediments to development. Foremost among them is the scourge of terrorism, regionally and globally. The spreading tide of extremism and terrorism is a threat we both face. We in India face it from across our borders. Terrorist actions cannot be justified on any grounds. India condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and is of view that international and cross-border terrorism should be dealt in a comprehensive manner. We feel that with a view to strengthening international normative regime on terrorism, an early adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT) is essential. As the world becomes more globalized and inter-connected, the salience of global cross-cutting issues is rising. These issues cannot be resolved by a handful of powerful countries or even through regional efforts. They include issues such as Climate Change but also global public health challenges, drug-trafficking, trafficking of humans, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and international terrorism. There are newer domains of cyber security and space security. We welcome the adoption of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and are committed to effective implementation of the Agreement based on equity and principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities. India had launched a major initiative of International Solar Alliance to bring together on single platform countries of the world blessed with abundant solar power. We are thankful to Republic of Mali for joining the International Solar Alliance. Active participation of large and populous countries like India and those in Africa, becomes indispensable in resolving such global issues. That is why India advocates reforms in global political, economic and security institutions. They must become more democratic, inclusive and representative of our world. Unfortunately, few institutions have that character today. Many do not yet give voice to Africa or the world's largest democracy, constituting one-sixth of humanity. As two countries that have demonstrated our commitment to democratic values, India and Mali share unique bonds of trust and mutual understanding. Our shared values and synergies have translated into longstanding friendship and fruitful cooperation. As a friend and partner, we are aware of the recent challenges faced by the Government and people of Mali. We have been a strong votary for restoration of constitutional order in the Republic of Mali and preservation of its territorial integrity. We are happy that democracy has been restored and the democratic institutions are being strengthened. We welcome the signing of the Agreement for Peace and Reconciliation, and hope that it will lead to unity, preservation of territorial integrity, lasting peace, development and prosperity. My Government appreciates the wisdom of Malian leadership that facilitated the signing of the Agreement. In India, we believe that political issues should be resolved through Ballot' and not Bullet'. We encourage all stakeholders to eschew violence and to embrace peaceful and democratic means to resolve political issues. I would like to reassure this august house that my Government firmly supports the unity and territorial integrity of the Republic of Mali and is committed to supporting Mali in its reconstruction and developmental efforts under democratic governance. We see ourselves as a partner in Mali's reconstruction, economic development and growth. Government of India has extended 7 Lines of Credit, worth US$ 353 million to Mali. A large project of US$ 150 million for power transmission, connecting Bamako and Sikasso via Bougouni, is being finalized. We are ready to deepen our development partnership with Mali and will continue to extend all possible assistance in human resource development and capacity building to Mali. Our economic and trade relations are expanding, with bilateral trade having trebled in the last five years. However, trade and investment levels are still below the immense potential that exists. We are confident that continued stability and peace would encourage Indian companies to look at Mali as an attractive investment destination for the mutual benefit of peoples of our two countries. We are thankful to Mali for its support to India's proposal for commemoration of an International Day of Yoga in the United Nations. We thank His Excellency the President of the Republic of Mali for his support to the Yoga day events here. We look forward to enhancing our cooperation and exchange in the culture and educational sector with Mali. We were deeply pained when some extremist elements tried to desecrate and destroy the cultural treasures in the famed and historic city of Timbuktu. The Government of India strongly condemns the destruction of heritage sites and places of immense cultural value to entire humankind by extremists and is ready to support Mali's efforts to revive and restore the rich glory of Timbuktu. I understand that a Mali - India Parliamentary Friendship Group led by Hon'ble N'FaSimpara has been formed. We on our part are keen to enhance parliamentary cooperation between our two countries. I take this opportunity, Mr. President, to convey to you and to the Members of the National Assembly of the Republic of Mali my good wishes for your continued success and for the progress and prosperity to the friendly people of Mali. Long live Mali-India friendship. Source: PIB President Muhammadu Buhari has assured Nigeria that his administration was working hard to reposition Nigeria for prosperity, urging the... The president who recalled his promises to Nigerians during his campaigns as a presidential candidate stated that he would not deviate from he hallmark of transparency and honesty. The remarks were contained in his broadcast Saturday morning to commemorate the 56th Independence anniversary of Nigeria.He said: Today 1st October is a day of celebration for us Nigerians. On this day, 56 years ago our people achieved the most important of all human desires freedom and independence. We should all therefore give thanks and pray for our founding fathers without whose efforts and toil we would not reap the bounties of today.I know that uppermost in your minds today is the economic crisis. The recession for many individuals and families is real. For some It means not being able to pay school fees, for others its not being able to afford the high cost of food (rice and millet) or the high cost of local or international travel, and for many of our young people the recession means joblessness, sometimes after graduating from university or polytechnic.I know how difficult things are, and how rough business is. All my adult life I have always earned a salary and I know what it is like when your salary simply is not enough.In every part of our nation people are making incredible sacrifices. But let me say to all Nigerians today, I ran for office four times to make the point that we can rule this nation with honesty and transparency, that we can stop the stealing of Nigerias resources so that the resources could be used to provide jobs for our young people, security, infrastructure for commerce, education and healthcare. I ran for office because I know that good government is the only way to ensure prosperity and abundance for all. I remain resolutely committed to this objective.We have defeated Boko Haram to provide security for our people Highlighting his achievements in the last one and half years of his government, president Buhari places security ahead, saying that Boko haram had been defeated. Temporary problems should not blind or divert us from the corrective course this government has charted for our nation.We have identified the countrys salient problems and we are working hard at lasting solutions. To re-cap what I have been saying since the inception of this administration, our problems are security, corruption and the economy, especially unemployment and the alarming level of poverty. On Security, we have made progress. Boko Haram was defeated by last December only resorting to cowardly attacks on soft targets, killing innocent men, women and children. Nigerians should thank our gallant men of the Armed Forces and Police for rescuing large areas of the country captured by insurgents.Now, residents in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States, as well as several neighbouring states go about their daily business in relative safety. People can go to mosques, churches, market places in reasonable safety. Commuters can travel between cities, towns and villages without fear. Credit for this remarkable turn-round should go to our Armed Forces, the Police, various sponsored and private vigilante groups, the local traditional leaders.Security is a top to bottom concern and responsibility. Besides Boko Haram, we are confronting other long-running security issues, namely herdsmen vs farmers, cattle rustling, kidnappings. This Administration is firmly resolved to tackle these challenges and to defeat them.Disturbed by the incessant blowing up of oil and gas installations in the Niger-Delta, the president reiterated his threat to militants. He said: A new insurgency has reared up its head in the shape of blowing up gas and oil pipelines by groups of Niger Delta Militants. This Administration will not allow these mindless groups to hold the country to ransom.What sense is there to damage a gas line as a result of which many towns in the country including their own town or village is put in darkness as a result? What logic is there in blowing up an export pipeline and as a result income to your state and local governments and consequently their ability to provide services to your own people is reduced? No group can unlawfully challenge the authority of the Federal Government and succeed.Our Administration is fully sympathetic to the plight of the good people of Niger Delta and we are in touch with the State Governments and leaderships of the region. It is known that the clean-up of the Ogoniland has started. Infrastructural projects financed by the Federal Government and post amnesty programme financing will continue. We have however, continued to dialogue with all groups and leaders of thought in the region to bring lasting peace.Corruption is a cancer which must be fought with all the weapons at our disposal. It corrodes the very fabric of government and destroys society. Fighting corruption is Key, not only to restoring the moral health of the nation, but also to freeing our enormous resources for urgent socio-economic development.In fighting corruption, however, the government would adhere strictly by the rule of law. Not for the first time I am appealing to the judiciary to join the fight against corruption. The Third Plank in this Administrations drive to CHANGE Nigeria is re-structuring the economy. Economies behaviour is cyclical. All countries face ups and downs. Our own recession has been brought about by a critical shortage of foreign exchange.Oil price dropped from an average of hundred USD per barrel over the last decade to an average of forty USD per barrel this year and last. Worse still, the damage perpetrated by Niger Delta thugs on pipelines sometimes reduced Nigerias production to below One million barrels per day against the normal two point two million barrels per day. Consequently, the naira is at its weakest, but the situation will stabilize. But this is only temporary. Historically about half our dollar export earnings go to importation of petroleum and food products! Nothing was saved for the rainy days during the periods of prosperity. We are now reaping the whirlwinds of corruption, recklessness and impunity.How we are providing solutions to economic crisis There are no easy solutions, but there are solutions nonetheless and Government is pursuing them in earnest. We are to repair our four refineries so that Nigeria can produce most of our petrol requirements locally, pending the coming on stream of new refineries.That way we will save ten billion USD yearly in importing fuel. At the same time, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and the Central Bank have been mobilized to encourage local production of rice, maize, sorghum, millet and soya beans. Our target is to achieve domestic self-sufficiency in these staples by 2018. Already farmers in thirteen out of thirty six states are receiving credit support through the Central Bank of Nigerias Anchor Borrowers Programme.Kebbi state alone this year is expected to produce one million tonnes of locally grown rice, thanks to a favourable harvest this year. As part of the 13 states, Lagos and Ogun are also starting this programme. Rice alone for example costs Nigeria two billion USD to import. The country should be self-sufficient in basic staples by 2019. Foreign exchange thus saved can go to industrial revival requirements for retooling, essential raw materials and spare parts.It is in recognition of the need to re-invigorate agriculture in our rural communities that we are introducing the LIFE programme. Government recognises that irrigation is key to modern agriculture: that is why the Ministries of Agriculture and Water Resources are embarking on a huge programme of development of lakes, earth dams and water harvesting schemes throughout the country to ensure that we are no longer dependent on rain-fed agriculture for our food requirements. In addition, government is introducing Water Resources Bill encompassing the National Water Resources Policy and National Irrigation and Drainage Policy to improve management of water and irrigation development in the country. We are reviving all the twelve River Basin Authorities, namely;I. Anambra ImoII. Benin OwenaIII. Chad BasinIV. Cross RiverV. Hadejia JamaareVI. Lower BenueVII. Lower NigerVIII. Niger DeltaIX. Ogun OsunX. Sokoto RimaXI. Upper BenueXII. Upper NigerThe intention is eventually to fully commercialise them to better support crop production, aqua culture and accelerated rural development. This Administration is committed to the revival of Lake Chad and improvement of the hydrology and ecology of the basin.This will tune in with efforts to rehabilitate the thirty million people affected by the Boko Haram insurgency in the Lake Chad basin countries. The second plank in our economic revival strategy is centred on the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing. The Ministry will lead and oversee the provision of critical infrastructure of power, road transport network and housing development.Power generation has steadily risen since our Administration came on board from three thousand three hundred and twenty four megawatts in June 2015, rising to a peak of five thousand and seventy four megawatts in February 2016.For the first time in our history the country was producing five thousand megawatts. However, renewed militancy and destruction of gas pipelines caused acute shortage of gas and constant drop in electricity output available on the grid. There has been during the period June 2015 to September 2016 big improvement in transmission capacity from five thousand five hundred megawatts to the present seven thousand three hundred megawatts. There were only two system collapses between June and December 2015, but due to vandalism by Niger Delta militants the over-all system suffered 16 system collapses between March and July 2016 alone.As I have said earlier, we are engaging with responsible leadership in the region to find lasting solutions to genuine grievances of the area but we will not allow a tiny minority of thugs to cripple the countrys economy. In the meantime, government is going ahead with projects utilizing alternate technologies such as hydro, wind, and solar to contribute to our energy mix. In this respect, the Mambilla Hydro project, after many years of delay is taking off this year. Contract negotiations are nearing completion with Chinese firms for technical and financial commitments.The project is to be jointly financed by Nigeria and the Chinese-Export-Import Bank. In addition, fourteen Solar Power Projects have had their power purchase agreements concluded. Hence the plan to produce one thousand two hundred megawatts of solar electricity for the country would be realized on schedule. And in line with the objective of government to complete all abandoned projects across the country, the Rural Electrification Agencys projects needing completion are provided for in the 2016 Budget. Bringing electricity to rural areas will help farmers, small scale and cottage industries to integrate with the national economy.Roads Construction and Rehabilitation has taken off. The sum of twelve billion naira was allocated to this sector in the 2015 Budget, not enough even to pay interest on outstanding unpaid claims. Notwithstanding the budgetary constraints, the current budget allocated two hundred and forty billion naira for highway projects against twelve billion naira in 2015.Many contractors who have not been paid for three years have now remobilized to sites. Seven hundred and twenty point five billion naira has so far been released this budget year to capital projects. The Ministry of Power, Works and Housing has received one hundred and ninety seven point five billion naira. Work on the following highways has now resumed.1. Dualization of Calabar Itu Road in Cross River/Akwa Ibom States.2. Dualization of Lokoja Benin Road, Ehor Benin city, Edo State.3. Re-construction of outstanding sections of Benin Shagamu Express way, Edo/Ogun States.4. Expansion works on Lagos Ibadan Dual carriageway, Ogun/Oyo States5. Rehabilitation of Onitsha Enugu Expressway, Anambra/Enugu States.6. Rehabilitation and Reconstruction of Enugu Port Harcourt Dual carriageway, Abia/Rivers States.7. Rehabilitation of Hadejia Nguru Road, Jigawa State.8. Dualization of Kano Katsina Road, Kano State.9. Dualization of Kano Maiduguri Road, Borno State.10. Dualization of Azare Potiskum Road, Azare Sharuri Road, Bauchi State.11. Rehabilitation of Ilorin Jebba Mokwa Birnin Gwari Road, Kwara State.12. Construction of Oju/Lokoja Oweto Bridge over River Benue, Benue State.Other major highways are in the queue for rehabilitation or new construction. Already contractors have recalled about nine thousand workers laid off and Government expects that several hundreds of thousands of workers will be reengaged in the next few months as our public works programme gains momentum.On railways, we have provided our counterpart funding to China for the building of our standard gauge Lagos -Kano railway. Meanwhile, General Electric is investing two point two billion USD in a concession to revamp, provide rolling stock, and manage the existing lines, including the Port Harcourt-Maiduguri Line. The Lagos-Calabar railway will also be on stream soon. We have initiated the National Housing Programme. In 2014 four hundred million naira was voted for Housing.In 2015 nothing. Our first budget this year is devoting thirty five point six billion naira. Much of the house building will be private sector led but Government is initiating a pilot housing scheme of two thousand eight hundred and thirty eight units uniformly spread across the 36 states and FCT. We expect these units to be completed within 4 6 months.These experimental Nigeria House model Units will be constructed using only made in Nigeria building materials and components. This initiative is expected to reactivate the building materials manufacturing sector, generate massive employment opportunities and develop sector capacity and expertise. The programmes I have outlined will revive the economy, restore the value of the naira and drive hunger from our land.Restoring Nigerias image abroad Abroad, Nigerias standing has changed beyond belief in the last 18 months. We are no longer a pariah state. Wherever I go, I have been received with un-accustomed hospitality.Investors from all over the world are falling over themselves to come and do business in Nigeria. This government intends to make business environment more friendly because we can not develop ourselves alone. All countries, no matter how advanced, welcome foreign investments to their economy.This is the essence of globalization and no country in the 21st century can be an island. Our reforms are therefore designed to prepare Nigeria for the 21st century.Finally, let me commend Nigerians for your patience, steadfastness and perseverance. You know that I am trying to do the right things for our country. Suspended lawmaker, Abdulmumin Jibrin, on Saturday said President Buharis hands-off approach to the budget padding scandal was actually... Suspended lawmaker, Abdulmumin Jibrin, on Saturday said President Buharis hands-off approach to the budget padding scandal was actually a blessing in disguise.Mr. Jibrin has accused the leadership of the House of Representatives of fraud.His colleagues accused him of denting the image of the National Assembly, and suspended him on Wednesday for 180 legislative days following a brief inquiry.A defiant Mr. Jibrin said his suspension could not have come at a better time as it would now afford him the opportunity to launch a full-scale legal assault against the House.At this point, I must say they freed me up to concentrate on the matter in court, Mr. Jibrin said hours after he was suspended. Im going into a massive alliance with civil society groups, NGOs and well-meaning Nigerian to continue to press ahead.In his statement Saturday, which he tagged as his Independence Day compliments to Nigerians, Mr. Jibrin said his cause could have been defeated if Mr. Buhari had weighed in on the allegations of budget fraud in the House from the onset.If Mr. President had jumped into the matter at the early stage, trust Nigerians, they would have concluded that the presidency is using me to fight the House, Mr. Jibrin said. Such perception and blackmail would have been difficult to deal with. The silence of Mr. President on this matter is a blessing in disguiseHe, however, highlighted areas in which the president could help bolster his whistle-blowing duties.Anybody who can reach Mr. President should inform him that in the face of several threats to my life and that of my family, one of the security agencies had suddenly withdrawn its officers protecting me, Mr. Jibrin said. This has made me vulnerable in the face of such persistent threats.Mr. Jibrin allegations were largely targeted at Speaker Yakubu Dogara and a few other lawmakers who he said connived to remove him as the Chairman of House Committee on Appropriation in July.Mr. Jibrin said his independence of mind made him an unwelcome figure among the House leadership, which he castigated as being stinkingly corrupt.Mr. Dogara and other lawmakers have denied the allegations.But Mr. Jibrin stood his ground, releasing details of how Mr. Dogara and other lawmakers, including himself, were pocketing illegal allowances.Mr. Jibrin repeated the charges in his statement Saturday, saying he had informed members of the Presidential Advisory Committee against Corruption about how he and his colleagues were stealing public funds while the majority of Nigerians grappled with poverty.That was why when Bolaji Owasanoye and his colleagues at PACAC asked me why are my colleagues silent, I answered (that) most of us are beneficiaries, Mr. Jibrin said.The House said it will investigate Mr. Jibrins allegations if he presented them before the Ethics and Privileges Committee. Godwin Emefiele, governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), has confirmed the release of his wife, who was kidnapped along Benin-Agbor... Godwin Emefiele, governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), has confirmed the release of his wife, who was kidnapped along Benin-Agbor road on Thursday.Expressing gratitude to God and President Muhammadu Buhari for her release, Emefiele vowed to continue serving the country without any fear of intimidation.In a statement released in Abuja on Saturday, Emefiele said his wife was rescued on Friday night.He praised security agencies for their gallantry in bringing her back home within 24 hours in compliance with the directive of the president.He also expressed his gratitude to the Delta and Edo state governments, friends and well-wishers who, through their actions, prayers and goodwill, helped to bring this harrowing experience to a joyful end. In a bid to track the abductors of Mrs. Margaret Emefiele, the wife of the Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele, the Inspector-General ... In a bid to track the abductors of Mrs. Margaret Emefiele, the wife of the Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele, the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, has deployed helicopters along the Benin-Agbor Road, where the incident had taken place.Idris, it was gathered, had also flooded the area with hundreds of police operatives and sniffer dogs in a move to put pressure on the kidnappers.A senior police officer said, We received information on Thursday that the CBN governors wife was abducted alongside three women and a male driver. They were on their way to Agbor, Delta State, where she hails from.We have deployed policemen, helicopters and sniffer dogs and we will arrest the suspects very soon.Gunmen had on Thursday abducted Margaret along with four others and demanded N100m as ransom.The kidnappers were said to have made the demand after taking their victims to an unknown location.A senior police officer told our correspondent that Margaret was abducted alongside three women and a male driver.He said they were abducted along the Benin-Agbor Road on Thursday.Police sources said the abductors did not know her identity, adding that they simply stumbled on her and whisked her away.It was learnt that the IG Special Intelligence Monitoring Team, headed by Abba Kyari, has commenced investigation into the incident.Kyari was the officer who arrested the suspects responsible for the abduction of Prof. Kamene Okonjo, the mother of ex-Finance Minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, in 2012.Another source said, The kidnappers did not know the identity of the woman; preliminary investigation indicated that the gang just got her by chance. They have contacted her husband and they are demanding for N100m cash.Findings indicate that there were fears that the gang may increase their demand if they got to know the identity of their hostage.We actually wanted to keep the incident under wraps until the woman has been rescued, because the exposure of the victims identity may complicate the case; this is our fear, a source said.The police spokesman, Donald Awunah, could not be reached for comments as calls to his mobile telephone failed to connect. He had yet to respond to an SMS as of the time of filing this report.Security experts described the abduction of the CBN governors wife as an embarrassment, noting that something must have gone wrong.A former director, Department of State Services, Mike Ejiofor, stated that as a politically exposed person, Margaret must have had security operatives attached to her.He wondered where the personnel were at the time she was abducted, noting that until the details of the incident came to light, it might be hard to know what transpired.The lawyer urged Nigerians to take their personal security seriously.Ejiofor said, I dont know the circumstances around her abduction, but this is one of the highest profile kidnap cases in recent time.How can the wife of the CBN Governor, with all these security challenges be kidnapped? We need the details. Was any security operative attached to her?As the wife of the CBN governor, I expect she would need some protection. Until I get the details, I cant talk much, but I believe something has gone wrong, which is very embarrassing.Another security analyst, Ben Okezie, also observed that something must have gone wrong with the security operative(s) around Margaret.He expressed confidence that the kidnap victim would be rescued and prayed for her safety.We pray they did not do anything evil to her. This should signal top people that their security should be guaranteed because they are important to Nigeria, Okezie said.When contacted, the spokesperson for the CBN, Mr. Isaac Okoroafor, did not pick repeated calls made by one of our correspondents to his mobile telephone.When a text message was sent to him, requesting for comments on the kidnap of Margaret, his response was I am sorry, not at this time. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has called for collective efforts towards addressing inducement of voters with mone... The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has called for collective efforts towards addressing inducement of voters with money by political parties and their candidates during elections.The INEC Deputy Director on Voter Education and Publicity, Nick Dazang made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Friday in Abuja.Mr. Dazang said that inducing voters with money by political parties in the name of securing their votes must be collectively and urgently tackled by all stakeholders, not just INEC alone.He said that the commission was troubled by reports it received on alleged inducement of voters in the just concluded Wednesday governorship election in Edo state.The commission received about 29 calls and SMSs alleging that some people were inducing voters with money during the election.The reports which are from different bodies and monitoring group indicated that major political parties were involved in the ugly incident.We are troubled by it and I am saying that over voting and the use of money as inducement to voters is of concern to us and other stakeholders.Going forward we need to put this on the agenda, discuss and address it squarely before it become another major challenge to our electoral process, Mr. Dazang said.Mr. Dazang also advised electorate not to allow themselves to be bought over during election, adding that it amounted to selling their mandates and their future with worthless amount.This is something that is rearing its ugly head and it has implication for the electoral process.When you collect money and vote for a person, it means you are mortgaging your right. Also that person you are collecting money from may not be able to deliver dividends of democracy to you.This is a right that is as ineligible as your right to life, your right to education, your right to religion freedom. All these are enshrined in the United Nations declaration.For you now to take money and forget your conscience shows that you are now mortgaging also your rights to vote for a candidate of your choice.You have equally mortgaged your right to make the man accountable at the end of the day, he said.He added that concluding Edo election in first ballot was an evident that the issue of inconclusive lection could be addressed if stakeholders avoid violence during an electionWhen the level of violence is minimal like we saw in Edo, the tendency is that the election will be concluded on the first ballot, Mr. Dazang added.(NAN) The kidnappers who abducted Margaret Emefiele, wife of Godwin Emefiele, the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) are demanding N1.5... The kidnappers who abducted Margaret Emefiele, wife of Godwin Emefiele, the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) are demanding N1.5b for her release.revealed that the kidnappers had contacted the Emefiele family for the ransom.Margaret Emefiele was kidnapped Thursday night along Benin-Agbor Road by heavily armed men.Investigations revealed that the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris had already dispatched the anti-terror tactical team and hundreds of policemen backed up with helicopters to comb the forest between Benin and Agbor to locate the abducted woman. Nigerias regulatory body for the judiciary, the National Judicial Council, has recommended the compulsory retirement of three judges fo... Nigerias regulatory body for the judiciary, the National Judicial Council, has recommended the compulsory retirement of three judges following allegations of fraud and other judicial misconduct.The judges include the Chief Judge of Enugu State, A. I. umezulike; a presiding justice at the Court of Appeal in Kwara State, Mohammed Tsamiya; and Kabiru Auta of the Kano State High Court.They were sacked by the NJC during the councils 78th meeting held on September 29.In a statement made available to journalists on Friday, the Councils Director of Information; Soji Oye, said Justice Umezulike was accused of abusing his office and mistreating defendants.The council made its findings against Mr. Umezulike following a petition by a lawyer, Peter Eze.The findings include the following:That the Hon. Chief Judge failed to deliver Judgement in Suit in which final addresses were adopted on 23rd October, 2014, until the 9th day of March, 2015, about 126 days after addresses were adopted.The act goes contrary to constitutional provisions that judgement should be delivered within a period of 90 days after adoption of addresses.The council also said Mr. Umezulike abused his privileges when he ordered the petitioner, Mr. Eze, to be arrested by police officers and brought to court, after an agreement had been reached on a matter before him and judgement entered on terms of settlement.Mr. Umezulike was also accused of making defamatory statements in public against the petitioner, contrary to Rule 1.3 of the National Judicial Council Revised Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers.That there have been many instances of abuse of Judicial powers, by the Chief Judge, particularly against the two defendants in Suits Nos. E/6/2013 and E/88/2016. The Chief Judge clung to these two suits to remain in his Court, despite all genuine efforts made by the defendants to get the suits transferred to another Court.That the Chief Judge sitting at a vantage position of Senior Judicial Officer and Head of Court for that matter, should not have allowed his emotions to dictate his judicial functions to the detriment of the defendants in both suits, the statement said.THE APPEAL COURT JUDGEOn his part, Mr. Tsamiya was recommended for retirement for collecting a bribe of N200 million from an applicant to facilitate the processes for his case.The findings were made following investigations into a petition by a certain Nnamdi Orji against Mr. Tsamiya and three other judges: Husseini Muktar, F. O. Akinbami and J. Y. Tukur.The petitioner had alleged that the judges made contrasting decisions, in similar cases; in addition to allegations of fraud said to have been perpetrated by Mr. Tsamiya.The council, in its findings said there was evidence that the petitioner met with Mr. Tsamiya thrice, in his residence in Sokoto, Abuja and Owerri where on each occasion, the judge demanded from the petitioner the sum of N200 million to influence the Court of Appeal Panel in Owerri or risk losing the case.The council, however, found that there was no evidence of conflicting judgements against Mr. Tsamiya, as the cases referred to were different in content.It also found that there was no evidence that the petitioner ever met or discussed with the other Justices Mukhtar, Akinbami and Tukur in respect of the appeal before them.It is in the Light of the foregoing that Hon. Justices Husseini Mukhtar (JCA), F. O. Akinbami(JCA) and J. Y. Tukur(JCA), were exonerated, the statement said.THE KANO JUDGEIn the case of Mr. Auta of the High Court of Justice, Kano State, he was recommended to the State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, for dismissal for collecting N125 million from the petitioner.The council said Mr. Auta is to be handed over to the Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Zone 1, Kano, for prosecution.He was found to have defrauded the petitioner in many ways, some of which Mr. Auta admitted to police officers.The petitioner also made cash payment of N72 million to Mr. Auta in several instalments through his Personal Assistant, Abdullahi Bello, the statement said.The payment was to assist a former Chief Justice of Nigeria who had just been appointed to secure accommodation and for the petitioner to be in turn rewarded by the award of some contracts by the said Hon. Chief Justice of Nigeria.The council said the allegations against the three Judicial Officers constitute misconduct contrary to Section 292 (1) (b) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended and subsections of rule Rules 1, 2, 3, 4 13 and 15 of the 2016 Revised Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers.The judges were suspended pending the approval of their recommendation for retirement. The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has lampooned the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, for the current state of the economy. The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has lampooned the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, for the current state of the economy.The PDP observed that since the APC came into power almost two years ago, Nigerians have been facing several problems as a result of poor leadership and implementation of policies that were anti-people.PDP chairman in Niger State, Mr. Tanko Beji, in a statement to mark Nigerias 56th independence anniversary regretted that Niger state had not fared better under the rulership of the APC government of Abubakar Sani Bello.Niger State has not fared better under the leadership of the clueless, visionless and rudderless APC government.It is sad that virtually all the social infrastructures like water, roads, health facilities etc inherited from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, government by the APC has been allowed to rot away thereby making the sufferings of the people become more unbearable, Beji said.Tanko Beji recalled that the APC government declared state of emergencies on water, education and the health sectors but argued that nothing tangible has been done to redress the deplorable conditions.Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Bihari, has appealed to Nigerians to bear with his government in the face of the economic recession.Buhari, in his Independence Anniversary message, assured that the situation will not last. The Federal Government says it has outlined various developmental programmes that will revive the nations economy, restore the value of t... The Federal Government says it has outlined various developmental programmes that will revive the nations economy, restore the value of the naira and drive hunger from our land.President Muhammadu Buhari said this in a national broadcast to mark Nigerias 56th Independence Anniversary in Abuja on Saturday .Buhari said the programmes, included the constructions and rehabilitation of new roads, housing and power projects across the country, adding that already the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing had received N197.5 billion for the execution of some of the projects. According to him, already contractors have recalled 9,000 workers laid off and several hundreds of thousands of workers will be reengaged in the next few months as our public works programme gains momentum.He said the affected roads were the dualisations of Calabar- Itu Road in Cross River/Akwa Ibom, Lokoja-Benin Road, Ehor=Benin city and reconstruction of outstanding sections of Benin-Shagamu Expressway Edo/Ogun. Others were the expansion works on Lagos-Ibadan Dual carriageway (Ogun/Oyo); rehabilitation of Onitsha-Enugu Expressway (Anambra/Enugu); and rehabilitation and reconstruction of Enugu-Port Harcourt dual carriageway.He said the rehabilitation of Hadejia-Nguru Road, dualisation of Kano-Katsina Road in Kano State, dualisation of Kano-Maiduguri Road, dualisation of Azare-Potiskum Road, Azare-Sharuri Road, Bauchi State, would also be carried out. Fifty Nigerian students are currently being detained in Turkey on the alleged orders of the government. Fifty Nigerian students are currently being detained in Turkey on the alleged orders of the government.According to reports, a relative of one of the detained students, said the passports of those affected were confiscated.Upon arrival at Ataturk International Airport in Istanbul, they were all escorted to a room and their passport confiscated by Turkish police, the relative was quoted as saying.When they enquired why they were clamped in a dirty room, the police said they are students of a terrorist organisation. They offered to transfer them to government schools but on the condition that we will pay same fees as private universities.Most of the detained Nigerians are said to be students of Fatih University, one of the private institutions in Turkey.The Fathi University is among the 2099 schools, dormitories and universities shut down in the wake of the July 15 failed coup in the country.Abike Dabiri, senior special assistant to the president on foreign affairs and diaspora, said she was not aware of the development.Just hearing from you, if we do get the report, we will react, she said in response to inquiries by TheCable.Two weeks after the botched coup, Hakan Cakil, Turkish ambassador to Nigeria, called on the federal government to close 17 Turkish schools in Nigeria.He alleged that the schools had links with a movement involved in the coup attempt.According to him, investigations by the Turkish government have linked the Fethullah Gulen Terrorist Organisation (FETO) to the failed coup attempt, which claimed over 300 lives.He said the Turkish government was dissociating itself from any school bearing the countrys name in Nigeria, adding that while the country had schools in other countries, it had none in Nigeria.He later disclosed that some Nigerians studying in private Turkish universities had been transferred to public schools owing to the closure of their institutions.Cakil said the students would pay little or no tuition in their new place of study.(ThisDay) The United States military said it is building a $100 million drone base near Nigeria, particularly in Agadez, central Niger, to help the ... The United States military said it is building a $100 million drone base near Nigeria, particularly in Agadez, central Niger, to help the West African country combat militant groups and protect its borders.Niger, a security ally of the West, is grappling simultaneously with incursions from jihadist group Boko Haram across its southern border with Nigeria as well as roaming al Qaeda-linked groups in its vast desert spaces.Security sources have also expressed concern about a possible southern influx of Islamic State fighters into Niger and Chad from Libya where they are retreating from Libyan forces.At the request of, and in close coordination with, the Government of Niger, United States Africa Command is establishing a temporary, expeditionary cooperative security location in Agadez, Niger, said a U.S. Africa Command spokesperson in an emailed response to Reuters.Agadez is an ideal, central location to enable ISR collection (intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance) to face the security threat across the Sahel and Lake Chad Basin region, she said.The $100 million covered initial costs for construction, fuel and equipment.Nigers President Mahamadou Issoufou was re-elected in March having promised to boost security in the poor, semi-arid state. However, the southern region of Diffa, which borders the Boko Haram stronghold in northeastern Nigeria, is still in a state of emergency and subject to regular attacks. The US already has drone bases in Cameroon, Burkina Faso and Chad.It also has in Mauritania, Ethiopia and Kenya.The United States first said it was considering establishing a drone facility adjacent to an existing Agadez airbase in 2014.It already has forces in Nigers capital Niamey and will eventually relocate them to Agadez, the U.S. Africa Command spokesperson added. Intelligence gathered by the drones will be shared with other partners in the region such as Nigeria, Chad, Mali among others, she said.Agadez is also a major transit point for African migrants seeking a northwards path towards Europe. The new facility is the latest example of the United States deepening military ties with the fragile Sahel region, a semi-arid band stretching from Senegal to Sudan.In May, it signed a defence deal with Senegal to ease the deployment of troops to the country.France also has strong military ties with Niger, including a base in northern Niger, and has 3,500 troops spread across the Sahel combating Islamist fighters. ATLANTIC CITY -- Police have arrested a city man charged in the shooting of a 21-year-old last weekend. Kalim Jackson was charged with aggravated assault and numerous weapons charges after a police investigation linked the 31-year-old to an early Sunday shooting at South Carolina and Baltic avenues, Atlantic City police said in a release. Adalberto Tobi, the 21-year-old city man who was shot just after 2 a.m., was taken to AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center where he was expected to recover, the release said. Jackson was arrested Thursday evening following a traffic stop. He is being held in Atlantic County Justice Facility on $100,000 bail. Another man, Naim Jackson, who police first believed was the shooter, was arrested shortly after the Sunday incident. Police said they recovered the gun in his vehicle. However, on Friday, police accused Jackson of being involved in a separate, unrelated shooting with another unknown individual. Details of that shooting were not known. Craig McCarthy may be reached at CMcCarthy@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @createcraig. Find NJ.com on Facebook. MOUNT LAUREL -- Students evacuated a classroom at Rowan College at Burlington County after a student's iPhone exploded in his pocket, according to reports. Darin Hlvaty was sitting in class Friday morning when his iPhone 6 Plus ignited in his back pocket, reports CBS 3. He was uninjured from the phone malfunction but the back pocket on his jeans was damaged. He told CBS 3 that he felt something burning and noticed smoke. After throwing the phone on the ground, it ignited in flame. When public safety officials responded to the classroom the fire was already extinguished but there was still a smell of smoke in the air, according to 6ABC. The iPhone isn't known for exploding but another cellphone, the Samsung Galaxy Note 7, was banned on NJ Transit because of the battery's tendency to catch fire. Samsung issued a recall on the phone but, as a precaution, commuters are asked to not charge or use their phones on NJ Transit. NJ Transit also banned hoverboards earlier this year due to concerns of exploding batteries. Don E. Woods may be reached at dwoods@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @donewoods1. Find NJ.com on Facebook. CAMDEN -- Losing her son Shelton Merritt was rough enough, but the fatal shooting of a city woman days after his funeral compounded by 8-year-old Gabby Carter's death last month after being struck in the head by an errant bullet is insult to injury for Alicia Merritt. Something had to be done. For Merritt, that something is what she hopes will be a life-saving firearms safe surrender in Camden. The only problem, and it's apparently a big one: logistics. "They were in there feeling something," Merritt said of those on an "emotional high" at her son's August funeral following a shooting outside a Philadelphia nightclub. "Now it has died down a lot so we've got to look for incentives." According to a family friend in law enforcement who did not wish to be identified, local police and businesses contacted by hopeful organizers expressed interest in such an event ranging from passing to none at all. Camden County officials this week said they'd back such an effort, but it's not that easy. "There has been a dialogue with the family and their representatives about the topic of a gun buyback. Nevertheless, this is a significant process that is facilitated by myriad law enforcement agencies, from federal to local, and takes time and resources to plan," according to county spokesman Dan Keashen. "That said, anytime we can get illegal guns off the street the exercise is beneficial to the community. Moving forward we will continue to discuss the prospects for one in the future," he continued. According to previous reports, the last safe surrender event in Camden was in the wake of the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting and saw more than 1,100 firearms turned over in exchange for $6,000 in gift cards. The turnout was so great that the state Attorney General's Office, which oversaw the effort, had to issue $40,000 in "IOU" vouchers after running out of money. "Any gun taken off the street is worth the effort," Camden Mayor Dana Redd said at the time. "We know the community is excited for these kinds of efforts -- we had attempted a similar event last year, but this year has picked up quite a lot." A 2008 fugitive safe surrender held at Antioch Baptist Church, in Camden, provided those wanted on non-violent offenses the opportunity to get right with the law. Merritt said she reached out to the church to see if such a firearm safe surrender event could be held there. She said she hasn't heard back since Aug. 3 -- the day of her son's funeral there -- and a message left seeking comment this week was not returned. Merritt said that Antioch's deacon told her "it takes a lot of effort" to organize such an event; she's since approached other churches to see if they'd serve as a venue. "Our police officers respond to thousands of calls a year to a man with a gun and a super majority of the firearms we take off the street are illegal and come from other regions of the nation," Camden County Freeholder Director Louis Cappelli Jr. said in a statement. "The ubiquity of guns in our community is a public health crisis and we need to stem the tide of this constant flow into our cities and communities." Cappelli continued on to say that the "constant flow of illegal weapons" used in violent crimes "mostly come from the south and Midwest" despite New Jersey's "stringent gun laws." What really upsets Merritt -- who said her son was gunned down after protecting a female friend -- is the death of 21-year-old Braniya James, shot in early August while hanging out in front of a barber shop, and the death of "Gabby" Carter, whose alleged killer was recently arrested in Tennessee. "He didn't just go buy that gun at the gun shop," Merritt said of "very immature" 18-year-old Tyhan Brown. While no sponsors have yet to sign on the dotted line, Merritt said a $100 gift card "sounds very enticing compared to the gun I've got here I'm not doing much with." Greg Adomaitis may be reached at gadomaitis@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @GregAdomaitis. Find NJ.com on Facebook. BELLMAWR -- An important Revolutionary War battle was fought on the property of the Hugg-Harrison-Glover House 239 years ago. Now, the battle over the house itself is heating up, and may be headed to Washington, D.C. The Huggs-Harrison-Glover House in Bellmawr. The historic house that was once home to the head of the a local revolutionary militia is slated to be demolished as part of the $900 million Direct Connection project involving I-76, I-295 and NJ-42. A Department of Transportation spokesman said no date has been set for demolition, and the office of New Saint Mary's Cemetery is still operating inside, but NJDOT's website says the phase of the project that will affect the property is expected to take place by the end of the year. While NJDOT maintains that the matter of the whether the house has historical significance and should be moved has been put to bed, more and more people are joining the fight to save it. Most recently, U.S. Rep. Donald Norcross asked the Federal Highway Administration to review the information about the historical and architectural significance of the dwelling and consider the proposal to relocate the house. "I urge those who can facilitate a plan to preserve the Hugg-Harrison-Glover House in Bellmawr to pursue all options at their disposal," Norcross wrote in a letter to Gregory Nadeau, administrator of the Federal Highway Administration. "This house links us to our past and we must give all due consideration to the history that helped shape the community we enjoy today." He said that Camden County Historical Society, which is heading the movement to relocate the house, has collected thousands of signatures from residents who support saving the house. Built in phases between 1720 and 1764, the house was owned by Captain William Harrison Jr. during the Revolutionary War, according to the Camden County Historical Society. Plans for the barriers around I-295 that necessitate the demolition of the house. In a video aimed at saving the house, historian Garry Wheeler Stone said Harrison headed the Gloucester Township Militia. The militia joined with forces led by the Marquies de Lafayette when they defeated British forces during the battle of Gloucester in November 1777. Stone said it is likely the oldest house in Bellmawr and the last remaining home of a Revolutionary War officer in Camden County. NJDOT Spokesman Steven Shapiro said there has been a "great deal of confusion regarding the historic nature of the house." The department also maintains that the Hugg family has no connection to the house, having owned the property before it was built, and says the correct name for the property is the Harrison-Glover House. Meanwhile, the Historical Society calls it the Huggs-Harrison House. A 2006 study of the home's historic significance found that four additions built on the house and other modern upgrades detracted from the home's "architectural integrity," and thus it does not qualify for historic preservation. The department did consider moving the house, Shapiro said, but decided against it. "Moving the structure to another site was determined not to be feasible due to logistical complexities that would be involved," he said. "The State Historic Preservation Office concurred that relocating the house was not feasible." Estimates of the cost to move the house vary, but CBS Philly reported they start at $400,000 and go up. The Camden County Historical Society is hosting a presentation and question-and-answer session on the house at the Bellmawr Library Oct. 6 at 7 p.m. Camden County Historical Society Librarian Bonny Beth Elwell will talk about the house's history and the current demolition plans. Rebecca Everett may be reached at reverett@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @rebeccajeverett. Find NJ.com on Facebook. CAPE MAY -- The leader of a drug ring in South Jersey has been sentenced to 17 years in prison, authorities said. Cape May County Prosecutor's Office logo. Javier Alicia-Garcia, 33, of Upper Township, was arrested and charged in May of last year as part of a months-long investigation that seized close to $300,000 in drugs and more than $150,000 in cash. Alicia-Garcia was sentenced Friday in Cape May Court House by Judge John C. Porto. Thirteen others face charges as part of the drug bust, "Operation Dream Chaser," that started in January 2015 by the Cape May County Prosecutor's Office and Narcotics Task Force. Craig McCarthy may be reached at CMcCarthy@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @createcraig. Find NJ.com on Facebook. BRIDGETON -- A resident's dog alerted them to a burglar attempting to break down their door, according to police. Bridgeton police were dispatched Friday to the 60 block of Ellis Street for the attempted burglary. The burglar ran off before police arrived. According to police, the resident was inside when they heard their dog barking. Once they looked outside, someone was attempting to kick at their front door to break in. Authorities described the burglar as a black male, wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, black sneakers and blue pants with a red stripe going down both legs. Anyone with information about the burglary attempt is asked to contact Bridgeton Police Department by calling 856-451-0033 or Crimestoppers by calling 856-455-5550. Information can also be submitted anonymously through the department's Tip411 service. Don E. Woods may be reached at dwoods@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @donewoods1. Find NJ.com on Facebook. NEWARK -- A city neighborhood was still reacting Friday evening to a police chase and shooting as investigators continued to scan the area near the intersection of North 7th Street and Abington Avenue, where two men were shot and killed by police earlier in the day. About 12 hours after the fatal shootings, police were walking a K-9, which was sniffing the area. Two children wearing backpacks looked at a broken street sign lying on the sidewalk outside St. Francis Xavier Elementary School, one of two school buildings on the block. The sign had been barreled over and broken off its post by suspects in a red minivan that had attempted to flee the early morning scene. Chrys Fernandez, who lives on North 7th Street, was in his living room when, at around 6:30 a.m., he said he heard 10 or 15 gunshots. He ran to open the front door, and saw one of the suspects running past his house, he said. "I saw a person running, he ran that way," he said, pointing down the street. He said moments later, he saw the man running past his house again, this time in the opposite direction. Almost simultaneously, he said, a red minivan was trying to escape, but was unsuccessful. Rui Teixeira, who lives across the street from Fernandez, said he had also heard the gunshots, and when he rushed and opened the door, he said he saw an armed officer running down the street after the man. "Then I heard screaming, 'Get down, get down!'" Teixeira recalled. "I saw a red minivan. It backed up into reverse. If (this had happened at) 8 or 8:30 a.m., a lot of kids would've got hurt." Police were attempting to arrest three people suspected in multiple city robberies, authorities have said. Six officers were reportedly involved in the shooting. A police union representative told NJ Advance Media the men being chased "were not interested in surrendering." At a press conference Friday, Mayor Ras Baraka said the city is "prayerful and hopeful that what happened was a tragic situation but was lawful. ... If we get any information that says otherwise we will act in the confines of the law to do what's necessary to make sure that justice is here in this issue." A teenager has been arrested in connection with the incident, Acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn A. Murray said. The six officers were taken to University Hospital in Newark for evaluation. The prosecutor's office is investigating the shooting. Spencer Kent may be reached at skent@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SpencerMKent. Find the Find NJ.com on Facebook. NEWARK -- Essex County authorities on Saturday released the names of the two people shot dead by Newark cops early Friday. Najier Salaam and George Richards-Meyers, both 18 and of Newark, were fatally shot by police officers about 6:30 a.m. on the 500 block of North Seventh Street, according to a statement Saturday by acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn A. Murray. The statement from the county Prosecutor's Office noted that the names were not released until the next of kin had been notified as required under the Attorney General guidelines. The two men were shot and killed after police were called to the scene for criminal activity in the area. A 17-year-old from Newark was arrested in the incident after he got out of a vehicle and ran from police, according to city Mayor Ras Baraka. Authorities recovered a gun from the teenager, authorities said. Police were reportedly attempting to arrest three people suspected in multiple city robberies. Baraka said at a news briefing Friday afternoon that the two men who were shot and the teenager had matched a description given by the caller, previous reports said. Meanwhile, the six unnamed officers will be assigned to administrative duties pending the outcome of the investigation by the Essex County Prosecutors Office, Newark Public Safety Director Anthony F. Ambrose said in a statement on Saturday. James Stewart Jr., president of the Newark Fraternal Order of Police, said that the six officers involved in the shooting were evaluated at University Hospital in Newark. None of the officers were reported injured in the incident. He also said that the suspects involved in the incident "were not interested in surrendering." Baraka said during the briefing that "what happened was a tragic situation but was lawful," adding that if the city received "any information that says otherwise we will act in the confines of the law to do what's necessary to make sure that justice is here in this issue." Katherine Carter, spokeswoman for the county Prosecutor's Office, said in a statement that though transparency is extremely important to this type of investigation, "our top priority is to carefully gather all of the evidence available." "In a case like this we must review video, ballistics, statements and other evidence. ECPO Detectives have been working around the clock on this case. We recognize the public interest but ask for patience." She said anyone seeking additional information can contact the county Prosecutor's Office Professional Standards Bureau at 862-520-3700. Spencer Kent may be reached at skent@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SpencerMKent. Find the Find NJ.com on Facebook. UPDATE: Police released the names of the two men Saturday night. NEWARK -- Essex County authorities are refusing to release the names of two people shot dead by Newark cops early Friday, and have also declined to make public the names of the officers involved in the shooting. Meanwhile, the six unnamed officers will be assigned to administrative duties pending the outcome of the investigation by the Essex County Prosecutors Office, Newark Public Safety Director Anthony F. Ambrose said in a statement on Saturday. A spokeswoman for the Essex County Prosecutor's Office refused to release the names of the dead men, who were shot by police about 6:30 a.m. on the 500 block of North Seventh Street as authorities were attempting to arrest three people suspected in multiple city robberies. A 17-year-old from Newark was arrested in the incident after he got out of a vehicle and ran from police, according to city Mayor Ras Baraka. Authorities recovered a gun from the teenager, authorities said. Jasmine Crenshaw, an organizer at the ACLU of New Jersey, and a coordinator of Newark Communities for Accountable Policing, issued a statement on Saturday urging city and county law enforcement "to embrace transparency" and "publish the information the community deserves." "Far too often, law enforcement fails to disclose the information the community deserves, including the names of officers involved in shootings, any footage of the incident, or even if footage exists," Crenshaw said. "Families and communities quickly lose hope in a system that seems to dismiss the interests of those it is meant to serve." Crenshaw said it is often "disheartening and angering when law enforcement's first instinct is to reject disclosure in tragedies like this one." Newark police on Friday had been responding to a call of criminal activity in the area, Baraka said. The two people who were shot, whose ages are not known, and the teenager had matched a description given by the caller, previous reports said. James Stewart Jr., president of the Newark Fraternal Order of Police, said that the six officers involved in the shooting were evaluated at University Hospital in Newark. None of the officers were reported injured in the incident. He also said that the suspects involved in the incident "were not interested in surrendering." "Our officers responded to that threat and Newark is a safer place today because of them," Stewart said in a previous report. Baraka said during the briefing that "what happened was a tragic situation but was lawful," adding that if the city received "any information that says otherwise we will act in the confines of the law to do what's necessary to make sure that justice is here in this issue." Staff writer Craig McCarthy contributed to this report. Spencer Kent may be reached at skent@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SpencerMKent. Find the Find NJ.com on Facebook. WOODBURY -- A man living in Philadelphia was sentenced to 5 years in prison Friday after pleading guilty to sexually assaulting a 15-year-old Deptford Township girl in 2015, according to the Gloucester County Prosecutor's Office. Erwin Ramos, 26, an unauthorized immigrant from Guatemala, must serve four years, three months and one day before he is eligible for parole, authorities said. He must register as a sex offender and be subject to at least 15 years of parole supervision upon release from prison. He also faces deportation after completing his prison term. Judge M. Christine Allen-Jackson also imposed a sex offender restraining order on Ramos and his family, barring them from having any contact with the victim or her family. Matt Gray may be reached at mgray@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MattGraySJT. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook. HOBOKEN - One person remains in intensive care and at least six others remained hospitalized Saturday after a fatal train crash in Hoboken on Thursday injured more than 100 people. The person who remains in intensive care is in guarded condition at Jersey City Medical Center, a step up from critical, said hospital Spokesman Mark Rabson. The three remaining patients are in stable condition and are expected to be released in the next 24 hours, Rabson said. Jersey City Medical Center handle the majority of the people injured in the crash who required attention at a hospital. "Many of the injuries were minor and required only an examination and the patients were released that day," Rabson said of the initial 66 patients treated at the hospital. Five hospitals were involved in treating patients from the crash, which killed a 34-year-old Hoboken woman who was hit by debris while standing on the train platform. The National Transportation Safety Board is continuing to investigate the cause of the crash. At Hoboken University Medical Center, two of the 23 patients treated there who required overnight admission are expected to be released Saturday, said Jarrod Bernstein, spokesman for Carepoint Health. A patient seen at Christ Hospital in Bayonne was transferred to St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center in Paterson for specialized care and remains there in fair condition, said hospital spokesperson Liz Asani. Rabson said Friday that the hospital participated in an emergency drill about a year ago based on the scenario of a nearby train crash. The ambulance staging area used in that drill - the parking lot of a local Target store - was the one used Thursday, he said. Dave Hutchinson may be reached at dhutchinson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @DHutch_SL. Find NJ.com on Facebook. JERSEY CITY -- The theft ring leader of the "Conrail Boyz," a highly organized north Jersey freight train robbery gang, was sentenced Friday to eight years in prison for resuming his cargo theft activities in 2014. Edward Mongon, 41, of North Bergen, was arrested along with nine others in December 2014 after authorities tracked the group for nearly four months to build a case against its members. Mongon, who was previously convicted in 2004 in a similar case, was charged with being a leader of a cargo theft network, burglary, cargo theft, theft and fencing, all second-degree crimes. Mongon pleaded guilty to being a leader of a cargo theft network in April and was sentenced Friday in Hudson County Superior Court to eight years in prison, including four years without parole eligibility. Mongon's defense attorney Arthur J. Abrams asked Judge Mitzy Galis-Menendez to be "as lenient as possible," noting that Mongon has four children and a "very, very sick father" who suffers from a neurological disease. Abrams also remarked that Mongon has been ready to plead guilty since the day he was charged, with the exception of resolving a motion to suppress evidence in one aspect of the case, which was granted by the judge. Hudson County Assistant Prosecutor Karyn Darish, however, stressed that Mongon's latest offenses constitute his tenth indictable conviction and read out a list of his burglaries and other crimes stretching back to the 1990s. She recommended that he be sentenced to 10 years in prison. Mongon's attorney said the lowest end of the range would be five years with 18 months without parole eligibility. Before sentencing Mongon, Galis-Menendez leveled with him about his record. "Mr. Mongon, there's no doubt: You're a thief. You've been doing it your whole life," the judge said. "If nobody's ever told you, Mr. Mongon, let me tell you: you're not good at it." Mongon, who appeared tired and downcast, declined to speak at the hearing. The "Conrail Boyz" gained notoriety in 2004 when Mongon was convicted and sentenced to 13 years in prison for running the theft gang, which had previously operated from 1992 to 2003. Mongon was released in 2008 on parole. According to the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office, the "Conrail Boyz" studied schedules, practices and access points on the CSX and Norfolk Southern rail lines in order to target shipping containers containing valuable merchandise. The gang would open containers both during stops and while trains were moving and stole millions of dollars worth of high-end clothing, sneakers, watches, electronics, liquor and other retail items with help from accomplices on the ground, authorities said. These goods were distributed to "fences" in Jersey City and North Bergen for sale to local vendors, officials added. Information wasn't immediately available regarding the status of the charges against the nine others who were arrested in December 2014 on cargo theft charges. Jonathan Lin may be reached at jlin@jjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @jlin_jj. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook. JERSEY CITY -- When Mayor Steve Fulop ended his unofficial gubernatorial bid on Wednesday morning, he not only dramatically reshaped next year's race for governor, he also reshuffled the deck for the 2017 mayoral race. Fulop, whose Wednesday announcement doubled as a re-election campaign launch, killed the hopes of some of his close allies who had been hoping to succeed him as mayor in the event he won June's gubernatorial primary. "When he announces he's running for mayor, it knocks out a half a dozen or more candidates," said one longtime political observer. Council President Rolando Lavarro, who was standing in front of City Hall watching Fulop's announce that he will seek re-election, has been mulling a mayoral run next year. Lavarro told The Jersey Journal after Fulop's press conference that he would not challenge Fulop. "We're on the same team," Lavarro said. Freeholder Bill O'Dea, who was also thinking of mounting a mayoral campaign, declined to say whether Fulop's re-election announcement changes his plans for 2017. "I would not answer that question at this point," said O'Dea, who was one of the only elected officials in the county to buck the Hudson County Democratic Organization and back Fulop in the 2013 mayoral race. Another prominent Jersey City Democrat who was expected to seek the mayor's office next year is Assemblyman Raj Mukherji, a former deputy mayor elected to represent the 33rd District in the state Assembly in 2013. Asked how Fulop's move affects his political future, Mukherji said, "Steve is my friend, and I wake up every day privileged enough to serve my district in the Legislature." Fulop's abrupt change of plans have not swayed Bill Matsikoudis, the city's top attorney under former Mayor Jerramiah Healy. Fulop defeated Healy in 2013 and Matsikoudis has made it clear he intends to attempt to unseat Fulop in 2017. Councilman Rich Boggiano, a frequent Fulop critic who has said he may run for mayor next year, told The Jersey Journal Friday that the mayor's decision to seek re-election wouldn't change his plans. "If I decide I'm running, I'm running," he said. Terrence T. McDonald may be reached at tmcdonald@jjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @terrencemcd. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook. UPDATE: SUEZ reported at 7 a.m. on Oct. 2 that repairs have been completed and full water service has been restored. JERSEY CITY -- A water main break in Downtown Jersey City that is affecting at least several businesses in the area has been undergoing repairs for over 18 hours since it was first reported yesterday evening. The 30-inch water main break on Washington Boulevard south of Pavonia Avenue occurred under fiber optic lines, SUEZ stated on its website. While excavation has begun with heavy machinery, workers will have to dig by hand to work around those lines, the company said. SUEZ hasn't said when it expects the repairs will be completed. A spokeswoman said early this morning that crews will be working throughout the day. The southbound lanes of Washington Boulevard are blocked off from traffic between Newport Parkway and the South Garage Driveway, near The Westin at 479 Washington Blvd. At 12:45 p.m., SUEZ said the customers affected by the break are 499 Washington Blvd., 525 Washington Blvd., The Marina on Washington Boulevard and Marriott Courtyard Hotel. The Jersey Journal found that at least one other location -- Caffe Bene at 564 Washington Blvd. -- has been affected. A sign on the cafe states that the store is "temporarily out of running water" and can only serve a limited number of beverage and food items. An employee there said the store's bathrooms currently aren't working. Further north from the water main break, the Staples at 613 Washington Blvd. appeared to have running water at normal pressure. SUEZ said emergency crews will remain on site and continue to work until repairs are complete and all customers have full water service once again. Jonathan Lin may be reached at jlin@jjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @jlin_jj. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook. HOBOKEN, N.J. (AP) -- Federal rail officials found dozens of violations during an audit focusing on New Jersey Transit's safety and operations, months before a commuter train crashed, killing a woman and injuring more than 100 others, a U.S. official told The Associated Press on Saturday. The official, who was familiar with an audit by the Federal Railroad Administration, spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the official wasn't authorized to speak publicly about an ongoing investigation. The railroad administration began an audit in June after noticing an uptick in rail incidents and found "dozens of safety violations" that needed to be fixed immediately, the official said. The commuter rail agency was fined as a result of the audit, the official said, adding that federal agencies are continuing to work with the railroad to ensure compliance with federal rail safety guidelines. New Jersey Transit trains have been involved in more than 150 accidents that caused more than $4.8 million in damage to tracks or equipment since Jan. 1, 2011, according to federal data. There were 25 such accidents in 2015 and 10 in the first seven months of 2016, but none caused injuries or death. Most of the incidents occurred at low speeds and more than half were in train yards. On Thursday, a New Jersey Transit commuter train smashed through a steel-and-concrete bumper and hurtled into the station's waiting area, killing a woman on the platform and injuring more than 100 other people. The train's engineer, Thomas Gallagher, who was among those injured in the crash, has been interviewed by the National Transportation Safety Board, officials said, but the agency provided no further details about the interview in a news release Saturday. The NTSB also retrieved an event recorder from the locomotive at the rear of the train and investigators are waiting to download speed and braking information it contains. Investigators haven't been able to extract a second recorder from the forward-facing video camera in the train's mangled first car because it is under a collapsed section of the train station's roof. The signals on the tracks leading to Hoboken Terminal appear to be working normally and officials completed a walking inspection of the track, finding nothing that would have affected the performance of the train, the NTSB said in an update Saturday. Investigators have obtained video from other trains that were inside the train station when the crash occurred. Signs posted at a New Jersey Transit maintenance facility in Hoboken, dated February, said there had been 10 incidents involving trains in the prior two months, including five derailments. The sign said the "serious incidents reflect a dangerous trend" and that the main cause of the incidents appeared to be caused by human error. A spokesman for New Jersey Transit didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. TRENTON -- State and city officials on Friday made a pitch to real estate developers and investors about the inventory of properties and tax incentives available to them, hoping to make the case that Trenton is ripe for business investment. "We need folks like yourself to take a second look, even a third look at Trenton and understand why the lieutenant governor repeatedly says, 'Now is the time to get on board,'" Mayor Eric Jackson told the audience gathered. "Great things are happening and I invite you to be a part of that and I will assure you ... we will streamline your efforts to do good business here in the city." The event was cosponsored by Greater Trenton, the new public-private economic development organization, and the New Jersey Partnership for Action. The partnership, which is made up of the state's Business Action Center, Economic Development Authority and secretary of higher education as well as the nonprofit group Choose New Jersey, works collaboratively to attract business, generate jobs and smooth the way for businesses looking to invest in the state. Tim Lizura, the president and chief operating officer of EDA, described two main incentive programs that he says would make moving to a depressed urban area like Trenton a viable option for companies. The first, Grow New Jersey, allows any company to apply for 10-year tax credits, as long as it is considering moving in or out of the state and meets other requirements. The amount of credit varies depending on the location, size of the work force, wages and other criteria, but because Trenton is a designated growth zone, projects in the city can receive up to a maximum of $15,000 per job per year for up to 10 years. For example, when the Hibbert Group considered moving 259 jobs to Langhorne, Pa., the state offered the company a 10-year, $33.6 million tax-incentive package to convince it to remain in the city. The second program, Economic Redevelopment and Growth, hopes to lure developers and businesses by addressing revenue gaps in development projects. "At the end of the day, developers have choices about where they can invest their time and money," Lizura said. "If you can't get the return for that investment, you're going to go someplace else where you can." Diana Rogers, the city's acting director of Housing and Economic Development, highlighted more than a dozen vacant lots and other properties that are or will become available to developers. The sites vary from parking lots and garages, the Horsman Doll Factory and Roebling Block 2 to the state's agriculture, health and taxation buildings that are slated for demolition. "We don't have a supply issue as you saw," said George Sowa, Greater Trenton's founding CEO. "There's plenty of supply here. We need to collectively generate the demand. Because we can build buildings collectively all day long, but if you don't have the user groups to come in and occupy them, it just doesn't happen. "We need to make sure to the extent that we have sites out there, that we get companies and individuals to come work here, live here and play here and put in place the infrastructure so people will look at this city in a very positive light," he continued. David Henderson, one of the partners involved in the much-touted Roebling Lofts, said the city needs to capitalize on the trend of millennials wanting to move into cities. "We wouldn't be doing the project we're doing in Trenton if it weren't for this national trend," he said of the 138-loft project. "We've all heard 'Now is the time for Trenton' and it wasn't, but now really is. And it's not because we made it up to be. It's a national demographic trend supported by real hard numbers and this is New Jersey's opportunity to stay relevant and capture the growth that will occur over the next 10, 15 years." Some of the development opportunities on city- and state-owned properties are listed below, with more details in the PDF. 123-125 and 215-237 North Broad St. 258-264 North Warren St. 29-53 Oxford St. 80 Oakland St. Bell Boy Cleaner, 300-310 Prospect St. Trenton City Hall's surface parking lot, 319 East State St. 300, 356 and 366 Enterprise Ave. Front Street Garage, 120 East Front St. Horsman Doll Factory, 350 Grand St. Merchant Street surface parking lot, 24 Merchant St. New Jersey Department of Agriculture, South Warren St. New Jersey Department of Health, South Warren St. New Jersey Division of Taxation, 160 South Broad St. and 43-51 West State St. Perry Street surface parking lot, 350 Perry St. 942 Prospect St. Roebling Block 2, 670 South Clinton Ave. Cristina Rojas may be reached at crojas@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @CristinaRojasTT. Find NJ.com on Facebook. TRENTON -- The recent prison parolee suspected of committing five recent robberies in Trenton is charged with holding up the 7-Eleven in Wrightstown just three days after he was released from state prison, officials said. The New Jersey State Police had issued an arrest warrant for Michael J. Smith, 25, following the July 18 armed stick-up at the convenience store on Ft. Dix Street, just outside the main gate of Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst. Michael J. Smith Records show Smith was paroled from the New Jersey state prison system on July 15 after serving nearly six years for a robbery in Burlington County. State police spokesman Sgt. Gregory Williams said trooper detectives conducted interviews and searched a residence in Wrightstown where Smith was living after getting out of prison. Smith allegedly stole $268 during the Wrightstown robbery after ordering a clerk to hand over cash, Williams said. Brandishing a handgun, Smith allegedly growled he would "empty the entire clip" of the gun if the clerk did not hurry up. The state police could not find Smith until his arrest Thursday in Trenton. On Thursday, at about 9:45 a.m., Smith allegedly robbed a Boost Mobile store on Hamilton Avenue near Chambers Street, police said. Trenton police had sent extra officers into the area in the past weeks due to a series of robberies they suspected were the work of the same person. Trenton police linked Smith to five robberies in the past two weeks, including armed hold-ups at the Boost Mobile, and a Metro PCS store last Friday and similar robberies at a Rite-Aid pharmacy and Lukoil gasoline station - all in Trenton. He is being held on multiple robbery and weapon counts in Mercer County, officials said. Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@kevintshea. Find NJ.com on Facebook. PHILADELPHIA -- The Mets sliced their magic number to clinch a National League Wild Card berth to one after defeating the Phillies, 5-1, on Friday night at Citizens Bank Park, putting them on the brink of securing their second consecutive trip to the postseason. The Mets are now one win away from clinching the right to host the St. Louis Cardinals or the San Francisco Giants in the Oct. 5 Wild Card game. With Friday's victory, the Mets were assured of at least participating in a play-in game next week in case they end up tied with the Cardinals in the Wild Card standings. "We're certainly very, very pleased that we get to play past Sunday," manager Terry Collins said. "I can't say it enough times: We had to take care of our own business, and we've done that. And we're not going to stop doing it." A Mets win or a Cardinals loss on Saturday would officially lock up a Wild Card berth for New York, which holds a one-game lead over the Giants and a two-game lead over St. Louis with two games left to play. The Cardinals and the Giants also won on Friday to delay the Mets' potential champagne celebration. Veteran Bartolo Colon is slated to start Saturday's potential clincher against the Phillies. The Mets and the Cardinals are both scheduled to play at 1:05 p.m. EDT. "We look forward to having that opportunity and really controlling our own destiny," right fielder Jay Bruce said. "We're not too focused on what anybody else does. We come in here and take care of business, and it won't matter." METS (86-74) Two remaining games Sept. 30-Oct. 2 at the Phillies Road games remaining: Two GIANTS (85-75) Two remaining games Sept. 30-Oct. 2 vs. Los Angeles Dodgers Home games remaining: Two CARDINALS (84-76) Two remaining games Sept. 30-Oct. 2 vs. the Pittsburgh Pirates Home games remaining: Two Maria Guardado may be reached at mguardado@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @mi_guardado. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Chatham Township -- Hundreds of visitors heard and felt the beat of a Native American drum as members of the Ramapough Lenape Nation told of their culture and heritage in between performing traditional dances. The event, called Lenape Day, was a celebration of the original inhabitants of New Jersey and was held at the Great Swamp Outdoor Education Center. "We get a large crowd every year," said tribal member Debbie Powell-Beal, who uses her Native American name, Walela, which she explained means hummingbird. She then went on to say, "It is important to us to be able to teach others, especially the children, about our culture." Abigail Tze, a 9-year-old from South Orange, who came to the event with her mother, Lie Tze and 7-year-old brother, Jayden, was handed a fox pelt to hold as Debbie Powell-Beal explained how her ancestors lived off the land and respected all it had to offer. At the conclusion of the morning event, Ramapough Lenape Nation member Marci Copeland, who was given the name "Strom," and who is the sister of Debbie Powell-Beal, explained that although the Ramapough Mountain Indians have resided in the Ramapough Mountains for more than 300 years, there is very little documentation in New York or New Jersey that refers to the tribe, so they are not federally recognized as Native Americans. Copeland explained that one of the reasons for the lack of recognition is because there was no written language by the Lenape people. Tribal members will continue their work to achieve recognition, she added. Robert Sciarrino may be reached at bsciarrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SciarrinoRobert. Find NJ.com on Facebook. NEW YORK -- The two men who removed a bomb from a bag and walked away with the luggage last month on a New York City street , according to a report Friday. The explosive was allegedly planted by 28-year-old Ahmad Khan Rahami, who is charged with using weapons of mass destruction and other offenses for bombings at a military charity run in Seaside Park, Elizabeth, and a blast in Chelsea that injured more than 30 people. Rahami remained hospitalized at University Hospital in Newark after he was wounded in a shootout with Linden police. The two EgyptAir guards discovered a second unexploded pressure cooker device on West 27th Street, blocks from the Chelsea explosion scene Sept. 17, The New York Times reported. The men, Hassan Ali and Abou Bakr Radwan, flew to New York from Cairo and returned the day after the Chelsea bombing. They were unaware of what they discovered in the bag at the time, the newspaper's report said. U.S. officials not been able to interview them, the Times reported. The FBI released security camera images of the men, describing the pair as witnesses. Investigators have said they are not suspected of having any role in the attacks. "We have no reason to believe they're connected," NYPD Counterterrorism Bureau Chief Jim Watters said at an earlier press conference. An unnamed airline official described the men as "harmless" and said they don't understand they are only wanted as witnesses in the bombing probe, according to report. EgyptAir security officers are unarmed and fly in uniform compared to plainclothes, armed members of the U.S. Federal Air Marshal Service. Security camera footage reportedly showed Rahami with the suitcase before he leaves it on the street with a bomb inside. The two security guards show up minutes later, look at the luggage before removing the pressure cooker and leaving with the bag. Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @noahyc. Find NJ.com on Facebook. hoboken Hoboken was the scene of a fatal hit and run accident in which Zackhary Simmons was killed. (Jersey Journal file photo) In late June, Zackhary Simmons, a 21-year-old young man from Ramsey with his whole life ahead of him, was fatally struck by a driver who fled the scene near 6th Street and Willow Avenue in Hoboken. Zack is described by his family as an "old soul" and a "funny one for sure, always cracking a joke...creating laughter all around." They also describe him as "an honorable, respectable child who valued his family and nurtured those relationships." The heartbreak of a parent is immeasurable in this situation. In the wake of their tragic loss, the father of Zackhary Simmons, Rickey Simmons, and Rickey's fiancee Jennifer Jordan, bravely committed themselves to working toward a way to honor Zack and make New Jersey safer for pedestrians. This week marked the first big step in that direction. After weeks of working with the family alongside Mayor Zimmer, I was proud to introduce "Zackhary's Law." This bill would help law enforcement officials catch perpetrators of hit-and-run collisions in New Jersey by disseminating information about the car or driver by way of road signs and through the media. Similar laws have been implemented in California and Colorado. In Denver, this law resulted in a 76% rate of arrests in hit and runs over a two year period. I have also worked with state law enforcement representatives in crafting this bill, who have said Zackhary's Law would be "another great tool for law enforcement." My office is in talks with GPS apps with the hope that they'll agree to partner with the State to transmit Zack Alerts to their users. This bill isn't just about Zack - it's about the thousands of families who have suffered a loss due to a driver cowardly speeding away after knowingly hurting someone with their car. Zackhary's Law will also help our law enforcement officers quickly apprehend those motorists who choose to drive away when someone needs them most. The quicker law enforcement can catch a driver, the more likely it is to know the circumstances of the accident, such as if the driver was under the influence of drugs and alcohol. I hope this legislation reminds drivers who think of fleeing a scene that the person who was just struck needs your help, and if they do choose to flee, the whole state will be looking for them. ANNETTE CHAPARRO ASSEMBLYWOMAN, D-33, HUDSON Rep. Scott Garrett (NJ-5th) had the Wells Fargo CEO in his crosshairs Thursday, but instead of going after the guy whose bank bilked hundreds of thousands of customers, he used much of his time criticizing the agency that brought Wells Fargo to justice. That's the complicated world Garrett has created, and he's having a hard time living in it. The Consumer Financial Protection Board was established under the Dodd-Frank financial reform act of 2010 to be a watchdog for consumer financial products and services. It does its job exceedingly well. It has returned over $11 billion to 25 million consumers in five years. In the case of Wells Fargo, it owned the stage - leading the investigation, exposing the fraud, and imposing $185 million in penalties to the bank for creating millions of sham accounts on unknowing customers over five years. But Garrett, who consistently pushes legislation to neuter the CFPB, remarked the "CFPB was asleep at the wheel - they have one job and they blew it." That's rich. If CFPB was not efficient enough to suit the congressman, he should answer these questions: Why did he vote for a bill that would have allowed banks to ban CFPB attorneys from participating in bank examinations? Why did he vote for another bill that allows banks to litigate unfavorable findings from CFPB examiners? Even after the Wells Fargo fines were assessed, Garrett voted for the Financial Choice Act, which would cut salaries of CFPB employees (including bank examiners and enforcement attorneys) and pay them less than other financial regulators; end the CFPB's use of enforcement actions against banks; and make it easier for banks to block CFPB requests for documents. As one blogger put it, Garrett's objection is like "telling the sheriff to move faster while trying to take away his horse." Garrett's spokesman explained that "three years went by where customers were being abused (as) the CFPB was examining Wells Fargo, and the agency did nothing." Except for that part about imposing a record fine, and building a case that has shaken the industry. Garrett himself was soft on CEO John Stumpf during Thursday's hearing before the House Financial Services Committee, landing a few light jabs before hauling off on the CFPB. How could he miss his target so badly? Could it be because he received $20,250 in campaign funds from Wells and its executives for the last five years, or the $350,000 he took from investment firms in the current election cycle? Is he sincere when he suggests that CFPB regulations "limit Americans' credit choices"? Can he really object to the regulations the Board slapped on the predatory payday loan industry, which deserved a kneecapping? Or did he miss that target because he has received campaign donations from payday lenders? The non-partisan Americans for Financial Reform - a coalition of more than 200 consumer, labor, business and investor groups - noted Garrett's hypocrisy in the Wells Fargo matter: "Rep. Garrett's criticism of the CFPB is hard to take seriously when he has voted repeatedly to undermine its enforcement efforts by eroding its funding, cutting the pay of its bank examiners, and making it easier for banks to thwart its investigations," the AFR said. The Wells Fargo fiasco reinforces the need for strong, independent oversight on the thieving magpies running an industry that would prefer to have no regulations at all. Republicans will continue to cite the CFPB as a rogue agency and an example of imperious government, but given the circumstances of its creation and the lack of representation consumers have in Washington, it requires wide latitude. But Wall Street lapdogs such as Scott Garrett believe they can take both sides - pummeling their benefactors from the safe distance when it benefits them politically, then trashing the regulators that brought them to justice. He's not fooling anyone. Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook. TRENTON -- Gov. Chris Christie and Senate and Assembly leaders on Friday announced a deal to end a months-long impasse over transportation funding and raise the gasoline tax 23 cents a gallon. The agreement was months in the making, with shifting alliances and failed negotiations. But at an afternoon news conference Friday, they said a deal came together about an hour earlier, ending a construction freeze that put crews out of work and had municipal leaders threatening to sue the state. Here are seven things to know about that deal: 1. You'll pay more at the pump -- and soon The deal includes a 23-cent increase in the gasoline tax that will raise the state's 14.5-cent-per-gallon tax -- the second-lowest in the U.S. -- to 37.5 cents -- the seventh-highest. The new revenue will finance an eight-year, $16 billion transportation program. With federal funds included, the total funding is $32 billion. Christie said this will be the longest and largest reauthorization in the trust fund's history. The municipal share of that money will double from $200 million a year to $400 million. The tax hike will go into effect soon. Both legislative houses will be called into a special committee hearing and voting session Wednesday morning. Christie said he's already consulted with Republican leaders in the Assembly and Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto (D-Hudson) said he's confident the bill will pass. The increase will take effect after Christie signs the bill. 2. It really was a compromise Despite the controversial nature of the gas tax hike, Christie and the Democratic-controlled Senate actually clashed over the nature of the corresponding tax cuts. Christie demanded a broad-based tax cut plan that Sweeney said the state couldn't afford, while Christie said Sweeney's more targeted tax cuts didn't go far enough. The agreement they announced Friday samples from both proposals and, according to the governor's office, will cost $1.4 billion a year once fully implemented in 2021. 3. Taxing the transfer of big estates will end One of the costlier tax cuts is the elimination of the estate tax. About 4 percent of estates each year are subject to the estate tax, a tax on the transfer of estates over $675,000. The $675,000 threshold would increase to $2 million on Jan. 1, and then the tax would be eliminated altogether after Jan. 1, 2018. New Jersey levied estate taxes on 3,467 estates in 2014, according to data from the state's nonpartisan Office of Legislative Services. The richest 94 estates paid an average of $1.2 million, while those valued from $675,000 to $1 million paid an average of $21,000. 4. You'll soon pay a little less sales tax While Christie wanted a 1 percentage point reduction in the sales tax, from 7 percent to 6 percent, the rollback in the final plan is a small, 0.375 percent. It will decrease from 7 percent to 6.875 percent on Jan. 1, and then from 6.875 percent to 6.625 percent on Jan. 1, 2018. 5. The working poor get a bigger tax credit The Earned Income Tax Credit for low-income workers will rise from 30 percent of the federal level to 35 percent. Last year, Christie and the Legislature raised the limit, which is directly tied to the federal limit, from 20 percent to 30 percent, or more than $200 a year for the average family. That expansion was expected to benefit about a half million New Jerseyans, three quarters of whom earn less than $20,000 a year. Essex, Middlesex and Camden counties have the the largest concentration of recipients, according to New Jersey Policy Perspective. Even wealthy counties have more than 10,000 recipients. Eligibility depends on income and number of qualifying children. The income limit is about $14,800 for a single, childless adult, and $53,000 for a married couple with three or more children. 6. A tax break on retirement income The only tax cut to appear in both the Senate's and governor's competing proposals -- to retirement income taxes -- is also part of the final compromise. The state taxes retirement income over $20,000 for couples filing jointly, $15,000 for individuals and $10,000 for those who are married but file separately. Under the proposal, more of that income would be exempt from taxes. Income under $100,000 would be tax free for couples filing jointly, under $75,000 for single filers and under $50,000 for married filing separately after a five-year phase in. 7. Tax exemption for veterans Veterans who were honorably discharged from active service in the military or National Guard will be eligible for an income tax exemption. Samantha Marcus may be reached at smarcus@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @samanthamarcus. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook. Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey Images of the Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield headquarters in Newark. A group of hospitals have lost a case seeking to overturn the state's approval of Horizon's OMNIA health plans. (Matt Smith | For NJ Advance Media) TRENTON -- A group of hospitals' legal fight challenging the state's decision to approve a line of discount tier health plans ended Thursday when the state Supreme Court refused to take up the case. The Christie administration approved Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey's OMNIA tiered network health plans in September 2015. A group of hospitals Horizon relegated to a lower tier sued to overturn the decision because consumers would have to pay more to use their facilities. An appeals court upheld the state Department of Banking and Insurance's decision in June, finding the state had given the plans a sufficient review. The actions of the state's highest court means the case is over, and the appeals court ruling stands. Horizon CEO Robert A. Marino called it "another win for OMNIA and for consumers seeking relief from skyrocketing medical bills." "Health care costs are a major problem for New Jersey employers and patients and while some are content to be part of the problem, Horizon is committed to being part of the solution," Marino said. Attorneys representing the hospitals Horizon relegated to a "lesser" tier 2 status challenged the Department of Banking and Insurance's approval, arguing the state did not do its job determining patients would have reasonable access to lower cost hospitals. The hospitals also argued the state should have taken into account OMNIA's detrimental impact on tier 2 hospitals, many of which are independent, and Catholic-run facilities serving a large number of low-income patients on government-subsidized health plans. If a wave of privately-insured patients are lured by the cost savings at tier 1 hospitals, tier 2 hospitals could eventually be forced to merge or even close, according to the lawsuit. "We've said from the beginning this was about fair and open competition to keep costs down and quality high," said Michael Maron, CEO of Holy Name Medical Center in Teaneck, one of the hospitals involved in the lawsuit. "We will always be advocating for that on behalf of the communities we serve." Horizon is the state's largest insurance company, serving 3.8 million of its nearly 9 million residents. In February, Horizon announced 234,000 people had enrolled in OMNIA plans. The case started out with 17 hospitals but only Holy Name Medical Center, Valley Health System and CentraState Medical Center remained. "We are disappointed with the Supreme Court's decision to deny our petition," said Steven Goldman, the hospitals' attorney. "We remain hopeful that that the state Legislature will swiftly act on pending legislation to ensure that greater fairness and transparency is required in the design of health plans in order to properly protect consumers, lower healthcare costs and avoid potential negative consequences in the healthcare marketplace." Susan K. Livio may be reached at slivio@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SusanKLivio. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook. college financial aid.jpg VINELAND - Applying for financial aid for education beyond high school can be confusing, especially with the paperwork that is required for students seeking any federal or New Jersey aid, including grants and loans, and some scholarships. With the change in the FAFSA submission date, students may begin submitting FAFSAs for 2017-18 as early as Oct. 1. Cumberland County College will host free 2-hour moderated workshops to help families get the help they need in completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), the form that is required to apply for financial assistance programs. Each workshop mobilizes trained financial aid professionals who are eager to help families take the first step in preparing students to attend college. Knowledgeable English- and Spanish-speaking professionals will be available to assist those in attendance. October workshops take place 5 to 7 p.m. on Oct. 5, 12, 20 and 26. Workshops will be offered in November and December as well. Those planning to attend a workshop are asked to register by visiting www.cccnj.edu. Select "Paying for College" at the top of the home page, then "Financial Aid Workshops-Sign Up Now" to see a list of upcoming dates and on-campus workshop locations. This item submitted by Nancy James, Cumberland County College. ROSELLE PARK -- A humanist organization has filed a lawsuit against the borough demanding the removal of a statue with a Christian cross outside the public library. The American Humanist Association, along with Councilwoman Charlene Storey and her husband Gregory, say in the complaint that the cross in the veterans memorial "exalts Christian veterans and excludes everyone else." The lawsuit is the latest event in an ongoing struggle over the statue installed outside the Roselle Park Veterans Memorial Library in late July. Mayor Carl Hokanson bought the statue, which shows a soldier kneeling over a grave marked by the cross, with his personal money and donated it to the library. The borough council in August approved its placement outside the building. Hokanson said Saturday morning that neither he nor the borough had yet been served with the complaint and he had not seen it. "The only thing I can tell you, in all honesty, I'm only getting these reports from you newspeople," he said. "I have not been served personally." The lawsuit, which names Roselle Park and Hokanson as defendants, alleges the cross sends a message of religious favoritism and violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. "As non-Christians, Mr. Storey and Councilwoman Storey are personally offended and feel excluded by this governmental message," the lawsuit says. The Anti-Defamation League, in an Aug. 24 letter, asked Hokanson to remove the statue or to modify it "to ensure that the memorial does not convey an unconstitutional message of religious advancement or endorsement of religion." Meanwhile, at least three Roselle Park residents have requested to donate to the library other veterans monuments -- one with an atheist symbol, one with a Jewish star and one without a religious symbol. The council has not voted on those requests. Hokanson and Charlene Storey previously have sparred over religious symbols on public property. The councilwoman temporarily resigned in December after the council voted with Hokanson's support to rename Roselle Park's "holiday" tree lighting a "Christmas" tree lighting. She later rescinded her resignation, and Hokanson made her the head of a new committee on diversity. The event remained a "Christmas" tree lighting. Marisa Iati may be reached at miati@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @Marisa_Iati. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Hurricane Matthew Churns in Caribbean In this NOAA satellite image, Hurricane Matthew can be seen in the Caribbean Sea just south of Cuba and Jamaica on Oct. 1, 2016. As of Saturday morning, Matthew was a very strong Category 4 hurricane, with sustained winds of 145 mph. (NOAA | Getty Images) Packing steady winds as powerful as 145 mph, Hurricane Matthew continues moving west across the Caribbean Sea on Saturday and threatens to hit parts of Jamaica, Haiti and Cuba during the next few days, according to the latest update from the National Hurricane Center. Forecasters say it's too early to know with certainty whether Matthew -- a dangerous Category 4 hurricane -- poses any threat to New Jersey and other states in the mid-Atlantic and Northeast. But they are expecting the storm to make a fairly sharp turn toward the north late Sunday into early Monday, a track that would directly threaten the Bahamas and would put southeastern Florida into the storm's so-called "cone of uncertainty." Based on the latest forecast track, the center of the hurricane will move across the central Caribbean Sea on Saturday and Sunday, then approach Jamaica and the southwestern section of Haiti Sunday night and Monday. This map shows the projected track of Hurricane Matthew, as of 11 a.m. Saturday. (National Hurricane Center) Eastern Cuba would be in Matthew's direct path Monday night into Tuesday morning, and the Bahamas could face a direct hit by early Wednesday, according to the National Hurricane Center. After that, it's uncertain whether the storm will continue moving north, threaten the southern Atlantic coast or turn out to sea, forecasters from AccuWeather said. "Should Matthew remain offshore of the East coast, impacts would be minimal," AccuWeather said in a report on Saturday. "However, there will still be a period of rough surf, strong rip currents, beach erosion and dangerous seas that shifts northward." Based on the current speed and projections, if Matthew does impact the Northeast, those effects would be felt late next week or next weekend. For now, forecasters say New Jerseyans and other residents in northern states should monitor the storm's track, but there's no need to take any precautions right now. During the past few days, Matthew quickly intensified from a tropical wave to a tropical storm, then into a low-level hurricane. On Friday morning, Matthew strengthened once again and became a major Category 3 hurricane, with maximum sustained winds of 115 mph. By Friday afternoon, Matthew strengthened into a Category 5 hurricane -- the strongest level on the five-level scale -- but overnight the storm weakened slightly but remained a still-strong Category 4 hurricane. UPDATE: Sunday, Oct. 2 Hurricane Matthew continues to move very slowly westward in the Caribbean Sea as of early Sunday afternoon and is still expected to make a northerly turn Sunday night. The storm is a Category 4 hurricane, packing maximum sustained winds of 140 mph, and is located about 300 miles south-southeast of Kingston, Jamaica, and about 350 miles south-southwest of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. There's still a lot of uncertainty about the future track, with some computer guidance models keeping the storm far offshore next weekend and other models keeping the storm close to the Outer Banks of North Carolina. If there is any direct threat to New Jersey or New York, it would likely be late next weekend or early in the following week. This map shows the projected track of Hurricane Matthew as of 11 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 2. (National Hurricane Center) Len Melisurgo may be reached at LMelisurgo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @LensReality or like him on Facebook. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Progression of predicted tuna spawning habitat and oil extent in the Gulf of Mexico from April to July of 2010. Quality of spawning habitat varies from low to high (white to green). Melbourne Storm's Cameron Smith and Cronulla Sharks' Michael Ennis go head-to-head in the NRL Telstra Premiership Grand Final. The Storm have scored 101 tries so far this season, five less than the Sharks who have scored 106 tries. However the Storm have conceded just 55 tries this season compared to the Sharks allowing 75 tries. The two No.9s are set to have a big impact on the decider. Who will come out on top? Draw Widget - Grand Final - Storm vs Sharks [2016] Telstra Premiership: Cameron Smith Michael Ennis DUBAI, United Arab Emirates OPEC nations have agreed in theory that they need to reduce their production to help boost global oil prices during a meeting in Algeria, but a major disagreement between regional rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran still may derail any cut. What happened to oil prices and why cant OPEC agree to anything more binding? Oil profits dry up Crude oil sold for over $100 a barrel in the summer of 2014 before bottoming out below $30 a barrel this January. That fall largely came from a boom in U.S. shale oil and countries like Saudi Arabia keeping their production high to hold onto market share. In the time since, a deal between Iran and world powers over its contested nuclear program allowed it more firmly back into the global oil market. The Islamic Republic wants to make up for lost time by boosting its own production. Talking up oil prices The 14-member Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, which had tremendous power in previous decades, has spent some two years trying to decide what to do. An April summit in Qatar that was widely expected to produce an output cut fell apart. Meanwhile, financial markets have hung on every vague utterance suggesting a deal, sparking mini-rallies in crude prices that later fade. The same seemed to be happening after Wednesdays meeting, as U.S. crude futures surged and later fell back. A deal to make a deal Under the terms of Wednesdays deal, OPEC agreed to have a committee look at potentially cutting production to 32.5 million to 33 million barrels a day. That would be down from Augusts production of 33.2 million barrels a day. At the most, the possible deal would shave off 700,000 barrels a day some 2 percent of overall production. The deal would need to be agreed to by OPEC members at their planned Vienna meeting in November. Pain for producers, comfort for consumers Producers like Venezuela and Nigeria face tremendous economic pain as oil prices remain low. Even mega-producer Saudi Arabia has cut salaries for senior government officials while eating through its foreign reserves and cutting subsidies as it wages a costly war in Yemen. But consumers benefit. U.S. drivers pay an average of $2.20 a gallon for regular gasoline, down from $3.69 a gallon in June 2014 at crudes height. Production cap offers no guarantees If ratified in November, an OPEC production cut wouldnt stop members from ignoring their quotas and pumping whatever they can. Its happened many times before. Meanwhile, any price rise in oil also could entice U.S. shale producers, whose break-even production costs are often higher than OPEC countries, back into the market. A generally weakened global economy could keep demand down as well. Dana Rifais family immigrated decades ago to the U.S. from Syria, so perhaps its fitting that Rifai naturally gravitated toward a specialty in immigration law as she eyed a degree at Valparaiso University School of Law. Not so, she said. It was to be expected that I would do that because my parents were immigrants. I didnt want to do what was expected. I wanted to do what I wanted to do, Rifai said. It took an economic downturn after graduation to nudge Rifai, then a business lawyer with Burke Costanza & Carberry LLP, toward a career path she said she resisted for years. So I did it, grudgingly. But what I didnt expect is that I really liked it," she said. Today, Rifai, an intern-turned-associate attorney with the Merrillville-based law firm, is credited with initiating the firms immigration practice, where she focuses on employment, family and business matters. She helps secure work visas for immigrants, matching foreign talent with U.S. companies, she said. As part of her role with the firm, she also serves clients in business transactions, aiding companies as they navigate through complex mergers and acquisitions. But thats not all she does. Shes also a mother, a wife, and a school board member at Avicenna Academy, an Islamic school in Merrillville where her 7-year-old twins attend. Being a school board member there is her "proudest accomplishment," she said. "There's a huge stigma on my (Islamic) faith, and it doesn't go unnoticed by any of us. We are American, but we're not seen that way," she said. "This school helps kids understand their faith, not as it is projected in the media, but as it truly is, and helps them become confident members in the community." Rifai also is involved with the Legacy Foundation, Lake Countys community foundation, and Porter County Community Foundations endowment fund initiative. She was recognized in 2013 as the Up and Coming Influential Woman of the Year by the nonprofit Influential Women of Northwest Indiana. Rifai was a founding member of now-defunct Emerge South Shore, a group of dedicated, young professionals that promoted leadership and personal development in the Region through network and community involvement. She also serves as a curator with TEDxCountyLineRoad, a Northwest Indiana spin-off of TED Talks that promotes big ideas and new ways of thinking. Thats how she met Matthew Saltanovitz, regional director for the Indiana Economic Development Corp. Saltanovitz nominated Rifai for inclusion in 2016's 20 under 40. Not everyone will agree with me, but I think Im free to say this. When we first started out, we had little to no idea what we were doing, and we pulled it off," Saltanovitz said. "It was a success, and Dana was instrumental in that. Its about ideas worth spreading, and it was great to see that in our neck of the woods." Saltanovitz said Rifai has been instrumental in TEDxCountyLineRoad's success. What I admire about Dana is her passion for Northwest Indiana, Saltanovitz said. "Whether its for (TedX), or in her career, shes very driven." A steelworker died at U.S. Steel Gary Works mill Friday, according to the Lake County coroners office. Jonathan Arizzola, 30, of Valparaiso, was killed in the U.S. Steel Slab Storage Yard at the sprawling mill that stretches across 7 miles of Lake Michigan lakeshore at 1 N. Broadway in Gary, the coroners office reported. Arizzola was a maintenance worker, Navy veteran and married father of two. He was pronounced dead at 9:45 p.m. Friday, according to the coroners office. The cause and manner of death remain under investigation. U.S. Steel external communications manager Sarah Cassella said an accident had occurred Friday in the hot strip mill. An investigation is underway, and we will work closely with the United Steelworkers and relevant government agencies throughout the process, Cassella said in an email. No further details regarding the incident are available at this time. Our deepest sympathies are with the employees family. The Lake County coroners office, U.S. Steel Emergency Management, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration Office are investigating the death at the largest steel mill in North America. Arizzolas death at Gary Works comes weeks after protests that U.S. Steel and the consulting group McKinsey & Co. were making the mill less safe by laying off and demoting maintenance workers. The United Steelworkers union said the cuts were putting workers at risk by putting off preventative maintenance and causing work orders to pile up. The USW is appealing the layoffs to a third-party arbiter, arguing the company violated the contract and is threatening workplace safety. A powerful exhibit about violence against women returns to Indiana University Northwest in Gary on Monday and runs through Oct. 14. The Womens and Gender Studies Program will exhibit multicolored T-shirts in the Moraine Student Center as part of a national project that aims to educate people about violence against women. The public is invited to attend The Clotheline Project, which has been displayed at IUN every year since 2013. IUN students, staff and faculty designed T-shirts that express stories about abuse. Yellow, for instance, represents assault, white memorializes those who died, while red, pink or orange signify rape. I have found that participants experience a therapeutic release as well as a sense of bonding as they create T-shirts that are exhibited alongside others who have had similar experiences, The Clothesline Project organizer Tanice Foltz said. The Womens and Gender Studies Program sponsors the exhibit to encourage students to break the silence about gender violence and reduce the shame associated with it, while connecting and empowering participants. Inspired by the AIDS quilt, the national Clothesline Project started in 1990 as a way for survivors to "air dirty laundry" about taboo domestic issues. The T-shirts, which were first hung as part of a Take Back the Night rally in Massachusetts, are meant to break the silence on gender violence, including sexual abuse, incest or attacks based on sexual orientation. The Womens and Gender Studies Program at IUN has planned additional events throughout the year to raise awareness about how to prevent gender violence. Marquette University professor Louise Cainkar will give a talk when the exhibit opens on Race, Gender and Harassment: Arab and Muslim Youth Becoming American at 1 p.m. Monday in the Hass Birky Womens Center, located in the Savannah Center, Room 207. SCHERERVILLE Law enforcement personnel were honored Thursday at the second annual Police Appreciation Day. A parade of police cars, firetrucks and motorcycles began at Lake Central High School and ended at the Patrician Banquet Center in Schererville. Police officers were led into the banquet hall with a performance by Lake County Pipes and Drums before Nicole Jamrose, whose band also performed, sang the national anthem. Jeff Fryzel, of McColly Real Estate, hosted the event and said he wanted to do something to show the community supports law enforcement officials. Every day we see our officers getting bashed on the news. They put their lives on the line every day. Ive always been a part of the law enforcement community. I was a firefighter in St. John and it just hurts to see what theyre going through, Fryzel said. Its ridiculous. I dont think we support them enough. St. John Police Chief James Kveton was one of three chiefs to speak. Kveton recalled the moment he realized the risk police officers face on a daily basis. I was doing an officer friendly event at a school, and at the point I got to my bulletproof vest, a young girl asked what it was, and I said, It stops bullets. She said, You go to work and wear something that stops bullets? Thats when I realized I could get shot at any time, Kveton said. Detective Cpl. Steve Flores, of St. John, said he appreciates support from the community despite law enforcement officials being heavily scrutinized at times. Weve got a great community and for the most part, people support us. We have great officers and 99 percent of law enforcement are in this for the right reasons and we see that through and through in this community, Flores said. There are bad apples in every tree, but were humans just like everybody else. We get dressed each day like you do. People think were robots and dont make mistakes, but were human. Kveton said he is proud of his officers risking their lives to protect the community. Its a great showing of support by the community and its wonderful for them to have a positive outlook on law enforcement, Kveton said. I dont think I could have picked a better, more ethical group of officers than here in St. John. MERRILLVILLE Twelve years of Republican gubernatorial leadership ushered in a AAA bond rating for the Hoosier state, and Region GOP officials had something to do with that. That was one of the central messages Republican gubernatorial candidate Eric Holcomb delivered Saturday in Merrillville during a keynote speech at the Lake County Republican Partys annual Reagan Breakfast fundraiser. Indianas sterling credit rating, established under former Gov. Mitch Daniels and continued under Mike Pence, is a major reason for voters to give Republicans four more years in the governors chair, Holcomb said. Holcomb, the sitting lieutenant governor under Pence, urged local Republicans to highlight that message in their communities. He established his campaign late in the race, after Gov. Pence was chosen as Donald Trumps vice presidential running mate in July. Now Holcomb must squeeze an abbreviated campaign into the days leading to the Nov. 8 election, when hell face the better known Democrat John Gregg for the governors office. On Saturday, Holcomb also highlighted Indianas status as the second-leading auto manufacturer and the $2.4 billion reserve amassed under the fiscal stewardship of Indiana Republicans. He tipped his hat to local Republicans, including Indiana House Reps. Hal Slager, of Schererville, William Fine, of Munster, and Julie Olthoff, of Crown Point, for their sound advocacy of Northwest Indiana issues in the Statehouse. All three of those officials captured seats in recent election cycles in a county typically ruled by Democrats. They all face re-election bids against established Democratic Party names in November. Holcomb said the party will need all of that leadership to continue the states sound fiscal health and remain economically competitive with other states. Its not just 49 other states that are nipping at our heels, Holcomb said. Its the world. VALPARAISO When the glacial Lake Chicago receded and formed the Lake Michigan we know today, it formed a series of bathtub rings that marked its different southern boundaries. Today, creating the Calumet National Heritage Area involves figuring out where to place the current bathtub ring for the Calumet region. On Wednesday, the last in a series of listening sessions for the feasibility study on the federal designation was held at the Porter County Museum. To the left, attendees saw a cell door from the days when the museum served as the Porter County Jail. To the right, they saw an exhibit on prehistoric mastodon bones found in Porter County. A Field Museum expert studied those bones at the time. Field Museum Chicago Region Program Director Mark Bouman, who is also president of Calumet Heritage Partnership, led Wednesdays discussion of defining the Calumet Regional Heritage Area. What helps it to cohere? What brings it all together? Bouman asked. The area is anchored to the west by Pullman National Monument and to the east by Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. Beyond that, however, the boundaries are still fluid. Bouman began by discussing how the last ice age shaped the Region, leaving a series of ridges and beaches bathtub rings, he called them as the glacier and the lake receded. Glenwood, Calumet and Tolleston are all familiar Region names. Theyre also beaches left by Lake Chicago as the Regions geography was being shaped. Some of the Regions significance is nature, Bouman said. Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore is one of the 10 most biologically diverse national parks because its where the forests and prairies met. But cultural and historical features are significant, too. Designation as a national heritage area can draw attention to them with wayfinding signs and other devices, as well as attracting funds and other resources for preservation. Economic development gets a boost, too. The Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area, in the Pittsburgh area, recently had a festival in a blast furnace that was closed three decades ago. The event drew 22,000 people, Bouman said. Were kind of thinking outside the lines, outside the box to create boundaries and form a national heritage area with many partnerships involved, Bouman said. There are 49 national heritage areas. The first was in the Chicago area, the I&M Canal National Heritage Area. Pullman is within the boundary of that designated area. Attaining the designation isnt like being named a national park. Property rights are unaffected. The federal government doesnt start buying up land. The watchword these days is collaboration. There isnt a lot of federal money out there, Bouman said. A national heritage area is designated by Congress where natural, cultural and historic resources combine to form a cohesive, nationally significant story, Bouman said. For the Region, that could be the struggle between industry and nature. Industry could also include agriculture. The Little Calumet River flows two directions and across a continental divide. The Kankakee River, which once created one of the best hunting grounds in the world, was turned into a ditch in Indiana to increase the acreage available for farmland. In many ways you could tell the story of the Region as explained through these two rivers, Bouman said. On Oct. 29, after a series of listening sessions, the feasibility study findings will be revealed to the public. That session will be 9 a.m. to noon at Lake Etta County Park, 4801 W. 29th Ave., Gary. Details are at www.calumetheritage.org. LANSING There have been no out-of-school suspensions, in-school suspensions or after-school detentions in Sunnybrook Elementary School District 171 since school started on Aug. 17, according to Superintendent Hughes B. George. He shared that information with the School Board at its Monday meeting and said that at the same point last year there had already been 60 detentions, six in-school suspensions and 11 out-of-school suspensions. He complimented staff and administration for their implementation of behavioral interventions outlined in Illinois Senate Bill 100. That is a state law that has directed school districts to develop alternatives and other strategies to out-of-school suspensions and in-school suspensions and develop strategies so that students stay in school and theyre not suspended and out-of-school missing their education, George said. He said some of the strategies utilized in the district have included phone calls home to parents, time-outs in another teachers classroom and the ability for parents to view student assignments through PowerSchool, the districts student database. Later in the meeting, the School Board approved an amendment to Georges contract that will require the district to pay a life insurance premium and for long-term care and disability insurance. Georges five-year contract expires in 2019. With board Vice President David Lopez absent, the board voted 5-1 in favor of the amendment. Board secretary Solomon Davis voted no after his motion to table the item was unsuccessful. The reason I voted no to it was because we didnt sit down and talk about that as a board, Davis said. He said the board had discussed the matter a few months ago but at that time it was a dead issue. Davis also questioned an agenda item that recommended approval for all seven board members or a designee of each member to attend an Illinois Association of School Boards meeting in November in Chicago with all associated costs covered. George said the reason for the allowance of a designee was if a board member were to cancel at the last minute the district would be able to send someone to take the spot for which money already was paid. Davis said that happened last year when board member David Lilly sent a resident of the district in his place. We should have voted for it, Davis said. It should have been put on the agenda then because we redistributed tax dollars without a vote from the board. Board member Lance Lape suggested the motion be voted on with the option of a designee taken out of the proposal, and the amended motion was approved by a 6-0 vote. Lape said that at one time it was policy that a board member had to reimburse the district if he or she had to cancel their attendance. SPRINGFIELD After going nearly a year without receiving any state funding, Illinois small and midsize public universities saw enrollment declines this fall that were among the largest for comparable schools across the region, according to a new survey of enrollment data. Reviewing fall enrollment figures for 57 public institutions in Illinois and six neighboring states, the nonpartisan Illinois Campaign for Political Reform found that Illinois small and midsize schools show falling enrollment numbers that are not on trend with similarly sized schools in the region. With a 7.5 percent drop this year compared with last, Southern Illinois University Carbondale was at the bottom of the pack among midsize schools, defined those enrolling between 10,000 and 20,000 students. Western Illinois University fared only slightly better, with a 6.5 percent decline. Eastern Illinois University, meanwhile, ranked third from the bottom among small schools, those enrolling fewer than 10,000, with a 13 percent decline. Sarah Brune, executive director of the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform, said its hard to draw a direct correlation between enrollment declines and the budget impasse in Springfield because many factors affect students college choices. However, university officials, higher education advocates and state legislators have said numerous times that this years incoming freshmen were being encouraged by high school counselors and others to consider schools outside the state. Amid the standoff between Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner and the Democratic-controlled General Assembly, universities didnt receive any state money last school year until lawmakers approved a partial funding measure in April. That was followed by more money from the six-month stopgap spending plan thats funding state government through the end of December. Taken together, the two measures provided Eastern, Western and Chicago State University with 90 percent of their annual funding to cover 18 months expenses and gave the six other university systems 82 percent. Without drawing a direct correlation, I think we all should be a little bit alarmed at what were seeing and hopefully keep this in mind when it comes time to renegotiate the stopgap budget, Brune said. Lawmaker will take up higher education funding, along with a host of other issues, when they return to Springfield following the Nov. 8 election. It remains to be seen whether theyll reach a budget compromise before the new General Assembly is seated in January or whether the impasse will carry over into the spring legislative session. Rauner continues to push for items on his turnaround agenda, such as term limits for elected officials and changes to workers compensation laws, which he argues will attract businesses and spur economic growth. Democrats continue to contend that those issues shouldnt be tied to the budget. Illinois universities deserve our support, but we need economic growth to properly support the work they are doing to educate our students, Rauner spokeswoman Catherine Kelly wrote in an email. Thats why the Governor continues to push for a complete, balanced budget with structural reforms. Despite these larger differences, a small bipartisan group of lawmakers who negotiated the higher education portion of the stopgap continues to have occasional discussions, and members see room for further agreement. If we can keep up what I thought were productive and positive discussions and lines of communication through putting together the next budget, then thats going to be positive, said Rep. Kelly Burke, D-Evergreen Park, chairwoman of the House Higher Education Appropriations Committee and a member of the bipartisan working group. We had differences, dont get me wrong, but we were able to come together and put a package together within the framework of that six-month budget. Sen. Chapin Rose, R-Mahomet, another member of the working group, said he felt the group, which also included Rep. Norine Hammond, R-Macomb, and Sen. Donne Trotter, D-Chicago, was getting close to crafting a full-year higher education plan this spring when it became clear that an overall budget agreement wasnt going to come together. Higher education spending will have to be dealt with in the context of the entire state budget when lawmakers return, Rose said. The pressure will be enormous, he said. The only question will be whether you have a major overhaul of how the state does business or whether you get another stopgap. Illinois State University chief of staff Jay Groves said that whether a deal is reached by the end of the calendar year or after, there needs to be a discussion, a long-term discussion, about public higher education, how it is valued in Illinois and what budget do you place on that value. Illinois State, like the University of Illinois three campuses, saw an uptick in enrollment this fall. So far the school has been insulated from the budget fallout, and it has worked hard to allay the fears of parents and potential students, Groves said. SIU spokeswoman Rae Goldsmith said the states budget problems will continue to hurt student recruitment until a solution is reached. It is still going to hang over us and many other public institutions in the state as along as the budget impasse continues, Goldsmith said. LAKE STATION The 22-year-old from Hobart who was struck Friday by a train has been identified by the Lake County Coroner's Office. Spencer Asbell was pronounced dead at 5 p.m. Friday. Police were dispatched about 3:45 p.m. Friday to the railroad tracks near Liverpool Road and Englehart Street. The Lake County Coroner's Office lists the man's cause of death as blunt force trauma with a pending manner of death. However, a preliminary investigation shows the man committed suicide, Hobart Police Lt. James Gonzales said Friday. A witness walking his dog in the area at the time told police he saw the 22-year-old walking up and and down the tracks before he laid down on the tracks as the train approached, Gonzales said. Lake Station Fire Chief Chuck Fazekas said crews from his department, along with officers from Lake Station and Hobart police departments, responded. The coroner's office also listed Norfolk Southern Railroad as a responding agency. CROWN POINT Sister M. Joella Bielinski, of the Franciscan Sisters of Chicago, reached deep into the clear plastic drum containing 3,743 tickets, and pulled out winners during 2016 Northwest Indiana House Raffle Friday 80 timesall while blindfolded. The small, 86-year old retired nun traveled from the orders convent in Lemont, Illinois to the Marian Education Center at Franciscan Health Center for the 21st annual raffle, which benefits Crown Point-based St. Jude House and Crossroads YMCA with branches in Griffith, Whiting, Crown Point and Hammond. The tickets Sister Joella selected included the grand prize winner, who will receive a choice of the available Lucky 7 Homes or a $225,000 cash prize, and 74 other cash prize winners ranging from $10,000 to $300, plus five alternates. Greg Ward, of the accounting firm of Swartz, Retson & Co., turned that drum more than 260 times to distribute the tickets during the hour-long drawing. As Sister Joella picked a ticket, Ward handed it off to others who placed the ticket in an envelope and posted it on a board. The Lord said Let there be light, Sister Joella quipped as Ward removed the blindfold at the drawings end. Excitement mounted among those gathered as Laurie Halaska, CEO of Crossroads YMCA, and Val Lay, St. Jude House development director, began reading the names and hometowns of winners, starting with the 75th prize winner of $300, and working up to the top winner. Winning tickets came from residents of many Northwest Indiana communities as well as those living in Florida and Arizona. The raffle, which netted more than $511,000, will award prizes potentially totaling $285,000. Gerri Mroz of the small town of Celestine, in far southwest Indiana, bought that grand prize-winning ticket. She can choose one of the seven available homes six in Lake County and one condo in Porter County or the cash prize. Like most of the winners, Mroz wasnt in attendance Friday. After the drawing, Halaska attempted to phone her, but was only able to leave a voice mail message telling Mroz that the call was about the house raffle. Other top winners this year included Greg and Ana Davidson of Crown Point, who will receive the $10,000 cash prize and Mary Ann Bara of Hebron who is one of three $5,000 cash winners. Ward said all the winning tickets will be verified and winners notified within the next three business days. Winners have until Dec. 31 to claim their prizes. Alternate winners names selected Friday could be used if a winner doesnt claim his or her prize, or if the winner isnt at least 18 years of age. PORTAGE The Mayor's Advisory Committee on Veterans will host its next meeting at 5 p.m. Wednesday at Woodland Park, 2100 Willowcreek Road. A representative of Ivy Tech Community College will present a program on how veterans can transfer their G.I. Bill educational benefits to their children. A representative from Work One will also talk about employment opportunities for veterans and disabled veterans. Any veteran who brings his or her copy of their DD 214 to the meeting will be issued a discount card good at many Porter County businesses. A Porter woman is dead and a Valparaiso woman is in the hospital after a Friday afternoon car accident, in Mendon, Michigan, a Michigan television station is reporting. Mendon officers said the crash happened around 5:45 p.m. Friday at the corner of M-60 and M-66 after Alexis Schroeder, 19, of Valparaiso, failed to stop for oncoming traffic and drove in front of a semi, according to reports by WWMT Channel 3 TV, a CBS affiliate based in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Corrine Johns, of Porter, was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the news report. Schroeder was traveling south on M-66 when she failed to yield to oncoming traffic traveling in the westbound lane of M-60, the report stated. Schroeders vehicle was struck by a semi on the drivers side entrapping both her and her passenger, Johns. Schroeder was cut from the vehicle and taken to Bronson Methodist Hospital, in Kalamazoo, and Johns was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the report. The semi was driven by Aaron Good, 28, of Union City, Michigan, who did not suffer any injuries. The crash remains under investigation. A pair of police officers and a Manhattan woman were honored Friday for their efforts after the bombing in Chelsea. NY1's Dean Meminger filed the following report. Jason Hallik operated the robot that safely removed the pressure cooker bomb that didn't explode on 27th Street in Chelsea two weeks ago. On Friday, as he was promoted to detective second grade for his work, he spoke about that night. He said he really wasn't nervous. "And you just train and you just do your job, and whether it is an empty package or if it is something, you are are out there trying to protect everybody and just do your job," Hallik said. Clearly, it was a touch-and-go situation. The pressure cooker was discovered after the bomb on 23rd Street went off, injuring 31 people and causing massive damage. After the bomb squad successfully removed a cellphone from the pressure cooker, the device was taken to the NYPD's range in the Bronx, where Hallik worked on it again. "They were able to use a device to open the lid, and it didn't explode," said James Waters, NYPD chief of counterterrorism. His work allowed investigators to examine the cellphone and the pressure cooker for evidence that eventually led them to alleged bomber Ahmad Rahami. Detective Anthony Mason was also promoted for overseeing the successful dismantling of the bomb. "Again, with all the training and everything we have and we constantly practice, we are ready for something like that," Mason said. The police commissioner said he is also thinking about honoring some of the civilians who helped out during the bombing. On Friday afternoon, some elected officials jumped on that opportunity, giving a proclamation to Jane Schreibman. She called 911 after seeing the pressure cooker with wires on 27th Street. "I said, 'It sounds a little silly, but there is a pot on my street with wires sticking out of it,'" Schreibman said. "I knew that somebody had worked on it, but I said I thought it was a child science experiment or, there are a lot of artists in Chelsea, that it might have been kinetic sculpture. I never really thought it was a bomb." But she says it's another reminder: don't be embarrassed. If you see something, say something. A departure ceremony was held in Fort Hamilton Friday for 29 soldiers being deployed to Afghanistan. The soldiers are members of the New York Army National Guard's 107th Military Police Company. They will leave this weekend to go to Fort Bliss in Texas for pre-deployment training before going overseas later this fall. The soldiers say they're glad they could spend the day with their loved ones before being shipped out. "It was good. I'm glad that they could be here," said Specialist Daniel Suarez with the U.S. Army. "Their support means a lot to me, and it keeps me comfortable, and it's a good memory to have while I'm over there." "It's going to be had being apart from the family and everything, but overall, I'm excited about it," said Sergeant Greg Kozloski with the U.S. Army. "I've got a good group of guys and girls that I'm going with." "The unknown is always a little bit scary, but I love the people I'm going with and I have a great support system at home, so I'm sure it will all work out fine," said Sergeant Anne Raftopoulos of the U.S. Army. They are expected to return home in the summer. NY1 VIDEO: There's another battleground in Mayor Bill de Blasio's push to rezone neighborhoods across the city to create more housing and development. As NY1's Erin Clarke reports, the plan is creating concern and anxiety along miles of Jerome Avenue in the Bronx. PARIS Guy Wildenstein, the billionaire international art dealer, is most accustomed to his companys regal limestone headquarters on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. But for the last few days, he has stood at a wooden dock in an ornate courtroom here, fending off questions about inheritance taxes and a maze of financial trusts that a French judge described as part of the familys DNA. After months of legal delays, Mr. Wildenstein, 70, and seven others including his entourage of Swiss and French financial advisers are on trial at the Palais de Justice on charges of tax fraud and money-laundering in a process that is to continue through Oct. 20. Mr. Wildenstein, president of Wildenstein & Co. in New York, is accused of underestimating inheritance taxes after his father, Daniel, died in 2001 in France at 84. Prosecutors contend that Mr. Wildenstein and his brother, Alec, schemed to hide art and assets in complex trusts and abruptly moved millions of dollars in artworks from New York to Switzerland days after their father died. For this secretive family with a presence in the art world dating back four generations the trial has offered a glimpse of tense financial disagreements and quarrels over estates in testimony delivered in French, English, Russian, German and financial jargon. It also has provided a rare accounting of the size and worth of the familys old master and Impressionist works now stored in Switzerland, Singapore and the United States. SATURDAY PUZZLE What is more disarming than facing off against a Saturday crossword, the hardest puzzle of the week, and having it open with a clue about cuddling? Nothing, I say, and I especially loved its entry, BIG SPOON, which makes its debut today. Its almost impossible to feel threatened by a puzzle that starts off like that. Even if the clues are ramped up and the entries are more complex, a puzzle like this with its cuddling and its crunchy, lively entries and the wordplay in its clues makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. In all seriousness, its a really nice puzzle. David Woolf introduces 10 new entries to the New York Times crossword, including BIG SPOON and, beside that one, I especially liked LOG ROLLS, GAG REEL and STRESS EATS. Lively entries that have appeared before include HA HA HA, ORATORIO, BATTER UP, BAR CAR, IN GAME, FIRE SALE, RATS NEST, BOLO TIE, HOT DOGGER, GOOD REASON, TEAR GAS and GESTATE, which is a word that never fails to crack me up for some reason. I also liked HA HA HA in proximity to DA DA DA. Still, getting to those entries takes some work on a Saturday. Lets take a look at a selection of some of the harder clues in Mr. Woolfs puzzle. What to expect from Paris Fashion Week, Day 5. Here, a look at past collections. Credit... Top right and middle, Landon Nordeman for The New York Times; top and bottom right and bottom middle, Firstview; bottom left, Landon Nordeman for The New York Times A mutual friend once asked Ben-Gurion what he saw in the young Peres. According to Mr. Peres, he was told, a) If he knocks on my door and he comes in, hell never ask for anything for himself; b) he will never smear anybody else; and c) he will never knock on the door unless he has a new idea. I know its a little bit self-complimentary, Mr. Peres said. He added, By the way, Ben-Gurion never gave me a compliment. Perhaps what Ben-Gurion saw in Mr. Peres was a spark of the passion, vision and creative thinking that he thought would ensure Israels future. An against-all-odds, derring-do spirit that propelled Mr. Peres to help turn the vulnerable country that started out short of guns into a nuclear power, and later to pursue peace with its neighbors. Just as the lost Ben-Gurion interview offered a personal assessment of his role in Israels history, the two-hour 90th-birthday interview with Mr. Peres now serves as an appraisal of his lifes work in his own words. Mr. Peres, always eloquent, seemed to relish the opportunity to talk. Aware of his advanced age, and even a little surprised by it he had expected to die young, he said he spoke with a consciousness of the historical value of what he had to impart. But he also seemed a little forlorn in the formal, high-ceilinged setting of the official residence in Jerusalem, where he lived alone, apart from the staff. His wife, Sonya, who had long shunned public life, refused to move into the official residence when Mr. Peres became president and had died two years earlier. Mr. Peres kept up a hectic work schedule, and his children and grandchildren would visit on weekends. When left in solitude, he said, he banished loneliness by reading, voraciously. In a television documentary that was rebroadcast after his death, he said he had always been something of a misfit. He spent his youth in the company of older people and his old age surrounded by young staff members who had social lives of their own. CAIRO Two men who found a travel bag containing a bomb on a Manhattan street last month and then walked off with the bag but left the bomb were not just employees of EgyptAir but in-flight security officers for the carrier, two officials at the airline said on Friday. Surveillance footage showed two men finding the bag on West 27th Street on the evening of Sept. 17, soon after a bomb exploded on West 23rd Street, injuring 31 people and triggering terrorism fears across the region. In the video, the men were seen pulling from the travel bag a white plastic bag that contained a pressure cooker connected to wires and a mobile phone. They left the white bag on the sidewalk and walked away with the travel bag. The bomb did not explode, and investigators have said that the men may have inadvertently disabled the device. The two men, identified as Hassan Ali and Abou Bakr Radwan, had flown to New York from here, serving as unarmed security guards on the flight, the officials said. The bag they found contained one of several homemade bombs that prosecutors say were planted that day in New York and New Jersey by Ahmad Khan Rahami, an Afghan-born American citizen. American investigators released footage of the two men, appealing for help in identifying them. The EgyptAir officials who identified them as Mr. Ali and Mr. Radwan spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly. The officials said they believed that the two employees were not connected to Mr. Rahami or the bomb plot. They didnt know what was in it, one of the officials said of the travel bag. Mr. Ali told me he saw it and thought it was nice, the official recalled. He opened the bag to check it out and found a pot. Mr. Ali did not want to go to the trouble of flying the pot back to Cairo, the official said, so he put it aside and left with the travel bag. You know, we see things left on the street in New York all the time, the official said. Stuff no one wants. Its normal to take them. The two men told friends and colleagues that they had not read the news or realized the significance of their find until Egyptian reporters started calling EgyptAir, the officials said. One of the officials said Mr. Ali and Mr. Radwan flew back to Cairo the day after the episode. American investigators have not been able to interview them, the officials said. Image Abou Bakr Radwan, who works as an in-flight security officer at EgyptAir. Egyptian police officers went to Cairo International Airport on Friday to question the two men but were unable to find them because it was their day off, one of the officials said. What we consider before using anonymous sources. Do the sources know the information? Whats their motivation for telling us? Have they proved reliable in the past? Can we corroborate the information? Even with these questions satisfied, The Times uses anonymous sources as a last resort. The reporter and at least one editor know the identity of the source. Learn more about our process. Mr. Ali and Mr. Radwan have not been disciplined by EgyptAir, staff members of the airline said. Tarek Attiya, a spokesman for the police, said he could not deny or confirm any of the developments. Fridays revelation is troubling for Egypt, whose aviation security procedures have come under intense scrutiny after three major air disasters in the past year. In October 2015, a Russian plane crashed into the Sinai Peninsula after what may have been a terrorist bomb brought it down. In March, a passenger wearing a fake explosives belt hijacked a domestic EgyptAir flight and diverted it to Cyprus. The crisis was resolved within hours when the man, later determined to be psychologically troubled, surrendered. In May, EgyptAir Flight 804 plunged into the Mediterranean, en route to Cairo from Paris, killing all 66 people on board. The cause of the crash is still under investigation. EgyptAir employs in-flight security officers like Mr. Ali and Mr. Radwan to maintain order during flights and to ensure that planes are secure during stopovers at foreign airports. Unlike the undercover air marshals who travel on American carriers, Egyptian security officials are unarmed and can be identified by an understated uniform. Generally, one security officer sits near the front of the cabin and another toward the rear. In some foreign airports they are responsible for searching workers who clean planes between flights. When a plane is in the air, they sometimes deal with unruly passengers. They receive modest training and are typically paid about $400 a month. Before the identities of the men who found the bag were revealed, Dina el-Fouly, a spokeswoman for EgyptAir, said that they were not EgyptAir workers and that the men shown in the surveillance footage did not resemble any of their employees. Ms. Foulycould not be reached for comment after the men were identified. But images from Mr. Radwans Facebook page appear to match one of the men in a photograph released by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The F.B.I. declined to comment. Both Mr. Ali and Mr. Radwan have no known political affiliations, according to several EgyptAir officials. These guys are harmless; they would be useless in a fist fight, one of the airline officials said. They cannot be in any way involved. They dont understand that they are wanted as witnesses, he said. They are shocked and scared now. Radwan is especially scared. The poor guy is always anxious. Please, I cannot say anything, Mr. Radwan said when reached by phone on Friday. There is a spokesperson for the company. Speak to them. He then ended the call. Mr. Radwans last public post on Facebook came a day before the attacks in New York and New Jersey. It is a video of a man urging people not to associate Islam with terrorism. Several attempts to reach Mr. Ali on Friday through an intermediary were unsuccessful. NEWARK Fourteen months before Chris Christie was up for re-election as governor of New Jersey, officials in his administration were already discussing his 2016 bid for the White House. And they saw the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and its resources money, jobs, symbolic artifacts from the wreckage of the World Trade Center after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks as assets that could be traded for endorsements and support in both campaigns. Just to be clear, at some point hundreds of flags flown over the WTC will find their way to VFWs all through Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, David Wildstein, a self-described enforcer for Mr. Christie at the Port Authority, wrote in September 2012 to Bill Stepien, the governors deputy chief of staff, who would go on to run Mr. Christies re-election and was expected to run the presidential campaign. I was conveying to Mr. Stepien that the flags that could be used to the governors political advantage in New Jersey could be used in those three states, the first three to vote in presidential primaries, Mr. Wildstein said in federal court here Friday. Fifteen years ago, the writer Robert Klara landed an assignment for a travel article in a magazine, only to grumble that the editors did not have a more glamorous destination in mind. They asked me to write about Hoboken, he said. That Hoboken. The one in New Jersey. Is there any other? Then he saw Hoboken Terminal, which opened in 1907. One of the greatest railroad terminals ever built, he called it in the article. He is still rhapsodizing about it. It was designed with a flair and a panache and a swagger thats more common to far bigger terminals, he said on Friday, a day after a commuter train crash killed a 34-year-old woman, injured more than 100 others and knocked down part of the stations roof. The station is one of Hobokens famous landmarks, along with the Maxwell House coffee sign, a giant neon creation with the good to the last drop logo that was disassembled in 1993, a year after the coffee plant shut down. The man waited outside a day care center in Hoboken, N.J. He had a question for the owner: How was he going to tell his daughter that she would never see her mother again? His wife, Fabiola Bittar de Kroon, had been killed by falling debris after a commuter train barreled into Hoboken Terminal during the Thursday morning rush. She was the one fatality. Now, hours later, her husband, Adrianus de Kroon, was at Smart Start Academy, a day care center not far from the train station. He met with its owner, Karlos Magner, outside. He said, What should I tell her? How should I handle this? Mr. Magner said. Mr. Magner had known children who had lost a parent to illness, he said, but never a death as sudden and violent as this. I told him honestly: I dont know. Theres no book. Life, were not trained. We dont know. So just stand strong, Mr. Magner recalled during an interview on Friday. Ms. de Kroon, 34, had dropped her daughter, Julia, at the center on Thursday morning about an hour before the crash. Her life ended just as she was paving a new beginning in the United States with her husband and her daughter, whom they had 20 months ago in her native Brazil. Mr. Magner said Ms. de Kroon left Julia at the center and picked her up every day, sending a flurry of kisses in her daughters way. Her daughter is attached to her, he said. The girl grew restless on Thursday as the hour that her mother normally arrived to get her came and went, Mr. Magner added. She knew something was off, Mr. Magner said. Ms. de Kroon moved to Hoboken in April. She had planned to look for a bigger place for her family on the day she died. Maybe a house in Brooklyn, she had told a close friend, Roberta Lima. Ms. de Kroon and Ms. Lima had communicated through cellphone messages over WhatsApp, a messaging app, on Tuesday, as they often did. Ms. Lima, 35, who lives in Rio de Janeiro, asked Ms. de Kroon when she would return to Brazil for a visit. Ms. de Kroon told her that she had planned a trip for December, in time to celebrate Julias second birthday. Ms. de Kroon was a bit apprehensive to be living far from her family now that she had a child, Ms. Lima said, but living away from family was nothing new to her. She and her husband, whom everyone knows as Daan, spent four years in Miami before moving to Brazil in 2011, where he led global business development for a Jamaican beer and a Brazilian cachaca brand owned by an international distributor, Diageo. Mr. de Kroon, who is Dutch, was working in the Brazilian city of Sao Paulo when he met his wife. Ms. de Kroon had grown up in Santos, on the Atlantic Coast, but moved to Sao Paulo for law school, Ms. Lima said. The couple moved to Miami in 2007, and they both studied business at Florida International University. They were very focused on their careers and very much in love, Ms. Lima said. Four years later they were back in Brazil. According to Ms. Lima, as the countrys economy sputtered, Mr. de Kroon moved to Asuncion, Paraguay, to lead Diageos expansion there. Ms. de Kroon was pregnant at the time and decided to stay in Sao Paulo, close to her mother, Sueli Bittar. Mr. de Kroon would travel home on weekends, Ms. Lima said. Ms. de Kroon told her that moving to the United States would give the couple and their daughter a chance to spend more time together. In April, Ms. Lima helped organize a farewell gathering for the couple in Santos. They went out dancing, had some drinks, had fun, she said. They were both very happy, full of plans, really excited about the move, Ms. Lima said. Now, Mr. de Kroon will have to be both mom and dad, Mr. Magner said. The only advice he could think of offering the widowed father was not to broach what had happened with his daughter until he felt the timing was right. Only the parent will know what is the right time and when to disclose it, he said. Children are like a sponge, they absorb so much, but they understand. Of Mr. de Kroon, Mr. Magner said, He was strong, as strong as you can be in this situation. Ms. Lima and Ms. de Kroon were both 14 when they met, through a mutual friend. They last saw each other in Rio, at a birthday party for Ms. de Kroons twin nephews, shortly before she left for the United States. When a bomb exploded in Manhattan recently, Ms. Lima sent Ms. de Kroon a message to make sure she, her husband and their daughter were all right. She told me, Dont worry, everything is fine, Ms. Lima recalled. She said where they lived, on the other side of the river, was very safe. The musicians of the fabled Philadelphia Orchestra went on strike on Friday just before their season-opening gala concert, rattling the classical music world and silencing one of the nations great ensembles a little more than four years after it emerged from bankruptcy. The strike called on the same day that musicians on the other side of Pennsylvania at the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra walked out on strike came as the Philadelphias players sought to recover some of the pay they lost to concessions during the recent bankruptcy. As a gala audience including many of the Philadelphia Orchestras donors and board members, some in black tie, gathered at Verizon Hall for an opening night concert that was supposed to be conducted by the orchestras popular music director, Yannick Nezet-Seguin, a series of last-ditch talks were held in an effort to avert the strike. But they proved fruitless, and the musicians were soon walking a picket line instead of playing Gershwin and Ravel. The strike was the biggest shock wave yet in a tumultuous autumn for symphony orchestras, at a time when many are grappling with fiscal challenges. Now Philadelphia, the Pittsburgh Symphony, and the smaller Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra are all on strike. At the same time other orchestras, like the San Francisco Symphony, have agreed to record-setting pay deals. Congress seems determined to set a new standard for craven incompetence. Less than 24 hours after the Senate and House delivered a stinging rebuke to President Obama by overriding his veto of a bill that would let the Sept. 11 families sue Saudi Arabia, Republican leaders raised the possibility of a do-over. On Thursday the Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell, said that nobody had really focused on the potential downside in terms of our international relationships, and I think it was just a ball dropped. Its rare to hear such a baldfaced admission of gross ineptitude. But instead of putting the responsibility entirely where it belongs on Congress Mr. McConnell went on absurdly to blame Mr. Obama for failing to communicate the potential consequences of the bill. In fact, Mr. Obama, the national security agencies, the Saudi government, retired diplomats, the European Union and big corporations had all bombarded Congress with warnings. Yet lawmakers ignored all of them in a rush to pass the legislation and then, this week, override Mr. Obamas veto by a large bipartisan vote. The new law would allow families of the victims of the Sept. 11 attacks to sue Saudi Arabia for any role it had in the terrorist operation. It would do that by expanding an exception to sovereign immunity, the legal principle that protects foreign countries and their diplomats from lawsuits in the American legal system. That first debate seems to have helped Hillary Clinton move ahead of Donald Trump in the polls. However, I know that many of you are asking yourselves: Why is this even a question? Why isnt she leading 3 to 1? This is not a normal race between a Democrat and a Republican. One of the candidates has made it clear that he has no attention span or self-control. World security experts in both parties are terrified by the idea of a Trump presidency. Hes screwed small contractors in his business dealings and bought dumb presents for himself with money from his charitable foundation a charitable foundation, by the way, that appears to have been managed by a team of gerbils. Also, he keeps changing his positions on critical issues and has paid settlements to people alleging he discriminated against them on the basis of race or not being attractive enough. And you know thats just the beginning. Its possible Trump is just riding a swell of white-male alienation, but theres a less depressing answer for his staying power. Americans have always been pretty pragmatic about the presidents they pick. Mostly, they go for change or not-change. Given all the complications out there, its a pretty pragmatic approach. If the same president has been in office for eight years, they pick his successor from the other party. Give or take a few vice presidents, its a rule that goes back to Rutherford B. Hayes. As we now well know, Wells Fargo not only opened millions of unauthorized client accounts, but the bank also fostered a corporate culture so toxic that an astounding 5,300 employees have been fired for their involvement in the companywide multiyear scheme. What should bother us more is that our banking regulators appear to have been in the dark the whole time. Studies like the National Business Ethics Survey consistently show that a significant percentage of employees are aware of wrongdoing in the workplace. In the case of Wells Fargo, several employees raised concerns about these troubling practices within the bank and suffered retaliation for doing so. Unfortunately, these employees had little incentive and no way of safely alerting regulators without risking their careers. Unlike other financial police, banking regulators either have no whistle-blower programs that provide incentives and protections for individuals to break their silence about wrongdoing they witness, or these regulators have little-known programs with comically small awards. SINCE the year began, police officers have killed 804 people, roughly three a day. In recent weeks, police officers fatally shot Terence Crutcher in Tulsa and Alfred Olango in a San Diego suburb. Both men were black and unarmed. When the police beat or kill an unarmed black man, what impact does it have on a city and on its black community in particular? Until recently, we have been unable to answer this question with solid data, even as the national debate about this issue has grown more contentious. One well-known contribution to this debate has been Heather Mac Donalds notion of the Ferguson effect, the idea that, after an episode of police violence, crime spikes in cities because ensuing protests cause the police to stop proactive tactics, emboldening the bad guys. The most plausible explanation for the surge in lawlessness, Ms. Mac Donald, a fellow at the Manhattan Institute, writes in her book The War on Cops, is the intense agitation against American police departments that began in the summer of 2014, following the deaths of Eric Garner, Michael Brown and Freddie Gray. To support her claim, Ms. Mac Donald cites crime trends and interviews with several police chiefs and politicians, including Rahm Emanuel, the mayor of Chicago, who remarked last year, We have allowed our police departments to get fetal. If you look at crime numbers since the Clinton presidency, you see a plummeting trend what the criminologist Franklin E. Zimring calls the great American crime decline. But if you focus on any single year, you see squiggles. Those squiggles are what commentators tend to focus on when they say that crime is up. It is true that violent crime has jumped in some cities that have also experienced police violence followed by public unrest. Murder and manslaughter increased by 11 percent last year, a trend that seems to be driven by some cities more than others. Curtis Roosevelt, who with his sister, Eleanor, charmed Americans in the mid-1930s as Buzzie and Sistie, the towheaded children who lived in the White House with their grandparents Franklin D. and Eleanor Roosevelt, died on Monday at his home in St.-Bonnet-du-Gard, France. He was 86. The cause was a heart attack, said his wife, Marina Roosevelt. Mr. Roosevelt was the son of Anna Roosevelt, the presidents eldest child and only daughter. He became a United Nations official and a Greenwich Village reform Democrat in a movement that challenged the entrenched party machine in New York beginning in the mid-1950s. He claimed credit for enlisting his maternal grandmother, the former first lady, early on to help lead the reform movement in New York State. I went to her and persuaded her to get involved, he told The New York Times in 1964. But it was as a child that he became well known. To Depression-weary Americans, he was Buzzie, the younger of the siblings who experienced what newsreels and fan magazines depicted as a fairy-tale existence frolicking at the White House. In testimony before Congress this week, the F.B.I. director, James B. Comey, said the challenge for F.B.I. agents was determining when someone has crossed the line from speech to criminal activity. Its even protected speech to say Im a fan of the Islamic State so-called, Mr. Comey said. When the suspect is a cleric, like Imam Bengharsa, the matter is especially delicate. Its very possible that hes never crossed the legal threshold, said Seamus Hughes, deputy director of the Program on Extremism at George Washington University, who has closely followed the imams story. But Mr. Hughes called the situation perplexing and concerning. The imam can take his supporters right up to the line. Its like a making a cake and not putting in the final ingredient. Its winks and nods all the way. Imam Bengharsa appears to have plenty of money. Court records say he received $902,710 in wire transfers in 2014 and 2015, possibly an inheritance. He told The Detroit News that he often helped needy people like Mr. Gregerson. If that individual turns around and wants to use that money for something else thats illegal, the person who gave the money cannot be held responsible, Imam Bengharsa said. Its pathetic if they are making those connections. If thats what this country has become, Id rather be in jail. The documents say he transferred money three times to an unnamed person in Yemen. Investigators are also exploring contacts between Imam Bengharsa and other people suspected of extremism or terrorism. One is Yusuf Wehelie, 25, a Virginia man arrested in July and charged with weapons possession, which would be illegal because he has a previous felony conviction for burglary. Mr. Wehelie first came to public attention in 2010, when he and his brother, Yahya Wehelie, both American citizens, were temporarily detained in Cairo and prevented by the F.B.I. from flying home. American officials said such delays were sometimes necessary to assess whether a person posed a security threat. The American Civil Liberties Union and the Council on American-Islamic Relations protested that the rights of such travelers were being violated. Image Yusuf Wehelie Credit... Jacquelyn Martin/Associated Press At Yusuf Wehelies detention hearing in July, the authorities said he had told undercover agents that he supported the Islamic State and that if he couldnt join it overseas, he would attack a military recruiting center, possibly using explosives. (Mr. Wehelies lawyer, Nina Ginsberg, said that in later recorded conversations, he disavowed those statements and later stopped replying to the undercover agents.) Mr. Trump said that Mrs. Clinton, who has portrayed Ms. Machado as a victim of Mr. Trumps cruel insults, had made this young lady into a girl scout when she was the exact opposite. He asserted, without offering any evidence, that Ms. Machado had once participated in a sex tape. Mr. Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, argued that Mrs. Clintons support for Ms. Machado was part of a pattern by the Democrat of treating women to suit her own political ends, and raised Mrs. Clintons criticism of women who had been involved with her husband, such as Monica Lewinsky and Gennifer Flowers. He said he was bringing up Mr. Clintons infidelities because he thought they would repulse female voters and turn them away from the Clintons, and because he was eager to unsettle Mrs. Clinton in their next two debates and on the campaign trail. Shes nasty, but I can be nastier than she ever can be, Mr. Trump said. Hillary Clinton was married to the single greatest abuser of women in the history of politics, he added about Mr. Clinton. Hillary was an enabler, and she attacked the women who Bill Clinton mistreated afterward. I think its a serious problem for them, and its something that Im considering talking about more in the near future. The orchestra worlds Black Friday began on Sept. 30 with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra going on strike in the morning and ended across Pennsylvania that evening with the Philadelphia Orchestra walking out as patrons gathered for its opening-night gala. The Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra musicians, who were already on strike, sent their support on Twitter. But three strikes should not be taken to mean that classical music is out. While orchestras across the country face endemic challenges rising costs and weakening demand, along with difficulty raising money as classical musics place in the broader culture fades each ensemble has its own obstacles, and its fortunes are often closely tied to its communitys. That is why some orchestras, including the mighty Los Angeles Philharmonic and the small Grand Rapids Symphony, which announced this year that it raised $40 million for its endowment, are able to thrive while others struggle. I think orchestras are fundamentally local businesses, said Thomas W. Morris, who has led both the Cleveland Orchestra and the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Morris added that while the unions representing musicians tend to look at what their peers are paid at comparable orchestras across the country, management typically focuses on what it thinks the local area can support. That is certainly the case in Philadelphia. The Philadelphia Orchestra is one of Americas best ensembles, known even to people who do not listen to much classical music for its playing in Walt Disneys classic Fantasia. Seven seasons ago its base pay was higher than at the New York Philharmonic or the Boston Symphony Orchestra, both in cities where the cost of living is substantially higher than in Philadelphia. Then the ensemble, facing a fiscal crisis, sought bankruptcy protection five years ago betting that the ability to get rid of some of its pension obligations would outweigh any hit taken by its reputation. The musicians saw their pay cut by 14 percent, and, in the fiercely competitive orchestra world, fell behind those peers and dropped to the eighth best-paid group in the nation, where they remain, according to Adaptistration, a website that tracks orchestra compensation. David Budbill, whose pared-down, plain-dress poems about his remote corner of northern Vermont found a national audience thanks to Garrison Keillor, died on Sept. 25 at his home in Montpelier, Vt. He was 76. The cause was progressive supranuclear palsy, a rare form of Parkinsons disease, his publisher, Copper Canyon Press, said in a statement. Mr. Budbill, who lived in a small cabin in Wolcott, Vt., for more than 40 years, created the fictional town of Judevine, named after a local mountain, and populated it with a colorful assortment of humble local folk, in poems that were by turns dark, lyrical and funny. In The Chain Saw Dance (1977) his first Judeville collection, each poem was a character study. Bill began: The Pikes have come a long way down since the old man walked to Craftsbury every day all his life to saw boards. Theres only Bill and Arnie left as far as I know and both of them make only enough to stay drunk. In time, Mr. Budbill assumed the stature of a local oracle, a beloved voice of the Vermont mountains with a rough-hewed personality and a gift for expressing the essence of the state and its people in burnished monosyllables. He became a regular commentator on NPRs All Things Considered, and, through Mr. Keillors recitations on The Writers Almanac, a kind of poet in residence of the public radio airwaves. Providence, R.I. Last semester, a group came to Providence to speak against admitting Syrian refugees to this country. As the president of the Brown Coalition for Syria, I jumped into action with my peers to stage a counterdemonstration. But I quickly found myself cut out of the planning for this event: Other student groups were not willing to work with me because of my leadership roles in campus Jewish organizations. That was neither the first nor the last time that I would be ostracized this way. Also last semester, anti-Zionists at Brown circulated a petition against a lecture by the transgender rights advocate Janet Mock because one of the sponsors was the Jewish campus group Hillel, even though the event was entirely unrelated to Israel or Zionism. Ms. Mock, who planned to talk about racism and transphobia, ultimately canceled. Anti-Zionist students would rather have no one speak on these issues than allow a Jewish group to participate in that conversation. Of course, I still believe in the importance of accepting refugees, combating discrimination, abolishing racist law enforcement practices and other causes. Nevertheless, its painful that Jewish issues are shut out of these movements. Jewish rights belong in any broad movement to fight oppression. My fellow activists tend to dismiss the anti-Semitism that students like me experience regularly on campus. They dont acknowledge the swastikas that I see carved into bathroom stalls, scrawled across walls or left on chalkboards. They dont hear students accusing me of killing Jesus. They dont notice professors glorifying anti-Semitic figures such as Gamal Abdel Nasser of Egypt or the leadership of Hezbollah, as mine have. Over recent days, in a spectacularly ill-advised war of words with the former Miss Universe Alicia Machado, he and his minions sought to discredit her by essentially calling her a tramp. Isnt that precisely what theyre complaining that the Clintons and their minions did to Monica Lewinsky? Giulianis gripes range far and wide: President Obama doesnt love America; Hillary Clinton is secretly on deaths door; Lester Holt displayed an awful prejudice against Trump at the first presidential debate. Its all wild hallucination, but he bellows nonetheless, because the television cameras eat it up. In this wretched race theres a leitmotif of cockamamie cameos from men who are stars no more. Its not exclusive to Republicans. Howard Dean had a Giuliani moment all his own, suggesting that Trump, who doesnt even drink alcohol, might have a nasty cocaine habit. Who engages in such rash slander? Someone itching to be heard. Newt Gingrich knows that itch, and he, too, has been scratching it lately, in the service of Trump. He repeated baseless rumors that Clinton got the debate questions in advance. He piped up to say that Machado deserved to be shamed for her weight gain. His reasoning went something like this: Live by the sash, die by the sash. Its amazing how much physical license men will give themselves while giving women none. Its amazing how oblivious they are to the paradox. Its amazing how alike some of the manservants clinging to Trump are: His campaign is like some Canyon Ranch for bullies needing revitalization. And its amazing how far theyve fallen. For a significant stretch of the 2008 election cycle, Giuliani was the favorite for the G.O.P. presidential nomination, and not just any favorite. He was going to prove that a Northeastern Republican who flouted certain right-wing orthodoxies could travel a somewhat centrist path to the White House. That mantle passed to Christie. Some Republicans tried to draw him into the 2012 presidential race, then anointed him as the 2016 front-runner before the bridge fiasco, that is. He, like Giuliani, was hailed in some quarters as a choice more sensible than stringently ideological. Im not like my wife, who once waited in a long line at a community center to vote, only to find out that she was at the wrong location so she drove four miles to the right booth and waited again. As a citizen I feel guilty about my behavior. As an organizational psychologist, Im puzzled by it. There are many voters with strong opinions and maybe even preferred candidates but who, like me, simply dont show up to the polls regularly. Can people like me be nudged to the voting booth? Or do we need a push? Voting seems to be a case of what social scientists call want-should conflict. I know Im supposed to watch Schindlers List, but its more fun to indulge in The Avengers. I realize I should eat the salad, but the pizza looks delicious. To borrow a turn of phrase from Mark Twain, I want to have voted, but I dont want to vote. The first problem is that for many people, voting has little to do with their identities. Do I see myself as an American? Absolutely. Do I think we live in a great country? Of course. Ive shown my national pride in various ways. But it never occurred to me that voting could be one. If we want people to vote, we need to make it a larger part of their self-image. In a pair of experiments, psychologists reframed voting decisions by appealing to peoples identities. Instead of asking them to vote, they asked people to be a voter. That subtle linguistic change increased turnout in California elections by 17 percent, and in New Jersey by 14 percent. Is it wrongful cultural appropriation when authors invent characters unlike themselves? To the Editor: Re Will the Left Survive Millennials?, by Lionel Shriver (Op-Ed, Sept. 23): As a struggling playwright often accused of appropriating other cultures, and recently denied a reading of a script about the trial of a radical Islamic desecrater of art, I was delighted to read Lionel Shrivers impassioned defense of freedom of expression. If the great evolutionary triumph of our species is the capacity to reason and understand, then for millennials to define themselves strictly in terms of their race, age, gender or ethnicity is to be forever stranded on a smaller planet. When we allow anyone of any age to police our imaginations, to condemn us to writing plays, poems and novels only about people like ourselves, then were doomed as artists and humanists. The best thing about our capacity for abstract thinking is that it allows us to imagine what its like to be someone else (saint or sinner), and might help us become more empathetic. Why cant the taking on of symbols of other cultures, like the sombrero, flip flops and berets, be considered a tribute, not a mockery? But even as a mockery, are we no longer allowed to laugh at ourselves and others? Why cant we celebrate our differences? FENGAR GAEL New York To the Editor: As a writer, a millennial and a teacher of millennials, I am disappointed by Lionel Shrivers position on cultural appropriation in fiction. Writers certainly may create a character who does not look like them, and there is a long history of this, from Chaucers Wife of Bath to Toni Morrisons white Fisher family. But readers are under no obligation to applaud the attempt. This is particularly true at a time when writers of color and working-class writers are still underrepresented in the publishing world. To my mind, the endless haranguing of millennials by older, self-described liberals shows that the social unrest of the 1960s ended in compromises that millennials inherited but not did choose. If young activists have exposed a conflict between progress toward social justice and self-satisfied leftism, is the left an idea worth saving anymore? ERIC WEISKOTT Brookline, Mass. To the Editor: William Shakespeare never personally felt the sting of racism, yet he wrote the character of Othello. He was never subjected to anti-Semitism, yet he wrote the character of Shylock. Nor was he ever a female adolescent, yet he wrote the character of Juliet. And we are all the richer for it. Artists must be free to create characters that lie within the scope of their imaginations, not merely to replicate their own identities, because great art allows us to transcend those identities and recognize our common humanity. To be sure, no artist has the right to expect immunity from criticism. But thoughtful criticism should be based on the quality of the creation, not the racial, religious, sexual or class identity of the creator. J.B. ALEXANDER Jackson Heights, Queens The writer is an actor and playwright. To the Editor: Will the Left Survive Millennials? paints my generation with too broad a brush. As a millennial sympathetic to the writers position, I want to offer a few words in our defense. While members of the radical left are highly vocal, they hardly speak for our whole generation. At Penn State, where I am a student, the vast majority of my peers seek out, rather than shy away from, differing opinions. Most of us recognize that confronting the issues facing our country will require a public discourse that empowers all Americans to contribute their opinions, ideas and perspectives and this means welcoming people with different beliefs as much as it means welcoming people with different backgrounds. There are plenty of millennials who see enforced political correctness as a threat to this kind of inclusive dialogue. The fact that these reasonable voices are drowned out by a vocal minority does not justify writing off our entire generation. WASHINGTON LETS stop being so hard on Donald Trump. He has done us an enormous public service. After this down-and-dirty battle of the sexes, we will never look at gender in politics the same way. For centuries, women were seen as unfit to hold public office. Ambition, power and business were the province of men. Unlike gossipy feminine chatter in the parlor, manly discourse was considered impersonal, unemotional, forthright and reasonable. Every minute of every day, Trump debunks that old science when he shows that the gossipy, backbiting, scolding, mercurial, overly emotional, shrewish, menopausal one in this race is not the woman. Trump is surrounded by a bitchy sewing circle of overweight men who are overwrought at the prospect of a distaff Clinton presidency. It is possible that arrests for serious crimes declined because officers were overwhelmed by the number of cases, and that leads dried up as community cooperation dwindled. But it is also possible, Professor Morgan and Mr. Pally conclude, that months of reduced police activity contributed to the surge in violence and property crimes. The second study is by Stephen Rushin, a legal scholar, and Griffin Edwards, an economist. In a paper soon to be published, they examine what happens to local crime rates when police departments come to the attention of the federal government for systematically violating civil rights, or, in more extreme cases, become subject to federal oversight and reform. Because such oversight is a form of criticism, it offers a test case of the thesis that increased scrutiny of the police leads to more crime. Since 1994, when legislation was passed making federal oversight possible, 61 police departments around the country have been investigated (out of 18,000 agencies). Thirty of these investigations didnt go anywhere. The rest led to settlements or consent decrees in which the departments agreed to change how they did business: how officers used force, how citizen complaints were handled and so on. The researchers found that in communities whose agencies were only investigated, there was no change in crime rates. By itself, scrutiny of police departments doesnt seem to move the needle when it comes to crime contrary to the Ferguson effect thesis. On the other hand, when departments were required to alter their policies, signifying stronger public concern, crime was higher (temporarily) and officers spoke of working in a low-morale environment. These are only two studies. More are in the works. But its not too early to discuss takeaways. One, there is now some evidence that when all eyes are on police misconduct, crime may edge up. Progressives should acknowledge that this idea isnt far-fetched. Two, while it makes for a tidy political narrative to say Ferguson effect, researchers have not pinned down the underlying mechanisms. Against Ms. Mac Donalds theory, the Baltimore study reveals that a decline in broken-windows policing alone does not elevate crime rates. And the study by Professors Rushin and Edwards tells us that crime can rise following the imposition of federal oversight even when stop-and-frisk reform isnt necessarily the main goal. If ever there was a year for Latinos in the United States to exercise their right to vote, 2016 is it. Donald Trump, the Republican nominee, has made Build a wall! and deporting 11 million people central promises of his presidential campaign. At his rallies, Latino immigrants are cast as an invasion that needs to be stopped because it is transforming the face of America too profoundly, too quickly. The implicit point of his campaign theme Make America Great Again is that America was great when it was a less diverse nation and that resurrecting that era will require drastic measures. While this has resonated with some white Americans, disaffected by social changes and an uneven economic recovery, it has offended and frightened Latinos, one of the fastest-growing segments of the electorate. Whether stoking xenophobia turns out to be a genius or a disastrous move by a presidential candidate who has defied all the laws of political gravity will depend on how many of the 27 million eligible Hispanic voters turn out in November. Philadelphia In the middle of the night in my second year of psychiatric residency, 13 years ago, I was awakened to see a prophet. The man, in his early 50s, had been living on the streets. He was a college graduate from a middle-class family. But on Christmas Eve three decades earlier, the Archangel Michael had come to him in a vision and demanded that he spread Gods word. He told me I would suffer great pain, the man said. His words are true. I suffer great pain. He lifted his shirt and showed me his chest, covered in Kaposi sarcomas, the stigmata of full-blown AIDS. He said he had come to the emergency room to preach. I encouraged him to check into the hospital for care. He refused, and I considered my options. I could allow him to leave, or I could admit him involuntarily. I knew, though, that if we gave him antipsychotic medication, he would realize that he was a homeless man with AIDS. Would he rather stay a prophet? Did he have the right to choose psychosis? Did I have the right to choose for him? Psychosis refers to an experience of reality that is fundamentally different from the reality of others. As doctors, we expect those with psychosis to realize that their reality is false, and to agree that they need treatment. Perhaps unsurprisingly, they often dont, exhibiting what we refer to as lack of insight. There were also pronounced differences in how black and white women saw the importance of appearance. In the survey women were asked to place a value on success at work; religion or spirituality; education; and appearance. They were first asked how important these things were to them personally, and then how important they were for women as society viewed them. Most white women placed success at work and education well above appearance and spirituality to them personally, while most black women rated all four as very important to them. When the question switched to societys views, however, women had much more in common: Appearance shot to the top of the heap for everyone. Lorraine Rawls, 58, an African-American accountant from Landover, Md., who had rated appearance as very important, said in an interview: Women need to take more pride in themselves and how they look. She added: I do think appearance plays a major part in the workplace, but it doesnt take away from your knowledge or what youre doing. A friend of hers is wearing her hair totally natural, but she walks into her boardroom with her suit and heels and still gets the job done. One other group was almost as likely as black women to say that their own appearance was very important to them: women over 64. I dont know if wearing a uniform when I was raised in an orphanage by nuns has anything to do with it, but Ive always watched how I was dressed, said Patricia Yolas-Wulffen, 73, a white retired engineer from Pine Mountain, Calif. If you work in an office I still think women should be dressed in pantsuits and skirts and heels. We expected to see gaps between older and younger women. The Bernie revolution suggested that younger women would be more critical of Mrs. Clinton, but that was not the case. Millennials are more likely than baby boomers to say that a Clinton presidency would be good for women, and about twice as likely as women over 64 to say that Mrs. Clinton is judged more harshly because she is a woman. Women ages 18 to 29 are also much more likely than women over 64 to say that men in general have advantages over women (58 percent to 38 percent). The main thing is that women still dont get equal pay for equal work, Christine Southworth, 38, a composer and musician in Lexington, Mass., said in a follow-up interview. And of course there is still discrimination and harassment in the workplace. It is not easy to be fat in America, even though more than a third of adults are obese. Donald J. Trump brought the issue of fat shaming to the fore during and after last weeks debate, when he disparaged a former Miss Universe winner who gained weight and when he said the hacking of the Democratic National Committees emails might have been done by somebody sitting on their bed that weighs 400 pounds. But there also is a body of evidence showing that the effects of fat shaming and stigmatizing go far beyond such remarks, beyond the stares fat people get on the street, the cutting comments strangers make about their weight and the funny greeting cards featuring overweight people. It turns out that fat prejudice differs from other forms in ways that make it especially difficult to overcome. The problems with fat shaming start early. Rebecca Puhl, the deputy director of the University of Connecticuts Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity, and her colleagues find that weight is the most common reason children are bullied in school. In one study, nearly 85 percent of adolescents reported seeing overweight classmates teased in gym class. Dr. Puhl and her colleagues asked fat kids who was doing the bullying. It turned out that it was not just friends and classmates but also teachers and for more than a third of the bullied parents. THE Republican Partys politicians have mostly surrendered to Donald Trump. The Republican Partys entertainers have mostly been enthusiastic about his candidacy. But the conservative intelligentsia journalists, think-tankers and academics has been conspicuous in its resistance. Now, though, we have Writers and Scholars for America a collection of prominent signatories to the proposition that given the available options, Donald J. Trump is the candidate most likely to restore the promise of America. The list of names is an interesting mix: There are hacks of the sort who inevitably flutter toward Trumps flame, but there are also writers Ive admired for many years. And while there is no unifying manifesto, its possible to piece together the arguments that attract these thinkers to Trumps candidacy. Those arguments seem at first blush to be in tension. On the one hand, many of the pro-Trump thinkers seem to believe that for all his distinctive vices, Trump would probably end up governing largely as a conventional Republican. Believing as they do that liberal ideas are dangerous or destructive, these conservatives see the 2016 election as a straightforward lesser of two evils situation, in which the Republican nominees indecency is preferable to the damage that a Hillary Clinton presidency would all but guarantee. LET me raise an uncomfortable topic: We all know that in some fundamental way, this presidential campaign is in part about race. Supporters of Donald Trump are more likely than other voters to tell pollsters that blacks are lazy, violent and unintelligent. Four out of five Trump backers say that discrimination against whites is as big a problem as discrimination against blacks. And only 39 percent of Trump supporters believe that President Obama was born in the United States. Polling and analysis by The Economist found that Trump is propelled in part by a wave of white racial resentment that blacks are coddled whiners, protected by a stifling political correctness. As for Trump himself, we shouldnt lightly call anyone a racist, but he has compiled such a comprehensive record of discrimination and bigotry over 45 years that I dont know what else to call him. Thirty years ago, amid the somber prayers of Judaisms holiest day, Rabbi Kenneth Berger rose to deliver the Yom Kippur sermon. He spoke to his congregants about a tragedy many of them, including his daughter, had witnessed eight months earlier in the Florida sky: the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger. Rabbi Berger focused on one particular detail, the revelation that Challengers seven astronauts had remained alive for the 65,000-foot fall to the ocean. He called the homily Five Minutes to Live, and he likened the crew members to Jews, who are called during the High Holy Days to engage in the process of heshbon ha-nefesh, Hebrew for taking stock of ones soul. Can you imagine knowing that in a few moments death was imminent? Rabbi Berger said at the Congregation Rodeph Sholom in Tampa, Fla. What would we think of if, God forbid, you and I were in such circumstances? What would go through our mind? Not quite three years later, Rabbi Berger was on a flight to Chicago from Denver returning from a family vacation. The planes tail engine exploded en route, crippling the controls, and for 40 minutes, the passengers prepared for a crash landing. WEED, Calif. The water that gurgles from a spring on the edge of this Northern California logging town is so pristine that for more than a century it has been piped directly to the wooden homes spread across hills and gullies. To the residents of Weed, which sits in the foothills of Mount Shasta, a snow-capped dormant volcano, the spring water is a blessing during a time of severe and prolonged drought. To the lumber company that owns the land where the spring is, the water is a business opportunity. Roseburg Forest Products, an Oregon-based company that owns the pine forest where the spring surfaces, is demanding that the city of Weed get its water elsewhere. The city needs to actively look for another source of water, said Ellen Porter, the director of environmental affairs for Roseburg who led the companys negotiations with the city. Roseburg is not in a position to guarantee the availability of that water for a long period of time. Just before 11 a.m. Friday, about seven hours after an overnight social media tantrum from Donald J. Trump, the Twitter account of Hillary Clinton flickered to life. Mr. Trumps attacks on a former beauty pageant winner were unhinged, Mrs. Clinton said, even for Trump. She accused him of valuing women only for their looks. She defended Rosie ODonnell (an accomplished actor) and Kim Kardashian against his pathetic insults. After 20 minutes, Mrs. Clinton concluded with a brief, discordant programming note for the afternoon: Well be in Florida talking about national service, she said. Youll want to watch. Limping out of a summer focused almost exclusively on discrediting Mr. Trump, the Clinton campaign has strained in recent weeks to migrate to a more positive message, convening high-minded speeches about Mrs. Clintons faith, career and public service aims only to see Mr. Trump briefly catch her in the polls. TAKEAWAY The Clinton team has made Hispanic outreach a cornerstone of its advertising efforts, spending more than $2.5 million on Spanish-language advertising on broadcast alone, according to Kantar Media/CMAG. This ad, combined with an ad from the Clinton campaign highlighting Hispanic residents proudly proclaiming that they are voting in their first election, seeks to harness that energy just as early voting is beginning. Immediately after the first debate, Google searches for voter registration surged in Hispanic communities, where high turnout is essential for Mrs. Clinton to win in states crucial to her victory, like Colorado and Florida. A recent Mason-Dixon poll found Mr. Trump down 35 points to Mrs. Clinton among Hispanics in Florida. These ads, coming as Mr. Trump escalated his feud with a former Miss Universe, Alicia Machado, who is Hispanic, have made for a tough week for Mr. Trump among Hispanic voters. Changing channels ... Asked and Answered Mrs. Clinton just discovered the dangers of a rhetorical question, courtesy of a new Trump ad. Not long after she said this month in Florida, Why arent I 50 points ahead, you might ask? the Trump campaign quickly offered an answer in a new ad featuring a list of grievances. Maybe its because the director of the F.B.I. said you lied about your emails, a narrator says. Or maybe its because you call Americans deplorable, he continues, as the now infamous clip plays of Mrs. Clinton deriding some of the Trump supporters. The ad closes as it opened, and adds a rhetorical question: Do you really need to ask? Beer Politics Theres the Trump Wall, a towering 55-foot barricade of best-in-the-world concrete, and then theres the Tecate Beer Wall, waist high and the perfect place to rest an ice-cold, glistening brew. In a rare political ad from a commercial enterprise, Tecate poked fun at the central tenet of the Trump appeal, envisioning a wall that brings us together, described with Trumpian hyperbole, like tremendous and the best wall. Stretching for miles across a desert landscape, four men from Mexico and four men from California meet at the wall, sharing a cooler of beers and at one point hopping over from the California side to the Mexican. The ad concludes, This wall may be small, but it will be huge. Though Mr. Trumps campaign announced a new Asian Pacific American Advisory Committee last week, a Republican National Committee spokesman, Ninio Fetalvo, said Mr. Trumps outreach to Asian-American voters had been coordinated until now mainly through two staff members at the partys Washington headquarters. The party, he added, has also printed materials in a variety of Asian languages in cities like Las Vegas. Republicans difficulties with Asian-Americans are similar to those the party has faced with most minority groups. A sense that the party is hostile to immigrants and minorities has driven more Asian-American voters into the Democratic Party lately, political scientists and community leaders said. And if Republicans do not make more of an effort, those voting shifts could harden, just as Hispanics voting patterns have. What we see now are some early indications that people who either leaned toward the Democratic Party or did not identify with either party are now starting to identify as Democrats, said Karthick Ramakrishnan, a professor of political science at the University of California, Riverside. This is still a group that is making up its mind, he added, but it should be concerning to the Republican Party that youre starting to see this crystallization. A national survey in the spring by Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote, a nonpartisan research group, showed a significant leftward shift since 2012 among Asian-American registered voters, with 47 percent now identifying with the Democratic Party, compared with 35 percent in 2012. Fifteen percent identified as Republican. In 1992, the year national exit polls started reporting Asian-American sentiment, the group leaned Republican, supporting George Bush over Bill Clinton 55 percent to 31 percent. But by 2012, that had reversed. Asian-Americans overwhelmingly supported President Obama over Mitt Romney 73 percent to 26 percent, almost the same margin by which Hispanics favored Mr. Obama. A Pew Research Center report released last month showed that Asian-Americans have since 2008 embraced the Democratic Party at a faster rate than any other ethnic group. As the race between Hillary Clinton and Donald J. Trump teeters on a razors edge in Florida, their campaigns are scuffling over business that Mr. Trump may have conducted in Cuba while American companies were barred from operating there. The issue has already started to percolate among the states large Cuban-American population and could have the potential to undo some of the progress that Mr. Trump a pariah to many Hispanics had been making there. The revelations come as both sides are dumping considerable resources and time into the state, which is seen as critical to Mr. Trumps hopes of winning the White House. Mr. Trump visited the Little Havana section of Miami this week. Mrs. Clinton just began running a Spanish-language television ad in Florida that attacks Mr. Trump on immigration and includes a 19-year-old Cuban-American saying that he will vote for her. In an attempt to further bolster Mrs. Clinton, her campaign announced on Friday that President Obama would visit Miami next week on her behalf. The report that Mr. Trumps corporation spent $68,000 on a 1998 trip to explore business opportunities in Cuba fit neatly into a line of attack the Clinton campaign has been pursuing recently. During the first presidential debate on Monday, and as she travels the country talking to voters, Mrs. Clinton has been arguing that, throughout his career, Mr. Trump has continually put his own interests above everyone elses whether the small contractors he has refused to pay or the taxes she says he still owes the federal government. BOGOTA, Colombia After 52 years of armed conflict, there are hopes of peace in Colombia. The first lady had a small dove tattooed on her wrist. University students decorated once-bombed buildings with white balloons as a symbol of peace. People talk of an end to the crushing violence that has long racked this country. But at the same time, as they prepare for a referendum on Sunday on a peace deal reached by the government and the countrys largest rebel group, the leftist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, many Colombians are also expressing doubt and resentment. Billboards have been erected bearing the face of the FARC leader, Rodrigo Londono, who uses the alias Timochenko, warning about the possibility that he could become president. Many of those victimized by the rebels complain that justice was not done. And former presidents have banded together to denounce the deal. Walter Coronado, 36, a factory worker in Bogota, the capital, was chased by the rebels from his ranch in Tolima, a province in the center of the country, in 1998. To him, the agreement is unfair, a vile lie, a blasphemy. The state-run psychiatric hospital here in Barquisimeto, Venezuela, has long been a forgotten place, filled with forgotten people. But with Venezuela suffering from a severe economic crisis, this mental institution has almost no drugs to control the afflictions tormenting its patients. At the invitation of doctors, reporters from The New York Times visited six psychiatric wards across the country. All reported shortages of medicine, even food. Farhad Khosrokhavar, a sociologist at the Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales in Paris, said adolescent and postadolescent boys and girls were increasingly involved in jihad in Europe. And then we have a second category, which is women, he said. While the extremist women operating today in France typically proclaim loyalty to the Islamic State and have been in touch with people affiliated with the group, they appear to be acting with guidance and encouragement only from afar, from men either in Syria or in Europe. Yet there are also continuing signs of the ways in which the male-dominated nature of Islamic jihadist culture defines the relationships between male and female extremists. Recruiters encourage online betrothals, and one of the women who were recently detained in the case of the train station attack had been engaged online to two different extremists, each of whom was killed in carrying out gruesome attacks in France, Mr. Molins said. These somewhat contradictory elements suggest that the threat is coming from a more independent, feminist type of jihadist, who sees herself as acting similarly to a man, but at the same time, some in this category of women also appear to be acting on instructions from male counterparts in the Islamic State. In both cases, there is the possibility, experts say, that the Islamic State and other groups are using women to goad men into staging attacks. Recent comments made by Rachid Kassim, a Frenchman who joined the Islamic State and is now suspected of being one of its leading propagandists, suggest this kind of strategy might be at play. Women, sisters are going on the attack, he wrote on the Telegram messaging application last month, after the gas canister plot was thwarted, according to the newspaper Le Monde. Where are the brothers? he added. Mr. Kassim is suspected of encouraging the women in that plot. The recent plots in France led by women show both determination and the limits of their efforts. They also highlight what these women have in common: Some are converts, and some have tried to go to Syria but have been turned back. And the younger ones, especially, seem emotionally troubled, said Wafa Messaoud, a Muslim chaplain, who works with Muslim women in French prisons. It is a truth universally acknowledged by every war correspondent, humanitarian aid worker and Western diplomat: Some wars, like Syrias, receive tremendous public attention, which can translate into pressure for resolution. But many others, like Yemens still raging but much ignored conflict, do not. Some of the reasons are obvious; the scale of Syrias war is catastrophic and much worse than Yemens. But attention is about more than numbers. The conflict in eastern Congo, for instance, killed millions of people and displaced millions more, but received little global attention. Every country in the world has its own version of that dynamic, but it is uniquely significant in the United States. The United States is the worlds sole remaining superpower, but Americans often seem so inward-looking as to be almost provincial. Foreigners often express wonder that American television news, for instance, spends fewer minutes covering the rest of the world than the rest of the worlds news shows spend covering America. One of the most difficult aspects of any real estate transaction has to be filling in the blanks when there is a lack of timely communication. In this social media savvy, immediate text messaging, selfie-absorbed society we live in today, it can be a huge challenge to wait patiently for an update that might take a couple of hours or a couple of days to receive. How would you choose to fill in the blanks? Lets say your agent confirms that your offer has been emailed to the listing agent and it has been three hours and the other agent has not responded. No confirmation of receipt. No counter offer. No email back with an accepted offer. How do you fill in that gap in communication? Do you tell yourself that other agent must be really busy, hopefully reviewing your offer in excruciating detail or perhaps on another appointment, meeting with other buyers and touring homes with them? Or do you immediately figure that theyve received multiple offers, are delaying responding to you until they decide if the other buyers will pay more than you, and trying to use your offer to squeeze more out of someone else? And watch your blood pressure shoot through the ceiling? At what point in your waiting do you call your agent to schedule a tour of your Plan B home options? Or what if the buyers are due to remove their contingencies and you get nothing. No request for an extension of time. No elaborate story about how there was a hurricane and a tornado that prevented the lender from getting the loan approval back from the underwriter, who was in his storm cellar in Kansas and unable to provide the final loan approval. Nada. Nyet. Nothing. Do you fill in the blank by telling yourself that they must have found a house they like better and are waiting on a response from that other busy agent? And they are stringing you along, betting that you wont send over a cancellation of contract for being late by a day or two? Or do you take a deep breath, remember the fantastic price theyve offered to pay, and wait it out with high hopes that theyve had some work related challenges and have take their eye off the ball for a brief moment? Much like the quintessential question of whether the glass is half empty or half full, you get to choose how you fill in the blanks when theres something less than an instantaneous response during your real estate transaction. Im not recommending that you be capricious or cavalier in your waiting for an update. Rather, Id lean toward being positive and proactive, weigh the pros and cons, and always reflect back on your ultimate goal and the exact terms of your contract. And talk to your agent about your concerns. Its her job to help you navigate these lapses in communication. Leslie Sargent Eskildsen is an Orange County real estate agent. She can be reached at 949-678-3373 or leslie@leslieeskildsen.com. Her website is leslieeskildsen.com. MEXICO CITY The sons of imprisoned drug lord Joaquin El Chapo Guzman apparently launched a brazen and violent ambush on a military convoy using grenades and high-powered guns on Friday, killing five soldiers, officials said. The attack in northern Sinaloa state left two military vehicles completely burned out and dead soldiers scattered across a highway. It was apparently launched to free a wounded drug suspect being transported in an ambulance guarded by the convoy. Up this point we are not certain about this group, but it is very probable that it was the sons of Chapo, said local military commander Gen. Alfonso Duarte. The pre-dawn ambush was the worst attack on military personnel since 2015, when drug cartel gunmen in the state of Jalisco shot down an army helicopter with a rocket launcher, killing 10 people. Fridays attack on the outskirts of Culiacan, the capital of Sinaloa state, was unusual for the Sinaloa cartel, which Guzman headed until he was re-arrested in January, and is now run by his sons. The sons have apparently changed the rules of engagement long practiced by the father, who kept a low profile until last year. The fierceness of the attack suggested that whoever was travelling in the ambulance escorted by the convoy was a high-ranking member of the cartel, or a person of interest to the gang. These groups acted with cowardice, in a premeditated manner, and the carried out the attack with weapons, with grenades, while the soldiers had only automatic weapons, said Duarte. Duarte said the attack was launched to free the suspect, who he identified as Julio Oscar Ortiz Vega, though he acknowledged the name might be a pseudonym. Duarte said the wounded man had been picked up by soldiers following a gun fight in the township of Badiraguato, Guzmans hometown. Duarte said that Guzmans brother, known by his nickname as El Guano, has been fighting a turf battle against the Beltran Leyva cartel in the area to control the means of drug production, which include opium poppy fields. A Sinaloa state official who was not authorized to be quoted by name said the attack killed four soldiers at the scene; a fifth later died of his wounds. Meanwhile, authorities in Jalisco said Thursday they have found a total of nine bodies near a lake popular with tourists. Jalisco state Attorney General Eduardo Almaguer said the bodies of eight men and one woman have not yet been identified, in part because of the rural nature of the area and the lack of witnesses. The bodies have been found over the last few days in a river that leads out of the eastern end of Lake Chapala, near the border with the state of Michoacan. In 2013, 64 bodies were found in mass graves in area nearby. That is the opposite end of the lake from the town of Chapala, popular among tourists and American retirees. About six years ago, a man named Randy inspired chef Bill Bracken in the most unexpected way. Randy was an unemployed homeless man whose last name Bracken never did learn. But witnessing Randys steady decline over a span of less than a year motivated Bracken to refocus his lifes work. He traded in his executive chefs apron for the black T-shirt embossed with the slogan for the enterprise he heads. Brackens Kitchen, the shirt reads, Driven to Combat Food Insecurity, One Tasty Meal at a Time. Bracken hasnt charged a dime for the more than 10,000 meals he has served so far. Though he once created gourmet food for the rich and famous, he now drives a food truck around Orange County, creating the same top-quality dishes for the poor and the homeless. Next month, Bracken plans to launch a culinary-skills program for underserved youths, starting with young adults emancipated from the foster care system. He is seeking help from Orangewood Foundation to make that happen. Brackens Kitchen is a bona fide charity, and anything Bracken has lost in executive chef pay and prestige is made up for in gratitude, he says. He is paid a $30,000 salary as head of Brackens Kitchen. To him, its all about nourishment. Theres a story he tells about the children he feeds dinner to weekly at the Illumination Foundation Childrens Resource Center near downtown Santa Ana. These are kids who live in overcrowded apartments and depend on subsidized breakfast and lunch at school. At one point, Bracken wondered how much of an effect he was having. Then he missed a couple of visits because of personal business. When he returned, he could hear a buzz from the picnic tables where a group of about 35 children sat and waited. They engulfed him when he exited the truck, and he realized they were chanting Uncle Bill over and over. He knew then that he was doing something right. I felt like a rock star. Like Kobe Bryant. ANSWERING A CULINARY CALL The thing is, Bracken, 53, had tasted fame and fortune already in the culinary world. He once commanded the kitchens at such upscale locales as The Peninsula Beverly Hills and the Island Hotel in Newport Beach. His rising trajectory in the era of celebrity chefs gave him entree to the likes of actors Jack Nicholson and Tom Cruise. But he also became the kind of boss who yelled and cursed at underlings. The father of twos first marriage ended in divorce. That lifestyle was a long way from his small-town upbringing in Kansas farm country. His attitude began to change around 2007, after a lot of whats it all about? soul searching. He remarried, had a third child and reconnected with his faith. He sat down with his sous-chefs at Island Hotel to sketch out what became his 7 Culinary Attitudes, starting with the ideal to first look to the interests of others. Encountering Randy, a homeless man he first observed at a Starbucks near his home in Fountain Valley, put Bracken firmly on the course that eventually landed him behind the steering wheel of his food truck. Bracken initially thought Randy was just another clean-shaven working man in a jacket and tie, killing time on his laptop over coffee. Bracken had spotted him at a corner table during weekly latte dates with his wife and young son. But then he noticed Randy drank only water. And as the months passed, Randy began to look more disheveled unshaven, hair scraggly and always dressed in the same clothes. Bracken later learned his story from the manager of a Ralphs supermarket across the way, after he saw Randy asleep on a bench outside the store, his belongings in a shopping cart. Randy had lost his job, his home and his car in the recession. But not his dignity through all that adversity, Randy never panhandled. It was just so shocking to me, Bracken says. When I realized we were watching a man deteriorate right in front of our eyes, my heart was just so heavy. Bracken never got the chance to help Randy, who disappeared one day soon after. But all around him, Bracken saw other lives upended by economic turmoil. A year or so later, in late 2011, that included his own, when Bracken lost his job at the Island Hotel. He says a nondisclosure clause in what he describes as a generous severance package prevents him from providing any details. Bracken found other work as a chef right away and also started a successful Filipino pastry venture, the Ensaymada Project. (He later severed himself financially from that business.) But during that same period, he also lost a close chef friend who died unexpectedly after a surgery. Bracken thought more deeply about his lifes purpose, still remembering Randy. His answer: Feed the less fortunate. Bracken began by volunteering to cook meals at the Orange County Rescue Missions Village of Hope in Tustin. He planned to open a restaurant/soup kitchen but scrapped that idea because, he figured, how could poor people get there? Then along came Betsy in December 2014. FOOD TRUCK FOR THE LESS FORTUNATE Betsy is the nickname for a Chevrolet box truck going on 30 years old. Outfitted as a rolling kitchen, she came as a gift to Brackens nonprofit from a friend, Bruce Hecker of Bruces Gourmet Catering in Los Angeles. What Bracken dishes up aboard the ketchup-red food truck with the ooga horn is made from fresh ingredients given to him or bought with donated funds. Businesses like Newport Meat Co., LA Specialty and Whole Foods Market are among his supporters. Every Tuesday evening, Bracken serves the children and their families in the Illumination Foundation parking lot. On Wednesday nights, he feeds a different crowd: homeless adults. For the past six months, Bracken has parked Betsy near a coin-operated laundry in Huntington Beach where homeless people get their clothes cleaned for free by a nonprofit group called Laundry Love. He has done the same at spots in Costa Mesa and Irvine. Between those regular dates, Bracken assists other nonprofits that serve meals, his church (Seabreeze in Huntington Beach) and military veterans programs. We get requests all the time, he says, so I have to be picky about where we go and can have the best impact. Bracken prepares Betsys menu from scratch at rent-free space in the Hana Kitchens culinary incubator in Huntington Beach. A troop of volunteers helps with the preparation and assists on his feeding forays in the area. He also works with the Chefs to End Hunger initiative in distributing excess prepared food collected from restaurants, hotels and other food service providers. Bracken wants to expand distribution of the recovered food to help more smaller-scale nonprofits. He also envisions generating revenue through a catering service to make Brackens Kitchen self-sustaining. Someday, hed like to have a fleet of food trucks to bring nutritious meals to more people in Orange County and the greater Los Angeles area. Such a goal will require not only the wheels but also the manpower. Bracken wishes more of his colleagues would get beyond lending their skills at galas and fundraisers and move to what he calls the front lines. We need more chefs, Bracken says bluntly. When it comes to fighting hunger, there are just not enough chefs involved. Fundraisers are fun, but its not the same as being out there feeding people. WINNING RECIPE On a recent Tuesday night, families drift in from the Santa Ana neighborhood surrounding the Illumination Foundation resource center. The aroma from Brackens tasty offerings, which include barbecue pulled pork and charred corn with fava beans and cherry tomatoes, wafts through the warm air. Hes in constant motion, prepping food inside the truck, supervising a crew of new volunteers and shaking hands, patting shoulders and offering words of welcome to the local residents he now knows by name. Many speak only Spanish. Every so often, Bracken pulls a white hand towel from a pocket of his black shorts to wipe the sweat from his shaved head and goateed face. Como estas, Bill? asks an older woman he addresses as Victoria. Oh, Bracken answers with a grin that acknowledges the heat, mucho caliente. Later, a boy rides up on a scooter and asks Bracken if he remembers him. Of course I do, Carlos, Bracken says to the 10-year-old, Carlos Hernandez. They chitchat briefly before duty calls Bracken away. He misses out on hearing his young friend talk about how hed like to emulate Bracken. I want to be a chef, the boy says, because he does amazing recipes. Over two hours, Bracken ends up serving 158 meals to the children, their parents and grandparents. The diners also can take home a container of soup he made and huge sandwiches gleaned from a resort buffet. A group of 10 volunteers, women from a 55-and-older volunteer team called the GiveBackers, helps serve the food and cleans up afterward. Some of them take a break to sit and talk with the diners while also enjoying a plate of food. Its their first time assisting Brackens Kitchen, the volunteers say, but they vow it wont be the last. Norah Bartels, a retired grade school teacher from Yorba Linda, recalls how one girl returned for six helpings of Brackens mixed salad greens with grilled vegetables and spicy Southwest dressing. To have this amount of food, Bartels says, and the variety and the caliber, Im impressed. More than that, she believes in Brackens mission. I just dont think anyone should go hungry. Contact the writer: 714-796-7793 or twalker@ocregister.com or on Twitter @TellTheresa DANA POINT A group of residents are circulating a petition to overturn Dana Point City Councils recent approval of an ordinance that allows short-term-rentals in all neighborhoods. Petition authors have until Oct. 7 to gather signatures. If they succeed in getting 10 percent of registered voters and are certified by the Registrar of Voters, the City Council will have to take a second look at their ruling. The ruling bucks a trend set in nearby coastal cities like Laguna Beach and San Clemente, which are keeping short-term rentals out of neighborhoods. The effort follows a 3-2 decision by the City Council on Sept. 6 to allow an unlimited amount of short-term rentals in residential neighborhoods throughout the town. The five-hour plus meeting at the Dana Point Community Center gymnasium drew hundreds, including more than 70 speakers for and against short-term rentals. The council considered whether a 2013 ordinance that regulated 189 permitted short-term rentals would continue or if the city would have to begin the whole process anew. In their decision, the City Council voted to continue with the 2013 ordinance. The ordinance regulates how properties receive permits, where they can be located, and restricts the number of people in a unit. It requires parking be provided and vehicles cannot exceed more than two per property. Loud parties and special events such as weddings are not permitted. In approving the ordinance, the City Council agreed to modifications by the California Coastal Commission that would give them final say over short-term rentals in the coastal zone. Councilmen Richard Viczorek and Joseph Muller opposed the ordinance, saying it weakens local control. Many at the Sept. 6 meeting expressed frustration about the continued use of single-family Dana Point neighborhoods to house tourists. Buck Hill, an author of the referendum petition, worries about just that. Even more appalling, the ordinance gives away to the California Coastal Commission the citys right to modify, limit or prohibit short term rentals, he said. We have repeatedly asked the three City Council members who voted for this ordinance to explain why they have given away this power to the California Coastal Commission. None has given us an answer. Mark Zanides, an attorney representing Hill and others circulating the petition at grocery stores and in a door-to-door campaign, said petition gatherers are encountering resistance including stolen signs. Its quite clear people with strong interests are committed to protecting their own interests, Zanides said referring to owners of multiple real estate properties and brokers. Most people in Dana Point didnt understand what the ordinance meant, Zanides said. They didnt understand the city will lose coastal control. Many are concerned the city didnt undertake a study but took the word of a minority group. You dont have a right to transfer a residential neighborhood into a commercial neighborhood. The referendum requires signatures of 10 percent of the registered voters in Dana Point. The referendum must be submitted by to the Registrar of Voters by Oct. 7. Election officials will have 30 days to verify the signatures. If the number of signatures meets the requirement, the election officials will certify the results at a subsequent City Council meeting. If 10 percent of registered voters is certified the ordinance, the effective date of the ordinance is suspended and the City Council must consider it again. If the City Council does not repeal the ordinance, the ordinance must be submitted to the voters at the next regular municipal election occurring not less than 88 days, or at a special election. Recently, Hill and others were successful in another grassroots effort. Measure H, which requires voter approval for changes to a development plan for the Lantern District, bested a city-sponsored Measure I. Measure H, a citizen-sponsored initiative, won by 1,920 votes, or 17.4 percent, in the June ballot. Earlier this month, The California Coastal Commission unanimously approved Measure H. Contact the writer: 714-796-2254 or eritchie@ocregister.com or on Twitter:@lagunaini A new report profiling Orange Countys older adults shines a light on challenges faced in the county by seniors, including higher rates of hospitalization, lack of affordable housing and food insecurity. The Orange County Healthy Aging Initiative on Thursday released the 2016 Orange County Older Adult Profile, a report funded by the Orange County Health Care Agency, which takes a closer look at seniors lives and challenges. Dr. Helene Calvet, deputy county health officer, said she hopes the report raises awareness in the community about the growing needs of seniors. Calvet said she was shocked to see the high rate of hospitalization and seniors struggle with food insecurity. The general perception is that Orange County is a wealthy community, she said. But the report shows that we have seniors here who are paying more than 30 percent of their income on rents and mortgages. It points to the need for more affordable senior housing in the county. Also shocking was the significant increase in the number of elder abuse cases, Calvet said. Here are some of the reports highlights: Among Medicare beneficiaries 65 and older, more than 25 percent have diabetes and more than 50 percent have high blood pressure. Hospitalization for both diseases is above state average. More than 10 percent of older adults are treated for depression. Males 85 and older are almost four times more likely to die from suicide compared to the overall county population. Alzheimers disease is now the third leading cause of death among Orange County seniors. Among older adult heads of households, 22 percent of couples and 44 percent of singles dont have sufficient income for basic necessities. There were more than 1,500 substantiated reports of elder abuse in the county in 2014, a 56 percent increase from 2005. The goal, moving forward is to develop a strategic plan to address the issues that were highlighted by the report, Calvet said. Our senior population is set to double over the next 25 years, she said. So, there is really a sense of urgency to address these problems. Nationally, one in six seniors are at risk of malnutrition and are food insecure, said Darla Olson, vice president, advancement, at Community SeniorServ, which provides more than 1 million meals to homebound seniors and senior centers in Orange County. The Anaheim-based organization serves north Orange County cities, where 90 percent of seniors live below the elder economic index meaning they have to make a choice between food, paying for electricity and prescription medications, Olson said. So often, seniors are just forgotten and left behind, she said. They have so much to contribute to society and they must be honored throughout their lives. A man and woman from Northern California were sentenced to prison time Friday for various crimes including human trafficking. Jarrod Neil Cross, 29 of Sacramento, and Saquila Collete Osborne, 33 of Rancho Cordova, were each found guilty by a jury on Aug. 4, of felony counts of human trafficking, kidnapping to commit robbery, first-degree robbery and assault, according to the Orange County District Attorneys Office. Cross was also found guilty of one count of felony pimping and one felony count of pandering. He also has past felony convictions of inflicting corporal punishment and refusing to comply with a peace officer, which were committed in the Sacramento area. Osborne was sentenced to seven years and Cross received 14 years and four months. Cross was the pimp, who requires his victims to turn over all money from sex acts to him or suffer physical and/or emotional abuse, according to the DAs Office. Prosecutors say that between September 2014 and August 2015, Cross persuaded a woman to prostitute in Stanton after bringing her to Orange County from Las Vegas. At that time, the defendants kidnapped Jane Doe 2 by forcing her to stay in a room at a Motel 6 in Stanton for several days, a statement from the District Attorneys office states. The womans money and belongings were taken from her. Cross and Osborne assaulted her while she was in the hotel room but she was eventually able to escape and human trafficking task force officials arrested the suspects. In an unrelated case earlier this week, a Stockton man was sentenced to three years for pimping a woman and possessing a gun. Raymello Edward Brown, 22, pleaded guilty Tuesday to the charges after prosecutors said he pimped a woman in Orange County. Brown was arrested July 5 at a Costa Mesa hotel. Contact the writer: 714-796-7865 or afausto@scng.com IRVINE A man suspected of breaking into an SUV at the Irvine Spectrum then striking several cars during the getaway and fleeing the scene in Laguna Hills was arrested Saturday after authorities found him hiding inside a car at a relatives home, Irvine police said. The pursuit of the burglary suspect later identified by police as Aaron Patterson, 33, of Los Angeles began around 2:15 p.m. when security officers at the shopping center told Irvine police that a man was breaking into a GMC Yukon and stealing a third-row seat, Sgt. Mike Fender said. The man left the shopping center in a Chevrolet Tahoe. The vehicle was followed onto the southbound I-5 by security personnel, who alerted California Highway Patrol dispatchers about the vehicles whereabouts, Fender said. The Tahoe exited El Toro Road then hit several vehicles before getting back onto the freeway and exiting Alicia Parkway. At the same time, the Orange County Sheriffs Department began receiving calls from motorists saying a Tahoe with front-end damage had struck their cars and was being driven erratically. The driver lost control of the SUV and it crashed on an off-ramp, where one of the front tires came off, Fender said. The driver then fled on foot. Sheriffs deputies set a perimeter and deployed a helicopter that used a loudspeaker to give the mans description and urge residents to get inside. During the search, police said, Patterson had someone pick him up near Laguna Hills High School and take him back to Irvine. Authorities found him just after 5:20 p.m. hiding in a car parked at a relatives apartment in the 17000 block of Rosa Drew Lane. He was arrested on suspicion of vehicle burglary. The stolen third-row seat and Pattersons drivers license were found inside the disabled Chevrolet Tahoe, Fender said. No injuries were reported. Contact the writer: 714-796-2478 or lcasiano@scng.com LAKE FOREST A 40-year-old man was killed in a two-car collision early Saturday in Lake Forest, authorities said. A 2016 Hyundai collided with a 1997 Ford F150 truck around 2:20 a.m. at Alton Parkway and Towne Center Drive, said Orange County Sheriffs Lt. John Roche. The driver of the truck, Jose Barraza-Soto, of Santa Ana, was pronounced dead at the scene. A passenger in the truck and the driver of the Hyundai, traveling alone, were transported to an area hospital with minor injuries, Roche said. The Sheriffs Department is investigating the possibility that alcohol or drugs may have contributed to the crash, he said. Contact the writer: 714-796-7767 sschwebke@scng.com Twitter: @thechalkoutline KINGSTON, Jamaica One of the most powerful Atlantic hurricanes in recent history weakened a little on Saturday as it drenched coastal Colombia and roared across the Caribbean on a course that still puts Jamaica, Haiti and Cuba in the path of potentially devastating winds and rain. Matthew briefly reached the top hurricane classification, Category 5, and was the strongest Atlantic hurricane since Felix in 2007. The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said Matthews winds had slipped from a peak of 160 mph (260 kph) to a still-devastating 145 mph (230 kph) and it was expected to reach the eastern part of Jamaica on Monday. The forecast track would carry it across Cuba and into the Bahamas, with an outside chance of a brush with Florida, though that would be several days away. Its too early to rule out what impacts, if any, would occur in the United States and Florida, said Dennis Feltgen, a spokesman at the Hurricane Center. As Matthew skimmed past the northern tip of South America there were reports of heavy flooding and at least one death the second attributed to the storm. Authorities said at least 18 houses were damaged along the La Guajira peninsula of Colombia, which has been suffering from a multi-year drought. They said a 67-year-old man was swept away to his death by a flash flood in an area where it hadnt rained for four years. Local TV broadcast images of cars and tree trunks surging though flooded streets in coastal areas. Colombian authorities closed access to beaches and urged residents living near the ocean to move inland in preparation for storm surges that they said would be most intense on Saturday. There was also concern that heavy rain across much of the country could dampen turnout for Sundays nationwide referendum on a historic peace accord between the government and leftist rebels. In Jamaica, high surf began pounding the coast and flooding temporarily closed the road linking the capital to its airport. Carl Ferguson, head of the marine police, said people were starting to heed calls to relocate from small islands and areas near rural waterways. Many also began stocking up for the emergency. I left work to pick up a few items, candles, tin stuff, bread, 41-year-old Angella Wage said at a crowded store in the Half Way Tree area of the capital, Kingston. We can never be too careful. Feltgen said storm force winds and rain will arrive well before the center of the storm. Jamaicans basically have daylight today, they have tonight and they have daylight tomorrow to take care of what needs to be done, he said. Jamaicans are accustomed to intense tropical weather but Hurricane Matthew looked particularly threatening. At its peak, it was more powerful than Hurricane Gilbert, which made landfall on the island in September 1988 and was the most destructive storm in the countrys modern history. Hurricane Matthew could rival or possibly exceed Gilbert if the core of the strongest winds does actually move over Jamaica, said Dennis Feltgen, a meteorologist and spokesman for the hurricane center in Miami. There is no certainty of that at this point. Forecasters said rainfall totals could reach 10 to 15 inches (25 to 38 centimeters) with isolated maximum amounts of 25 inches (63 centimeters) in Jamaica and southwestern Haiti. Kingston, in the southeastern corner of Jamaica, is expected to experience flooding. The government issued a hurricane watch on Friday, and a tropical storm watch was issued for Haitis southwest coast form the southern border it shares with the Dominican Republic to the capital of Port-au-Prince. In Haiti, civil protection officials broadcast warnings of a coming storm surge and big waves, saying the country would be highly threatened from the approaching system over the next 72 hours. They urged families to prepare emergency food and water kits. Emergency management authorities banned boating starting Saturday, particularly along the impoverished countrys southern coastline, but numerous fishing skiffs could still be seen off the south coast. As of 11 a.m. EDT (1500 GMT), the storm was centered about 390 miles (625 kilometers) southeast of Kingston. It was moving west at 6 mph (9 kph). Hurricane-force winds extended outward up to 45 miles (75 kilometers) from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 205 miles (335 kilometers). Matthew caused at least one death when it entered the Caribbean on Wednesday. Officials in St. Vincent reported a 16-year-old boy was crushed by a boulder as he tried to clear a blocked drain. Associated Press writers John Marino in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Ben Fox in Miami, Joshua Goodman in Bogota, Colombia, and David McFadden in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, contributed to this report. A new IRS program set to take effect next spring may make it harder to tell which of those dubious phone calls many people get about outstanding tax bills are actually fake. The agency announced this week that its hired four private debt-collection firms to search Americas couch cushions for overdue federal taxes: ConServe, based in Fairport, New York; Pioneer, based in Horseheads, New York; Performant, based in Livermore, California; and CBE Group, based in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The IRS says the four contractors will mostly get old, overdue accounts or accounts it doesnt have the manpower to pursue. One problem, however, is that taxpayers are up to their eyeballs in tax-collection scams and could easily mistake legitimate calls for yet another criminal trying to sucker them. This year, the IRS reported it has already seen a 400 percent increase in phishing schemes. And in March, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, which oversees IRS activities, said its received over a million reports of phone scams involving fake tax collectors since October 2013. Over 5,500 people collectively have lost about $29 million, it said. The IRS is aware of the problem it keeps a dedicated, ongoing list of scams on its website. In May, for example, it warned taxpayers about phone calls regarding a bogus federal student tax, and in August it reported that IRS impersonators were demanding tax payments on iTunes cards and other gift cards. Now that some debt-collection calls will actually have the IRS blessing, how will you be able to tell the real ones from the fakes? Here are seven red flags. 1. You didnt get a letter first. Under the new program, the IRS will first mail you a written notice that its turning your account over to a private collection agency. Then, one of the four collection agencies will send you a letter confirming the transfer. That agency is the only one that should be calling. 2. The caller asks you to pay the collection agency. The contracted agencies arent allowed to accept payment on the IRS behalf. They also arent allowed to ask for payment on a prepaid debit card. Instead, they should send you to IRS.gov ifyou want to see your electronic payment options; checks should always be made payable to the U.S. Treasury and sent directly to the IRS, not the collection agency. 3. You already have a repayment plan in place with the IRS. The IRS wont assign your account to a private collection agency if youve already got an installment agreement going. Likewise, if you have or are negotiating an offer in compromise with the IRS, legitimate debt collectors shouldnt be calling you. 4. The caller doesnt know or care that youre in a disaster area or deployed. The IRS wont turn over accounts involving taxpayers who are deployed in combat zones or who are in presidentially declared disaster areas and are requesting relief from collection. If that describes you, and one of the IRS contracted collection agencies gets your case by mistake, its supposed to return it to the IRS. (That doesnt mean youre off the hook; it means the IRS will pursue payment itself.) 5. The caller wants payment from someone who is deceased or under 18. People who have died or are minors may have outstanding tax liabilities, but their accounts wont be going to private collection agencies, according to the IRS. 6. The caller doesnt know or care that youre already grappling with the IRS over a specific issue The IRS private collection agencies have to keep their hands off cases involving tax-related identity theft, litigation, examinations, criminal investigations, levies, appeals or innocent spouse classifications for those going through a divorce or other problems in their marriage. 7. The caller is a huge jerk The private collection agencies have to abide by the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, which means they cant swear at you, threaten you with violence or harm, call in the middle of the night or lie about what you owe, among other things. Though the IRS is using the law to ensure contracted debt collectors respect taxpayers, another agency the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau might say good luck with that. It gets more complaints about debt-collection companies than any other financial product or service. Tina Orem is a staff writer at NerdWallet, a personal finance website. Email:torem@nerdwallet.com. The article 7 Ways to Tell If That IRS Tax Collections Call Is Fake originally appeared onNerdWallet. YORBA LINDA A 19-year-old man died Friday night when he rode his bicycle into the path of a car, authorities said. The man was identified as Jonathan Petsas of Placentia, according to the Orange County Coroner. Shortly after 10 p.m., Petsas was riding a bicycle west on Imperial Highway near Esperanza Road, the California Highway Patrol said. For an unknown reason, Petsas crossed westbound traffic lanes into the path of a 1998 Honda driven by a 86-year-old Douglas Briney from Yorba Linda, the CHP said. Neither alcohol nor drugs are believed to be factors in the collision. Anyone with information about the crash is asked to contact the CHPs Santa Ana office at 714-567-6000. Contact the writer: 714-797-7767 sschwebke@scng.com Twitter: @thechalkoutline I know what youre thinking as you look at the 224-page voter guide to 17 statewide ballot propositions, and its not printable in a family newspaper. Still, with California effectively under one-party rule, you and the ballot initiative are the closest thing we have to a system of checks and balances. So heres my personal guide to help you do the job. Yes on Proposition 54 to require that bills in the Legislature be posted online in their final form for 72 hours before lawmakers vote on them. This ends the abusive practice of slamming backroom deals into unrelated or blank bills as an amendment, then rushing them to the floor for a vote before anybody else can read them. Yes on Prop. 53 to require voter approval before the state can borrow $2 billion or more for state projects by issuing revenue bonds. This affects the proposed Delta tunnels water project. Revenue bonds are repaid by charging the users of whatever theyre issued to build. If you use water, thats you. Yes on Prop. 52 to protect a program devised by California hospitals to secure available federal matching dollars for Medi-Cal. The hospitals pay the state to help fund Medi-Cal, which then qualifies for matching funds, and then the hospitals get most of their money back. The most part is the problem. Vote yes on 52 to keep politicians hands out of the Medi-Cal cookie jar. On the rest, Im voting no. Taxes and education: Prop. 55 extends a temporary income-tax hike on high-earners until 2030, but the school budget crisis is over, and a top state tax rate of 13.3 percent makes California uncompetitive with other states for the small businesses that create most of the jobs in America. Prop. 51 soaks taxpayers for $9 billion plus interest to build schools so new-home developers can escape higher fees. Prop. 58 repeals the 1998 English for the Children initiative and reinstates bilingual education, and it could lead to some students being automatically enrolled in bilingual classes even if parents dont request it or want it. Criminal justice: Prop. 57 empowers state prison officials and parole boards to release many state inmates early, regardless of enhanced sentences. Prop. 62 abolishes the death penalty. Prop. 66 changes death penalty procedures to limit and speed up state appeals. Substances and drugs: Prop. 56 puts a $2 tax on cigarettes and extends tobacco taxes to vaping products. Prop. 64 legalizes recreational marijuana, but it also launches a massive new state bureaucracy to regulate, track and tax every plant from seed to sale, and its still illegal under federal law. Prop. 61 orders some state agencies to pay no more for prescription drugs than the price paid by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, likely leading to pre-discount price hikes. Messages: Prop. 59 is literally a message, asking to change the First Amendment to limit corporations political spending. Prop. 60 enforces condoms-in-porn regulations by enabling viewers to file lawsuits against producers. Prop. 67 affirms a state ban on single-use plastic grocery bags and a mandatory ten-cent fee for other bags. Prop. 65 takes those dimes away from grocers and sends them to a wildlife fund. Prop. 63 puts new restrictions on law-abiding gun owners that would have no effect on criminals or terrorists. So: practice safe sex, dont litter, dont use your gun to commit murder. Got the message? Great, we dont need the laws. Thank you for running the state of California! Susan Shelley is a columnist for the Southern California News Group. Reach her at Susan@SusanShelley.com and follow her on Twitter: @Susan_Shelley California prosecutors who willfully falsify or withhold evidence could wind up in prison, under a new law signed Friday by Gov. Jerry Brown. The bill, AB 1909, makes it a felony for prosecutors to intentionally falsify or withhold evidence. Previously, such acts were prosecuted as misdemeanors; they are already felonies for police officers. Those individuals who are willing to win a case at all costs, who abuse their power as officers of the court, must answer for their actions, said Assemblywoman Patty Lopez, D-San Fernando, who carried the legislation. The punishment is 16 months, two years or three years incarceration, depending on the circumstances and the specific violation. Lopez introduced the legislation as local and national media started to focus on accusations that Orange County prosecutors and police have illegally used jailhouse snitches and regularly withheld information favorable to the defense. One Superior Court judge, reacting to such accusations, removed the Orange County District Attorneys Office from the penalty phase trial of Scott Dekraai, who killed eight people at a Seal Beach salon in 2011. That decision is being appealed by the state Attorney Generals Office, which inherited the case. Judge Thomas Goethals, in the Dekraai case, ruled that Orange County prosecutors could not guarantee a fair trial for the defendant. He found that prosecutors had, indeed, committed misconduct, but not intentionally. Under the new law, they would not be eligible for prosecution. That is one of the criticisms of the bill. In a past statement, Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas said he favored legislation to increase the penalties for intentional violations, but that it should apply to all attorneys. Opponents have said boosting the penalty for prosecutors would bog down the courts and that prosecutors who commit misconduct already are subject to sanctions by the state Bar Association. Supporters say existing sanctions werent enough, and note that judges and the Bar rarely take action against offending prosecutors. The California Attorneys for Criminal Justice called the new law the first of its kind in the nation to specifically hold prosecutors accountable for their decision to choose a conviction above seeking justice, often leading to wrongful convictions and miscarriages of justice. By signing AB 1909 into law, California is no longer going to allow this epidemic to grow with impunity, said Matthew Guerrero, president of the California Attorneys for Criminal Justice. This law will put bad-acting prosecutors on notice; the state is watching your actions and these ethical violations will incur severe and justified punishment. Contact the writer: tsaavedra@scng.com MORGAN HILL An official says a firefighter who was injured battling a blaze in Northern Californias Santa Cruz Mountains has been released from the hospital. California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection Battalion Chief Scott McLean said he did not know the nature of the firefighters injury. The fire has destroyed eight homes and nine outbuildings. Officials had only announced one burned home before Thursday. Its not clear whether the destruction of seven more is new or just newly discovered. The blaze has grown to about 61/2 square miles and is 34 percent contained. It is still threatening about 325 structures. Mandatory evacuations were lifted Wednesday for Santa Cruz County. Evacuation orders remain in effect for neighboring Santa Clara County, where most of the threatened structures are located. China releases sugar reserves to stabilize supply Updated: 2016-10-01 09:31 (Xinhua) BEIJING - Chinese authorities will release the first batch of sugar reserves this year to stabilize supply and prices, the country's top economic planner announced on Friday. China will sell 350,000 tons of sugar from state reserve at 6,000 yuan ($900) per tonne, according to the National Development and Reform Commission. Last year, China's sugar market began to pick up after a sustained downturn, tracking an increase in the global market amid strained supply. In the domestic market, deceasing output in major producing areas, together with the country's crackdown on smuggling, has put further pressure on supply. Q. You have mentioned the open meeting law. You still have not addressed the board going into secret meetings called executive sessions. These meetings are attended by board members only after every one else has been sent home. Our board has been doing it for years. R.P, Anaheim A. Closed or executive session is an important tool, protecting certain very sensitive subjects which would damage the HOA or certain homeowners if discussed openly. Closed sessions are specifically authorized by Civil Code 4935. If closed sessions are used for purposes other than specifically authorized, a board violates both the Open Meeting Act (Civil 4900-4955) and the community members trust. Q. The board is continuously discussing paint shades, lobby improvements, new fencing, revoking the no pets policy, whatever topic, in executive session behind closed doors. Is this correct or is there something that prohibits what they are doing? T.H., Pacific Beach A. Only very limited and specified topics may be discussed in closed session, per Civil Code 4935: personnel decisions (meaning questions regarding HOA employees); litigation (or threatened litigation and attorney advice about it); disciplinary or common area damage reimbursement hearings; discussions of homeowner delinquency payment plans; assessment foreclosure votes; and formation of contracts (i.e., contract negotiations). Q. I have a question about what is/is not allowed in executive sessions. I thought personnel matters and discussions with attorneys were the two major items generally allowed for executive session discussions. Is that correct or am I off base? What are the general rules as to what is allowed to be kept confidential (not shared with members) in executive sessions and what is deemed to be OK to discuss after an executive session? Does a general session vote need to be taken on items discussed in executive sessions? G.K., Rancho Bernardo A. Conversations with association attorneys must be confidential to preserve attorney-client privilege. Personnel decisions also must be kept confidential and also are proper for closed session, but most associations do not have personnel, since they have no employees. So long as the board votes only on items properly within closed session, no further membership vote is needed. However, if a board mistakenly handles business in closed session, it should be promptly disclosed in an open meeting, with a motion to ratify the mistaken action. Whether the issue is personnel, attorney advice, or other of the proper closed session topics, it is critical that directors protect the confidential information and not disclose it outside the board. Many associations require the directors annually sign a confidentiality promise, to remind them of that important responsibility. Q. Our HOA board agendas (executive and open) are posted in a common place for all to see. One of the executive agenda items is the approval of the previous meeting minutes for both the executive and open sessions. Why would the board approve the previous open meeting minutes in executive session? Is that legal or is that just bad business practice? J.M., San Diego A. Approval of open session minutes should be on the open board agenda, and approved (probably on the consent calendar) only in the open session. Kelly G. Richardson, Esq. is a Fellow of the College of Community Association Lawyers and Managing Partner of Richardson Harman Ober PC, a law firm known for community association advice. Submit questions to KRichardson@RHOpc.com. Past columns at www.HOAHomefront.com. A website for five affiliated stem cell clinics, four of them in California, hails a breakthrough for Parkinsons disease: Stem Cells Replace Damaged Nerves, Reverse Symptoms. For those of you whose lives or whose loved ones lives have been upended by chronic or incurable conditions such as Parkinsons, thats just the kind of breakthrough youve been waiting for. But today, Im going to pass along some advice about these and other for-profit stem cell treatments that you probably dont want to hear: Steer clear of them. Theyre probably taking advantage of you and its probably unproven, says Lawrence Goldstein, director of the Sanford Stem Cell Clinical Center at UC San Diego. Stem cell science is a relatively new field. Stem cells hold great potential for medicine because of their ability to develop into different types of cells in the body, and to repair and renew tissue. But so far, the only stem cell treatments approved for wide use in the U.S. involve stem cell transplants from bone marrow or blood for patients with certain cancers and other disorders, says Sidney Golub, director of the Sue and Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center at UC Irvine. Meanwhile, dozens of experimental stem cell treatments are being tested across the country in clinical trials on human subjects. There are some really exciting developments showing great promise, but they are unproven at present, Golub says. If most stem cell therapies are unproven, how is it that more than 100 clinics across California and nearly 600 across the country offer costly stem cell treatments for both cosmetic and medical purposes, ranging from spinal cord injuries to breast augmentation? Many of these clinics say they use stem cells derived from patients own fat and, for related reasons, argue that their treatments are exempt from the U.S. Food and Drug Administrations rigorous approval process. Their websites show heart-wrenching testimonials from patients who have undergone treatments and believe they have benefited. The treatments can cost $15,000, $25,000 or more, and generally arent covered by health insurance. If youre swayed by the testimonials, if youve tried every other treatment, and even if you have the money to burn, you should still steer clear, according to nearly every expert I consulted. If somebody is telling you something thats too good to be true, its too good to be true, Golub says. In addition to spending thousands of dollars on a therapy that may not help, you could experience undesirable medical side effects, the experts warn. The risk is far greater than the potential benefit, says Mary Bass, director of public policy at Americans for Cures, a patient advocacy group that supports stem cell research for chronic diseases and injuries. There are really no shortcuts in the scientific discovery process. Shortcuts come at grave cost to patients health, now or down the line, Bass says. The FDA, too, says in a statement for consumers that it is concerned that patients may be vulnerable to unscrupulous providers of stem cell treatments that are illegal and potentially harmful. Kevin McCormack, director of patient advocate outreach for the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, the states stem cell agency, acknowledges that patients dont want to hear this kind of advice. Theyve often explored every other option and dont have anything left, McCormack says. But there may be something you can do, he says: Search for a scientifically sound clinical trial that is testing a stem cell therapy for your condition. One trustworthy place to look, McCormack says, is the Alpha Stem Cell Clinics Network three clinics in Southern California specializing in stem cell clinical trials that are funded by the regenerative medicine institute. They have more than 20 trials underway for conditions ranging from HIV to ovarian cancer, he says. If theres something at one of those clinics, you know its legitimate and as safe as can be, McCormack says. To find other stem cell clinical trials, start with the government-run ClinicalTrials.gov database. But be cautious. Some for-profit stem cell clinics post on that site, and patients who want to participate in their studies must pay for the cost of the treatment. If you identify a trial that might fit your situation, do some digging, says Cathy Danielson, a stem cell patient advocate based in Oregon. Start asking questions, start posting on online forums, she says. Ask who funded it. Follow the money. Goldstein urges patients to look for trials that are conducted by academic medical centers or nonprofit medical institutions, and to ask study sponsors if they have received FDA approval for their trials. Patients will recognize legitimate clinical trials because, in general, they wont be charged for the cost of the treatment, he says. Finally, if you find a trial, theres no guarantee youll receive the experimental stem cell treatment. Thats because in most trials, some participants chosen randomly will receive either a placebo or the current standard of care, while others will get the experimental treatment. In other words, there are obstacles to obtaining stem cell therapy at this point. But things are hopeful, Bass says. Were really on the verge of great discoveries. The hard part is remembering to have the patience and understanding about the scientific discovery process. Questions for Emily Bazar: AskEmily@kff.org. This story was produced by Kaiser Health News, which publishes California Healthline, a service of the California HealthCare Foundation. ORANGE With an official medallion hung firmly around his neck, the new president of Chapman University accepted his post Friday to cheers and a standing ovation. Daniele C. Struppas name is etched on the latest link of the antique silver ceremonial chain tracing the history of the universitys leadership. Struppa, chancellor since 2007, was inaugurated during a ceremony filled with pageantry and a sea of robed academics in the schools new Musco Center for the Arts. I pledge to you, the Chapman family, the larger community and to future generations, an unrelenting commitment to a vibrant intellectual environment, Struppa, 61, told an audience that topped 1,000. Struppa is the 13th president in the universitys 155-year history. He takes the torch from James Doti, who returns to teaching after spending the last 25 years leading Chapman through a period of growth and increasing recognition. When an institution like Chapman looks to replace an incredible leader like President James Doti, its not an easy task, said Joann Leatherby, vice chair of Chapmans board of trustees. But the school was fortunate, she told the audience, because the next leader was here. He is the right person at the right time to lead Chapman through the next chapter of our history, Leatherby said, calling Struppa a true Renaissance man in the deepest sense. Students and professors echoed that description of Struppa a mathematician and mountain-climber, a lover of music and the arts. It makes me very excited because he treats the arts as the intellectual disciplines they are, freshman Katie Kotar, 18, of Wisconsin, said. For the ceremony, Struppa selected the musical pieces and a passage from Dantes Divine Comedy, read in Italian by a faculty member. The programs procession included academics from some 50 universities, including Englands University of Oxford, as well as former Chapman President G.T. Buck Smith. Bishop Kevin Vann, the head of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange, presented Struppa, born in Italy, with a framed personal blessing from Pope Francis. And the deputy consul general of Italy in Los Angeles also congratulated Struppa and said he was an immense source of pride for Italians. Struppa joined Chapman in 2006 as provost and chief academic officer. He came from George Mason University, where his roles included chair of the Department of Mathematical Sciences. Previous posts included three Italian universities. Struppa thanked many people in his speech. He also thanked America: Even though it is a little bit out of fashion, I also want to express my gratitude to this great country. In honor of Struppas heritage, several speakers used a greeting or two in Italian. And instead of champagne for an after-celebration, the guests raised their glasses to the new president with a favorite bubbly: Italian prosecco. Contact the writer: 714-796-7829 or rkopetman@ocregister.com The Department of Veterans Affairs has called it a public health crisis an estimated 20 veterans commit suicide every day. So it is no trivial matter that a suicide hotline run by the VA is failing to answer the phone. The former director of the Veterans Crisis Line told the Associated Press that an average of 35 to 40 percent of the calls to the hotline in May went unanswered by the crisis-trained health science specialists at the VCLs location in Canandaigua, N.Y. The calls rolled over to backup centers run by a contractor and staffed by workers, sometimes volunteers, who lack specialized training. Thats consistent with the findings of the Government Accountability Office, which ran a covert test of the Veterans Crisis Line during the summer of 2015. Investigators determined that the suicide hotline met the VAs call response time goals answering the phone within 30 seconds or sometimes 60 seconds only 65 to 75 percent of the time. The rest of the calls were transferred to one of five backup call centers, where some callers were left on hold. The VAs policy prohibits Veterans Crisis Line staffers from placing callers on hold without first completing a suicide assessment. The GAO also found problems with the Veterans Crisis Lines response to text messages, a capability added to the VCL in 2012. Four of the 14 text messages in the GAOs covert test went unanswered. In February, the VAs Office of Inspector General reported on complaints about the Veterans Crisis Line dating back to 2014. The report documented that 20 calls to one backup center went to voicemail. The calls were never returned because the staff didnt know there was a voicemail system. The VA has made a few changes, including modifying the contract with the backup call center provider to prohibit voicemail. The agency said it will hire more staff for the primary call center in New York and open another one in Atlanta. The fact is, the crisis line has not been able to keep pace with the crisis. From 2008 to 2015, the number of calls to the Veterans Crisis Line increased by nearly 700 percent. Last year the VCL received over 500,000 calls, and no one knows how many more callers may accidentally have reached a call center not operated by the VA. The Veterans Crisis Line shares a national toll-free number with the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-TALK (8255). A recorded message instructs veterans and their families to press 1 to be connected to the VCL. No one collects statistics on how many people trying to reach the Veterans Crisis Line miss the Press 1 instruction and are connected to one of the Lifeline call centers, which have not met the VAs requirements for services, staffing and training. On Monday, the House of Representatives unanimously passed the No Veterans Crisis Line Call Should Go Unanswered Act. The bill, now in the Senate, requires the VA to ensure that a qualified person responds to calls and texts to the crisis line in a timely manner. It shouldnt take a new law to do that. Someone in the administration should pick up the phone. There are less than 40 days left in the presidential campaign, and most Americans have made up their minds. But a sizable minority of likely voters have still not taken sides in this extraordinary election, and as the race tightens, their choices become increasingly important. What do we know about the undecideds? Data from the RAND Corp.s Presidential Election Panel Study and weekly surveys conducted by the online research firm YouGov for The Economist give us a trove of data. Among the many thousands who have completed the most recent YouGov surveys, roughly 8 percent of registered voters who plan to vote are undecided. In the RAND data, about 11 percent of registered voters are undecided. Estimates from other recent polls place the number of undecided voters this cycle between 2 and 12 percent. Despite the possibility that there may be more undecided voters this year than in previous elections, the undecideds of 2016 look a lot like those who remained unsure at this point in 2012. They are less interested in politics and the news, less partisan, and less likely to hold opinions on issues dominating campaign discussions. Essentially, they think less about politics. According to the YouGov data collected since June, only 29 percent of undecided voters pay attention to the news most of the time compared with 57 and 64 percent of those who have decided to cast ballots for Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump, respectively. They are also less likely to have watched any of the political conventions. Undecided voters are also less engaged in terms of partisanship, mainly placing themselves in the partisan middle, even when given the chance to say they lean slightly one way or the other. Still, more than half of undecided voters have a partisan leaning. In both sets of data, the undecideds are split between identifying as Democrats and Republicans, a pattern we first noted in 2012. There are some demographic differences between undecided voters and those who have made up their minds, but they are small relative to the differences in political interest and engagement. Women are slightly more likely than men to be undecided, younger voters more likely than older ones. There are also small differences across racial groups. Latinos are more likely to be undecided at this point than blacks; whites are in between. These descriptive differences are negligible compared with differences relating to politics and policy. The YouGov data reveal that undecided voters are much less likely to have positions on issues driving the campaign. On the question of whether the United States should build a wall on its border with Mexico, a position central to Trumps campaign for over a year, 28 percent of undecided voters are not sure whether they support or oppose this idea. Thats in contrast to only 7 percent of Trumps committed voters (and 11 percent of Clintons). Similarly, undecided voters are roughly twice as likely to be unsure whether the minimum wage should be raised or whether college should be free. The RAND data underscore this indecision. Seventeen percent of undecided registered voters are not sure whether they have a favorable or unfavorable view of the Republican Party (relative to 3 percent of Trump supporters and 13 percent of Clinton supporters). Similarly, 17 percent are unsure about their rating of the Democratic Party. Even on favorability ratings of the president, undecided voters are three times as likely as supporters of either major party candidate to say they dont know how to rate him. Where these undecided voters will end up is hard to say. More than 40 percent of them have a favorable view of President Barack Obama in both the YouGov and RAND surveys, which is not true of voters who have decided to vote for Trump. Yet based on previous reports of their vote in the 2012 election, many of this years undecided voters cast a ballot for Mitt Romney. If you believe they will return to partisan traditions, it could be good news for Trump. But its equally possible they are undecided Romney-voters because of Trump. In 2012, roughly half the people who were undecided at the end of the campaign stayed home. The other half split in similar proportions to the overall vote share. Despite the many ways that the 2016 election has been unexpected and unusual, the characteristics of undecided voters is not one of them. This may mean that we can expect half of them to stay home and the other half to split similarly to those who have decided already. They may be holdouts, but they are unlikely to be pivotal. The new Ram Rebel TRX concept truck really stole the headlines of the 2016 State Fair of Texas this year, because this off-road beast looks like it could actually finally offer a true rival to the Ford F-150 Raptor, and its actually a truck, at least for the most part, we could see being built. Here are five key things to know about the Rebel TRX. 1. 575 hp Supercharged HEMI V8 The Ram Rebel TRX is about as close to a Hellcat truck weve seen to date. At the heart of the off-road concept truck is a 6.2-liter supercharger HEMI V8 engine rated to produce 575 horsepower. Ram says the Rebel TRX is capable of reaching speeds in excess of 100 mph off of the highway, meaning this truck has the power and suspension performance to actually handle those speeds nearing the Trophy Truck speed range. 2. King Bypass Shocks Speaking of tackling the off-rod terrain, Ram says the Rebel TRX offers a 40 percent increase in suspension travel up front, thanks to its custom upper and lower controls arms and 2.5 King front and rear bypass shocks. The front wheel travel for the concept truck is 13 inches, which is 4 inches more than the stock Ram 1500 Rebel 3. Five-Link Rear Suspension For the rear, Ram relies on its five-link rear suspension design (also used on the Power Wagon) to increase rear-wheel travel from 9.25 inches of travel to 13 inches. The King 2.5-inch-diameter remote-reservoir shocks help soak up the bumps for the TRX, and the standard rear coils are swapped for more high-performance springs that still sit in the factory spring location. 4. 37-Inch Toyo Tires Ram was able to stuff 37-inch Toyo Open Country M/T tires in the wheel wells of the Rebel TRX, thanks to the suspension lift and the use of high-clearance fender flares. The mud-terrain tires are 37 inches tall and 13.5 inches in width to provide the truck with additional lift, and the 10-ply tire is also tough enough to withstand serious off-road abuse. Ram fits the Toyo tires on custom Mopar beadlock wheels. 5. Dynatrac Pro 60 Rear Axle The Rebel TRX is certainly a looker on the surface, but poking a head under the truck proves the truck offers a lot of serious upgrades to actually make the truck perform. Out back, Ram employs a hefty Dynatrac Pro 60 rear axle, which features 35-spline 1.5-inch axle shafts to added durability. The rear axle also houses a selectable locker when additional traction is needed. 6. Side-Exit Exhaust Ports Its hard to miss the very cool 5-inch side-exit exhaust ports on the Rebel TRX concept, which helps quickly exit spent exhaust gases from the supercharged HEMI engine. Whats extra cool about the exhaust ports is they are actually integrated into full-length rock rails that help offer additional protection off of the highway. The Offaly Joint Policing Committee will hold its Annual Public Meeting at 5.30 pm on Thursday, October 7 followed by a Safer Communities Seminar from 7pm to 9pm in the Tullamore Court Hotel. Cllr Eddie Fitzpatrick, Cathaoirleach of Offaly County Council and Chairperson of the Joint Policing Committee, has announced the final format of the above events. Cllr Fitzpatrick encourages everyone to come to the Joint Policing Committee (JPC) annual public meeting at 5.30 pm and to the Safer Communities Seminar which will be on immediately afterwards in the Court Hotel. The Cathaoirleach in launching the Safer Community Seminar commented, holding of the seminar is timely as we head into the winter months, and will give good information on how we can all help to build Safer Communities. Chief Superintendent John Scanlon noted, we are pleased with the questions received for consideration at next Thursdays Public Meeting. The Safer Communities Seminar will take the form of short presentations by the Local Garda Crime Division, IFA Theft Stop, Community Text Alert, Road Safety Authority and Offaly Fire Service, followed by a panel discussion which can take questions from the floor, to be chaired by Cllr Fitzpatrick. Cllr Fitzpatrick stated, the main aim of Offalys Joint Policing Committee (JPC) is to provide a forum where Offaly County Council and the senior Garda Officers responsible for the policing of Offaly, with the participation of the local Oireachtas members and community interests, can consult, discuss and make recommendations on matters affecting policing in the county. He further elaborates we are also holding a Safer Communities Seminar later on, both as an action point in the JPC Strategy, and to respond to community safety concerns expressed during consultation last year for the new Local Economic and Community Plan 2016-2021, recently launched by Minister Simon Coveney, TD. Anna Marie Delaney, Chief Executive, Offaly County Council, welcomes the events and encourages all interested parties to attend the JPC Public Meeting at 5.30pm and the Safer Communities Seminar from 7pm. She advised, various safer communities information stands will be available from 4.00pm to 9.00 pm. As well as organisations presenting at the seminar, we welcome exhibition displays from Muintir na Tire, Age Friendly Ireland, Offaly Citizens Information Services, the Ballycommon Friendly Call Service, Local Link Laois Offaly (rural transport), and the Midland Regional Drugs and Alcohol Taskforce. Home care/repair organisations such as South and West Offaly Home Fix, North Offaly Care and Repair and Tullamore Social Services will also be there. We thank all organisations involved and look forward to welcoming a wide audience next Thursday evening, October 6 to the Tullamore Court Hotel. For further information, phone (057) 93 57402, email meetingsadministrator@offalycoco.ie, or visit www.offaly.ie. Two Illinois residents were charged Friday with possession of cocaine after Douglas County sheriffs deputies said they found more than 14 pounds of the drug in their vehicle. A sheriffs deputy stopped a car near 60th and F Streets about 8:25 p.m. Wednesday after he saw the vehicle straddling a divider line on the street, according to a Sheriffs Office press release. The two people in the car said they were traveling from California to Illinois. The deputy suspected the vehicle could contain illegal drugs and asked for an Omaha Police Department K9 unit to respond. The police dog indicated it detected an odor of narcotics. Five bricks of cocaine were found after a search of the vehicle, the Sheriffs Office said. In Douglas County Court on Friday, Luis Camarena, 34, and Loren Contreras-Balvino, 28, both of Algonquin, Illinois, were charged with possession of cocaine, 140 grams or more, and failure to affix a drug stamp. Camarena is being held on $2 million bail. Contreras-Balvino is being held on $1 million bail. The two are scheduled to appear again in court Oct. 24. Two pit bulls that officials described as aggressive were removed from the vehicle and turned over to the Nebraska Humane Society. Note: An earlier headline on this article incorrectly indicated the two people in the vehicle charged in the case are male; Contreras-Balvino is a woman. Authorities say a 78-year-old Albion, Nebraska, man was assaulted and his wallet was stolen Thursday outside the Ameristar Casino in Council Bluffs. Gary McDonald told police that an unknown man struck up a conversation with him as McDonald got out of his vehicle, which was parked in the south lot of the casino at 2200 River Road. Police said McDonald told them that as he walked toward the casinos main entrance, the man accused him of having an affair with his girlfriend. The man pushed McDonald into a grassy median near the valet drive-thru and then removed McDonalds wallet from the pocket of his pants, police said. The man fled, getting into a maroon or red sedan driven by an unknown woman, police said. McDonald was not injured, police said. Omaha Mayor Jean Stotherts town hall meeting that was scheduled for Monday will be postponed. Many of Stotherts public events have been canceled or postponed after she fractured a vertebra Sept. 22. The meeting was scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at Adams Park Community Center. Two other town halls that were scheduled for earlier have also been postponed. Stothert said when she returned to City Hall part time on Thursday that she is committed to rescheduling the meetings. She generally schedules seven town hall meetings each year, one in each City Council district. Political newcomer Krystal Gabel says shes plenty comfortable being the only woman in a field of four contenders vying for two seats on the Metropolitan Utilities District board of directors. Gabel, 31, a technical writer for a local payments software company, said her relative youth and perspective would be an asset to the seven-member board. I have a new perspective on things, and while I dont want to play the gender card, there are a lot of men on the board, she said. When you lack equal representation, youre basically shutting out large populations from policymaking. Gabel also takes issue with what she says is the high fixed service charge on customers monthly bills. She said she wants to steer the utility toward increased transparency by showing ratepayers exactly what those charges fund within the district. Gabel also advocates more stringent water-quality standards and said she shares ratepayers concerns surrounding MUDs response to the Jan. 9 explosion and fire in the Old Market. Long-serving incumbent board member Jack Frost, who is seeking re-election for a sixth term, touts his decades of experience on the board as his prime asset. My knowledge and experience in the field is significant. Every time you get someone new on the board, it takes a long time before they become knowledgeable, he said. Frost, 84, said he would keep pushing the utility to new business opportunities like the recent water service boundary agreement with Gretna and Papillion. Agreements like those could boost MUDs water volumes, thereby increasing revenue and helping offset the costs of infrastructure. Frost declined to comment on the utilitys role in the blaze that destroyed a historic structure near 11th and Howard Streets in January, but he said he is comfortable with the utilitys response to the explosion and subsequent fire in the heart of the Old Market. Citing pending litigation tied to the incident, the 30-year board member declined to comment further. Thats unacceptable to Mike McGowan, 68, a retired Northern Natural Gas executive and former MUD board appointee. The ratepayer-owned utility needs to be more transparent about what it does know about the incident, he said. I can understand that some issues cant be discussed in public. The problem I have is that the public wants to know what facts are out there (that can be discussed), McGowan said. You cant hide all the facts behind the lawsuits. McGowan said his career experience working with utilities like MUD makes him a top choice for ratepayers who expect transparency, safety and cost management. Despite opposition from labor unions, McGowan said he worked in the interest of ratepayers during his two-year stint on the board in the early 2000s, a period in which he pushed for outsourcing of certain projects to save money and for increased employee contributions to the MUD pension fund. Retired MUD executive Tom Wurtz said voters should choose him for his 30 years of experience with the district and his familiarity with the business and how it operates. Wurtz said the expertise he gained in positions including general counsel and president would provide vital insight when it comes to analyzing gaps in the budget and avoiding rate increases, for example. That expertise also informs his criticism of MUDs rate structure, which he says unfairly burdens people living in smaller homes and apartments with higher fixed service charges despite lower gas and water consumption. Instead, MUD should make up revenue shortfalls with new wholesale customers, he said. Like Gabel and McGowan, Wurtz also said the utilitys ratepayers deserve more answers about what happened in the Old Market in January. There seems to be a reliance on the fact that its in litigation that they dont have to come forward with any of the changes theyre making, Wurtz said. Frankly, I dont think they have come clean with the public on this. This years is the last election in which MUD board members are elected at large. In 2018, those members will be elected by subdistricts. Six-year terms will remain unchanged. * * * Jack Frost Age: 84 Party: Republican Occupation: retired real estate broker Home: Omaha Public offices held: Metropolitan Utilities District board, 1987 to present Education: bachelors degree, University of Nebraska at Omaha Family: widowed; three children Faith: Unitarian Website: none Krystal Gabel Age: 31 Party: not affiliated Occupation: technical writer Home: Omaha Public offices held: none Education: bachelors degree, Briar Cliff University Family: single; no children Faith: not provided Mike McGowan Age: 68 Party: Republican Occupation: retired executive, Northern Natural Gas Home: Omaha Public offices held: MUD board (appointed), 2010-12 Education: bachelors and masters degrees, Creighton University Family: married; five children Faith: Catholic Website: none Tom Wurtz Age: 66 Party: Democratic Occupation: retired executive, MUD Home: Omaha Public offices held: none Education: bachelors degree, University of Nebraska-Lincoln; law degree, University of Nebraska Family: married; three children Faith: Catholic Jackie Hill, a proponent of breast cancer awareness who started an organization with that mission, died Thursday. Hills group, My Sisters Keeper, assisted women with breast cancer diagnoses, provided education about the disease and celebrated survivors. The organization, started about 15 years ago, put special emphasis on helping black women in northeast Omaha. My Sisters Keeper puts on a yearly gathering, the Celebration of Life, with a guest speaker and a ceremony for those who have survived and those who have died. Hill, 73, died Thursday of cardiac arrest at the Nebraska Medical Center. The thing that I will always remember is that we never turned a person away, said Gwendolyn Watson, 78, who co-founded My Sisters Keeper with Hill. Both were breast cancer survivors. Watson, who wept at some of the memories, said Hill would field calls from women late at night and provide counsel and solace. Watson said the organization also assisted women with the disease in paying their rent or utilities if they were struggling financially. Hill, who had bachelors and masters degrees in nursing, worked at the University of Nebraska Medical Centers Center for Reducing Health Disparities. Her supervisor there, Wayne Houston, said Hill also worked with women in weight management and with patients suffering with diabetes. To women fighting breast cancer, She was just like a big sister, Houston said. Dr. Edibaldo Silva, a UNMC professor of cancer surgery, said he received a five-year Komen Foundation grant to train navigators to sit in doctors appointments with women with breast cancer. Hill was one of his first volunteers for the program, Silva said. The navigators served as support and helped the women understand what the doctor was telling them about their disease and treatment. The grant also enabled them to set up informational meetings in churches, at health fairs and other places. Hill knew the African-American community thoroughly and was a terrific asset, Silva said. Also, she could relate to the patients and vice versa, he said. Initially they focused on underserved communities, but eventually they realized that other women would benefit from the service, too, Silva said. Cynthia Hume was another of those navigators and a breast cancer survivor herself. I think the thing that stands out is her passion for service, Hume said of Hill. Hume said Hill and Watson were the dynamos behind My Sisters Keeper. It was those two just trying to serve a population that really needed it, Hume said. You cant replace someone who had what Jackie had. Seven years ago, Hill received a Women Who Get it Right Award from the National Breast Cancer Coalition Fund. Watson said she was working in the office at North High and Hill was a nurse there about 20 years ago when Hill received her breast cancer diagnosis. Hill learned that Watson already had fought the disease. The two ultimately decided to form My Sisters Keeper to assist other women. The Celebration of Life includes a ceremony in which survivors light candles and a bell tolls for those who have died. The event will take place late this month at the Scott Conference Center. Asked whether My Sisters Keeper could continue without Hill and with Watson approaching 80, Watson said it would. There are plenty of others willing to pitch in and keep the mission alive, she said. Hill is survived by her son, Bryon, of Omaha; brothers Roger Lewis of Omaha and Daniel Ware of Evans, Georgia; and sister Andra Harrison of Houston. Services hadnt been scheduled as of Friday. Robert Bob Kelly Sr., a former law library director and associate law professor for the Creighton University School of Law, dedicated his life to helping those around him. Kelly died Wednesday at 94 of heart complications. He grew up in Chicago, initially attending the University of St. Mary of the Lake for seminary school. As he neared the end of his schooling and was preparing to become a priest, he became severely ill with tuberculosis. A priest suggested that Kelly look into getting a degree related to libraries because he was considered too ill for the priesthood. He received his masters in library sciences from Rosary College, now Dominican University, where he met his late wife, Elizabeth. Kelly pursued a law degree from DePaul University, where he was a librarian. He finished second in his class. Kelly became the director of DePaul Universitys Law Library in 1950. In 1973, he became the law library director at Creighton. Elizabeth also was offered a position, and she became the associate director of the law library. They were keenly aware of the students who would come in there every day and pull their hair out the students who were acting very lost or overwhelmed, son Bob Kelly Jr. said. The students would talk to them and say that they didnt think law school was for them or it was too much, and they would always listen and encourage them. Bob Kelly Sr. also was an associate professor of law until retiring at age 70. His son said his father was always looking out for people who needed guidance or support. He would sometimes provide them with legal services. He went out of his way to show them patience and kindness, even when others had given up on them, his son said. Kelly was a devout Catholic and attended Mass every day. He split his time between St. Margaret Mary Catholic Church and St. John Catholic Church. He had an incredible respect for every day of his life, his son said. I think faith and his community of family and friends within the church sustained him, and thats why he was able to live as long as he did. Kelly spent much of his free time volunteering, supporting the American Heart Association and other causes. Visitation will be Sunday from 1 to 3 p.m. followed by a wake service at the John A. Gentleman 72nd Street Chapel, 1010 N. 72nd St. A funeral Mass will be held at 10 a.m. Monday at St. John Catholic Church at Creighton University. Aside from his son, he is survived by daughter Mary Kelly; and grandchildren Sarah Kielion, Robby Kelly III, and Sean, Trevor and Kaitlin Kelly. Wife Elizabeth and son Joseph Kelly preceded him in death. Cancer can crush family budgets. It costs thousands of dollars to cover the medical costs that insurance wont. Sick days and vacation days run out. For many, there are travel costs to places like Omaha for specialized care. The American Cancer Society and its private donors are stepping up to help. The society broke ground Thursday on an $11.5 million, 32-suite Hope Lodge, where cancer patients who must travel more than 40 miles for cancer care can stay during treatment. This service is expected to save cancer patients an estimated $1.3 million a year. The lodge will offer a library, a shared living room, kitchen and dining areas, a laundry room and an activity room. And it will provide cancer patients with a support system, placing them near patients facing similar challenges and driving them to and from appointments. The Omaha lodge will be the 33rd built nationally by the cancer society when it opens in late 2017 near 81st and Farnam Streets. Methodist Hospital donated the land, worth $1.5 million. The site is centrally located between hospitals and clinics operated by Methodist, CHI Health and Nebraska Medicine. The facility adds 10,500 nights a year of lodging to an array of other local options for free or discounted lodging. And it will be welcomed by many patients and families in the years to come. Get ready to click report an error on Google or Apple Maps, because Douglas County wants to give Dodge Street a new name. They want to call it Dodge Street. Finally, change we can believe in. The Douglas County Board voted 7-0 Tuesday to ask the state to clarify that Omahas main street is named after two Nebraskans of accomplishment: Union Army Gen. Grenville Dodge and his brother, N.P. Dodge. Board members want to distance the street from its likely namesake, Sen. Augustus Caesar Dodge, a pro-slavery Iowan whose work in Congress helped establish the Nebraska Territory. The push to be more thoughtful about naming streets, parks, buildings and public spaces can sometimes go too far. It can wipe out important reminders of the often-commendable distance cities, counties, states and nations have traveled from one point in history to another. But some changes square the names with the publics perception. Thats the case with Dodge Street, which many Omahans assumed was named after one of the Nebraskans. This is our kind of name change the kind that requires no new name to learn, no new street signs to post, no map revisions and no political scrum. Besides, the main drag in Nebraskas biggest city should be named after Nebraskans. We urge Gov. Pete Ricketts to get behind renaming Dodge Street. That new name is D-O-D-G-E. Cauvery row: Siddaramaiah calls for another all party meet today Bengaluru oi-Vicky Bengaluru, Oct 1: Chief Minster of Karnataka, Siddaramaiah has once again called for an all party meeting following the Supreme Court's blasting over the Cauvery waters issue. The Supreme Court while directing Karnataka to release water, had warned that the state is inviting the wrath of the law by not complying with its orders. The meeting which is scheduled for 5 pm on Saturday will be attended by all major leaders from the parties. In the last meeting, the leaders had told the CM that he should follow the resolution of the legislature which had decided against releasing water to Tamil Nadu. Howeve, sources say that this time around with the Supreme Court coming down heavily, there is likely to be a softening of stance. The court had on Friday said that this would be Karnataka's last chance to comply with the order. Karnataka's counsel Fali S Nariman too had refrained from arguing the case on Friday citing non-compliance by the state of Karnataka. Also read: Cauvery Row: If you disobey court, I can't argue for Karnataka, Nariman tells Siddaramaiah The court told Karnataka that it must not forget that it is part of India. "You must obey the law. Article 144 of the Indian Constitution mandates that everyone follows the orders of the Supreme Court. It is unfortunate that you are defying orders of the Supreme Court in flagrant violation of the Constitution. This is the last time we are ordering you. One knows not when the wrath of the law will fall upon him," the Bench observed. OneIndia News Seeking details on Jayalalithaa's health, advocates petitions President of India Chennai oi-Vicky Chennai, Oct 1: There is a lot of confusion and speculation regarding Tamil Nadu chief minister, J Jayalalithaa who is admitted in hospital for a little over a week now. While former Chief Minister M Karunanidhi had sought clarity on her health to put an end to speculation, an advocate also petitioned the President of India regarding the same. In a three paged letter, Rehan S Bell who practises in the Supreme Court sought for a report on the Tamil Nadu chief minister's health. He has also sought for the President to seek a report from the Governor on the prevailing situation. While seeking that Article 356 of the Indian Constitution be invoked in Tamil Nadu, the advocate sought the President's intervention in the matter. The advocate also wants Jayalalithaa to be examined by an independent doctor or a panel of doctors from the AIIMS. Also read: UK based doctor visits Jayalalithaa in hospital, governor likely to visit today He says that the President should call for a report from the Governor on the prevailing sitiuation regarding health of the Chief Minister and also her ability or otherwise to discharge her constitutional obligations. Under Article 356, the President can dismiss a State Government or dissolve a State Assembly or keep it under suspended animation in the event of a failure of the constitutional machinery in that state. In such cases although the President has the right to act and seek a report, he would first have to hear from the Governor. The Governor of Tamil Nadu is scheduled to visit the state and take stock of the situation. Legal experts, however, say that Article 356 cannot be invoked at this juncture as there is no breakdown in the machinery of the state. Even if the president has to act on this petition filed by the advocate, he would have first call for a report from the Governor. OneIndia News In a first, two inmates of Institute of Mental Health tie the knot UK based doctor visits Jayalalithaa in hospital, governor likely to visit today Chennai oi-Vicky Chennai, Oct 1: Amidst speculation surrounding the health of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, J Jayalalithaa, the Apollo Hospital flew in a doctor from London to examine her. Dr Richard John Beale, Consultant Intensivist at the London Bridge Hospital said after examining the Chief Minister that she was receiving the best possible treatment at the hospital. Apollo Hospital flew in the doctor after demands by many people including former chief minister of Tamil Nadu, M Karunanidhi to give out a clear picture on the Chief Minister's health. He said that there is a need to put an end to the speculation. While there is a lot of speculation about Jayalalithaa's health the governor of the state, C Vidyasagar Rao is likely to visit the Chief Minister in hospital. He is likely to issue a statement following the visit. Karunanidhi in a statement on Friday had said that the governor had not visited the CM even though she has been in hospital for a week. The government and the medical team must explain to the people about her health periodically. Meanwhile, Dr Beale will be available for consultation over the next couple of days. The team of doctors attending to the Chief Minister will consult with the UK doctor over the next couple of days. OneIndia News The race for US President: First debate revealed who Trump is Feature oi-Oneindia By Bharat Krishnan After over a year of campaigning, US presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump finally met on September 26 to debate each other for the first time. Going into the debate, Trump held a lead of one point over Hillary (39-38%). After the debate, Clinton gained a lead of three points in a poll conducted by the same company (41-38%). So, what changed? Well, it could be the fact that the world realized that Trump once fat-shamed a former Miss Universe winner, calling her "Ms. Piggy." Or it could be the fact that Trump proudly announced to the world that not paying taxes "makes [him] smart." Or it could be the fact that he appeared hopelessly clueless when discussing the nuances of American nuclear warfare. Or it could be the fact that when confronted about potentially profiting off the housing crisis, Trump said "that's called business." Or it could be the fact that in the days that followed the debate, we learned once more about how Trump built his empire by refusing to pay contractors. More than focusing on any particular ideological policy, these hits on Trump have been personal in nature, which makes them more damning for him since they cannot be shrugged off as partisan. As Michelle Obama says, being president "doesn't change who you are, it reveals who you are." Trump's debate performance revealed who he is to over 84 million people, many of whom were tuning into the presidential race for the first time. Read: Bigotry does not win votes, Trump-ets will learn that lesson on Nov. 8 In mid-August, noted political prognosticator Larry Sabato stated that Hillary was on track to win 348 electoral votes (270 are needed to win). Such a large victory would entail that she would win some traditionally Republican states, like North Carolina, as well as make a full sweep of traditional battleground states like Ohio and Florida. Before the debate, however, Sabato revised his predictions to state that now Clinton could only count on 272 electoral votes-still enough to win, but a significant drop in her support. What happened between mid-August and late September? First, Hillary referred to some Trump supporters as "deplorable" in publicized remarks that Trump then used in TV ads. Secondly, she fell ill with pneumonia and then appeared to conceal her illness from voters-an instance that was not particularly helpful as many voters already see her as untrustworthy. Democrats were panicked, but it appears that, after the debate, the race has now been reset to where it was in August. Furthermore, Hillary appears to be gaining even more momentum. Traditionally conservative newspapers, such as the Arizona Republic and the Dallas Morning News, have endorsed her. And USA Today, a paper that has never taken sides in a presidential campaign, stated recently that Trump should not win. Furthermore, a slew of new swing-state polls show Clinton with definitive leads in states like Colorado, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. This momentum is coming at exactly the right time for the Clinton campaign, as early voting begins in pivotal states like Iowa and some of the largest cities in Wisconsin. There are still two more debates as well as the vice presidential debate but, for now, it appears that Clinton is poised to win big on Election Day. (Bharat Krishnan is a veteran Indian-American Democratic campaigner and author of Confessions of a Campaign Manager) For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, October 1, 2016, 11:39 [IST] Know why this bridge in Chhattisgarhs Naxal-affected village is so special Amid tensions, 10,000 villagers evacuated from border villages in Jammu India oi-PTI Jammu, Oct 1: Amid tension prevailing in areas along the Indo-Pak border after the surgical strikes in PoK to dismantle terrorist launch pads, nearly 10,000 villagers living along IB and LoC have migrated to safer areas in Jammu district. The authorities had yesterdayon Thursday asked border residents to move to safer places in the wake of surgical strikes carried out by the Indian Army in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. "Nearly 10,000 people have migrated from border villages to safer areas today," Jammu Deputy Commissioner Simrandeep Singh said on Friday. Of them, 600 have shifted to camps set up by the government, he said. All the people living within 6 to 7 kms of the border have been asked to move to safer areas and schools within 10 kms of the border have been closed till further notice. These directions have been passed to people living along IB in Jammu, Samba and Kathua districts and along LoC in Rajouri and Poonch, officials said. Most of them have shifted to the houses of their relatives in safer places, a police officer said. The hospitals in the border belt have been put on alert. Army has evacuated some people living in border areas in Noushera belt of Rajouri anticipation of a possible retaliation by Pakistani troops, officials said. PTI Tamil Nadu bandh over Cauvery issue today: All you need to know Cauvery row: Ignore SC warning, don't release water to TN, all-party meet tells K'taka govt India oi-Vicky Bengaluru, Oct 1: At the all party meeting held on the Cauvery waters issue, the government was backed for its decision not to release water to Tamil Nadu. The BJP and the JD(S) told the Congress ruled Karnataka government that water should not be released to Tamil Nadu. The parties told the government that it should not go back on its decision of not releasing water. Further, it was also stated that the government should not against the resolution of the legislature. The legislature had resolved to release Cauvery Water only for drinking water purposes. The JD(S) during the meet advised the government to oppose the constitution of the Cauvery Management Board. Even as Tamil Nadu and Puducherry nominated members to the board, the Karnataka government was told to refrain from doing so. [Cauvery row: Siddaramaiah calls for another all party meet today] The all party meet was called after the Supreme Court directed Karnataka to release 6,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu between October 1 and 6. The court had also ordered the constitution of the Cauvery Management Board by 4th. The Supreme Court while directing Karnataka to release water had warned that the state is inviting the wrath of the law by not complying with its orders. [Cauvery row: Release water or face the wrath of the law, SC tells Karnataka] The court told Karnataka that it must not forget that it is part of India. You must obey the law. Article 144 of the Indian Constitution mandates that everyone follows the orders of the Supreme Court. It is unfortunate that you are defying orders of the Supreme Court in flagrant violation of the Constitution.This is the last time we are ordering you. One knows not when the wrath of the law will fall upon him, the Bench observed. PTI Cauvery row: Karnataka CM convenes special legislative session on Monday India oi-Vicky Bengaluru, Oct 2: The Karnataka cabinet has decided not to release water to Tamil Nadu. The decision was taken after an all party meeting which took a similar decision. Chief Minster of Karnataka, Siddaramaiah informed the media that the state had taken a decision to file a review petition in the Supreme Court. The CM said that a special session of the Karnataka legislative assembly will be convened on Monday over this issue. He said that the order of the SC which directed release of water to TN was defective and hence a review would be sought. The CM said the House would take a call on the release of water to TN. The CM also said that the state had not defied the order of the Supreme Court. It cannot amount to wilful disobedience he also said. He further said that the house had passed a resolution and they were bound by it. Earlier, the CM convened an all party meeting. At the all party meeting the government was backed for its decision not to release water to Tamil Nadu. The BJP and the JD(S) told the Congress ruled Karnataka government that water should not be released to Tamil Nadu. The parties told the government that it should not go back on its decision of not releasing water. Further it was also stated that the government should not against the resolution of the legislature. The legislature had resolved to release Cauvery Water only for drinking water purposes. Cauvery row: Ignore SC warning, don't release water to TN, all-party meet tells K'taka govt The all party meet was called after the Supreme Court directed Karnataka to release 6,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu between October 1 and 6. The court had also ordered the constitution of the Cauvery Management Board by 4th. The Supreme Court while directing Karnataka to release water had warned that the state is inviting the wrath of the law by not complying with its orders. Meanwhile former Prime Minister of India, H D Deve Gowda has called off his strike. Gowda had gone on an indefinite hunger strike this morning. After the all party meeting several leaders had met with Gowda and urged him to call off his hunger strike. OneIndia News Imran Khan's party rejects ISI chief's allegations; says he never made unconstitutional demands Why is 'Mr. Bean controversy trending on Twitter after Zimbabwe beat Pakistan? Pak off the FATF grey list doesn't mean it's not under scrutiny anymore: MEA secretary Imran Khan again targets Pakistan's establishment on Day 2 of protest march; govt rules out talks over snap polls News flash: Six people washed away in flood water in Telangana India oi-Oneindia By Oneindia Staff Writer Oct 1: Ceasefire violation by Pakistan in Pallanwala sector of Akhnoor (J&K) started around 4 am, firing still going on. Meanwhile, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah calls for an all party meet at 5pm today including all MPs from the state to discussCauvery issue. Get all the latest news updates of the day: 10:30 pm: Six people washed away in flood water in Nizamabad district of Telangana. All bodies have been recovered. 10:00 pm: Significant recommendations of the Lodha Committee have been accepted by BCCI,says Anurag Thakur 9:30 pm: Rajasthan: Seven people were killed after being stuck by lightning in Baran. 9:00 pm: Former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda called off his hunger strike. 8:30 pm: Rain triggers waterlogging in many parts of Karnataka, visuals from Gulbarga 8:00 pm: Tamil Nadu Governor Vidyasagar Rao visited CM. 7:45 pm: Pakistan should be expelled from SAARC for having violated the principles of SAARC: Tarek Fatah in Delhi 7:00 pm: Prime Minister Narendra Modi met President Pranab Mukherjee today. 6:30 pm: After all party meet in Karnataka, Cabinet meeting on Cauvery issue begins in the state. 5.56 pm: At all party meeting, the government was also told not to go against the resolution passed by the legislature on the Cauvery issue. All parties also oppose the formation of the Cauvery Management Board. 5.50 pm: At the all party meet, the government was advised not to release water to Tamil Nadu. 5.38 pm: Delhi LG Najeeb Jung launched mobile app for senior citizens to enable them to reach Delhi Police in emergency situations, earlier today. 5.33 pm: At the all party meeting on Cauvery being conducted a consensus has been arrived at not to appoint a member to the cauvery management board.Karnataka has moved the Supreme Court seeking a modification of two orders which directed the release of 6,000 cusecs of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu. Karnataka is seeking the modification of the orders dated September 20 and 30. 5.11 pm: News that Rahul Gandhi got electrocuted in Agra (UP) is incorrect, the wire which fell on Gandhi was not a live wire. 5.01 pm: IND vs NZ second test match day 2: New Zealand 128/7, trailing by 188. 4.22 pm: Narela (Delhi) Fire: Bodies of two fire department personnel recovered from the debris so far. Search continues. 4.20 pm: Delhi's Patiala House Court to pronounce order in the case on October 6th on Smriti Irani's degree row. 4.16 pm: ED attaches assets worth Rs. 1.16 Crore of H.M.Maltesh under PMLA in case of cheating Mysore Sales International, a Karnataka state PSU. 4.12 pm: All party meeting underway over Cauvery Issue in Karnataka 4.00 pm: We should rise above, and treat art and sports as what they are: Sitaram Yechury, CPI(M) on Pak artists controversy. 3.45 pm: Sucha Singh Chhotepur unveils the flag of his new 'Apna Punjab Party'. 3.30 pm: Lt Gen DS Hooda, GOC-in-C Northern Command and GoC 15 Corps Lt Gen Satish Dua meet J&K Governor to discuss situation along LoC in Srinagar 3.12 pm: Government has taken to steps to curb tax evasion: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley. 3.11 pm: I think my country is doing very good and so is the army: Sunny Deol on Surgical Strikes. 3.10 pm: PM Narendra Modi to meet President Pranab Mukherjee today. 3.03 pm: PM (Modi) has said that right in beginning,"we will do it, and do it in the time and method of our choosing": VP Hamid Ansari on Surgical Strike. 3.02 pm: You see, you can't be the recipient of terrorist attacks all the time and do nothing about it, says VP Hamid Ansari on on Surgical Strike. 3.00 pm: If Pakistan continues with such conspiracies, we will give them a befitting reply again: Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar. 2.50 pm: Pak shouldn't take India's silence as weakness, Pak didn't probe the matter as it is still in shock after Surgical Strike: Manohar Parrikar. 2.49 pm: India's stature as independent country being severely compromised;This is 1st time that an Indian PM didn't attend NAM summit: Yechury. 2.27 pm: Jayalalithaa is recovering well, hoping she'll be discharged shortly. Won't release pictures: AIADMK says on TN CM's health update. 2.22 pm: PM Modi posts on the Chinese social media platform 'Weibo', says "my greetings to the people of China on the occasion of your National Day". 2.04 pm: 5.5-Magnitude earthquake hits parts of Pakistan, tremor felt in Islamabad. 1.58 pm: PEMRA has taken up the decision of banning all Indian channels nationwide. 1.53 pm: Karnataka has moved the Supreme Court seeking a modification of two orders which directed the release of 6,000 cusecs of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu. Karnataka is seeking the modification of the orders dated September 20 and 30. 1.45 pm: Earthquake shakes Gilgit, Chilas, and surrounding areas. 1.21 pm: Jawans are fighting for us at borders.What'll happen if thy decide to put down their weapons? Who'll guard borders? Salman Khan?: Raj Thackeray. 1.00 pm: Are we short of artists in our country? Why do we need Pakistani artists to work in our films? I don't understand, says Raj Thackeray. 12.50 pm: Clash between protesters and police, many police personnel & protesters injured; one dead in Jharkhand. 12.25 pm: Pallanwala (J&K): People being evacuated and taken to safer places after ceasefire violation in Akhnoor sector by Pakistan. 12.02 pm: CM Raman Singh flags off bus service for the pilgrims visiting Dongargarh. 11.45 am: JD (S) workers stage protest over Cauvery Issue in Mandya (Karnataka) 11.44 am: Due to weather change, people are getting sick, Govt has given orders for free treatment of patients, says Rajendra Rathore, Rajasthan Health Minister. 11.43 am: Govt is assessing the situation and all necessary medicines are made available at hosp-Rajasthan Health Min on rise in dengue cases in state. 11.20 am: Army Chief Dalbir Singh reaches Udhampur (J&K) to meet Northern Command to review security situation along border on Surgical Strike. 11.19 am: Anurag Thakur arrives for the BCCI Special General Meeting (SGM) on Lodha Committee's recommendations in Mumbai. 11.18 am: Devotees offer prayers at Kamakhya Temple on the first day of Navratri 2016 in Assam. 11.17 am: Devotees offer prayers at Jagdamba Mata temple in Koradi on the first day of Navratri 2016 in Nagpur. 11.16 am: Shutdowns and restrictions at various critical places continue for 85th day in Jammu. 11.03 am: J&K: Devotees flock to Vaishno Devi Shrine on the first day of Navratri. J&K: Devotees flock to Vaishno Devi Shrine on the first day of #Navratri2016 pic.twitter.com/KGOrxYYo43 ANI (@ANI_news) October 1, 2016 10.45 am: In a statement, Russia said it stands for "decisive struggle" against terrorism in all its manifestations. 10.25 am: Gun salutes paid to Naik Raj Kishor Singh (who succumbed to his injuries, y'day) during his last rites ceremony in Arrah. Bihar: Gun salutes paid to Naik Raj Kishor Singh (who succumbed to his injuries, y'day) during his last rites ceremony in Arrah #UriAttack pic.twitter.com/y7upN7HLXE ANI (@ANI_news) October 1, 2016 9.40 am: Army Chief Dalbir Singh enroute to J&K, will meet Northern and Western Command to review security situation along border. 9.08 am: Former Prime Minister of India, H D Deve Gowda on indefinite hunger over Cauvery issue. Bengaluru: Former PM HD Deve Gowda sits on a indefinite hunger strike against SC's order near Gandhi statue in Vidhana Soudha #CauveryIssue pic.twitter.com/stCCQCIZk5 ANI (@ANI_news) October 1, 2016 8.55 am: Maldives backs out of SAARC, blames cross border terrorism in the region. 8.25 am: UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon offers to mediate between India, Pakistan. 8.10 am: Devotees throng Jhandewalan Mandir on the first day of Navratri festival to participate in morning "Aarti". Delhi: Devotees throng Jhandewalan Mandir on the first day of #Navratri2016 festival to participate in morning "Aarti" pic.twitter.com/qSIO7LsWcM ANI (@ANI_news) October 1, 2016 8.05 am: Ceasefire violation by Pakistan in Pallanwala sector of Akhnoor (J&K) started around 4 am, firing still going on. 8.00 am: Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah calls for an all party meet at 5pm today to discuss Cauvery row. OneIndia News Tamil Nadu bandh over Cauvery issue today: All you need to know Cauvery row: Karnataka parties oppose management board formation India oi-IANS By Ians English Bengaluru, Oct 1: In defiance of the Supreme Court directive, opposition parties in Karnataka on Saturday urged the state government to oppose the setting up of the Cauvery Management Board, as it would be detrimental to the state's interests. "We have advised the government not to recommend any official's name to the centre as the state's member on the Board as we are against constituting it now," said Janatal Dal-Secular (JD-S) leader and former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy here. The Bharatiya Janata Party also told the government to urge the central government from setting up the Board at this juncture as the state's petition challenging the final award of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal was pending before the Supreme Court. "We will prevail upon Prime Minister Narendra Modi not to set up the Board, as the tribunal's various recommendations in its final award have been contested by the state in the apex court," former BJP Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar told reporters here. The top court's Friday order to the Union government for setting up the Board by October 4 and its directive to the four riparian states to send names of officials as their representatives were discussed at the all-party meeting here. In addition to Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry are the other two beneficiary states of the river water in the southern peninsula. The 765-km-long Cauvery river originates at Talakaveri in Karnataka's Kodagu district and flows through the Western Ghats to Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry before joining the Bay of Bengal. The final hearing of the state's review petition against the tribunal's award is listed for October 18 by the apex court. Though the tribunal gave the final award in February 2007, the erstwhile UPA government notified it only in February 2013 on the apex court's direction. "If the Board is set up before the Supreme Court's ruling on the tribunal's award, its (board) decisions will not be binding on the states," said JD-S lawmaker Y.S.V. Datta. A division bench of Justices Dipak Mishra and U.U. Lalit asked the Union Government through its Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi to set up the Board by October 4 to assess the ground situation in the river basin areas and directed the states to send names of their representatives to the central government by Saturday. The opposition leaders also expressed surprise over the directive of the bench to set up the board when there was no such a plea before for it or in the petitions filed by both the neighbouring states. Read More: Cauvery row: Siddaramaiah calls for another all party meet today The tribunal allocated 419 tmc (thousand million cubic feet) of the river water to Tamil Nadu, 270 tmc to Karnataka, 30 tmc to Kerala and 7 tmc to Puducherry. Though the tribunal ordered Karnataka to release 192 tmc feet of water to Tamil Nadu in a normal year from June to May, it did not recommend the quantum of water Karnataka has to release in a distress year when there is a shortage in the rain-dependent river, but left it to be decided by the management board it recommended to be set up. Besides Karnataka, Kerala, Puducherry and Tamil Nadu have filed review petitions in the top court against the tribunal award, seeking clarifications and renegotiations on the sharing of the river water. IANS Pak off the FATF grey list doesn't mean it's not under scrutiny anymore: MEA secretary Imran Khan again targets Pakistan's establishment on Day 2 of protest march; govt rules out talks over snap polls Pak still in anaesthesia after surgery: Parrikar India oi-PTI Dehradun, Oct 1: In his first remarks after the cross LoC anti-terror strike, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar today compared Pakistan's condition to an "anaesthetised patient" after a surgery and said like Hanuman Indian Army has recognised its prowess. "Pakistan's condition after the surgical strikes is like that of an anaesthetised patient after a surgery who doesn't know that the surgery has already been performed on him. Even two days after the surgical strikes, Pakistan has no idea what has happened," Parrikar said. India loves peace and does not believe in unprovoked aggression but it won't take terror lying down, he said, adding that the strikes were also meant to give a message to Pakistan that Indian troops knew how to retaliate. Comparing the Army to Hanuman, he made a reference to the Ramayana in which the monkey god crossed an ocean in a single stride after he was reminded about his extraordinary powers by Jamwant. "Indian troops were like Hanuman who did not quite know their prowess before the surgical strikes," Parrikar said. Congratulating the troops for the precision and efficacy of the strikes, the Minister said he greeted all its members for their extraordinary feat. "The surgical strikes gave our forces an idea of what they were capable of doing. Pakistan is bewildered following the strikes, not quite knowing how to react," Parrikar said in his first public reaction after the strikes. "Indian troops caught Pakistan unawares as our commandos did what they had to without Pakistani authorities getting a wind of it," he said addressing a gathering at Peethsain in Pauri district. The Defence Minister was addressing the gathering after unveiling a statue of noted freedom fighter from Uttarakhand Veer Chandra Singh Garhwali in his ancestral village Peethsain. India carried out surgical strikes on seven terror launch pads across the LoC on the intervening night of September 28 and 29, inflicting "significant casualties" on terrorists preparing to infiltrate from PoK. PTI For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, October 1, 2016, 17:31 [IST] Imran Khan's party rejects ISI chief's allegations; says he never made unconstitutional demands Why is 'Mr. Bean controversy trending on Twitter after Zimbabwe beat Pakistan? Pak off the FATF grey list doesn't mean it's not under scrutiny anymore: MEA secretary Imran Khan again targets Pakistan's establishment on Day 2 of protest march; govt rules out talks over snap polls Pakistan Rangers violate ceasefire in Akhnoor sector India oi-IANS By Ians English Jammu, Oct 1: Pakistan Rangers on Saturday restored to indiscriminate firing at Indian positions in Jammu and Kashmir's Akhnoor sector of the International Border. "Pakistan Rangers targeted Border Security Force BSF positions on the International Border in Akhnoor sector of Jammu district today (Saturday) morning. Rangers used small arms and automatics," Police sources told IANS. "BSF has retaliated Pakistan firing using same calibre weapons. Intermittent firing exchanges are still going on in the area," the source added. The firing, which started at 4 a.m. is still underway. This is Pakistan's third ceasefire violation in Akhnoor sector in last 36 hours. IANS 2019: A surgical strike in space and the year of Mission Shakti U'khand govt hails surgical strikes by Army in POK India oi-PTI Dehradun, Sept 30: The Uttarakhand government today hailed the surgical strikes by the Army on terror launchpads in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir and congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the bold offensive. A Cabinet meeting was chaired by Chief Minister Harish Rawat at Bijapur guest house where members saluted the security forces for their show of valour across the LoC. "By carrying out surgical strikes on terror launchpads in POK, the Indian army has dealt a huge blow to terrorism. Entire Uttarakhand today salutes our forces," Rawat told reporters after the Cabinet meeting. Pakistan announces cancellation of Saarc Summit He congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the bold offensive and hoped such steps will continue in future. PTI Surgical strike: How India hoodwinked Pakistan? India oi-Vicky New Delhi, Oct 1: The planning and the execution of the surgical strike across the Line of Control (LoC) by the Indian armed forces could not have been better. There was always this concern that the enemy would get wind of the operation and to hoodwink them was a major task. While the entry point for the Commandos of the 4 Para Special Forces had been decided, army choppers flew extensively in other parts of the border. This was done with a view of confusing the enemy and making them believe that an operation was underway in the areas where the chopper movement was seen. However, the forces after successfully hoodwinking the Pakistanis entered the Line of Control through the Tutmari Gali area in the Nowgam sector of Kupwara. There were 80 soldiers designated for this operation. After being dropped off near the LoC, the soldiers moved by foot before targeting the terrorist launch pads. The soldiers crawled and walked nearly 3 kilometres across the Line of Control before targeting the terrorists. Also read: Surgical strike: JuD chief Hafiz Saeed warns India of befitting response The soldiers had managed to reach their target by 2 am. The operation was completed and soldiers returned to their base by 4.30 am. The operation was called off at 8 am on Thursday. Later in the day the Director General of Military Operations announced in New Delhi that a surgical strike had been carried out. He also said that the operation had ended. OneIndia News Tamil Nadu governor visits Jayalalithaa, happy to note she is 'recovering well' India oi-PTI Chennai, Oct 1: Amid rumours about her health condition, Tamil Nadu Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao today visited Chief Minister Jayalalithaa at a hospital here and was happy to note she was "recovering well". Upon his visit to the Apollo hospital where he stayed for about 30 minutes, Rao was briefed by its Chairman Pratap C Reddy on the treatment being given to Jayalalithaa, a Raj Bhavan release said. Rao visited the chief minister in the ward where she is being given treatment and stated he was "thankful" to the doctors who took him there and for explaining in detail the treatment given to her, it said. Jayalalithaa was admitted to the hospital on September 22 after she complained of fever and dehydration. "The Governor was happy to note that the Honourable Chief Minister is recovering well. With Jayalalithaa in hospital, who is in charge of TN? The Governor appreciated the doctors for providing the best medical care and treatment," to Jayalalithaa, the release added. Rao presented a basket of fruits and wished Jayalalithaa a speedy recovery, the release added. He was received at the hospital by a number of AIADMK leaders including Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker M Thambidurai, and state Finance Minister O Panneerselvam, among others, it added. DMK chief M Karunanidhi had yesterday wished Jayalalithaa a speedy recovery, but urged the government to "put an end to the "rumours" surrounding his arch political rival's health. "The state administration should work to put an end to such rumours and the Governor should take due steps in this regard. I insist upon this since this is the desire of the people," he had added. The Apollo Hospitals has flown in UK-based Dr Richard John Beal to examine the 68-year-old Jayalalithaa. PTI With Jayalalithaa in hospital, who is in charge of TN? India oi-Vicky At first there were murmurs and today the question is out in the open. The health of Tamil Nadu chief minister, J Jayalalithaa has become a major cause of concern and many are demanding to know the exact status. Former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, M Karunanidhi on Friday cited media reports that the CM's friend Sasikala and advisor, Sheela Balakrishnan were functioning as her proxies. While the opposition DMK refers to secrecy, the ruling AIADMK quotes privacy. However, for the common man who is often bombarded with rumours on his Whatsapp, the tension is unbearable. A few in Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu says there is palpable tension in the air and they have been returning home early from work. The other question is if a Chief Minister is in hospital who should be in charge of the state? In this case it is very difficult to make out an argument about who should be in charge of the state. Prior to the meeting at Delhi on the Cauvery issue, the AIADMK said that the points to be raised were all dictated by Jayalalithaa who convened a meeting at the Apollo Hospital, Chennai where she is admitted. If one were to go by this version, then there appears to be no crisis in the government as the AIADMK state indicates that she is still in charge. The need for clarity While Karunanidhi citing media reports states that the government is being run by Sasikala and Sheela Balakrishna, he also calls for clarity on the issue. He says protocol demands that the Chief Secretary of the Health Minister should inform the people of the Chief Minister's health condition. Legal experts say that this is quite a tricky situation. While on one hand the former CM alleges on the basis of media reports that it is a proxy government that is being run, on the other, the AIADMK says that Jayalalithaa is discharging her duties from hospital. It is now for the governor to report on the matter and throw some light on the issue. Also read: Seeking details on Jayalalithaa's health, advocates petitions President of India Experts say that if the CM is in hospital and is discharging her constitutional duties, then no fingers can be pointed. However, in the event of her unable to discharge her duties, then there has to be one authority in place who will take over the governance. Normally as per protocol, it is the Home Minister who is always second in command. However, this does not always have to be the case and if the Chief Minister has appointed a trusted aide to run the government then it would be that person in command. But in the event of no such person being delegated then as per protocol it is always the Home Minister. Misuse of Constitution Karunanidhi also points out that there ought to be some clarity. If media reports of the government being run by proxies is correct then it amounts to misuse of powers and over stepping what is enshrined in the Indian Constitution, he says. However, in order to prove these allegations, a report from the Governor becomes mandatory. He would need to visit the hospital to take stock of the sitiuation and report it. If the governor does find that the government is being run by proxies, he could report to the President that there has been a breakdown of the machinery. In such an event, the governor could advise the government to appoint a second in command to take decisions. Legal experts say that at this juncture, the Governor can only play the role of an advisor. It would not be possible for Article 356 of the Constitution to be invoked at this point in time. Under Article 356, the President can dismiss a State Government or dissolve a State Assembly or keep it under suspended animation in the event of a failure of the constitutional machinery in that state. It is too early for this and for now going by the version of the AIADMK, Amma still runs the government, experts would also point out. Eexperts also feel that the secrecy should end. If everything is indeed fine, then the public ought to know as they have elected the government. The AIADMK can say that this is a matter of privacy. While right to privacy is enshrined in the Indian Constitution, there is also a sense of responsibility. The people in Tamil Nadu are anxious over this issue and hence some amount of clarity would on this issue would do a world of good. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, October 1, 2016, 15:03 [IST] Pak, China team up again, say UN counter-terrorism mechanism being politicised UN observers have not directly witnessed firing across LoC: Ban spokesperson International oi-IANS By Ians English United Nations, Sep 30: UN military observers have not directly witnessed any firing across the Line of Control (LoC) in Kashmir, Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's spokesperson said on Friday. Briefing reporters, spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said: "UNMOGIP (UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan) has not directly observed any firing across the line of control relating to the latest incidents." However, he added: "The UN Observer Group in India and Pakistan is aware of the reports of the presumed ceasefire violations and is liaising with the concerned authorities to obtain further information." When a reporter said that India had said it had carried out "surgical strikes" across the LoC, Dujarric replied: "What I am saying is that UNMOGIP has not directly observed any firing. They are obviously aware of the reports of these presumed violations and are talking to the relevant, concerned authorities." Pakistan channels showing morphed clips of casualties, say Army India has publicly said that it carried out surgical strikes against terrorist launchpads across the LoC in Pakistan-controlled areas of Kashmir. The action followed the terrorist attack from there on an Indian Army base 11 days ago in Uri in which 19 soldiers were killed. Pakistan has officially denied there was any incursion by Indian forces into territory held by it. UNMOGIP, set up in 1949 to supervise the cease-fire between India and Pakistan in Kashmir, is headed by Major General Per Gustaf Lodin of Sweden and has 41 military observers drawn from ten countries. India has said that UNMOGIP has outlived its utility as India and Pakistan acknowledged in the 1972 Simla Agreement the dispute is bilateral issue. Islamabad, however, continues to try to internationalise the issue and seeks external intervention. IANS US objects to Pakistan's nuke threats against India International oi-PTI Washington, Oct 1: The United States has strongly objected to threats of nuclear warfare made by Pakistan against India and has conveyed its displeasure to that country in this regard. "We made that (American objection on nuclear threat) clear to them (Pakistan). Repeatedly," a senior State Department official said. The official who spoke on condition of anonymity, however, would not reveal the level at which the message was conveyed to Pakistan. "It is very concerning. It is a serious thing," the official said when asked about Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif's assertions, twice in the last 15 days, that his country could use nuclear weapons against India. "We will destroy India if it dares to impose war on us," Asif had told a Pakistani news channel in his latest interview. "Pakistan army is fully prepared to answer any misadventure of India." "We have not made atomic device to display in a showcase. If a such a situation arises we will use it (nuclear weapons) and eliminate India," Asif had said. The statements raised eyebrows in the Obama Administration and is seen as "irresponsible" behaviour by top Pakistani leadership. In a tacit acknowledgement that it has concerns over the safety of nuclear weapons in Pakistan, the official said the US is closely monitoring the safety and security of those weapons of mass destruction. "The safety of these weapons is always a concern for us. So we are always monitoring it, regardless of what they said on this particular occasion," said the State Department official. Meanwhile, Deputy State Department Spokesman Mark Toner told reporters at his daily news conference that nuclear-capable states have "a very clear responsibility to exercise restraint regarding nuclear weapons and missile capabilities". PTI 'Our boys have done it'- Inside the war room at South Block as India punished Pak New Delhi oi-Vicky New Delhi, Oct 1: As the Special Forces of the Indian army carried out a surgical strike across the Line of Control, top officials in charge of India's security watched with bated breath the live feed at the War Room at South Block, New Delhi. It was a major operation and a complete shift in policy known as offensive defence or even a small mistake would have been crucial. The operation commenced at 12.30 am and was completed by 4.30 am. At the end of it, there was a sigh of relief and amidst hand shakes, officials said, "Yes our boys did it." The National Security Advisor, Ajit Doval and the Director General of Military Operations, Lt General Ranbir Singh monitored the situation all through and the feed of the operation was also shown to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Our boys did it An official informed that although the top officials were confident of a successful operation, there was still palpable tension. This was a high profile operation and the success had to be 100 per cent. Further, the other worry was about the casualties on the Indian side. Also read: Use full force in case of violations by Pak: Govt tells BSF The official noted that India did not want any casualties. After the operation was completed, officials were curious to know if any of the Indian soldiers had suffered any injuries. The answer that they got from the officer was, "Not a scratch." While one feed was being relayed in Delhi, the other was at Tactical Headquarters Northern Command in Udhampur, Jammu and Kashmir. The soldiers part of the operation had worn body cameras on their helmets. Also read: Amid tensions, 10,000 villagers evacuated from border villages in Jammu The transmission which was captured by the video cameras was done through satellites. When the operation was being planned, it was decided that the strike would be recorded. It was crucial that this strike was recorded since Pakistan would try to deny the same. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, October 1, 2016, 12:37 [IST] Use full force in case of violations by Pak: Govt tells BSF New Delhi oi-Vicky New Delhi, Oct 1: "Use full force to guard our borders"- was the message that the Home Ministry sent out to the Border Security Force. Following the surgical strike, the borders have been put under high alert and several villages too have been evacuated [Amid tensions, 10,000 villagers evacuated from border villages in Jammu]. Union Home Minister, Rajnath Singh chaired a meeting to review the security situation and the scenario along the borders was discussed. While telling the BSF to maintain high alert, the government has also said that any cease fire violations must be dealt with strongly. "Use full force if they resort to any violation," the BSF has also been told by the Ministry for Home Affairs. The Home Ministry in an advisory issued on Friday had also said that the month of October will be a crucial one and hence all cities across the country must be on high alert. Also read: US objects to Pakistan's nuke threats against India In the advisory, the ministry had asked all states to remain vigilant during the upcoming festive season. The adivisory also asked all metros to stay vigilant for the next 30 days. The advisory has been issued following the surgical strike that India carried out across the Line of Control. There has been a heightened alert along the border areas. Several villages have already been evacuated along the border as a precautionary measure. On Thursday, the Intelligence Bureau had also warned that a desperate Pakistan which is pushed to the wall may try and retaliate. Pakistan is likely to sponsor a series of attacks on India, intelligence bureau officials had warned. While there is already heightened alert along the border areas, officials warn that Pakistan may try and engineer a strike in a major city as well. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, October 1, 2016, 11:01 [IST] As the tension between India and Pakistan is escalating UN chief Ban Ki-moon offered to act as mediator. Ban has urged both side to exercise maximum restraint and take immediate steps to de-escalate the situation. 2008-2022 One News Page Ltd. All rights reserved. One News is a registered trademark of One News Page Ltd. Media OutReach 31 Oct 2022 Feast at more than 200 restaurants with menus up to 30% off in a showcase of the citys dining scene HONG KONG SAR -.. Rumble 15 Aug 2022 A fire broke out at an El Cajon home while the family that lives there was out of town. Bristol Post 29 Oct 2022 The victim suffered serious injuries in the attack near to the club toilets Cold War Propaganda (Image by mbrolinPHOTO) Details DMCA In a report titled "The Russian 'Firehose of Falsehood' Propaganda Model," authors Christopher Paul and Miriam Matthews present their case: "Since its 2008 incursion into Georgia (if not before), there has been a remarkable evolution in Russia's approach to propaganda. This new approach was in full display during the country's 2014 annexation of the Crimean peninsula. It continues to be demonstrated in support of ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and Syria and in pursuit of nefarious and long term goals in Russia's 'near abroad' and against NATO allies." The report published by the Rand Corporation offers detailed criticism of today's Russian propaganda and likens it to the techniques of the Soviet Union during the Cold War. The authors cite that the contemporary Russian propaganda "entrains, confuses, and overwhelms the audience." They say that Russia has enjoyed some success with this by "engaging in obfuscation, confusion, and the disruption or diminution of truthful reporting and messaging." Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). (Image by Donkey Hotey) Details DMCA In United States politics, what worked like a charm for decades, especially with the fake left, was the lesser-of-two-evils argument. Not a vote for someone, but a vote against someone else. Once again it is at play in the 2016 election cycle, but with many new and unexpected twists. When trying to convince his supporters to vote for Hillary Clinton while holding their noses in revulsion, fake-socialist Bernie Sanders is playing by the book and docilely following a script written for him by the Clinton-controlled Democratic National Committee (DNC). No surprise there, with the anyone-but-Trump argument. By serving his Clinton masters well, instead of running as an independent, Sanders has committed political suicide, and he has discredited himself from ever leading or being part of a real US leftist party. (Image by Cam Miller) Details DMCA The options given to the US voters are so dreadful in this election that the lesser-of-two-evils rationale is not that useful anymore. When democracy is dead, it is hard to decide which corpse is less putrid. The question in this diabolic equation should be: which of the two evils will be more resolutely insane to lead World War III? Is it the zombie with 16 years in the corridors of power and a proven track record of blood and mayhem, or the clown backed by Christian fundamentalists and an entourage of shifty handlers? Hillary Clinton is the devil that American voters know. Perhaps ultimately, in a protest vote against a hated political establishment, they will roll the dice and make the quantum leap to vote for the devil they don't know: aka Donald Trump. (Image by Gilbert Mercier) Details DMCA As early as September 2015, I compared the US presidential election to a scripted television reality show set up to give people the sense that the electoral process is real. The premise of the script, illustrated by Dady Chery and me in "Imperial Elections," was that it was Hillary's turn to win. Today I still maintain that several characters were cast in this charade: mainly the likable leftist grandfather, Bernie, who would run on the themes of Occupy but graciously not only concede the initial fight but also champion the causes of the Empress after losing a battle he never really fought; and of course, Donald Trump would be cast as the bad guy, the quintessential ugly American. He would be a scarecrow so lifelike and so repulsive about race and gender that voters would flock to someone as unlikable as Hillary Clinton. While Bernie and Hillary were obedient actors in this play, at some point Trump went off script. Some forces in the background of US politics, which could soon be in conflict, realized that the unthinkable could happen, that the reality show could become real and Donald Trump might win. (Image by Donkey Hotey) Details DMCA In this election cycle, most forms of what passes for conventional political wisdom have been turned upside down. The selection of the next figurehead of the Orwellian empire has become Kafkaesque. Case in point: in March 2016, Donald Trump was categorized by many on the left as a racist anti-Muslim endorsed by the Klu Klux Klan (KKK) and European far-right personalities like France's Jean-Marie LePen of the Front National. Fast-forward to September 2016, however, and African-American leader of Nation of Islam, Louis Farrakhan, endorses Donald Trump. Many voices on the real left, with our own Dady Chery in the lead, have expressed the never-Hillary or anyone-but-Hillary argument for years. At this point, the critical African-American vote and the so-called progressive vote have become elusive, and they will certainly not be reliable voting blocks for Clinton. As for Trump, he will likely benefit from the libertarian vote that might have gone to Gary Johnson before he became the "What's Aleppo?" candidate. (Image by Donkey Hotey) Details DMCA On the Clinton side too, the anomalies are astounding. A week ago, Bush Sr., the don of the rival US political crime family, pledged his support to Hillary. Can anybody reconcile the blatant contradiction in the same candidate being supported by both Sanders and Bush Sr? That is, of course, unless you recognize the postulate that the US is a one-party system run by a handful of people who decide every four years who should read the White House teleprompter, and which clans and syndicates should benefit more from the loot they will get from the worldwide exploitation of people and resources. The establishment that has taken turns running the empire since 1980 likes the status quo. Barack Obama, run by the Clintons for eight years, perfectly suited their needs, but they dislike the unpredictability of unknowns like Donald Trump. (Image by Paulann Egelhoff) Details DMCA Some conservative political pundits wrongly refer to a potential Clinton election as an Obama third term. This is absurd and inaccurate, considering that Obama was surrounded and controlled from day one by a myriad of Clintonites. In reality, Obama's first and second terms were the Clintons' third and fourth terms. Therefore, Hillary Clinton is running for a fifth term, or a potential of 20 years of the Clintons in the oval office. Unlike most of the public opinion in Western Europe, brainwashed by their mainstream media, many US citizens cannot stand the prospect of the Clintons back in the White House. Hillary Clinton would probably win in a landslide if the US elections were worldwide, where her public relations campaign has successfully managed to associate her with the notion of competence and experience, and depicted Trump as a dangerous fascist and embarrassing incompetent. Lately, however, many questions have arisen in regard to Hillary Clinton's state of health. Is she even fit to become the US Commander in Chief with access to the nuclear codes? What will happen if she becomes elected then unable even to read a teleprompter? Of course, officially, her vice president would step in, but Bill Clinton and his crew would run the show. (Image by Gilbert Mercier) Details DMCA United States presidential elections always have an important impact on world affairs. Various countries are not only anxiously watching the outcome of elections 2016 but also trying to influence it thru various means and channels. The West, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Israel would welcome a Clinton election: the West, to maintain the global empire status quo; and the Saudis, Qataris and Israelis to get their plan of attacking Iran finally green-lit by Washington. Russia and China, while being a lot more cautious and not as invested, have made known in subtle ways the notion that they would rather deal with Trump, the devil they don't know, rather than Hillary Clinton, a devil they know much too well. (Image by Gilbert Mercier) Details DMCA It is hard to think of any positive outcome. No real important issues such as climate change, a reassessment of US foreign policy, the role of money in politics, the torture of political prisoners, and the excessive power of the US executive branch have been addressed. Donald Trump -- if he remains anti-political establishment and doesn't end up being run by the Bush clan through Karl Rove and company, or fall under the spell of Christian fundamentalists -- could become a wrench in the wheels of the empire, a grain of sand in the business-as-usual scenario. Recently, the one and only Dady Chery told me on the record: "I would rather vote for the devil himself than for Hillary Clinton." She added, "I am more likely to vote for Donald Duck." Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). On September 30, a federal judge threw a new wrench into Wisconsin's voter-ID law, ordering an investigation into whether the state's Division of Motor Vehicles employees properly implemented measures to ensure availability of identity documents to prospective voters. Those employees seem to be caught in the middle, torn between assisting the disproportionately African-American poor in getting "documented" on one hand, and fulfilling Republican politicians' aims of suppressing black voter turnout on the other. Cue world's smallest violin. At one time -- as late as the mid-1990s -- conservative Republicans claimed to oppose "national ID" schemes and other intrusive government measures. Then they discovered that such schemes could be used to their own political advantage. They've been trying to turn the United States in to a variant of the Soviet Union's old "internal passport" regime ever since, partly in the name of "fighting terrorism" and partly in the name of fighting "voter fraud." Both claims are dumb, but the "vote fraud" claim is particularly weird. It wasn't until the 1980s that all 50 all states even offered photo driver's licenses, let alone required photo ID to vote. Somehow America managed to elect 40 presidents without everyone showing photos of themselves to bureaucrats on demand. Now for some reason not carrying an unflattering picture of yourself in your wallet is suddenly an existential threat to the Republic. Or at least to the Republicans. Is voter fraud common? It's hard to say. For one thing, not all vote fraud is voter fraud. There are lots of ways to fake votes. Only some of those ways involve the retail use of false voter credentials. I'm not going to say that kind of thing never takes place, but by its nature it's a lot more complicated, burdensome and vulnerable to exposure than other methods. Like, for example, stuffing extra ballots in the box after the polls have closed and attributing those votes to to voters who didn't actually show up. The only recent case of voter fraud I personally remember is that of one Todd Akin of St. Louis County, Missouri, who got caught lying about his address in 2011 so that he could continue voting at his old polling place instead of admitting he had moved. He wasn't African-American, though. He was white. And he was a Republican congressman. For some reason the Republicans I've talked about voter fraud with haven't shown much interest in discussing that particular case. Go figure. Perhaps instead of constantly seeking out new ways to make voting difficult so that people of color can't vote for the "wrong" politicians, Republicans should turn back toward the limited-government rhetoric they used to at least pretend to believe. But then, they never really did believe it, did they? This piece was reprinted by OpEd News with permission or license. It may not be reproduced in any form without permission or license from the source. Reprinted from Consortium News Sergey V. Lavrov, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, addresses the general debate of the General Assembly's seventy-first session. Sept. 23, 2016 (Image by (UN Photo)) Details DMCA As U.S. and Russian officials trade barbed threats and as diplomacy on Syria is "on the verge" of extinction, it is tempting to view the ongoing propaganda exchange over who shot down Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 in July 2014 as a side-show. That would be a huge mistake -- easily made by President Obama's wet-behind-the-ears sophomoric advisers who seem to know very little of the history of U.S.-Russia relations and appear smug in their ignorance. Adult input is sorely needed. There are advantages to having some hands-on experience, and having watched how propaganda wars can easily escalate to military confrontation. In a Sept. 28 interview with Sputnik Radio, I addressed some serious implications of the decision by the U.S. and two of its European vassal states (the Netherlands and Ukraine) to stoke tensions with Russia still higher by blaming it for the downing of MH-17. In short, there is considerable risk that the Russians may see this particular propaganda offensive (which "justified" the European Union's economic sanctions in 2014), together with NATO's saber rattling in central Europe, as steps toward war. In fact, there is troubling precedent for precisely that. A very similar set of circumstances existed 33 years ago after the Soviets did shoot down Korean Airlines Flight 007 on Sept. 1, 1983, when it strayed over sensitive military targets inside the Soviet Union and the KAL-007 pilots failed to respond to repeated warnings. After the tragic reality became obvious, the Soviets acknowledged that they had downed the plane but said they did not know it was a passenger plane. However, 1983 was another time of high tensions between the two superpowers and President Ronald Reagan wanted to paint the Soviets in the darkest of hues. So, his administration set out to sell the storyline that the Soviets had willfully murdered the 269 passengers and crew. U.S. government propagandists and their media stenographers laid on all the Sturm und Drang they could summon to promote the lie that the Soviets knew KAL-007 was a civilian passenger plane before they shot it down. As Newsweek's headline declared, "Murder in the Sky." Exploitation of the tragedy yielded a steep rise in tensions, and almost led to a nuclear exchange just two months later. There is an important lesson, now three decades later, as Western governments and the mainstream media manufacture more endless fear and hatred of Russia. The Dutch/Ukrainian Follies On Wednesday, new "evidence" blaming Russia for the downing of MH-17 over eastern Ukraine was made public -- brought out of the oven, as it were, at a Dutch Maid bakery employing Ukrainian confectioners. A bite into the evidence and it immediately dissolves like refined sugar -- and leaves an unpleasant artificial taste in the mouth. The Dutch Safety Board's reconstruction of where it believed the missile exploded near Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 on July 17, 2014. (Image by Dutch Safety Board) Details DMCA The Dutch-Ukrainian charade played by the "Joint Investigation Team," on which Belgium, Australia and Malaysia also have members, is an insult to the relatives and friends of the 298 human beings killed in the shoot-down. Understandably, those relatives and friends long for truth and accountability, and they deserve it. Yet, as happened in 1983 with the credulous acceptance of the Reagan administration's version of the KAL-007 case, the mainstream Western media has embraced the JIT's findings as "conclusive" and the evidence as "overwhelming." But it is in reality extraordinarily thin, essentially a case of deciding immediately after the event that the Russians were to be blamed and spending more than two years assembling snippets of intercepted conversations (from 150,000 provided by the Ukrainian intelligence service) that could be stitched together to create an impression of guilt. In the slick video, which serves as the JIT's investigative "report," the intercepted voices don't say anything about Russian Buk missiles actually being deployed inside Ukraine or shooting down a plane or the need to get the Buk missiles out of Ukraine afterwards. One voice early on says he'd like to have some Buks but -- after that -- Buks aren't mentioned and everything in the video is supposition. [See Consortiumnews.com's " Troubling Gaps in MH-17 Report. "] There's also no explanation as to why the Russians would have taken a bizarrely circuitous route when a much more direct and discreet course was available. The JIT's embrace of that strange itinerary was made necessary by the fact that the only "social media" images of a Buk system traveling on July 17, 2014, before the MH-17 shoot-down, show the Buks heading east toward Russia, not west from Russia. [See Consortiumnews.com's " The Official and Implausible MH-17 Scenario. "] Next Page 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). Reprinted from Media Matters Hillary Clinton sure didn't look like an "awful" candidate up on the debate stage this week. "Awful" was how ABC News political analyst Matthew Dowd derided the Democratic nominee over the summer on This Week. "She is an awful candidate. Everybody knows it," he stressed. Dowd was hardly alone. The Beltway pundit class has relentlessly portrayed Clinton as someone who's supremely uncomfortable in her own skin and ill-suited to be the Democratic nominee or the next president. But that's not what 80-plus million viewers saw when they tuned into the debate. Poised, confident and in control, Clinton walked away with a clear victory, according to all scientific polling. So why the huge disconnect between the way the press portrays Clinton, often with a relentlessly caustic and cynical eye, and the reality of who Clinton is as a candidate, as seen during the debate? A large chunk of viewers, regardless of whether they support her or not, must have been genuinely confused by the person they watched for 90 minutes, and the person they've seen depicted in the press throughout this campaign. She certainly didn't resemble the supposedly phony, unlikeable, calculating politician the press has been describing most of this year. She didn't come across as the deeply secretive, distant, "scripted," figure who can't connect with voters. (Fact: Clinton accumulated more votes than any other candidate during the presidential primaries.) Aside from her agenda and her politics, the press has been nearly universal in the way they've described Clinton as a person and as a candidate. She's "afraid to say what she thinks about anything for fear of alienating this or that constituency," explained The Washington Post, while emphasizing, "She often comes across as inauthentic or lacking a basic core of beliefs." Bottom line: Clinton is a deeply flawed candidate, and possibly a deeply flawed person. And that has been the nearly universal media theme since the beginning of this campaign. Last summer, TheWall Street Journal suggested Clinton sounds too "scripted and poll-tested," while Politico this year marked her victory in the Kentucky primary with the downer headline, "Hillary Clinton's Joyless Victory." Click Here to Read Whole Article Trump mural, Downtown LA, Los Angeles, California, USA (Image by gruntzooki) Details DMCA "I am sending you out like sheep among wolves.Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. Be on your guard; you will be handed over to the local councils and be flogged in the synagogues [temples, churches]." --Matthew 10:16-17 Why aren't local ministers in America standing up and being persecuted more by their local congregation? Last week, our minister spoke on the passage above and reminded the congregation that throughout the Book of Acts and the New Testament, we see that the followers of Christ were ready to go out like sheep to packs of wolves. This minister comes from Pakistan and knows a lot about persecution, from within and from outside the church. Importantly, in the scripture from Matthew above, Jesus states that the persecution that would be most painful for his disciples or followers would be the punishment given to Christians by those of one's own community, especially one's religious community. In the persecutions of the apostles and disciples of Christ in the Book of Acts [e.g. Acts: 9:23-25, Acts:6:8-15 or Acts 19], we observe that whether it was Greek merchants who lost money on a slave to the healing power of the disciples or commercce agents, like in Ephesus who lost money in the idol market punishment was awaiting those true believers and witnesses of the New Gospel message. It did not matter if their community was Jewish, Greek, Roman or all-of-the-above. After hearing the message that Sunday here in Oman, my thoughts immediately turned to my home country, the USA, where I could at that moment only recall one major Christian minister of the last year who wrote and spoke loudly about the need for Christians to refrain from supporting Donald Trump. This was Max Lucado of Texas who has written many of my favorite Christian books, like Facing Your Giants or Before AMEN. In February of this year, Lucado created a stir by writing in his blog: DECENCY FOR PRESIDENT , in which Lucado made many points against supporting Donald Trump. The Chistian message of Pastor Lucado was simply: "We appreciate decency. We applaud decency. We teach decency. We seek to develop decency. Decency matters, right? Then why isn't decency doing better in the presidential race? The leading Republican candidate to be the next leader of the free world would not pass my decency interview. I'd send him away." Lucado added, " I don't know Mr. Trump. But I've been chagrined at his antics. He ridiculed a war hero. He made a mockery of a reporter's menstrual cycle. He made fun of a disabled reporter. He referred to the former first lady, Barbara Bush as "mommy,' and belittled Jeb Bush for bringing her on the campaign trail. He routinely calls people 'stupid,' and 'dummy.' One writer catalogued sixty-four occasions that he called someone 'loser' These were not off-line, backstage, overheard, not-to-be-repeated comments. They were publicly and intentionally tweeted, recorded, and presented." The bottom line for Christian readers across the lands from Lucado's message was: "Such insensitivities wouldn't be acceptable even for a middle school student body election. But for the Oval Office? And to do so while brandishing a Bible and boasting of his Christian faith?" Because I read Lucado's writings, I was proud of the man, but I still observed far too many so-called people in my so-called Christian nation falling far from the mark and landing in Trumps lap or even in his enterouge. To be sure, some other christians, Jews and leaders of a variety of churches and faiths at the national level in the USA have since spoken out agains Trump in even stronger language this 2016. For example, in April a variety of Major Faith Leaders Declared Trump 'Racist, Bigoted, and Hateful'. That same "group of high-profile Christian leaders has published a lengthy statement passionately condemning Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump, calling his campaign message 'contrary to our Christian values' and condemning his bombastic rhetoric as 'racist, bigoted, and hateful.'" NOTE:The statement is housed on the website calledtoresist.org, dedicates more than 2,000 words to decrying Trump's candidacy. By June 2016, Max Lucado had been joined by a handful of other evangelical christian leaders. Religious News Service ran an article entitled, 7 conservative Christians who are not supporting Trump. The author of the piece noted, "Perhaps no evangelical leader has been more outspoken in opposition to Trump than Russell Moore, president of the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission." One Trump retort on Twitter has called Moore "a terrible representative of Evangelicals and all of the good they stand for. A nasty guy with no heart!" NOTE: Hey, America, isn't Trump the nasty guy with no apparent heart? Then, in July, Huffington Post noted that there did seem to be a growing divide between national leaders of evangelical churches and those in the rank and file in America. The religious editor extrapolated, "Rank and file white evangelicals, who make up one-fifth of all registered voters in the U.S., have in fact rallied in favor of the reality TV star-turned-presidential candidate. But a number of high profile evangelical leaders have spoken out against Trump's campaign, policies, and tactics in recent months." The bottom line for most Christian leaders in their opposition to Trump harks back to the roots of practicing Christianity in the New Testament. The leaders explain that Trump's policies and actions don't reflect Christian values." Moroever, in "the past, Trump has appeared unfamiliar with scripture " even though memorizing Bible verses is a common and encouraged practice among Christians. And he's claimed he's never asked God for forgiveness" an act that is an essential element of Christian theology. " Next Page 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). Uber and Lyft on Friday successfully delayed the release of records on the two companies' business in Portland sought by The Oregonian/OregonLive. The news organization sought data on the number of drivers affiliated with each company, as well as the number of rides they've provided and detailed data on wheelchair-accessible service, all collected by the Portland Bureau of Transportation in its role as regulator of the taxi industry. The Oregonian/OregonLive first requested the records under Oregon's public records law in May. In July, the city denied many of the requests, citing exemptions for trade secrets and data, as well as a confidentiality agreement the city made with the companies. The news organization appealed the denial to the Multnomah County District Attorney Rod Underhill, who found public interest merited disclosure. Underhill ordered the records be release by Friday, but Uber and Lyft filed for a temporary restraining order to block the release. The companies argued releasing the records would cause irreparable competitive harm. Multnomah County Circuit Judge John Wittmayer approved a temporary restraining order of no more than 10 days, blocking the release of most of the documents while the case is argued. A hearing is set for Oct. 7 before a different judge. -- Elliot Njus enjus@oregonian.com 503-294-5034 @enjus As Oregon marks the one-year anniversary of recreational marijuana sales, big questions remain about what the cannabis industry will look like as it evolves and what impact it will have on public health and the economy. But two clear winners already have emerged from Oregon's short experience with legal marijuana: State coffers are now lined with millions in pot tax revenue and consumers can shop for a staggering array of products from flowers to balms for sore muscles at one of 380 places statewide selling to anyone 21 and older. Starting Oct. 1, those stores -- and the producers and processors who supply them -- begin a gradual conversion to a new system where for the first time state regulators will track the once-illicit crop from seed to sale. (Recreational marijuana in Oregon by the numbers) The Oregon Liquor Control Commission will issue 26 licenses on Saturday. Those first licenses will go to existing shops converting to the commission's system. By the end of the year, any medical marijuana retailer who plans to continue selling to the recreational market must make the switch. Under the new system, medical marijuana patients can shop tax-free at recreational stores. Stores selling only to medical marijuana patients will remain under the Oregon Health Authority, which regulates the state's medical marijuana program. Shoppers at newly licensed stores will spot some differences, like a 17 percent sales tax on recreational marijuana instead of the 25 percent they've paid since January. They can buy larger amounts of cannabis than they have since early sales began. And over the next several months, as Oregon phases in a series of new rules, shoppers will encounter products with detailed labels and packaging that have gone through the state's vetting process. Consumers also will find products tested for dozens of pesticides, as well as potency, by state-accredited labs. The requirement, a centerpiece of Oregon's marijuana system, represents a major departure from previous policy, which let tainted products into the system. (Recreational marijuana sales in Oregon: a timeline) Russ Belville, a longtime legalization advocate and news director at Cannabis Radio in Portland, said marijuana is easy to come by in Oregon, home to one of the country's oldest medical marijuana programs. But the new recreational market, he said, offers what individual growers can't: variety. "Your guy grows strain X, Y or Z and that's what you get," he said. "But now I can go into numerous dispensaries to price compare and select from dozens of different flowers to try from." Matt and Meghan Walstatter own Pure Green, one of a dozen marijuana shops dotting Northeast Sandy Boulevard - informally known as Portland's "Green Mile." The couple worry about competing in Portland's thriving market and meeting the blizzard of new requirements. Yet one thing is certain: "It's a great time to be a pot smoker in Oregon," Matt Walstatter said. *** Many of those consumers are flocking to the regulated market. The state estimates that 2.9 to 3.7 tons of marijuana moved through the regulated medical and recreational markets in June alone - enough for more than 3 million joints. That doesn't include edibles and concentrates, which became available to recreational consumers in June. Recreational sales have translated into $33.5 million in taxes between January and the end of August, the latest data available. The estimated value of the recreational marijuana sold between January, when the state began imposing a 25 percent sales tax, and the end of July: $134 million. (Medical marijuana isn't subject to sales taxes and will continue to be untaxed under the new system.) By comparison, Colorado, the first state in the country to sell marijuana to anyone 21 and older, sold $700 million worth of medical and recreational marijuana in 2014, its first full year of sales. Washington, meanwhile, sold $260 million worth of recreational marijuana. As for the economy, the emergence of a regulated marijuana market in Oregon has created about 2,000 retail jobs, such as budtenders, in the past two years, according to the latest state data. State economists caution that it's too early to tell what broader effect the industry will have on the state's economy. "Those are relatively low- or moderate-paying jobs," said Josh Lehrer, an economist with the Oregon Office of Economic Analysis. "That is not where you are going to get a lot of value added or bang for your buck." Meanwhile, Oregon's new recreational market has also fed a constellation of traditional businesses, from marketing to accounting to security. Noah Stokes said his Beaverton-based security system quadrupled since last fall. His company, CannaGuard Security, installs security systems ranging from $15,000 to $200,000 depending on the size of the marijuana production operation and sophistication of the equipment. This fall, he plans to launch another business that will transport cash for state-licensed businesses, which have difficulty accessing conventional banking services because of federal prohibition of marijuana. "It's been a huge boost," said Stokes, who started out in commercial and residential security and expanded to the marijuana industry in 2011. *** Not everyone sees recreational marijuana as a boon. The glut of stores in places like Portland and the proliferation of marijuana advertising raises questions about legal marijuana's implications for public health. Josh Marquis, longtime Clatsop County district attorney who opposed the 2014 ballot measure that legalized marijuana, said while recreational cannabis sales took off this year, state regulation so far has been "almost non-existent." "For those who wanted weed widely available with minimal or no regulation, I guess they'd consider it a great success," he said. "For those who thought it would be taxed and regulated like booze, that's an illusion." Kristen Anderson, an associate professor of psychology at Reed College who specializes in the development of alcohol and marijuana use among young people, worries about marijuana-related marketing and billboards that target adults but may unintentionally attract youths. Government health surveys taken before the 2014 vote to legalize marijuana found that young people in Portland use cannabis at rates higher than their peers in the rest of the state and the country. Studies are underway in Oregon looking at how regulation, including local bans on pot shops, affects public health. Public health experts also are studying rates of treatment for marijuana dependence and emergency room visits. Anderson said cannabis-related advertising is ubiquitous in Portland, home to 148 medical marijuana dispensaries selling to recreational consumers. "If you drive through town," she said, "you can't go 10 feet without seeing a marijuana leaf on a billboard or an advertisement when you drive through neighborhoods." *** For now, Oregon's cannabis industry is focused on making the transition into a fully regulated system. The agency has received more than 1,400 applications for one of the five license types the state issues: producer, processor, wholesaler, retailer and researcher. Already, there are early indications of a troubled start. Businesses made an unsuccessful last-minute push to extend the state's original deadlines for packaging and labeling, arguing that many business owners would not be able to meet them. The state on Friday temporarily relaxed its pesticide testing requirements in response to worries about the lack of labs ready to process marijuana. By next spring, however, the state plans to move ahead with its full pesticide testing policy. In general, producers and processors worry about growing stockpiles of harvested marijuana as they wait for more state-authorized labs to come online and stores to open. And companies that make edibles and extracts fear the state's approval process for their packaging delay their production schedules. Other challenges loom ahead for the new industry. Brad Zusman, owner of Cannadaddy's, a shop in Southeast Portland, said the state hasn't done enough to bring reluctant longtime medical marijuana producers into the system. Zusman argued that medical marijuana growers operating outside of the licensed recreational system should be allowed to bring their harvests to state-licensed processors who make extracts at least for the next year. "If they don't, it's all going to be driven to the black market," said Zusman, who isn't a medical marijuana grower. He and others see the state's long-established and lucrative illicit market for marijuana as a significant threat. Don Morse, owner of the Human Collective, a marijuana shop in Southwest Portland, said legal home grows undermine licensed retailers who are already competing in a tight market. The law allows up to four marijuana plants per household. "I know a lot of people are getting the weed they need from people they know," he said. "It's so readily available." Walstatter, owner of Pure Green, said problems facing the industry are the result of shifting from an illegal enterprise to a legitimate one. "There are going to be some people who lose in this transition. There always are when you have upheaval of this kind. "At the end of the day," he said, "I hope I am not one of them." -- Noelle Crombie 503-276-7184; @noellecrombie 21213150-standard.jpg The Oregon Liquor Control Commission on Friday approved a rule that prohibits using some popular strain names on packaging and labeling. Rob Patridge, chairman of the commission, called the new requirement "a common sense approach." "If you walk through a toy store and you can identify things that are strain names ... those are probably inappropriate. It's almost as simple as that." (Beth Nakamura/The Oregonian) Popular names, such as Girl Scout Cookies and Charlotte's Web, won't be allowed on the labeling and packaging of medical and recreational marijuana in Oregon under rules approved by the state Friday. The Oregon Liquor Control Commission said it had reviewed about 500 marijuana strain names and identified about 20 that may appeal to children. Commissioners sought the rule change after hearing from members of the public who objected to the child-friendly names. The rule, approved one day before the state licenses recreational marijuana retailers, prohibits words "that refer to products that are commonly associated with minors or marketed by minors." Rob Patridge, chairman of the commission, called the new requirement "a common sense approach." "If you walk through a toy store and you can identify things that are strain names ... those are probably inappropriate," Patridge said. "It's almost as simple as that." The agency also won't allow strain names that refer to illicit drugs, such as LSD and Blow. The list of outlawed proper names: Girl Scout Cookies, Grape Ape, Candyland, Charlotte's Web, Cinderella, Dr. Who, Bubblelicious, Smurf, Bruce Banner, Death Star, Skywalker and Jedi Kush. Those strains will still be allowed in Oregon's recreational shops. Retailers and marijuana producers and processors can use initials or some other short-hand reference instead of the full strain name. Companies that already have products in the new system with one of the names on the list will not be subject to immediate enforcement, said executive director Steven Marks. He said the agency will begin to inform companies about the new rule so they can take steps to label over the strain names and will screen out future packaging that contains those names. Agency officials on Friday also said they would phase in pesticide testing requirements instead of requiring full compliance starting Saturday. Originally, the state required marijuana entering the recreational marijuana system to undergo pesticide testing starting Saturday. Some lawmakers and marijuana businesses worried that not enough labs are up and running to perform the required testing. Under the change, the agency will allow fewer batches from each harvest to be tested instead of every 10-pound batch. If any of the randomly chosen samples fails pesticide testing, every 10-pound batch must then be tested. The state can move ahead with its policy to test every batch earlier than next March if liquor commission officials think enough labs can conduct pesticide testing to supply stores. Marks said he expects enough labs to be online within four to six weeks. -- Noelle Crombie 503-276-7184; @noellecrombie By Megan McArdle If a city full of liberal technocrats can't make affordable housing happen locally, what hope is there for the federal government to achieve that nationally? Well, Washington's failures have not deterred the White House from dreaming. Its proposals are eminently sensible: streamline permitting processes, zone for larger dwellings, and most importantly, allow developers to build "of right," which is to say, if they've met the zoning requirements, they should be able to put up the building without further interference from the local community. These proposals are easy enough to make. What's harder is to actually generate affordable housing. Washington is full of the sort of people who both read, and passionately favor, proposals like those put out by the White House. Our recent attempt at reforming our zoning code liberalized "accessory dwelling units" (basement and garage apartments) -- and then chopped five feet off the maximum height for buildings in much of Washington, the better to prevent developers from adding another floor and turning a single-family home into two condos. Across the country, in California, a similarly sensible and high-minded effort by Gov. Jerry Brown recently died at the hands of a coalition of environmental groups, community organizers, and construction unions (who use the various building holdups to extract higher wages for their workers). The problem, in other words, is not figuring out what to do. There's an obvious step when demand exceeds supply: build more supply. It doesn't really matter what sort of units you build; the most desirable units will be snapped up by the affluent, while the price of the less desirable units falls into the range of more limited budgets. There will be some people at the bottom whose incomes will not stretch to any amount of rent, but that is always true. "Affordable housing" is not envisioned to be free. The problem, then, is figuring out how to take that obvious step -- in the face of community opposition. And doing that involves acknowledging that most people really don't like living in high rises, or near poor people, and that the legal revolutions of the 1960s and 1970s have allowed affluent elites to make those wishes come true, at the expense of everyone else. The existing communities that look like what affordable housing advocates envision were by and large built before courts and legislators decided that "society" ought to have lots of veto power over things you wanted to do with your property. Those days are long gone, and so too is our ability to slap a high rise on every street corner. In a better world, people would want to build an inclusive, economically diverse community in which everyone had access to the same services. In the real world, many people are all in favor of this -- as long as doing so does not involve sending their kids to school with poor people, especially in the crucial middle and high school years, when peer effects start to dominate parental influence. Washington's good liberals don't say anything so crude, of course; they talk about "test scores." But nonetheless, if you try to rezone in a way that is apt to produce a truly economically diverse school, with more than a token sprinkling of the children of disadvantage, they will fight tooth and nail to stop that from happening. Even the childless, or those whose hatchlings have long since fled the nest, have good reason for disliking your development plans. I grew up on the 15th floor of a New York City apartment building; I now live in a typical Washington row house. And there is no question to me that my lower, quieter neighborhood is in most ways a better place to live. If the dog needs to go out in the middle of the night, I can open the back door and let him out, rather than getting dressed, leashing him up, and riding down the elevator to supervise his excretions. I know most of the people who live on my block, at least by sight. I have more space and more light than most of my neighbors enjoyed in my childhood. And I can look out my window to gently blowing leaves rather than concrete. Allowing high rises to be built in my neighborhood would change that. It would bring large numbers of strangers, overwhelm the convenient street parking I now enjoy, and add a lot of noise and other urban annoyances. There's substantial evidence that the stress of living in a dense city can make you crazy. I could be forgiven for thinking that I'm already quite crazy enough. Nonetheless I have avidly supported the building of a new high rise in my neighborhood every time the subject has come up. I am firmly in favor of upzoning everything to Empire State Building proportions. But I have a reflexive suspicion of any government intrusion on property rights. Most of my neighbors do not, especially when government is intruding on their behalf. (Ultimately this makes my stand an easy one to take; I can advocate for all these wonderful things secure in the knowledge that any such move will be blocked by my neighbors and assorted special interests.) If we want affordable housing, we need only one thing from all these toolkits and roadmaps and best practices: a political theory of how to advocate for changes as fiercely as other special interests oppose them. Talk at dinner parties is all very well, but it will avail nothing against people who are well organized and willing to do more than talk. Unfortunately, because the costs of the status quo are diffuse, and often fall on people who don't yet live or vote in the city, while the benefits are concentrated among people who will work hard to keep them, I suspect that the future of affordable housing initiatives looks a lot like the present. (c) 2016, Bloomberg View Megan McArdle is a Bloomberg View columnist. 21104052-mmmain.jpg Should the Portland area create heroin clinics where users can take the drug legally under medical supervision? (Justin Sullivan/News/Getty Images) HOT BUTTON: We'll ask a new and specific question each week and promptly publish a representative sample of readers' answers. Today's question: Officials in the Seattle area are considering proposals to tackle heroin addiction by creating clinics where users can legally take the drug under medical supervision. Should the Portland area adopt a similar approach? Why or why not? Deadline for responses: 3 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 4. Email to letters@oregonian.com. (Feel free to comment below -- we encourage it! -- but posted comments will not be considered for publication in our print Hot Button letters section.) Limit responses to 250 words. Letters must contain the author's name, address and contact information. Selected letters will be published this Wednesday, Oct. 5. ROSEBURG -- Back in June, Douglas County Sheriff John Hanlin drew the loudest applause when he stepped up to a podium at an amphitheater at Umpqua Community College and faced 230 students in green caps and gowns. He wore a dress uniform, a gun on his hip and wide-brim sheriff's hat instead of academic regalia. He cracked jokes about tattoos and dull commencement speeches but also recognized what the class of 2016 had gone through the October before. "Look around at everybody here today," Hanlin told the students. "Look at what we are made of. And be proud. We are UCC strong. We're UCC strong." The crowd gave him a standing ovation as he walked away from the mic. It was more resounding than what the acting college president or the governor drew. Hanlin became the public face of the tragedy on Oct. 1, the day the gunman opened fire inside a Snyder Hall writing class, killing 10 people, including himself, and wounding another eight. The sheriff's opposition to federal gun control, his earlier sharing of a video that depicted the Sandy Hook massacre as a hoax and his declaration that he'd never say the name of the 26-year-old Umpqua student responsible for Oregon's deadliest shooting in modern times all made headlines. A gun control group called for Hanlin to step down from his post. But it was clear at the graduation ceremony that the southern Oregon county's top lawman had the support of his people. Now, he said, he and his agency are moving forward from the shooting that thrust him -- and his politics -- onto a national stage. "One of the greatest things that we've come to realize and recognize throughout this tragedy was the incredible sense of community and support that we have here in Douglas County," the 54-year-old sheriff said this week from his office in downtown Roseburg. "I don't think the community realizes just how much of a role they had in helping us work through a very difficult time." *** After the shooting, the Sheriff's Office, with help from other agencies, began an investigation with the world watching. Hanlin's entire office was involved: patrol deputies, detectives and even jail deputies, who stood guard around the scene. Community members brought meals to the first responders, and several times, someone anonymously picked up the sheriff's tab at restaurants, he said. Cards of support poured in from locals and people around the state and country, including notes from Texas, Arizona and Washington state. "It just got to the point where people felt our pain and wanted to let us know they were thinking of us," Hanlin said. The sheriff has extended the same gesture in response to mass shootings this past year, sending police chiefs and sheriffs letters of consolation, he said. Some shootings remind Hanlin of Umpqua, while others feel different. "I think when they are identified as terrorist acts, it isn't as impactful on us as far as reopening wounds," he said. "But certainly, you start watching around the country all of these acts of violence ... you begin to ask yourself: When's this going to stop? What's it going to take to get it stopped?" *** On the night of the Umpqua shooting, the sheriff faced reporters at a fire station near campus. "You will never hear me mention his name," Hanlin said of the shooter. "I will not give him the credit he probably sought prior to this horrific and cowardly act." The sheriff's remarks fueled wide debate about how the media and public should respond to mass shootings. Hanlin said he understands why a local community would want to know the name. But the sheriff believed saying it for a national audience would go too far. "He had some writings ... that he was excited about the notoriety he would get from committing such a heinous mass killing," the sheriff said of the manifesto Chris Harper-Mercer left behind. It has not been publicly released by investigators. The manifesto, Hanlin said, didn't include religious or racial statements but did include a photograph of a cover page from an investigation into the Sandy Hook massacre. Harper-Mercer had marveled at the notoriety that shooter gained, according to the sheriff. Even among investigators, the sheriff said, he's rarely uttered Harper-Mercer's name. "Right this moment," the sheriff said. "honestly, I'm drawing a blank on his name." *** Becoming irrevocably linked to the Umpqua tragedy wasn't pleasant, Hanlin said, but it was part of being sheriff. Hanlin - who's spent half his life with the Douglas County Sheriff's Office, nearly eight years at its helm and is unopposed for re-election -- believed the discussions about his politics distracted from the tragedy. Six months earlier, he had testified against gun control at a legislative hearing. A month after the Sandy Hook and Clackamas Town Center shootings in December 2012, the sheriff wrote a letter to Vice President Joe Biden that his office wouldn't enforce gun control laws he believed were unconstitutional. "Gun control is NOT the answer to preventing heinous crimes like school shootings," he wrote then. That same month, he also shared the Sandy Hook video, which suggested the massacre was staged by the federal government. He wrote, "This makes me wonder who we can trust anymore. Watch, listen, and keep an open mind." Hanlin this week said he had half-watched the video and believed it was produced by "mainstream media." The sheriff said his comment was directing people to be suspicious of the press, not to suggest that the rampage never happened. He's since rewatched the video. "I had an epiphany, and I was like, 'Oh my god. I see now why they think I'm this crazy sheriff in Oregon that doesn't think that shooting really happened,'" he said. While others debated gun control after the Umpqua shooting, the sheriff notably was quiet. This week, he said he still doesn't want to politicize the shooting but added that his position on gun control hasn't changed. He did, however, say that he believes problems exist within the mental health care system and that the Umpqua shooting highlights some of them. "There are some incidents in (the shooter's) past before he moved to Oregon that suggested that he had mental health issues," Hanlin said. "There was intervention, but the intervention didn't get shared with us when he moved up here." The sheriff declined to provide specifics. He said Harper-Mercer had past contact with law enforcement when he lived in California but didn't elaborate. The Oregonian/OregonLive sought records of police interactions with Harper-Mercer from two California law enforcement agencies. City officials in Torrance, where he lived much of his life with his mother, said there were no "responsive" documents related to Harper-Mercer. The Los Angeles Police Department, which patrols the area of Harbor City where Harper-Mercer's family once lived, typically doesn't make arrest records available to the public. *** This weekend, as several commemorations are planned for the one-year anniversary of the shooting - a benefit run, candlelight vigil and moment of silence -- Hanlin and his deputies will make the rounds. "It's sad to think that we live in a society where we're so quick to forget about something as tragic as UCC," the sheriff said. "I think that's part of what's so important about this one-year mark. Taking a minute or two, or taking the entire day even, to reflect on what we've been through and the loss the community has had as a result of this tragedy." The sheriff said he's grateful for everyone who responded - from the Roseburg detectives who got there first and exchanged fire with the gunman to the firefighters who quickly provided medical care. "We, in my eyes, we literally live among heroes in this community," he said. All through October, deputies will wear a special badge: a star with a heart-in-Oregon design with "UCC" at the top and "10-1-15" at the bottom. Behind the state are nine golden rays, one for each person who died. Around the badge are the words: "Douglas County Sheriff's Office, defined by community not tragedy." Engraved on the back in two lines: "And while they be in peaceful sleep their memory we shall keep." "In memory of those we lost & tribute to those who answered the call." Casey Parks, Molly Young and Maxine Bernstein of The Oregonian/OregonLive contributed to this report. -- Rebecca Woolington 503-294-4049; @rwoolington Source: AP Photo/Cliff Owen Well, it didnt take long for the Wells Fargo scandal to become a partisan issue. In the congressional hearings and throughout the media, for awhile at least, both aisles exhibited a united front against the banks fraudulent banking practices, which involved 2 million accounts being created without consumer permission. But in the Financial Services Committees hearing with Wells Fargo CEO John Stumpf on Thursday, Republican lawmakers went after the government watchdog agency created for the consumers protection by the Dodd-Frank Act of 2010 after the financial crisis. Several representatives volleyed attacks at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), including the chair of the committee, Rep. Jeb Hensarling of Texas. In his remarks, Hensarling went after the CFPB and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, an independent Treasury bureau tasked with regulating national banks. Perhaps our federal regulators deserve a pat on the back, but perhaps they deserve a swift kick on the backside, he said. Well find out which. Hensarling did not elaborate what this swift kick to the backside would look like, but the CFPB has been under siege by anti-regulation Republican lawmakers since its creation, who have been looking to strip it of funding, reduce its power, or kill it outright, as Ted Cruz proposed with legislation last year. The reasons frequently cited for killing the CFPB? That the CFPBs regulation hurts economic growth and objections over the CFPBs executive power, which Democrats say it needs to act swiftly, is unchecked. And now, because it didnt find out about Wells Fargos sales tactics earlier. Once again the financial regulators were completely asleep at the wheel as massive fraud was occurring, said Rep. Scott Garrett of New Jersey, turning to the regulators after expressing outrage at the banks fraud. If you look at one of those, the CFPBthey completely blew it. On CNBC, Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer said the CFPB reached out when the city filed its initial suit into the banks conduct and commended the agency for its work. Story continues Garrett or Hensarling didnt explicitly say once again they intended to deregulate banking in the face of scandal, but they sure implied it. While Stumpf was the one in front of them in the hearing, the lawmakers shifted blame away from the CEO and onto the regulators, letting him off the hook for 100% of the responsibility. But representatives like Garrett has worked to declaw the CFPB since its creation. We dont need a CFPB, he said in 2010. And now, based on the hearing, its unlikely he supports strengthening it, even though there beefed-up policing is clearly warranted. It sounds like a big contradiction: Using a financial scandal to argue for stripping regulation, and it was shared by many lawmakers, including Missouris Blaine Luetkemeyer and Ann Wagner. Consumerist, a consumer advocacy website, sought to explain why. In a post after the hearing, the website pointed to information gathered from OpenSecrets.org, a non-partisan research group that tracks money in politics, that showed Hensarling had received $33,000 from Wells Fargo and its executives since 2011 and more than $500,000 from the financial industry during this election cycle. Ditto for Garrett, who had received $20,250 from Wells Fargo and its executives since 2011, and $350,000 during this election cycle from the financial services industry. Ethan Wolff-Mann is a writer at Yahoo Finance focusing on consumerism, tech, and personal finance. Follow him on Twitter @ewolffmann. Read more: You can thank the financial crisis for the Wells Fargo clawbacks Wells Fargo customers recall their shock upon discovering fraudulent accounts Where is the $60 million Wells Fargo clawed back from its executives going? Canceling a fraudulently opened Wells Fargo credit card will hurt your credit score Chemical Bank and Childrens Grief Center of the Great Lakes Bay Region will team up for the Chemical Bank Cares Day, a day when Chemical Bank employees come together to reach out into the community. On Oct. 10, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., the organizations will create doll houses, puppet theatres, and sand tables along with pillow shams for pillows the children use in group.. Chemical Bank cares about its community and they are committed to making a difference where we live, work and play, a press release stated. To the editor: In a little over a month, voters will be going to the polls, hopefully in greater numbers than the 64 percent of eligible voters in Midland County who took advantage of this right in the last presidential election. To help us become informed voters, the League of Women Voters of the Midland Area is providing an online voter guide at VOTE411.org Voters simply enter their home address, then follow the prompts to bring up the races and information on candidates on their ballot. The candidates responses to questions posed by LWV are printed verbatim, with no editing. Candidates at the federal, state and local levels are covered, including contested races in our larger townships. Ballot proposals are also covered. VOTE411.org will be published by Oct. 1. In addition, a hard copy Voter Guide published by the Midland Area LWV and Midland Daily News will be available mid-October, as an insert in the Midland Daily News. The paper guide contains the same unedited responses from candidates to questions asked by the LWV as found in VOTE411.org Copies will also be available at various locations such as the Grace A. Dow Library, Greater Midland Community Center, senior centers and some businesses. Forums are an excellent way to hear first-hand from our local candidates. On Oct. 3, candidates for the 98th State House District and Midland County Commissioners District 1 and District 4 will meet for a forum at the Midland City Hall council chambers at 7 p.m. This forum is co-sponsored by Midland Area LWV and MCTV. In forums co-sponsored by American Association of University Women (AAUW) and LWV, candidates for the board of education for Midland Public Schools will meet on Oct. 11, and board of education candidates for Midland County Educational Service Agency will meet Oct. 19. Both school board forums will start at 7 p.m. at the Midland Public Schools Administration Building, 600 E. Carpenter, in Midland. The public is welcome at all forums, which will be broadcast live by MCTV, then at various times until the election. Check the MCTV schedule online or in the Sunday Daily News for dates and times. Take advantage of these sources of candidate information to become informed, and above all, vote on Nov. 8 (or by absentee ballot if you qualify and prefer). Deadline for voter registration is Tuesday, Oct. 11, so be sure youre registered. SUSAN MCCOLLISTER President League of Women Voters of the Midland Area NORMAL With another school shooting earlier this week in South Carolina fresh on their minds, police, fire and college officials staged an active-shooter drill Friday at Heartland Community College that included a campus-wide lockdown. In a break from past practices, Normal Fire Department paramedics accompanied the police department's Emergency Response Unit into the hot zone to rescue wounded victims and quickly get them to treatment. The purpose of this is to prepare ourselves for a mass casualty type shooting or active-shooter scenario, said Normal police Lt. Nick Thacker, who oversees the Emergency Response Unit. You pray that it never happens in the town of Normal, he said. We do ourselves an injustice if we don't train. About a dozen police trained in special weapons and tactics participated in the drill along with six members of the hostage negotiation team, according to Thacker. Whenever there is a shooting such as the one in South Carolina this week or at a Umqua Community College in Oregon a year ago officials review what happened, said Thacker and James Hubbard, Heartland's executive director of facilities. You look at what worked well and try to learn from it, said Thacker. That has led to changes in the practice of waiting for an all-clear signal before going in to treat victims. Normal fire Lt. Matt Burscak said fire departments are getting more aggressive in extracting wounded victims from shooting scenes because victims were dying from wounds that were treatable. Matt Swaney, the fire department's public information officer, said, This partnership between fire and police personnel is ensuring the best outcome for our potential victims. More and more schools also are practicing lockdown procedures. Hubbard said Heartland employees received training in August and watched a graphic video regarding locking and barricading rooms. "Today's practice of these skills gives them an opportunity to practice what they learned," he said. You want to train in real-world type situations to build muscle memory. Thacker said having a drill at Heartland helps build relationships and familiarity with the building layout. The lockdown lasted less than half an hour, although the active-shooter scenario continued into the afternoon in the college's cafe area. The college also used the drill to test its emergency notification system, including text alerts and public address announcements. The majority of the drill took place in the cafe in the Student Commons Building on the west side of campus. An intern, portraying a distraught student, fired shots from a starter pistol then ran into the cafe, where he shot several people and barricaded himself in the food service area. As police participating in the drill attempted to talk to the gunman and calm the situation, they also had to respond to pleas for help from those portraying wounded victims, reassuring them that help is on the way. When the full team arrived, they negotiated with the gunman so the wounded victims could be removed from the area. Fire department personnel set up a treatment area outside of the building. The drill, which began at 11 a.m., continued until about 2 p.m., when the gunman surrendered to police. HEYWORTH A Heyworth-area farmer is recuperating in a Springfield hospital after being rescued from a combine Saturday morning. He was trapped for about an hour, said Randolph Township Fire Chief Dennis Powell. Great teamwork and mechanical knowledge from our crews and local farmers were key to today's outcome. The name and the condition of the farmer, who was airlifted to a Springfield hospital, were not available. "The prognosis is very good, Powell said. Heyworth Fire and Heyworth Ambulance Service were notified about 11 a.m. of a person trapped in a combine head near county roads 1200 East and 200 North, according to a release from the Heyworth Fire Department. Rescuers from Mount Hope-Funks Grove Fire Department, Normal Fire Department tech rescue team and Bloomington Fire Department assisted, as well as a technical adviser from Cross Implement John Deere in Minier. About 4:30 a.m. Saturday, police were notified of a pedestrian on Ill. Route 17 at the railroad tracks. Police said the 23-year-old Braceville man was alone, lying in the road, when found by a passing motorist. There were no other vehicles at the scene. BLOOMINGTON One of Bloomington-Normal's busiest intersections will get another upgrade next summer. Motorists will be able to turn right from southbound Towanda Barnes Road onto Ireland Grove Road without stopping after a new free-flow, right-turn lane is installed, possibly by the start of the 2017-18 school year. (For) construction, we would shoot for the summer, prior to school starting back up, said McLean County Engineer Jerry Stokes. There will be a deceleration lane along Towanda Barnes, and then traffic makes the right-hand turn, and there will an acceleration lane on Ireland Grove. Stokes said southbound traffic attempting to turn right at the intersection sometimes backs up to Oakland Avenue a full mile. The intersection is near State Farm's Corporate South campus and also is a key artery to and from Normal Community High School. Its for rush-hour traffic when people are going to work, said Stokes. The project builds on 2014 improvements to the intersection. Engineering services on the project are expected to cost $128,000, which will be split equally between the county and the city of Bloomington. Stokes said no construction cost was available Friday, though the city estimated $750,000. The county also plans to resurface Towanda Barnes from Illinois 9 to Fort Jesse Road in Normal in 2017, a $1.6 million project. In 2015, the road was resurfaced between Ireland Grove Road and Illinois 9 for $1.34 million, and Towanda Barnes from Fort Jesse to Raab Road was resurfaced as part of a $7.3 million project to expand it from two to five lanes. The county paid $2 million toward that expansion, which finished this month. Raab Road also is expanding, between NCHS and Towanda Barnes, at a cost of $1.7 million $1.2 million in federal money and $500,000 from the town of Normal. Work started this summer but was delayed into the school year. Jollibee The biggest fast-food chain in the Philippines is expanding in the US. Jollibee, known for its "Chickenjoy" fried chicken, sweet spaghetti, and halo-halo iced desserts, is about to open its second location in the Midwest and will soon expand into Florida and New York City. The company is mapping out an expansion to other "key cities" soon as well "where there is a good density of Filipinos," Jollibee North America President Jose Maria Minana told Business Insider. Jollibee currently has 34 locations in the US, primarily located in California. Globally, Jollibee has a total of 1,090 stores. The company's system-wide sales jumped 10.9% last year to $2.9 billion. The chain which is like a cross between McDonald's and KFC with a side of spaghetti has a cult following among Filipinos. mmmm jollibee! #xtinefooddiary A photo posted by CHICAGO FOODIE (@xtinefooddiary) on Sep 23, 2016 at 10:59am PDT on Sep 23, 2016 at 10:59am PDT Thousands of people flocked to the opening of Jollibee's first Midwest location in August and waited in lines lasting up to eight hours to get food, Minana said. Is it that good? A photo posted by Charlie Billups (@charliebillups1) on Sep 5, 2016 at 2:50pm PDT on Sep 5, 2016 at 2:50pm PDT "We were really overwhelmed by the reaction," he said. "We expected a line ... but to wait in line for seven or eight hours?" No Jollibee today. Not going to wait in that line. A photo posted by Chuck Rico (@ricochuck) on Sep 19, 2016 at 2:43pm PDT on Sep 19, 2016 at 2:43pm PDT Weeks after the opening, the lines still stretched out the door and with waits lasting up to two hours, Eater Chicago reports. On any given weekend day, the Skokie store typically attracts about 5,000 people. Minana said he expects that number to fall once Jollibee opens its second Illinois location this fall. No Jollibee today. Not going to wait in that line. A photo posted by Chuck Rico (@ricochuck) on Sep 19, 2016 at 2:43pm PDT on Sep 19, 2016 at 2:43pm PDT Minana attributes the Jollibee obsession to its menu, which is catered to the Filipino palate. Story continues The "Chickenjoy" fried chicken is the chain's flagship menu item. #chibogtime #jollibee A photo posted by Ramon (@ramon813) on Sep 7, 2016 at 7:05am PDT on Sep 7, 2016 at 7:05am PDT It's "crispy on the outside, tender and juicy on the inside," according to a Yelp review. "There isn't much seasoning, but Filipinos like to dip their chicken with the gravy and eat it with rice. Hence the gravy for all chicken orders." Finally~ #chickenjoy #peachmangopie #lotsofgravy #jollibee #notafatass #filipinofood A photo posted by Ana Khuu (@smil3ana) on Aug 25, 2016 at 10:49am PDT on Aug 25, 2016 at 10:49am PDT The spaghetti is also a favorite item, with sweet sauce, slices of ham and sausage, and ground beef, topped with cheese. I guess I have to enjoy my Spaghetti combo in the car aka Sonic Drive In style A photo posted by Ross A. Buniao (@rossbuniao) on Aug 21, 2016 at 4:31pm PDT on Aug 21, 2016 at 4:31pm PDT The chain serves burgers, as well. The "Amazing Aloha" is a hamburger with bacon, lettuce, cheese, and a thick pineapple ring topped with honey mustard sauce. Time for lunch with the aloha burger and a peach mango pie A photo posted by JustAFungus (@kuribo34) on Sep 5, 2016 at 10:15am PDT on Sep 5, 2016 at 10:15am PDT There's also a "burger steak" served with gravy, mushrooms, and rice; "fiesta noodles" featured noodles in a garlic sauce with sauteed pork, shrimp, parsley flakes, and slices of egg; and corned-beef sandwiches. Breakfast consists of beef tenders, sweet pork, corned beef, or pork sausage with rice, egg, and tomatoes. For dessert, you can order the peach-mango pie, which has a crispy pie shell with warm fruit inside. Burger Steak!!!! #jollibee #filipino #foodie #chicago A photo posted by Bryan Jerger (@dataznguy1) on Sep 14, 2016 at 4:07pm PDT on Sep 14, 2016 at 4:07pm PDT "The peach mango pie was fantastic, it's basically a large egg roll with hot mango peach filing," one Yelp reviewer wrote. #charieats #halohalo and #chickenjoy Sunday cravings A photo posted by Marie Charmaine Floro Alvarez (@chari_eats) on Aug 14, 2016 at 12:39pm PDT on Aug 14, 2016 at 12:39pm PDT There's also the halo-halo, which features ube ice cream (named after the sweet purple yam that's used to make it), leche flan (a creamy custard), sweetened condensed milk, and a mix of fruit and jellies under a bed of shaved iced. NOW WATCH: Stop eating yogurt for its probiotics because it's not actually helping More From Business Insider My heart went out to Donald Trump this week when it appeared that he was under the weather. What could be worse than to be sick, sniffling through his first presidential debate just days after he was challenging Hillary Clinton's health and, during the debate, taunting her lack of stamina. Trump's own stamina was not, shall we say, in abundance Monday. Weary-eyed and gulping water, he looked as though he might fall asleep were it not for the lectern's support. Could his malady perhaps explain his utter incoherence? Might whatever was drying out his mouth, but not his nose, explain his childish, running commentary as Clinton was answering a question? As karma would have it, Clinton seemed perky by comparison. Pitch-perfect throughout the debate, she was never at a loss for a coherent answer or a rebound. She even managed to conquer her habitual impulse to nod her head affirmatively when someone else is talking. Otherwise, she smiled through her contempt for Trump's inane responses or non-responses. In the course of the evening, she seemed to get him to admit to not paying any federal taxes, which Trump appeared to confirm by saying, "That makes me smart." Moderator Lester Holt's question about Trump's birther crusade elicited not only a defense of his efforts but a declaration of pride that he, Trump, had forced Obama to present his birth certificate. "I think I did a good job," he said. This is false, as any serious news consumer knows. But these two examples illustrate two key components of Trump's character braggadocio and preening pride. Translation: insecurity and weakness. He was proud of two things paying no taxes and racist pandering for which most people of conscience would feel shame. Sure, if you're someone whose career is built on gaming the system, you might gloat about being the best gamer. But is this whom you want for president? As for racist pandering, that's what birtherism was. It was never really about Obama's birthplace, no matter who thought of it first. Democrats aren't any more virtuous than Republicans when it comes to foul play; Republicans are just better at it. In Sniffles' hands, the birther issue was an instrument to mine the subliminal racist attitudes that Trump knew were out there. His strategy was to constantly remind voters of Obama's Kenyan heritage, thus building a rapport with a certain segment of the population that ultimately would catapult him onto the debate stage. He subsequently reinforced his monument to infamy by marginalizing other darker-skinned groups, including Mexicans and Muslims of Middle Eastern extraction. Thusly was Trump's presidential campaign launched. His made-for-TV descent on the escalator of New York's Trump Tower was merely a dramatization of the direction he would lead his acolytes and, if elected, the nation. During his part of the "debate," Trump did manage to make a couple of points, notably that Clinton is a career politician while he's a builder and job creator. Noted. Otherwise, he was often if not mostly a Donny-brook of babbling nonsense. At one juncture, criticizing Clinton for posting her anti-Islamic State plan on her website (as opposed to not actually having a plan), he said with rough conviction: "No wonder you've been fighting ISIS your entire adult life." Asked by Holt what he would do to prevent cyberattacks, Trump replied: "As far as the cyber ... we should be better than anybody else, and perhaps we're not. I don't think anybody knows it was Russia that broke into the DNC [Democratic National Committee]. She's saying Russia, Russia, Russia. ... Maybe it was. ... But it could also be China, it could also be lots of other people. It also could be somebody sitting on their bed that weighs 400 pounds." What came next was, well, this: "You don't know who broke in to DNC, but what did we learn with DNC? We learned that Bernie Sanders was taken advantage of by your people. By [former DNC Chair] Debbie Wasserman Schultz. Look what happened to her." As a matter of fairness, I would include similarly confused responses by Clinton, but there were none. When the worst criticism is that you're "overprepared," as some have accused Clinton, you're in pretty good shape, debate-wise. Meanwhile, the global marketplace may tell the larger story. As the evening concluded, thanks to Clinton's obvious dominance, as well as her assertion that a Clinton presidency would honor U.S. commitments abroad, the Asian market recovered, the peso rallied, and Dow futures added 100 points. That's nothing to sneeze at or sniffle about. Five giant tech companies have joined forces for "Partnership on AI" including Facebook, Amazon, Google, Microsoft and IBM. "Partnership on AI", also known as "Partnership on Artificial Intelligence to Benefit People And Society" has reached an agreement to further increase research about the advancement of technologies with the use of experts from the said companies. The goal of this organization is to fund on AI projects for technology advancement research with the interest on "advance public understanding". The group of companies made a statement on one of their objectives which they have stated, "The objective of the Partnership on AI is to address opportunities and challenges with AI technologies to benefit society", reported by The Guardian. One of the tech giants, Apple, did not show interest in joining the "Partnership on AI". The iPhone maker company has been working solely when it comes to AI technology, in which they have been slowly successful. One of their AI advanced technologies include Siri. However, the Microsoft Research Managing Director Eric Horvitz stated in an interview that they have already discussed with Apple and they hope to see them join the said group. Apple has yet to comment on this matter. "Partnership on AI" intentions on practicing includes the relationship to ethics, fairness and inclusive to name a few. The organization has also intents to prove transparency, privacy and interoperability when it comes to the said collaboration. With the possible threat of a misuse of AI technologies, "Partnership on AI" said that they do not have the intention of lobbying government agencies. They are also open to equalization between corporate and non-corporate members and has invited "academics, non profits and specialists in policy and ethics" to join the collaboration. The organization has introduced ethical standards and scientific research for engineering development. "Partnership on AI" in a conference call on Wednesday said that this will be a major force in the world for the economy and social benefits. However, they have also acknowledged the potential abuse or misuse this can come with. They affirmed that their effort will be put to fostering public advance understanding and AI best practices, reported by New York Times. As an iPhone user, you thought you were safe from all the exploding Samsung has done. Sorry to burst your bubble but the newly released iPhone 7 Plus explodes, too. This came as a surprise after everyone thought buying the new released iPhones would give them security and safety, and their money's worth. A Reddit user kroopthesnoop posted a photo showing an iPhone7 plus that his co-worker allegedly pre-ordered. The unit was never used as the iPhone 7 Plus was delivered to him in a not so good condition. The box had a whole in it and the phone was totally unusable. It looked like it just detonated. The similarity between Samsung Galaxy Note 7 and the iPhone 7 Plus is that they both explode. But, in the case of the Samsung, the defective battery is the one exploding while the iPhone 7 Plus exploded while it was being delivered, probably while in transit, according to the BGR. "At least the package didn't catch on fire," was the only thing the user could post. Kroopthesnoop also updated his post saying an Apple official from Texas already contacted him regarding the post, and the user gave the number of his co-worker. Kroopthesnoop said in his post that the Apple official called his co-worker and was told he would receive a replacement phone. As of writing, the post already had 130 comments. User shansoft said: "It wasn't even opened from the box if I understand correctly. Something definitely have a severe impact over the container to the phone that caused the phone to bend, then battery blows up. Based on the photo, whatever that impacts the box, seems to punctured through the box as well." Another user, named JR Helgeson said, "Isn't it quite obvious that the package was damaged quite severely? This was not a spontaneous 'explosion'. Lithium batteries explode when damaged as such." Cyclonrobot said, "I'm nowhere near an Apple fan...... I hope this is an isolated incident because the experience with my Note 7 was a pain in the behind. I'd hate for other people to have the same experience." Well, after all the copying the two tech giants, Apple and Samsung, had done to each other, is this just another? Maybe not. People believe that the explosion of this matte black iPhone 7 Plus is an isolated case saying the problem occurred during the delivery, when the package was somehow destroyed affecting the battery which led to its explosion. But some people believe that this is just the start of one of many blowing up iPhones in the market. With the hype the iPhone 7 release has caused, many people are now at risk of having an exploding phone with them. As for the case of this iPhone 7 Plus, the Apple official's move to send a replacement phone is a clear sign that there is indeed an acknowledgment that the phone exploded. This service applies to you if your subscription has not yet expired on our old site. You will have continued access until your subscription expires; then you will need to purchase an ongoing subscription through our new system. Please contact the Parsons Sun office at (620) 421-2000 if you have any questions Videos Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos. Saturday Link Love is a new feature where I collect and post links to various articles Ive come upon over the past week. Feel free to share any interesting articles youve come along as well! The more the merrier. Trump Is Triggering Domestic Violence Survivors With Textbook Abusive Behavior, on Huffington PostIts been seven years since Lisette Johnsons abusive husband shot her and then turned the gun on himself, but nowadays, whenever she turns on the TV, she is confronted with a man who sounds just like him. This scrap of cloth is one of the saddest artifacts at new DC museum, on McClatchyDCIn an easily overlooked corner of the new National Museum of African American History and Culture, dwarfed by surrounding exhibits, is a yellowed cloth sack. Bias Isnt Just A Police Problem, Its A Preschool Problem, on nprEdIf implicit bias can play a role on our preschool reading rugs and in our classrooms cozy corners, it no doubt haunts every corner of our society. Black communities: overpoliced for petty crimes, ignored for major ones, in Los Angeles TimesAnd then imagine how youd feel as the cops looked at you, and your family, and your friends, and your whole town, and said, we knew you were scum. MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS PUSH FOR A GENDER-NEUTRAL DRESS CODEAND WIN, on Bitch MediaWhen she was in seventh grade, Sophia Carlson and her friends noticed an annoying pattern at Irvington School in Portland, Oregon. I have a Patreon! Please support my writing! el chapo Collage Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman's appeals against his extradition went before a judge in Mexico City on September 26, but that judge may takes weeks to rule, and the appeals process that is sure to play out after his decision is sure to drag on for weeks if not months. At the end of all that, a Mexican court may rule against the government's decision earlier this year to accede to extradition requests from two US District Courts, a possibility that can't be discounted, especially since Guzman's legal team has argued that the kingpin was mistreated by state authorities. But the disapproval of the Mexican judicial system would not be the death knell of the Pena Nieto government's efforts to rid itself, and Mexico, of Guzman. "As a technical matter, the Mexican executive [branch] is not at all dependent on the Mexican judicial system to approve of extradition," Peter Vincent, a former legal adviser at the US Department of Homeland Security, told Business Insider. "It in fact has unilateral authority ... to ultimately approve of extradition, because extradition is after all a diplomatic matter, best handled by the executive branch." There is precedent for the Mexican government to overrule a decision by a court in order to carry out a high-profile extradition request. Alberto Benjamin Arellano Felix, reputedly the leader of the powerful Tijuana cartel at the time, was captured by Mexican authorities in March 2002. Arellano Felix was sentenced to 22 years in jail in Mexico, but efforts to extradite him to the US stalled. Arellano Felix brothers Mexico Tijuana cartel drug traffickers extradition The US government's extradition request was held for several months because of translation delays and other administrative issues. This was compounded by the change of government in Mexico at the end of 2006, when Felipe Calderon took office. Story continues The process hit another roadblock in May 2007, when a Mexican judge ruled against Arellano Felix's extradition saying that he would be tried for charges he had already faced in Mexico. But in 2008, the Mexican government dismissed this objection, paving the way for Arellano Felix to be sent to the US. At the time, the Mexican attorney general's office said Arellano Felix had been tried for drug trafficking and other offenses committed prior to 1997, and that he would face trafficking charges for years after that in the US. Moreover, according to USA Today, he was wanted in the US for for money laundering, for which he wasn't tried in Mexico. That opinion was not binding on the government, though it was required to consider it. "The ultimate decision on whether to extradite an individual rests exclusively with the Secretary of Foreign Affairs [SRE], which, of course, is part of the executive branch, which is controlled by the president," Vincent told Business Insider. "That is, the SRE is not required to follow the judges recommendation." Arellano Felix's subsequent appeals were denied, and Mexican authorities surrendered him to US officials in San Diego in April 2011. He took a plea deal and was sentenced to 25 years in April 2012. The judge elected to credit him for the time he spent in US custody, but upon the completion of his US sentence, around the time he is 80, he will have to serve the remainder of his 22-year sentence in Mexico. Benjamin Arellano Felix arrested Mexico drug trafficker extradition Mexico's reversal on Arellano Felix's extradition was part of a relaxation of the country's extradition policies that took place in the mid-2000s, as the Vicente Fox and Calderon governments' ramped up efforts to fight cartels. Mexico had previously refused to extradite high-profile drug bosses, as they could have faced the death penalty or life imprisonment sentences Mexico's legal system does not issue in a US court. The US eased the charges against Arellano Felix in 2003 to avoid those sentences, but Mexico later installed a legal workaround. As Vincent noted: "In 2005, the Mexican Supreme Court struck down a constitutional provision that had banned life imprisonment with no chance of parole sentences. As such, Mexico can and had extradited Mexican citizens to the United States even when they would face a life sentence. They will not, however, extradite if the death penalty is being considered. The United States makes 'diplomatic assurances' that it will neither seek not impose the death penalty in those cases." Peter Vincent 60 Minutes El Chapo But for Guzman a capo almost without rival who faces a bevy of charges in the US (and whose cartel won a bloody war with the Arellano Felix cartel in the 1990s and 2000s) the Mexican government may not need to take executive action. "What the Mexican authorities ... are sensitive to is allegations that the Mexican executive is essentially denying ... a Mexican citizen of his constitutional rights, and [they are] not likely to countermand in this ... very high-profile instance any decision by the Mexican judiciary not to extradite," Vincent told Business Insider. "All indications are, however, that the Mexican judicial system ultimately will approve or allow the extradition of Mr. Guzman," he stressed. NOW WATCH: 1 YEAR LATER: Heres what may come next for 'El Chapo' Guzman More From Business Insider No. Really. MANILA President Rodrigo Duterte on Friday said hed be happy to slaughter 3 million drug addicts, and even compared his act to that of Adolf Hitler. Hitler massacred 3 million Jews. There are 3 million drug addicts. Id be happy to slaughter them, Duterte said in a press conference following his arrival from an official visit to Vietnam. Duterte revealed he does not mind killing drug addicts if the act will rid the country of its crime-related problems. At least, if Germany had Hitler, the Philippines would have you know, he said, pausing and pointing to himself. You know my victims. I would like (them) to be all criminals to finish the problem of my country and save the next generation from perdition, said Duterte. by Ebony Adedayo On Wednesday, I awoke to the news that Bethel Universitys St. Paul, Minnesota campus the school I attended for Seminary experienced a racist incident. A rock that had been recently painted in solidarity with Black Lives Matter was now painted over in white paint with the message BLM = Racist, Blue Lives Matter. As I scrolled through my facebook feed, searching for clarity about the event, I became angry but I wasnt necessarily surprised. Over the years, Bethel has experienced its share of attacks against Black people specifically and other populations of color as well. Back in 2003, there were a slew of incidents targeting people of color on campus which included one students car being vandalized with racial slurs. On the night that Obama was elected into office in November 2008, racist language was once against used against black students in reference to the president elect. Then in 2010, a white student dressed in blackface and impersonated Lil Wayne for a campus AIDS fundraiser. Disgusting, right? And sprinkled in between all of these incidents is your typical share of microaggressions and Minnesota Nice covert racism. So once again, I wasnt surprised. But I was reminded that the school where I spent four years of my life, had a lot of work to do in terms of being an institution that would stand up for racial justice. But isnt Bethel University a Christian college? Yes, it is. Since 1871, this school has been preparing future pastors, lay leaders, administrators, businessmen and women, nurses, and so many others, how to integrate our faith experience into our professions. And while it can be said that not everyone on that campus professes to be a believer, the vast majority of students subscribe to the Christian faith. And yet, these same Christians, who are studying theology and serving in their churches on Sunday, are guilty of racism. How do we reconcile these two realities? I used to ask myself the same question when I first moved to Minnesota from Milwaukee, WI and attended another Christian college, North Central University. For the very first time in my life, I was surrounded by a sea of white people on a consistent basis black people were few and far between. Also, for the very first time in my life, I felt as if I was being targeted because of my race the fact that I felt more excluded at a Christian college than I did in one of Americas most segregated cities ought to say something! In the North Central bubble, as students so affectionately called it, I felt isolated and alone. For nearly two years, I struggled to make and maintain friendships with roommates and classmates. Between the summer of my freshman and sophomore year, I watched my roommates help move each others stuff to another dormitory on campus and left me to carry my stuff alone. When I ended up in the emergency room due to a bad allergic reaction to God knows what, the only person who helped me in my moment of desperation was a Sri Lankan woman who happened to live down the hall (thank God for her). When I spent a holiday completely by myself, as all of my family lived in Wisconsin, and the church I attended was just as white as my school, I seriously contemplated hurting myself because the pain of isolation hurt so bad. Time and time again, no matter how hard I tried, I felt excluded, talked about and ridiculed. These feelings went on and on, in a Christian school, until I found a diverse church outside of campus that loved me for me, a dark-skinned African American woman. It wasnt until I learned the history of my denomination, the Assemblies of God, that I started to put things together. The isolation and racism that I experienced on my college campus, which was affiliated with the AG had everything to do with history of exclusion and racism within this body of believers. With intention, the AG broke away from the teachings of William Seymour, an African American man, who was the key leader in the Azuza Street Revival between 1906-1909. With intention, they defamed his leadership and said that it was ungodly for them to submit to it. With intention, they excluded Blacks and Latinos from their membership. With intention, they upheld the same bigotry and racism that was commonplace in America for far too long. But it isnt only the AG who has this tattered and torn history of racism, so many churches in America do too. In fact, many churches and Christians themselves, have been complicit if not explicit actors in the terrorism against black lives throughout our countrys history. Everything, from the leadership structure to theology to the way it engages in politics to the way that it conflates the constitution with the Bible, suggests that Western Christianity and more specifically, the white Church, has a strong disregard if not flat out hatred, towards African Americans in this country. Which is why incidents, like those that occurred at Bethel on Wednesday are awful but not shocking. And why the white Church, as an institution not necessarily every individual within it remains silent as black bodies are continuously hunted and killed. Heres the thing though: no matter how silent the white church is or ignorant it pretends to be about #BlackLivesMatter and its importance in this hour, God still holds it accountable. In the same way, that God called after Cain asking the whereabouts of his brother Abel, God calls out to the white church asking the whereabouts of its black brothers, sisters, and sons. Can you hear God calling? Or will you ignore Him, too? Ebony Adedayo is a parish pastor at Church of All Nations and the Communications and Capacity Building Coordinator at the Alliance for Metropolitan Stability, a nonprofit dedicated to advancing racial, economic, and environmental justice in the Twin Cities. Originally from Milwaukee, WI she moved to the Twin Cities in 2001 to attend college, and earned a B.A. in Pastoral Studies (Cross Cultural minor) from North Central University in 2006, and a Master of Global and Contextual Studies from Bethel Seminary in 2010. Ebony is passionate about the intersection of faith, justice, and reconciliation and is the author of Embracing a Holistic Faith: Essays on Biblical Justice. She currently lives in St. Paul with her husband and two children. Railroad lines can be seen in the background of this vacant lot on Pine Street in Pawtucket where a mix of retail and commercial space is planned following a purchase agreement announced recently. City officials are calling this the first sign of transit-oriented development, referring to the planned construction of a commuter rail station nearby. America's Outdated Special Relationship with Saudi Arabia 10/01/16 By Ryan Suto (source: LobeLog) Saudi King Salman shaking hands with President Barack Obama Like other longstanding American relationships in the Middle East, the ties between Washington and Riyadh have nothing to do with human rights or democracy. The alliance rests mostly on two key factors: natural resources and regional stability. First, in addition to being the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, the House of Saud is the custodian of a singular holy resource: oil. Saudi Arabias role as the largest exporter of the crucial fossil fuel, as well as its cultural and political influence over other six other Arab OPEC members, makes friendship with the kingdom a valuable, and seemingly indispensable, asset for a fuel-thirsty superpower. Second, in the Cold-War era, maintaining a balance of power between Western allies such as Saudi Arabia and Turkey, and Soviet allies such as Iran and Syria, was central to US policy in the region. Making overt advances in non-aligned countries like Egypt or through intermediary forces, such as supporting Saddam Hussein against Iran, was our preferred method of balancing Soviet influence in the region. In this context, retaining Saudi Arabia as a proxy for Western influence in the Arab world was an easy policy decision. Without American patronage, the Saudis might have turned to Russia. Further, although Saudi Arabia has no formal relations with Israel, unlike Egypt after the Camp David Accords, the Saudis have never used state force against Israel, making the kingdom more palatable to Washington. Barack Obamas administration has departed from the policies of its predecessors in being willing to equivocate in its dealings with Saudi Arabia. Obama has shown contempt toward the diplomatic assumption that he and the Saudis will present a common foreign policy in the region. The most dramatic example of this new approach was the signing of the Iran nuclear deal, formally the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Although he has not spurned all Saudi initiatives-he has backed the intervention in Yemen-Obama has been willing to diverge from Saudi interests, which has heightened the insecurity of Saudi leaders. Saudi Arabia has done much to warrant Obamas hesitation. Since the passing of King Abdullah in 2015, King Salman and Minister of Defense Mohammed bin Salman have intensified the simmering regional rivalry with Iran, attempting to counter the Shia nation in every theater in the region. Departing from post-9/11 reforms and moderations, the kingdoms current leadership is now committed to either ignoring or supporting extremist Sunni theology. Earlier this year Saudi Arabia suspended funding for the Lebanese army over the influence of Hezbollah in the country. Viewing the Houthis in Yemen as a proxy of Iran, Saudi has led an intervention in the country, generating accusations of war crimes against civilians in the process. In Saudi Arabias defense, Iran financially supports Hamas and maintains close ties with Hezbollah. The country has also played an enlarged role fighting the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria-often aligning with US interests. However, the extent of Irans role in Yemen is debatable. Nonetheless, German intelligence labels Saudi Arabias newfound activism in the region as impulsive intervention. In the past two weeks, Congress has adopted a contradictory posture toward Saudi Arabia. It has pressed for both the declassification of a report that details the potential Saudi connection to the 9/11 attacks and on human rights violations within the Kingdom. It also overrode an Obama veto for the first time to pass a bill allowing the families of 9/11 victims to sue the Saudi government as a potential enabler of the attacks. At the same time, Congress blocked an attempt to undermine a $1.15 billion sale of military tanks to Riyadh. In the post-Cold War world, the interests of Riyadh and Washington have increasingly diverged in the region. Obama is a pivotal figure. His term straddled the Arab Spring and the negotiations to end Irans nuclear program. The next administration must operate in a post-Arab Spring, post-Iran nuclear deal Middle East. If context, and not ideology, justified American ties with Saudi Arabia, new rationales must be found in this new regional context. The first justification for the Washington-Riyadh relationship, the politics of oil, will undoubtedly remain an important factor for years to come. However, US per-capita consumption of foreign oil has been steadily decreasing for decades, with 2014 levels below 1994 levels. The declining importance of foreign oil for the US economy will allow future US presidents more room for policy divergence with foreign producers, such as Saudi Arabia. The second justification, maintaining regional stability, is now an illusion. A nation or a region is politically stable when it is unlikely to change. In the context of the Cold War, where Western-approved dictators ruled largely docile publics, maintaining the status quo meant policy predictability. However, in the modern Middle East where Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, and Yemen have no effective centralized government that can control the entire state territory, maintaining the status quo means prolonged violence and a proliferation of failed states. And although the Syrian civil war has given Russia a larger foothold in the region than Washington would prefer, Vladimir Putin is a far cry from reaching Soviet-era levels of patronage in the region. If the next administration continues to free US Middle East policy from its Saudi-centric, Cold-War-era thinking, Washington will find that it has more flexibility in making a strategic approach to Iran, advancing human rights in the region, and effectively countering political and religious extremism, whether Sunni, Shia, or any other variety. About the author: Ryan J. Suto is a writer on the United States and the Middle East. He graduated from Syracuse Universitys Law and Public Diplomacy program, where he received certificates in Middle Eastern affairs, international law, and post-conflict reconstruction. Note: The current US presidential campaign debate on Middle East policy has focused disproportionately on the US response to the Islamic State (ISIS or IS). This series (published by LobeLog) will focus instead on five alternative Middle East policy challenges facing the next president. This fourth part discusses the US-Saudi special relationship. See part one on Iraq, part two on Tunisia, and part three on Egypt. PHOTOS: Iran's IRGC unveils new combat drone 10/01/16 Report by Press TV; photos by Mehr News Agency Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has unveiled the recently-manufactured combat unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) called Saeqeh (thunderbolt). The drone was put on show on Saturday at an expo showcasing the latest achievements by the IRGC's Aerospace Division in the UAV industry. Iran's combat drone Saeqeh (thunderbolt) Saeqeh is a long-range drone capable of carrying four smart and precision-guided bombs. It can strike targets with high precision. It is one of the Simorgh class drones, which is the Iranian version of the US RQ-170 Sentinel stealth aircraft. Iran downed a US RQ-170 Sentinel stealth aircraft with minimal damage. The drone was flying over the Iranian city of Kashmar, near the Afghan border, when it was brought down. Almost three years later, the Islamic Republic produced its version of the RQ-170 drone. Commenting on the latest achievements by the IRGC forces, Commander of the IRGC's Aerospace Division Brigadier General Amirali Hajizadeh said that Iran is among the top four countries in the world in the drone industry. Hajizadeh further said that the US is seeking to equal Iran in the production of stealth drones and bombers. Commander of the IRGC's Aerospace Division Brigadier General Amirali Hajizadeh Reflecting on Saeqeh, the commander said that it is the latest Iranian UAV and is capable of hitting targets and returning to base intact. He further noted that Iran will not halt its development of drones, saying, "The enemy is continuing down the path of hostility, and we should continue our course for reinforcing our might for defense against the enemy." Elsewhere in his remarks, Hajizadeh said that today Iran has better aviation systems and equipment than the US and expressed hope that one day Iran will have the same might in the UAV industry as in the missile sector. In recent years, Iran has made major breakthroughs in its defense sector and attained self-sufficiency in producing important military equipment and systems. Iran has also conducted military drills to enhance the defense capabilities of its armed forces and to test modern military tactics and state-of-the-art army equipment. The Islamic Republic maintains that its military might poses no threat to other countries, stating that its defense doctrine is merely based on deterrence. More photo of the expo showcasing latest achievements of IRGC's Aerospace Division's in the UAV industry: As the worst smog season in years winds down, new doubts appear to cloud a costly strategy broached three months ago by Southern Californias regional air quality agency to bring air pollution levels down to healthful levels. In late June, the newly hired top administrator for the South Coast Air Quality Management District proposed a clean-up plan that could cost as much as $1 billion a year for years to come by providing truck fleet owners and other polluters financial incentives to acquire cleaner operating machines. But no clear way to cover the cost has emerged and the air seems to be getting worse. Most days this summer failed to meet the federal health standard for lung-searing ozone in Southern Californias ocean-to-mountain air basin. So far this year, pollution levels exceeded the health standard during 128 days making 2016 the worst smog season in at least four years. During July and August, only two days met the health standard for ozone. Air district officials have blamed a summer of hot, stagnant weather that traps pollution in the air basin. Life has been tougher for many people with respiratory conditions. We definitely had a lot of summer asthma cases, Dr. Sunil Saini, who operates asthma and allergy clinics in Upland, Fontana and San Dimas. And its not just asthma, but also a lot of allergy and sinus cases, and I think it was because of the air pollution. In June, Wayne Nastri, the air districts acting executive officer, said that Congress could create a clean air investment and clean-up fund, which would be similar to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agencys Superfund used to clean up polluted industrial sites and groundwater contamination. Nastri was an official for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under President George W. Bush. He took the helm of the air districts staff in April shortly after a new Republican majority took control of the district governing board. The GOP majority, saying they wanted a business-friendly approach to smog clean-up strategies, voted to fire longtime Executive Officer Barry Wallerstein. http://cdn.thinglink.me/jse/embed.js A TOUGH SELL Air district officials have since acknowledged they have made no progress on the congressional-fund effort. But they have floated the idea of increasing annual vehicle registration fees paid by air district residents by $30 to $60 per car. That would require a two-thirds majority vote of the state Legislature, because it would be considered a new tax. The idea is not unprecedented. Residents in eight counties in the San Joaquin Valley pay an additional $12 in registration fees that raises $29 million a year for their regional air district. In Southern California, a $60 increase could raise as much as $800 million a year, said William A. Burke, chairman of the air board, during a Sept. 9, public meeting at air district headquarters in Diamond Bar. At that point, you are about finished, he said about raising money needed for the incentives. But he said he received a cold response from both business and environment groups. Nobody wants to pay $60, he noted at the meeting. The idea of hiking vehicle registration fees to pay for pollution-reduction incentives has been opposed by both Republican and Democratic state lawmakers. A lot of Californians are scraping by and they cant afford it, said Assemblywoman Melissa Melendez, R-Lake Elsinore. I will lead the charge in shooting that one down, she said. Higher registration fees would encourage people to hang onto older, higher polluting cars and discourage then from buying cleaner new cars, which have higher registration fees, Melendez said in a telephone interview. State Senate leader Kevin de Leon, D-Los Angeles, also panned the idea, saying in a statement that polluters should pay for emission reductions not people and communities burdened by air pollution. We will not raise taxes on hardworking Californians to pad the pockets of polluters. Period. De Leon is among the critics of the air pollution clean-up proposal because it relies more on business-friendly financial incentives for industry rather than imposing tougher regulations. OTHER FUNDS Nastri was not available for an interview, but Philip Fine, the air districts deputy executive officer, said that it is premature to criticize the air district funding strategy. He said a report will be out this month identifying about a dozen revenues sources. One of these ideas includes imposing fees on cargo containers that arrive at Southern California ports and move through the region. Revenue also could be raised through the states cap-and-trade program for carbon emissions because reducing such emissions in Southern Californias air basin also cuts unhealthful ozone and particle pollution thats targeted by the air district. But so far, the congressional funding idea and the proposed vehicle registration tax just dont have a chance politically, said Adrian Martinez, a Los Angeles-based attorney for Earthjustice, a national environmental group . To call these pie in the sky may be too nice, Martinez said. You dont see any reality in these options. Martinez said he fears the air district could spin its wheels for years pursuing an unfunded incentive program when it could be imposing the rules needed to force polluters to cut emissions. Meanwhile, asthmatic children, the elderly and others are suffering form the health consequences, he said. Fine said that meeting federal health standards will require a combination of incentives and regulations, including rules would require about 270 of the regions largest smokestack polluters including power plants, oil refineries and factories to cut emissions by a third in the next 15 years. The financial incentives, Fine said, would go mostly to truck owners to help them replace their engines with the cleanest models before they would be required to do so under federal rules. Burke said in an interview he is optimistic that Californians would will pay more taxes and fees to improve air quality if they better understand the gravity of the problems. Air pollution results in an estimated 6,000 early deaths a year, he said. I have seen some polling showing that Californian are different than people in other states, Burke said. If people in California see its something they want, they are willing to pay for it. Contact the writer: 951-368-9471 or ddanelski@scng.com Prosecutors in San Bernardino Countys Colonies public corruption case were ordered by a Superior Court judge Friday to turn over assorted documents and personal items seized by the FBI during a 2011 raid at one of the defendants home and business information that was not deemed relevant in the case. Judge Michael A. Smith has yet to rule on whether to toss all evidence seized in the search, which was turned over to county prosecutors. Defense attorneys are fighting to get the evidence tossed on grounds the search was overly broad, included dated information and was served at the wrong locations. Rancho Cucamonga developer Jeff Burum and three former top county officials stand accused of conspiring to fix a $102 million settlement in November 2006 between the county and Burums Rancho Cucamonga investor group, Colonies Partners LP, in exchange for bribes. Also charged in the case are former San Bernardino County Supervisor Paul Biane, former Assistant Assessor Jim Erwin and Mark Kirk, former chief of staff for former county Supervisor Gary Ovitt. All four defendants have maintained their innocence since a grand jury indicted them in May 2011. The Colonies case was investigated by the FBI, as well as prosecutors from the state Attorney Generals and San Bernardino County District Attorneys offices. But the federal government dropped its case for undisclosed reasons subsequent to the September 2011 raid at Burums Rancho Cucamonga business, Diversified Pacific, and his Rancho Cucamonga home. Burums attorney, Stephen Larson, fought the validity of the FBI search all the way to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in Pasadena, which in May reversed a lower federal courts ruling and ordered an evidentiary hearing be held. FBI agents handed their evidence over to prosecutors at the District Attorneys and state Attorney Generals offices, and now the defense is requesting that evidence be suppressed. Judge Smith on Friday ordered prosecutors to return some of that evidence, including personal family photographs, greeting cards, tax returns and other records not germane to the criminal case. The defense is also arguing the federal government searched the wrong locations for the financial records they were seeking. They argued the search should have been narrowed to Burums investor group, Colonies Partners LP, which is accused of paying the $400,000 in to the three defendants and former Board of Supervisors Chairman Bill Postmus, previously a targeted defendant in the case. Postmus, under a plea agreement with prosecutors, pleaded guilty in March 2011 to 10 felonies in connection with the Colonies case and a companion corruption case in which he was accused of abusing his power as county assessor for political gain. He admitted to accepting a $100,000 bribe from Burum disguised as a contribution to a phony political action committee account he had created following the Colonies settlement in November 2006. Instead of serving a warrant at the office of Colonies Partners, investigators targeted Burums home and development company, Diversified Pacific, said Jennifer Keller, one of Burums attorneys. If they would have gone after Colonies Partners records, that would have been a completely different story, Keller said. Riverside prides itself on its history of unique architecture, but residents reverence for the past doesnt always stave off the wrecking ball. The Assembly of God church, a tile and stucco building at Fifth Street and Fairmount Boulevard, is in the midst of being demolished to make space for a Hampton Inn and extended stay hotel that will serve the recently expanded Riverside Convention Center. City Historic Preservation Officer Erin Gettis said she heard from one resident who was sorry to see the church go. But in 2008 as the city considered development plans for the area, We didnt have anybody come and speak to us about that church at those hearings, she said. Not much is known about the history of the building or its former congregation. Its unclear when the group left the downtown church or where it went. The church has Spanish Colonial Revival features, but it was remodeled many times since it was built in 1946, and it is so dilapidated it would be costly to fix, said David Leonard of the Old Riverside Foundation. The foundation was asked to check the church for any furniture, fixtures or other items worth salvaging. We didnt expect much. We went in there and we didnt find much, he said. The city reached out to church officials seeking an oral history, documents or any details of who had used the church and why it might be significant, but no one responded, Gettis said. Once the church is gone, construction of the hotel will begin, possibly before the end of the year. City tourism officials are excited about the hotels, but the project is a big change from what was planned a decade ago. The 2008 environmental study explored the impacts of a massive project covering more than two city blocks with more than 500 residential units and 76,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space. That plan fell apart as the recession hit and the developer sued the city over a related hotel project and then filed for bankruptcy protection. Part of the project, which will renovate the historic Stalder building into apartments and retail space, is going forward with a different developer. Contact the writer: 951-368-9461; arobinson@scng.com; @arobinson_pe Gov. Brown has vetoed a proposed law to grant an additional year of disability pay to police and firefighters who are catastrophically injured at the hands of another. Under the bill authored by state Sen. Richard Roth (D-Riv), catastrophic injuries were defined as severe injuries resulting from burns, building collapses, and shootings or stabbings. In battling for the bill, Roth used the example of Riverside police Officer Andrew Tachias. In 2013, Tachias was ambushed and shot nine times by ex-LAPD Officer Christopher Dorner. That same attack killed Tachiass partner, Officer Michael Crain. Tachias has returned to work, but it took him three years of rehabilitation and effort. He is still not able to go out on patrol. Current state Workers Compensation law provides one year of temporary disability pay for police and firefighters injured in the line of duty. In Tachiass case, the Riverside City Council extended his benefits for a second year. But opponents of Roths SB897including the California State Sheriffs Association, California Police Chiefs Association and some citiesfocused on the cost. These benefits are paid by self-insured cities and counties on a pay-as-you-go basis, they argued. And a state law imposing additional disability benefits would force cities and counties to cut existing services, without necessarily resulting in the injured police and firefighters returning to work. The governor agreed. In his view, its a decision best left to the local jurisdictions who are paying the bills. This leave is required to be provided at full salary and tax-free, resulting in take-home pay that is higher than pre-injury wages, Brown wrote in his veto message that cited Riversides decision to extend Tachiass benefits. Upon closer review, I have not found any other city which terminates the health benefits of police officers while they are on temporary disability. Many local agencies are under significant financial stress. They must consider employee benefit increases in light of competing demands for critical services and long-term pension and health care benefits. As we head into wildfire season, theres a new worry for firefighters as well as for all of us. Hobby drones. What started out as a toy and morphed into an awesome gizmo is on its way to becoming an aerial killing machine. In Holy Jim Canyon this month, hobby drones stymied helicopters trying to snuff out a 155-acre wildfire. From California to Alaska, according to officials, drones this year have impeded aerial firefighting at least a dozen times. RELATED How drones have rapidly changed perspectives There have been drone incursions all over the state, Orange County Fire Authority Battalion Chief Craig Covey said. We get helicopters taken out all the time by birds. If were worried about running into a bird, think about what a drone with four propellers could do. Because of hot, fast-moving Santa Ana winds that typically blow during October and November, U.S. Forest Service officials warn the next two months are especially worrisome. Were extra vigilant, said Jake Rodriguez, forest service public information officer. What weve seen this season so far, is very extreme fire behavior. The long drought combined with beetle-infested trees has created particularly volatile fuel conditions. Flames shot up as high as 100 feet during the Cajon Pass fire in mid-August, Rodriguez reported. Thirty-five square miles burned in a single day. Department of Interior officials report that more than 30,000 wildfires this year have burned more than 2.7 million acres. A drone that costs as little as $500 could cost you your home or your life. STOPPING FIREFIGHTERS Putting a video camera on the belly of what amounts to a miniature helicopter may sound nuts, but it can be very cool. Lifeguards use drones to watch for sharks. Businesses use drones for planning. Real estate agents use drones to market properties. Outdoor enthusiasts capture beautiful landscapes. But no matter how tempting it may be to deploy a drone, civilian machines dont belong in a situation that requires police or firefighters. One first responder echoed a common refrain, telling drone fans, If you fly, we cant. Drones interrupted air efforts in three California fires, writes Mark Bathrick, director of aviation services for the Department of the Interior, including in Kern County, where a blaze destroyed more than 150 homes and killed an elderly couple. Drones grounded aircraft five times on the Saddle fire in Utah in late June, Bathrick continued, as the blaze burned remote terrain inaccessible to ground forces, threatened communities and prompted the evacuation of 500 homes. Last year, Bathrick said, a drone prompted firefighters to abandon aerial efforts while a fire burned over a California highway. Drones can knock out an aircraft windshield, get sucked into an intake, Covey said. Drones compromise our ability to save lives and property. Air support, the Orange County Fire Authority air operations chief explained, is often critical to fighting fires, especially in wildland areas. In the recent Holy Jim fire, helicopters held the line while ground crews worked their way into steep wilderness. During the 2007 Santiago wildfire that burned 29,000 acres, a dozen firefighters had to deploy fire-resistant sacks when they became surrounded by flames. Without helicopters dropping water, Covey said, they could have died. If drones existed then, the outcome would have been well, lets not go there. BEEFING UP LAWS Almost as soon as a fire starts, something called a Temporary Flight Restriction is established by the Federal Aviation Administration. It means nothing without permission including drones can fly in a specified area. Acreage varies, but typically an area will cover 5 square miles or more. During the Holy Jim fire, Rodriguez said, There were drones flying over our helicopters at Dove Lake. Choppers were prevented from scooping water out of the reservoir in Dove Canyon not just once, but twice during the battle. The FAA is investigating the incidents. Regulations allow fines up to $20,000. In Utah, legislators approved laws that allow first responders to stop drones, even if it means damaging the machine. In Sacramento, two bills following Utahs approach were recently signed by the governor. AB 1680 made it a crime for the operator of a drone to interfere with efforts to fight fires. SB 807 allowed firefighters to damage drones that impede firefighting efforts. The Orange County Fire Authority board supports the bills. Supervisor Todd Spitzer, a board member, noted, Drones completely jeopardize the safety of the pilot in the aircraft and, if a helicopter goes down, seriously jeopardize the people on the ground. Spitzer, who represents canyon country below Saddleback Mountain among other areas, said he is anticipating a horrible fire season. The sooner we get on a fire with aircraft that can draw significant amounts of water, the better off we are. VIRTUAL FENCING According to the Interior Department, drones intruding into firefighting areas doubled from 2014 to 2015. But help might be on the way. Interior Department officials said they are partnering with drone manufacturers to create virtual fences around wildfires. The idea is a warning system that provides real-time alerts and geo-fencing alarms to prevent drone pilots from interfering with firefighting operations. Law enforcement helicopters face problems as well. With three helicopters and a fourth helicopter being made ready, the Orange County Sheriffs Department reports few problems with drones so far. But with cheaper drones and the hobby growing more popular, challenges await. Everybody it seems, said Sheriffs Reserve Deputy Jer Kahala, is buying them. Kahala, a helicopter hoist operator, said, If we cant render aid because someones flying a drone, well, thats a life-and-death situation. One of the biggest challenges for pilots dumping water and fire retardant, is that drones are so small they are nearly impossible to see. Remember: If you fly, they cant. Contact the writer: dwhiting@ocregister.com Southern California cities should remain on heightened alert into early next week for the increased possibility of a powerful earthquake following a swarm of temblors near the Salton Sea, officials announced. Such warnings are uncommon typically issued once or twice a year, said Kelly Huston, the deputy director of crisis communications for the Governors Office of Emergency Services. Given the swarms location near the San Andreas fault, the Governors Office of Emergency Services issued the warning this week. UPDATE: San Bernardino City Hall to reopen after two-day closure The Salton Sea is located on the 800-mile-long San Andreas, the states fastest moving fault. It experienced 142 temblors starting Monday. Those quakes ranged in strength from a magnitude of 1.4 to 4.3 near Bombay Beach at the southern end of the fault, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Because of the cluster of quakes, scientists estimate the likelihood of an earthquake of a magnitude 7.0 or higher increased to between 0.03 and 1 percent, according to the Governors Office of Emergency Services. That means the probability of a sizable earthquake on the southern San Andreas fault being triggered is between 1 in 3,000 and 1 in 100. That heightened probability will last through Tuesday with the odds decreasing over time. The southernmost end of the fault hasnt ruptured since 1690, and has been building up stress for 326 years. Earthquakes along the San Andreas typically occur every 300 years, said Morgan Page, a geophysicist with the U.S.G.S. Earthquake Science Center. There is significant stress stored on the southern end, Page said. A common misconception about earthquakes is that smaller ones relieve pressure on a fault and reduce the chances of a major earthquake happening. Not so, said Page. Little quakes can actually trigger more powerful ones. Almost all the energy is in the large earthquakes, Page said. Famed seismologist Lucy Jones tweeted Friday that similar swarms happened in 2001 and 2009. The current quake cluster, she wrote, had ended and the risk of a major earthquake is already mostly gone. The advisory comes the same week Gov. Jerry Brown signed legislation to develop a statewide warning system, and Californians will one day be able to receive alerts on their cellphones. California is earthquake country, said Mark Ghilarducci, the director of the states Office of Emergency Services. We must always be prepared and not let our guard down. Contact the writer: lawilliams@scng.com A seriously injured pedestrian found lying in the street tonight in Lake Elsinore was believed to be the victim of a hit-and-run crash, police said. Officers found the male about 8:30 p.m. lying in traffic lanes near the intersection of Grand Avenue and Lincoln Street, unconscious and suffering from serious injuries, according to Sgt. Dan Ponder of the Lake Elsinore Police Department. The victim was taken to a hospital and is expected to survive, Ponder said. The southbound lanes of Grand Avenue between Lincoln Street and McVicker Canyon Road were temporarily shut down during the investigation. There was no description of the vehicle immediately available. Anyone with information related to this investigation was asked to contact Officer Wisniewski of the LEPD at 951-245-3300. A San Bernardino police officer will not be retried on a misdemeanor battery charge in connection with a scuffle at a Temecula winery in 2014, an incident his attorney suggested to a jury was a case of self-defense. An attorney for Jesse Lee Shank, 42, of Menifee persuaded Judge Stephen Gallon in September to dismiss the simple battery charge in the interest of justice, according to court records. At a trial readiness conference Sept. 2, the judge heard arguments on a motion by defense attorney Virginia Blumenthal of Riverside to dismiss the case. A jury in May deadlocked on the simple battery charge by a 7-5 vote in favor of guilt, after acquitting Shank on a more serious misdemeanor charge of battery causing serious bodily injury. Authorities filed the charge against Shank in connection with an Aug. 31, 2014, incident at Falkner Winery in Temecula, where they alleged Shank attacked Michael Keller, who was in his 60s. Investigators said in court documents that Shank pushed Keller, injuring Kellers right shoulder rotator cuff and causing his right arm to go numb. The blows continued until friends were able to separate the two men, according to court records. Keller told investigators the incident happened after he grabbed the wrist of Shanks girlfriend to prevent her from falling. Blumenthal argued in the trial that Keller had been the aggressor and that Shank acted in self-defense. Prosecutor Michael Maloney argued to the jury that Shank hit Keller because he was jealous the man had interacted with his girlfriend, and left the scene before authorities arrived, an indication of guilt. The defense motion stated: There is no reasonable possibility that on retrial, a different result will occur, that is, that a new jury will unanimously convict the defendant of assaulting the alleged victim. The prosecution suggested a new jury could find Shank guilty, and that Kellers injuries were consistent with someone defending himself. Its written response contended testimony of defense witnesses was riddled with inconsistencies and bias and didnt support the defendants account. Contact the writer: gwesson@scng.com President John Mahama has sent a strong signal to shipping companies to halt the implementation of the Terminal Handling Charges (THC). According to him, the fee has no legal backing and need not be imposed on Ghanaian shippers. He was speaking at an event to mark the first anniversary of the national Single Window Project. Players in Ghana's shipping sector have threatened to sue shipping companies if they continue to charge the THC. According to them, the development is a clear violation of a directive by the Transport ministry to halt the charge. The body has asked members to raise hand written protest before they issue any money in connection with the THC. The move is to gather enough evidence to back its suit. The chairperson of the Greater Accra Regional Shipper Committee, Adobea Asiamah, told Starr Business a suit is part of the options available to them if shipping companies continue to be adamant. When it started and we realized that some of the lines were recalcitrant and they were insisting on taking it, we notified members and we started sending the evidence to the Ghana Shippers Authority. Of course their mandate is to promote and protect the interest of shippers so we started sending it to them and so far as we are concerned the shippers authority has also duly informed the minister or the ministry because at least I have heard the chief director commented on it; I have heard him comment on it that it has come to their notice that they are still charging so if it has come to their notice then they should make do their work. With the new charges, shippers would have to pay between 140 and 155 dollars for a 20-footer container, and 260 to 275 dollars for a 40-footer. The body says the payment of THC is a duplication of payments as their freight charges cover the THC. The payment of the THC will mean that shippers would have to cough out about $78 million per year, if it persists. According to the stakeholders, even after the Ministry of Transport on September 2, 2016, issued a directive for shipping companies in the country to stop charging the THC, some continue to flout the directive. The body leading the charge comprises the leadership of the AGI, Ghana National Chamber of Commerce, Ghana Chamber of Mines, Federation of Associations of Ghanaian Exporters, Ghana Union of Traders Associations and Private Enterprise Federation. The rest are Ghana Root Crops and Tubers Exporters Union, Ghana Institute of Freight Forwarders, and the Greater Accra Regional Shippers Committee. Source: starrfmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, Mrs. Charlotte Osei has explained the reason why the commission received the filing fees of the Progressive Peoples Party. With the exception of the PPP, the Commission led by the chairperson rejected the GHC50,000 filing fees of all the presidential candidates who submitted theirs during the two-day exercise. The EC had said it rejected the fees because of a pending court case filed by two political parties Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduoms Progressive Peoples Party and Kofi Akpaloos Independent Peoples Party on Wednesday. It is for this reason why many, including the PPP, were surprised that the EC accepted PPPs filing fees Friday morning. The IPP submitted the nomination forms Thursday without the filing fees. The Electoral Commission closed nominations at 5 pm on September 30, 2016. Addressing the media after the exercise, Mrs. Charlotte Osei said the commission took the bankers draft of PPP thinking the party was no longer pursuing the court case. By presenting it, I thought they had cancelled their case in court. Maybe they have withdrawn it; that was my impression, she explained to the media. The Chairman of the PPP Nii Allotey Brew-Hammond had told the media early on that The injunction is that they should not accept and receive but now they have accepted and receivedbut they are not supposed to receive it. video below:- Source: 3news.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video 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. Bondi Junction and its surrounding burbs are not particularly known for their wild natural environments theyre pretty damn urbanised. Which is why cops are baffled as to how someone managed to run over a fucking deer during peak hour traffic last night. Weird traffic accident runaway deer killed Bondi junction collided car. Where did it come from? pic.twitter.com/rPePKpPgI7 Christopher Zinn (@christopherzinn) September 30, 2016 Yeah, this isnt Wollongong, where so many deer wander out of the National Park that it has long ceased to be a joke. Its bloody Woollahra. Deers as a matter of principle do not go to Woollahra. I saw a car stop, I saw a hairy thing in the road and thought it was an Irish wolfhound, local commuter Christopher Zinn told the Sydney Morning Herald. Then I got closer and saw these great big long legs and thought, No, its a kangaroo. And then I saw it was a deer. It wasnt visibly injured and it wasnt visibly in pain, it was just in deep shock and then it expired. People had spotted the deer prancing along Bondi Road earlier. Bondi Junction resident Grant Levy told the SMH that he couldnt believe that hed seen a bloody deer in BJ. I was standing on my balcony, just lighting the barbecue, when I saw the deer running from my drive down the path into my back yard, he said. I pinched myself because I couldnt imagine seeing a deer in the middle of Bondi Junction. Robin Grindrod, a volunteer with Sydney Wildlife, said she had never heard of any such animal living so close to central Sydney. Its pretty unlikely that it managed to hoof it from the National Park up to Bondi without being seen. Speculation has mounted that it may have been picked up in the country sometime and then managed to grow up in a local park like Centennial Park. The PEDESTRIAN.TV theory, as always, is aliens. Got a hot scoop on this deer and where the bloody hell it came from? Email us at editor@pedestriangroup.com.au. Source: Sydney Morning Herald. Photo: Christopher Zinn. Look, weve all been pissed off at the Genius Bar at some point you want me to pay how much to replace this phone I accidentally dropped in the loo while pissed out of my skull? but as always its the French who take it to the next level. Employees at an Apple Store in Dijon, France captured video of a very, very disgruntled bloke exacting his vengeance upon Apple for not giving him the kind of warranty support he believes he is entitled to. He does so by calmly and methodically undocking iPhones in the shop and belting them with a steel ball. Apple is a company that violated European consumers rights. They refused to reimburse me, he tells the camera in French. So you know what is happening? This is happening! He manages to smash 12 iPhones and a MacBook, which is probably tens of thousands of euros in damage right there. He doesnt seem particularly remiss about it. He was, as you might expect, promptly apprehended by security and arrested. Cheers, mate. Hope you made your point. Source: The Independent. Photo: YouTube. Gary Johnson Libertarian presidential nominee Gary Johnson can't seem to catch a break even from his own running mate. When the Johnson's VP-pick Bill Weld was asked who he believed was the best option for president in an interview with MSNBC, Weld said "I'm not sure anybody is more qualified than Hillary Clinton to be president of the United States." Weld added that Johnson wasn't that bad either before going on to say he was a better candidate than Clinton. "We were two-term governors and I think Gary is very, very solid," Weld said. Johnson's presidential campaign hit two snags recently when the nominee's foreign-policy knowledge was scrutinized after he asked "What is Aleppo?" during an interview in early September and again this week when he struggled to name a foreign leader that he admired. It appears Johnson also had trouble recalling some major parts of American history, as he once reportedly asked an aide who Harriet Tubman was. Watch Gary Johnson's VP on MSNBC below: NOW WATCH: Clinton opens up a massive lead against Trump, with lopsided support from a key voting demographic More From Business Insider SCRANTON, Pa. (AP) -- Police say a Pennsylvania drug dealing suspect was found hiding 110 small bags of heroin in his buttocks. Authorities say 32-year-old Carbondale resident Corey Davis was arrested Thursday in Scranton, where police conducted an undercover drug buy. Police say they found the other drugs when they searched Davis after his arrest. Davis remained Friday in the Lackawanna County jail, where he was unable to post bond. Online court records show he faces a preliminary hearing Oct. 6. He doesn't have an attorney listed to comment on his behalf. Screen Shot 2016-10-01 at 11.22.14 AM.JPG (PennDOT traffic camera) UPDATE: The crashes were cleared just before noon. A pair of crashes are slowing traffic along a ramp from Route 15 northbound to Route 581 in Cumberland County, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. One crash was reported at about 11:20 a.m. Saturday along the ramp near the border of Lower Allen Township and Camp Hill and involved a vehicle stuck on the guardrail. The second crash occurred minutes later just east of the exit along Route 581, Exit 5. 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. Restaurant Inspections Restaurant Inspections (PennLive) Many midstate food establishments are inspected each week and come through with no problems. But some in Cumberland, Dauphin, Lancaster, Lebanon and Perry counties had violations during inspections conducted from Sept. 4 to Sept 10 and Aug. 28-Sept. 10 in York County. A number of Lebanon County schools were inspected in this period, as well as in Lancaster County Also in Lancaster County, inspectors noted residue in the beer taps at one place, slime on an ice maker at another, and old-food residue on a meat cutter at another. Inspectors at a Dauphin County grocer saw house flies inside and around the bakery-case area, the seafood department and the deli. A Cumberland County restaurant had to discard liquor because of insects in the bottles. A black-mildew-like growth was found at a Perry County establishment And in York County, inspectors saw at one establishment that the entire area around the cook line and underneath the grills area was heavily soiled with grease, trash and old food debris. The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture oversees restaurant inspections in the state. Inspection reports are "snapshots" of the day and time the inspections took place. In many cases, violations are corrected on site prior to the inspector leaving. Click on the links below to see how restaurants and other food establishments in the region fared: REDBLUE AMERICA GRAPHIC.jpg By Joel Mathis and Ben Boychuk The first presidential debate, which attracted a record TV audience for an event of its type, has come and gone, and the polls are tightening. Hillary Clinton's once-commanding lead over Donald Trump has shrunken considerably, and the stretch run has started: We're now down to the final six weeks of the campaign. Who has the advantage? Why? What does that tell us about the mood in America these days? Joel Mathis and Ben Boychuk, the RedBlueAmerica columnists, debate the issue. JOEL MATHIS Watching Monday's debate, it became apparent that Clinton is probably the only major American politician who could beat Trump at the polls in 2016. Why? Because she's a woman, of course. Trump left a trail of destruction in the GOP primaries, in part, by practicing a politics of dominance _ with repeated displays of alpha male posing that seemed to belong more in a nature documentary than the evening news. "Low energy" Jeb Bush seemed befuddled by the attacks; "Little Marco" Rubio tried countering with jokes about Trump but his heart didn't seem in it; "Lyin' Ted" Cruz snarled with anger, only to turn into the "servile puppy dog" long after it mattered. Chris Christie? The less said, the better. For whatever reason, no man was able to meet and beat Trump on his macho man terms. Clinton? She quietly needled Trump _ about his wealth, about his treatment of women _ then watched calmly as he spiraled into red-faced bluster. Instead of practicing the politics of dominance, she tried a bit of jiu-jitsu instead, letting her opponent defeat himself. As many women observed on Twitter and Facebook, what Clinton did in the debate is what millions of smart, professional women have been doing for decades in workplaces filled with overstuffed male egos and good old-fashioned sexism: She kept her calm, kept smiling and got stuff done. In this case, the "stuff" was demonstrating that yes, she has prepared for the presidency: Clinton was in command of facts, figures and knowledge about the work of the White House, while Trump displayed his ongoing obsession with Rosie O'Donnell and "fat" beauty pageant queens. Narcissism is a job requirement for politics and punditry, of course, but most officials have the good sense to try and disguise it. Trump, for whatever reason, can't help himself. Clinton has shown Trump doesn't have the temperament to be given keys to the Oval Office; she can seal the deal by offering a vision for the presidency that will benefit all Americans. BEN BOYCHUK Trump lost the first presidential debate. He's going to win the presidency. He rambled about Barack Obama's birth certificate and dissembled about his taxes. But he also beat Clinton senseless on jobs and trade and mounted a noble defense of New York City's much-maligned and misunderstood stop-and-frisk program. Jobs. Trade. Law and order. Those are winning issues. In the end, Trump looked and sounded like a plausible chief executive, and Clinton looked and sounded like a condescending scold with a phony smile. Everyone from his Republican rivals and the professional political class to liberal pundits and Democratic pollsters has underestimated Trump as a candidate. I certainly never expected he would be the Republican Party's nominee, let alone win the whole shebang. But he's going to win. He's going to win because he doesn't care about convention. Trump isn't running a typical presidential campaign. He isn't spending tens of millions of dollars on advertising. Clinton has been waging a relentless air war against him. He's either ahead in the polls or within the margin of error. Trump is close in states that Clinton should have sown up. Minnesota? Wisconsin? Ridiculously close. He's going to win because she's a terrible candidate who looks sick and tired. Sen. Bernie Sanders may have forced Clinton to speak more like a leftist, but at bottom, she's still the candidate of Goldman Sachs and the globalist elite. Trump is a billionaire traitor to his class. He's going to win because the people who care about the disintegrating middle class in Rust Belt states like Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan outnumber the people who care about what mean Trump may have said to a Venezuelan beauty queen many years ago. Clinton almost certainly exposed the nation's secrets to our enemies by running a private, unsecure email server during her tenure as secretary of state. And her family's foundation is the subject of an ongoing federal criminal investigation. Trump isn't going to win because he's a nice guy. He's going to win because Clinton is the status quo candidate. And conserving the status quo is no longer a viable option. Joel Mathis is an award-winning writer in Kansas. Ben Boychuk is managing editor of American Greatness. Reach them at joelmmathis@gmail.com, bboychuk3@att.net, or www.facebook.com/benandjoel. Hillary Clinton will be heading back to Pennsylvania on Tuesday, Oct. 4, her campaign announced Saturday. She will hold a conversation with families in Philadelphia with her daughter Chelsea and actress Elizabeth Banks, a Penn alumna. At the event, Clinton will talk about her agenda to support children and families and create an economy that works for everyone, not just those at the top, with families from the Philadelphia area, the release said. Following the town hall, Clinton will hold an organizing event at the Zembo Shrine, 2801 N. 3rd, in Harrisburg, where she will urge Pennsylvanians to register to vote with one week remaining before the Oct. 11 deadline. That's scheduled to run from 3:45 to 6:15 p.m. Doors will open at 1:45. Additional details about these events will be released soon. Members of the public interested in attending the Harrisburg event can RSVP here. Her running mate, Tim Kaine, will campaign in Pennsylvania for two days following Tuesday night's vice presidential debate. Officials said Saturday that Kaine would campaign "across Pennsylvania" on Wednesday and Thursday, including public events in the Philadelphia and Pittsburgh areas. Details of the events were not immediately released, but people interested in attending the Philadelphia-area event on Wednesday and the Pittsburgh-area event on Thursday are invited to contact Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton's campaign. Follow PennLive for more details along with coverage of this evening's Donald Trump rally at Spooky Nook in Lancaster County. Pennsylvania's new 40 percent tax on e-cigarettes takes effect Saturday as the Legislature moves to roll back a tax opponents have called the death knell of a new industry. The tax was part of this summer's revenue compromise between the four caucuses and Gov. Tom Wolf to fill a $1.3 billion hole in the state's $31.5 billion budget. It relies on $13.3 million from "vapers," who inhale vaporized nicotine instead of combusting tobacco in cigarettes. Vape shops, which tend to be smaller operations, balked at the lump-sum check they would have to write to cover the state's 40 percent "floor tax" on their inventories. Similarly, they said the 40 percent wholesale tax would drive their customers to online and out-of-state retailers. A number of such businesses have already closed in anticipation of the tax's Oct. 1 effective date. According to the state Department of Revenue, the floor tax revenue would be due no later than Dec. 29. Chris Hughes was selling off the last of his supplies to larger vendors on Friday afternoon. His Montoursville business, Fat Cat Vapor Shop, closed Sept. 24. On his last day in business, Hughes cooked up hamburgers and hotdogs for a going-out-of-business party for his customers. By the end of the day, most of his shelves were bare. "Almost everything was gone because I sold stuff the last few days at 50 percent off," he said. "We got rid of a tremendous amount of stock." Hughes is holding onto his lease because he's running a write-in campaign this year against his local lawmaker, who voted for the revenue bill, and will use his business as his political office. For vape shops like Fat Cat, there is possible relief in the form of a series of bills working their way through the legislature. One of them, which would eliminate the floor tax and institute a 5-cents-per-milliliter tax on vape liquid, is expected to come up for a second vote in the House when it returns Oct. 18. It's unclear how much revenue the new tax would generate, but its sponsor cited industry estimates that it would generate roughly the same revenue without the onerous floor tax. "If they all close up, we get nothing," said Rep. Jeff Wheeland, R-Lycoming County. "This way, we know we're going to get pretty close." Wheeland said he based his proposal on the taxes Louisiana and North Carolina imposed on e-cigarettes. Vaping, of course, is generally seen as an alternative to cigarettes and--by some researchers--as a possible path smokers can use to quit. Public health advocates have also expressed concerns that the e-cigarettes may also entice young people to take up smoking. "North Carolina is one of our leading tobacco-producing states," he said. "If this is a competitor to tobacco, that might be a good place to start." Under Wheeland's proposal, someone who bought a 15 mL vial of liquid, for example, would pay 75 cents for the vape tax in addition to a standard 6 percent sales tax. If Wheeland's bill passes, Hughes said he could reopen his business within a week or 10 days. All he would need to do is restock his inventory. If Oct. 1 led vape shop owners to face the demise of their business, it proved to be a boon -- at least temporarily -- for other tobacco stores. The day also sees the implementation of a 55-cents-per-ounce tax on smokeless brands, such as chewing tobacco and snuff. Roll-your-own tobacco will also be taxed at a later date. Lori Kelley, who manages the Puff 'N Snuff store in Enola, said a number of her regular customers come in to pick up large quantities of their tobacco products in order to avoid paying the new tax. One customer purchased a case of Skoal, with 18 rolls of smokeless tobacco in each case, each week for three weeks in advance of the tax's implementation. "We're trying to keep up with the damand," she said Thursday, "but after tomorrow, we're done." All of the new taxes has led to a lot of confusion over what's covered and what's not, she said. Some of her customers switched to roll-your-own tobacco when the cigarette tax hike took effect in August. Now, that tax is increasing, too, and the vape tax means that's not an attractive alternative, either. "Most of our customers are blue-collar people," Kelley said. "They work hard for their money and it's a smack in the face because there are other places (the state) can get their tax money from. Instead, it's always tobacco." Including the most recent increase and 2014's Philadelphia-specific tax, state lawmakers have voted to increase the cigarette tax 12 times. It was introduced in 1935 at just one-tenth of a cent per cigarette, or 2 cents per 20-pack. Smokers now pay $2.60 in taxes with each pack they buy. Public health advocates say every 10 percent increase in the price per pack leads to a roughly 4 percent decrease in the number of smokers. Of course, Pennsylvania's budget increased taxes on virtually every tobacco product -- cigars are still tax-free -- that smokers could use to decrease their nicotine intake. Most established medical associations favor nicotine patches and gums for smoking cessation, but those items generally aren't covered by insurance and can prove cost-prohibitive to low-income smokers. - By James Li Among the U.S. companies that made the "Greenblatt Yacktman" Screener, five of them are airlines: Alaska Air Group Inc. (ALK), Delta Air Lines Inc. (DAL), JetBlue Airways Corp. (JBLU), Southwest Airlines Co. (LUV) and United Continental Holdings Inc. (UAL). As these companies have soaring Greenblatt earnings yield and Yacktman forward rates of return, the airline industry offers high value potential. A tale of two return ratios Joel Greenblatt (Trades, Portfolio) and Donald Yacktman (Trades, Portfolio) define a company's stock return differently: one works better for year-over-year comparisons while the other gives a more useful expected rate of return. The Greenblatt earnings yield (EY) is simply the inverse of one of the EV ratios: the EV/EBIT ratio. Unlike the regular earnings yield, the Greenblatt EY ignores taxes and interest, which do not affect the company's operational profitability. Since it does not consider the company's growth, the earnings yield can overestimate the rate of return of cyclical companies, including airlines, during peak times. On the other hand, Yacktman's forward rate of return includes the company's seven-year normalized free cash flow yield and the minimum value between the company's total revenue growth and per-share revenue growth. As discussed in his GuruFocus interview, the manager at Yacktman Fund (Trades, Portfolio)s does not set price targets. Instead, Yacktman researches the expected return of a company based on the current price, and compares the rate of return across industries. The distribution of average Greenblatt earnings yields across industries is moderately left-skewed with a median near 6, while the distribution of average rates of return across industries has a median near 10. Only 9.22% of industries have an average EY of at least 10, and just 7.91% of industries have an average rate of return of at least 20. Story continues Airline companies generate high rates of return Throughout the past five years, the five airlines generally had increasing Greenblatt earnings yield, which suggests high growth potential in the short term. Among these five companies, Delta currently has the highest earnings yield, outperforming 93% of global airlines. 60828913.png Among the five airlines, only Alaska Air and United had decreasing forward rates of return during the past five years. While Delta's rate of return sharply increased during the second quarter of 2014, Delta barely has the second highest ROR among the airlines. Southwest has the highest ROR at 33.60%. 1607841355.png Delta has four good signs, i.e., its net warning signs is -4 based on the formula presented in a previous article. The Skyteam airline has a high profitability rank and expanding operating margins, which suggest high upside potential. Additionally, its dividend yield is near a five-year high. Among the airlines, only Alaska Air and Southwest have more good signs than does Delta. The former also has a 3.5-star predictability rank, and the latter has six good signs, the most among the airlines. Company Number of Severe Warning Signs Number of Medium Warning Signs Number of Good Signs Net Warning Signs Delta Air Lines Inc. 0 0 4 -4 United Continental Holdings Inc. 1 0 1 1 JetBlue Airways Corp. 0 0 2 -2 Southwest Airlines Co. 0 0 6 -6 Alaska Air Group Inc. 0 0 5 -5 Net Warning Signs = 2 * number severe + number medium - number good See also The Peter Lynch Growth Screener listed a few airlines as of Sept. 30, including Alaska Air, Allegiant Travel Co. (ALGT) and Hawaiian Holdings Inc. (HA). As airlines offer high growth and value potential, several gurus have increased their positions in airline stocks. Based on consensus picks data, 16 gurus have invested in Alaska Air during the past six months. A previous article discusses one likely reason for the high margin growth among airlines: low cash conversion cycles. Premium members can find good investing ideas through all value screeners and over 150 guru portfolios. Additionally, the premium membership includes adequate access to some advanced features, including the Excel Add-in and the API, which the Premium Plus membership gives full access. Please review the membership benefits and sign up for a free seven-day trial. Disclosure: The author has no position in any stock mentioned in this article. Start a free 7-day trial of Premium Membership to GuruFocus. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Rachel Brougham: This is why Halloween is the best Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban Prime is backing a "No" vote is Sunday's referendum on accepting EU quotas for taking migrants and is almost certain to win (AFP Photo/Vladmir Simicek) Budapest (AFP) - Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Saturday made a final plea to voters to reject the EU's troubled refugee quota plan, a day ahead of a referendum, warning that migrants threatened "Europe's safe way of life". While there is little doubt the 'No' camp will comfortably win, the vote could end in embarrassment for the firebrand leader if it fails to reach the required 50-percent turnout and is deemed invalid. The right-wing government has led a huge media offensive urging the eight-million-strong electorate to reject the EU proposal, which seeks to share migrants around the 28-member bloc via mandatory quotas. In an opinion piece published on Saturday, Orban said Hungarians had "a duty" to help his government fight the failed "liberal methods" of the "Brussels elite". "Mass migration without control means a real threat. It endangers the peaceful and safe European way of life," he wrote in the Magyar Idok newspaper. "With the referendum, we can send a message to each European... telling them that it depends on us, European citizens, to bring the EU back to reason, with common effort, or let it disintegrate." The deal in question -- spearheaded by Germany and approved by most EU countries last year -- is aimed at easing pressure on Greece and Italy, the main entry points into the EU for hundreds of thousands of refugees mostly fleeing war in Syria. But eastern and central European nations are vehemently opposed to the plan. Hungary has not accepted a single person allocated under the scheme and instead joined Slovakia in filing a legal challenge against it. - EU bureaucrats - Opposition parties and rights groups held a series of small protests in Budapest ahead of the vote. "This referendum is an effort to mobilise fear and hatred," economist Tamas Bauer told AFP at a rally on Friday. According to a poll published by the Publicus Institute on Saturday, only 46 percent of 1,000 participants said they would vote, down from 54 percent last month. Story continues However, the government has already downplayed the consequences of low participation, with Orban insisting the turnout had "no political significance". "If there are more 'No' than 'Yes' votes, that means that Hungarians do not accept the rule that the EU bureaucrats want to impose on us," he said Friday. Orban has emerged as Europe's standard-bearer for swelling opposition to German Chancellor Angela Merkel's "open-door" policy as the bloc grapples with its worst migration since World War II. More than 400,000 refugees, mainly fleeing war in Syria, trekked through Hungary toward northern Europe in 2015 before Hungary sealed off the southern borders with razor wire in the autumn and brought in anti-migrant laws, reducing the flow to a trickle. While his hardline tactics have incensed Western leaders and EU decision-makers, they have paid off at home. Orban's popularity is high and observers say the referendum provides a testing ground for the scheduled 2018 general election, in which immigration will be a key issue. Peter Ostroski Smashing through Stage 10 on his way to a third place overall. Chris Johnston blowing dust on the Moon Point stage which was a much looser trail than the last few days. Adam Craig leads out Lars Sternberg, who isn't racing, but is in charge of keeping moral up. Freeriding through the scree slope. Lots of foot out in the scree field. Bryn Atkinson racing through Moon Point Barry Wicks tomahawks into the trees. TEN FOR TRAILS: Win A Custom Santa Cruz - Shimano Dream Bike the winner will be announced on Monday, October 3 Sponsors Day 2 of Trans-Cascadia stretched out over 18.1 miles of riding for Stages 6-11. The course sent racers backwards on the first three stages of Day 1 around Lake Timpanogas, which included some surprises; like a straight line down the scree field they hiked up yesterday. It may be the same trails but in reverse it has a different attitude, according to Lars Sternberg who raced in 2015 and is now back as a crewmember.Next racers headed out on Middle Fork from basecamp for Stage 9 before being shuttled to the top of Moon Point for Stage 10, and then up to Larison Rock for Stage 11. Lars explains the transition that the racers experienced today, The logistically heavy day made for an early morning and a fairly quiet camp last night, despite the abundance of Steigl on tap and readily available bottles of wine from Clif Family Winery. Racers rolled out of camp starting at 8am, many shivering in the brisk fall air.At the start line, Trans-Cascadia veteran, Mark Weir was looking forward to todays stages, Mark arrived this year with much less prominent facial hair than last, but he was quick to explain that the shave was due to split ends, and not for aerodynamic purposes.By the end of Stage 10, Whitney Anderson, whod had the lead in the Amateur Womens field after Day 1, had firsthand knowledge of the change in terrain. She described the stage as having lots of pedalling, lots of drifting through loose stuff, some rocks, and a few stream crossings. . Whitney also discussed the challenges with this specific format of blind enduro racing, . She finished in third place today, behind Corey Schmid in 2nd place, and Amanda Schaper in 1st.Barry Wicks also had some challenges with todays change in dirt quality, The evolution, or devolution, of the dirt today didnt have any impact on Rosara Josephs winning streak. Tonight she was awarded her seventh straight leader jersey and it should be noted that there have only been seven to win since Trans-Cascadias inception. In 2nd place in the Pro Womens category is Kathy Pruitt, followed by Meggie Bichard in 3rd.There was a shuffle in the Pro Mens category with Geoff Kabush taking the lead over Chris Johnson, and new to the podiums was Peter Ostroski in 3rd. , said Geoff about his 28 second lead over Chris on Stage 10. As a returning racer Geoff had some knowledge of the stages raced over the last two days,.Tomorrow's stages are completely new to all racers, even those who raced last year. Basecamp is buzzing with speculation and anticipation, and Chris and Geoff are both looking forward to continuing their battle for the top step on some fresh even never before ridden trails.Each $10 donation increases your chance of winning a custom Santa Cruz - Shimano XTR dream bike of your size and choice and 10% of Ten for Trails proceeds will be donated to the trail advocacy group of your choice. The remaining proceeds will benefit the trail advocacy efforts of the Trans-Cascadia team.Donations can be made until October 2, 2016 at midnight and. Donations can be made online for $10 each, each $10 donation increases your chance of winning. Click here for more information. Shimano, Santa Cruz, MODUS Sport Group, PRO, Chris King, Pearl Izumi, FOX Shox, ENVE, PUSH, evo, SMITH, Travel Oregon, Clif Bar, Stiegl, Clif Family Winery, Stumptown, The U.S. Forest Service, DAKINE, OBRA, and Oregon Adventures. @chriskingbuzz / @foxracingshox / @ENVE You must login to Pinkbike. Join Pinkbike Login Two people were arrested and some Ohio schools were closed Friday amid a rash of reported threats against students involving clowns. A reported early Friday attack on a woman in Reading, Ohio, by a person dressed as a clown prompted Reading Community City School District officials to cancel classes for the day. A woman told Reading police she was smoking a cigarette on her porch when someone wearing a clown costume appeared and grabbed her by the throat. The person told her, I should just kill you now and Some students and teachers would wish they were never born at the Jr. and Sr. High School today, police said. In a Facebook post, Reading Community City Schools said it takes all threats seriously, and said administrators were especially concerned with the number of students who walk to school in the early morning hours, CBS New reports. Also Friday, officials at a high school in Miami Township, north of Cincinnati, said a student was arrested and removed from campus for making a threat about clowns on social media. A police officer was wounded and a man was killed in an exchange of gunfire Thursday morning in Kingman, AZ. Kingman Deputy Police Chief Rusty Cooper said the incident occurred at about 9:30 a.m. as the officer was trying to serve a search warrant at a home. The gunfire exchange took place in the area of the front door of the residence, Cooper said. Initial information indicates that 53-year-old Jeffrey Clair Cave of Kingman fired a weapon toward officers, and a police officer was shot, according to a news release from the Bullhead City Police Department, which is handling an independent probe of the officer-involved shooting, Cave also was shot and was pronounced dead at the scene, police said. The officer, whose name and age were not immediately released, was transported to Kingman Regional Medical Center where he underwent surgery and is listed in serious, but stable condition, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports. Law-enforcement officers and private gun owners will be required to lock up their firearms if they leave them in an unattended vehicle under legislation Gov. Jerry Brown has signed. The Democratic governor said Monday that hes signed a bill introduced in response to high-profile thefts from the vehicles of law enforcement officers in the San Francisco Bay Area. SB869 requires that anyone leaving a handgun in a vehicle lock it in the trunk or a locked container out of plain sight, or face a $1,000 fine. Handguns stolen from law enforcement officers cars last year were used in the San Francisco killing of 32-year-old Kate Steinle in July, the Orange County Register reports. Officer Betty Shelby faces a charge of first-degree manslaughter in the shooting of Terence Crutcher. She pleaded not guilty Friday. (Photo: Tulsa PD) A Tulsa, OK, Police officer charged with first-degree manslaughter in the shooting of Terence Crutcher was arraigned Friday and pleaded not guilty. Officer Betty Shelby walked into the courtroom with her attorney at just before 9 a.m. Terence Crutcher's family and attorneys were seated on the fourth row. Shelby and her attorney sat on the front row. Shelby's case was first on the docket and she left the courthouse surrounded by friends who were off-duty Tulsa Police officers. She spoke only one time, saying 'yes' when the judge asked her if she was Betty Jo Shelby, KOTV reports. Shelbys attorney said the events over the last weeks have weighed heavily on her, adding Shelby hasn't lost sight that she is a public servant and she wants to maintain that attitude of professionalism. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print In a perfect example of what the Republican-controlled Congress thinks its duties are, Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) spent the morning second-guessing President Obama rather than attempting to get any actual work done. We have already seen this morning how appallingly bad is Mitch McConnells senate leadership. Here is proof the House under Paul Ryan is not any better. In a statement responding to an article in the Wall Street Journal, Ryan claimed, This story grows more disturbing with each passing day. It now appears that on the same day American hostages were freed from Iran, the administration not only agreed to the $1.7 billion cash ransom payment, but violated a key term of the nuclear deal by prematurely lifting ballistic missile sanctions. These additional secret concessions directly jeopardize our national security, and cast further doubt on this flimsy agreement. President Obama owes the American people an immediate explanation. President Obama said last month, We do not pay ransom for hostages, and we didnt. The alleged $1.7 billion ransom payment was in truth the United States paying Iran back $400 million it was owed for military supplies never delivered under a deal with the former shah, plus $1.3 billion interest. It wasnt a ransom. It was Irans money to begin with. Like Donald Trump, when Paul Ryan accuses Obama of paying a ransom, he is ignoring critical elements of what transpired. We call those facts. Ryan repeated what he said a month ago and claims Obama owes Americans an explanation for avoiding further destabilization and possible war in the Middle East and oh, by the way, getting our hostages back but he doesnt think he owes the American people an explanation for not doing his job. Our system of government provides a balance of powers. This does not include Congress micromanaging the executive branch, or dictating foreign affairs. In an obvious attempt to create a scandal out of nothing, much as Republicans did with Benghazi and then Hillary Clintons emails, Paul Ryan eschews his responsibility to contribute something even a little something to the running of our government, and instead attacks President Obama for doing his job. Congressional Republicans repeatedly accuse Obama of trying to cut Congress out of the decision-making process (though in truth, they cut themselves out even before he was elected when they decided to oppose his every move), even while they try to gain control of our foreign policy, which is by design, not the legislative branchs responsibility. Foreign policy experts endorsed the Iran deal negotiated by the Obama administration. Not only did we put a stop to Irans nuclear program, we got our hostages back. Thanks not to Republicans in Congress, but to President Obama. Politico quipped back in May, Call it the Seinfeld Congress all about nothing. And it is. Sadly, the American people need it to be about something, and that, Paul Ryan steadfastly refuses to do. It is easier, after all, to criticize the man Republicans swore to obstruct when he took office. OPEC logo is pictured ahead of an informal meeting between members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in Algiers, Algeria September 28, 2016. REUTERS/Ramzi Boudina By Alex Lawler LONDON (Reuters) - OPEC's oil output is likely to reach its highest in recent history in September, a Reuters survey found on Friday, as Iraq boosted northern exports and Libya reopened some of its main oil terminals. The increase comes despite lower output in top exporter Saudi Arabia and this week's agreement by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries in Algeria to limit supply to support prices, its first such decision since 2008. Supply from OPEC has risen to 33.60 million barrels per day (bpd) in September from a revised 33.53 million bpd in August, according to the survey based on shipping data and information from industry sources. The rise in output could add to scepticism about OPEC's ability to allocate its new production target of between 32.50 million and 33 million bpd, a task ministers left until a meeting in November. Oil (LCOc1) rallied towards $50 a barrel on Thursday but was trading near $49 on Friday. "The agreement still leaves hard and difficult negotiations for the individual caps to be set," said Bjarne Schieldrop, chief commodities analyst at SEB. "Now, with an OPEC curb on the cards for the first time in eight years, Brent crude is not even able to lift above $50. At least not yet." Supply has risen since OPEC in 2014 dropped its historic role of fixing output to prop up prices as Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Iran pumped more. Production has also climbed due to the return of Indonesia in 2015 and Gabon in July as members. The membership changes have skewed historical comparisons. September's supply from OPEC excluding Gabon and Indonesia, at 32.65 million bpd, is the highest in Reuters survey records starting in 1997. In September, the increase was led by Iraq and Libya. Iraqi state oil firm SOMO and Iraq's semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan began jointly exporting crude from the Kirkuk oilfield again. This lifted Iraqi supply to market to 4.43 million bpd in September, according to the survey. Story continues In Libya, the National Oil Corporation opened three previously blockaded ports, allowing AGOCO, an NOC subsidiary that operates mainly in eastern Libya, to boost output. [L8N1C54J2] Supply in Saudi Arabia has edged down from the record high reached earlier in the summer, sources in the survey said. Supply in Iran, OPEC's fastest source of production growth earlier this year after the lifting of Western sanctions, has held steady this month as output nears the pre-sanctions rate. Iran is seeking investment to boost supply further. Angolan output slipped because the Plutonio field was shut for part of the month. There was no sign yet of higher supply from Nigeria, where attacks on oil installations have cut output. Supply should rise in October if efforts for a restart of Qua Iboe and Forcados crude exports come to fruition. The Reuters survey is based on shipping data provided by external sources, Thomson Reuters flows data, and information provided by sources at oil companies, OPEC and consulting firms. (Reporting by Alex Lawler; Editing by Susan Thomas) Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print *The following is an opinion column by R Muse* Most Americans have an expectation that the men and women tasked with adjudicating the nations laws will, at the absolute minimum, uphold the laws according to how they are written. That certainly includes upholding the U.S. Constitution according to their sworn duty and precludes ever basing any decision or judgment solely on their personal religious beliefs. Unfortunately, and although a rarity until the past few years, there is a state Supreme Courts Chief Justice that refuses to follow the law of the land and instead hews closely to a bizarre couple of verses in the Hebrew Scriptures of the Christian bible. For the second time in 13 years, the Alabama Court of the Judiciary, a nine-person assembly of judges, lawyers and others issued a ruling based on state law and suspended Supreme Court Justice Roy Moore for violating the states canon of judicial ethics. Judge Moore violated the states judicial ethics by ordering Alabama probate judges to violate federal court orders, and the U.S. Constitution, because those orders and the Constitution are not in compliance with Roy Moores interpretation of the Christian bibles Old Testament. The decision to suspend Moore came nine months after his unconstitutional order to nullify a Supreme Court ruling, and the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment, because it afforded same-sex couples equal rights with heterosexuals; something Moore refused to accept. This is Moores second suspension and unlike the previous dismissal, this one is permanent because it lasts for the remainder of his term that ends in 2019 when Moore will be too old to serve on the bench according to Alabama state law. The Court of the Judiciary could have removed, instead of suspending, Moore, but it required a unanimous decision to fully remove the judge. The court said most of the nine-member panel supported removing Moore, and although the decision to suspend him was unanimous, due to Moores age the suspension is effectively a complete removal and it couldnt have happened to a more deserving bigot. Alabamas Judicial Court ruled that the clear purpose of Judge Moores January order to 68 probate judges to refuse to issue marriage licenses to same sex coupleswas to order and direct the probate judgesto stop complying with [legally] binding federal law. Moore didnt see it that way and regarded his order to the probate judges to violate the Constitution was just a status update on the legal situation. The legal situation was really a significant and legally-binding Supreme Court ruling founded on the Constitution that ended any discussion of whether same-sex couples were worthy of the same equal rights opposite-sex couples enjoy. The suspended Judge Moore, playing the Christian martyr, called the decision a corrupt plot to punish him for being a god-fearing moral man and nothing about upholding the laws of the land. He said, This was a politically motivated effort by radical homosexual and transgender groups to remove me as chief justice of the Supreme Court because of outspoken opposition to their immoral agenda. The bigoted judges lawyer and founder of a Christian legal group fighting to impose the bible as the law of the land, said the Court of the Judiciarys decision was illegal; like the U.S. Supreme Court ruling on same-sex marriage and the 14th Amendments guarantee of equal rights to all Americans. Liberty Counsels Mathew D. Staver said that like in 2003 when Moore last appealed his removal, and lost his job over refusing to abide by the U.S. Constitution and another federal court order, this ruling will be up for appeal. If nothing else, Roy Moore will not get a third attempt at imposing his personal religious-belief as the law of the land. The reaction from the president of the Montgomery-based Southern Poverty Law Center, Richard Cohen, who initially filed the judicial ethics complaint that led to Judge Moores trial, was pleased with the ruling. Mr. Cohen celebrated the judges suspension without pay as just as good as complete removal from the bench for all practical purposes. The bottom line is he cant exercise any judicial authority or power, Mr. Cohen said. Although this may seem like the book is closed on Judge Moores insistence that the Christian bible, and not the U.S. Constitution is the law of the land, it is not likely he will go away quietly. But it does appear that he will only be an irritant from afar because without any power or authority whatsoever, any irritation will be just more claims of Christians being persecuted for not abiding by the law of the land, something the Christian bible makes very clear is a violation of gods law. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print Donald Trump no doubt thinks we will be surprised to learn he can be nastier than Hillary Clinton. He has already been nastier than just about anybody we can remember. He has been downright vile since he entered the presidential race, and his vulgar rhetoric has shown no signs of moderating. So when he told The New York Times that Hillary Clinton is nasty, but that I can be nastier than she ever can be, he would likely be surprised to find out none of us are surprised. The extent of his delusion is revealed by the fact he, an adulterer (Marla Maples, anyone?) who has been married three times, thinks he can discredit a woman who has had just one husband, and who has been faithful to him. No hint of impropriety attaches itself to Hillary Clintons name. Or that that husbands act of infidelity while president discredits in any way the innocent wife. Trump insists Bill Clinton is a problem for Hillary Clinton, even though its not Bill who is running for president. He warns its something that Im considering talking about more in the near future. Not that he will talk about his own infidelity. Just ask him: No I never discuss it. I never discuss it. It was never a problem. Yet somehow, Bill Clintons affair with Monica Lewinsky is, even though Clinton is neither president now, nor running for president: I dont talk about it. I wasnt president of the United States. I dont talk about it. When you think of the fact that he was impeached, the country was in turmoil, turmoil, absolute turmoil. He lied with Monica Lewinsky and paid a massive penalty. There is no logic to this mean-mindedness. He just wants to lash out and hurt everyone who fails to bow to his greatness, and he does. As for Bill Clinton, he can talk about it all he wants. The Times called it a new line of attack but its not. It isnt like he isnt already talking about them, after all. Even by saying he might talk about it, hes talking about it. He can get up at 3 am and tweet his thoughts away. It wont make a bit of difference, because it doesnt matter. And not one word of it will prove to the world, or to American voters, that Donald Trump is qualified to be President of the United States. It wont expand on his shallow and ill-thought out policy positions; it wont reveal his tax returns; or his health records; or reveal his secret plan to defeat ISIS, which sounds more and more it is stealing oil that doesnt belong to him in violation of international law. Donald Trump has revealed he does not know what this election is about. It is not about nastiness. It is a test of character, and he has shown he has none. He has run it so far as some sort narcissistic need to talk himself up and everybody else down, which is not the presidents role. This most recent distraction of Alicia Machato is only one example out of many. Even his own party doesnt believe he can win. Donald Trump is nasty. We have the tape, however much he wants to deny what he just said an hour later. There is probably nothing Donald Trump can say at this point that could possibly reveal him to be any nastier than he is. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print Newsweeks Kurt Eichenwald makes a great point about our GOP-controlled Congress inactivity. Well, not to put too fine a point on it, but their refusal to do any actual work. We saw yesterday the utter uselessness of Mitch McConnells Senate and later, Paul Ryans continued obsession with Iran getting the $400 million it was owed from an old arms deal. I asked then, how about some real work? You know, instead of invented problems. Here is Eichenwalds suggestion: GOP Congress spends a year and a half investigating Clinton emails, but refuses to investigate whether Russia is hacking our election? WTF? Kurt Eichenwald (@kurteichenwald) September 30, 2016 Instead, what does Paul Ryan have for us in his weekly address? No, not Russia. A better way to fix healthcare! You would think protecting our election process would be a bipartisan issue, but as The Daily Beasts Shane Harris put it, Republicans in Congress arent about to investigate their own nominee. So we get continued obsessions with invented scandals like Benghazi and email servers. And never mind that we already have the Affordable Care Act, which gave 20 million Americans insurance they didnt have before, protected us against limitations based on pre-existing conditions, and removed the lifetime limit. That sounds pretty good, right? Not to Paul Ryan and Donald Trump. You remember Donald Trumps solution: something great! Obamacare. Were going to repel it, were going to replace it, get something great. Repeal it, replace it, get something great! He yelled it. Because if you yell it, it proves its really, really great. Right Wing authoritarian types are historically quick with slogans and talking points rather than detailed arguments that contain anything resembling a fact or a workable solution. The same is true of our GOP-controlled Congress. Our elections are potentially about to be compromised, and we get this from Paul Ryan: In this weeks Republican address, House Budget Committee Chairman Tom Price, M.D. (R-GA) discusses our plan to repeal Obamacare and replace it with patient-centered solutions. See what they do there? Patient-centered. Well, that was the whole point of the ACA, or Obamacare as it is popularly known. To get patients some insurance. And it worked. It would have worked even better had the GOP-controlled Congress not wasted years trying to dismantle it. Of course, Right Wing slogans often mean exactly the opposite of what they say, and that is true here as well, as patient-centered actually means, make insurance companies wealthier and protect corporations from expensive medical costs by freeing Americans to pay for their own damn medical care. But thats a lot to put into a slogan, so you can see why they shorten it. So do we get the GOP investigating Russia for threatening our very political system and the sanctity of our democratically-held elections? No, but we do get Our first priority is to put you, the patient, in charge, not Washington bureaucrats. Thats nice. Im free to get screwed. Thats some freedom. We had that before, before Obamacare, and I had to worry about my son dying because of his medical condition; and if Trump gets his way the GOP will get theirs and 20 million people will lose insurance, but hey, well have the right to get insurance anywhere we please. We just wont be able to afford it, and with it, well also have the right to be denied insurance on account of pre-existing conditions and lifetime caps. Dont be fooled. This is a species of freedom we can do without. The Republicans call this healthcare proposal of theirs a bold vision to bring Americas health care system into the 21st century. It would be nice if they would bring a work ethic into the 21st century, but I suppose that would be too much to ask. What fun are clever slogans and talk if you have to actually back them up with work? We already have healthcare reform, thanks to Obamacare. We dont have cybersecurity, obviously, from the threat of Russian hacking making our votes worthless and electing a president for us. You would think, given that choice, Republicans in Congress would focus on a real problem for a change, and leave Obamacare for later. Eichenwald asks Now is entire GOP going pro-Putin? Maybe not pro-Putin, but definitely pro-GOP. The Party and its rich employers first, they say. Country second. After all, they dont really work for the voters, but for the 1 Percent and wealthy corporations. So instead, as with Benghazi and Clintons emails and Irans $400 million, they would rather focus on obstructing President Obama and the Democratic Party like they promised eight years ago. Theyve done precisely zero work in eight years. With Election Day upon us, you can bet their thinking is, Weve gotten away with this for two terms. Why start now? Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print *The following is an opinion column by R Muse* There seems to be a belief among many Americans that the popularity and mainstreaming of blatant racism and xenophobia among Republicans is the result of Donald Trump. But as this column scolds ad nauseam, racism and xenophobia has roiled in conservative ranks for decades. The only contribution a big-time wrestling celebrity could have made is bringing racism, specifically white supremacy, into the mainstream as a valid campaign issue. One of the Republicans that set the standard for Trumps nativism as policy is Iowa congressional representative Steve King and although he never had the national forum Trump now enjoys, the racist King is just as bigoted, just as racist, and now is just as mainstream as his partys standard bearer. Maybe it was a ploy to best Donald Trumps blatant racism, or more likely he just feels the time is right to reveal his adoration for Eruopean-style Aryan fascism, but Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) went public as a bonafide white supremacist last week. And, this is really important: King isnt just openly joining the Trump nationalism parade, he issued a tweet with him posing with a pair of renowned European fascist leaders with a phrase that would warm Adolf Hitlers Aryan heart Cultural suicide by demographic transformation must end. Demographic transformation is code for a diverse cultural society like Americas; something King says must end. The phrase is a favorite among white supremacists in Europe and more recently in conservative America. It is the primary dogma driving white nationalist and fascist opposition to all people of color, all non-Aryan immigrants, and all non-Christians the Aryans consider a threat to the preservation of white purity. Attached to Kings tweet was a photo of him standing next to Frauke Petry and Geert Wilders; both notorious European fascists and Aryan leaders. Included in Kings tweet, was his support for Petrys upcoming election as a far right anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim extremist; Petry is often referred to as Adolfina for obvious reasons. She is notorious for calling on border police to just shoot immigrants and migrants and a prominent member of her party said that the only thing European nations welcoming refugees and immigrants was accomplishing was to encourage Africans to reproduce. The other Aryan posing with King is the Dutch fascist Party leader Geert Wilders; an anti-Muslim extremist like Trump and King who repeatedly claims the Koran is comparable to Adolf Hitlers Mein Kampf. Obviously Mr. Wilders has never opened the Koran much less read one word, although it is doubtless he has extensively studied the works of Adolf Hitler. Wilders also was a foreign Trump devotee who delivered a speech at the Republican National Convention in July to support a fellow bigot where he said, I dont want more Muslims in the Netherlands and I am proud to say that. Apparently, Donald Trump has more electoral support from foreigners than just his buddies in the Kremlin and ISIS leaders and they are all fascists. It is possible that King helped Trump decide to go forward with confidence as an avowed nationally-recognized racist, xenophobe and an Islamophobe. In 2014 before Trump was even a candidate, Steve King was calling on the federal government to start an indiscriminate espionage crusade against American Muslims with particular focus on the mosques they worshipped in. Trump called for enacting the same atrocities a little over a year later to wild acclaim from his celebrated religious freedom-loving Christian supporters. Last December, King demanded that Muslims coming to America must openly reject Sharia law when he was asked if he supported Trumps ban on Muslims; it is something King said no Muslim would ever think of doing. King then attacked the failure of two Muslim members of Congress who didnt renounce Sharia Law that King says is inconsistent with the United States Constitution. If they [Muslims] want to demonstrate they are open to being Americanized, they have to renounce sharia law. You wont get [Representatives] Keith Ellison or Andre Carson to renounce Sharia law. As an aside, one would love a near-future face-to-face opportunity to impress upon Mr. King in the strongest possible terms that the Christian bibles Mosaic Law, including the Ten Commandments, is violently inconsistent as well as incompatible with the United States Constitution. Still, there is not one stinking Republican Christian member of Congress, including Steve King, who will renounce the Ten Commandments as a sign they are willing to be Americanized. It is noteworthy that most of the other six-hundred or so Christian bibles Jewish laws of Moses are closely mirrored by Sharia law. Steve Kings ugly comments about Mexican Americans and Hispanic immigrants are well-documented and completely in line with Donald Trump, as are his beliefs about any and all non-Aryan and non-Christian human beings existing in the United States. In the past, he was one of the lone white supremacists outside of the mainstream GOP and was typically dismissed as just another mad man. That he openly expressed solidarity with two notorious European white supremacists and posted an image of him standing side-by-side with them, is a new development and further proof that with Donald Trump running the Republican Party, embracing white supremacy is now a cause celebre for Republicans. The saddest fact of all is there is a terrifyingly significant number of Americans joining that warm embrace of something that sickens any decent human being whether they are Americans or Europeans, Christians, Jews or Muslims. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print By Patricia Zengerle and Richard Cowan WASHINGTON (Reuters) U.S. lawmakers expressed doubts about Sept. 11 legislation they forced on President Barack Obama, saying the new law allowing lawsuits against Saudi Arabia could be narrowed to ease concerns about its effect on Americans abroad. A day after a rare overwhelming rejection of a presidential veto, the first during Obamas eight years in the White House, the Republican leaders of the Senate and House of Representatives opened the door to fixing the law as they blamed the Democratic president for not consulting them adequately. I do think it is worth further discussing, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell told reporters, acknowledging that there could be potential consequences of the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act, known as JASTA. House Speaker Paul Ryan said Congress might have to fix the legislation to protect U.S. troops in particular. Ryan did not give a time frame, but Republican Senator Bob Corker, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said he thought JASTA could be addressed in Congress lame-duck session after the Nov. 8 election. The law grants an exception to the legal principle of sovereign immunity in cases of terrorism on U.S. soil, clearing the way for lawsuits seeking damages from the Saudi government. Riyadh denies longstanding suspicions that it backed the hijackers who attacked the United States in 2001. Sept. 11 families lobbied intensely for the bill, getting it passed by the House days before the 15th anniversary of the 2001 attacks earlier this month after years of effort. We have to understand the political environment were in right now and the tremendous support the 9/11 victims have in the United States, said Robert Jordan, a former U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia. Riyadh is one of Washingtons longest-standing and most important allies in the Middle East and part of a U.S.-led coalition fighting Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria. SAUDI CONDEMNATION The Saudis lobbied furiously against JASTA, and the Saudi foreign ministry condemned its passage in a statement on Thursday. The erosion of sovereign immunity will have a negative impact on all nations, including the United States, said the statement, which was carried on state news agency SPA. Still, the new law is not expected to have a lasting effect on the two countries strategic relationship. Saudi-U.S. ties have endured multiple times of deep outrage over 70 years, said Thomas Lippman of the Middle East Institute. The two countries need each other as much today as they did before the day before yesterday, he said. White House spokesman Josh Earnest mocked lawmakers for shifting within minutes from overwhelmingly voting to override Obamas veto to wanting to change the law. I think what weve seen in the United States Congress is a pretty classic case of rapid onset buyers remorse, Earnest told a White House briefing. Corker said he had tried to work out a compromise with the White House, but Obama administration officials declined a meeting. Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer, who championed JASTA in the Senate, said he was open to revisiting the legislation. Im willing to look at any proposal they make but not any that hurt the families, he said at a news conference. He said he would oppose a suggestion that the measure be narrowed to only apply to the 2001 attacks on Washington and New York. You know what that does? It tells the Saudis to go ahead and do it again, and we wont punish you, Schumer said. Corker said another suggestion was establishing an international tribunal so experts could determine whether there was culpability. He said the Saudis were been willing to work on a compromise, and denied they had threatened retaliation. Trent Lott, a former Republican Senate Majority Leader now at a Washington law firm lobbying for the Saudis, said attorneys would look carefully at JASTAs language. I do feel passionately this is a mistake for a variety of reasons, in terms of threats to troops, diplomats, sovereignty, theres serious problems here. Hopefully we can find a way to change the tenor of this, Lott said. (Additional reporting by Roberta Rampton, Susan Cornwell, David Morgan, Yara Bayoumy, David Alexander and Susan Heavey; editing by Grant McCool and Tom Brown) HOMER, Ohio Nearly a century and a half before Hillary Clinton, a fiery activist from Ohio became the first woman nominated for U.S. president. Victoria Woodhull's varied and colorful life makes her difficult to pigeonhole. The suffragist, medium, businesswoman, stockbroker and newspaper publisher was "Mrs. Satan" to some, a visionary champion of women's and children's rights to others. She rode motorcycles, preached "free love" and followed the guidance of an ancient Greek orator she believed had presented himself to her as a spirit guide. The Equal Rights Party nominated Woodhull to face incumbent Republican Ulysses S. Grant in 1872 and Democrat Horace Greeley, nearly 50 years before women had the right to vote. At 34, she was a few months shy of the required age, but most historians still view her nomination and run as the first. Woodhull lost, of course, but by how much is unclear. The number of votes she received in losing to Grant was never officially recorded, and historians surmise many were discarded. Nonetheless, interest in Woodhull's life is on the rise with Clinton's historic candidacy this year as the first female nominee of a major party. Woodhull has been honored in and around her hometown in Homer, Ohio, with exhibits, lectures and prominent mention in the village's bicentennial parade. A documentary, "The Coming Woman," is in production. Visits are up at the only U.S. memorial to Woodhull: a clock tower in nearby Granville where her wooden likeness emerges hourly to organ music. ADVERTISEMENT "What's kind of funny about Hillary Clinton's campaign bringing everyone out is that this is a very contentious campaign, and it was the very same way in 1872," said Judith Dann, a professor of ancient history at Columbus State Community College who has made a project of Woodhull's life since moving to Homer around 2000. Licking County antiquarian Robbins Hunter conceived the Woodhull memorial in the 1970s, not wanting to see the legacy of a local daughter forgotten. Dann has created a display cabinet for Woodhull at the Homer Public Library and presented at the museum's lecture series, which runs through next month. Dann said a rivalry with Susan B. Anthony and others in the early suffragist movement may have led to Woodhull's exclusion from history books. Her radical beliefs on women and marriage also caused consternation. One of 10 children, Woodhull was beaten and starved, possibly abused, by her father as a child. She later blamed the disability of her first child on her first husband's alcoholism and drug addiction. When she preached "free love," Woodhull wasn't talking about sex, but of the institution of marriage, Dann said. She saw the day's legal prohibition against divorce as akin to slavery. Woodhull also favored legalizing prostitution as protection to women. The family was effectively run out of Homer when Woodhull was a girl, Dann said. After relocating to New York City, Woodhull, born Victoria California Claflin, and her sister, Tennessee Celeste Claflin, befriended railroad magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt. With his help and with money earned helping him communicate with the spirit world, they became the first women to open a Wall Street brokerage house, earning nicknames including "the bewitching brokers." They also started a newspaper, Woodhull & Claflin's Weekly, to support Victoria's presidential run and to promote edgy ideas like short skirts and vegetarianism. Woodhull was in jail on Election Day 1872, charged with publishing obscenity for an article about a prominent minister's alleged extramarital affair; she was later acquitted on a technicality. Even before Clinton landed the nomination, the Robbins Hunter Museum had decided her run would be a good opportunity to promote Woodhull. Its exhibit focuses largely on the women's suffrage movement but also features photos, newspaper clippings and books about Woodhull. ADVERTISEMENT Rebecca Dungan, a board member who leads the museum's program committee, said some are fiction books that she won't read because they make her blush. "They're titles like Notorious Victoria, The Terrible Siren, Mrs. Satan, Outrageous, The Scarlet Sisters, Renegade Queen, Free Lover," she said. Well before the story of a Founding Father became "Hamilton," there was even a Broadway musical, 1980's "Onward Victoria," telling Woodhull's story. Woodhull's party picked Frederick Douglass, the runaway slave turned abolitionist, as her running mate though Douglass never acknowledged it. Despite her campaign fading into history, Dann said, she had a lasting impact. "Victoria's here," she said. "She left her mark. We just don't know to look for it." Attention area river watchers: It appears certain that the Mississippi River will host more than its usual number of paddlewheelers this coming summer. The American Queen Steamboat Co ., the Memphis-based cruise line, already owns and operates one vessel, the 434-passenger American Queen, on the Mississippi, and now says it will launch a new vessel, the 166-guest American Duchess, by June 2017. The paddlewheeler hasn't been built yet but the company says construction will begin soon on a recently-purchased American-made hull. The boat will be an all-suite vessel. According to the company, it will be the first purpose-built boutique paddlewheeler and will offer guests the largest suites on the Mississippi in every category. The boat will feature three 550-square-foot Owner's Suites, four 550-square-foot Loft Suites, plus spacious Veranda Suites and Interior Suites. The new vessel will offer more boutique experiences, reports the article, and is aimed at a more upscale audience, which will mean pricing will be higher than on the existing American Queen. ADVERTISEMENT In addition to the two American Queen Steamboat Company vessels, the Mississippi will host two paddlewheelers owned by American Cruise Lines : the 150-passenger Queen of the Mississippi and the 185-passenger America. And another ship is scheduled for Mississippi River operations as well. The new French America Line hopes to launch yet this fall its 150-passenger flagship Louisiane. That ship was formerly known as the Columbia Queen, which cruised the northwest U.S. and is being rehabilitated. Additionally, Viking River Cruises headquartered in Europe and the largest riverboat cruise line in the world announced three years ago it was planning to introduce Mississippi River cruising. But that idea appears to be fading since it hasn't yet announced construction of a new vessel for U.S. operations, nor has it formed a U.S.-owned subsidiary, which would be required under U.S. passenger shipping laws. The reason for American Queen's planned new vessel is simple: to meet growing demand, says company President Ted Sykes. Occupancy rates on his American Queen have been running 95 percent or more, he noted. "Demand for more capacity on the Mississippi River has been overwhelming the past two seasons and we look forward to delivering a new boutique, all-suite experience and the flexibility of two riverboats sailing between New Orleans and St. Paul," he said in an interview with the Memphis Commercial-Appeal . Exact itineraries of all the paddlewheelers involved in Mississippi cruising next summer have not been announced, but it is almost certain that most, if not all the vessels, will schedule the usual port calls at most area river cities, the likes of La Crosse, Wis.; Winona, Wabasha, Lake City and Red Wing, on their way to and from St. Paul. So there is bound to be plenty of action for river-watchers. Dear Answer Man, there's a beautiful new mural on the east side of the Northgate Health Club at Seventh Street and 11th Avenue Northwest. Do you know who painted it? Sorry, but it's not a new mural. Taya Fullilove , the front desk manager, tells me it's been there for a few years and she doesn't know who painted it. But the club is "getting the roof redone," Taya says, and it may look like the mural's also getting some TLC. The roofing project has had some minimal impact on activities -- "it's a little bit noisy in here at times, but not too bad." She didn't have a cost estimate on the project, since it involves roofing work on the adjacent shopping center. She said it should be wrapped up early next week. Dear Answer Man, does the change in the development team that's proposed the project at Miracle Mile Shopping Center mean it's going to be delayed again -- meaning it's probably doomed? What a sharp question. The PB reported Friday that Nate Stenciland his Sioux Falls, S.D.-based Stencil Group have pulled out of the Miracle Mile LLC team that has proposed the much-awaited project, for reasons unknown (though somewhat easy to guess at). According to Merl Groteboer, one of Rochester's real estate maestros, who's assisting the developers, Stencil's withdrawal doesn't change the plan at all. ADVERTISEMENT But will the city's Planning and Zoning Commission, which has cast a jaundiced eye on the project and delayed a recommendation twice, think otherwise? According to City Administrator Stevan Kvenvold, it can't. He told one of my research associates Friday, "Financing is fully outside the responsibility of the planning commission." He said the change in the development team "shouldn't be subject to Planning and Zoning jurisdiction." Kvenvold took it a step further, saying that the P & Z's "continuance of this matter" at its past two meetings "is an effort to derail the project ... apparently they don't like it." At minimum, some commission members and neighborhood people don't like its orientation away from the 16th Avenue side of things. But the city council will have the final say, assuming the developer hangs in there. The P & Z is to take it up again on Oct. 12 and it's on the council agenda for Oct. 17. As I reported in my major scoop Thursday , the project features what's said to be a Fresh Thyme Farmers Market grocery, in addition to 107 apartments, other retail and parking. The limited liability corporation is said to be associated with Oronoco businessman Javon Bea, who's currently involved in several other projects in Rochester. AUSTIN A man accused of robbing a potential roommate at gunpoint made his first appearance Tuesday in Mower County District Court. Matthew Jack Clennon, 18, faces one count each of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon, first-degree burglary with a dangerous weapon and first-degree aggravated robbery, all felonies, and one count of misdemeanor theft. He was conditionally released and is due back in court Oct. 10. The case began about 8 p.m. Sept. 24, when Austin police responded to a report of an armed robbery in the 600 block of Main Street. The door to the victim's bedroom was broken, with splinters of wood and the strike plate on the floor. The man had a cut on his nose and scrapes on his knees. The victim told officers he and Clennon had talked earlier about becoming roommates; that evening, however, the man told Clennon he didn't want him to move in. ADVERTISEMENT A short time later, the victim woke up to Clennon kicking in the bedroom door and pointing a gun at him, the complaint says, demanding his belongings. The two struggled over the man's laptop; Clennon allegedly hit the man with the gun, scaring him into giving up. Clennon took the victim's watch, some cash, cigarettes and a medication prescription, court documents say. As he was leaving the apartment, Clennon reportedly threatened to come back with other people; the victim told officers he thought Clennon was going to kill him. An officer found Clennon's pickup in a nearby parking lot and watched it until Clennon arrived in another vehicle and got out. He was ordered to the ground, the complaint says, and told the officer, "the pellet gun is in my truck." The other men in the vehicle told a detective Clennon had called them for a ride, and left the apartment building with a purple liquor bag, allegedly telling them he'd "just stole a bunch of stuff from this kid." While in the car, Clennon claimed he'd robbed the kid and hit him with a pellet gun, the report says; he was on the phone with one of the men as he kicked in the bedroom door. Clennon denied to investigators that he'd hit the victim with the gun, saying instead that they were fighting and crashed through the bedroom, causing the gun to fall out of his pocket. Clennon also denied taking any of the man's property. A search of his pickup allegedly turned up a .177 caliber pistol in the glove box, a small amount of cocaine, Adderall and empty Adderall capsules. The vehicle he'd been riding in had a purple liquor bag on the floor of the front passenger seat; inside, officers found LSD , Adderall, THC wax , a grinder and a digital scale. The victim confirmed to investigators the bag was from his apartment, and it contained illegal narcotics and paraphernalia. el cajon shooting Police in the San Diego suburb of El Cajon released footage on Friday showing the fatal shooting of an unarmed man, The Associated Press reported. The video shows police firing four shots at 38-year-old Alfred Olango, a Ugandan refugee, Tuesday shortly after they arrived at a Mexican restaurant in El Cajon, the AP report said. Police were responding to reports that a mentally unstable man was walking in traffic. It was later revealed that Olango had been grieving the death of a close friend and was not mentally ill, according to the man's mother, who was interviewed by NBC San Diego. When officers surrounded him, Olango assumed a shooting position, police said, and reached for what they believed to be a weapon before they opened fire. Police later identified the unknown object as an electronic cigarette. The video was released after the shooting sparked several days of demonstrations in the San Diego area. The police department had previously released a single frame of video that appeared to show Olango with his arms out in what they described as a shooting position, but protesters and local news media demanded the full video. Police Chief Jeff Davis relented, citing concerns over the escalating violence during some of the protests. "It's about time," said attorney Dan Gilleon, who is representing the Olango family. The city of El Cajon has a population of 100,000 and is known to attract refugees from Iraq and Syria, The Associated Press reported. The incident is the latest in a number of high-profile police shootings involving people of color, which has repeatedly thrust the issue into the national spotlight. According to data collected by the Guardian and The Washington Post, several hundred people have been killed during encounters with police so far this year. Story continues WARNING: Some may be find the following video disturbing: Here is the video of the #AlfredOlango shooting. pic.twitter.com/DX0tJaWDuj Andrew Luria (@AndrewLuria) September 30, 2016 More From Business Insider Dodge County EDA discusses Main Street building WEST CONCORD Members of the West Concord EDA discussed the future of the 207 W. Main St. building at its Nov. 7 meeting. The EDA chose to table any discussion on moving forward with the sale of the building. The potential buyers of the space will wait until the issue is discussed at next month's EDA meeting, according to members of the body. Houston County ADVERTISEMENT Clinic grand opening set for Saturday CALEDONIA Gundersen Lutheran will host a grand opening for the new orthopedic clinic Saturday at 8 a.m. It is at 405 S. Highway 44/76. Fillmore County Service focuses on 'Beauty of the Earth' LENORA The historic Lenora United Methodist Church will hold a Thanksgiving worship service Sunday at 4 p.m. It will focus on themes in the hymn "For the Beauty of the Earth." Attendees are invited to bring nonperishable food items for the food shelf. Refreshments will be served at the Lenora Fellowship House after the service. The church is on Fillmore County Road 24 in Lenora. ADVERTISEMENT Mower County Three blood drives planned AUSTIN There are three upcoming blood drives in Mower County. The first is 1 to 7 p.m. Thursday at Southland High School in Adams. The second is 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday at Riverland Community College in Austin. The third is 1 to 7 p.m. Nov. 29 at Mower County Senior Citizens Center in Austin. To make an appointment to give blood, download the Red Cross App, visit redcrossblood.org or call 800-REDCROSS. Wabasha County Black and Orange Gala will be Saturday LAKE CITYThe Lake City Education Foundation will hold the Black and Orange Gala on Saturday at St. Mary of the Lake. ADVERTISEMENT There will be hors d'oeuvres, drinks and dessert. Tickets cost $50 and are available at lakecityeducationfoundation.org or by calling 225-993-6706. Goodhue County Levee Road construction underway RED WING Concrete work on Levee Road from the Jackson Street Roundabout to Broad Street is ongoing this week. To facilitate the concrete repair work in the roundabout, the Levee Road/Jackson Street Roundabout will be closed until Friday, depending on weather and site conditions. Levee Road will be open from Broad Street up to the roundabout (including access to boat houses and the parking lot east of the roundabout) during the concrete repair work. Access to Bay Point Park also will be open using Levee Road and Withers Harbor Road west of the roundabout. Winona County Cabin Coffee celebrates anniversary ST. CHARLES Cabin Coffee in St. Charles is celebrating its nine-year anniversary Thursday. Coffee will be 90 cents, fresh-roasted beans will be 20 percent off and all drinks are 20 percent off between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. There also will be door prizes and free samples all day. Cabin Coffee is on U.S. Highway 14 in St. Charles. A national company's move of business out of the United States is trickling down to a Rochester manufacturer. Crenlo, a longtime Rochester firm that makes industrial and agricultural vehicle cabs, laid off "less than 10 employees" this week, according to director of human resources Eric Miller. Miller says the move comes in the wake of Caterpillar, a major Crenlo client, shifting part of its operation to Mexico. Crenlo has 600 employees that make cabs and enclosures at two Rochester sites. This staff reductions are not an unusual move for the 65-year-old Rochester firm. ADVERTISEMENT "Several end markets supported by our customers, including agriculture, mining and energy, are demonstrating weakness, and that has impacted production levels," Miller wrote in a statement on the job cuts. "As a standard business practice, Crenlo continually evaluates our business structure to ensure alignment with customer demand. This week we made an adjustment to our business structure that impacted less than 2 percent of our workforce." Crenlo added its Emcor enclosure division in 1975, and it now makes products for the electronics, security, medical device and solar energy markets at its Valley High Drive plant. It is owned by International Equipment Solutions, an affiliate of KPS Capital Partners of New York City. KPS, a private equity firm, purchased Crenlo plus a company called Paladin Brands in 2012 for a total of $290 million. That is the second owner since its original owners sold the company to an Illinois company, Dover Corp., in 1999. West Silver Lake Drive Northeast in Rochester will close at the railroad crossing north of Civic Center Drive Northeast from Monday through Friday. The closing is related to Canadian Pacific Railroad maintenance that had previously closed North Broadway Avenue and other streets. The West Silver Lake Drive Northeast crossing is the last piece of maintenance expected with the project. Traffic using West Silver Lake Drive will by detoured to the west to either Civic Center Drive Northeast or Seventh Street Northeast to Broadway Avenue North, according to a city of Rochester news release. The crossing will be closed Monday through Friday depending on weather. Drivers are cautioned to be aware near the construction work, according to the city release. Use sand on a slippery sidewalk, not salt. Embrace cotton over synthetic fabrics. Clean up after your dog. The Mississippi River would be better off with less road salt, microplastics and E. coli bacteria, according to a report released Wednesday. The State of the River report, from the National Park Service and Friends of the Mississippi River, looks at the 72 miles of the waterway that travel through the metro area. Four years after the first State of the River report, some problems like invasive species and sediment and nitrate pollution from farming persist. But this year researchers looked at some emerging problems they know less about: chloride that gets into the river from road and sidewalk salt and microplastic fibers that come off the clothes we wear. Water quality managers have noticed an upward trend in chloride from road salt in Minnesota lakes and rivers. If levels are high enough, it can affect the aquatic ecosystem. While the Mississippi isn't impaired because of chloride, the report shows several streams that flow into the river are. ADVERTISEMENT Researchers have known about microplastics for a while now, but recent studies have given them more to think about. Before, the concern was plastic microbeads from face wash and other personal care products. "What we found in research from the park, both in the water itself and also in sediment and fish and mussel tissue, is that it's microplastic fibers that are actually the dominant form of microplastics here in the Mississippi River," said Lark Weller of the National Park Service, who co-authored the report. "These are products that we link to synthetic clothing like microfleece, polyester, nylon." Researchers found higher concentrations of the plastic fibers downstream from the metro wastewater treatment plant, Weller said. The findings correlate with other studies around the country, she said. Just last week, the U.S. Geological Survey announced finding p lastic fibers in tributaries that feed into the Great Lakes . This summer, chemistry professor Lorena Rios Mendoza of the University of Wisconsin-Superior collected samples from Lake Superior near wastewater treatment plants. Sure enough, she found plastic fibers, likely going down the drain when people wash their clothes. She has also found the fibers inside of fish. "They are floating in the water, and everything that's floating in the water is food," Rios said, adding that more research is needed to see what toxics are attaching themselves to the plastic. That will be a big question for the Mississippi because a variety of harmful pollutants wash into the river. Still, the river is much cleaner than it was 40 years ago, and the report notes it supports bald eagles, mussels and many fish species. A range of policy changes and cleanup efforts, including the Clean Water Act, have been credited for the improvements. "The river is a complex, living ecosystem, and many factors affect its health. You can have some indicators pointing down and some pointing up, and it's very dynamic and they change," said Whitney Clark, executive director of Friends of the Mississippi River. Mercury and industrial chemicals have declined, leading to more wildlife and looser health guidelines on eating fish out of the river. ADVERTISEMENT One thing that hasn't changed for the better is pollution coming from farm fields. Nitrate has increased 44 percent since 1976, according to the report. And a study from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency shows more than half of the nitrogen in the Mississippi and Minnesota rivers comes from cropland drainage flexible plastic tubing installed under corn and soybean fields to improve drainage and boost yields. Clark says Minnesota should require permits for new tile drainage systems so the state has a better understanding of regional hydrology. He also said voluntary conservation efforts aren't cutting it. "We've been nibbling around the edges with voluntary measures in the past, and we're really not moving the needle. So we need new policies that have the potential to make big changes on the landscape," he said. Researchers have found that agricultural drainage has changed hydrology along the Minnesota River, which feeds into the Mississippi, more so than changes in precipitation. Shawn Schottler, a senior scientist at the St. Croix Watershed Research Station, said changes in land use and drainage have resulted in a nearly 25 percent increase in flow since the 1930s. "Flow of the river is the pulse of the watershed," he said. "And just like your pulse is symptomatic of what's going on in your body, the flow of the river is symptomatic of what's going on in the watershed." High flows aren't always bad, he said, but they can cause erosion and bring more pollutants into the river. "What's changing the flow, what's changing the pulse of the river, is also changing the delivery of the pollutants," Schottler said. ADVERTISEMENT Better drainage systems might be one solution, but Schottler and others speaking at the Mississippi report's release say we also need different crops perennials like alfalfa and switchgrass that cover the landscape year-round, protecting soils and soaking up nitrogen. Trevor Russell of Friends of the Mississippi River, who co-authored the report, said Minnesota is growing too many annual crops, a practice that leaves the land bare and vulnerable part of the year. But he said he doesn't expect farmers to make the switch on their own. "It's all well and good to say we need more perennial crops on the landscape, but unless those things are profitable, that's not going to happen," he said. "We don't have the tools to compel that kind of widespread landscape change." He says there's hope in a couple state-funded programs looking at new crops for biofuels and other products. "If we get those things in place, we have an economic incentive to put more perennial crops on the landscape, and that's going to get us to prosperous farms and clean water," Russell said. MINNEAPOLIS Officials with the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District say a copper treatment to kill zebra mussels on Lake Minnewashta in the southwest metro has been successful so far. Zebra mussels were discovered near the lake's boat access last month. Eric Fieldseth, the watershed's aquatic invasive species program manager, said the copper treatment was applied to the entire "Little Minnie" bay an area of about 29 acres. "These are still pilot treatments. We're still learning on these treatments the whole rapid response approach, how effective it is," he said. Fieldseth said he hopes the treatment works better than a similar treatment on nearby Christmas Lake. In that case, officials treated a smaller area of the lake only to see zebra mussels show up again. They have since spread in the lake. Still, Fieldseth says he doesn't expect the population to spike from year to year because Christmas Lake has less algae, a food source for the mussels, than other lakes. ADVERTISEMENT Both Minnewashta and Christmas Lake are located south of Lake Minnetonka, which is infested with zebra mussels. The Lake Minnewashta treatment cost about $30,000. Minnesota Public Radio PIPESTONE The last stop of MPR News' winding journey through the National Park sites in Minnesota brings us to the prairie grasslands of the southwest corner of the state, and Pipestone National Monument. In 1858, the Yankton Sioux signed a treaty with the U.S. government, creating the monument. The goal of the treaty was to slow the encroachment of white settlers while ensuring Indian access to the pipestone they considered sacred, found layered deep in the quartzite beneath the topsoil. Named by Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt as a National Monument in 1937, the area encompasses numerous quarries. Here, native people have long removed the soft red stone to craft pipes used in traditional ceremonies. The monument sits at the intersection of history and living Native American culture. Cicadas and a crop duster battle for sonic supremacy as Travis Erickson, a fourth generation pipestone quarrier and pipe maker, bails water out of the quarry to begin the day's work. Erickson, of both native Dakota and Norwegian heritage, is one of the few who earn a living from the quarrying and carving of pipestone. This is Erickson's second quarry. His first eventually reached 18 feet deep after 36 years of removing quartzite to get to the downward sloping pipestone. ADVERTISEMENT Tattooed on his right forearm is a totem of his spirit guide, a bear, and on his right hand, bear claws. Over the years, he has had them re-inked as they faded from the rough work in all kinds of weather. For Erickson, these tattoos signify his strength and stubbornness. "I resonate with Bear you never see a herd of bears, they are always by themselves..." he said. "I like to be down here by myself and do all the quarrying and it's always been like that for me. This is my church here." Down in the quarry where Erickson is working, you can see the layer of pipestone. It's a rich red, sandwiched between pinkish layers of quartzite. Quartzite is prized by many for its strength and good looks, but for quarriers like Erickson, it's an opponent to defeat. Erickson must read the quartzite cracks and break them open to expose the sacred stone below. His process of breaking the stone is not much different than it was in centuries past, except steel wedges have replaced wooden ones. Once the quartzite is broken, it reveals a pipestone layer, which can be up to 18 inches thick. The thicker pipestone is highly desired, since it allows carving larger and more ornate pipes. Any member of a Native American band can now dig for pipestone at the monument, but it wasn't always that way. For 79 years after the signing of the treaty, native people had to fight to gain the access to the quarries guaranteed by the terms of the treaty, according to the Park Service. This period is marked by land disputes, court fights, forced relocations, and squatters. It wasn't until 1937 when the monument was established that Native Americans received guaranteed access. Today, Pipestone National Monument is operated as a partnership between native people, through the Pipestone Indian Shrine Association, and the federal government through the National Park Service. Glen Livermont, superintendent of the Pipestone National Monument, said "Pipestone is a living monument not only preserving objects of antiquity, but tasked with ensuring the living future in partnership with the native nations." For the general public, there are carving demonstrations by Erickson and others, and a shop where visitors can buy carved pieces. Erickson has been quarrying at Pipestone for 43 years, and has been demonstrating his craft since 2000. ADVERTISEMENT Among Native Americans, the quarrying is not without controversy. Some feel that selling the unworked rock to non-natives or even selling worked pipestone is contrary to the purpose of the sacred stone. Erickson isn't bothered by the arguments. He makes a living from selling both raw pipestone and carved pipes to native and non-native people around the world. "People want to carve their own pipes, so I don't believe that I should stop them from their dreams, too. I get a lot of non-Indian people who buy raw stone from me so they can carve their own pipes. I believe in equalness." For Erickson, this is a way to preserve a tradition his mother taught him, but no one else in his family carves pipes. "When I'm done, we're done," said Erickson. Even so, he is passing on knowledge gained from 40 years in the quarry. A family from Hot Springs, South Dakota, works the quartzite a few feet from Erickson. The group, made up of a father, two sons, and two nephews, come out for four days each year. "I've helped them out four years in a row, and they've gained pretty good knowledge," Erickson said. For Erickson, this has been a slow summer of quarrying. The heat and rain have made the work difficult. Still, he is hoping to get enough pipestone to last him through a winter of carving. ADVERTISEMENT Erickson turned back to the stone wall to continue the day's work. With his wedges in place, Erickson swings his 20-pound maul and fills the air with the sound of steel on steel. The ground gently quakes as the quartzite fights back. MINNEAPOLIS The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension has concluded its investigation into the police shooting death of Philando Castile. The agency has handed its findings over to Ramsey County Attorney John Choi, in whose hands the future of the case now lies. Choi must now decide if he alone will choose whether to to prosecute St. Anthony police officer Jeronimo Yanez in Castile's death or if he'd prefer to hand the case to a grand jury to determine whether Yanez should be charged. But grand juries have become a flashpoint in conversations over race, policing and criminal justice. Critics say that because grand juries almost never indict police officers and lack transparency, they shouldn't be used in cases of police shootings. Soon after Castile's death, activists called for immediate charges against Yanez and skipping any potential grand jury proceedings. Prosecutors are the only people who can press criminal charges. So if Choi doesn't press charges on his own or convene a grand jury, Yanez would only face the possibility of civil action. Here's a look at how grand juries work, why they exist and what makes them so controversial. ADVERTISEMENT How are grand juries created? A grand jury exists to put evidence of a suspected crime to a group of peers, which evaluates whether there's enough reasonable evidence to indict bring charges against a person. If the grand jury decides there's probable cause, it recommends charges. If not, jurors deliver what is called a no-bill, meaning they found insufficient evidence to indict. County attorney's offices draw grand juries twice a year, and they only serve as needed. Each grand jury convened in Minnesota can include up to 23 people but it takes only 16 of those jurors to form a quorum, the minimum number required to make a grand jury meeting valid. Twelve jurors finding probable cause are required for a grand jury to issue an indictment. Jurors are selected randomly from what the state calls "a fair cross-section" of qualified residents in a particular county. Certain people may be exempted from serving on a grand jury, including those who have been convicted of a felony and are still on parole; those with certain disabilities; and those who can't speak English. St. Louis County, Minnesota's largest geographically, forms grand juries a bit differently than the state's other counties, picking one grand jury from each of its three districts. What happens during grand jury proceedings? Grand jury proceedings are fairly simple in concept. A prosecutor presents evidence to the jurors, and witnesses testify one at a time. Witnesses answer questions from the prosecutor and the jurors, but don't have an attorney of their own present. It's highly uncommon for the accused to testify on their own behalf. ADVERTISEMENT In grand jury proceedings, the prosecutor runs the show. No defense attorneys are allowed: Only the prosecutor, jurors, the witness and a stenographer are permitted in the room. Once its investigation is complete, a grand jury will recommend either an indictment or a "no bill," which happens when jurors say there shouldn't be charges. Grand juries are intentionally secretive: Transcripts of testimony aren't public, and jurors can't talk about what happened. The secrecy is meant to encourage reticent witnesses to speak up and to encourage jurors to be impartial. Any charges filed against the accused for which a grand jury doesn't issue an indictment are dismissed. But lack of an indictment doesn't stop the case from going to a grand jury again, if a judge orders it. And if there's no indictment, civil action is still possible. What cases are sent to a grand jury? In Minnesota, charges that carry the state's harshest sentence life imprisonment; there's no death penalty in the state always go to a grand jury. Included among those charges are first-degree murder and certain sex offenses. For other suspected crimes, it is up to a prosecutor's discretion whether to convene a grand jury. The question of how and whether to prosecute law enforcement officers who take a life has made its way to the forefront of discussion in the wake of police killings. In the case of the officer who killed Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo., two years ago, a grand jury returned a "no-bill" decision. Activists were upset, and cries against the use of grand juries have persisted, all the way to the Philando Castile case. But it's important to keep in mind that there's no legal imperative to bring a fatal police shooting case to a grand jury it's a prosecutor's choice, and there are lots of reasons a prosecutor might decide to do so. ADVERTISEMENT A prosecutor might toss a case to a grand jury, for instance, for political cover, said Brad Colbert, a professor at the Mitchell Hamline School of Law. "Then the prosecutor doesn't have to a say 'I charged it or I didn't charge it,' but rather sent a case to a jury of peers." A prosecutor might also choose to call a grand jury because he or she sees it as a way to democratize the justice system. Where do grand juries come from? The concept of grand juries arrived in America with its British colonists. It's an old idea. Twelve men only knights or "other freemen" made up the first grand jury, which was convened in England in 1215, according to a U.S. courts handbook. The idea was to give people outside the justice system some independence from judges, prosecutors and other legal types. Of course, grand juries changed significantly during the next few centuries. They became more secretive, too. Only a handful of countries outside the United States still use grand juries. Even England, which inspired the U.S. grand jury system, has abandoned the process because it didn't work there anymore. Grand juries became "perfunctory" and serving on them was "a burden to reluctant actors," legal writer Albert Lieck wrote in 1934, a year after grand juries were abolished in England. Still, in the U.S., the process retains its democratic roots at least, in theory. "The grand jury procedure was essentially designed with very lofty intentions of bringing the public and peers into the process of deciding when we're going to levy criminal sanctions against an individual," said JaneAnne Murray, a University of Minnesota law professor. But in modern America, Murray said, grand juries have become an "easy tool" for prosecutors to get the outcome they want, which often means: Charges. Prosecutors can lay out any narrative they want in front of a grand jury, as long as they use evidence that would be admissible in trial court. They almost always end with an indictment. Sol Wachtler, a former chief judge for the New York Court of Appeals once said that a grand jury would even "indict a ham sandwich," it was so easy for prosecutors to get charges. FiveThirtyEight has reported that grand juries at any level almost always indict. Why are grand juries so controversial? Distaste for grand juries in the Twin Cities has a history dating back at least to 1990, when a Minneapolis police officer shot and killed 17-year-old Tycel Nelson, who was black. An all-white grand jury didn't charge the officer. After that, Hennepin County convened a task force that found racial minorities were overrepresented as suspects, but underrepresented as grand jurors. Fast forward to this year, and not much has changed as activists call for no grand jury in the Castile shooting. Despite the prevalence of indictments in most cases brought to a grand jury, police officers are rarely subject to grand jury indictments. One reason: The legal bar for charging officers in a person's death is much higher than it is for civilians. Minnesota law says use of deadly force by police is justified "to protect the peace officer or another from apparent death or great bodily harm." In deadly force laws for civilians, the law is much shorter and doesn't include the word "apparent." The low rate of indictment for officers also partly comes from the relationship between prosecutors and police departments: Sometimes prosecutors treat police departments like they're their own clients, Murray said. In most cases, it's officers who do the investigative work for prosecutors. When a potential criminal case arises, it's usually the police department local, regional, county, etc. that gathers evidence, interviews witnesses and investigates the crime. Investigators then hand over their findings to prosecutors, who decide whether or not to press charges. So, turning around and charging an officer can be a tough spot for prosecutors. "There's an inherent conflict of interest in that," Murray said, "and that's why people want to see a more transparent process rather than a secret grand jury process." What are the alternatives? The use of grand juries in cases of police violence have become so contentious that some places are taking other routes. California banned the use of grand juries in cases of excessive or deadly force by law enforcement in 2015. Backers of the legislation said outlawing grand juries in those instances would make the judicial system more transparent and accountable. In March, Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman made a similar decision when considering charges against the police officers in the November 2015 shooting death of Jamar Clark. Ending a decades-old practice, Freeman said the county would stop handing off police-involved shooting cases to grand juries. "The accountability and transparency limitations of a grand jury are too high a hurdle to overcome," Freeman said at the time, opting to make decisions about charges in his own office. In the Clark case, he declined to pursue charges. Congressional candidate Jim Moylan will not let truth or distortions stop him from saying anything to get elected. It is up to political analy Read morePolitical ploys at the last part of election? TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Sep 30, 2016) - This Saturday October 1 at 1:00 p.m. at Queen's Park, there will be a rally mobilized by the Labour movement and its community partners. Precarious workers will share their stories to underscore the need for changes in the Employment Standards Act and the Labour Relations Act. The Rally for Decent Work coincides with the Changing Workplaces Review, which will make recommendations for updating Ontario's long-outdated employment laws. The Rally for Decent Work will call on the government to use its Changing Workplaces Review to address the steep rise in precarious work across Ontario, and adapt our laws to protect workers who are trapped in jobs that are low-wage, part-time, contract, or temporary. "These workers are suffering under our outdated laws. As precarious workers they face poor standards, a lack of stability in their earnings and scheduling, and obstacles to unionization," said OFL President Chris Buckley. The OFL demands that when our government reviews its laws, it ensures that all changes improve basic conditions for workers across the province, whether those workers are in a union or not. According to the Fight for $15 and Fairness, less than 25 percent of all workers are now fully protected by the ESA. "People like us are left out," said caregiver Kristina Torres, who is a migrant worker supporting the Fight for $15 and Fairness. "There are too many exemptions in the laws that make migrant workers vulnerable. We are terrified of speaking out even when we do have rights because of the risk of deportation. We need laws that protect everyone." Along with its partner organization Fight for $15 and Fairness, the OFL calls on the government to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour, with no special categories that are paid a lower rate. All changes in the Employment Standards Act and the Labour Relations Act must work together to set a fair minimum standard for all workers. No worker should be stuck in precarious work. Story continues The OFL's www.makeitfair.ca campaign takes on issues of inequality in the workforce, and coincides with the province's "Changing Workplaces Review." The campaign gives voice to unions' demands for across-the-board changes to the Employment Standards Act and the Labour Relations Act that would improve standards for every worker and make it easier for them to join a union. The OFL represents 54 unions and one million workers in Ontario. For information, visit www.OFL.ca and follow @OFLabour on Facebook and Twitter. Rally speakers/ precarious workers are available for media interviews in advance of or after the rally. Background: The OFL's submissions to The Changing Workplaces Review identified a number of areas in which changes to government regulations could be made to raise employment standards for all Ontarians, whether or not they are in a union. The OFL has identified the steep rise in precarious work (contract, temporary, part-time and low-waged jobs) as a growing problem for Ontarians, many of whom need to cobble together multiple jobs or multiple contracts in order to meet their basic needs. The OFL submission to the Changing Workplaces Review "Labour. Law. Reform." can be found here. The Fight for $15 & Fairness is a campaign supported by community, labour, student and faith groups across Ontario. It is calling for sweeping reforms, including fair scheduling; further regulating temporary agencies; investing in pro-active, public enforcement of employment laws; imposing meaningful fines for labour law infractions; legislating seven paid sick days; an end to contract flipping; easier access to unions and more. Central in the campaign is the demand for a $15 minimum wage for all workers, regardless of age, student status, job or area of work. For more information, visit 15andfairness.org. Rally speakers will include: Laura Kaminker (CUPE Local 1989): She recently was involved with a strike that won a $15 dollar wage for pages and stronger rights for part-time workers in Mississauga libraries. Tim Hum (UFCW Local 175): Will talk about his experience as a precarious worker. He was a worker at Wings Food Products, who endured a 22-month strike before getting an agreement with the employer. Erendira Bravo Construction worker and organizer from the Latin American community (Toronto), who is part of the Fight for $15 and Fairness. Erendira will talk about the misclassification of workers, in particular contractors, as well as equal pay for equal work, and proactive enforcement. Deb Henry (Unifor Local 414): Grocery store worker who will talk about fair scheduling, paid sick days and $15 minimum wage. Ted Hext (VP Ontario Federation of Union Retirees): Will discuss senior citizens being forced to work longer, and ending up in poorly paid, precarious jobs. Marjorie Knight (Organizer with Fight for $15 and Fairness): Will speak on the impact of low-wage, precarious work and the issue of decent hours, and low wages. Marilou Martin (OPSEU Local 557): Will set her address on an organizing drive of part-time college workers, the need for card-check certification, and equal rights for all workers with no exceptions or exemptions. Jana Papuckoski (USW Local 5296): A hospital security guard, will talk about the effects of contract flipping and successorship rights. Sulieman Bacharat (Unite Here Local 75): Hotel worker and union organizer - part of the Trump and Renaissance Hotel organizing campaigns. He'll discus the difference between working in a union and non-union workplace. --COPE 343-- Most of our colleges and universities seem determined to make fools of themselves, thereby eroding their support from taxpayers, in the case of public schools, and alumni and parents, in the case of private ones. One common cause of unintended hilarity is the insistence on allowing each student to choose his or her pronoun. No, waitI shouldnt say his or her. In todays world, that is assuming way too much. At the University of Michigan, a young mana conservative, I am happy to saystruck back against the prevailing nonsense by choosing His Highness as his official pronoun. Give the kid a medal: A student has taken advantage of the opportunity afforded by University of Michigans new pronoun policy, which allows students to list their chosen pronouns on the official bios that are sent out to their teachers. The student, Grant Stroble, has listed his pronoun as His Majesty. The University of Michigan, like many other schools, encourages this sort of nonsense. This is from a university publication: Students can designate pronouns in Wolverine Access through the new Gender Identity tab within the Campus Personal Information section. This page can be used to enter, update or delete pronoun information. Designated pronouns will automatically populate on all class rosters accessed through Wolverine Access. Rosters pulled from other systems will not have designated pronouns listed. If a student does not designate a pronoun, none will be listed. Thus: In other words, when professors receive the list of students enrolled in their classes, there will be a designated pronoun next to their names. Strobless is His Majesty. Grant Stroble should be an inspiration to fellow students around the country. Its time to get creative with pronouns, and prompt enough ridicule to bring the foolish edifice of inclusive pronoun-speak crashing down. Via, who else, InstaPundit. I wouldnt call the following statement an iron rule, but its a good rule of thumb: When congressional Republicans and Democrats overwhelmingly agree on legislation, the legislation is probably bad. Thats the case, in my view, with the bipartisan legislation that enables 9/11 victims and their families to sue the government of Saudi Arabia. Nowadays, bipartisan often means that one party supported a bill unanimously and managed to pick up a handful of votes from the other party. But the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA) the legislation enabling 9/11 suits against the Saudis received such overwhelming support from both parties that Congress easily overrode President Obamas veto. The Senate voted 97-1 to override it. The margin in the House was 34877. But JASTA is a bad idea. As Andy McCarthy says: It foolishly delegates the delicate political duty of conducting foreign relations to the courts; it undermines the important concept of sovereign immunity; and it encourages reciprocal foreign-government action against U.S. political officials and military personnel. The likely consequence of JASTA will be, in McCarthys words, to spur other countries to enact laws allowing their citizens to sue the United States and maybe even criminal laws allowing the arrest of current and former American government officials (including military personnel) for actions taken in defense of our country and pursuit of our interests. Thus, notwithstanding the sympathy we all feel for the 9/11 families, Obama was right to veto JASTA. For once, he was upholding U.S. interests and trying to make it more difficult, not less, for our enemies to do us harm. As McCarthy puts it: Real security depends on maintaining the international system of sovereign states that respect each others sovereignty. It is the transnational progressives who envision a post-sovereign world in which unelected judges and international organizations call the tune, undermining the prerogatives of nationhood and democratic self-determination. After displaying their lack of seriousness by overriding the veto, key Republicans tried to cover their tracks. Sen. Corker, chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, expressed a desire to amend what occurred yesterday [with the veto override] to put us in a better place. Speaker Ryan said Id like to think that theres a way we could fix so that our service members do not have legal problems overseas, while still protecting the rights of the 9/11 victims. But if there is a way, the House should have found it before legislating. If there isnt, the Speaker should have faced reality instead of wishing for options that dont exist. Most disturbing of all was Senate Majority Leader McConnells statement that nobody really had focused on the potential downside in terms of our international relationships; I think it was just a ball dropped. Actually, as Max Boot points out, Obama warned about precisely this obvious downside in his veto message. With Election Day approaching, Congress chose to grandstand anyway. In his NRO column on FBI Director James Comeys testimony to the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, Andrew McCarthy acknowledges his real affection for the director before he deconstructs his testimony. Andy notes: When Mills lied to agents about not knowing of the Clinton homebrew server while at State a story that doesnt pass the laugh test this false account was shrugged off as one of those innocent, unresolvable failures of recollection. Comey was shrugging it off in response to a question posed by Rep. Jason Chaffetz in the last minute of his questioning in the video above. Andys affection for Comey from their days working together in the office of the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York may survive the failure of Comeys testimony to pass the laugh test, but I think Andy prefers to criticize Comey from the high ground. Kim Strassel, by contrast, goes at Comey on the same point in her Wall Street Journal column Jim Comeys blind eye. Kim calls Comeys failure of the laugh test the second revealing moment in the middle of Comeys testimony to the committee (read the whole thing for the first). Kim writes: The FBI has deliberately chosen to accept this lie [that Mills didnt know about Clintons homebrew email server]. The notes of its interview with Ms. Mills credulously states: Mills did not learn Clinton was using a private email server until after Clintons tenure at State. It added: Mills stated she was not even sure she knew what a server was at the time. Which brings us to the hearings second revealing moment. Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R., Utah) pointed out that the FBIs notes from its interview with Clinton IT staffer Bryan Pagliano expose this lie. In late 2009 or early 2010, Mr. Pagliano told investigators, he approached Ms. Mills to relay State Department concerns that the private server might pose a federal records retention issue. According to Mr. Pagliano, Ms. Mills told him not to worry about it, because other secretaries of state had used similar setups. More damning, Mr. Chaffetz held up an email that Ms. Mills sent in 2010 to Justin Cooper, whom the Clintons personally employed to help maintain the server. The email reads: hrc email coming backis server okay? Mr. Cooper responds: Ur funny. We are on the same server. To be clear: When Mrs. Clinton had an email problem, Ms. Mills didnt call the State Departments help desk. She didnt call Yahoo customer service. She called a privately employed Clinton aide and asked specifically about Mrs. Clintons server. She did this as chief of staff at the State Department. Mr. Chaffetz asked Mr. Comey why the FBI wrote that Ms. Mills was ignorant about the server until later. Here Kim quotes Comey performing what students of ancient history will recognize as the Watergate variations: Mr. Comey suddenly sounded like a man with something to hide. I dont remember exactly, sitting here, he said, in what can only be called the FBI version of I dont recall. He then mumbled that Having done many investigations myself, theres always conflicting recollections of facts, some of which are central, some of which are peripheral. I dont remember, sitting here, about that one. Really? Only a few minutes before he had explained that the Justice Department was forced to issue immunity to Ms. Mills because she had asserted attorney-client privilege. Yet he couldnt remember all the glaring evidence proving she had no such privilege? Usually, the FBI takes a dim view of witnesses who lie. Anyone paying attention understands exactly what is going on here. The Watergate variations add a mordant touch. We have written about President Obamas internet giveaway and how GOP congressional leaders effectively rubber stamped it. An aide to Majority Leader McConnell even tried to blame Donald Trump for the Republicans gutlessness. After Congress failed to act, four Republican state attorneys general filed a lawsuit to stop the giveaway. The four state plaintiffs were Arizona, Oklahoma, Nevada and Texas. Their AGs are Mark Brnovich, Scott Pruitt, Adam Paul Laxalt, and Ken Paxton. The suit made several arguments against the internet giveaway. Plaintiffs argued that, because it lacks congressional approval (Congress didnt approve the action, it merely declined to block it) the giveaway amounts to an illegal ceding of U.S. government property. They also contended that the new steward of the internet domain system, an outfit known ICANN, will be so unchecked that it could effectively enable or prohibit speech on the Internet. The AGs also noted that ICANN could revoke the U.S. governments exclusive use of .gov and .mil, the domains used by states, federal agencies and the U.S. military for their websites. In a statement, Texas Attorney General Paxton said: The president does not have the authority to simply give away Americas pioneering role in ensuring that the internet remains a place where free expression can flourish. The AGs suit did a good job of expressing key objections to Obamas internet giveaway. Yesterday, however, a federal district court judge, George C. Hanks, Jr., rejected the legal challenge. The Obama-appointed judge found that there wasnt enough evidence that the transfer would be harmful. Thus, today oversight of the domain naming system has been transferred to global stakeholders. The Obama Commerce Department had stressed that any last-minute attempt to abandon the giveaway would hurt the credibility of America in the eyes of the rest of the world. This is true. Blocking the giveaway would have upset what has become the worlds reasonable expectation that the U.S., under President Obama, is a pushover willing to cede control over key affairs to international bodies and even our enemies, and unwilling vigilantly to safeguard national interests. Because congressional leaders are also pushovers, world expectations have been met and remain intact. In less than a fortnight, the eventual winner of the 2016 edition of NLNGs $100,000 Nigeria Prize For Literature, out of the three names on the final shortlist, will be announced at a World Press Conference. The three names are: Elnathan John (author of Born On A Tuesday); Chika Unigwe, (author of Night Dancer), and, Abubakar Adam Ibrahim (author of Season of Crimson Blossoms). A total of 173 authors of prose fiction entered for the competition this year, having at the head of its judging panel Prof. Dan Izevbaye, the renowned professor of Literature and literary critic. The other judges include Asabe Usman Kabir, professor of Oral and African Literatures at Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto and Isidore Diala, professor of African Literature in the Department of English, Imo State University, Owerri. Celebrating literary excellence for the twelfth year running, the Nigeria Prize for Literature has since 2004 rewarded eminent writers such as Gabriel Okara for his volume, The Dreamer, His Vision (co-winner of the 2005 prize, awarded in the genre of poetry); Ezenwa Ohaeto, for Chants of a Minstrel (co-winner in 2005 for poetry); Ahmed Yerima (2006, drama) for Hard Ground; Mabel Segun (co-winner in 2007, awarded for childrens literature) for her collection of short plays Readers Theatre; and Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo (co-winner in 2007, childrens literature) with My Cousin Sammy. Also, Kaine Agary (in 2008, for prose) for her novel, Yellow Yellow; Esiaba Irobi (2010, for drama) who won the prize posthumously with Cemetery Road; Adeleke Adeyemi (2011, childrens literature) with The Missing Clock and Chika Unigwe (2012, prose), with her novel, On Black Sisters Street, Tade Ipadeola (2013, for poetry) with his collection of poems, The Sahara Testaments and Sam Ukala (2014, drama) with his play, Iredi War. The Nigeria Prize for Literature rotates yearly amongst four literary genres prose fiction, poetry, drama and childrens literature. The 2016 Prize is for prose fiction and comes with a cash prize of $100, 000. Next years prize will be for poetry. Prologue to the PREMIUM TIMES Conversation With the 3 Shortlisted Novelists Sometime in August of this year, I wandered into a bookstore in Enugu and bought for myself a number of novels and poetry volumes. Amidst the pile of purchased books were three novels by Nigerian writers whose works I had read in the past and really enjoyed: Night Dancer by Chika Unigwe, Born on a Tuesday by Elnathan John and Season of Crimson Blossoms by Abubakar Adam Ibrahim. The said books, initially part of the first shortlist of eleven novels released for the 2016 edition of NLNGs Nigeria Prize for Literature, were later announced to be on the final shortlist of three novels being considered for the $100, 000 literary prize. I was not fortunate enough to come across the other eight books in the interval between the announcements of the respective shortlists. It is my belief that those other novels are fine works as well. That said, after reading the three books in my possession, which made the final shortlist, I must confess that I have no regrets whatsoever for buying them. Reading them was a rewarding experience for me, and I must say kudos to the people behind the above literary prize for singling them out for special recognition this year. Night Dancer was the first of the three books that I read. I had read Chika Unigwes On Black Sisters Street sometimes in 2012 a story about four women eking out a living of sorts in the cold womb of Europe. It did not surprise me when the latter novel won the Nigeria Prize for Literature that year. The first impression one gets upon moving past the opening pages of Night Dancer is that the book is the creation of a literary master. Unigwe, a crafts-person par excellence and peerless storyteller hardly, if ever, wastes her words. Bernadine Evaristo, in her review of the book in The Guardian (UK) on August 3, 2012, declares that the writer continues her project of tackling big issues through superb portrayals of complex female characters. Although the scene of the encounter between Mma, the lead character, and Madam Gold, the bosom friend of Mmas deceased mother, in the early part of the work, did not really engage me, the story got me hooked once the narrative took off in earnest after those first pages. I found myself turning the leaves of the book with eager fingers, licking my lips with eyes roving hungrily over the lines. This story of a young woman dealing with the death of a mother whom she had loved and loathed in equal measure, as well as with the subsequent events and revelations, which alter her views of her mother and many other things, was as delicious as a bowl of egusi soup. I was through with the novel in a matter of a few hours. I loved how the book is divided into three parts, like the three acts of a powerful play, each part preceded by an apt local proverb which goes to the heart of the narrative following it. I also enjoyed Chika Unigwes deft use of point-of-view, her crystalline language, and also her usage of flashbacks and free indirect speech. Her portrayal of the lead characters complicated feelings towards, and also the relationship with, her mother, Ezi, is nicely done. It is also a bonus that the female characters in the book are not depicted in stereotypical light but are rather given nuance and handled with intelligent compassion which humanises them, however despicable some of their actions tend to appear. The male characters, on the other hand, are a different affair sadly so. Ezi is the character that I loved more than any other in the book. She is like a hero out of an ancient Greek play. Her harmatia if one may term her love for freedom and independence thus is as clear as the sign of Cain on her forehead, her strength of character and the middle finger which she holds perpetually up against a world determined to clip her wings, leaving me breathless in admiration and pity as I followed her tragic progress through the pages. Most of all, I enjoyed the Enugu portrayed in Unigwes book. It is the Enugu of the 80s and 90s, as I experienced it. It is the Enugu of that bygone era, replete with its sights, smells, sounds and prejudices. It is Enugu, I must also say, as it once was before democracy, the Fourth Republic and the new millennium altered it in so many ways. I did not feel the Kaduna painted in the book half as much. Done with the first novel, I moved over to Born On a Tuesday. Elnathan John is a vibrant personality (I got to meet him online) blessed with a pen that can cut through iron and even adamantium. I was expecting to come across a lot of biting, obvious satire in the book, something I had come to associate with Johns style. However, the restraint and the subtlety I encountered almost Achebe-like left me shaking my head in amazed respect. Elnathan John is a wonderful writer. He takes control of the voice of his lead character, Ahmad Dantala, from the first section of the book. We see, hear and think things mainly through the filters of that first-person narrator, a young al-majirai in Northern Nigeria. Elnathan offers us the North, as only those who have lived in and come to love it, somewhat know it. His bildungsroman took me on a journey through physical, mental, romantic, social and religious spaces. Reading it was like riding in the back of a lorry up North with a clear-eyed storyteller. The few bumps and jerks experienced along the way, making the narrators voice wobble sometimes, appeared forgivable; even beside the point. I bathed in the beauty of the books unadorned prose. Dantala getting to learn English is beautifully unfolded. His steps are tentative at first but get firmer as he moves along. It is also in the same way that he gets to learn of life. By the time I moved from the madrassa dropout and street kid/party thug in Bayan Layi to the diffident follower of the Sheikh (and the potential Jihadist recruit of Mallam Abdul-nur) in Sokoto, and then got to the end of the book where a life-bitten Dantala, fresh from the gulag, wanders the militarised streets of the North, I felt as if I had watched a teenage boy grow into a real man right before my very eyes. Bad things happen to the lead character in the course of the novel, including the death of his mother and a case of love gone sour, but the wonder of it is that they do not break his resolve nor destroy his hope in a better future. I do not know if this book is the Northern Nigerian novel we have been waiting for as put by Molara Wood in one of the blurbs at the back of the book, but anyone who wishes to have his horizons on life expanded, as well as those seeking to understand better certain things about the contemporary North (its culture, places, people, politics, religion, the birth of extremism, et cetera), should pick up this book and read it. It is a thoroughly enjoyable read. The third novel on the shortlist is a worthy companion to the other two. Season of Crimson Blossoms is one of those books one could end up buying solely on the strength of its beautiful covers. This is the second offering in book-form from Abubakar Adam Ibrahim that I have had the pleasure of coming across. The Whispering Trees, a collection of short stories by the same author, was an unforgettable experience when I bought and devoured it in 2012. I detected a pleasing evolution in the writers art in Crimson Blossoms. It is as if Abubakar Adam Ibrahim has matured greatly since writing those earlier stories, has dug deeper into his artistic well, and come up with something truly career-defining as Toni Kan enthuses in a blurb on the books back-cover. The prose, from the very first line, wrapped round me like a welcome blanket on a cold, rainy night. It suffused my being with warmth. The Marquez-like conceit of the smell of cockroaches preceding some important events in the book, as well as the italicising of speech made by the characters in the English language and the entire kidnap section in the second-half of the novel, do not impress me much. However, the beautiful language like crimson petals falling off the page filled my mind with scent as I moved from line to line. The novelists handling of a middle-aged woman discovering love after years of widowhood is masterly. Reza, the unlikely beau of this prim and proper Hausa Muslim matriarch (Hajiyya Binta), has a roguish charm one comes to love as one learns more about him. The dusky affair between the two lovers is believable, and I found myself, despite the discouraging portents, hoping for a happily ever after for the foredoomed couple. But it was the minor characters of the book that blew me away. Faiza with her friends, the twins Kareema and Abida, dreaming of love with movie stars, reading romantic novels and trying on the tools of female seduction like so many millions of their ilk all over the world. Faiza with her issue of PTSD as well. Gattuso, the ever-faithful right-hand man of the top dog, Reza, having the latters back at all times, even as Reza is unworthy of such loyalty. The Senator, a perfect incarnation of the banality of evil, so different from the godfather characters one runs into in Nollywood films. Hureira, the somewhat Lawrentian daughter of Hajiyya Binta, a damsel fated for a lifetime of love-discontent. Munkaila of Maitama twirling car-keys in his fingers and with his nose upturned during his visits home. The enlightened Ustaz Nura and his ways. Mallam Haruna and his powerful radio. San Siro with its charms and lively air, reeking of songs, cannabis and sex. Northern Nigeria by Abubakar Adam Ibrahim comes across as potpourri, universe, human kaleidoscope. By the time I got to the end of the book, as in the other two cases, I wanted more like the cliched Oliver Twist. No one, after reading the above three books, would query their appearance on the shortlist of a literary prose prize anywhere in the world. I must say that they remind me, quality-wise, of the final shortlist for the 2013 Nigeria Prize for Literature. I am not in any way saying that the books are perfect I could fill pages with some of the faults I detected in the trio. But other readers elsewhere have done justice to these things. Let me say, by way of concluding, that if Nigerian writers and publishers keep producing works like the above three in the future, and prize-giving organisations like the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) keep singling out such books for special honour, all would be well with the Nigerian literary scene. Congrats to Unigwe, John and Ibrahim. Congrats to the pulishers, Parresia and Cassava Republic. Congrats to the peerless editors of those books. May the best book win this year. A compilation by Contributing Editor on Arts & Culture, Chiedu Ezeanah, the next installments will focus on what the three authors have to say about their lives and art. Nollywood actors have expressed sadness over the death of veteran actor, Martins Njubuigbo, popularly known as Elder Maya. Mr. Njubuigbo died of a liver-related ailment. Segun Arinze told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Abuja, that Mr. Njubuigbo was a great actor. He was amiable and very jovial; we will sure miss him, he said. Like Shakespeare said, the world is a stage; Njubuigbo has come, done his beat and taken his exit and the curtain has fallen. All I can say is good night elder Martins Njubuigbo; may God grant the family the heart to bear the lost, Mr. Arinze said. Another veteran actress, Rita Edochie, said he was a good artist, too bad that it happened. May God comfort the family and may his soul rest in perfect peace with the Almighty creator, Mrs. Edochie said. Babatunde Obalana, the National President of National Association of Nigerian Theatre Arts Practitioners, said the demise of the actor was unfortunate. He will surely be missed; may his gentle soul rest in peace. Amen, he said. Mr. Njubuigbo, also known as Elder Maya and Baba Jumoke featured in films lik Died Wretched, Battle of Mussanga, among many others. (NAN) Telecommunications Company, MTN, on Friday fired hundreds of staff in its Nigeria offices without severance pay, several affected staff have told PREMIUM TIMES. The staff said they were not properly about their dismissal and that the company failed to respect their contractual agreements. They said MTN had informed them of a plan to outsource staff, but since it was not the first time that would happen, they took the information casually. In 2012 they outsourced us to a company called CNSSL. Now what we have heard is that MTN is taking us away from CNSSL to an Indian company, ISON BPO, said one staff, who has worked with the company for over five years. He said they were told by MTN about two weeks ago that the contracts would terminate at the end of September. With no further information, the staff thought they would return to MTN. But on reaching here today, they placed security all over the place, numbering up to 50 private security operatives, he said. He said while a company could hire and fire, employees also should be fairly remunerated. For five years since I have been with them, salaries have not been reviewed. We work on public holidays, yet there were no plans for any overtime payments. We operate an invoice system, which allows payments within intervals of a month, starting from the 15th of every month. As we speak nobody is talking about our salaries for the last 15 days we have worked. A lot of us have outstanding leave days that should be monetized but no one is talking about that. Even when they pay the salaries; a lot of us are usually sub-paid, meaning that our salaries are deducted without explanations, he told PREMIUM TIMES. Another affected worker told PREMIUM TIMES that he had just finished a night shift and stepped out to get some money from an Authomated Teller Machines, ATM, when he observed the strange development. They searched me like a common criminal. Both when I was going out and when I was returning inside. They did not even allow me inside, he said. I kept asking what was happening because I did not understand. Another affected staff said he had worked with the MTN group of companies for eight years, but was suddenly locked out of office on Friday, without explanations from his employers. They refused even to let us inside the compound. They only asked that a security operative address us. They said they have outsourced us, but a careful study of the process shows that MTN is still the owners of the company. For example, after outsourcing us to CNSSL, in 2012, MTN still maintained full control of the company and we are sure they are the ones outsourcing us again. They are moving their call centre away from Lagos which means we have practically been sacked. And there are at least 4000 of us, if not more, because we are spread across Nigeria, he said. The staff requested their identities be protected as the matter was still fluid. One staff, who was sacked much earlier, said he was fortunate to be employed by the new company. Yes it is true. There are many of us. Although I am now working with ISON BPO but when I was laid off by MTN, no entitlement followed, he told PREMIUM TIMES. When contacted, the spokesperson for MTN, Funso Aina, promised to send a statement on the incident. He did not revert for more than 24 hours, and did not respond to further calls and text messages. The wife of the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, Margaret Emefiele, was one of about six people abducted by gunmen on Thursday, PREMIUM TIMES can report. A family source told this newspaper late Friday that efforts were underway to secure Mrs. Emefieles release, as well as others, within the shortest period possible. Yes, I can confirm to you that she was kidnapped, but were making diligent efforts to ensure her release and also the other people, the source told PREMIUM TIMES. The confirmation corroborates earlier reports by Sahara Reporters, a New York-based online news portal. Sahara Reporters said on Friday evening that Mrs. Emefiele was kidnapped along Benin-Agbor Road on Thursday after gunmen chased her police detail into the bush. The medium also said a ransom of N1.5 billion has been demanded by her abductors, who have since reached out to the family. But the PREMIUM TIMES source declined to confirm these, saying the details are not necessary and could actually complicate rescue efforts. Were all Nigerians and I think Ive done very well by confirming this report to you, the source said. Please join me in praying for her timely release as we do our best to appeal to those keeping her and ensure that shes released in one piece. Police spokesman Don Awunah could not be reached for comments on the status of rescue operations as his number indicated it was switched off for several hours Friday. The victims husband, Godwin Emefiele, has been in charge of the CBN since 2014. Mrs. Emefiele is the latest victim in a string of abductions that have seen many public figures seized within the last one year. In September 2015, a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Olu Falae, was kidnapped in his farm in Ondo State. A former senator, Iyabo Anisulowo, was also kidnapped in her home state of Ogun in April this year. The two have since regained freedom after spending days in captivity, but the circumstances under which they were released remained unclear. While the police claimed to have rescued them, the victims said they parted with huge sum as ransom. President Muhammadu Buhari has listed steps he said his administration was taking to end the countrys crippling recession. In a speech marking the nations 56th independence anniversary Saturday, Mr. Buhari acknowledged Nigerians were suffering, but said the recession would not last. I know that uppermost in your minds today is the economic crisis, the president said. The recession for many individuals and families is real. For some it means not being able to pay school fees, for others its not being able to afford the high cost of food (rice and millet) or the high cost of local or international travel, and for many of our young people the recession means joblessness, sometimes after graduating from university or polytechnic. He added: I know how difficult things are, and how rough business is. All my adult life I have always earned a salary and I know what it is like when your salary simply is not enough. In every part of our nation people are making incredible sacrifices. Mr. Buhari said the nation should not allow temporary problems blind or divert from the corrective course this government has charted for our nation. Read his full speech: Today 1st October is a day of celebration for us Nigerians. On this day, 56 years ago our people achieved the most important of all human desires freedom and independence. We should all therefore give thanks and pray for our founding fathers without whose efforts and toil we would not reap the bounties of today. I know that uppermost in your minds today is the economic crisis. The recession for many individuals and families is real. For some it means not being able to pay school fees, for others its not being able to afford the high cost of food (rice and millet) or the high cost of local or international travel, and for many of our young people the recession means joblessness, sometimes after graduating from university or polytechnic. I know how difficult things are, and how rough business is. All my adult life I have always earned a salary and I know what it is like when your salary simply is not enough. In every part of our nation people are making incredible sacrifices. But let me say to all Nigerians today, I ran for office four times to make the point that we can rule this nation with honesty and transparency, that we can stop the stealing of Nigerias resources so that the resources could be used to provide jobs for our young people, security, infrastructure for commerce, education and healthcare. I ran for office because I know that good government is the only way to ensure prosperity and abundance for all. I remain resolutely committed to this objective. I believe that this recession will not last. Temporary problems should not blind or divert us from the corrective course this government has charted for our nation. We have identified the countrys salient problems and we are working hard at lasting solutions. To re-cap what I have been saying since the inception of this administration, our problems are security, corruption and the economy, especially unemployment and the alarming level of poverty. On Security, we have made progress. Boko Haram was defeated by last December only resorting to cowardly attacks on soft targets, killing innocent men, women and children. Nigerians should thank our gallant men of the Armed Forces and Police for rescuing large areas of the country captured by insurgents. Now, residents in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States, as well as several neighbouring states go about their daily business in relative safety. People can go to mosques, churches, market places in reasonable safety. Commuters can travel between cities, towns and villages without fear. Credit for this remarkable turn-round should go to our Armed Forces, the Police, various sponsored and private vigilante groups, the local traditional leaders. Security is a top to bottom concern and responsibility. Besides Boko Haram, we are confronting other long-running security issues, namely herdsmen vs farmers, cattle rustling, kidnappings. This Administration is firmly resolved to tackle these challenges and to defeat them. A new insurgency has reared up its head in the shape of blowing up gas and oil pipelines by groups of Niger Delta Militants. This Administration will not allow these mindless groups to hold the country to ransom. What sense is there to damage a gas line as a result of which many towns in the country including their own town or village is put in darkness as a result? What logic is there in blowing up an export pipeline and as a result income to your state and local governments and consequently their ability to provide services to your own people is reduced? No group can unlawfully challenge the authority of the Federal Government and succeed. Our Administration is fully sympathetic to the plight of the good people of Niger Delta and we are in touch with the State Governments and leaderships of the region. It is known that the clean-up of the Ogoniland has started. Infrastructural projects financed by the Federal Government and post amnesty programme financing will continue. We have however, continued to dialogue with all groups and leaders of thought in the region to bring lasting peace. Corruption is a cancer which must be fought with all the weapons at our disposal. It corrodes the very fabric of government and destroys society. Fighting corruption is Key, not only to restoring the moral health of the nation, but also to freeing our enormous resources for urgent socio-economic development. In fighting corruption, however, the government would adhere strictly by the rule of law. Not for the first time I am appealing to the judiciary to join the fight against corruption. The Third Plank in this Administrations drive to CHANGE Nigeria is re-structuring the economy. Economies behaviour is cyclical. All countries face ups and downs. Our own recession has been brought about by a critical shortage of foreign exchange. Oil price dropped from an average of hundred USDper barrel over the last decade to an average of forty USD per barrel this year and last. Worse still, the damage perpetrated by Niger Delta thugs on pipelines sometimes reduced Nigerias production to below One millionbarrels per day against the normal two point two million barrels per day. Consequently, the naira is at its weakest, but the situation will stabilize. But this is only temporary. Historically about half our dollar export earnings go to importation of petroleum and food products! Nothing was saved for the rainy days during the periods of prosperity. We are now reaping the whirlwinds of corruption, recklessness and impunity. There are no easy solutions, but there are solutions nonetheless and Government is pursuing them in earnest. We are to repair our four refineries so that Nigeria can produce most of our petrol requirements locally, pending the coming on stream of new refineries. That way we will save ten billion USDyearly in importing fuel. At the same time, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and the Central Bank have been mobilized to encourage local production of rice, maize, sorghum, millet and soya beans. Our target is to achieve domestic self-sufficiency in these staples by 2018. Already farmers in thirteen out of thirty sixstates are receiving credit support through the Central Bank of Nigerias Anchor Borrowers Programme. Kebbi state alone this year is expected to produce one million tonnes of locally grown rice, thanks to a favourable harvest this year. As part of the 13 states, Lagos and Ogun are also starting this programme. Rice alone for example costs Nigeria two billion USD to import. The country should be self-sufficient in basic staples by 2019. Foreign exchange thus saved can go to industrial revival requirements for retooling, essential raw materials and spare parts. It is in recognition of the need to re-invigorate agriculture in our rural communities that we are introducing the LIFE programme. Government recognises that irrigation is key to modern agriculture: that is why the Ministries of Agriculture and Water Resources are embarking on a huge programme of development of lakes, earth dams and water harvesting schemes throughout the country to ensure that we are no longer dependent on rain-fed agriculture for our food requirements. In addition, government is introducing Water Resources Bill encompassing the National Water Resources Policy and National Irrigation and Drainage Policy to improve management of water and irrigation development in the country. We are reviving all the twelve River Basin Authorities, namely; Anambra Imo Benin Owena III. Chad Basin Cross River Hadejia Jamaare Lower Benue VII. Lower Niger VIII. Niger Delta Ogun Osun Sokoto Rima Upper Benue XII. Upper Niger The intention is eventually to fully commercialise them to better support crop production, aqua culture and accelerated rural development. This Administration is committed to the revival of Lake Chad and improvement of the hydrology and ecology of the basin. This will tune in with efforts to rehabilitate the thirty millionpeople affected by the Boko Haram insurgency in the Lake Chad basin countries. The second plank in our economic revival strategy is centred on the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing. The Ministry will lead and oversee the provision of critical infrastructure of power, road transport network and housing development. Power generation has steadily risen since our Administration came on board from three thousand three hundred and twenty four megawatts in June 2015, rising to a peak of five thousand and seventy four megawatts in February 2016. For the first time in our history the country was producing five thousand megawatts. However, renewed militancy and destruction of gas pipelines caused acute shortage of gas and constant drop in electricity output available on the grid. There has been during the period June 2015 to September 2016 big improvement in transmission capacity from five thousand five hundred megawatts to the present seven thousand three hundred megawatts. There were only two system collapses between June and December 2015, but due to vandalism by Niger Delta militants the over-all system suffered 16 system collapses between March and July 2016 alone. As I have said earlier, we are engaging with responsible leadership in the region to find lasting solutions to genuine grievances of the area but we will not allow a tiny minority of thugs to cripple the countrys economy. In the meantime, government is going ahead with projects utilizing alternate technologies such as hydro, wind, and solar to contribute to our energy mix. In this respect, the Mambilla Hydro project, after many years of delay is taking off this year. Contract negotiations are nearing completion with Chinese firms for technical and financial commitments. The project is to be jointly financed by Nigeria and the Chinese-Export-Import Bank. In addition, fourteen Solar Power Projects have had their power purchase agreements concluded. Hence the plan to produce one thousand two hundred megawattsof solar electricity for the country would be realized on schedule. And in line with the objective of government to complete all abandoned projects across the country, the Rural Electrification Agencys projects needing completion are provided for in the 2016 Budget. Bringing electricity to rural areas will help farmers, small scale and cottage industries to integrate with the national economy. Roads Construction and Rehabilitation has taken off. The sum of twelve billion naira was allocated to this sector in the 2015 Budget, not enough even to pay interest on outstanding unpaid claims. Notwithstanding the budgetary constraints, the current budget allocated two hundred and forty billion nairafor highway projects against twelve billion naira in 2015. Many contractors who have not been paid for three years have now remobilized to sites. Seven hundred and twenty point five billion naira has so far been released this budget year to capital projects. The Ministry of Power, Works and Housing has received one hundred and ninety seven point five billion naira. Work on the following highways has now resumed. Dualization of Calabar Itu Road in Cross River/Akwa Ibom States. Dualization of Lokoja Benin Road, Ehor Benin city, Edo State. Re-construction of outstanding sections of Benin Shagamu Express way, Edo/Ogun States. Expansion works on Lagos Ibadan Dual carriageway, Ogun/Oyo States Rehabilitation of Onitsha Enugu Expressway, Anambra/Enugu States. Rehabilitation and Reconstruction of Enugu Port Harcourt Dual carriageway, Abia/Rivers States. Rehabilitation of Hadejia Nguru Road, Jigawa State. Dualization of Kano Katsina Road, Kano State. Dualization of Kano Maiduguri Road, Borno State. Dualization of Azare Potiskum Road, Azare Sharuri Road, Bauchi State. Rehabilitation of Ilorin Jebba Mokwa Birnin Gwari Road, Kwara State. Construction of Oju/Lokoja Oweto Bridge over River Benue, Benue State. Other major highways are in the queue for rehabilitation or new construction. Already contractors have recalled about nine thousandworkers laid off and Government expects that several hundreds of thousands of workers will be reengaged in the next few months as our public works programme gains momentum. On railways, we have provided our counterpart funding to China for the building of our standard gauge Lagos -Kano railway. Meanwhile, General Electric is investing two point two billion USDin a concession to revamp, provide rolling stock, and manage the existing lines, including the Port Harcourt-Maiduguri Line. The Lagos-Calabar railway will also be on stream soon. We have initiated the National Housing Programme. In 2014 four hundred million nairawas voted for Housing. In 2015 nothing. Our first budget this year is devoting thirty five point six billion naira. Much of the house building will be private sector led but Government is initiating a pilot housing scheme of two thousand eight hundred and thirty eight units uniformly spread across the 36 states and FCT. We expect these units to be completed within 4 6 months. These experimental Nigeria House model Units will be constructed using only made in Nigeria building materials and components. This initiative is expected to reactivate the building materials manufacturing sector, generate massive employment opportunities and develop sector capacity and expertise. The programmes I have outlined will revive the economy, restore the value of the naira and drive hunger from our land. Abroad, Nigerias standing has changed beyond belief in the last 18 months. We are no longer a pariah state. Wherever I go, I have been received with un-accustomed hospitality. Investors from all over the world are falling over themselves to come and do business in Nigeria. This government intends to make business environment more friendly because we cannot develop ourselves alone. All countries, no matter how advanced, welcome foreign investments to their economy. This is the essence of globalization and no country in the 21stcentury can be an island. Our reforms are therefore designed to prepare Nigeria for the 21st century. Finally, let me commend Nigerians for your patience, steadfastness and perseverance. You know that I am trying to do the right things for our country. Thank you and may God bless our country. In the Borno State capital Saturday, Maiduguri, Nigerias 56th independence anniversary was marked by the Army handing over of 348 suspected but cleared Boko Haram suspects to the state government. The event held at the Ramat square civic centre. The General Officer Commanding, 7 Division Nigeria Army, Victor Ezugwu, said the army had upon the directives of the Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, investigated the suspects who were arrested at different locations in the state. Those found to be innocent, were set free, he said. Some of the cleared suspects said it took the army over five months to screen them and establish that they did nothing wrong. Mr. Ezugwu, a Brigadier General, said the review of the cases of terrorists suspects in our custody involves a painstaking and continuous process as directed by the Chief of Army Staff who emplaced measures to guarantee societal and individual human rights. He said the division under his command had investigated all suspects arrested and found 348 of them to be in the clear. The number comprises 114 males, 107 females, and 127 children. Among the children, 115 are minors. The Governor of Borno State, Kashim Shettima, who received the cleared Boko Haram suspects, commended the army for ensuring that the suspects human rights were protected during their days in custody. He said the minors who were not with their parents would be taken to state rehabilitation centres for care. He urged those freed to return to their homes and continue to be law abiding. The released suspects were given cash and 10 yards of wrappers. But no formal apology was tendered to them. Senior staff of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, on Friday presented a loaf of bread and a bottle of coca cola drink as a birthday gift to the schools embattled Vice Chancellor, introducing a dramatic twist to their prolonged demand for his dismissal. The VC, Olusola Oyewole, clocked 61 on Friday. He has been having a running battle with the workers over allegations of financial misdeeds against him and the pro-Chancellor of the university, Adeseye Ogunlewe. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, which is investigated the matter, has interrogated the two officials. But the university staff, under the banner of Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities, have continued with their protest, demanding the removal of the VC. The lecturers added a drama to their protest on Friday, with their birthday presentation to the VC. Executive members of the association delivered the surprising birthday gift to the VCs office Friday afternoon. They were however intercepted by the institutions Chief Security Officer, Peter Bolarinwa, who promised to deliver the bizarre package. They also demanded the reinstatement of three of their colleagues, Abdulsobur Salam, Lasun Somoye, and Abimbola Bankole, who were suspended for sending a petition to the EFCC, leading to the investigation. The three lecturers are the whistleblowers who exposed the alleged fraud. The chairman of the Universitys Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities, SSANU, Rotimi Fasuwon, told PREMIUM TIMES that efforts by eminent personalities in the area, including monarchs, to resolve the over two-month crisis, had been rebuffed by the vice-chancellor. He vowed that the protest would continue until the VC was removed from office. Mr. Fasuwon, however, appealed to members to remain peaceful in pressing their demands. Meanwhile, the protesting staff, who are responsible for preparing the payment of salaries to all university workers monthly, have failed to do so for September. As a result, staff of the institution have not been paid. Mr. Fasuwon said the SSANU members should see the non-payment as a sacrifice, to prove that no meaningful progress can happen in the school without the non-teaching staff. The Public Relations Officer of the school, Emi Alawode, told PREMIUM TIMES that the management was open to dialogue. Management is committed to a truce through dialogue. Efforts are ongoing to see that this is achieved. Thank you, he said. President Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday said Nigeria would be self-sufficient in the production of rice, millet, sorghum, maize and soybean by 2019. Mr. Buhari said this in a broadcast on the occasion of Nigerias 56th Independence Anniversary in Abuja. The president said the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) had been mobilised to achieve the target through the Anchor Borrowers Scheme. He said through the scheme, production of staple crops was on the increase in 13 states. He said Kebbi alone was expected to produce 1 million tonnes of rice in 2016. The president said Nigeria spent $2 billion on rice importation. He stressed the need for the country to be self-sufficient in staple crop production. He said the foreign exchange that would be saved could be used for industrial revival, importation of essential raw materials and spare parts. The president said in recognition of the need to reinvigorate agriculture in rural communities, government was introducing a scheme called Life Programme to boost rural economy. He said the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development would build lakes, dams and water harvesting scheme across the country. According to him, the government recognises that irrigation is key to modern agriculture and is determine to ensure that we are no longer dependent on rain-fed agriculture for national food requirement. Mr. Buhari said the government was reviving the 12 River Basin Authorities across the country to commercialise them to support crop production, aqua culture and accelerated rural development. He said the government was also committed to the revival of Lake Chad and the improvement of the hydrology and ecology of the basin. (NAN) Over 700 cases involving political parties and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) are pending in various Nigerian courts. The National Financial Secretary of Inter-Party Advisory Council of Nigeria (IPAC), Shuaibu Bobboi, made this known at a press conference on Saturday in Jalingo. According to Mr. Bobboi, the cases are between various political parties on one hand, and between the political parties and INEC on the other. He said that IPAC was working assiduously to seek for out-of-court settlement on majority of the cases. We are working to see that majority of these cases are resolved out-of-court for the sake of unity and democratic development, he said. Mr. Bobboi, who is also the Returning Officer in IPACs executives election in the state, said the organisation was playing a key role in achieving a balanced relationship between political parties. Our mandate is to seek for a balanced relationship between parties and to ensure that we provide effective advice to INEC on how to move our political system forward, he said. Mr. Bobboi, however, advised ruling parties across the country to avoid the politics of winner takes all . My advice to all ruling parties is to try and carry the opposition along, especially when formulating policies that have direct bearing on the lives of the people. This country belongs to all of us. Therefore, we expect the government of the day to listen to constructive criticisms and not to molest the opposition, he said. (NAN) The Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) in Lagos on Saturday organised a free train ride as part of celebrations to mark Nigerias 56th Independence Day. The NRC Lagos District Manager, Jerry Oche, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the purpose of the exercise was to showcase the corporations rejuvenated train service. We organised this special independence train service to showcase that we are fully back on track. It was sponsored by Flour Mills Nigeria and Chellarams. We are also planning to organise trips like this to Abeokuta for sightseeing to the Olumo Rock, Mr. Oche said. Some of the fun seekers who thronged the corporations Iddo Terminus, told NAN that the ride was a befitting way to celebrate the countrys independence from colonial rule. The independence train ride is a good thing and NRC should always organise such rides for subsequent festivals. Although, this is not my first time on the train, I, however, appreciate this gesture because but for this, l would have been home watching cartoons. It has been so much fun, especially being with other children on the train, nine-year-old Abdulmajeed Mohammed said. Another passenger, 16 -year-old Daniel Umoh, described the ride as a memorable experience. Mr. Umoh said, There is no better way to celebrate the independence. A traditional ruler in Isale Akoka, Lagos, Olusegun Aroyewu, said he brought his grandchildren to enjoy the special independence train ride to show them that Nigeria operated train services. I know that with the trains back on the track, Nigeria too will survive the recession period it is presently going through, he said. Mr. Aroyewu urged Nigerians to use the nations Independence Day to pray for the present administration to move forward, NAN reports that the train ride took off from the Ebute-Meta Junction in Lagos to Ijoko in Ogun State. NAN also reports that the regular train ride costs N750 for children, while adults paid N1,500 for the same distance. (NAN) The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has congratulated Nigerians on the attainment of 56 years of nationhood. The party, in a statement by its spokesperson, Dayo Adeyeye, on Saturday, said it particularly celebrated the nations forefathers and all those who fought and were still fighting to keep the unity of the country. The party also said that the cooperation and contributions of all citizens are required at this time to move the nation forward from the present situation. It urged the All Progressives Congress, APC, administration to close ranks and ensure the fulfilment of the ideals, vision and mission of those who fought for the independence the country. The statement urged all PDP members to remain confident in the National Caretaker Committee under the leadership of Ahmed Makarfi. We are committed as ever loyal Party men and women in delivering on the mandate of the National Convention in Port Harcourt, Rivers State to re-discover our Party, the statement said. Equally, we call on our members and supporters to remain undaunted in the face of the on-going distractions within the Party hierarchy and we promise that all issues will be resolve soonest. The #BringBackOurGirls group has said that recent details released by the Nigerian government on its engagement with Boko Haram, show that nothing was done in 2016 to rescue the missing Chibok girls. The girls were abducted by the extremists on April 14, 2014. The #BringBackOurGirls group on Friday marked 900 days since the over 200 girls were taken from their school in Chibok, Borno State. A statement by the groups conveners, Aisha Yesufu and Obi Ezekwesili, said details released by the government on September 16 proved that the government had since moved on while the girls remain in captivity. First, we noted that the detailed account presented by the Minister of Information revealed activities related to rescue effort only up to December 2015. It is thus curious that there was no activity reported for the entire nearly nine months of 2016, the group said. The group condemned President Buharis remarks during his recent trip to the United States, where the president said he did not want to comment on the abduction. The mother of Dorcas Yakubu, the school girl shown speaking in a recent Boko Haram video, said the president should act to secure the girls release. You said you dont want to say anything. We too do not want to hear anything from you, Mr. President. All we want is to see our children back, Mrs. Yakubu said. She called on the government to be honest with Nigerians in its reports about the war on insurgency. They say that thousands of these terrorists die every day, yet Maiduguri is still a den for these terrorists. Where do they come from if they are killed as the military claims, the group said. Also speaking at the event, a senior researcher with Human Rights Watch, Mausi Segun, said it was unfortunate that Nigeria chose to align with countries with dismal human rights records. The governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, has confirmed the release of his wife who was kidnapped on Friday. Margaret Emefiele, who was abducted by unknown gunmen, was rescued by security operatives at Ugoneki near Benin City late Friday. News website, Sahara Reporters, said a her captors demanded a N1.5 billion ransom. It was not clear whether the amount was paid. Mr. Emefiele expressed gratitude to God, President Muhammadu Buhari and security agencies for the rescue of his wife. I am grateful security agencies for their gallantry in bringing my wife back home within 24 hours in compliance with the directive of President Muhammadu Buhari, he said in a statement Saturday. My gratitude to the Delta and Edo State governments, friends and well wishers who, through their actions, prayers and goodwill, helped to bring this harrowing experience to a joyful end. I reaffirm my resolve to continue to serve the nation diligently with all his heart without any fear of intimidation, Mr. Emefiele said. Gov. David Umahi of Ebonyi has ordered that death sentences on 14 prisoners of Ebonyi origin in various prisons be commuted to life imprisonment. The governor gave the order on Saturday in Abakaliki during activities to mark the 56th Independence Day and 20th year of Ebonyi creation. According to the governor, 32 inmates from the state have also been granted unconditional pardon for offences which they were jailed. The order is to the comptrollers of Enugu, Abakaliki and Afikpo prisons and pursuant to powers of Section 212 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, conferred on me as the state governor. These decisions were reached after due consultation with the states Committee on Prerogative of mercy and other enabling powers and this serves as the official warrant, he said. Mr. Umahi explained that the effective date of the decisions was Oct.1. He said those whose death sentences were annulled included Igantius Ochioso, Paul Ominyi, Nnachi Asula, Sunday Ukpai, Onyebuchi Eze and Ikechukwu Nwafor. Those who were pardoned unconditionally include Ogbuzuru Odoh, Ogbonnia Odom, Shadrack Eboko, Ezi Ekum, Nduisi Nwodo, Paul Una, Musa Bako, Chikwu Ndukwe, Mgbeleke Oduma, Ugo Ogbuba, among others. The state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Augustine Nwankwagu, is advised to submit report on the released inmates conduct to my office, to ascertain whether they still pose threat to society, he said. The governor also announced a five per cent increase in workers salaries with effect from Oct.1 and thanked labour leaders in the state for their understanding and support in reaching the decision. The government has also recalled the sacked workers of the state College of Education, Ikwo, and the 37 workers of the proscribed Ebonyi State Environmental Protection Agency We would also release workers promotion results and look into the issue of pension and gratuity which totals over five billion naira, he said. The governor also noted that the government would inaugurate a department of tomorrow that would rehabilitate indigenes engaged in various forms of menial jobs across the country. We would be placing advertorials in national media on Tuesday, urging them to return to the state to learn the assemblage, repairs and maintenance of equipment such as tractors, tricycles, among others, he said. Christopher Edeh, Methodist Bishop of Enugu Diocese and Chairman of the occasion, urged Nigerians to leave in peace to fulfil the aspirations of its founding fathers. Ebonyi people should tow the path of righteousness, rally around its leaders to enable it meet its developmental objectives as a young state, he said. The occasion was witnessed by past leaders of the state, National and State Assembly members, among other stakeholders. The occasion also witnessed march pasts by selected schools, labour unions, security agencies as well as the cutting of the anniversary cake,. The governor also inspected a guard of honour mounted by security agencies. (NAN) CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. If SpaceX founder Elon Musks plan to establish a city on Mars sounds like science fiction, then consider the name of his first passenger ship. The answer lies in The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, the comic series about the travels and travails of Earths last surviving man. Musk is leaning toward the name Heart of Gold, the starship in the novel wtih Infinite Improbability Drive. Why would anyone want a one-way ticket to Mars? asks Elaine Ou SpaceX CEO Elon Musk made a splash at the International Astronautical Conference in Mexico w I like the fact that its driven by Infinite Improbability, Musk said in presenting his long-awaited Mars colonization plan this week, because I think our ship is also extremely improbable. But the acronym is not the best, he chuckled. All aboard the HOG? The name generated applause at the International Astronautical Congress in Mexico, where Musk provided elaborate details of his bold plans to fly scores of humans to Mars and set up a self-sustaining city with 1 million people, as big as San Jose, California. For a decade, Musk has borrowed from science fiction and fantasy when naming his rockets, engines, capsules and space doodads. Another billionaires aerospace startup, Blue Origin, pays homage to Americas original Mercury astronauts with its names. Long-established NASA and United Launch Alliance prefer mythology and astronomy. Musk has plumbed Star Wars for names, as well as work by the late Scottish science fiction writer Iain M. Banks. SpaceXs Falcon rocket is a nod to the Millennium Falcon piloted by Han Solo. Its powered by Merlin engines. Then there are the two ocean platforms used for booster landings after liftoff: Just Read the Instructions and Of Course I Still Love You from Banks 1988 novel The Player of Games. The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy dates back further; the late English author Douglas Adams published the novel in 1979, based on his hit radio series. SpaceX docks, delivers 1st hotel room in space CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. SpaceX has made good on a high-priority delivery: the worlds first i And theres the Dragon capsule used to haul cargo to the International Space Station for NASA and, in another year or two, U.S. astronauts. The capsule was named for Puff the Magic Dragon, a jab at those who scoffed when Musk founded the firm in 2002 and set the space bar high. SpaceX became the first private firm to launch a spacecraft into orbit and return it safely to Earth in 2010. NASA traditionally has dipped into mythology for names: Projects Mercury and Apollo, and the Saturn V moon rocket. The space shuttles were named after seafaring ships of yore: Columbia, Challenger, Discovery, Atlantis and Endeavour. Shuttle prototype Enterprise was the exception, named after the Star Trek starship at fans request. United Launch Alliance also favors mythology, with its longtime Atlas rocket and even bigger, still-in-development Vulcan. Then there are the constellations for inspiration. Orion, the hunter, is the spacecraft in which NASA plans to send astronauts beyond low-Earth orbit, most notably Mars. Cygnus, the swan, is Orbital ATKs capsule for space station shipments. Gemini, the twins, was NASAs two-man-per-capsule program that bridged Mercury and Apollo. Orbital ATK also turned to the heavens for naming its Antares rocket after the superbright star. At Blue Origin, the reusable suborbital rocket and capsule are called New Shepard for Alan Shepard, the first American to fly in space. The orbital version will be New Glenn for John Glenn, the first American to orbit the Earth. Company founder Jeff Bezos suggests New Armstrong may soon be in the offing for Apollo 11s Neil Armstrong, the first man to step onto the moon. Optimistically, according to Musk, Heart of Gold could blast off from Florida in late 2024 and arrive at the red planet in 2025. A Mars-launching window is available only every 26 months. I would stress thats an aspiration and within the realm of possibility, but a lot of things need to go right, Musk said Tuesday. Musk knows better than anyone things dont always go right in rocketry. His Falcon 9 rockets are grounded for the second time in a year, this time by a massive fireball during prelaunch testing at the pad on Sept. 1. This is just a small thing on a long road, Musk told reporters after his address. There will probably be other failures in the future. He anticipates the risk will be greatest, in fact, for the pioneers aboard Heart of Gold. Little Egg Harbors Gaten Matarazzo didnt expect that Netflixs original series Stranger Things would become a massive hit. He also didnt expect his character, the lovable and comedic Dustin Henderson, would become a fan favorite. I actually wasnt too sure it was going to be as big as it was because its such a different show, Matarazzo said. I didnt think a lot of people would get it. Im glad with the way it turned out and Im glad season two is happening. Stranger Things, by Matt and Ross Duffer, premiered over the summer on the streaming service, and quickly gained a massive cult following. Set in 1983 in the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana, an investigation is launched after single mother Joyce Byers son, Will, goes missing under mysterious circumstances. Wills friends, Dustin, Mike Wheeler and Lucas Sinclair set off to find him with the help of a young telekinetic girl named Eleven. Since Stranger Things has become a household name, Matarazzo, 14, has appeared on multiple late night shows such as Jimmy Kimmel and Jimmy Fallon. Matarazzo, along with Millie Bobby Brown and Caleb McLaughlin who play Eleven and Lucas, respectively, made headlines with their Uptown Funk performance at the Emmys. As for the overnight fame, Matarazzo said he likes it more than he thought he would. I like it a lot more than I thought I would. I thought it was going to be crazy overwhelming and (I would) be on lockdown, he said. It definitely can be a little overwhelming at times, but I definitely enjoy it. I definitely enjoy all my fans and being a part of this wonderful project. Matarazzo has found a way to show his fans how special they are to him, too. When fans stop to ask him for a selfie, hell ask for one with them as well. I really just respect them and appreciate them watching the show, he said. I appreciate them wanting to take a picture with me it makes me feel like Im doing my job well. Matarazzo has also made headlines for opening up about his cleidocranial dysplasia, a condition that affects the development of the bones and teeth, which the Duffer brothers wrote into the show. As the actor has brought awareness to the condition, he said others who have cleidocranial dysplasia have reached out to him to thank him. I dont know why theyre thanking me, I didnt write (it into the script). Im definitely glad they put that in there because now I get to talk about it, he said, noting that the thanks should go to the Duffer brothers. Although hes always had a great deal of respect for the Duffer brothers, Matarazzo said that writing the condition into the script made him respect them 40 times more. The brothers, he added, are like his own older kin. Matarazzo also has had a great relationship with his co-stars too, noting that its easy to play friends on screen when youre actually friends in real life. All of us have completely different personalities. We have some similarities, sure, but I guess it worked, he said. Its kind of like the perfect storm. Matarazzo said one of his favorite scenes was the first scene they shot, which was one of the first of the series, where the boys are playing Dungeons and Dragons. His character has one moment where he knocks his own hat off. The first time he did it, he said it was a mistake. The second time, it was intentional. When I did that, when were in the middle of rehearsal, it knocked off and everyone was like Keep it! Were using that. Were going to do that, he said. When it comes to his character, Matarazzo said he can relate to him. Hes the goofball of his own group of friends, like Dustin, though he concedes hes less awkward. Matarazzo, who has never taken an acting class, has had a lucrative career in productions such as Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Radio City Christmas Spectacular and Les Miserables. After he graduates high school, he said hed like to try to get into more shows on the stage, though he admits he hasnt done anything for film. His dream role? On stage it would be the Phantom of the Opera. I love that show, he said. Off stage, it would be anybody in the Star Wars movies. But Matarazzo said he never had the thought that he was going to be an actor. In fact, it was only when he tagged along to a showcase with older sister Sabrina, who also acts and sings, that he decided to give acting a go. I was there and they asked me if I like to do that stuff. Me, trying to be like my awesome sister said, Yeah I do, its my dream, he said. I just started going on auditions from there. Matarazzo has said his younger brother, Carmen, also has interest in acting and singing. His mother, Heather, said shes the one who makes sure her talented brood get where they need to be, and that the rest is up to them. Matarazzo said his family, who he describes as being very close to, is proud of his work on the show. But they dont talk about it much when hes around. They love it. They know when Im with them I dont really like to talk about the show all that much; it feels like its all I talk about right now, he said. For now, Matarazzo is enjoying his first year of high school, earning straight As, and is excited to start filming season two, which will premiere in 2017. Like the rest of the Stranger Things fans, Matarazzo said he doesnt know anything about the content of the new season. Hes just as excited to find out. While Matarazzo was born in Connecticut, he said he has a special place in his heart for his admirers in South Jersey. I love everybody. Im a Jersey boy, always will be, even though I was born in Connecticut. South Jersey boy and you guys know it. And I love you all, he said. GALLOWAY TOWNSHIP When Rabbi Meir Rapoport, of Galloway, set out to study and spread Jewish values, it took him to Ukraine, Peru, South Africa and Mexico, among other countries. Recently however, a need for service called him home to Stockton University to be exact. Rapoport, nearly a college graduate himself at 24, is bringing those experiences back to South Jersey in the form of a new Jewish center on campus. He is coming back near the area in which he grew up on the border of Atlantic City and Ventnor, and following in the footsteps of his father who also is a rabbi. Rapoport was finishing up studying in New York in the last few years and made trips back and forth to South Jersey on a volunteer basis whenever his service was needed for events and holiday celebrations. He and his wife Shaina, also 24, realized there was enough need in Galloway, particularly at Stockton, for them to make a more permanent move back to the area. Any time Stockton wanted programming for holidays, Id come down for that, Rapoport said. I was doing it on a volunteer basis until I got married. Then we decided we wanted to be our own Chabad center. So we realized the students at Stockton and faculty were reaching out and decided that was something wed like to dedicate our lives to. These days the Rapoports are settling into roles as co-directors of the new Chabad center at Stockton, which began about a month ago and is primarily run out of their home. Today marks the beginning of Rosh Hoshana the Jewish New Year. The two-day holiday ends Tuesday evening and is the first high holiday that will be celebrated through the new Chabad program. On a recent Thursday, students handled saws, sanders and drills to make shofars an instrument made from a rams horn for tonights celebration of Rosh Hashana. When making the horns, they must be from an animal, hollow and kosher. Were learning the process of how its made. For the holiday well be doing a Rosh Hashana dinner that all students are invited to and services on Monday, Rapoport said. Since Rapoport says Galloway doesnt have a synagogue, he wants people to know that while they primarily are serving students, anyone can get involved through the center. Chabad institutions provide fellowship and service opportunities for unaffiliated Jews. Chabad centers offer cultural and educational activities and provide a a place for fellowship. Chabad on Campus is a growing network of over 235 ambassador couples serving at Chabad houses at universities globally. Running the campus Chabad at Stockton has been a team effort between husband and wife. The couple shares a love of music and incorporates that in their teachings. As Rapoport says, each of them uses their separate strengths in the program. Its a large responsibility. Young adults are away from home in a foreign place and a lot of times theyll come to me for guidance, sometimes in Judaism and sometime just in any area of life, Rapoport said. My wife has a great relationship with some of the girls and they feel comfortable with another woman they can talk to rather than the Rabbi. She does the Challah baking, a special bread for Chabad. Its a time for them to get together and catch up, shes always there always open. Rapoport said a lot of their programs revolve around food. For college students away from home, this is especially cherished. We have a lot of students over at our house for Chabad and holiday dinners. Shainas a great cook so she spearheads that, he said. Another way the Rapoports bring home to campus is through chicken soup express a chicken soup dorm delivery service for students feeling under the weather. The opportunity is absolutely amazing, Shaina said. Its an honor to be able to do this here. For Meir, his roots are in Atlantic City. Home away from home, is our motto. Usually we have home cooked meals, but today its apples and honey for the new year. And these days theres another small incentive to visit the Rapoports home: baby Mendel, who is three months old. Hes the pride and joy. The students love to come over and see the baby in the house, Rapoport said. For Rapoport, after having traveled the world, it is a special opportunity to bring his service to South Jersey and to raise Mendel in the same place he grew up. Im privileged and honored to lead this initiative, he said. Lots of people I grew up with went to Stockton. A lot of the faculty members are friends of my parents and of the family, so it feels like Im back home and being able to contribute to my home community is just an incredible opportunity. EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP There were grunts and groans galore Saturday inside CrossFit OTG, with the sounds gladly made by everyone working up a sweat. The CrossFitters were participating in a Blue Lives Matter Community Strong event to raise money for wounded Atlantic City police Officer Joshlee Vadell and his family. Vadell was shot in the head while responding to an apparent robbery outside the parking garage at Caesars Atlantic City on Sept. 3. He was released from AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center, City Campus, 12 days later but faces a long recovery. A.C. police shooting suspects lose argument for reduced bail MAYS LANDING The two Cumberland County men charged with the attempted murder of Atlantic C Matt Rogers, president of Atlantic City Police Benevolent Association Local 24, said Vadell is in a rehabilitation facility and doing remarkably well, given the severity of his injuries. While Vadells shooting rocked the Police Department, Rogers said, events like the one held Saturday, which was sponsored by CrossFit OTG and the DArcy Johnson Day law firm, show the support much of the community has for law enforcement. Its the kind of support officers need at a time when theyve come under extensive scrutiny for their actions, he said. That support is also important for the families of police officers throughout Atlantic County, said people attending Saturdays event. Mercedes Logan is married to a retired Atlantic City police officer. They have a 22-year-old son who is a member of the force. She said she worries about her sons safety each day he reports for duty. All the time, Logan said, adding community support helps police families cope with those worries. There are good police officers out there trying to make a difference and help people. On Saturday, Logan worked a booth at which people could have their picture taken in front of backgrounds with sayings such as Stay Strong Josh and Weve Got Your Back Josh. The pictures were instantly posted to Vadells Facebook page so they could be seen by Vadell family members, who werent at the event. More than 50 such messages were sent to the family during the first 90 minutes. Erika Drudings husband, David, is a police captain. She said their 6-year-old son is old enough to understand some of the problems facing police officers. The last question you want to hear is Will Daddy be safe today? she said. Erika Druding, who participated in some of the CrossFit events, called the fundraiser awesome. David Druding said Vadells shooting affected police around the region. The number of law-enforcement agencies represented Saturday showed the support those officers have for each other, he said. Everyone comes out to support everyone else, he said. Law firm member Pat DArcy said organizers were thrilled with the turnout. About 90 people pre-registered, and many more showed up Saturday to compete. Its a good way to get the community out, he said. The amount raised was unavailable. A GoFundMe page called This Blue Life Matters has exceeded its $100,000 goal. Rogers said the family is being helped by multiple charities. PLEASANTVILLE The city has collected about three times more in fees so far this year over last year from a registry of vacant and abandoned properties money officials say will be used to redevelop neighborhoods. Revenue grew from $60,000 in 2015 to $171,966 so far this year, city Administrator Linda Peyton said. Currently, 205 properties are registered. The fees are $500, with higher fees for second-year registrations and late registrations, data from the city showed. Pleasantville, which has one of the highest foreclosure activity rates in the state, has been pushing to identify these homes, which account for nearly 10 percent of all residential properties. This is about identifying these properties and addressing them because it is a quality-of-life issue and impacts the local economy, Mayor Jesse Tweedle said. Last year, Atlantic County chose Community Champions of Melbourne, Florida, to run a registry of vacant and foreclosed properties to help municipalities get maintenance done on empty homes. As in Pleasantville, officials in the county said, the goal is to keep foreclosed properties from becoming eyesores and crime magnets. Local governing bodies must pass an ordinance to enter into a shared-services agreement with the county for the service, said county Executive Dennis Levinson, and to set rules and fees for banks regarding foreclosed properties. The city program is independent of the county one, Tweedle said. In April, officials identified 430 residential properties as vacant or abandoned among the citys 4,300 residential dwellings. The funding will pay to clean up and revitalize neighborhoods and offset costs associated with vacant properties, including maintenance, rehabilitation and foreclosure fees, Peyton said. Peyton said she hopes property owners including banks and lenders will be encouraged to sell or rent vacant homes rather than pay the registration fees. EHT man indicted in murder of Pleasantville man An Egg Harbor Township man was indicted in the murder of a Pleasantville man nine months aft In 2015, 512 properties in Pleasantville had some level of foreclosure filing, according to real estate data firm RealtyTrac. The data showed Pleasantville had the fourth-highest foreclosure activity rate in the state in 2015. Peyton said the banks or property owners are working to return the abandoned properties to their previous residential use through short sales or renting. We would be able to assess this next year when and if these properties no longer register due to not being abandoned or vacant, she said. She said most of the abandoned properties are in residential areas, but the city acknowledges the total impact on the community. The city is certainly concerned about the blight. This is one of the reasons we have taken on this initiative, which should eventually turn liability into assets, she said. Jose Marin, 48, owner of La Cosecha Supermarket and Mambo Cafe, said the abandoned homes in the city need to be addressed because their existence affects business. Thrift stores to build homes The Atlantic County and Cape May County affiliates of Habitat for Humanity are two of the la A streetscape project funded by state grants got underway last month on Main Street, and work is underway in front of Marins restaurant. The project will include work in the area from the Black Horse Pike to Ansley Boulevard. The Ansley Boulevard portion of the project will cost $500,000, and the work in other areas will cost $461,000. The streetscape project is a great thing, and its going to give this side of Main Street an edge, but homes around this area where my businesses are located need to be taken care of. A streetscape wont fix everything, said Marin, of Northfield. Marin opened the supermarket 10 years ago and Mambo Cafe four years ago. He said he plans to buy additional properties in the city but is paying close attention to the success of the citys plan to address the abandoned homes. People want to come here and see food, they want to see everything going on, but these empty houses dont help us, he said. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk made a splash at the International Astronautical Conference in Mexico with his plans for an Interplanetary Transport System, along with a disturbingly inspirational ultimatum: There are really two fundamental paths. One path is we stay on Earth forever and there will be some eventual extinction event. ... The alternative is to become a space-faring civilization and a multi-planet species, which, I hope you would agree, that is the right way to go. Unless we slip the surly bonds of Earth, humankind is doomed. The only alternative the right thing to do is to colonize Mars. Manifest destiny! Musks plans for a giant 42-engine rocket leave little doubt that we will one day have the technology to send humans to the red planet. But throughout the hourlong presentation, Musk did not exactly specify how the first interplanetary settlers will survive the harsh environment on Mars. Artistic renderings of space colonies depict plexiglass domes full of green plants and grow lights. But even if we develop the technology to build pressurized hamster balls, it needs to be recreated on Mars. The first settlers wont have the luxury of towing a climate-controlled terrarium in the cargo hold of a SpaceX rocket. Theyll have to work the dirt and figure out how to live off the fat of the Martian land. Mars is not exactly prime real estate. The average temperature is negative 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Even during the warmest part of the year, temperatures reach a high of 68 near the equator and still fall to negative 100 at night. Without the dense atmosphere of Earth, temperatures can fluctuate dramatically, causing powerful dust storms that shroud the entire planet. Also unlike Earth, Mars doesnt have a global magnetic field. Combined with the thin atmosphere, there isnt much to shield its inhabitants from the gigantic nuclear reactor that is our sun. Surface conditions on Mars are comparable to life near Chernobyl in the late 80s, and no amount of Coppertone will protect humans from the deep-space radiation burn. For the most part, we should plan for life on Mars the same way we might plan for life after a nuclear apocalypse. That is, we can expect to live in underground burrows, like rabbits or prairie dogs. The first Martian settlers will be busy building fallout shelters. The expected price for a ticket to paradise? Early trips might go for as much as $10 billion per seat, but Elon Musk envisions an eventual one-way fare of $200,000 after reaching economies of scale. Why on Earth would anyone pay the median cost of an American home to launch themselves into a post-apocalyptic climate? I think that Mars is gonna be a great place to go, Musk says. It will be the planet of opportunity. There was a time when people called America the land of opportunity. But it hasnt always been that way for everyone. For the early settlers, the New World tended to be the place to go only if you were completely out of luck at home. During the Age of Exploration, a large portion of immigrants to Colonial America were dragged there as convicts or slaves. During the 1700s, only a quarter of American immigrants arrived with their freedom. Those who came voluntarily did so largely to escape religious persecution. After the American Revolution, the story repeated itself in Australia. Undeveloped settlements tend not to be luxury destinations for the rich. Most early colonists in the New World died of disease or starvation in the foreign climate. Conditions on Mars will be far tougher, and we can be pretty sure that there wont be a native Martian Squanto standing by to lend a helping hand. Those who can afford a ticket to Mars are the least likely to want to move there. At best, Mars will be the destination of the tired, the poor and the marginalized. Which means SpaceX will need to drastically reduce the ticket price or come up with a financing program more palatable than indentured servitude. Maybe after a few centuries of development and inevitable lost lives, the planet can plausibly become a destination for wealthy libertarians. Elaine Ou is a blockchain engineer at Global Financial Access, a financial technology company in San Francisco. Guselkumab, an anti-interleukin-23 monoclonal antibody, demonstrates significant efficacy compared with tumor necrosis factor blocker Humira across all major study endpoints through 48 weeks of treatment VIENNA, Oct. 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Janssen Research & Development, LLC (Janssen) announced today findings from the first of three pivotal Phase 3 studies evaluating guselkumab, a subcutaneously administered anti-interleukin (IL)-23 monoclonal antibody in late-stage development for the treatment of adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. Data from the VOYAGE 1 trial showed significantly higher proportions of patients receiving guselkumab achieved cleared/minimal disease compared with patients receiving placebo, as defined by at least a 90 percent improvement in the Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI 90, near complete skin clearance) and an Investigator's Global Assessment (IGA) score of cleared (0) or minimal disease (1) at week 16, the study co-primary endpoints.1 The VOYAGE 1 trial also included an active comparator arm evaluating guselkumab versus Humira (adalimumab), and showed the superiority of guselkumab across major study endpoints and through 48 weeks of treatment.1 These data were presented for the first time at the 25th European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV) Congress and mark the first-ever results from a head-to-head study of an IL-23targeted biologic therapy (guselkumab) compared with an anti-TNF-alpha treatment (adalimumab). "Results from the VOYAGE 1 study showed high rates of skin clearance among patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis receiving guselkumab, and these responses were durable and maintained through week 48," said Andrew Blauvelt, M.D., M.B.A., President of the Oregon Medical Research Center and lead study investigator.* "Guselkumab also showed superior efficacy compared with adalimumab, with a separation in responses that was evident at week 16 and continued through the duration of the trial." In the VOYAGE 1 study, the co-primary endpoints were met at week 16, with 85.1 percent of patients receiving guselkumab 100 mg at weeks 0 and 4 and then every eight weeks achieving cleared (IGA 0) or minimal disease (IGA 1) compared with 6.9 percent of patients receiving placebo (P < 0.001).1 Nearly three-quarters of patients receiving guselkumab (73.3 percent) achieved a PASI 90 response, or near complete skin clearance, compared with 2.9 percent of patients receiving placebo (P < 0.001).1 All major secondary endpoints in VOYAGE 1 achieved statistical significance in comparisons of guselkumab versus adalimumab administered subcutaneously at weeks 0 (80 mg), 1 (40 mg) and then 40 mg every other week (P < 0.001 for all measures).1 At week 16, following three injections of guselkumab and ten injections of adalimumab, significantly higher proportions of patients receiving guselkumab achieved IGA 0/1 and PASI 90 (85.1 percent and 73.3 percent, respectively) compared with patients receiving adalimumab (65.9 percent and 49.7 percent, respectively) (P < 0.001).1 At week 24, the proportion of patients who achieved a PASI 90 response was significantly higher in the guselkumab group compared with the adalimumab group (80.2 percent vs. 53.0 percent, respectively) (P < 0.001).1 Higher levels of skin clearance among the guselkumab group continued through weeks 24 and 48, with significantly more patients receiving guselkumab achieving IGA 0/1 and PASI 90, as well as measures of full skin clearance, as indicated by a 100 percent improvement in PASI score (PASI 100) or an IGA score of 0, compared with adalimumab (P < 0.001).1 "The high and durable rates of response in skin clearance were associated with significant improvements in quality of life among patients treated with guselkumab," said Professor Chris Griffiths, Foundation Professor of Dermatology at the University of Manchester and steering committee member.* "Results from the VOYAGE 1 study show the promise of guselkumab as a potential therapeutic for plaque psoriasis, an immune-mediated disease." The Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) assessed the impact of disease and disease improvement following therapy on study participants' quality of life. At week 24, a score of 0/1, indicating no impact of psoriasis on health-related quality of life, was achieved by 60.9 percent of patients receiving guselkumab compared with 39.5 percent of patients receiving adalimumab (P < 0.001).1 Guselkumab-treated patients also showed substantial improvement at week 48 with 62.5 percent scoring a DLQI of 0/1 compared with 38.9 percent of adalimumab-treated patients (P < 0.001).1 Through week 48 of the study, the proportions of patients reporting at least one AE were comparable between guselkumab (73.9 percent) and adalimumab (74.5 percent); the proportions of patients reporting serious AEs were also similar for guselkumab (4.9 percent) and adalimumab (4.5 percent).1 Serious infections occurred in two patients receiving guselkumab and three patients receiving adalimumab.1 Through week 48, there was one myocardial infarction in each of the guselkumab and adalimumab treatment groups, and two solid malignancies (one prostate and one breast cancer) were reported in patients receiving guselkumab.1 "We are committed to translating scientific progress into medicines for immune diseases like psoriasis where patients are (still) waiting for improved outcomes and treatment experiences," said Newman Yielding, M.D., Head of Immunology Development, Janssen Research & Development, LLC. "The results from the Phase 3 VOYAGE 1 study show marked differences in outcomes with guselkumab therapy through week 48 compared with placebo and adalimumab in the treatment of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. We look forward to future data from the ongoing Phase 3 studies to further characterise the longer term efficacy and safety of this novel anti-IL-23 monoclonal antibody." About VOYAGE 1 The Phase 3, randomised, double-blind, placebo and active comparator-controlled trial was designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of guselkumab compared with adalimumab and placebo in adult patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. Patients (n=837) were randomised to receive placebo at weeks 0, 4 and 12, followed by crossover to guselkumab at weeks 16 and 20 followed by every eight-week dosing; guselkumab 100 mg at weeks 0, 4 and 12, followed by every eight-week dosing; or adalimumab 80 mg at week 0 and 40 mg at week 1, followed by every two-week dosing.1 The co-primary endpoints of the study were the proportions of patients receiving guselkumab versus patients receiving placebo achieving cleared/minimal disease and PASI 90 response at week 16.1 Secondary endpoints were assessed at weeks 24 and 48, with safety monitoring through week 48.1 VOYAGE 1 is part of a comprehensive guselkumab Phase 3 clinical development program. Additional data analyses from VOYAGE 1, along with results from two other Phase 3 trials, VOYAGE 2 and NAVIGATE, are planned for future scientific congresses. About Guselkumab Guselkumab is a human monoclonal antibody with a novel mechanism of action that targets the protein interleukin (IL)-23 and is in Phase 3 development as a subcutaneously administered therapy for the treatment of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. A Phase 2 study evaluating guselkumab in the treatment of moderately to severely active psoriatic arthritis is also ongoing. About Psoriasis Psoriasis is a chronic, autoimmune inflammatory disorder that results in the overproduction of skin cells, characterised by raised, inflamed, red lesions, or plaques, which can cause physical pain.2 It is estimated that as many as 125 million people worldwide have psoriasis, including 7.5 million Americans and 14 million Europeans.25 The disease symptoms can range from mild, to moderate, to severe and disabling. It is estimated that nearly three percent of the world's population is living with psoriasis.5 About the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies At the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, we are working to create a world without disease. Transforming lives by finding new and better ways to prevent, intercept, treat and cure disease inspires us. We bring together the best minds and pursue the most promising science. We are Janssen. We collaborate with the world for the health of everyone in it. Learn more at http://www.janssen.com/emea. Follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/JanssenEMEA. Cautions Concerning Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains "forward-looking statements" as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, regarding the development and potential benefits of guselkumab. The reader is cautioned not to rely on these forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations of future events. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or known or unknown risks or uncertainties materialise, actual results could vary materially from the expectations and projections of Janssen Research & Development, LLC and Johnson & Johnson. Risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: challenges and uncertainties inherent in product research and development, including the uncertainty of clinical success and of obtaining regulatory approvals; uncertainty of commercial success; competition, including technological advances, new products and patents attained by competitors; challenges to patents; manufacturing difficulties or delays; product efficacy or safety concerns resulting in product recalls or regulatory action; changes to applicable laws and regulations, including global health care reforms; and trends toward health care cost containment. A further list and descriptions of these risks, uncertainties and other factors can be found in Johnson & Johnson's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 3, 2016, including in Exhibit 99 thereto, and the company's subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Copies of these filings are available online at www.sec.gov, www.jnj.com or on request from Johnson & Johnson. None of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies or Johnson & Johnson undertakes to update any forward-looking statement as a result of new information or future events or developments. Humira is a registered trademark of AbbVie Inc. *Compensated as study investigator or steering committee member. References Blauvelt A, et al. Level of efficacy and safety of guselkumab, an anti-interleukin-23 monoclonal antibody, compared with adalimumab for the continuous treatment of moderate-to-severe psoriasis in the phase 3 VOYAGE 1 trial. Annual European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV 2016); 28 Sept02 Oct, 2016; Vienna, Austria ; VIE16LAT-0080. National Psoriasis Foundation. Psoriasis Fact Sheet. https://www.psoriasis.org/sites/default/files/psoriasis_fact_sheet.pdf. Accessed September 2016 . National Psoriasis Foundation. People of All Races Overcome Psoriatic Disease. https://www.psoriasis.org/advance/features/people-of-all-races-overcome-the-challenge-of-psoriatic-diseases. Accessed September 2016 . Ortonne J, et al. Alefacept: a novel and selective biologic agent for the treatment of chronic plaque psoriasis. Eur J Dermatol 2004;14:4145. Parisi R, et al. Global Epidemiology of Psoriasis: A Systematic Review. J Invest Dermatol 2013;133:377385. For medical media only Media Contact: Investor Contacts: Brian Kenney Joseph J. Wolk Office: +1 215-628-7010 Johnson & Johnson Mobile: +1 215-620-0111 Office: +1 732-524-1142 bkenney1@its.jnj.com Emily Bone Lesley Fishman Mobile: +44 7876 394360 Johnson & Johnson ebone1@its.jnj.com Office: +1 732-524-3922 SOURCE Janssen Research & Development, LLC Benjamin van de Klundert Benjamin van de Klundert calls the Amsterdam apartment he owns with his wife, Jessy, "cozy." The tall and narrow brick one-bedroom occupies the floors above a bar in the trendy De Pijp neighborhood. But what makes it different than an apartment in, say, Williamsburg, Brooklyn, is that in the eyes of Dutch tax collectors, owning that home means the Van de Klunderts became landlords. Their tenant? Well, that's where things get weird. There isn't one. The Van de Klunderts owe taxes on roughly what they would charge to rent the place to strangers, even though they don't. And Benjamin, who makes deals at a reinsurance company, is OK with that. "This seems like the most fair way of taxing the capital one has when owning a house," Benjamin told Business Insider. The Van de Klunderts are subject to what's called imputed rent, a concept that, even in the Byzantine world of economics and tax policy, is difficult to wrap your head around. But it has huge implications for the housing market, and how we measure the size of the economy, even in the US. The Netherlands is one of just five countries that actually tax homeowners as if they're paying themselves rent. (The others are Iceland, Slovenia, Luxembourg, and Switzerland, according to the OECD.) But back here, some economists argue that not doing the same thing is like giving American homeowners a huge tax break, and is distorting the housing market. What is imputed rent? Let's say you're renting an apartment for $2,000 a month. To your landlord, your rent checks are considered income, and she pays tax on it. Then you decide to buy a home of your own. Turns out it's pretty similar to the one you were renting, but it's all yours. Imputed rent is based on the logic that instead of paying your landlord, you're now paying yourself that $24,000 a year. Story continues In the Netherlands that effective income is taxable; in the US it is not. bi graphics what is imputed rent US lawmakers decided long ago that landlords pay income tax, but not homeowners who live in their own homes. The US government taxes the income from stocks, savings-account interest, and rent received as a landlord. But if you own an asset like a house and live in it, that generates an implicit income that's free from tax. You can think of the "return" on this investment as the value of paying yourself, rather than a landlord, even if its not paying dividends or increasing in value. The issue really is that the imputed rent from your house is exempt, Eric Toder, codirector of the tax policy center at the Urban Institute, told Business Insider. So if you finance a house by equity, its as if you have money invested in the house. If you invested it in a Treasury bond, itd be taxable income. This is income that is tax-free. But just because it's tax-free doesn't mean the government doesn't care about it. It's even part of GDP Kyle Browns once found the idea of imputed rent counterintuitive too. Now its part of his job to calculate it at the US Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA). It was difficult to wrap my mind around, unlike haircuts or cars, Browns told Business Insider. For economists, imputation simply means calculating data they dont have. Its a fancy way of estimating how much we spend on something. But if the BEA left out imputed rent all that money homeowners are not paying to landlords a little over a trillion dollars would vanish from the national income, Browns said. Thats roughly equivalent to what the country spends on healthcare. Theres always some benefit that owning a home is providing that should be attributed, Browns said. This is how we do it. And to do it, BEA officials have to estimate what homeowners would pay if they were renting. They use comparably priced rental units in the area, or other proxies. But its an estimate. In some communities, nearly everyone owns a home, so there are few comparable rental units. In principle, the BEA should also include imputed rent for things like cars, and even furniture, but compared to housing, its such a small part of the economy that its not worth the effort. Housing is a big expenditure, and including imputed rent is important when comparing the US GDP to that of other countries. Homeownership rates vary. For example, 83% of Spaniards own, but Germans like to rent. Beyond the mortgage-interest deduction The headquarters of mortgage lender Fannie Mae is shown in Washington September 8, 2008.REUTERS/Jason Reed Theres already a much more popular tax incentive to buy a home in the US: the mortgage-interest deduction. Homeowners can deduct the interest they pay to their banks from their income. The idea is to encourage more Americans to buy homes and, in theory, join the middle class. The deduction is controversial. Some studies show it does little to increase the rate of homeownership but encourages buyers to choose bigger homes. And it doesnt help everyone; it applies only to owners who itemize their taxes. Many middle-class married couples dont benefit. The hidden imputed-rent tax break is different. It benefits anyone who owns a home, but it benefits most those with high incomes living in expensive homes. If your home would rent for $4,000 a month, the implicit tax break you get is a lot bigger than someone living in a home that would cost $1,000 a month. Theres something very uncomfortable about distorting the decision to tax the house you live in versus the one you dont, Todd Sinai, a professor at the University of Pennsylvanias Wharton School of Businesss real-estate department, told Business Insider. Should it be taxed? This is one of those ideas that economists love to think about, but it rarely moves from academia into the world of mainstream policy proposals. In theory, it probably would be a good idea to tax imputed rent, Toder of the Urban Institute said. That doesnt mean it would be popular. Most Americans dont think of it as income in the first place, so rallying support would be an uphill battle. The United States Capitol Dome is seen before dawn in Washington March 22, 2013. REUTERS/Gary Cameron The US structures its tax code to favor homeownership. But thats a choice. Other countries tax imputed rent to avoid subsidizing the consumption of housing. Sinai said if we taxed it, housing would look like a lot of other investments. Homeowners would add the imputed rent to their total income, but then offset it. Mortgage interest would now come off the top of their imputed rent. They could depreciate the value of the home and everything in it over time. Property tax would be taken off the top, as would maintenance costs. Youd have a higher income, but youd have greater deductions, he said. If the US decided as a nation to reduce or eliminate incentives for homeownership, eliminating just the mortgage-interest deduction would, on average, eliminate about a third of that subsidy. But taxing imputed rent fully eliminates the tax-favored status for housing, Sinai said. Many economists, as a matter of principle, believe taxing imputed rent makes sense. But as a practical matter, Sinai said it's hard to calculate and hard to implement. And taxing it would make for bigger disparities between winners and losers, so the chance of politicians proposing this is next to nothing. But for those thinking about housing tax policy, there are other possibilities. Half of imputed rent could be taxed, or the mortgage-interest deduction could be capped. And there are real reasons lawmakers might want to think about these scenarios, Sinai said. In places where housing is scarce, tax subsidies tend to just raise home prices. But where housing is easy to build, it has little effect on prices, and doesnt have a significant influence on the rate of homeownership, he said. We have subsidies for all sorts of things in the tax code, Sinai said. The problem with current tax incentives is that theyre not very effective in inducing people to buy houses. Theyre very effective at getting people to spend more when they buy them. For Benjamin van de Klundert in the Netherlands, "Any tax is too much." But he knows if he didnt pay imputed rent, "wed be paying taxes on something else." When buying homes, the Dutch know beforehand how much the tax adds. "It will never be a deal breaker," he said. NOW WATCH: STIGLITZ: There are so many ways that Trump is wrong about the economy More From Business Insider BRECHIN, Scotland, October 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Park Brew Craft brewery based in Brechin are about to brew a new seasonal ale using hops grown in Scotland. This is the 2nd crop, the first from 2015 being used in a partial brew in their first commercial beer in February. This time its 100% own grown hops. Grown on John's allotment, plans have already been put in place to grow the hops on a larger scale. There is a growing shortage in hops and this is pushing the prices up. Growing hops locally is an ideal solution to a growing problem. The James Hutton institute have also been growing hops for commercial trials with great success. http://www.hutton.ac.uk/news/hoppy-days-experimental-beer-made-hutton-hops Park Brew is a small craft brewery looking to expand via a crowd fund campaign http://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/park-brew-brewery-expansion-fundraiser/ In just 8 months the brewery has gone from brewing in a 3x4 meter shed to a new unit where they hope to eventually increase production from 100 litres per brew to 1000 litres and beyond. SOURCE Park Brew HAMBURG, Germany, September 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- As of 1 December 2016, an energy system of the future will be developed in Northern Germany as part of the large-scale project NEW 4.0. From 2035, around 4.5 million residents in the federal states of Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein will be provided with power by renewable energy sources alone. Applying Industry 4.0 systems, the project will demonstrate how imbalances in production and consumption can be offset based on renewable energies. Northern Germany is playing an important role in Germany's energy transition: Schleswig-Holstein as an energy supplier with an ever increasing number of onshore and offshore wind farms, and the city state of Hamburg as a location for industry and large power consumers. As part of the NEW 4.0 project, the states of Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein have been merged into one consistent energy region. The overall objective is to serve as a showcase for Germany and to demonstrate within a European context that the energy transition is indeed feasible: NEW 4.0 will showcase how a region with 4.5 million residents can be supplied with regenerative energy as early as 2035 using 100% safe, affordable, eco-friendly and socially acceptable energy sources that can lead to a reduction in CO2 emissions by 50 to 70%. Prof. Werner Beba, project coordinator of NEW 4.0., explains: "This is the first time that the interplay of different technological approaches, the targeted integration into the energy market and the application of the regulatory framework will be tested in an orchestrated manner as part of this large-scale practical trial, and this is what makes NEW 4.0. both unique and challenging. The findings of this project will contribute to making the necessary transformation of the entire energy system a success." NEW 4.0 is an unparallelled project initiative that unites stakeholders from industry, science and politics. "NEW" stands for Norddeutsche Energiewende (North German energy transition), and "4.0" signifies the threshold of the fourth industrial revolution, i.e. the digitisation of industry, which will play a key role also with regard to the energy transition as intelligent system networks are developed. To this end, about 60 regional and transregional partners have formed an "innovation alliance" that aims to overcome the challenges of the energy transition based on integrated technological expertise. The project is supported by the state governments of Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein as well as by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs (BMWI). Around EUR 90 million will be invested by the project partners within the next four years, and the BMWI is supporting this showcase project (SINTEG - Smart Energy Showcase) to the tune of EUR 44 million. The overall strategy, some 100 individual projects as well as 30 demonstrators have been developed over the course of the project's three-year preparation phase. Along this development path towards the energy system of the future, 70% of the region is to be supplied with safe, reliable renewable electricity as early as 2025. What is more, NEW 4.0 aims to support the process further based on its sector coupling concept. As part of the project, renewables will be gradually used for heat supply and industrial processes that previously ran on fossil fuels such as gas. Schleswig-Holstein and Hamburg are thus using the current power shift as the starting point for accomplishing the energy transition in the medium term. First and foremost, this large-scale project aims to demonstrate how the full integration of renewable energies can be accomplished even in a region characterised by pronounced, growing imbalances between production and consumption. This will require the comprehensive synchronisation of (fluctuating) production and consumption. To achieve this, the project will use an innovative approach for integrating and orchestrating all of the stakeholders and components of the production, transport, distribution, storage and consumption stages by means of intelligent network technologies. At the same time, the market-oriented system integration will be tested in the context of advanced market rules and regulatory conditions. Stakeholders from all industries and along the energy sector's entire value chain have joined forces for the NEW 4.0 project. Participating companies will be able to tap new market and export opportunities with product innovations and solutions developed in the context of the project and to boost their competitiveness within a highly innovative growth market. Based on this project, the states of Schleswig-Holstein and Hamburg aim to strengthen their regional economies and to create new industrial value chains, which will contribute to securing and creating jobs in the region. And, finally, the project will enable Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein to sharpen their profile as a leading innovation location for the energy sector in particular. Further information on NEW 4.0 (in English): https://www.haw-hamburg.de/english/research/energy-sustainability/cc4e/new-40.html Project PDF: http://www.new4-0.de/?wpdmdl=412 Hamburg - The Wind Energy Capital: The Hamburg Metropolitan Region is already one of the main centres for renewable energy in Europe. Among industry experts and beyond, Hamburg is considered as the international wind energy capital. Today, 2/3 of the global know-how in wind energy is located in the Metropolitan Region of Hamburg or the neighbouring region encompassing Schleswig-Holstein and Jutland, Denmark. Around 25,000 people work for nearly 1,500 renewable energy companies. The most important contribution to this has been made by wind energy. Many of the wind industry's global players, such as DONG Energy, Nordex, Senvion, Siemens and Vestas, have established headquarters in Hamburg. Since 2014 the city is hosting WindEnergy Hamburg, the new leading international trade fair for the wind energy industry. WindEnergy Hamburg is taking place from 27 to 30 September 2016 at the Hamburg Messe fair site. Roughly 1,400 exhibitors from 34 nations are showcasing product novelties and services for the onshore and offshore wind sector. The world's leading trade fair for onshore and offshore wind energy mirrors all segments of the global market and its value chain. It is a key meeting place for decision-makers from the global energy sector. For the first time the conference WindEurope Summit run by WindEurope, the European wind industry association, is held side-by-side with the expo. In 2017 HUSUM Wind will be held from 12 to 15 September in the state of Schleswig-Holstein, the German North Sea region which pioneered wind energy. Further information on Hamburg: http://www.mediarelations.hamburg.de Hamburg pictures (for editorial use): http://www.mediarelations.hamburg.de Contact: Matthias Beer, Project Manager Media Relations Tel. +49-40-300-515-82 E-mail: mediaservice@marketing.hamburg.de Web: http://www.mediarelations.hamburg.de SOURCE Hamburg Marketing GmbH The event, sponsored by the Arriyadh Development Authority, consisted of a series of workshops showcasing the urban, environmental, transportation, social and economic development of Riyadh, and featuring the exchange of experience and knowledge by experts in their respective fields. Riyadh is a city rich in heritage and culture, and one of the discussions Friday focused on the effort to preserve and maintain the heritage of the city during the disruption of the massive projects to make over the transportation system, commercial space and dwellings. Friday's workshop, the "Development of Civilization and Social Partnerships," showcased a new municipal endeavor to enrich a sense of community and draw residents closer to their mutual heritage. The first panel highlighted cultural and historical projects such as the Historical Arriyadh Development Program and the King Abdulaziz Historical Centre. "Riyadh has a moving story with its rich heritage that integrates architectural innovation with Saudi Arabia's past," said Dr. Mshari Al-Naim, Director of the Center of Urban Heritage at the Tourism General Assembly. "We are proud to have put Riyadh on the international map of architecture. The King Abdallah Historical Center in particular has become a very important architectural design renowned in the Arab world," Partnerships for social and intellectual development, including scholarships, municipal elections, and the participation of women in the development of the city was the focus of the second half of the workshop. "Saudi women are making incredible progress" said Dr. Khawla Al Kuraya, the Director of the King Fahad National Center for Children's Cancer and Research, and a Member of the Shura Council. "Riyadh's development means more opportunities for Saudi women as the Kingdom's economy moves away from oil. We are part of Vision 2030 which seeks to increase the percentage of women in the workforce. We will shatter existing stereotypes within the contours of our culture." Dr. Hayat Sindi, UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for the Sciences, called Riyadh is a "city of innovations," and that she "seeks to bring science to all sections of Saudi society as a means to solve development challenges." Reflecting on the weeklong conference ADA President Ibrahim bin Mohammed Alsultan said "A Day in Riyadh was an enormous success in explaining the transformation taking place in Riyadh and Saudi Arabia generally." Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160930/414099 SOURCE Arriyadh Development Authority SAN MATEO, Calif., Sept. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- (This is an amended version of a press release originally published on Sept. 29, 2016) With Dual Viewing a cinematographer has the ability to see what is in front of the PowerEye while in flight through a dedicated FPV camera housed in the nose of the aircraft and a separate gimbal-mounted camera can be simultaneously directed to action on the ground or other areas in the sky. Today, PowerVision Technology Group, a worldwide leader in UAV, robotics and big data technologies, announced that the PowerEye professional cinematography drone is now available for global pre-order. With features including Dual Viewing and an optional thermal/natural light switchable camera, PowerEye sets a new standard for video quality and control, special effects and professional cinematography capabilities. PowerEye global pre-orders are now being taken at the PowerVision Online Store (https://store.powervision.me) with shipping scheduled in December 2016. Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160930/414062 PowerEye features PowerVision's integrated Dual Viewing capability for the ultimate in cinematographic control. Dual Viewing gives multiple users the ability to see video simultaneously from a First Person View (FPV) and a Subject Matter View (SMV). With Dual Viewing a cinematographer has the ability to see what is in front of the PowerEye while in flight through a dedicated FPV camera housed in the nose of the aircraft and a separate gimbal-mounted camera can be simultaneously directed to action on the ground or other areas in the sky. Dual Viewing can be managed by a single person using one mobile device in either a split screen or picture-in-picture mode (user selectable) using the PowerEye App. Two people can also manage the Dual View using two mobile devices with one managing FPV, and the other managing SMV. PowerEye is available in two camera models. The "PowerEye Professional" is equipped with a high-performance 4K UHD camera, and the "PowerEye Thermal" has a state-of-the-art Thermal/Natural Light Switchable Camera that comes with two integrated light sensors and two lenses. Through the PowerEye App, users can switch between the thermal and the natural light setting with one touch. Using the Thermal/Natural Light Switchable Camera, cinematographers can capture a spectrum of light not visible to the unaided eye. "PowerEye takes professional focus, special effects, and control to the next level. It exceeds passed only what the eye sees and can capture something magical," said Wally Zheng, CEO of PowerVision Technology Group. "We are excited to extend our years of expertise in UAV technology to today's professional and aspiring cinematographers with PowerEye. By combining powerful new features and state-of-the-art aeronautics in a robust and collapsible form, we believe PowerEye sets the stage with new standards leading the market forward." PowerEye Engineering & Technology Leveraging PowerVision's rich UAV technology portfolio, PowerEye incorporates significant innovation that provides the professional video community with valuable benefits including: PowerVision Object Detection Technology: Uses an array of integrated sensors to detect flight path obstacles and sound an alert within 10 meters Stable 4-Point Landing/Lift-off Design: Eliminates the need for dangerous hand-held take-offs and catch-landings common with 2-point and/or T-bar designed drones Highly Portable 600mm Class Aircraft: Integrates collapsible legs and rotors for quick and easy transport, folding to a mere 340 x 285 x 296 mm Micro Four Thirds (MFT) System Compatibility: Enables users to connect a variety of lenses based on their personal preferences Maximum Flight Time: Up to 29.5 minutes Control Range and Real-Time High Definition Video Stream: Up to 3.1 miles (5 kilometers) Lightweight: Weight 8.7 lb (3,950 g) with battery and propellers included Maximum PowerEye payload 6.6 lbs Pricing & Availability The PowerEye Professional is priced at $3,988.00 USD MSRP and includes the PowerEye aircraft with a full set of propellers, camera lens (Panasonic Lumix G 14mm F2.5 ASPH), rolling carrying case, one remote control, one extra pair of propellers, base station, battery, and battery charger. Users who preorder will receive one additional remote control with 100 percent advance payment, $199 retail value. The PowerEye Professional can be pre-ordered through the PowerVision Online Store (https://store.powervision.me). Customers who are interested in pricing for the PowerEye Thermal 2-in-1 thermal light/natural light integrated camera option can inquire by emailing [email protected]. About PowerVision PowerVision Technology Group is a worldwide leader in UAV technologies, products, and services with a corporate mission to innovate the future. PowerVision's lineup ranges from smart drones and robots, data visualization and forecasting, virtual and augmented reality. Founded in 2009, PowerVision Technology Group comprises nearly 500 employees in China, the U.S., Canada, Australia, Germany, and Finland. PowerVision Robot Corporation, based in San Mateo, California, is PowerVision Technology Group's headquarter in the U.S., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. To learn more about PowerVision Technology Group or PowerVision Robot Corporation, please visit www.powervision.me. You may also connect with PowerVision Robot Corporation on Facebook (www.facebook.com/powervisionme/) and YouTube (www.youtube.com/c/PowerVisionRobot). Media Contact Vivian Yang 650.435.5982 [email protected] Mei Antonio 408.369.7200 x 1063 [email protected] Related Files PowerEye Product Spec Sheet_FINAL.pdf Related Images image1.png image2.png image3.jpg image4.jpg Related Links PowerVision Online Store Powervision Related Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRSe06GgZ7k This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. For more info visit: http://www.newswire.com SOURCE PowerVision Technology Group Related Links http://www.powervision.me PORTLAND, Ore., Sept. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Fred Meyer Stores has recalled a Deli BTG Superfood Wrap sold in its retail stores because the product may contain milk, soy, wheat and cashews not listed on the label. People who are allergic to milk, soy, wheat or cashews could have a severe reaction if they consume this product. For consumers who are not allergic to those four allergens, there is no safety issue with the product. One Fred Meyer customer has reported a possible allergic reaction in connection with this product. This product was sold in the deli department of Fred Meyer stores located in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington. Fred Meyer has removed this item from store deli cases and initiated its customer recall notification system that alerts customers who may have purchased recalled Class 1 products through register receipt tape messages and phone calls. Fred Meyer is recalling the following item: Product UPC Codes Size Deli BTG Superfood Wrap 41573 11053 Sell-By 9/29/2016 OR BEFORE varies Customers allergic to milk, soy, wheat or cashews who have purchased the above product should not consume it and should return them to a store for a full refund or replacement. Customers who have questions may contact Kroger at 1-800-KROGERS, Monday through Friday 5:00 am to 9:00 pm PT and Saturday through Sunday 5:00 am to 6:00 pm PT. 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 2,781 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 2,240 pharmacies, 785 convenience stores, 323 fine jewelry stores, 1,423 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. SOURCE Fred Meyer Stores DENVER, Sept. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- ID Watchdog, Inc. (TSX VENTURE: IDW) (PINKSHEETS: IDWAF) ("ID Watchdog" or the "Company"), provider of consumer-facing identity theft protection and resolution services, announced today that it has entered in to a new $3.0 million credit facility with Silicon Valley Bank (the "Facility"). The Facility will consist of up to a $2.5 million revolving credit facility (the "Revolving Facility") and a $500,000 term loan (the "Term Loan"). The Company intends to use proceeds from the Facility to repay the remaining promissory notes due November 22, 2017, which bear interest at 15% per annum, and for general corporate purposes. The Revolving Facility and Term Loan mature on September 30, 2018 and September 30, 2019, respectively, bear interest at the prime rate plus 3.00%, currently 6.5%, and are secured by all the assets of the Company. "The Facility will allow us to significantly reduce our interest expense and, coupled with the recurring cash generated by our business, will provide us with enhanced financial flexibility to pursue our strategic initiatives," said Jay B. Lewis, CFO, ID Watchdog. About Silicon Valley Bank For more than 30 years, Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) has helped innovative companies and their investors move bold ideas forward, fast. SVB provides targeted financial services and expertise through its offices in innovation centers around the world. With commercial, international and private banking services, SVB helps address the unique needs of innovators. Learn more at svb.com. 2016 SVB Financial Group. All rights reserved. Silicon Valley Bank is the California bank subsidiary of SVB Financial Group. Silicon Valley Bank is a member of FDIC and Federal Reserve System. SVB>, SVB Financial Group, and Silicon Valley Bank, are trademarks of SVB Financial Group, used under license. About ID Watchdog, Inc. ID Watchdog was founded in 2005 and is headquartered in Denver, Colorado. The Company provides comprehensive monitoring, detection and resolution for identity theft. ID Watchdog proactively detects identity theft problems at their source and provides immediate resolution services to ensure complete peace of mind for individuals. All the Company's services have been developed with input from industry experts; national consumer advocacy groups; federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies; consumer protection agencies; and adhere to guidelines published by the Consumer Federation of America. For more information, please visit www.IDWatchdog.com. Forward-Looking Statement This news release includes certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 which address future events and conditions which are subject to various risks and uncertainties. The actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements as a result of numerous factors, some of which may be beyond the Company's control. Although the Company believes that its expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, no assurance can be given that actual results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ from these forward-looking statements are disclosed in the company's filings with Canadian regulators at www.sedar.com. ID Watchdog assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements of management beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors should they change. 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. Company Contact: ID Watchdog, Inc. Jay B. Lewis Chief Financial Officer 303-339-8099 [email protected] www.idwatchdog.com Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130829/NY71341LOGO SOURCE ID Watchdog, Inc. Related Links http://www.idwatchdog.com COSTA MESA, Calif., Oct. 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- As the compliance date for the Military Lending Act nears, Experian has launched a dedicated Military Lending Act site to help financial institutions meet those new regulations. The updates made last year create new requirements that lenders must address when lending to active duty service members and their dependents. To help prepare for the implementation of the updates, Experian has worked closely with several federal agencies and banking industry organizations including the Department of Defense, Financial Services Roundtable and the American Bankers Association. Leading the way in providing compliant solutions for our lenders and the credit needs of our active military, Experian can instantly verify military members at the point of origination so lenders know whether an applicant is covered by the Military Lending Act. "The Military Lending Act provides added protections for the more than 4.5 million U.S. military members and families to assist their financial well-being," said Klaudette Christensen, vice president of credit services product management at Experian. "Our strong compliance management coupled with our verification services, will help lenders comply with the new requirements." The Military Lending Act site provides answers for financial institutions that have questions on how to serve this audience while adhering to laws. Some of the frequent questions include: What is the difference between the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) and the Military Lending Act (MLA)? Will Experian offer a "covered borrower status" on the report? Explain the difference between accessing Military Lending Act status directly versus indirectly. Will you return the Military Lending Act indicator if the credit report cannot be provided? Moving forward, additional rules for credit card accounts will be required with a scheduled deadline of October 3, 2017. Experian will be working diligently to help our clients adhere to these requirements as well. Read stories from our own veterans sharing their financial lessons and perils of military life. About Experian We are the leading global information services company, providing data and analytical tools to our clients around the world. We help businesses to manage credit risk, prevent fraud, target marketing offers and automate decision-making. We also help people to check their credit report and credit score and protect against identity theft. In 2016, for the third year running, we were named one of the "World's Most Innovative Companies" by Forbes magazine. We employ approximately 17,000 people in 37 countries and our corporate headquarters are in Dublin, Ireland, with operational headquarters in Nottingham, UK; California, US; and Sao Paulo, Brazil. Experian plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange (EXPN) and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 index. Total revenue for the year ended March 31, 2016, was US$4.6 billion. To find out more about our company, please visit http://www.experianplc.com or watch our documentary, "Inside Experian." Experian is a nonexclusive full-service provider licensee of the United States Postal Service. The following trademarks are owned by the United States Postal Service: ZIP and ZIP Code. The price for Experian's services is not established, controlled or approved by the United States Postal Service. Experian and the Experian marks used herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of Experian Information Solutions, Inc. Other product and company names mentioned herein are the property of their respective owners. Contact: Matt Tatham Experian Public Relations 1 917 446 7227 [email protected] Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130131/LA51658LOGO SOURCE Experian Related Links http://www.experian.com EAST HANOVER, N.J., Oct. 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Novartis announced today new data showing Cosentyx (secukinumab) delivers efficacy in patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis out to four years of treatment. These late-breaking data come from the extension study of the Phase III SCULPTURE trial.1 Results were presented for the first time at the 25th European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV) Congress in Vienna, Austria. "These impressive results show that Cosentyx keeps working year-on-year, maintaining high levels of skin clearance with a favorable safety profile," said Vasant Narasimhan, Global Head, Drug Development and Chief Medical Officer, Novartis. "Psoriasis patients need therapies they can use over long periods of time without loss of efficacy and we are pleased that Cosentyx is proving a sustainable choice for patients." The ultimate aim of psoriasis treatment is clear skin, and the Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI) 90 response is considered an important measure of treatment success.3 SCULPTURE extension patients received the same blinded maintenance treatment regimen and dose up to the end of Year 3. In the fourth year, the study became open label. All results presented are for the Cosentyx 300 mg every 4 weeks group. Almost clear skin (PASI 90) was achieved by 68.5% of patients at Year 1 (Week 52) and 61.9% of patients at Year 3 (Week 156), and was maintained at Year 4 (Week 208) in 66.4% of patients.1 In addition, completely clear skin (PASI 100) was achieved by 43.8% of patients at Year 1 and 41.7% of patients at Year 3, and was maintained at Year 4 in 43.5% of patients. The historic standard goal of treatment, PASI 75 skin clearance, was achieved by 88.9% of patients at Year 1 and 78.4% of patients at Year 3, and was maintained by 88.5% of patients at Year 4. The most common adverse events (AEs) at Year 4 were nasopharyngitis (12.1%) and upper respiratory tract infection (3.5%) and were similar to those observed at Year 1.1 Also presented at EADV were results from the GESTURE study demonstrating the strength of Cosentyx versus placebo in patients with moderate to severe palmoplantar plaque psoriasis, which are considered difficult areas to treat on the body. At Week 16, about 40% of patients achieved clear or almost clear palms and soles with Cosentyx 300 mg every 4 weeks, which continued to improve with approximately 60% of patients achieving clear or almost clear palms and soles at Week 80 (Year 1.5). AEs were reported in 47 of the 69 patients receiving Cosentyx 300 mg and 27 of the 68 patients receiving placebo at Week 80.2 Patients with palmoplantar psoriasis are known to suffer greater disability and discomfort than those with psoriasis on other areas.4 "The four-year study adds to a growing body of evidence that Cosentyx is an important longer-term treatment option for patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis," said Craig Leonardi, MD, study author and adjunct professor of dermatology at St. Louis University Medical School. "Furthermore, the palms and soles of the feet are generally very difficult to treat. This new data is significant as there is still high unmet need for effective treatments for those living with palmoplantar psoriasis." Additional data presented at EADV from a study in moderate to severe scalp psoriasis showed Cosentyx demonstrated superior efficacy compared to placebo. In the study, Psoriasis Scalp Severity Index (PSSI) 90 responses were achieved by a significantly greater percentage of patients receiving Cosentyx 300 mg (52.9%) than placebo (2.0%) at Week 12 (P<0.001). AEs were reported in 52.9% of patients receiving Cosentyx 300 mg and 49.0% of patients receiving placebo at Week 12. No serious AEs were reported with Cosentyx.5 About the four-year Cosentyx safety and efficacy study (A2304E1) A2304E1 is a multicenter, double-blind and open-label extension study to evaluate the long-term safety and efficacy of Cosentyx in patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. Patients who completed 52 weeks of the core SCULPTURE and STATURE studies and re-consented to treatment were eligible for the extension, and continued the same Cosentyx dose and regimen that they were receiving in their core study. Patients did not have to achieve a PASI 75 response at the end of their core study to enroll. A total of 642 patients entered the extension study: 168 continued on Cosentyx 300 mg every 4 weeks, 152 continued on Cosentyx 150 mg every 4 weeks, 172 continued on Cosentyx 300 mg retreatment-as-needed, and 150 continued on Cosentyx 150 mg retreatment-as-needed. At the end of Week 156, the study was open-label and patients could continue their assigned dose and regimen or switch to 300 mg every 4 weeks based on the investigator's judgment. Results presented at EADV focus on those patients from the SCULPTURE core study who enrolled in the extension study. The primary endpoint of this extension study was overall safety and tolerability. Secondary efficacy measures included the proportion of patients achieving PASI 75, PASI 90 and PASI 100.1 About the palmoplantar psoriasis Cosentyx study (GESTURE extension) The GESTURE study is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Cosentyx in 205 patients with moderate to severe palmoplantar plaque psoriasis (pustular psoriasis was not included). Eligible patients were equally randomized to one of three groups: 1) Cosentyx 300 mg; 2) Cosentyx 150 mg, or 3) Placebo administered at Weeks 0, 1, 2, 4, and then every 4 weeks thereafter. At Week 16, patients in the placebo group who did not achieve a score of 0 (clear) or 1 (almost clear) on the palmoplantar Investigator's Global Assessment (ppIGA) and at least a 2-point reduction from baseline were re-randomized to receive either Cosentyx 300 mg or 150 mg. The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients who achieved a ppIGA 0/1 response at Week 16. Secondary objectives included the evaluation of ppIGA response over time and overall safety and tolerability.2 About the scalp psoriasis Cosentyx study This study is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Cosentyx in 102 patients with moderate to severe scalp psoriasis. Eligible patients were equally randomized to either subcutaneous Cosentyx 300 mg or placebo at Weeks 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 and then every 4 weeks for 12 weeks. At Week 12, patients in the placebo group who did not achieve at least a 90% improvement from baseline in the Psoriasis Scalp Severity Index (PSSI) score were re-randomized to Cosentyx 300 mg until study completion. The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients who achieved PSSI 90 response rate at Week 12.5 About Cosentyx (secukinumab) and interleukin-17A (IL-17A) Cosentyx is a fully human monoclonal antibody (mAB) that selectively binds to the interleukin-17A (IL-17A) cytokine and inhibits its interaction with the IL-17 receptor.6 Cosentyx is approved in more than 65 countries for the treatment of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis which includes the European Union countries, Japan, Switzerland, Australia, the U.S. and Canada.7 In the U.S., Cosentyx is approved for the treatment of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis in adult patients who are candidates for systemic therapy or phototherapy (light therapy). Cosentyx is also approved for adult patients with active ankylosing spondylitis and active psoriatic arthritis.6 More than 10,000 patients have been treated with Cosentyx in clinical trial settings across multiple indications, and over 50,000 patients have been treated in the post-marketing setting.7 Novartis is committed to ensuring patients and prescribers have access to Cosentyx. Cosentyx currently is covered on over 95% of U.S. commercial formularies across its three approved indications for plaque psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, and ankylosing spondylitis.8 About psoriasis Affecting about 7.5 million Americans, psoriasis is a chronic immune-mediated disease characterized by thick and extensive skin lesions (plaques), which can cause itching, scaling, and pain.9 Patients reported these symptoms can negatively impact their quality of life, both psychosocially and physically, which makes daily functioning difficult.10-12 Additionally, patients with psoriasis are at increased risk for other chronic illnesses.13 INDICATIONS COSENTYX (secukinumab) is a prescription medicine used to treat adults: with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis that involves large areas or many areas of the body, and who may benefit from taking injections or pills (systemic therapy) or phototherapy (treatment using ultraviolet or UV light, alone or with systemic therapy) with active psoriatic arthritis with active ankylosing spondylitis IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION Do not use COSENTYX if you have had a severe allergic reaction to secukinumab or any of the other ingredients in COSENTYX. See the Medication Guide for a complete list of ingredients. COSENTYX is a medicine that affects your immune system. COSENTYX may increase your risk of having serious side effects such as: Infections COSENTYX may lower the ability of your immune system to fight infections and may increase your risk of infections. Your doctor should check you for tuberculosis (TB) before starting treatment with COSENTYX. If your doctor feels that you are at risk for TB, you may be treated with medicine for TB before you begin treatment with COSENTYX and during treatment with COSENTYX. Your doctor should watch you closely for signs and symptoms of TB during treatment with COSENTYX. Do not take COSENTYX if you have an active TB infection. Before starting COSENTYX, tell your doctor if you: are being treated for an infection have an infection that does not go away or that keeps coming back have TB or have been in close contact with someone with TB think you have an infection or have symptoms of an infection such as: fevers, sweats, or chills muscle aches cough shortness of breath blood in your phlegm weight loss warm, red, or painful skin or sores on your body diarrhea or stomach pain burning when you urinate or urinate more often than normal After starting COSENTYX, call your doctor right away if you have any signs of infection listed above. Do not use COSENTYX if you have any signs of infection unless you are instructed to by your doctor. Inflammatory Bowel Disease New cases of inflammatory bowel disease or "flare-ups" can happen with COSENTYX, and can sometimes be serious. If you have inflammatory bowel disease (ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease), tell your doctor if you have worsening disease symptoms during treatment with COSENTYX or develop new symptoms of stomach pain or diarrhea. Serious Allergic Reactions Serious allergic reactions can occur. Get emergency medical help right away if you get any of the following symptoms: feeling faint; swelling of your face, eyelids, lips, mouth, tongue, or throat; trouble breathing or throat tightness; chest tightness; or skin rash. If you have a severe allergic reaction, do not give another injection of COSENTYX. Before starting COSENTYX, tell your doctor if you: have any of the conditions or symptoms listed above for infections have inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis) are allergic to latex. The needle caps contain latex. have recently received or are scheduled to receive an immunization (vaccine). People who take COSENTYX should not receive live vaccines. receive live vaccines. have any other medical conditions are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if COSENTYX can harm your unborn baby. You and your doctor should decide if you will use COSENTYX. are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if COSENTYX passes into your breast milk. Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Know the medicines you take. Keep a list of your medicines to show your doctor and pharmacist when you get a new medicine. How should I use COSENTYX? See the detailed Instructions for Use that comes with your COSENTYX for information on how to prepare and inject a dose of COSENTYX, and how to properly throw away (dispose of) used COSENTYX Sensoready pens and prefilled syringes. Use COSENTYX exactly as prescribed by your doctor. If your doctor decides that you or a caregiver may give your injections of COSENTYX at home, you should receive training on the right way to prepare and inject COSENTYX. Do not try to inject COSENTYX yourself, until you or your caregiver has been shown how to inject COSENTYX by your doctor or nurse. The most common side effects of COSENTYX include: cold symptoms, diarrhea, and upper respiratory infections. These are not all of the possible side effects of COSENTYX. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088. Please see accompanying full Prescribing Information, including Medication Guide Disclaimer The foregoing release contains forward-looking statements that can be identified by words such as "continues," "aim," "growing," "committed," or similar terms, or by express or implied discussions regarding potential new indications or labeling for Cosentyx, or regarding potential future revenues from Cosentyx. You should not place undue reliance on these statements. Such forward-looking statements are based on the current beliefs and expectations of management regarding future events, and are subject to significant known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. There can be no guarantee that Cosentyx will be submitted or approved for any additional indications or labeling in any market, or at any particular time. Nor can there be any guarantee that Cosentyx will receive additional regulatory approvals or be commercially successful in the future. In particular, management's expectations regarding Cosentyx could be affected by, among other things, the uncertainties inherent in research and development, including unexpected clinical trial results and additional analysis of existing clinical data; unexpected regulatory actions or delays or government regulation generally; the company's ability to obtain or maintain proprietary intellectual property protection; general economic and industry conditions; global trends toward health care cost containment, including ongoing pricing pressures; unexpected safety, quality or manufacturing issues, and other risks and factors referred to in Novartis AG's current Form 20-F on file with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Novartis is providing the information in this press release as of this date and does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this press release as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. About Novartis Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation offers a broad range of medicines for cancer, cardiovascular disease, endocrine disease, inflammatory disease, infectious disease, neurological disease, organ transplantation, psychiatric disease, respiratory disease and skin conditions. Located in East Hanover, NJ Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation is an affiliate of Novartis AG, which provides innovative healthcare solutions that address the evolving needs of patients and societies. Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Novartis offers a diversified portfolio to best meet these needs: innovative medicines, eye care and cost-saving generic pharmaceuticals. Novartis is the only global company with leading positions in these areas. In 2015, the Group achieved net sales of USD 49.4 billion, while R&D throughout the Group amounted to approximately USD 8.9 billion (USD 8.7 billion excluding impairment and amortization charges). Novartis Group companies employ approximately 118,000 full-time-equivalent associates. Novartis products are available in more than 180 countries around the world. For more information, please visit http://www.novartis.com. Novartis is on Twitter. Sign up to follow @Novartis at http://twitter.com/novartis For Novartis multimedia content, please visit www.novartis.com/news/media-library For questions about the site or required registration, please contact [email protected] * As observed analyses. References Bissonnette R, et al. Secukinumab maintains high levels of efficacy through 4 years of treatments: results from an extension to a phase 3 study (SCULPTURE). Presented as a late breaking abstract at the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology 2016. Vienna , Austria.1st October 2016 . Gottlieb A, et al. Secukinumab is effective in subjects with moderate to severe palmoplantar psoriasis: 1.5 year results from the GESTURE study. Presented as an abstract at the 25th European Academy of Dermatology and Venerology. Vienna, Austria . 1st October 2016 . Guideline on clinical investigation of medicinal products indicated for the treatment of psoriasis. European Medicines Agency Web Site. http://www.ema.europa.eu/docs/en_GB/document_library/Scientific_guideline/2009/09/WC500003329.pdf. Accessed September 1, 2016 . Pettey A, et al. Patients with palmoplantar psoriasis have more physical disability and discomfort than patients with other forms of psoriasis: implications for clinical practice. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2003;49(2):271275. Bagel J, et al. Secukinumab is Efficacious in Clearing Moderate-to-Severe Scalp Psoriasis: 12 Week Results of a Randomized Phase IIIb Study. Publication. Presented as an abstract at the 25th European Academy of Dermatology and Venerology. Vienna, Austria . 1st October 2016 . Cosentyx (secukinumab) [prescribing information] . East Hanover, NJ : Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp, 2016. Novartis data on file. Novartis data on file. Psoriasis fact sheet. National Psoriasis Foundation Web Site. https://www.psoriasis.org/sites/default/files/publications/PsoriasisFactSheet.pdf. Accessed September 1, 2016 . Rapp SR, Feldman SR, Exum ML, Fleischer AB, Jr., Reboussin DM. Psoriasis causes as much disability as other major medical diseases. J Am Acad Dermatol. 1999;41(3 Pt 1):401-407. Martinez-Garcia E, Arias-Santiago S. Quality of life in persons living with psoriasis patients. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2014;71:302-307. Mease P, Menter M. Quality-of-life issues in psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis: outcome measures and therapies from a dermatological perspective. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2006; 54:685704. Comorbidities associated with psoriatic disease. National Psoriasis Foundation Web Site. https://www.psoriasis.org/about-psoriasis/related-conditions. Accessed September 1, 2016 . Novartis Media Relations Central media line: +41 61 324 2200 E-mail: [email protected] Eric Althoff Novartis Global Media Relations +41 61 324 7999 (direct) +41 79 593 4202 (mobile) [email protected] Michelle Bauman Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation +1 862-778-6519 (direct) +1 973-714-8043 (mobile) [email protected] Novartis Investor Relations Central investor relations line: +41 61 324 7944 E-mail: [email protected] Central North America Samir Shah +41 61 324 7944 Richard Pulik +1 212 830 2448 Pierre-Michel Bringer +41 61 324 1065 Sloan Pavsner +1 212 830 2417 Thomas Hungerbuehler +41 61 324 8425 Isabella Zinck +41 61 324 7188 SOURCE Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation Related Links http://www.pharma.novartis.com BEDFORD, Texas, Oct. 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Though poverty is still a way of life for many Cuban citizens, there is now a feeling of hope and optimism in the air. One of the biggest changes that tourists first notice is due to this optimism. The people of Cuba, with their renewed hope, have become more warm and welcome as Cuba comes back to life. Food - Once hard to get seasonings and lack of restaurants made it hard to find anything except the traditional chicken and rice. Now the streets are filled with restaurants offering delicious Cuban specialties from pastries to seafood to fresh fruit. Cuban food blends the spices and seasonings of the Caribbean, Africa and Spain and now that these ingredients are once again available, visitors can enjoy dishes like ropa vieja, viandas and boliche, as well as fresh mint in their mojitos. Transportation/Shopping - Where streets used to be filled with hustlers trying to sell tourists hard to find items, today the streets are energized with taxis and buses offering rides, and local vendors with push carts selling fresh fruits, vegetables and local delicacies. Where no businesses existed, now there are many, including coffee shops, gift shops and food markets. Tourists can buy souvenir caps and straw hats and artwork of all types and quality where the artists are available to barter with. Cuban coffee beans are a favorite and in high demand among tourists. Accommodations - While it has become easier to find a flight and travel to Cuba, finding accommodations can still be tricky. Many bed and breakfasts are popping up for those wishing to experience a genuine Cuban experience. There are a number of hotels that are in the process of being renovated including the Hotel Saratoga, Hotel Florida and the elegant 5 star Iberostar Parque Central. Change is coming to Cuba, and for the Cuban people, it's all good. Ultimate Excursions Travel is a leader in the resort marketing and development industry. This press release was issued through 24-7PressRelease.com. For further information, visit http://www.24-7pressrelease.com. SOURCE Ultimate Excursions Travel Related Links http://www.ultimateexcursions.net BEDFORD, Texas, Sept. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Alerts are issued for events that may only require caution for a short time, possibly a temporary health threat. Warnings are issued to make people aware of ongoing threats of violence or terrorism. Ethiopia has a travel alert due to anti-government protests resulting in violence. The resulting protests have affected communication systems including telephone and internet services and have hampered the Embassy's ability to assist U.S. citizens who run into trouble. The Department of State has issued warnings for Nigeria, Honduras, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, North Korea, Cameroon, Iran, Israel, The West Bank of Gaza, Turkey and Eritrea. The warning for Eritrea was just issued on August 31 and concerns border travel within the country. This replaces a warning that has been in effect since May, 2015. Several deaths and on-going fighting along the Ethiopia-Eritrea border caused by political tensions have made it unsafe to travel in the region. Other warnings like those in Iran, Turkey and Nigeria are due to the possibilities of extreme violence, criminal activity, threats of terrorism and the local government's inability to protect U.S. travelers. In countries like North Korea, the risk of unlawful imprisonment is real and a serious threat. North Korea has been known to impose harsh punishments and stiff fines for offenses that are not considered crimes in the United States. Over the past 10 years, over a dozen U.S. citizens while traveling in North Korea have been detained. The United States has been very limited in their ability to help travelers that have been held in North Korea. When traveling to any of the countries where warnings have been issued, travelers should remain on high alert at all times and avoid areas and events where there are large crowds. Sporadic violence, including armed robbery, murder, and kidnapping are common in many of these countries. More information about specific alerts and warnings can be found on the Department of State website. Where travel warnings are present, the State Department urges U.S. citizens to avoid travelling to these regions if at all possible. Travel alerts and warnings are available at the State Department's travel website and should be used by anyone considering travel out of the country. The State Department further urges people to enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP). The program is designed to help locate and find U.S. citizens in the event of an emergency. STEP also sends out security messages to its members. Ultimate Excursions Travel is a leader in the resort marketing and development industry. Photo(s): http://www.prlog.org/12585241 Press release distributed by PRLog SOURCE Ultimate Excursions Travel Wells Fargo CEO John Stumpf Credit: AP Photo/Cliff Owen The alleged misdeeds of Wells Fargo (WFC) employees are now well known. To meet aggressive sales quotas, thousands of branch employees engaged in unethical practices such as signing up customers for products without their knowledge and creating fictitious customer accounts. When these practices became known to the banks executive management, the employees who engaged in them were fired, but this has not spared the company from close to $200 million in fines by federal regulators and the grueling cross-examination of CEO John Stumpf before congressional committees. Until this scandal was revealed, however, Wells Fargo had enjoyed a reputation as one of the countrys best-managed banks. Its executives had avoided the worst of the 2007/8 mortgage crisis. Warren Buffett was sufficiently impressed that he owns $23 billion of the companys stock, making it the second-largest equity holding of Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-A). But this scandal has clearly taken the gloss off the banks shiny reputation. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) angrily told Stumpf during the Senate Banking Committee proceedings that he should resign, give back the money from the appreciation of his personal stock holdings, and be criminally investigated. Irate senators, regulators, and political commentators will soon be demanding new rules to reign in wrongful practices. The most egregious of these practices, they will claim, are high-powered incentives linked to stretch targets for sales and cross-selling. The logical consequences are regulations that ban or severely limit these practices. Anticipating this pressure, Wells Fargo has announced that it will ban retail product sales goals altogether. Such solutions are misguided. If enacted, they would be harmful to businesses and the economy. That said, such activity can go astray when some employees, falling short of performance goals, choose to take unethical or unsanctioned actions to meet their targets. When you combine pressure to hit targets with opportunities to bend the rules, some employees will always be tempted to cross the line. Story continues Generally, however, people do not engage in unethical activities unless an additional ingredient is present: the ability to rationalize behavior. Rationalizations can take many forms, including Ill never get caught, Everyone is doing it, No one will be hurt, and Ill fix the situation next month. To inoculate a business from bad behavior, managers must eliminate at least one of the three ingredients that motivate fraudulent behavior: pressure, opportunity, and rationalization. Attempting to learn from the Wells Fargo situation, politicians and regulators want to legislate a reduction in pressure by banning cross-selling goals and limiting variable compensation. But performance pressure is, and always has been, a driver of innovation. Highly innovative, entrepreneurial, and competitive companies embrace performance pressure to motivate exceptional effort. Just think of the pressure facing entrepreneurs as they try to build a business from scratch. Or the pressure facing athletes as they meet their opponents. Such pressureproperly channeledleads to unparalleled effort and performance. Rather than legislating away the use of pressure to stimulate performance, the focus should be on controlling opportunity and rationalization for bad behavior. The opportunity to engage in bad behavior should be limited through strong internal controls, such as independent checks, whistle-blowing programs, internal audits, and strong audit and risk committees of the board. These are standard, proven approaches that dramatically reduce the opportunity for misbehavior. Management must also eliminate employees ability to rationalize their errant behavior. They must make significant investments in core values and strategic boundaries. Core values, communicated through mission statements, credos, and executive actions, must be clear about whose interests come first (customers, employees, or shareholders) when faced with tough decisions. Regardless of how this choice is made and communicated, everyone in the business must be made aware of their responsibility to protect the interests of all the constituents of the business. Most important, clear boundaries must be set and communicated so that every employee knows what behaviors will not be tolerated. Like nine of the Ten Commandments, such boundaries are always stated in the negative, such as We will never engage in any activity that is not pre-approved by our customer. Those who choose to cross these boundaries thus know in no uncertain terms that they will face severe disciplinary action, including losing their jobs. When considering how to curb the kinds of abuses that occurred at Wells Fargo, think of a highly-competitive, innovative business as a racing car. Given that the car could crash if not properly controlled, one solution would be to regulate engine size and install a governor to limit speed so that the driver cannot drive fast enough to get into trouble. The alternative would be to allow the racing team to install both a high-powered engine and comparably powerful steering and braking systems. This would allow the driver to go as fast as possible on straightaways and still have the confidence and ability to manage the inevitable twists and turns as well. We vote for the latter approach. Management control systems should incorporate stretch goals and incentives that encourage innovation and entrepreneurship. But they must also include effective internal control systems, communication of values, and clear boundaries to guide and enforce the propriety of the day-to-day actions of every employee. Robert Kaplan and Robert Simons are professors in the Accounting and Management Unit at Harvard Business School. PITTSBURGH, Oct. 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- UPMC for Life, the Medicare Advantage product of UPMC Health Plan, will now offer high quality and high value plans in Philadelphia County for 2017. UPMC for Life is offering three HMO plans so that that Medicare-eligible members can choose the one that best suits their needs. All UPMC for Life Medicare Advantage members will have access to a provider network that includes over 9,000 doctors and 86 hospitals in Pennsylvania. All UPMC for Life HMO plans maintain an "Excellent" accreditation from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), the highest honor a managed care plan can receive. UPMC for Life Medicare Advantage members can also benefit from UPMC Health Plan's Health Care Concierge program. Concierges are local customer service representatives who are knowledgeable about Medicare and are dedicated to answering members' questions and to getting their problems solved with just one phone call. For the second year in a row, UPMC Health Plan was named the Best in Class Contact Center at the 2016 Call Center Week Excellence Awards. The 2016 Call Center Week Excellence Awards are a production of the International Quality & Productivity Center (IQPC) and honor, recognize, and promote the most innovative contact center solutions and individuals over the past year. The awards are dedicated to recognizing superior thinking, creativity and execution across the full spectrum of contact center functions. All of UPMC for Life's Medicare Advantage plans offer more benefits than Original Medicare alone, including low copays for primary care physician visits and complimentary membership at a participating fitness club through Silver&Fit. Also, most plans will offer preventive dental coverage. The UPMC for Life HMO High Deductible plan will have a monthly premium of $23 and UPMC for Life HMO Rx premium cost is at $83 per month for calendar year 2017. In addition, UPMC for Life will offer a $0 premium plan (UPMC for Life HMO) that does not include prescription drug coverage. This plan is considered ideal for persons who have prescription coverage through the Veterans Administration. For the first time all UPMC for Life HMO members will have full in-network coverage when traveling to the state of Florida. That means they maintain the same benefits and cost sharing when they see a provider in Florida as they do at home in Pennsylvania. "UPMC for Life continues to offer great coverage, great value and security to the Medicare beneficiaries of Pennsylvania," said Diane P. Holder, President of UPMC Health Plan. "Our members have the security and peace of mind with in-network access to the top-ranked hospitals as well as the concierge support of our top-quality member services." Most UPMC for Life plans include preventive dental coverage for cleanings and exams. The UPMC Dental Advantage Medicare benefit includes a $15 copay for one oral exam and cleaning every six months. It also offers a $15 copay for one bitewing x-ray every year. All UPMC for Life members can take advantage of the Silver&Fit Exercise and Healthy Aging Program. This program provides membership at participating fitness facilities at no additional cost to the member. Moreover, for those who prefer to work out at home, the program provides home fitness kits including walking, Pilates, yoga, dance, and cardio strength. Additional benefits for all UPMC for Life plans include Assist America, which provides help when travelling more than 100 miles from home or to a foreign country. Help is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. This award was not given by Medicare. For more information about UPMC for Life's CMS Star Rating go to www.Medicare.gov. Persons on this plan must continue to pay their Medicare Part B premium. This information is not a complete description of benefits. Contact the plan for more information. Limitations, copayments, and restrictions may apply. Benefits, premium, and/or copayments/coinsurance may change on January 1 of each year. The provider network may change at any time. You will receive notice when necessary. UPMC for Life has a contract with Medicare to provide HMO and PPO plans. Enrollment in UPMC for Life depends on contract renewal. UPMC for Life is a product of and operated by UPMC Health Plan Inc., UPMC Health Network Inc., and UPMC Health Benefits Inc. About UPMC Health Plan UPMC Health Plan, headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pa., is among the nation's fastest-growing health plans. It is owned by UPMC, a world-renowned health care provider. The UPMC Insurance Services Division which includes UPMC Health Plan, UPMC WorkPartners, LifeSolutions, UPMC for Life, UPMC for You, UPMC for Kids, Askesis, and Community Care Behavioral Health offers a full range of group health insurance, Medicare, Special Needs, CHIP, Medical Assistance, behavioral health, employee assistance, and workers' compensation products and services to over 2.9 million members. For more information, visit www.upmchealthplan.com UPMC for Life Offerings 2017 Phil Y0069_17_0012 Accepted SOURCE UPMC Health Plan Related Links http://www.upmchealthplan.com PITTSBURGH, Oct. 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- UPMC for Life the Medicare Advantage product of UPMC Health Plan remains committed in 2017 to offering high quality plans at premium costs that are among the lowest in 28 counties in the Western Pennsylvania region. UPMC for Life is offering six plans in 2017 four HMO plans and two PPO plans so that Medicare-eligible members can choose the one that best suits their needs. All UPMC for Life Medicare Advantage members will have access to a provider network that includes over 9,000 doctors and 86 hospitals in Pennsylvania, including the doctors and hospitals of UPMC. For 18 years, UPMC has been one of the top-ranked hospitals in the nation.* All UPMC for Life HMO plans maintain an "Excellent" accreditation from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), the highest honor a managed care plan can receive. UPMC for Life Medicare Advantage members can also benefit from UPMC Health Plan's Health Care Concierge program. Concierges are local customer service representatives who are knowledgeable about Medicare and are dedicated to answering members' questions and to getting their problems solved with just one phone call. For the second year in a row, UPMC Health Plan was named the Best in Class Contact Center at the 2016 Call Center Week Excellence Awards. The 2016 Call Center Week Excellence Awards are a production of the International Quality & Productivity Center (IQPC) and honor, recognize, and promote the most innovative contact center solutions and individuals over the past year. The awards are dedicated to recognizing superior thinking, creativity and execution across the full spectrum of contact center functions. All of UPMC for Life's Medicare Advantage plans offer more benefits than Original Medicare alone, including low copays for primary care physician visits and complimentary membership at a participating fitness club through Silver&Fit. Also, most plans will offer preventive dental coverage. The UPMC for Life HMO Deductible with Rx plan, UPMC for Life's most popular plan in 2015 and 2016, will continue to have a monthly premium of $22. UPMC for Life HMO Rx has also kept its premium cost at $83 per month for calendar year 2017 and UPMC for Life Rx Enhanced plan will carry a $255 monthly premium. In addition, UPMC for Life will continue to offer a $0 premium plan (UPMC for Life HMO) that does not include prescription drug coverage. This plan is considered ideal for persons who have prescription coverage through the Veterans Administration. For the first time all UPMC for Life HMO members will have full in-network coverage when traveling to the state of Florida. That means they maintain the same benefits and cost sharing when they see a provider in Florida as they do at home in Pennsylvania. UPMC for Life PPO Rx Enhanced plan will have a monthly premium of $137 and the UPMC for Life PPO High Deductible with Rx plan has a $37 monthly premium. "UPMC for Life continues to offer great coverage, great value and security to the Medicare beneficiaries of Pennsylvania," said Diane P. Holder, President of UPMC Health Plan. "Our members have the security and peace of mind with in-network access to the top-ranked hospitals as well as the concierge support of our top-quality member services." Most UPMC for Life plans include preventive dental coverage for cleanings and exams. The UPMC Dental Advantage Medicare benefit includes a $15 copay for one oral exam and cleaning every six months. It also offers a $15 copay for one bitewing x-ray every year. All UPMC for Life members can take advantage of the Silver&Fit Exercise and Healthy Aging Program. This program provides membership at participating fitness facilities at no additional cost to the member. Moreover, for those who prefer to work out at home, the program provides home fitness kits including walking, Pilates, yoga, dance, and cardio strength. Additional benefits for all UPMC for Life plans include Assist America, which provides help when travelling more than 100 miles from home or to a foreign country. Help is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. *U.S. News & World Report (8-2-16) This award was not given by Medicare. For more information about UPMC for Life's CMS Star Rating go to www.Medicare.gov. Persons on this plan must continue to pay their Medicare Part B premium. This information is not a complete description of benefits. Contact the plan for more information. Limitations, copayments, and restrictions may apply. Benefits, premium, and/or copayments/coinsurance may change on January 1 of each year. The provider network may change at any time. You will receive notice when necessary. UPMC for Life has a contract with Medicare to provide HMO and PPO plans. Enrollment in UPMC for Life depends on contract renewal. UPMC for Life is a product of and operated by UPMC Health Plan Inc., UPMC Health Network Inc., and UPMC Health Benefits Inc. About UPMC Health Plan UPMC Health Plan, headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pa., is among the nation's fastest-growing health plans. It is owned by UPMC, a world-renowned health care provider. The UPMC Insurance Services Division which includes UPMC Health Plan, UPMC WorkPartners, LifeSolutions, UPMC for Life, UPMC for You, UPMC for Kids, Askesis, and Community Care Behavioral Health offers a full range of group health insurance, Medicare, Special Needs, CHIP, Medical Assistance, behavioral health, employee assistance, and workers' compensation products and services to over 2.9 million members. For more information, visit www.upmchealthplan.com UPMC for Life Offerings 2017 WPA Y0069_17_0010 Accepted SOURCE UPMC Health Plan Related Links http://www.upmchealthplan.com If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this Got news tips, gossip, suggestions, complaints?E-mail us: progressivecharlestown@gmail.com We strive to avoid errors in our articles. Our correction policy can be found here Mumbai, Sep 27 : As the press and office of Saamana daily in Navi Mumbai and Thane were attacked following publication of a cartoon by the Shiv Sena mouthpiece, all major political parties on Tuesday engaged in a slugfest over the issue of job reservation for the powerful Maratha community in the state. Leader of Opposition in the assembly and Congress leader Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil demanded an unconditional public apology from Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray, while state Congress President Ashok Chavan termed the cartoon an "insult to Maratha brothers and sisters". "The Shiv Sena has always been anti-Muslims and anti-Dalits; now they are even going against the Maratha community. All Marathas are extremely agitated by the cartoon which has not spared even the martyrs of the recent Uri terror strike," said Vikhe-Patil. Nationalist Congress Party's Leader of Opposition in the Council Dhanjay Munde also criticised the Saamana cartoon and sought an apology from the publication. "The Shiv Sena has ridiculed a grave issue like Maratha reservation. They have insulted millions of Maratha women who have been spontaneously taking part in the processions all over the state in the past few days. The Shiv Sena must apologise to them," Chavan said. Interestingly, the Bharatiya Janata Party's Mumbai President Ashish Shelar said the cartoon was in "bad taste" and added that Saamana's Executive Editor and MP Sanjay Raut himself has been reduced to a "cartoon" in the entire episode. The BJP and Shiv Sena are ruling allies in Maharashtra and at the Centre. Reacting to the developments, the Shiv Sena fielded its senior Cabinet minister Subhash Desai who flayed the Congress and the NCP for what he said was fuelling the ongoing pro-reservation agitation among the Marathas all over the state. "They ruled the state for 15 years, but did nothing for Maratha reservation. They created a farce of reservation, which was later struck down by the courts," Desai said in a sharp reaction late on Tuesday. He said Thackeray has fully supported the ongoing Maratha agitation and even Sanjay Raut had backed it through his writings in Saamana, but it is the Vikhe-Munde duo which is spoiling the peaceful atmosphere in the state. Unidentified persons allegedly belonging to the Sambhaji Brigade pelted stones at the Saamana printing press in Navi Mumbai while some other persons threw ink outside the Thane office of the Shiv Sena mouthpiece on Tuesday. Mumbai, Sep 28 : Saamana caricaturist Shreenivas Prabhudesai on Wednesday expressed regret over an objectionable cartoon which led to a storm of protests from the Maratha community, including attacks on the newspaper's office and printing press. In a statement published by Saamana Group, Prabhudesai said the cartoon was not intended to hurt the sentiments of any group or community, particularly the Marathas. "Despite this, if it has hurt anybody's feelings, I am sorry for the same," Prabhudesai said, expressing regret for his creation. He said though he was an artist, he was not a political cartoonist and he draws cartoons to give some comic relief to people embroiled in their daily hectic lives. "However, my September 25 cartoon has found objections from a particular community for which I am sorry. This has resulted in a political controversy in which the Shiv Sena and 'Saamana' were dragged," said Prabhudesai. The controversial cartoon took a swipe at the ongoing month-long agitations and huge protest marches by the Maratha community across the state. Playing with words about the "silent processions" called "mook morchas", the cartoon showed a couple kissing with the caption "mooka (kissing) morcha", which enraged the Marathas in the state. However, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Mumbai President Ashish Shelar was not satisfied with Prabhudesai's statement and called upon Saamana executive editor Sanjay Raut, an MP, to publicly apologise to the Maratha community. The Congress, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and leading Maratha organisations have demanded an unconditional apology from Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray. The cartoon had prompted an attack on Saamana's printing press in Saanpada, Navi Mumbai and editorial offices in Thane on Tuesday by members of the Sambhaji Brigade, a Maratha group. In Aurangabad, a bonfire was made of copies of the newspaper and other forms of protests were held in different parts of Maharashtra even as the opposition, ruling ally BJP and the Shiv Sena engaged in a political slugfest. Late on Tuesday night, Navi Mumbai Police Commissioner Hemant Nagrale said Sambhaji Brigade activists like Purushottam Khedekar, Amol Jadhavrao, Anna Sawant, and Manoj Akhre were booked in connection with the Saanpada incident. On its part, Shiv Sena senior cabinet minister Subhash Desai flayed the Congress-NCP for fuelling the ongoing pro-reservations agitation among the Marathas all over the state. "They ruled the state for 15 years, but did nothing for Maratha reservations... They created a farce of reservations which was later struck down by the courts," Desai said in a sharp reaction late on Tuesday. He said that Thackeray has fully supported the ongoing Maratha agitation and even Sanjay Raut had backed it through his writings in Saamana, but it is the Congress-NCP which is vitiating the peaceful atmosphere. Washington, Sep 28 : Former "Miss Universe" Alicia Machado has struck back against insults hurled at her by Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, saying that he was "aggressive" and "really rude". Machado, who represented Venezuela in Trump's 1996 "Miss Universe" competition, said the Republican called her "Miss Housekeeping" and "Miss Piggy" when she gained weight after winning the pageant, CNN reported. "I know what I left with him and he knows, too. And he was really aggressive. He was really rude. He was a bad person with me," she told CNN. "We cannot accept no more insults for my Latin community. No more insults for the women. I know very well Trump and I can see the same person that I met 20 years ago." At the presidential debate on Monday, Clinton referred to Machado to make a bigger point to Trump about his public treatment of women -- which has become a key campaign issue that hits on his vulnerabilities with both Hispanics and women. "And one of the worst things he said was about a woman in a beauty contest -- he loves beauty contests, supporting them and hanging around them -- and he called this woman 'Miss Piggy', then he called her 'Miss Housekeeping' because she was Latina," Clinton said. "Donald, she has a name. Her name is Alicia Machado. And she has become a US citizen and you can bet she is going to vote this November." When asked about Trump pointing to an incident in 1998 in Venezuela where she was accused of driving a getaway car from a murder scene, Machado responded: "He can say whatever he wants to say. I don't care." "You know, I have my past, of course everybody has a past. And I'm no saint girl. But that is not the point now... (Trump) was really rude with me, he tried to destroy my self-esteem. And now I'm a voice in the Latin community. I'm in a great moment in my life and I have a very clear life. And I can show my taxes." Earlier on Tuesday, Trump refused to back down from his criticism of Machado, telling "Fox and Friends" in an interview that she had "gained a massive amount of weight and it was a real problem". "She was the winner and you know, she gained a massive amount of weight and it was a real problem. We had a real problem," Trump said. "Not only that, her attitude, and we had a real problem with her, so Hillary went back into the years and she found this girl -- this was many years ago. And found the girl and talked about her like she was Mother Theresa. And it wasn't quite that way but that's OK. Hillary has to do what she has to do." Mumbai, Sep 28 : Saamana cartoonist Shreenivas Prabhudesai on Wednesday expressed regret over a cartoon that led to protests by the Maratha community in Maharashtra. Hours later, the Shiv Sena and the Saamana Group distanced themselves from his action, saying they had nothing to do with the apology and their "stand remains unchanged". "It was just a cartoon without reference to any particular community. The caricaturist has apologised and the matter ends," Saamana Executive Editor and Sena MP Sanjay Raut told the media here. Earlier in the day, in a statement published by the Saamana Group, Prabhudesai said the cartoon was not intended to hurt the sentiments of any group or community, particularly the Marathas. "Despite this, if it has hurt anybody's feelings, I am sorry for the same," he said. He said he was an artist and not a political cartoonist and that he draws cartoons to give some comic relief to people busy with their hectic daily lives. "However, my September 25 cartoon has found objections from a particular community for which I am sorry. This has resulted in a political controversy in which the Shiv Sena and 'Saamana' were dragged," said Prabhudesai. The controversial cartoon took a swipe at the ongoing month-long agitations and huge protest marches by the Maratha community across the state. Playing on words about the "silent processions" (mook morchas), the cartoon showed a couple kissing with the caption 'mooka (kissing) morcha', which enraged the Marathas in the state. However, The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Mumbai unit President Ashish Shelar said he was not satisfied with Prabhudesai's statement and called upon Raut to tender a public apology to the Marathas. Later in the day, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Leader of Opposition Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil and senior Congress leader Narayan Rane called on Governor C.V. Rao to discuss various issues. The Congress, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and leading Maratha organisations have demanded an unconditional apology from Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray. The cartoon had prompted an attack on Saamana's printing press in Saanpada, Navi Mumbai and the editorial office in Thane on Tuesday by members of the Sambhaji Brigade, a Maratha group. In Aurangabad, a bonfire was made of copies of the Marathi newspaper -- the mouthpiece of the Shiv Sena -- while other forms of protests were held in different parts of Maharashtra even as the opposition and the ruling BJP-Shiv Sena allies engaged in a political slugfest. Late on Tuesday night, Navi Mumbai Police Commissioner Hemant Nagrale said Sambhaji Brigade activists Purushottam Khedekar, Amol Jadhavrao, Anna Sawant and Manoj Akhre were booked in connection with the Saanpada incident. On its part, Shiv Sena senior Cabinet minister Subhash Desai accused the Congress and the NCP of fuelling the ongoing pro-reservation agitation among the Marathas. "They ruled the state for 15 years, but did nothing for Maratha reservation... They created a farce of reservation which was later struck down by the courts," Desai said in a sharp reaction late on Tuesday. He said that Thackeray has fully supported the ongoing Maratha agitation and even Raut had backed it through his writings in Saamana, but it is the Congress and the NCP which is vitiating the peaceful atmosphere. Chennai, Sep 29 : In a hard hitting speech, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa on Thursday said Karnataka has treated the Supreme Court's directive with utter contempt while Tamil Nadu has scrupulously adhered to every order of the apex court. Jayalalithaa also urged the central government to immediately consititute the Cauvery Management Board as ordered by the Supreme Court. Her speech was read out by Chief Secretary P. Rama Mohana Rao at the meeting convened by the Union Ministry of Water Resources in New Delhi on the directions of the Supreme Court. Copies of her speech were distributed to the media here. Jayalalithaa said the meeting is taking place on the directions of the Supreme Court to the central government to facilitate a meeting between the Executive Heads of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. The meeting is called to end the impasse relating to non-release of Cauvery river water by Karnataka in compliance with the Supreme Court orders. As she was hospitalised, Jayalalithaa had deputed Edapaddi K. Palaniswamy, Minister for Public Works, Highways and Minor Ports for the meeting. Stressing that Tamil Nadu has been adhering to the orders of Supreme Court scrupulously, Jayalalithaa said: "By contrast, Karnataka has treated the orders of Supreme Court with utter contempt. Successive orders of the Supreme Court have been deliberately and systematically defied." Jayalalithaa said Tamil Nadu had a shortfall of 60.983 TMC ft (thousand million cubic feet) of water for the period up to 31.8.2016, as per the final order of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal. Owing to the huge shortfall in release of water by Karnataka and to save at least a single Samba crop the state had approached the apex court for interim directions. Citing Supreme Court's recent orders on release of water by Karnataka, she said Karnataka in complete contempt for the apex court's orders failed to release the water. She said Karnataka did not release the water but on the other hand permitted unruly elements to create law and order issues. "Many large and small properties and establishments owned by Tamils (in Karnataka) were systematically targeted, ransacked and burnt. A large number of vehicles bearing Tamil Nadu registration were burnt and vandalised," she said. Referring to the continued defiant stance of Karnataka on release of water to Tamil Nadu Jayalalithaa wondered whether the meeting would serve its intended purpose. She said a professionally managed, neutral, technical body in the form of the Cauvery Management Board mandated by the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal can address the concerns of the riparian states. "I urge the government of India to constitute the body immediately without waiting for the four weeks time stipulated by the Honourable Supreme Court," she said. Stressing the fact that Tamil Nadu is in dire need of water Jayalalithaa urged the central government to ensure Karnataka to release water as per Supreme Court orders dated 5.9.2016, 12.9.2016, 20.9.2016 and 27.9.2016. "Further, Karnataka should release the stipulated quantity of water as per the Final Order of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal including the backlog of 76.042 TMC ft. as on 26.9.2016," she said. Washington, Oct 1 : After attending former Israeli leader Shimon Peres's funeral, US President Barack Obama shouted to Bill Clinton from the tarmac of the Air Force One saying "let's go" as he was anxious to jet back home. Obama and Clinton both attended the funeral on Friday in Israeli capital Tel Aviv and flew back to the US together on the Air Force One, Time magazine reported. Before they departed, video captured by Sky News showed Obama waiting inside the doorway of the plane, clapping at Clinton on the tarmac below. Appearing to grow impatient, Obama eventually stepped outside to get the former President's attention. "Bill," Obama called from the steps of the Air Force One, waving Clinton toward the plane. "Let's go. I'll take you home," he said. Clinton, however, apparently remained undeterred, and continued to tarry on the tarmac. It took another round of shouting from Obama before Clinton sauntered up the steps to the door of the aircraft, CBS News reported. "Bill!" Obama said again. "Let's go! I gotta get home!" Eventually, Clinton boarded the plane, greeting the Obama with a handshake and a pat on the back. Washington, Oct 1 : In a direct message to Pakistan, the US has urged Islamabad to exercise restraint when it comes to using nuclear weapons. "I mean, in terms - so just to answer your question about some of the rhetoric from the Pakistani government and the possibility of using nukes or nuclear weapons, I would just say nuclear-capable states have a very clear responsibility to exercise restraint regarding nuclear weapons and missile capabilities," US State Department deputy spokesperson Mark Toner said in a daily press briefing on Friday in response to a question. "And that's my message publicly and that's certainly our message directly to the Pakistani authorities," he said. Toner's statement comes after Pakistan Defence Minister Khwaja Asif said that Islamabad was open to using tactical devices against India if its safety was threatened. "We have not developed devices (nuclear weapons) for as item of showpiece, if there will be a requirement, we will destroy them," Khwaja told Pakistani TV channel Samaa. US Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton has also voiced concern about Pakistan resorting to the nuclear mode. "Pakistan is running full speed to develop tactical nukes in their continuing hostility with India," Clinton was quoted as saying at a party fund-raiser event in Virginia in February. "But we live in fear that they're going to have a coup, that jihadists are going to take over the government, they're going to access to nuclear weapons, and you'll have suicide nuclear bombers. So, this could not be a more threatening scenario." India on Wednesday carried out surgical strikes on terror launch pads across the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and kashmir inflicting "significant casualties". This came after the September 18 cross-border terror attack on an Indian Army camp at Uri in Jammu and Kashmir that claimed the lives of 19 soldiers. India has blamed the Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed for the attack. On Tuesday, New Delhi also pulled out of the Saarc Summit which was scheduled to be held in Islamabad in November. The summit has been postponed. Chennai, Oct 1 : Actress Raashi Khanna, who has signed two Tamil films in quick succession, says she is quite excited about the projects she is associated with and is looking forward to make the best out of the opportunities. "I've always been interested in Tamil cinema. I feel as an industry they make content-rich films and I'm excited to have entered with two interesting projects," Raashi told IANS. Her two Tamil projects include "Saithan Ka Bachha" with Siddharth and "Imaikaa Nodigal" with Atharvaa. "I play a fashion designer in the film ('Saithan Ka Bachha'. It's a full-length, rib-tickling comedy and I'm enjoying working with Siddharth, as I've been his fan for a long time," she said. Asked about "Imaikaa Nodigal", Raashi, without divulging much information, said it is a project she is proud to be part of. Raashi's latest Telugu release "Hyper" released in cinemas on Friday. New Delhi, Oct 1 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday greeted the nation on the occasion of Agrasen Jayanti. "Greetings on Agrasen Jayanti. We are all inspired by the life and ideals of the greatly respected Maharaja Agrasen," the Prime Minister tweeted. Agrasen Jayanti marks the birth anniversary of legendary Hindu king Agrasen Maharaj. It is observed on the fourth day of the Hindu calendar's Ashwin month. New Delhi : During the Kargil conflict in 1999, India did not cross the Line of Control (LoC). If it has behaved differently this time, the reason is that Pakistan's reputation has nosedived in the last decade and a half. From being an "international migraine", as former US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright called it, to a country which keeps "snakes in its backyard", as another Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said, Pakistan has been steadily undermining its own position as a respectable member of the world community. India's image, on the other hand, has been on the rise. It is also being widely recognised that India has been facing a relentless Pakistani effort to destabilise it via the targeting of parliament in December 2001 by jehadis to decimate the country's top political leadership, to a commando-style terrorist operation in Mumbai in November 2008, and then to the recent succession of attacks on military camps in Pathankot, Uri and elsewhere. Few in the world will doubt, therefore, that India's patience has been exhausted. Moreover, it is being recognised that Pakistan is keeping the Kashmir issue alive only to muddy the waters considering that Prime Minister Narendra Modi travelled the extra mile in search of a solution, as his flying visit to Lahore last December showed. India can therefore be fairly confident that its military response on Wednesday/Thursday night to the constant Pakistani provocations will be seen as an unavoidable riposte to a neighbour which has been resorting to unremitting terror for more than a decade. In authorising the surgical strikes by the Indian Army on the terror camps across the LoC, Modi can be said to have found the answer to eliminate the "snakes" which Pakistan harbours in its backyard for biting India. If the earlier fears of a nuclear confrontation have abated this time, the explanation lies in India's decision to designate such strikes as one-time operations whenever Pakistan carries out a terrorist attack. Given this assurance of restraint, Pakistan will be hard put to try and expand the theatre of war. At the same time, a prompt Indian response to an act of jehadi mayhem will carry a stamp of legitimacy of a kind which Israeli reactions to Palestinian terrorism do. But there is a difference. While the Israeli acts unfortunately tend to hurt civilians as well, the precise Indian operations against the launch pads of the Pakistani terrorists and their backers along the LoC will kill only the "snakes". There is little doubt that if India can continue to act with such precision, the Pakistani backers of the jehadis -- the army and the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) -- will be at a loss about the efficacy of their next anarchic attempt like sending fidayeens or suicide squads into an Indian metropolis. It goes without saying that Modi's image will be burnished beyond measure by his success in finding the right answer to Pakistani intransigence and belligerence, not to mention its foolishness in testing the world's patience by joining the ISIS as a terror Frankenstein. As for Modi, it is not only that he will be virtually beyond challenge in the political field in the foreseeable future in the same way that Indira Gandhi was hailed as Goddess Durga by Atal Behari Vajpayee after the liberation of Bangladesh; his decisiveness will also be an object of admiration. The accolades for him will be all the greater because, first, he tried to reach out to Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif by visiting him at his home in Lahore at short notice without standing on ceremony. And, secondly, by calling for a "war" against poverty by both the countries even after the Uri tragedy. In doing so, Modi displayed a maturity which hardliners in the saffron brotherhood did not show because of their sole emphasis on an outright confrontation. The result is Modi's emergence as a larger-than-life figure, who can ensure the BJP's political hegemony over the next 15-20 years as historian Ramachandra Guha has predicted. The sharp military response to Pakistani pinpricks is not only a message to India's hostile neighbour but also to Islamabad's all-weather friend, China, which will know that its occasional incursions into Indian territory may not go unchallenged. Neither India nor China want war because their primary focus is on economic development. Both know that a conflict, even a minor one, can scare away potential investors. Pakistan, however, is an exception because it wants to take revenge for the 1971 defeat which halved the country. Hence, its military dictator, General Zia-ul-Haq's threat to bleed India "with a thousand cuts" and former Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto's invocation of a thousand-year war against India. Not since Hitler's promise of a thousand-year Reich has such grandly delusional fantasies been articulated. Yet, only a few days ago, Pakistan's Defence Minister threatened to "eliminate" India in a nuclear war. While Bhutto and his "murderer" via the judiciary, Zia-ul-Haq, are evidently still riding high, Pakistan is falling off the map of the civilised world with a little nudge from Modi. (Amulya Ganguli is a political analyst. The views expressed are personal. He can be reached at amulyaganguli@gmail.com) New Delhi, Oct 1 : Dark skin is not so beautiful in India -- or so it seems from the flourishing business of skin-lightening and whitening creams, demands for "fair and beautiful girls" on matrimonial sites, and mockery of the dusky skin tone. But those reaching out for skin-lightening solutions beware -- experts warn against excessive use of such products and therapies. It can lead to life-long complications, they say. "Many creams contain steroids and they can cause permanent damage to the skin from long-term use," Kuldeep Singh, Senior Consultant Plastic, Cosmetic and Reconstructed Surgery at Apollo Hospitals, New Delhi, told IANS. He said that healthy skin can be achieved regardless of complexion and that skin treatments cannot lead to lasting or permanent change in complexion. "Glutathione is a drug which has been advertised all over the Internet as a skin-whitening agent. The truth is that glutathione is a very strong antioxidant present in our body which gets depleted with age or illness. The only scientifically-documented efficacy of glutathione injections is to reduce toxicity of certain anti-cancer drugs. "The rest is all vague, and not scientifically proven," he added. Aakriti Kochar, beauty and make-up expert at Oriflame India, pointed out that skin-lightening creams can only lighten the melanin in the skin to a certain extent. "They can't drastically change one's skin colour. "A lot of factors, depending on the treatment and quality of one's skin, determine the risk factors involved in such treatments. Overdoing these can lead to severe skin problems as melanin is lightened, causing more exposure to sun rays and skin quality might be affected, leading to depleting in layers," Kochar told IANS. There are many cosmetic brands which endorse skin-lightening and whitening creams, and indulge in blatant marketing to sell them. Of course, there are takers too. According to market researcher AC Nielsen, in 2010, India's whitening-cream market was worth $432 million (Rs 2,600 crore). In 2012, Indians were said to have consumed 233 tonnes of skin-whitening products. Two years later, the obsession with "whiteness" scaled a new level when a brand came up with a product designed to "brighten" the vagina. The skin colour debate has time and again surfaced in the Indian and international cinema market. The latest instance involves acclaimed Indian actress Tannishtha Chatterjee, who has expressed outrage upon facing a "racist attack" on a nationally-televised comedy show, for mocking her dark skin tone. The actress is especially upset with how this deeply-rooted bias against colour has prevailed over the years. Blossom Kochhar, Chairperson of the Blossom Kochhar Group of Companies, agreed that even in the 21st century, there seems to be no sign of a decrease in the number of people running after fair skin. "People do not understand that to look beautiful, you need a glowing, clear and blemish-free skin. Not necessarily fair skin, as it does not symbolise beauty," Kochhar, a veteran in the Indian beauty industry, told IANS. Stressing that skin-lightening solutions do not make one's skin fair but merely helps in brightening the skin, she added: "We should appreciate beautiful skin and that should not depend on the complexion. One can look beautiful by maintaining a clean and glowing skin by following a proper cleansing, toning, oiling and moisturising (CTOM) regime," she added. Also, the conditioning needed for people to accept and appreciate people of all skin tones must be done from childhood. "Any bias in society exists because enough has not been done to remove it. Education should be given from childhood to sensitise everybody not to discriminate against any human being on grounds of skin colour, race, religion, nationality, gender or profession. And this should start from the parents," Kuldeep Singh said. (Nivedita can be contacted at nivedita.s@ians.in) New Delhi, Oct 1 : President Pranab Mukherjee on Saturday greeted the government and people of China on the 67th anniversary of their foundation day. "Greetings and felicitations to the government and people of China on the 67th Anniversary of founding of People's Republic of China," Mukherjee said in a tweet. October 1 is celebrated as China's National Day. Several special ceremonies are held across the country to mark the occasion. United Nations, Oct 1 : UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has expressed deep concern over the "significant increase in tensions" between India and Pakistan and offered to mediate to resolve the tensions. "The Secretary General is deeply concerned over the significant increase in tensions between India and Pakistan in the wake of the recent developments, in particular the reported cease-fire violations along the Line of Control (LoC) following an attack on an Indian army base in Uri on 18 September," said his spokesperson in a statement on Friday. Ban also urged both sides to exercise "maximum restraint" and take immediate steps to de-escalate the situation. He called on both the governments to "address their outstanding issues, including regarding Kashmir, peacefully through diplomacy and dialogue". "His good offices are available, if accepted by both sides," said the statement. The statement comes in the wake of India's announcement on Thursday that its troops had conducted surgical strikes on terrorist launch pads across the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir. The surgical strikes were in response to the September 18 terror strike on the Uri army camp that led to 19 deaths, and led to considerable anger in India. India has blamed the Uri attack as well as the January 2 Pathankot attack, which left seven Indian security personnel dead, on Pakistan-based militants. The terror attacks and Pakistan's raking up the Kashmir issue have led to sharp deterioration in bilateral ties. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that India will not forget the sacrifices of the soldiers killed in the Uri attack and will isolate Pakistan. India this week moved in the direction of diplomatically isolating Pakistan, by pulling out from the Saarc summit scheduled in Islamabad in November, citing increasing terrorism in the region and interference in affairs "by one country". India's move was followed by Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Bhutan, Sri Lanka - forcing Pakistan to cancel the summit. Pakistan has denied India's statement of surgical strikes across the Line of Control, and said that instead there were firing incidents along the LoC in which two of its soldiers were killed. New Delhi, Oct 1 : President Pranab Mukherjee on Saturday greeted the Government and people of Tuvalu on its national day. "Warm greetings to Government and people of Tuvalu on their National Day," Mukherjee said in a tweet. Tuvalu became fully independent on October 1, 1978. New Delhi, Oct 1 : India-Pakistan tension escalated afresh on Saturday as forces of the two countries exchanged fire along the border in Jammu and Kashmir, sparking international concerns with UN chief Ban-Ki Moon offering mediation to negotiate peace between the rival neighbours. The skirmish in the Akhnoor sector of the International Boundary that caused no casualties came days after India claimed to have conduced deadly surgical strikes at terror launch pads in Pakistan-administered Kashmir. Defence sources in Jammu said Pakistan Rangers targeted Indian posts and civilian areas with mortar bombs and heavy machine guns. Indian border forces retaliated but no damage was reported on the either side, they said. Both sides accused the other of resorting to unprovoked fire in the latest violation of the 2003 ceasefire agreement. It was the fifth breach of the truce in the past four days when military tension rose following the Indian covert anti-terror operation across the Line of Control (LoC) - the 740 km de facto border that divides Jammu and Kashmir between India and Pakistan. Indian Army Chief Gen. Dalbir Singh visited Jammu and some border posts and complimented soldiers who carried out the September 28 surgical strike that was said to have annihilated seven terror launch pads located in Tatta Pani, Leepa Valley, Bhimber and Kael in Pakistani-administered Kashmir. The army chief reviewed the operational preparedness of the army along the borders in the wake of heightened tension. Pakistan has denied the Indian claim of the surgical strike, terming it as a "hyped routine border clash". On Saturday, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said the Pakistani denial is because it is "in a state of coma just like anyone is after a surgery". "We do not want to capture any nation. Lord Rama won Lanka and gave it to Vibhishana. We did the same in Bangladesh. We do not want to harm anyone, but if someone harms us a befitting reply will be given." The rising rift has led to thousands of residents being relocated from around border villages in India amid fears of further military clashes between the two nuclear-powered nations. This has also caused global worries with the US in a direct message to Pakistan urging it to exercise restraint when it comes to using atomic weapons. "I would just say nuclear-capable states have a very clear responsibility to exercise restraint regarding nuclear weapons and missile capabilities," US State Department deputy spokesperson Mark Toner said in a daily press briefing in response to a question. "And that's my message publicly and that's certainly our message directly to the Pakistani authorities." UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has expressed deep concern over the "significant increase in tensions" and offered to mediate. "The Secretary General is deeply concernedAin the wake of the recent developments, in particular the reported cease-fire violations along the Line of Control (LoC) following an attack on an Indian army base in Uri on 18 September," his spokesperson said in a statement. Ban urged both sides to exercise "maximum restraint" and take immediate steps to de-escalate the situation. He called on both the governments to "address their outstanding issues, including regarding Kashmir, peacefully through diplomacy and dialogue. "His good offices are available, if accepted by both sides," said the statement. Mogadishu, Oct 1 : At least four persons were killed and several injured in an explosion outside a restaurant in the Somalia capital Mogadishu on Saturday, police said. A senior police official told Xinhua at the scene that a car laden with explosives detonated outside the Blue Sky Restaurant which is located near a prison run by the National Intelligence and Security Agency. A witness said that a huge explosion was heard followed by a large plume of smoke rising from the area. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but Somalia's Islamist militant group Al-Shabaab often carries out similar attacks in the country. Kathmandu, Oct 1 : Nepal, the current Chair of Saarc, has said it will take the necessary initiatives and hold talks with member countries to press for holding the postponed 19th Saarc Summit. Nepalese Foreign Minister Prakash Sharan Mahat, addressing a press conference, said Saarc member states must be sensitive towards holding the Summit by ensuring the participation of every member. The 19th South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) Summit, which was scheduled to be held in Islamabad in November, has been postponed after India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka pulled out, citing terrorism concerns in the region. Mahat said the eight-member South Asian grouping is an important forum for advancing regional cooperation and development, and underlined that harmonious relations between member states would enhance utilisation of the association and encourage regional development, the Himalayan Times reported. Mahat also said that Pakistan as host should make a conducive environment for holding the summit. The 19th Saarc Summit was scheduled from November 9-10. Earlier, the Nepalese Foreign Ministry said that even if one member pulls out the summit cannot be held, as Saarc works on the basis of consensus. Mahat arrived in Kathmandu after leading the Nepali delegation to the 71st United National General Assembly. The Minister shared that during the participation in the UNGA, the Nepali delegation had presented its views of national interest. On the sidelines of the UNGA, Mahat had met US President Barack Obama, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif among others. New Delhi, Oct 1 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday called on President Pranab Mukherjee here and briefed him on the recent developments in the aftermath of the 'surgical strikes' carried out by the army across the LoC. "Met Rashtrapatiji at Rashtrapati Bhavan," Modi said in a brief tweet, along with a photograph of him with the President. Another tweet from Rashtrapati Bhavan said: "Prime Minister Narendra Modi briefed President Mukherjee at Rashtrapati Bhavan this evening on the recent developments." This is the second such meeting within two weeks as Modi had also called on the President on September 19, a day after the Uri attack by terrorists that left 19 soldiers martyred. On September 29, the Prime Minister had informed the President about the surgical strikes carried out on the night of September 28-29 by the special forces of the Indian Army. According to official sources, they discussed developments in the last few days vis-a-vis the central government putting the entire national security mechanism on high alert, and general preparedness of the central forces and army to counter any misadventure along the international border. In the last two weeks since the Uri attack, the government has also successfully intensified efforts to "isolate" Pakistan in the comity of nations. In view of intelligence inputs that some Pakistan-based terror groups could carry out attacks in various parts of the country, the central government on Friday issued a nationwide alert and directed states to heighten vigil to foil any such attempts. Bengaluru, Oct 1 : In a rare show of unity, opposition parties on Saturday once again urged the Karnataka government not to release Cauvery river water to Tamil Nadu even if it meant disobeying the Supreme Court's fresh order. "We have told the Chief Minister (Siddaramaiah) not to release water at any cost and abide by the state legislature's unanimous resolution to retain it only for drinking purpose," said opposition leader and former BJP Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar after a three-hour long all-party meeting here on the contentious issue. A division bench of the apex court on Friday directed the state to release 6,000 cusecs per day to Tamil Nadu for six days from October 1-6. "There is no question of releasing water any more. We are with the government on this issue as unanimously decided by the state legislature last week (September 23) in the interests of the people," said Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) leader and former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy. Asserting that the opposition parties were with the ruling Congress in upholding the resolution, JD-S lawmaker Y.S.V. Dutta told the media that the opposition leaders were even ready to go to jail with the chief minister if the Supreme Court sent them there for not obeying its order. "Let not the Supreme Court take only the Chief Minister to task. We are ready to share the blame for disrespecting its order again. First of all, where is the water to release for irrigation when whatever we have is not sufficient to meet the drinking needs of the people in the region till June next," reiterated Dutta. Deficit monsoon rains in the catchment areas depleted the storage levels in the four reservoirs across the river basin to an all-time low of 27 tmc (thousand million cubic) feet, which is barely sufficient for supplying drinking water to the people in cities, towns and villages in the state's southern region. "We have urged the government to file a review petition on Monday, seeking to modify the court's September 30 order, as the state does not have water to release for irrigation in Tamil Nadu at the cost of supplying it for drinking purpose to our people in the region," Shettar said. Opposition members of Parliament and the state legislature told the Chief Minister that they were keen to file affidavits, asking the top court to penalise them as well for being a party to the decision against releasing the water. "The opposition leaders have reiterated their earlier stand against releasing water and sought modification of the apex court's order. We will consider their views and suggestions at the cabinet meeting and decide on the next course of action keeping in view the interests of the people," state Home Minister G. Parameshwara said. In a related development, JD-S leader and former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda resorted to a hunger strike at the Mahatma Gandhi statue outside the state's secretariat in support of the people, including farmers in the region who have been protesting against release of depleted water resources. "The Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) should step in at least now in the interest of the people in both the states. We are not against giving water to Tamil Nadu if the reservoirs had enough of it to share. As drinking water is a priority, we have to ensure that we have enough of it for supplying to our people till the onset of the next monsoon, as the Cauvery is a heavily rain-dependent river," said Gowda. Paris, Oct 1 : French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault on Saturday denounced the bombing of a hospital in the Syrian city of Aleppo, calling it a "war crime". Systematic shelling of health care structures and personnel in the besieged Syrian city is "particularly unspeakable, and constituted war crimes," the French minister was quoted by Xinhua as saying. "Their perpetrators will be held to account," Ayrault said. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported earlier on Saturday thaT aircraft dropped barrel bombs which struck the largest hospital in the rebel-held part of Aleppo city in northern Syria. Up to 500,000 PEOPLE have been killed in the five-year civil war in Syria. Bengaluru, Oct 1 : In defiance of the Supreme Court directive, opposition parties in Karnataka on Saturday urged the state government to oppose the setting up of the Cauvery Management Board, as it would be detrimental to the state's interests. "We have advised the government not to recommend any official's name to the centre as the state's member on the Board as we are against constituting it now," said Janatal Dal-Secular (JD-S) leader and former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy here. The Bharatiya Janata Party also told the government to urge the central government from setting up the Board at this juncture as the state's petition challenging the final award of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal was pending before the Supreme Court. "We will prevail upon Prime Minister Narendra Modi not to set up the Board, as the tribunal's various recommendations in its final award have been contested by the state in the apex court," former BJP Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar told reporters here. The top court's Friday order to the Union government for setting up the Board by October 4 and its directive to the four riparian states to send names of officials as their representatives were discussed at the all-party meeting here. In addition to Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry are the other two beneficiary states of the river water in the southern peninsula. The 765-km-long Cauvery river originates at Talakaveri in Karnataka's Kodagu district and flows through the Western Ghats to Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry before joining the Bay of Bengal. The final hearing of the state's review petition against the tribunal's award is listed for October 18 by the apex court. Though the tribunal gave the final award in February 2007, the erstwhile UPA government notified it only in February 2013 on the apex court's direction. "If the Board is set up before the Supreme Court's ruling on the tribunal's award, its (board) decisions will not be binding on the states," said JD-S lawmaker Y.S.V. Datta. A division bench of Justices Dipak Mishra and U.U. Lalit asked the Union Government through its Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi to set up the Board by October 4 to assess the ground situation in the river basin areas and directed the states to send names of their representatives to the central government by Saturday. The opposition leaders also expressed surprise over the directive of the bench to set up the board when there was no such a plea before for it or in the petitions filed by both the neighbouring states. The tribunal allocated 419 tmc (thousand million cubic feet) of the river water to Tamil Nadu, 270 tmc to Karnataka, 30 tmc to Kerala and 7 tmc to Puducherry. Though the tribunal ordered Karnataka to release 192 tmc feet of water to Tamil Nadu in a normal year from June to May, it did not recommend the quantum of water Karnataka has to release in a distress year when there is a shortage in the rain-dependent river, but left it to be decided by the management board it recommended to be set up. Besides Karnataka, Kerala, Puducherry and Tamil Nadu have filed review petitions in the top court against the tribunal award, seeking clarifications and renegotiations on the sharing of the river water. Lucknow, Oct 1 : After days of delay, portfolios to the ten ministers, sworn in into the Akhilesh Yadav government earlier this week, were allocated on Saturday. According to a Raj Bhawan spokesman, Governor Ram Naik, based on the recommendation of the Chief Minister, allotted the transport ministry to controversial Gayatri Prajapati, who was sacked for charges of graft when he held the Mines Ministry. Another minister Manoj Pandey, who made a comeback to the cabinet has been given the charge of Information Technology and Electronics department, Yaseer Shah who was elevated as cabinet minister has been given Taxation, Riyaz Ahmad Fisheries and Public undertakings, Ravidas Mehrotra has been given charge of Family Welfare, Narendra Verma of Sugarcan), Shankhlal Manjhi of Social Welfare and Abhishek Misra of Technical Education and Skill Development. New Delhi, Oct 1 : A 61-year-old retired pilot committed suicide by shooting himself after an argument with his wife and daughter, police said on Saturday. The deceased was identified as Anand Kumar Singh, living in Mavila Apartments in Mayur Vihar area of east Delhi. According to police, he was found dead by his wife and daughter at around 5 p.m. when they came back from a neighbour's house where they had fled after he took out his licensed pistol and opened fire. No suicide note was recovered from his possession or from the spot, police said. "Singh on Saturday had an argument with his wife and daughter, who had gone to Germany to meet their elder daughter. "Soon he took out his licensed pistol and shot at the roof. His wife and daughter then escaped and took shelter in the flat of neighbour," the officer said, adding when they came back after half an hour, they found him lying dead in a pool of blood. Singh, who was earlier working with Jet Airways, used to remain depressed as he had to retire following health issues, police said. He had undergone kidney transplant few years ago. "His wife and daughter are safe and unhurt," Deputy Commissioner of Police (East) Rishi Pal told IANS. Beijing, Oct 1 : In a move that will create tensions with India, China has extended its decision to put a technical hold on the United Nations declaring Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed's chief Massod Azhar a terrorist. This extension comes on the eve of the lapsing of its earlier decision in April to block action against Azhar, which would have now automatically led to Azhar, whom India brands the mastermind behind the Pathankot mastermind, being declared a terrorist. An official in the Chinese government confirmed that technical hold on declaring Azhar as a terrorist has been extended. In April, China had blocked India's move to label Azhar, a decision had angered New Delhi which has been trying to convince Beijing to reconsider the decision. Beijing's latest move comes nearly two weeks after four Pakistani terrorists killed 18 Indian soldiers in a raid in Jammu and Kashmir's Uri. China has voiced concerns over the menace of terrorism, but it been soft on its "all-weather ally" Pakistan, which has been accused by India of harbouring terrorists, despite India repeatedly telling China that it has been affected by cross-border terrorism. Panaji, Oct 1 : Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar will be given a hero's welcome on October 4 by the BJP's Goa unit, for playing a key part in the orchestrating of surgical strikes across the LoC by Indian Army, said a party leader. "Defence Minister is coming to Goa on October 4. All 40 mandal units of the party will be felicitating him by organising a motor cycle rally which will escort him to Panaji from the airport," state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Vinay Tendulkar said. "A public programs will be held at 5 p.m. where the state BJP will be felicitating him," he said. The cause for the public felicitation, Tendulkar told IANS, was the "surgical strikes" which Parrikar's ministry had ordered against terror camps across the Line of Control (LoC) in the early hours of September 29 in which, the Indian Army claimed, a large number of terrorists waiting to infiltrate India were killed. Tendulkar also said that other national leaders of the BJP were also being invited for the felicitation. Ever since he became Defence Minister, Parrikar, a former Goa Chief Minister has been accused of constantly visiting his home state and dabbling in local politics. Bengaluru, Oct 1 : The Karnataka government on Saturday called a special joint legislative session on Monday to discuss and decide on the Supreme Court's order to release Cauvery river water to Tamil Nadu from October 1-6. "We will take a call on releasing water after the joint session of the legislature on Monday. We are also filing a review petition on Monday seeking modification of the Supreme Court's Friday order to release 6,000 cusecs per day for six days," said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah after a cabinet meeting here. He also briefed his ministers on the views of other political parties expressed earlier at the all-party meeting, opposing release of water at any cost as per the September 23 unanimous resolution of the state legislature. "As we are not in a position to release further water, the cabinet has decided to appeal to the apex court for modifying its September 30 order," said Siddaramaiah. On the apex court's directive to the Union government for setting up the Cauvery Management Board, he said as the state's special review petition against constituting it was pending before the Supreme Court, the state government had requested the Union Water Resources Minister to rush an expert committee to assess the ground realities in both the states. The chief minister, however, regretted that Uma Bharti could not decide on the state's request after Tamil Nadu vehemently opposed it. Earlier in the evening, opposition parties urged the state government not to release water even if it meant disobeying the Supreme Court's fresh order. "We have told the chief minister not to release water at any cost and abide by the state legislature's unanimous resolution to retain it only for drinking purpose," said former Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar, of the BJP, after the all-party meeting. A division bench of the apex court on Friday directed the state to release 6,000 cusecs per day to Tamil Nadu for six days from October 1. "There is no question of releasing water any more. We are with the government on this issue as unanimously decided by the state legislature last week (September 23) in the interests of the people," said former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, of the JD-S. Asserting that the opposition parties were with the ruling Congress on upholding the resolution, JD-S lawmaker Y.S.V. Dutta told reporters later that the opposition leaders were even ready to go to jail with the chief minister. Deficit monsoon rains in the catchment areas depleted the storage levels in the four reservoirs across the river basin to an all-time low of 27 tmc (thousand million cubic) feet, which is barely sufficient for supplying drinking water to the people in cities, towns and villages in the state's southern region. The opposition parties also urged the state government to oppose the setting up of the Cauvery Management Board, as it would be detrimental to the state's interests. "We have advised the government not to recommend any official's name to the centre as the state's member on the Board as we are against constituting it now," said Kumaraswamy. The Bharatiya Janata Party also told the government to urge the central government not to set up the Board at this juncture as the state's petition challenging the final award of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal was pending before the Supreme Court. "We will prevail upon Prime Minister Narendra Modi not to set up the Board, as the tribunal's various recommendations in its final award have been contested by the state in the apex court," Shettar told reporters. The top court's Friday order to the Union government for setting up the Board by October 4 and its directive to the four riparian states, which also include Kerala and Puducherry, to send names of officials as their representatives were discussed at the all-party meeting here. New Delhi, Oct 2 : Rebel Baloch leader Mazdak Dilshad Baloch on Saturday thanked India for its support to his cause, saying it meant that they were "no longer alone". Participating in a seminar on "Baloch Nationality" at the RSS-backed India Policy Foundation (IPF), he told the gathering, which included top journalists, former diplomats and retired armed forces officers that their's was "the strongest movement of Balochistan; it is a grass root movement run by baloch people not by any Khan or tribal leader". Emphasising the importance of Indian support to Baloch movement, he said: "You do not know how alone we were. But now, we are not alone." Citing the atrocities meted out to Baloch people by the Pakistani establishment, he said that there is no home in Balochistan which has not sacrificed its member. "Pakistan army beats our children in school and make them sing the national anthem of Pakistan. I have lived in Pakistan and I can say that the people of Pakistan are no different from Pakistan army." On the future governance of Balochistan, he said, "We believe in democracy, our traditional tribal system was closer to democracy. Even during the time of the Khan (of Kalat), we had two house parliament. Future Balochistan will be a democracy." Thanking the people of India, he said: "We want 'Azad' Balochistan. We don't want to be with Pakistan. In last 70 years no Baloch has came to India but today we have come here and I want to thank all of you for your support." IPF also released a booklet titled "Balochistan - What the world needs to know" edited by Prof Geeta Bhatt of Delhi University. Washington, Oct 2 : A majority of US voters said that they do not trust country's media's fact-checking of presidential candidates' statements. The new Rasmussen Reports poll released on Friday found that when it comes to fact-checking presidential candidates' statements, almost two in three likely US voters do not trust the media, with only 29 per cent saying otherwise. The distrust of media is deeper among Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump's supporters, with 88 per cent believing that US media are biases, Xinhua cited the poll as saying. By contrast, almost six in ten Democrat Hillary Clinton's supporters trust media fact-checking. While Clinton was criticised for shunning media by rarely holding a press conference, Trump wrangled with the media after his usually contradictory statements on issues such as Iraqi War and controversial remarks were scrutinised by the media. The media bombardment began late July after Trump derisively answered criticism from Khizr Khan, the father of a Muslim American solider killed by a suicide bomber in Iraq. Islamabad, Oct 2 : To review the combat readiness, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Muhammad Zakaullah visited forward posts of Pakistan Navy at Creeks area on Friday. The Naval Chief visited various Naval posts and observed the operational readiness of the troops deployed on forward bases, Radio Pakistan reported on Saturday. Targeting India, Zakaullah said that "Pakistan's commitment for peace must not be construed as weakness." He said that Pakistan Navy was fully capable to hit back with all its might if the war is imposed. Cairo, Oct 2 : At least five police conscripts were shot dead on Saturday by unidentified gunmen in Arish city of Egypt's restive North Sinai province bordering Israel and the Palestinian Gaza Strip, the Egyptian Interior Ministry said. The ministry's statement said the five recruits were on their way back from vacation to their police central security department when the assailants stopped their vehicle and gunned them down. The conscripts' ages varied between 21 and 23 and their bodies were moved to nearby Arish hospital body refrigerator, Xinhua reported. Egypt has been facing a growing wave of terrorism since the military removed former President Mohamed Morsi in July 2013 and launched a massive security crackdown on his loyalists, leaving about 1,000 of them killed and thousands more arrested. Anti-government terror activities killed hundreds of police and military men in the Sinai Peninsula and other provinces over the past three years, with a Sinai-based militant group loyal to the Islamic State claiming responsibility for most of them. We are excited to have Sister Buder joining the tremendous group of keynote speakers at this years Louisville Innovation Summit. This is a great example of how Louisville is leading the way in aging care and innovation. Marc Rothman, MD CMO, Kindred The Louisville Innovation Summit will address many issues facing the Aging Care industry, as it presents its third annual summit in Louisville, KY, October 9-11th at the Marriott Louisville Downtown. The Summit has an exciting line up of industry leaders and world-renowned speakers. Keynote speakers include: Esther Dyson, Executive Founder of Way to Wellville, a Swiss-born American journalist, author, businesswoman, investor, commentator and philanthropist. Alexandra Drane, co-founder and chair of the board at Eliza Corporation, and Mark Ganz, President and CEO of Cambia Health Solutions. The Summit is also announcing its latest addition, featured speaker Sister Madonna Buder, also known as The Iron Nun, who will be speaking on the untapped power of seniors to transform the aging experience. At 86, Sister Buder is an internationally renown geriatric triathlete and activist, well loved for her inspirational speeches. As a geriatrician and a senior leader at Kindred Healthcare, I am really excited to have Sister Buder joining the tremendous group of keynote speakers and startup-pitch event contestants at this years Louisville Innovation Summit," said Marc Rothman, MD, CMO of Kindred Healthcare. "This is another great example of how Louisville is leading the way in aging care and innovation. In addition to its lineup of industry thought leaders, the conference will hold the Startup Pitch Event that is designed to help match aging care entrepreneurs with investors looking to advance new companies within the aging care space. More than 100 applications were received for the contest. A cash prize will be awarded along with the potential to work with a major corporate sponsor for guidance and product pilots. Conference organizers have announced the addition of the following topics and moderators: Rob Coopedge of Cambia Health will serve as emcee of the Pitch Contest. He will be joined by judges David Jones, Jr. of Chrysalis Ventures, Scott Collins of LinkAge Longevity Fund, Shannon Rothschild of Spindletop Capital and Stefanie Dhanda of Johnson & Johnson Innovation. Laurie Orlov from Aging in Place Technology Watch and Nadia Morris from the AT&T Connected Health Foundry will present Technology, the Longevity Economy, and Aging in Place. Robin Farmanfarmaian from Arc Fusion Programs and bestselling author of The Patient as CEO and Dr. David Eagleman, PhD, New York Times Bestselling Author, and host of the acclaimed PBS series The Brain will share a fireside chat on Disruptive Aging. Jonathan Dariyanani and Joanna Schneier of Cognotion, and Mary McNevin of Signature HealthCARE will be the speakers for the session Revolutionizing Your Culture with Healthcare CNA Learning. Josh Luke of FACHE National Readmission Prevention Collaborative and Kyle Hill of HomeHero will give a presentation titled Value Based Home Care: Cedars-Sinai and HomeHero Combine Forces to Demonstrate an Innovation Model that Works. Kim Bond Evans, former mergers and acquisition director for Microsoft and co-founder and CEO of digital health company Seremedi, Inc., will lead the session Healthcare as a Team Sport on value-based care. Laura Mitchell of Laura Mitchell consulting, will moderate a session with Charlie Hillman of GrandCare Systems, Norrie Daroga of iDAvatars, Inc., and Richard Staynings of CISCO on Senior Cyborgs and the Rise of Digital Health. The event is sponsored by more than 20 contributing sponsors, including Louisville-based Founding Partners, Delta Dental of Kentucky, Humana, Kindred Healthcare, PharMerica, Signature HealthCARE and Trilogy Health Services as well as the following sponsors: AARP, CDW, CareScriptions by Seremedi, Chrysalis Ventures, Cisco, Hall, Render, Killian, Heath & Lyman, HomeHero, Hosparus, Iris Plans, Kelley Construction, Louisville Convention & Visitors Bureau, Louisville Forward, Louisville Metro Government, Masonic Homes of Kentucky, Inc., Norton Health Care, PwC, Southern Grazers Wine & Spirits and the University of Louisville. Marketing and media sponsors: Aging2.0 Optimize, Health2.0, Irving Levin Associates, Louisville Business First, MedCity News, mHealth Times, Park Associates, and The Lane Report. For more information or to reserve your ticket for the 2016 conference, visit http://www.lisummit.com. Our technology is setting a new standard in business that builds value for our sponsors, retailers and consumers in a revolutionary way, said Milind Bharvirkar, President of Priatek. Priatek, LLC has launched its much anticipated prize promotion platform, in2win. The company marked the occasion by hosting a launch party at its headquarters in the Priatek Plaza building. Priateks goal is to become Americas favorite prize promotion company, by setting a new standard for excellence in delivering prize promotions. Through in2win, the company plans to award more prizes than any other prize promotion company in history. At the launch party, Priatek showcased its patented kiosk platform and featured many of popular prize promotions from sponsors such as Continental Wholesale Diamonds, TravelKatz, Sailing Florida Charters and Sailing School, Clearwater Marine Aquarium, The JOY FM, and Little Greek Fresh Grill. The main attraction of the launch party was an appearance by professional NASCAR driver David Starr with his number 93 race car. Attendees participated in a contest to win two Daytona 500 VIP tickets with pit passes, awarded by Halo Autosports. NASCAR driver David Starr congratulated the winner, Gregg Barba with Trinity Graphic,during the event. Halo Autosports also displayed their in2win kiosk giveaways, which included a Utility Terrain Vehicle (UTV) sweepstakes, and NASCAR driving experience with Team Texas High Performance Driving School at the Texas Motor Speedway. Pictures of the party are accessible on Priateks Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/priatek/photos. in2win is an amazing platform that is a fun and effective way to get our business in front of new customers, said Heather Craig, co-owner of Halo Autosports. The Priatek team has been great to work with, and we look forward to working with them as they expand across the nation. in2win is an innovative way for businesses to attract and engage new customers. in2win kiosks are being launched in malls, retail stores, hotels, restaurants, airports, sporting venues, and other high-traffic locations throughout the Tampa Bay region. Our technology is setting a new standard in business that builds value for our sponsors, retailers and consumers in a revolutionary way, said Milind Bharvirkar, President of Priatek. Priatek has also launched its in2win mobile app, which is available on Google Play and the App Store. About Priatek Priatek designs and manages custom prize promotions for local and national advertisers under its in2win brand. in2win provides advertisers with the ability to engage with qualified consumers through a network of touchscreen kiosks located in high-traffic locations. At in2win kiosks, consumers select promotions and always win a valuable prize or discount. Advertisers only pay per consumer engagement and receive comprehensive data analytics that reveal key insights about the success of their promotion. in2win re-engages consumers through its mobile app, social media, and email. in2win is revolutionizing the way brands attract, engage, and sell products to consumers. ### The military lifestyle places unique demands on spouses as they pursue their educations, careers, and build their own businesses. The National Military Family Association (NMFA), a nonprofit that works to strengthen and protect military families, is now accepting applications for its Joanne Holbrook Patton Military Spouse Scholarship, Career, and Business Funds Program. The program is expanding its application period to 15 weeks to allow more time for spouses to apply. Since the programs inception in 2004, NMFA has awarded nearly $4 million in scholarship funds to more than 4,000 military spouses. Scholarships of $500 to $2,500 are awarded to military spouses pursuing various levels of education or career advancement efforts. Recipients can use funds towards a range of pursuits including: High school equivalency All degree levels Certification programs Licensure fees and exams Professional courses, exams, and classes Continuing education credits Clinical supervision required for mental health profession licensure And for the first time, spouse-owned business expenses In addition to the expanded application period this year, funding will also be available to spouses for spouse-owned business expenses. The military lifestyle places unique demands on spouses as they pursue their educations, careers, and build their own businesses, said Joyce Wessel Raezer, Executive Director of NMFA. In recognition of their quest to do so, with each move and throughout the year, we are expanding our program and the application period to reach even more military spouses. Scholarship recipients can also apply their awards towards any level of degree, including high school equivalency, Associates, Bachelors, Masters and Doctoral. Scholarships are awarded to spouses interested in any career and any field of study. The scholarship funds may be used to assist with tuition, fees, and school room and board. As one scholarship applicant notes, I am very excited and anxious to get back to my education goals after delaying them for military moves and to have my first child. As a military spouse, I support and help my husband achieve his career goals, and now I hope to check some goals off my own list. Applicants must apply online and by midnight ET, January 15, 2017. Spouses of uniformed service members from any branch or rank are eligible to apply. Military spouses with a valid military ID are encouraged to apply. Apply now! This scholarship program is made possible through partnerships with United Health Foundation, Fisher House Foundation, Prudential Financial, Samsung Electronics, and Lockheed Martin. In addition, Northrop Grumman Foundation, United Concordia Dental, Corvias Foundation, and GEICO lend generous support. About the National Military Family Association The National Military Family Association is the leading nonprofit dedicated to serving the families who stand behind the uniform. Since 1969, NMFA has worked to strengthen and protect millions of families through its advocacy and programs. They provide spouse scholarships, camps for military kids, and retreats for families reconnecting after deployment and for the families of the wounded, ill, or injured. NMFA serves the families of the currently serving, retired, wounded or fallen members of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard, and Commissioned Corps of the USPHS and NOAA. To get involved or to learn more, visit http://www.MilitaryFamily.org. King Kullen is proud to celebrate National Family Meals Month this September. National Family Meals Month is a movement started by the Food Marketing Institute Foundation in 2015, encouraging families to share one more meal together each week. The goal is to raise awareness of the positive benefits that sharing family meals provides. According to the Food Marketing Institute, home-cooked meals nourish the spirit, brain and health of all family members. Not to mention, people who frequently cook at home eat fewer, healthier calories. Some of the benefits of eating more home-cooked family meals include the following: Improves health and wellness of children and adolescents Heavily influences childrens long-term health Decreases consumption of carbohydrates, sugar and fat Establishes healthier dietary and eating patterns Fights obesity Strengthens families Regular family meals are also linked to outcomes that everyone wants for their children, such as higher grades and self-esteem, healthier eating habits and less risky behavior. A recent study* shows that children who grow up sharing meals as a family are more likely to exhibit positive behavior as adults, such as sharing, fairness and respect. King Kullen knows that juggling jobs, kids and the demands of a busy, modern life often come at the expense of family mealtime at home. As the areas local grocer, King Kullen offers the solution to mealtime dilemmas. According to the Food Marketing Institute Foundation, 90 percent of families wish they could have more meals together and 81 percent of parents buy food with minimal prep time and less clean-up because time is limited. King Kullen provides a solution, in offering an ever-expanding assortment of products that take the stress out of planning and preparing family meals: pre-prepped fresh ingredients, delicious ready-made entrees, wholesome heat-and-eat dishes and more. They make it easy for their customers to enjoy more family meals together, even on busy weeknights. According to Hartman Group, 63 percent of Americans decide what to eat less than an hour before eating. Take a trip to King Kullen on the way home from work and visit the deli department for a fresh and warm rotisserie chicken (available in three flavors), a slice of traditional or turkey meatloaf, baked ziti or vegetable lasagna. Serve with any one of their salads or pre-prepped side dishes. Deli Director Al Spinazzola explains that side dish options include lemon-roasted carrots, Brussels sprouts with bacon, and herb-roasted potatoes. The Deli Department is also offering more nutritious grain-based salads, as a healthy alternative to traditional mayonnaise-based salads. These new salads include Pesto Farro, Citrus Tabouleh, and Harvest Wheatberry. King Kullen also has pre-diced vegetables in the Produce Department, such as pre-cut sweet potatoes, pre-cut squash, peppers, onions and more, to throw together a quick side dish or stir fry. Meat and Seafood Director Al Gerrity explains that both departments are offering pre-marinated or pre-seasoned meat and seafood options. Flavors include garlic and herb, mojito lime, Montreal seasoning, honey mustard, rotisserie, chipotle cinnamon and many more. These flavors are offered on any cut of beef, poultry or pork, as well as any piece of seafood. The Meat Department also offers other pre-prepared entrees, such as boneless stuffed pork chops, Chicken Valentino, kabobs and more. The Meals to Go option is ever expanding, with grab-and-go options such as Poached Salmon with Dill, Linguini with Clam Sauce, Balsamic Grilled Chicken Caprese, Penne ala Vodka, Chicken Parmigiana, Lobster Rigatoni, Vegetable Lasagna and more packaged and ready to go in containers that are safe for both the oven and microwave. A final easy grab-and-go option for Family Meal Month is King Kullens expanded line of private label soups, with flavors including Broccoli Cheddar, Lobster Bisque, Lentil, Chicken Noodle and Shrimp and Corn Chowder. They pair deliciously with store-baked signature baguettes, and are perfect to share around the family dinner table. About the Company: Headquartered in Bethpage, New York, King Kullen Grocery Co., Inc. is recognized by the Smithsonian Institution as Americas first supermarket. Michael J. Cullen opened the doors of King Kullen in 1930. Today, four generations later, King Kullen is still family owned and operated. It remains a leader in the supermarket industry. From that very first store in 1930, King Kullen today operates 34 supermarkets and five Wild by Nature stores across Long Island. In addition to traditional grocery, King Kullen features a large catering and prepared foods department, freshly-baked breads and sweets, and healthy and organic areas, with pharmacies in many stores as well. *De Backer, C.J. (2014). Our Food Versus My Food. Investigating the Relation Between Childhood Shared Food Practices and Prosocial Behavior in Belgium. Appetite, 84 (January 2015). Customer service from the Pioneer team has been first class! They have provided great support as we learn this new program. Pioneer Technology Group, LLC, a provider of custom developed software to County Government, has announced the completed installation of Escambia Countys new Value Adjustment Board software system, Axia. Axia provides Escambia County with online access for Taxpayers, Property Appraisers, Magistrates, and Value Adjustment Board staff. Online access includes real-time status of petitions, hearing dates, hearing decisions, and the submittal and retrieval of evidence. Additionally, Axias paperless hearing module allows for automated batch scheduling, the assigning of Special Magistrates with the correct qualifications, automatic generation of hearing notices, and the review of hearing schedules and daily agendas. The system also allows the scheduler to group hearings by agent, owner, location and various other criteria. We know that Escambia, and all Florida Counties, have been getting inundated with petitions. With this in mind, we are happy to provide a solution that adds a considerable amount of efficiency to the VAB process, said Steve T. Rumsey, President and CEO of Pioneer Technology Group. Heather S. Mahoney, Manager of Official Records in Escambia County, had this to say of their experience so far: Our office started using Axia in the 2016 VAB Season. It is a great program, and is extremely user friendly. Customer service from the Pioneer team has been first class! They have provided great support as we learn this new program. Escambia County joins the growing list of counties that have turned to Pioneer Technology Group for an improved VAB workflow solution. In addition to Axia, Escambia also uses Pioneers Case Management Software, Benchmark, for Court solutions as well as Excise, a Tourist Tax Development website with customer integration. They will also be going live with Pioneers Landmark, an industry leading Land Records Management System scheduled to launch later this year. This project is currently underway. About Pioneer Technology Group Pioneer Technology Group (PTG) is a leading developer of software solutions and services to Governments and the private sector. The company, headquartered in Sanford, Florida, develops and supports the Benchmark court case management system, the Landmark official records system, the YourDox title document system, and tax processing systems for counties and municipalities. PTG also provides content management systems and a scanning services bureau for transitioning paper to digital images through its subsidiary, Pioneer Records Management. For more information about the company, please visit PTGs website at http://www.ptghome.com. Dutch Bros Coffee "Be Aware" mug Breast Cancer impacts so many lives, and we are grateful to support research that will improve treatment and outcomes. To celebrate Breast Cancer Awareness Month, all Dutch Bros Coffee locations will donate proceeds from the sale of its specialty Be Aware travel mugs to the advancement of breast cancer research at Oregon Health Sciences University Knight Cancer Institute (OHSU Knight Cancer Institute). Beginning on Saturday, Oct. 1, these specialty travel mugs will be available at all locations. Dutch Bros will donate $5 from the sale of every mug to raise awareness and funds for breast cancer research and the development of new techniques for detection, treatment and prevention. "The OHSU Knight Cancer Institute is doing an amazing job in breast cancer research," said Dutch Bros Co-Founder, Travis Boersma. "I cannot be more proud to partner with an organization that has such credibility and a tremendous track record for really making a difference. It's an honor to be a part such impactful work." Dutch Bros locations will donate funds raised throughout the month to the Oregon Health and Sciences University (OHSU) Knight Cancer Institute. Funds will directly benefit this institute as they continue their research. Donated funds support top researchers at OHSU as they discover new forms of breast cancer detection, treatment and prevention. We are grateful for the support the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute has received from Dutch Bros and the Dutch Bros community over the years, said Brian Druker, M.D., director of the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute. These valuable dollars will help our mission to build an early detection cancer research program, with the ultimate goal to end cancer as we know it. To find a location near you, please visit http://www.dutchbros.com/locations About Dutch Bros Coffee Dutch Bros Coffee is the countrys largest privately held, drive-thru coffee company, with over 270 locations and over 7,000 employees in seven states. Dutch Bros serves specialty coffee, smoothies, freezes, teas and a private-label, Dutch Bros Blue Rebel energy drink. The rich, proprietary coffee blend is handcrafted from start to finish. Every ingredient is measured, every process timed, and every cup perfected. With a mission of, Making a Difference, One Cup at a Time, Dutch Bros donates over $2 million annually to nonprofit organizations and local causes selected by local owner-operators. Dutch Bros. Coffee is headquartered in Grants Pass, Ore., where it was founded in 1992 by Dane and Travis Boersma, brothers of Dutch descent. To learn more about Dutch Bros, visit http://www.dutchbros.com, like Dutch Bros Coffee on Facebook or follow @DutchBros on Twitter. Media Contact Only: Jen Wheatley, pr(at)dutchbros(dot)com 541-226-7787 Plano & Frisco Texas Probate Attorneys: Burdette & Rice, PLLC Ironically, even with hundreds of thousands of dollars at stake, many people still confine their search for the best inheritance dispute attorney to their local community, such as Plano or Frisco. Our new office overcomes this barrier. Burdette & Rice, the largest probate litigation law firm in Dallas and North Texas, is proud to announce the opening of a new office in Plano, Texas, at 5700 Granite Parkway, Suite 200, Plano, Texas 75024. The new office will make it easy for persons seeking Plano or Frisco probate attorneys to meet in person with the staff of Burdette & Rice. The suburbs north of Dallas, such as Plano and Frisco, have an affluent client base many of whom may be seeking attorney services with respect to probate, estate, and trust litigation. It is not uncommon for potential clients to literally search for 'will attorneys Frisco' or 'will attorneys Plano,' and yet be reluctant to drive into Dallas to discuss issues surrounding will contests under Texas law. The new office is part of the firm's outreach strategy into these affluent suburbs. Ironically, even with hundreds of thousands of dollars at stake, many people still confine their search for the best inheritance dispute attorney to their local community, such as Plano or Frisco. Our new office overcomes this barrier, as we can meet with clients in person at the satellite facility," explained Elliott Burdette, Managing Director of Probate Litigation at Burdette & Rice. At that point, we can also communicate via the Internet and/or telephone making it easy for North Texas clients who want the expertise of a big city Dallas law firm for probate, estate, or trust disputes with the convenience of a suburban location. The office contact number is (972) 731-2920." An Aging Population and Booming Suburbs Bring Litigation to Plano and Frisco in Matters of Inheritance and Wills It's no secret that America is growing older, as the Baby boomers retire. The transfer of wealth between the Baby boomer generation and their descendents, in fact, represents the largest intergenerational transfer of wealth in American history. In addition, the state of Texas has consistently been one of the fastest growing states in the Union, and the North Dallas suburbs of Plano and Frisco have seen their share of rapid growth. Unfortunately, on occasion, the death of a loved one can lead to inheritance disputes up to and including probate, estate, and trust litigation. While proper pre-planning is advised, some people are not aware of disputes over a will until a loved one passes away. At that point, the interested parties may search frantically for a probate dispute attorney or a lawyer specializing in disputes over trusts, estates, and wills in a local community like Frisco or Plano. However, the reality is that it is really only in the larger communities such as Dallas that specialized law firms exist for litigation of this type. By opening a satellite office in Plano, Burdette & Rice is making it easy for clients to have the expertise of a big Dallas law firm and the convenience of a local suburban firm. Persons interested in learning more about the firm's probate litigation services can visit http://www.dallasprobateattorneys.com/probate-estate-disputes/. For information on will contests under Texas law, visit http://www.dallasprobateattorneys.com/will-contests/. Those who are in Dallas can be met in the firm's Dallas office, and those for whom the Plano location is more convenient are welcomed to call the firm to set up an in-person meeting at the new location. About Burdette & Rice, PLLC Burdette & Rice, PLLC is a top Dallas probate law firm, with lawyers dedicated to listening to their clients, being fully present to them, and advocating their clients positions in the simplest and most persuasive way possible. The law firm employs some of the top probate and estate lawyers in Dallas, Texas. Clients come to Burdette & Rice to contest a will in Texas, work on complex inheritance litigation and disputes, and to litigate disputes over powers of attorney, guardianship and trustee issues all based on Texas law. Burdette & Rice, PLLC Media Relations http://www.dallasprobateattorneys.com/ 972-991-7700 Click Here to go to PublishersWeekly.com Readers Respond: Going Mobile We recently ran Brian F. OLearys analysis of Bowkers annual summary of ISBNs registered for self-published works, in which he advocates for publishers to further develop consumer-facing Web presences and apps to establish true first-party relationships. Our readers had a lot to say about his ideas: If publishers think that going mobile means creating a dedicated-to-their-book-list mobile app, theyre going to be sadly mistaken. Extremely few readers are loyal to any publisher. Most pay no attention to who published a book.Michael W. Perry Bringing just books to the smartphone might not do the tricksame thing, just a different format. Books in their current form are a solitary business. There is still no connection between the author and the reader, which is crucial. But this smartphone generation is not like this at all. They are used to being online almost 24/7, commenting, rating, sharing, following almost all their activities on the smartphone. This social component, which could go as far as even in-story commenting, is a must-have for making reading attractive again for a younger target group.Veronika Kartovenko Reading needs to become social? I thought that was kind of the point of reading... to NOT be social.Steve Quinn Read OLearys column. From the Newsletters Tip Sheet Mauro Javier Cardenas, who weaves dizzyingly long sentences into his debut novel, The Revolutionaries Try Again (Coffee House), picks nine books filled with great long sentences. Childrens Bookshelf How a group of YA authors teamed up with Rock the Vote on the #firstvote16 campaign to encourage young people to register to vote and head to the polls. Religion Bookline Celia Viggo Wexler on how to be a Catholic and a feminist. Global Rights Report Behind the success of Quicksand, a Swedish novel about a school shooting thats been a fixture on that countrys bestseller list all summer and has sold in 23 territories so far. Sign up for these and other great, free newsletters. The most-read review last week on publishersweekly.com was It Doesnt Have to Be That Way: How to Divorce Without Destroying Your Family or Bankrupting Yourself by Laura A. Wasser (St. Martins). Blogs ShelfTalker That very specific jolt of pleasure you get when an old favorite book comes back into print. Podcasts Week Ahead PW senior writer Andrew Albanese discusses Banned Books Week and some surprise news from the New York Public Library about one of its most innovative ventures. More to Come The More to Come crew on New York Comic Con, cartoonist Gene Luen Yangs MacArthur genius grant, strong sales growth in the comics market, and more. PW Radio Author and educator Nisi Shawl discusses her debut novel, Everfair (Tor). And PW senior writer Andrew Albanese previews the Frankfurt Book Fair. The demise of print has been famously and erroneously predicted for years. In the early 1990s, the CEO of a major professional publisher announced that print is dead. To his credit, he publicly recanted that statement several years later. Despite the incredible advances in digital technology and new opportunities for selling e-products, print sales have remained the bread and butter of almost all publishers. Print, however, is not the solid foundation it used to be. In recent years, most sectors have seen an overall decline in print sales, and though we are likely to see some variations over time, the overall downward trend does not seem likely to be reversed. The promise of increasing revenue from electronic products remains strong but somewhat elusive. There are many intriguing notions of what will be the next big thing, but the truth is that no one knows for certain. However, there is one strategy that is criticalbeing prepared for all eventualities. The key is content. Ensuring safe storage and easy access to content is an obvious first step. In the past, publishers have been known to be too casual about the preservation of files. In many cases, publishers paid almost no attention to archival storage, instead depending on third-party typesetters and printers to maintain our intellectual property. Even now, some smaller and midsize publishers are guilty of such dangerous practices. Larger publishers have known for some years the importance of maintaining an archival system. In some cases, unfortunately, their files are a relative hodgepodge, with no automated or systematized method of retrieval. The larger the collection of old titles, the more problematic this becomes. Finding the correct format of the correct title is one challenge; ensuring that the file is still in existence is another. Many major publishers have tended to adopt some sort of product-data repository (PDR) or content-management system (CMS). Whether internally developed or vendor supported, such systems become the foundation for all existing and future uses of content. In any case, the publisher needs a complete and fully searchable system for finished product files. Such a system is essential in responding to an emerging and evolving market. Whether creating the 2.0 version of an existing e-product, developing a new online site, or merely converting to a format required by a promising aggregator, the publisher needs to be quick. Such projects can no longer take months or even years to complete. Verifying File Consistency Not only does a publisher need easy access to files, but those files need to be in a consistent, ready-to-use condition. Publishers often believe that they are maintaining a single version of their content and are surprised and frustrated to find they are not. A familiar mistake derives from the common practice of using multiple third-party vendors for the production of frontlist titles. It is not unusual to ask vendors to provide final files in the various formats needed for each e-product title. There is nothing wrong with this practice except that the publisher needs to be aware that every vendor will develop each format to its particular set of specs. As a result, a publisher using seven different vendors is likely to end up with seven separate interpretations of the same digital format. Some publishers may argue that this problem does not apply to them because they provide their own detailed specifications for each format to every vendor. That may be true, but it underestimates just how easily inconsistencies can be introduced. Content needs to be treated as a valuable asset. No CFO would argue that since everyone is subject to financial regulations, there is never a need for an audit. A number of publishers have now built in a quality-assurance (QA) step, or a review-and-correct step, that occurs prior to archiving files. This QA process may be an internal exercise or a task assigned to a third-party vendor. In any case, the objective is to identify any discrepancies from the publishers own specs and then to return the file to the original vendor for correction. So when dealing with multiple vendors, the best practice is to take Ronald Reagans famous advice trust but verify. That simple measure for ensuring quality/structure consistency is key to a publishers readiness for any eventuality. Choosing a System At this point the discussion circles back to a topic raised earlier: what kind of system best suits the publishers needs to manage content? Basically, there is the need for an interactive system that warehouses finished goods along with their associated metadata. A repository containing both content and its associated metadata will be called, for the purposes of this paper, a product data repository, or PDR. Note: the term repository is used here with some hesitation; there are unfortunate connotations associated with it. Websters includes a definition of repository as a burial vault or tomb, and it is just that notion publishers need to avoid. A good way to think of a PDR is not as some static storage area but as an active digital warehouse for managing content and data that are vital to the business. Typically, a PDR will provide an overall structure for storage, as well as features for search and retrieval, utilizing associated metadata. Content stored in a PDR will normally be in the form of finished goods and not accessed by any dynamic delivery system, such as a Web server. A PDR is often a simple relational database, providing sophisticated search and retrieval while remaining user-friendly. It can be internally developed or adapted from a third-party system to the publishers particular needs. The economic advantage here is that such a system is relatively inexpensive and quick to employ. The PDR is an assembly of content. It is not possible to semantically search across an entire library of digital content in a PDR. One can, however, prepare content at a very granular level for future use. With digital-object identifiers (DOIs) stored as metadata, a publisher can tag individual chapters, or even objects within those chapters, for a time when they might be accessed dynamically. Perhaps the most important question for publishers to ask is whether a PDR meets their most immediate business needs. Often, those business needs are tied to storing, tracking, accessing, and retrieving finished goods and content quickly and reliably. Such modest needs could be metaphorically thought of as what mode of transportation is needed to drive somewhere. If the publisher is going from New York to Boston and is not planning to go to battle along the way, then perhaps a Honda is the best bet. If it serves the publishers most urgent needs, then a PDR may be the cheapest, quickest means to an end. On the other hand, while a CMS can replicate the functions of a PDR, its power lies in the structured assembly of content, allowing the publisher to perform a semantic search across an entire library and dynamically retrieve and repurpose discrete elements. It is key to interactivity between user and content. It is probably true that most large publishers are going to need a CMS eventually. What is less recognized is that publishers rarely need such a powerful tool when managing content at the book, article, or even chapter level. The market is tempting us with possibilities, but there are presently not that many real-life commercial demands requiring CMS functionality. The PDR fits most present-day commercial needs. However, as Web-based content-delivery platforms take hold, we are seeing a steady migration toward workflows with digital content taking precedence over print. And with the advent of digital-first authoring environments (Inkling, Habitat, Metrodigis Chaucer), the CMS becomes inevitable. A CMS is not going to be an out-of-the-box solution. A publishers particular business rules and workflow-management needs will require months of development. In order to function as intended, the CMS will require consistent tagging across all content. A CMS is not inherently user-friendly. If everyday users are going to easily retrieve and validate downloads from a CMS, they will either need to be familiar with query language, or the system is going to need an interpretive layer to accommodate them in a more user-friendly mode. Going back to the comparison of the PDR to a Honda, the CMS is something of a tank. Systems are incredibly dense and powerful. The dynamic interactive repurposing of content at a granular level is the metaphorical equivalent of going into battleit requires a tank. It is complicated, expensive, and time-consuming to build, but it is the right vehicle for the job. It is not, however, the right vehicle for driving from New York to Boston under typical circumstances. A PDR is easily ported to a CMS when the time comes. The two system fit hand in glove. For most publishers immediate needs, the answer may be to start with a PDR and let the market dictate when a CMS has become necessary. Where Are We, and Where Do We Go from Here Publishers are facing a number of potential pitfalls going forward. Some of these are related to an uncertain market and evolving technology, but some are of our own making. It is a challenge to reconcile our own business strategies with quickly changing and complicated technologies. And there is always the chance of making costly mistakes. The market for publishers appears to be in a world shifting between print and electronic. While the fortunes of print continue to decline, the promise of electronic-product revenue has yet to be fully realized. There is confidence that the digitization of content is going to eventually recoup lost print revenues, but there is not yet any clear vision of what the market is going to demand going forward. The best strategy is to be prepared for any eventuality. That means ensuring that archival content is consistent, well structured, and easily retrievable, and that new titles are properly vetted for quality and consistency before being archived. It also means not letting content structure be defined by full-service suppliers. A system for managing content is essential; what form that takes is dependent on each publishers business needs. Here in 2016 there is a good deal more certainty about the digital market for content than there was a decade ago. Still, a number of markets are far from mature. What is certain is that the bold executive decision isnt about choosing one format over another. Its not about predicting what markets will do. Its about being prepared to execute and deliver content to whatever market presents itself. Read the full white paper this article is based on. Rick Beardsley is the former v-p of production at Taylor & Francis The Technology-Publishing Connection This article is the first in a print and webinar series presented by CodeMantra on how publishers can best use technology to expand their businesses. The series will feature four print articles and four free webinars. The first free webinar, called Technology Simplified, is set for October 5 at 1 p.m. EDT. The panel includes Michael McGinniss, head of digital transformation at Accenture; Samantha Cohen, v-p, design and digital content development at Simon & Schuster; and Randi Park, publishing officer/publishing and knowledge at World Bank Group. The second webinar, the Importance of Metadata, will take place October 12. Other installments set for later this year are Working Together and Book Apps vs. E-books. In another major deal in the run-up to next month's Frankfurt Book Fair, an industry insider has sold his first novel for a rumored seven figures. The book, a thriller called The Woman in the Window, was acquired by Jennifer Brehl at William Morrow. Brehl won North American rights to the book after an eight-house auction. Jennifer Joel at ICM Partners represented the author, who happens to be the v-p and executive editor of William Morrow, Dan Mallory. To distinguish between his role as publisher, and his role as author, Joel noted, Mallory will be releasing the novel under the pseudonym A.J. Finn. The novel, which has been flagged as one of the early hot books of the fair, is a work of psychological suspense that Joel called a "taut and twisty Hitchcockian thriller." The book's set-up, certainly, recalls one of the director's classic films, Rear Window. Woman in the Window's heroine, like the laid-up former detective Jimmy Stewart plays in Hitchcock's film, has become something of a voyeur. A divorcee who is cut off from her family, Anna Fox is now an agoraphobic shut-in camped out inside her New York City brownstone. She passes the time by watching old movies, drinking too much, and occasionally spying on her neighbors. When a new family moves in next door, and Anna begins snooping on them, she starts yearning more intensely for the family she lost. Then, as Joel explains in her pitch letter, Anna witnesses "what seems to be a shocking act of violence" that rocks her "precariously constructed world." The crime, Joel continued, forces a number of questions. "What has she really seen? What has she imagined? And what will be the consequences of her accusation?" The sale of Woman in the Window comes on the heels of a handful of other notable pre-Frankfurt deals which closed last week. The book, which is quickly gaining attention in the industry as a title that could emerge as one of the big books at Frankfurt, is something Joel confirmed has generated marked excitement. Woman in the Window, she said, has drawn a "level of enthusiasm" higher than any piece of fiction she has sent out in "a long time." At press time, the book had also sold in the U.K. to HarperCollins. Hyde Re-ups at Lake Union Catherine Ryan Hyde (Pay It Forward) inked a new deal with Amazons Lake Union Publishing imprint, selling world rights to four books to Jodi Warshaw. The first book in the deal, Allie & Bea, is slated for summer 2017; it follows a 70-year-old widow who takes a road trip after her husband dies and winds up finding an unexpected traveling companion in a 15-year-old girl. Agent Laura Rennert at Andrea Brown Literary represented Hyde and said the novel is about two people who, as they travel together, come to a new understanding not just of each other, but also of the world. Penguin Press Lights Ngs Fires In a North American rights deal, Celeste Ng sold her sophomore novel, Little Fires Everywhere, to Ginny Smith at Penguin Press. Ngs debut, Everything I Never Told You (Penguin Press, 2014), received wide critical acclaim and, among other things, earned a starred PW review, was named a New York Times Notable Book of 2014, and won the 2015 Massachusetts Book Award. Little Fires is set in the authors hometown of Shaker Heights, Ohio, and follows a family called the Richardsons. The book, Penguin elaborated, explores the weight of long-held secrets, the nature of belonging, the ferocious pull of motherhoodand the danger of believing that following the rules can avert disaster. Julie Barer at the Book Group represented Ng, and Little Fires is slated for a 2017 release. Origami Yoga Creator Sells New Picture Book Tom Angleberger, the author of the bestselling Origami Yoda series, sold a new picture book called Goldberg!! & the Rich Dude Who Couldnt Sleep to Abrams. Susan van Metre took world rights to the title, which will be illustrated by Elio. The author was represented by Caryn Wiseman at the Andrea Brown Literary Agency, and the illustrator was represented by Jennifer Rofe at Andrea Brown. The book is scheduled for a fall 2018 release and, per Wiseman, tells the slightly wacky story of a rich, sleepless dude whose harpsichord player, Goldberg, wasnt successful in lulling said dude to sleep. Neal Porter Re-ups Award-Winning Picture Book Pair In another picture book deal, the Caldecott-winning author-illustrator duo of Philip C. Stead and Erin E. Stead sold Music for Mister Moon to Roaring Book Presss Neal Porter Books. Neal Porter, the publisher of the imprint, took world rights to the title from Emily van Beek at Folio Literary Management. Van Beek said the book is about a wistful young cellist named Harriet who longs to play in solitude until she meets the Moon, buys him a hat, and plays music just for him. Music for Mr. Moon is scheduled for fall 2018. Constantine Sisters Sell Debut to Harper Writing under the pseudonym Liv Constantine, sisters Lynne and Valerie Constantine sold their first psychological suspense novel, Middlegame, to Emily Griffin at Harper. Griffin took world rights from Bernadette Baker-Baughman at Victoria Sanders & Associates. Baker-Baughman said the book follows a woman who desires the life of another woman and will go to any length to get it. Middlegame is set for winter 2018 and will be released simultaneously in multiple countriesincluding France, Spain, and the U.S.as part of the publishers new global publishing program. HC Handles Englands Disasters Abby Ranger at HarperCollins took world English rights, in a two-book preempt, to M.K. Englands debut YA novel, The Disasters. Barbara Poelle at Irene Goodman Literary, who represented England, said she pitched the novel as The Breakfast Club meets Firefly and that it follows five teenagers who consider themselves to be galactic failures and have to use the qualities that flunked them out of Ellis Space Academy to prevent a series of intergalactic attacks. Nugent Does Double at Gallery Making her first acquisition as a senior editor at Gallery Books, Jackie Cantor acquired U.S. rights to two psychological suspense novels by Irish author Liz Nugent. Cantor took the authors debut, Unraveling Oliver, and her sophomore effort, Lying in Wait, both of which have been published in Ireland, where they became bestsellers. In Unraveling Oliver, named 2014 Crime Novel of the Year by the Irish Book Awards, the life of a seemingly perfect couple shatters when the husband attacks the wife, leaving her in a coma. The book then unravels the mystery of the shocking act from his point of view. Gallery has Unraveling Oliver slated for August 2017, and Lying in Wait for summer 2018. Having a nicheonce regarded as a key to ensuring success against the onslaught of the chains, price clubs, and mass merchandisersis no longer a guarantee for booksellers. The number of womens bookstores has gone from a high of 120 in 1994 to less than a dozen today. Fewer than 10 science fiction bookstores remain in the country, and a number of mystery bookstores have closed, most recently the 41-year-old Mystery & Imagination in Glendale, Calif., in July. However, some seasoned niche stores are continuing to thrive, while new stores such as the Ripped Bodice in Culver City, Calif., the countrys only romance bookstore, and the Troll Hole, a feminist bookstore/sex shop in a laundromat in Brooklyn, are opening. And older stores are changing hands, such as Seattles poetry bookstore, Open Books, which was sold last month. The advantage of running a specialty bookstore is running out, said Alan Beatts, owner of 19-year-old Borderlands Books in San Francisco, which specializes in science fiction, fantasy, mystery, and horror. Even though his business is currently profitable (2014 was Borderlands best year ever), in February Beatts put out a call to customers for help. His concern was a problem that could soon engulf general and specialty bookstores alike: increased minimum wage. When voters in San Francisco called for wages to go to $15 per hour by 2018, Beatts calculated that his operating expenses would increase 18%, and he would need at least 20% more sales, more than he could meet. After a heavy outpouring of support from the community, Beatts came up with a plan in February 2015. If, by the end of that March, 300 customers each signed up for a $100 annual sponsorship, the store would stay open for another year. He repeated it this year, and although the number of sponsorships fell off from 850 in 2015 to 650 in 2016, Borderlands seems to be on track for many more years. Beatts is planning other changes, including moving the stores online sales from Biblio to Borderlands own website so that he can retain online customers, and creating a book subscription program. In Gainesville, Fla., 400-sq.-ft. Wild Iris Books, one of the few remaining feminist bookstores in the country, has experienced financial pressures over the years, but not this summer. Sales have been up every month over 2015, according to co-owner Erica Rodriguez Merrell, who called it the best summer ever. Unlike Borderlands, the 24-year-old bookstore has no wage-increase woes. Thats because Wild Iriss staff is entirely volunteer. In addition, because of Merrells increased visibility in the community as a spokesperson on feminist and social-justice issues, the bookstore is starting to get bulk orders and to attract interns from nearby universities to help with various aspects of bookselling, including graphic design and planning events. Merrell, who worked in corporate bookselling for Borders and Books-A-Million, has looked into turning the store into a nonprofit to increase financial support. But some community members arent convinced that thats the best way to go, and Wild Iris has been able to attract donations without the incentive of a tax break. Natalie Sacco and her husband, Trevor Thomas, purchased then-25-year-old Mystery Lovers Bookshop in Oakmont, Pa., in May, 2015. Its going really well, Sacco said of the stores first year under their ownership. But that doesnt mean the team didnt have a few missteps. When Sacco and Thomas tried broadening the stores inventory and adding more general-interest titles, nobody cared, Sacco said. They have since pared back to bestsellers such as Anthony Doerrs All the Light We Cannot See, titles on the Indie Next List, and some childrens books. The latter has become one of their bestselling sections. We decided rather than branch out to go deep in certain categories, Sacco said. A new classics section featuring Agatha Christie, Jim Thompson, and Ross MacDonald has done particularly well. They have also significantly upgraded the store website to make it easier to shop. At Houstons Murder by the Book, owner McKenna Jordan had to negotiate a particularly difficult challenge a year after she bought the store in 2009the sudden death of her husband, David Thompson, who was the assistant bookstore manager and founder of Busted Flush Press; 2011 through 2013 were not easy years for us, Jordan said. It is hard when people feel a person on the staff is their family. Over the past two years, shes seen customers slowly return and adjust to getting book recommendations from other booksellers. Through it all, Jordan is quick to point out that the store has continued to support itself. It has strong foot traffic and does about 30% of its business through phone, mail, and online ordering. Not only that, but when the store was damaged by the citys flooding this past spring, devoted customers bought gift cards to help pay for the renovations. For sisters Bea and Leah Koch, who launched the Ripped Bodice in March, having a unique specialty has contributed to growth. It gives people a reason to come here, Bea Koch said. Last month the pair gave customers an additional reason to visit: books at lower price points. When the Kochs learned that a used bookstore in Costa Mesa was closing, they bought out its romance titles and turned their empty second floor into a used-book area. The Kochs were well aware of the lure of genre e-books, particularly the 99 ones, when they opened the store. We dont shame anyone for reading on devices, said Bea, who recommends her favorite books to customers when asked. Nevertheless, many customers want print copies of their e-books, Leah said. She and her sister are selling unique books as well as limited print editions of the fourth and fifth books in local author Jenn LeBlancs steamy Lords of Time series, of which the titles The Trouble with Grace and The Spare and the Heir were released as iBook exclusives earlier this month. Two culinary bookstores have opened within the last 18 months. Chicagos 1,950-sq.-ft. Read It and Eat turned one in May; Brooklyns Archestratus Books & Foods will be one in October. Both have taken a different approach to inventory. Originally, I thought what I wanted to do was introduce a line of cooking tools, said Read It and Eat founder Esther Dairiam. Instead she is looking for ways to highlight the stores many cookbooks, possibly with a different product each month, such as olive oil. While the book side is growing, the events side is growing faster, Dairiam said. Read It and Eat offers cooking classes, author demos, and cookbook clubs in which the participants each bring in a dish from a cookbook they read. For Dairiam, the biggest lesson has been knowing when to adjust and be flexible. Shes heading to the Frankfurt Book Fair to find more unique international cookbooks. When she returns, she plans to expand further with e-commerce at the stores website. At Archestratus, founder Paige Lipari tries to balance the stores cafe, which has already had its cookies singled out as the best in New York City by New York Magazine, and the bookstore. I view food as a way to see the world, said Lipari, who sells cookbooks and other books about food in a variety of genres. In the coming year, she plans to hold many more events. Already the store does cooking demonstrations, hosts book clubs, and dinners every Thursday night, when the store turns into a restaurant. As the retail environment evolves, at least one longtime specialty bookstore in Phoenix, Ariz. has changed course. The most difficult task of the past 10 years has been to unbrand the Poisoned Pen so that it is no longer known as just a mystery bookstore. When I started this store in 1989, Phoenix was being encircled by Borders and Barnes & Noble, said owner Barbara Peters. The specialty has become confining rather than helpful. Nowadays she likes to think of the stores specialty as programming. The Pen is one of the few bookstores that will pay to bring in authors, or split the cost with the publisher. Peters just signed a 10-year lease and is doubling down on programming and online sales, which account for 70% of store revenue. Last year she spent $90,000 upgrading the stores website. Many online sales come from authors such as Diana Gabaldon, Clive Cussler, and Douglas Preston, who have made the Pen their home bookstore. This article has been updated to correct misspellings. Around the World with the Ingreedies: A Taste Adventure Zoe Bather and Joe Sharpe, illus. by Chris Dickason. Laurence King. ISBN 978-1-78067-830-6 The best book yet for all-around foodie family fun, in my opinion. Weve done phenomenally well with Maps in our past two holiday seasons, and The Ingreedies is kind of a foodie take on world geography, presenting the taste preferences, customs, and eating practices of different regions of the world through fun, cartoony graphics, with recipes for some of the most iconic dishes. Like Maps, its a book kids and grownups can enjoy together and over time, and I cant imagine any family where it wouldnt be a welcome gift.Nina Barrett, owner of Bookends and Beginnings, Evanston, Ill. News of the World Paulette Jiles. Morrow. ISBN 978-0-06-240920-1 This is a highly enjoyable read, a great, escapist yarn set in Reconstruction-era Texas, which was only slightly more lawless than present-day Texas. I simply loved the memorable, quirky main charactersan older man whos lost his day job for political reasons and is forced to travel town-to-town literally reading the news of the day to people for a fee, and a young white girl freshly ransomed from the Kiowa who had kidnapped her years before. They are thrown together under highly challenging circumstances, and the tale hits all the notes: action, adventure, Twainesque irony, pathos, human interest, subtle social commentary. Its a historical tale more about the people history is done to rather than about those who wind up in text books.Kris Kleindienst, co-owner, Left Bank Books, St. Louis Still Life with Tornado A.S. King. Dutton. ISBN 978-1-101-99488-7 Of course Im going to really look forward to selling A.S. Kings new book this holiday season. Its got crossover appeal. When we sell a customer one of her books, they come back for the others. Rob Dougherty, manager, Clinton Bookshop, Clinton, N.J. Bottoms Dream Arno Schmidt. Dalkey Archive. ISBN 978-1-62897-159-0 This will be very unusual. Obscure is not the right word. Its an unusual literary work. Its humongous. Big in size and big in stature. That will be a staff pick in December. Dale Szczeblowski, general manager, Porter Square Books, Cambridge, Mass. Loner Teddy Wayne. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 978-1-5011-0789-4 I just finished reading this [novel], and it is awesome. Readers are introduced to a dorky, but kind of endearing main character, David, as he begins his first year at Harvard. As the book goes on, David becomes obsessed with a classmate, sort of innocently at first, but things get very dark very fast. What makes this book so awesome is that David is the narrator, so as all of these things are happening, you hear what is going on inside of his headall of the crazy rationalizations and creepy thoughts. This makes for an uncomfortable (but in a good way) read, especially during the intense climax of the book. I could not put this down! Carson Evans, events coordinator, Country Bookshelf, Bozeman, Mont. My Private Property Mary Ruefle. Wave. ISBN 978-1-940-69638-6 Ruefle is a poet-essayist of the highest order, and her newest collection (shes been on a roll for a few years now) pulls you in with its beguiling short pieces and keeps you pinned to the page with the slightly longer ones. Her work is so smart and unafraid that its refreshing. Ill be recommending this to a lot of readers, and I dont see how anyone wont be delighted by her unassuming magic. Kevin Sampsell, small press specialist and events coordinator, Powells Books, Portland, Ore. Cruel Beautiful World Caroline Leavitt. Algonquin. ISBN 978-1-61620-363-4 Leavitts prose is absolutely spellbinding. I had to read the novel in one sitting. This is a book that will appeal to a lot of book clubs, as well as older teen girls, and would make a great mother/daughter discussion selection for holiday gift giving. Pamela Klinger-Horn, sales and outreach coordinator, Excelsior Bay Books, Excelsior, Minn. That books special. When you read it, youre almost transported back to the period when it takes place, the 1970s. Youre not just reading it, youre in it. Its just wonderful. Dale Szczeblowski, general manager, Porter Square Books, Cambridge, Mass. Spare and Found Parts Sarah Maria Griffin. Greenwillow. ISBN 978-0-06-240888-4 Spare and Found Parts is a Frankenstein-inspired tale about Nell, a genius girl with a mechanical heart living in a post-technology world, who attempts to build a boy out of mannequin hands and tea kettles. She wants someone to hold hands with. As her fantasies meet reality, secrets are revealed, and the darkness of her world threatens to break her. Its brave, feminist, and utterly gorgeous, and I want everyone to read it. Bonus: Nell has a pet stoat, and you will also want to have a pet stoat. Amy Stephenson, events director, Booksmith, San Francisco Suite for Barbara Loden Nathalie Leger. Dorothy Project. ISBN 978-0-9973666-0-0 Its a combination of fiction and nonfiction that is based on a real person who was married to Elia Kazan. She directed and starred in a movie, Wanda, and died in her 40s. Its a great little book, awesome design, and translated from the French. Ill read anything the Dorothy Project puts out. This is a perfect little hand-sell. Fernando Flores, bookseller, Malvern Books, Austin, Tex. The Mothers Brit Bennett. Riverhead. ISBN 978-0-399-18451-2 The thing I love most about debut fiction is discovering unique new voices that I havent heard before. Brit Bennett easily wins that award for this year. The Mothers is a bold confident novel with absolutely unforgettable characters. Robert Sindelar, managing partner, Third Place Books, Seattle Return to the main feature. Correction: A previous version of the article switched Rob Doughertys recommendation with Dale Szczeblowskis; the article has been changed to reflect that Dougherty recommended Still Life with Tornado and Szczeblowski recommended Bottoms Dream. LONDON (AP) A deal worth more than $100 billion to combine the world's two biggest beer companies cleared its last major hurdle this week when the shareholders of SABMiller approved the takeover by Budweiser maker Anheuser-Busch InBev. SABMiller shareholders approved the $103 billion deal dubbed Megabrew despite opposition from some investors who saw their share of the payout shrink when the pound plunged following Britain's vote to the leave the European Union. AB InBev shareholders also backed the transaction. Regulators around the world have already approved the deal, which AB InBev says will create "the first truly global brewer." The takeover is expected to be formally completed on Oct. 10, AB InBev said. Acquiring SABMiller, which makes Fosters and Miller, gives AB InBev a large presence in Africa while increasing its business in South America and Europe. The combined company will control almost a third of the global beer market. The complicated deal was nearly derailed by the currency havoc caused by Britain's vote to leave the EU. The value of the cash offer declined in relation to the cash-and-stock deal as the pound weakened against the euro after the EU vote. To win approval from SABMiller's two largest shareholders, AB InBev offered the U.S. tobacco company Altria and BevCo, an investment vehicle of the Santo Domingo family, a cash-and-stock deal that lets them remain invested in the beer industry while avoiding taxes on a large cash payout. Other shareholders will receive a cash payment for their shares in British pounds. A group of smaller investors led by Aberdeen Asset Management opposed the deal, saying it undervalued SABMiller and left them at a disadvantage to Altria and BevCo, which together own about 40 percent of the company. In response, SABMiller agreed to recognize two classes of investors, with the deal requiring approval from 75 percent of smaller shareholders. A British court must still approve the measure next week. MOLINE Midwest Technical Institutes School of Cosmetology at 3620 Avenue of the Cities, Moline, is offering assistance to students affected by this week's announcement that Regency Beauty Institute has permanently closed all 79 of its campus locations. Based in Minnesota, Regency had a school in Peoria and nine other Illinois cities. It had no Iowa locations. "In short, the organization does not have the cash to continue to run the business," Regency said in its shuttered website. The 50-year-old company cited declining numbers of cosmetology students, an inability to obtain continued financing and a negative characterization of for-profit education by regulators and politicians as contributing to its problems. U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said Regency's closing was the latest by "overcharging, underperforming for-profit" colleges. "With the collapse of Regency Beauty Institute, another 700 students in Illinois and 6,000 nationwide are left high and dry," Sen. Durbin said. "We gave Regency $50 million in taxpayer dollars last year through federal grants and student loans. The Regency Institute operators took the millions, pulled the plug, and left the students and taxpayers high and dry." Holly Buescher, Director of Cosmetology for MTI, said the school is uniquely positioned to help former Regency students continue their cosmetology careers. We were saddened by the news that Regency Beauty Institute had closed and the difficult situation the students who attended school there now face in completing their program," she said. "We stand ready to assist those students to evaluate transfer options and next steps to continue their education with Midwest Technical Institute." For more details about its Moline school, call 309-277-7900 or visit midwesttech.edu. Jeers to the skewed interpretation of transparency routinely applied by local governments. Take, for example, the Moline City Council, which voted at a special meeting Friday morning to go ahead with an independent investigation of allegations of misconduct by a city employee. We dont know whether the investigation itself is worth cheering, though we always are eager to applaud aldermen for guarding the publics money. Our beef is with the decision not to share ANY details about the probe with the people who employ them and who will pay the bill for an investigation about which they are being left entirely in the dark. Moline promised to demonstrate transparency as we work through this situation, in its original vague statement regarding the need for a forensic audit which alderman say will cost Moliners up to $120,000. Yet, despite several opportunities to actually demonstrate such transparency, residents are left to wonder what is even being investigated or why. Given that city leaders have committed so much taxpayer money to the probe, we assume that it involves at least that much in public funds. But we dont know. We also dont know if the person being investigated is still on the job. We dont know if others are being investigated. We dont know what role the council played, if any, in what auditors will be looking into because we dont have the slightest idea what theyre looking at. Is there any conflict of interest here? The investigation also has the potential to tar everyone employed by Moline with the same broad brush. Where information is lacking, rumor and conjecture will rush in to fill the void. Not only does such secrecy appear unnecessary it is unusual, at least in Quad-Cities communities large and small. Here are just two recent examples. Mercer County conducted a fair and thorough investigation while keeping the public informed regarding financial misconduct charges against former treasurer Mike Bertelsen. In the village of Hillsdale, residents at the very least knew that leaders were investigating the use of old sewer funds. We can appreciate aldermens desire to protect the subject or subjects of the investigation who have not been found guilty of any wrongdoing. But under that logic, we would never know who has been arrested for a crime or why. The integrity of our justice system relies on an open process that lets the public judge the actions of police, prosecutors and the courts. We must trust the public to understand that those under investigation or who are charged with crimes are innocent UNLESS proven guilty. Period. The same standard applies here. The bottom line is, this is Moliners money. They should know at least the broad outlines of any investigation into what has been done with it. Cheers to Moline for making it safer for Quad-Citians to cross busy River Drive to get from the Western Illinois University-Quad Cities campus to Ben Butterworth Parkway. Cheers, too, to graduate student Eric Sanders, who had urged the city to repair a warning light that had earlier been destroyed by a drunken driver and to add a stop sign in the middle of the River Drive crosswalk. Both have been accomplished. Students and others using the crosswalk can reward the city and Mr. Sanders efforts by activating the light to help cross the street. City engineer Scott Hinton also hopes students will pay $56 to buy a parking pass and park on the WIU-QC side of the drive. Not everyone, however, is on campus often enough to justify buying such a pass. For example, those who take online classes or non-students who attend the many public events held on the campus. Its also encouraging that city officials promise to continue monitoring the safety of those who cross River Drive to see if other steps are needed in the future. City officials obviously understand the importance of a continued strong partnership with the university and the growing campus into the future. Cheers to the Rock Island Library and American librarians everywhere who continue to use their unique bully pulpit to combat censorship. This week, for example, the Rock Island Library, along with the Midwest Writing Center, marked the annual Banned Books Week with readings from the top challenged literary works of 2016. I hate it that Americans are taught to fear some books and some ideas as though they were diseases, said the late Kurt Vonnegut, author of the often-challenged classic, Slaugherhouse Five, which is still being banned in some schools. So do we. So do librarians. Join us in our fight against censorship. For more information on challenged books, visit ala.org/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks. A Davenport man was sentenced Thursday to 15 years in prison in connection with the April 5, 2015, murder of James Earl Goode Jr. Yolanduis L. McDuffie, 23, of 2004 Iowa St., last month pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and possession of a firearm by a felon. Court documents indicate the manslaughter charge originally was first degree murder but was lessened to voluntary manslaughter. Mr. McDuffie was sentenced to at least 10 years for this charge and at least five years for possession of a firearm. He also pleaded guilty to an unrelated charge of possession with intent to deliver crack cocaine, for which he was sentenced to 10 years. Consequently, the court dismissed a charge of failure to affix a drug stamp, documents say. Witnesses affirmed that at about 4 a.m. April 5, 2015, Mr. McDuffie and others got into a disagreement with Mr. Goode in the street outside of a bar at 100 West 6th St., Davenport, according to court documents. Witnesses say that when Mr. Goode "took off running," Mr. McDuffie shot him several times with a .40 caliber handgun. Police arrived to find Mr. Goode with life-threatening gunshot wounds. He was transported to the hospital where he died from his injuries. Court records indicate Mr. McDuffie will serve both of his sentences back-to-back in the Iowa Medical Classification Center in Oakdale, Iowa. He must serve at least half of his manslaughter sentence and at least a third of his controlled substance violation sentence before being considered for parole. Mr. McDuffie also is required to provide a DNA sample and to pay $150,000 to the heirs of Mr. Goode. Upon his release, Mr. McDuffie faces a separate first-degree murder charge in Rock Island County District Court. Mr. McDuffie and co-defendant Aaron D. Henderson II, 23, of Rock Island, are accused of conspiring in the Dec. 18, 2013, shooting death of Derek Jackson, of Rock Island, according to Rock Island court documents. The court reopened the case against Mr. McDuffie in 2015 upon the discovery of additional evidence. Mr. Henderson was found guilty in March and is serving a 40-year sentence. CAMBRIDGE -- About 40 junior high and high school students are hoping for mild weather Oct. 8-9. As part of A Night for the Homeless, to raise money for the Christian Care Center in Rock Island, the students plan to sleep in cardboard shelters they construct in Cambridge's College Square Park. "I think it is important for us to be in such a central location as College Square Park so people can see what we are doing to create awareness about the conditions homeless people live in," said Cambridge junior Hannah Akers. The group represents three school organizations: the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, J. Kyle Braid and Leadership, Ethics and Values. Lisa Miller, Cambridge school counselor, said AlWood High School students also have been invited to participate.. "About 20 students from an AlWood leadership group will join our students, accompanied by their school counselor, Catherine Chambers, Mrs. Miller said. The group will be in the Cambridge park from 6 p.m. Oct. 8 until 6 a.m. Oct. 9. Their campsite will include electricity and restrooms, and they plan to purchase plenty of snacks in advance. The event is directed by Mrs.Miller, Cambridge school superintendent Tom Akers and school counselor Anne Wood. Students are collecting pledges for their efforts, with a goal to $100 each while raising awareness of how some people live. "I feel like raising awareness in such a small community helps people around here realize what it is like because I think people only see how the homeless live primarily in larger communities," said Cambridge senior Cameron Woodbury. Mrs. Miller said students are responsible for bringing their own cardboard and other materials to assemble their shelters. The shelters will be judged, with donated gift cards awarded as prizes in various categories. Christian Care has served the Quad-Cities for 100 years. The Rock Island Rescue Mission was founded in 1916 to provide shelter, food, clothing and spiritual nourishment to men seeking employment in the Quad-Cities. Although not a United Way agency, Christian Care Center does qualify for designated funds through the Contributors Choice Program and the Combined Federal Campaign distributed through United Way. Other support comes from funds donated by individuals, churches, organization, businesses, grants and bequests. Christian Care is governed by a volunteer board of directors. While it is encouraging to see that progress is being made, as we report this month, the pace of change is not nearly fast enough. In August, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved nine projects to increase capacity on sections of the Indian Railways (IR) network which have been operating beyond design capacity for some time. This represents an investment of around Rs 243.5bn ($US 3.6bn) and involves laying a third track and on one section a fourth track on sections totalling 1927km, including major arteries radiating from Delhi to Kolkata, Chennai and Mumbai. While this will help, 40% of IRs 65,000km network is already operating above line capacity, and there is a shortage of funds to meet track maintenance targets. The Indian cabinet decided on September 21 to end a 92-year tradition of annually presenting a separate railway budget in parliament. Instead the rail budget will be merged with the general budget. While it is unlikely that the government will absorb IRs entire financial burden, the merger will ensure that IR will no longer need to pay an annual dividend, which is expected to reach Rs 100bn this year. However, IR will still have to meet the commitments of the 7th Pay Commission which is expected to add Rs 400bn to its payroll. To make matters worse, IRs financial performance is deteriorating with first-quarter shortfalls in both freight and passenger earnings. IRs passenger losses are expected to reach Rs 320bn this year and it is likely to overshoot its 92% operating ratio target. The government has also been working on other policy reforms including the introduction of a corporate accounting system and the establishment of a rail tariff regulator, which will be known as the Rail Development Authority. This has revived speculation that the Indian government is planning to restructure IR along commercial lines and turn into a separate corporation. This will be very difficult to achieve because IR is part of the social and economic fabric of the country. Passenger fares and freight rates are deliberately held down by the government as a large proportion of the population depend on low rates for their very survival. IR is also a state-within-a-state providing cradle-to-grave support for its employees and their families including health care and social activities, which is why jobs on the railway are so highly prized. To put IR on a commercial footing would require the government to fund the railway properly to provide socially-necessary train and welfare services. So far, Indian politicians have shown little appetite for such a major reform. IR also needs to take steps to put its own house in order. Construction of the two Dedicated Freight Corridors is painfully slow, morale is poor in the project teams, and it is doubtful that the Eastern DFC will be completed next year. IR clearly needs to hone its project management skills, especially if it wants to implement its planned high-speed rail network successfully. India also faces a major challenge to reduce traffic congestion and pollution in its rapidly-growing cities. There are already 48 cities with a population in excess of 1 million the threshold for building a metro and another 20 cities are expected to reach 1 million inhabitants by 2030. India did not start building its first metro until 1973, but it took 11 years to complete the initial short section of the first line in Kolkata. This experience blighted further construction in India for at least a decade. Attitudes changed when Delhi demonstrated that it is possible to build a modern metro in India in a cost-effective and efficient manner. The first section opened in 2002 and the Indian capital now has a 213km network which is used by 3 million people a day. Delhi has tried to extend its expertise to other cities with varying degrees of success. Metro lines have now opened in Mumbai, Chennai and Bangalore, with several more lines under construction in these and other cities, and numerous projects in the planning stage. Around $US 40bn of public and private money is expected to be invested in metro projects during the next 10 years. While this is a step in the right direction, it is not so much the funding that is the challenge but Indias ability to build new lines quickly enough. It takes time to assemble teams with the skills to build a metro as well as good planning by the city authorities. Indias Achilles heel remains its appalling bureaucracy and red tape which stifles development particularly in the public sector. Until this is tackled head-on, progress is likely to remain slow. Operators must continue to innovate in order to deliver first class services if they are to keep up with continually rising passenger expectations. Jeremy Long, the chief executive officer of MTRs European business, argues that development and progress is the only way for operators to succeed in an ever-changing market. RUNNING a successful railway is an increasingly complex task. To deliver a first-class service to passengers, operators must exercise a high level of expertise and capability across their operations be that customer service, use of sophisticated IT systems, efficiency of engineering approaches and complex project delivery. In an environment where passenger demands and expectations are higher than ever before, it is essential that operators continue to improve and add value to their franchises by seeking to innovate. Within the European businesses of MTR Corporation, we have overseen a number of innovations that have led to improvements to our services. In particular, digital and technological solutions are increasingly re-shaping the operation of railways and are bringing considerable benefits for passengers and infrastructure operators. Two examples of this can be highlighted from MTRs operations in Britain and Sweden. Since taking over the TFL Rail concession for the London Liverpool Street Shenfield line at the end of May last year, MTR Crossrail has transformed the way information is delivered to employees through the innovative development and deployment of beacon technology. In an industry-first, MTR Crossrail installed a host of low powered, small and long-life beacons across the network. There are currently 500 in place across 12 TfL Rail outdoor stations, with a further 2500 set to be rolled out to all 40 stations by the end of 2018. The beacons help ensure the best possible service for customers by improving real-time information available to staff. Beacons only direct information to staff depending on their location - who are able to view it on company-issued iPads. The beacons have also been central in the development of the Spotlight app. In a move away from the paper-based auditing processes, MTR Crossrail transformed the way auditing is carried out across the network by introducing the first interactive auditing process of its kind. The Spotlight app has improved audit efficiency by 54% and is an innovation that has the potential to transform the way auditing is carried out across the railway industry. Both the beacon technology and Spotlight app have done much to make the lives of employees easier, and to ensure that the information available to them and, in turn, the customers is as up-to-date and relevant as possible. It has played a key role in the services success so far. MTR Crossrail was named the Most-improved Train Operating Company in Britain in autumn 2015s National Rail Passenger Survey. Customer satisfaction increased by 9% compared with the previous year, cancellations were reduced by 18%, while the company was recognised as most improved train operating company for both right-time and passengers-per-month in the first year of operation. Digital ticketing Launched in March 2015, MTR Express (MTRX) is a premium open-access train service on the 455km route connecting Swedens two largest cities, Stockholm on the east coast and Gothenburg in the west. MTR Express became one of the first train operators in Scandinavia to introduce 100% digital ticketing. Bringing an unprecedented degree of simplicity to ticketing, when passengers book their travel they can choose their seats through the MTRX website or travel agents, and receive a basic confirmation email. All the passenger needs to bring on to the train is identification. The onboard attendant can quickly identify passengers through data relayed to a smartphone, meaning that customers are disturbed less from relaxing or working on their journey. Customer service - including any complaints - is also conducted digitally through email and Facebook. This has proved highly effective in providing passengers with a more accessible and quick service. MTRs average response time is typically below two hours. Digital ticketing and customer service on MTRX has been recognised as a real success. MTRX was awarded the 2016 Swedish User Friendly Award out of a competition pool of over 100 other Swedish companies, and the website also received the 2016 award for Swedens Best Website. This ticketing innovation has played a key role in contributing to MTRXs overall success since its launch last year. MTRX was named Swedens best rail operator in the Swedish Quality Indexs broad survey published in July. It was the first year that the operator had been included in the survey, which generates a customer satisfaction index based on brand image, customer loyalty, service quality, product quality, value for money and handling of complaints. Digital and technological innovations are opening up new avenues for railways, which when considered carefully and implemented appropriately can add genuine value to passenger services. In light of ever-increasing passenger numbers and expectations, its crucial for operators to continue to be proactive in seeking out new solutions and initiatives to meet the challenge of delivering top quality services. Welcome to Railway Gazette. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. By continuing to browse this site you are agreeing to our use of these cookies. You can learn more about the cookies we use here. OK This commentary originally appeared in the opinion section of FoxNews.com. The next U.S. president is likely to be met with multiple international crises after assuming office, and Iran may be one of the most challenging of them. Despite the heated partisan rhetoric, the signing of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) nuclear agreement between Iran and the P5+1 (United States, UK, France, Russia, China, and Germany) has been beneficial for the United States as Iran has shipped out most of its uranium stockpile, reduced the number of its centrifuges, and accepted intrusive international inspections, making it much more difficult for Tehran to develop nuclear weapons. But the JCPOA has not eliminated the fundamental differences between America and the Islamic Republic. The Iranian regime continues to support terrorism, back the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and violate the rights of its people at home. The election of Hassan Rouhani as president in 2013, while making JCPOA possible, has not led to any major changes in Iran. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the Revolutionary Guards continue to wield unsurpassed power, often bypassing or outmaneuvering Iran's president and challenging U.S. interests in the region. Iran holds its own presidential election in 2017 and Rouhani will likely face a strong challenge from the conservative establishment. Khamenei has voiced strong criticism of JCPOA in recent months, claiming that it has not led to a strengthening of Iran's economy because of U.S. treachery. While the JCPOA may have calmed some tensions in U.S.-Iran relations, a recalcitrant Iran may test the new American president by pushing the limits of the nuclear agreement and challenging U.S. interests in the Middle East more aggressively than before. Instead of seeking greater engagement with Iran, as was once hoped, Washington may have to adopt tougher policies against the Iranian regime. Some proponents of the JCPOA hoped that it would lead to a thaw between Tehran and Washington, and perhaps even lead to the end of the long enmity between the two countries. In theory, Rouhani, often portrayed as a moderate by the Western media, would have been strengthened by the agreement and able to pursue his agenda of liberalizing Iran both economically and politically. In reality, Rouhani's presidency has failed to deliver on most of his promises. The Iranian economy has not improved for the average Iranian; most international banks continue to avoid doing business with Iran despite the easing of nuclear related sanctions. Low oil prices have also been disastrous for the economy. That may be mostly beyond Rouhani's control, but the president never pushed against the economic or political role of the Revolutionary Guards, leaving Iran's most powerful military and security actor to define Iran's post-JCPOA agenda both at home and abroad. The Guards' arrest of dual nationals, including Iranian-Americans, has sent a chill through the Iranian diaspora community and even potential foreign investors who once viewed Iran as an attractive market. Iran is simply not a safe bet for most investors. But Rouhani's biggest failing may be his inability to bridge the gap between U.S. and Iranian interests in the Middle East. The president and his talented foreign minister may be suitable interlocutors for American and European diplomats, but they are unable or unwilling to pursue policies in order to promote regional stability. The Guards, under the command of the vaunted General Qassem Soleimani, have recruited tens of thousands of Shi'a fighters to fight for Tehran in Iraq and Syria, and perhaps beyond. While Iran may have fought the so called Islamic State alongside American allies in Iraq, it nevertheless helped promote the sectarianism that continues to fan the flames of conflict in the region. Iranian officials have even bragged that their new foreign legion could be used to liberate other parts of the Middle East. At the same time, Iranian speed boats in the Persian Gulf have harassed U.S. warships as Khamenei has called for greater resistance to the U.S. presence in the region. The Iranian regime's repression at home is as bad as ever before. The Guards and the Judiciary continue to imprison activists, academics, journalists, and artists. Except for a few mildly worded public speeches, Rouhani has offered no resistance to the regime's repression despite his first campaign's promise to create a freer and less securitized society. On the whole, the enthusiasm that resulted from Rouhani's first campaign is unlikely to repeat itself in 2017. It is rare for Iranian presidents to lose a second term, but Rouhani is likely to face great resistance not only from his conservative political competitors, but also from the millions of Iranians who initially supported his efforts to improve Iran. Khamenei, the Guards, and perhaps even the new Iranian president may test a new American president as she or he confronts multiple global crises. Challenges from Iran could come in the form of questionable nuclear activities or even more assertive actions in the Persian Gulf and the Middle East. The partisan rhetoric around the JCPOA has obscured its ability to constrain Iran's potential to develop nuclear weapons; the agreement has been largely a success for America up to this point on that front. But the next U.S. president should adopt a broader policy toward Iran that goes beyond enforcing the JCPOA or engaging Iran diplomatically. The United States already has sizeable military forces and well-armed allies to counter Iran in the Middle East. But the next U.S. president should highlight the behavior of the Iranian regime at home. It is not enough for the United States to maintain a strong military in the region or sell more arms to its allies; those efforts have to be accompanied by strong criticisms of Iran's human rights abuses, especially given the Iranian population's disappointment with the Rouhani administration. In addition, the United States should increase support for Iranian groups seeking a stronger civil society; some may criticize United States ties to such groups as delegitimizing them, but in the absence of meaningful reform from within the system, the U.S. must take advantage of the Iranian regime's vulnerabilities at home. A U.S. focus on promoting democracy is often tied to past failures at regime change in the Middle East, but this does not mean that it cannot be a valuable policy. The hope for U.S.-Iran detente appears to be over. The Iranian regime is not interested in reform or improving relations with America as long as Khamenei and the Guards reign supreme. The JCPOA does not mandate that America stop treating the Islamic Republic as an adversary. The next U.S. president should have the pragmatism to see the JCPOA as benefiting American interests without having to feel constrained by it. Bottom line: The continuing climate of repression, the next Iranian presidential election, and Khamenei's eventual demise may provide some important opportunities for America's next president. Alireza Nader is a senior international policy analyst at the nonprofit, nonpartisan RAND Corporation. This commentary originally appeared on Fox News Channel on September 29, 2016. Commentary gives RAND researchers a platform to convey insights based on their professional expertise and often on their peer-reviewed research and analysis. Reuters, September 30, 2016 Protesters loyal to the Shi'ite al-Houthi rebel group burn an effigy of a US aircraft during a demonstration to protest against what they say is US interference in Yemen, including drone strikes, after their weekly Friday prayers in the Old Sanaa city, Yemen, on April 12, 2013. (Photo: Khaled Abdullah/Reuters) Protesters loyal to the Shi'ite al-Houthi rebel group burn an effigy of a US aircraft during a demonstration to protest against what they say is US interference in Yemen, including drone strikes, after their weekly Friday prayers in the Old Sanaa city, Yemen, on April 12, 2013. (Photo: Khaled Abdullah/Reuters) At least 15 civilians were killed and 13 wounded in a U.S. unmanned aircraft strike in eastern Afghanistan, the United Nations said, calling for an independent investigation into the incident. The airstrike early on Wednesday morning hit what U.S. officials said was an Islamic State target in the Achin district of Nangarhar province. Government officials said the strike killed some militants, but the U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) reported the victims were civilians, including students, a teacher, and members of families considered to be "pro-government". "UNAMA reiterates the need for all parties to the conflict to adhere to their obligations under international humanitarian law," the United Nations said in a statement late on Thursday. "UNAMA calls on the government and international military forces to launch a prompt, independent, impartial, transparent, and effective investigation into this incident." All the civilians reported killed were men, it added. The men had gathered in a village to welcome a local elder on his return from completing the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca and were sleeping when the strike happened, witnesses said. The strike occurred in a remote area near the Pakistan border that has become a stronghold for Islamic State in Afghanistan. The U.S. military command confirmed the air strike in Achin was aimed at Islamic State militants, but said it was gathering information on the allegations of civilian casualties. "We take every possible measure to avoid civilian casualties in these operations, and will continue to work with Afghan authorities to determine if there is cause for additional investigation," U.S. forces said in a statement. President Barack Obama this year authorized American forces to target Islamic State militants in Afghanistan, leading to regular strikes by both drones as well as manned warplanes. (Reporting by Josh Smith; Editing by Michael Perry) According to a September 30 Wall Street Journal article, the Obama administration signed a secret agreement with Iran to lift U.N. sanctions from two Iranian banks Bank Sepah and Bank Sepah International that helped finance Iran's ballistic-missile program. U.S. and Iranian officials signed this deal on January 17, 2016, the same day Iran released four U.S. prisoners. The Philippines' erratic and inflammatory new president Rodrigo Duterte compared himself to Adolf Hitler while discussing his efforts to rid his country of drug dealers and addicts on Friday. He appears to have meant it as a positive association. Property details: You Are Bidding On Full Purchase Price for 40 ACRES in Northern Minnesota! Trees. Only 15 miles from Duluth. Great Hunting. Parcel: This auction is for legal description: SW1/4NW1/4 Section 5, Township 49 North, Range 17. This is a 40 +/- ACRE parcel of land in Carlton County, Minnesota. The land is in the city limits of Cloquet, MN. The land is secluded and quiet. The property has trees. There are several species of trees on the land. There are a good deal of raspberry bushes growing on the lan... 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By Joe Szydlowski of the Redding Record Searchlight ANDERSON If those in downtown Anderson seemed a little more blue Friday afternoon, don't fret that was the idea, and it left many feeling a little more golden. "I just enjoy the school band, cheerleaders," Anna Becerra, 29, said while sitting on Balls Ferry Road as her son Jaimee Becerra, 10, leaned out to see the approaching Anderson Union High School Homecoming Parade, much of it sporting school colors of blue and gold, Friday afternoon. "Plus I went (there)." They and many others, including many students, turned out to cheer on the parade and the school's Cubs before they grappled with the Corning Union High School Cardinals for Anderson's homecoming game. But the day began with selecting the royal court and then a parade around the center of town at 2 p.m. The streetlights, sidewalk trees and power poles sported bright school colors, blue-and-gold balloons and streamers bouncing and whipping in the wind. Some others joined in with the decorations. Kaleidoscope Coffee staff hung streamers and other decorations after students approached them about the Celebrate Anderson initiative, which seeks to unite the community through positive action and outlooks about the town of around 10,000. One idea proposed: Encourage people to participate in the homecoming parade via floats or decorating their storefronts. At least 10 businesses, including Kaleidoscope, displayed their decorations along the parade's 1.5-mile loop around downtown. The Bank of America's staff on North Street decided to join in after students approached them about Celebrate Anderson, said Alexandra Berzin, assistant manager there. Staff members normally watch the parade she's seen two previous ones but this year they brought gold-and-blue bead necklaces and decorated with blue-and-gold balloons and the school's initials. "We just wanted to support them," she said. It also seemed there were more people watching this year's parade than in previous years, she said. Some businesses put up a few balloons outside on their sign or, like Bartels Giant Burger, let students decorate the business. Not all stores put up decorations, and while sizeable crowds appeared on about half the route, they were much sparser along the second half. Nevertheless, Becerra said she's been watching the homecoming parade of her alma mater for about five years. "Every year it seems to get more floats and stuff," she said. But this year did seem to bring out more of the community. "Normally nobody knows (about the parade) until you hear the music," she said, adding she'd heard ads on the radio. Andreas Fuhrmann/Record Searchlight Caltrans Director Malcolm Dougherty speaks during the Antlers Bridge Replacement Project Completion Ceremony, Friday, at the Antlers Boat Ramp in Lakehead. SHARE By From Staff Reports California Department of Transportation officials and others gathered on Friday morning to celebrate the completion of Antlers Bridge near Lakehead. They sat near the Antlers Resort boat launch at Lake Shasta with a view of the bridge in the distance, as trucks and cars sped by on Interstate 5 over the new span. "This project started in 2009 and it's been a little but of a long way to get here," said Caltrans Director Malcolm Dougherty. The project was supposed to be completed in five years, but instead took seven years. While construction is complete, not all the lanes will be open until early November, Dougherty said. The 1,942-foot bridge cost $125 million to build most of which was paid for by the Federal Highway Administration. It replaces a span built in 1941, " before Shasta Dam was complete," Dougherty pointed out. "Seventy-five years is a good long life for a bridge and it's time to reset that clock and build a new bridge." He gave a nod to some of the challenges the state and Los Angeles-area contractor Tutor Perini faced, saying that "this location is obviously a sensitive location, with the fisheries, water recreation, archaeological and biological resources here," he said. Indeed, the project experienced a number of difficulties, including delays, fines for spilling diesel, hydraulic fluid and dewatering slurry into the lake. Residents of Lakehead complained to county officials that Tutor Perini had taken over a building without proper permits and parked its equipment in the middle of the street. Dougherty said the bridge project was part of Caltrans' overall safety strategy, coming after emergencies and safety projects. "Then we do the best we can to take care of pavement, and that's where we run out of money," he said. SHARE Deputies with the Shasta County Sheriff's Office said they made an arrest Thursday evening after receiving reports of a man wearing all black clothing who was pointing a handgun while under the influence of a controlled substance. Deputies headed to East Stillwater Road near Highway 299 around 6:30 p.m. where they found Ryan Johnson, 39, of Redding armed with a handgun standing behind a utility pole, officers said. Johnson motioned for the arriving deputies to come closer, and deputies ordered Johnson to drop his weapon. According to deputies, Johnson said he armed himself because someone was chasing him. After a thorough check of the area, deputies said they found no evidence of a second person nearby, and determined Johnson was "hallucinating while talking to deputies at the scene." Thompson was arrested and booked into Shasta County Jail on suspicion of being under the influence of a controlled substance while in possession of a firearm and other firearm-related charges. SHARE Freddie Smoke III By Nathan Solis of the Redding Record Searchlight Marijuana led Freddie Alexander Smoke III to go on the lam, and it eventually led authorities to his door in Indiana. Smoke, accused of starting the deadly Bully Fire in 2014 when a rental van he was driving to his illegal marijuana grow near Ono sparked a wildfire, was arrested earlier this week as a result of a U.S. Postal Service inspection. That inspection centered on marijuana being mailed from California to Indiana, which does not allow medical or recreational use of cannabis. "The postal inspectors were already aware of Mr. Smoke as part of the investigation," said Postal Inspector spokeswoman Mary Johnson. "It was then made clear the Cal Fire investigation was also looking for him. The arrest was a collaboration between the two agencies." A SWAT team arrested Smoke and another person as part of a raid in East Chicago, Indiana. Smoke now sits in Lake County Jail awaiting extradition to Shasta County. Once back in California, he will face involuntary manslaughter charges in the fire that burned more than 12,000 acres, destroyed 20 buildings and killed 35-year-old Jesus Arellano Garcia. He also will face three counts of recklessly starting a fire that caused injury or death, one count of failing to appear in court and one count of growing marijuana illegally in Shasta County. Authorities from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection have been looking for Smoke since he bailed out of Shasta County Jail on a $10,000 bond after being arraigned on charges of recklessly starting a fire and illegally growing marijuana, both felonies. Four days later, authorities discovered Garcia's body and upped the charges and issued a $1 million warrant. But when deputies went to look for him, he couldn't be found. Cal Fire prevention officer Darren Stewart described the postal inspectors' aid as "very helpful." He referred questions about the investigation to them. SHARE Marijuana has not been a good friend to Freddie Smoke III. It was while tending an illegal marijuana grow southwest of Ono in 2014 that he is accused of inadvertently starting a massive wildfire that burned more than 12,000 acres, destroyed 20 buildings, injured 21 people and killed one man. Smoke, 27 at the time, reportedly was driving a rental truck on July 11, 2014, to the 180-plant grow near Roaring Creek Road and Sargent Road. Prosecutors say the truck's exhaust lit tall grass on fire. Hot winds quickly spread the blaze through dry foliage and up the sides of a steep ravine. It grew out of control, and amassed a $20 million price tag for fire suppression alone. Shortly after the fire broke out, authorities arrested Smoke and charged him with recklessly starting a fire and illegally growing marijuana, both felonies. Bail was set at $10,000. He quickly posted that and bailed. When a few days later authorities discovered 35-year-old Jesus Arellano Garcia, of Michoacan, Mexico, dead in the fire's perimeter, they upped the charges against Smoke and put a $1 million warrant out for him. Shasta County residents started wondering when, if ever, Smoke would be arrested on the new charges. Sheriff Tom Bosenko said at the time that Smoke's bail bondsman should be in touch with him and authorities weren't too concerned because they had his address. The District Attorney's office told the Record Searchlight it doesn't keep track of people after they bail out of jail, and didn't do so with Smoke. But when authorities went to look for him at the address they had on file for Smoke, well, what do you know? He had disappeared. To the public, the case went dark after that. Those who lost homes in the Bully Fire started the long process of working with insurance companies and contractors to rebuild. Others moved into town or out of the county altogether. Life got back to a new normal amid the fire's scars. But it remained a nagging question in the back of many minds: Whatever happened to Freddie Smoke III and would he ever be called to answer for the fatal fire? That answer came Tuesday when the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection reported that Smoke had been arrested that morning in East Chicago, Indiana. He now sits in Lake County Jail, awaiting extradition to Shasta County to now face involuntary manslaughter charges and that $1 million bail. It turns out that Cal Fire continued to search for Smoke for the past two years. It got a big break in the case thanks to a U.S. Postal Service investigation into marijuana being delivered in the mail. The U.S. Postal Service told the Record Searchlight on Thursday that Smoke allegedly arranged to have marijuana sent from California to Indiana. "The postal inspectors were already aware of Mr. Smoke as part of the investigation," said Postal Inspector spokeswoman Mary Johnson. "It was then made clear the Cal Fire investigation was also looking for him. The arrest was a collaboration between the two agencies." For those affected by the Bully Fire, Smoke can't be returned fast enough to Shasta County to face the more serious charges. This time, too, they hope that bail will either be set too high or not granted at all to prevent him from bonding out again and possibly slipping away. Beds are at a premium in the Shasta County Jail, but jailers need to be sure there's one specially reserved just for Smoke. SHARE As the opponent of Ted Gaines for state Senate, I could not agree more with the Record Searchlight's editorial statement published Sunday, Sept. 25. This is the theme I hear from every corner of the district: Where is our representative? However, you mention that there is no option that fits the conservative values of this district, and I respectfully disagree. If the people will look at my positions and proposals, you will see that I am a fiscal conservative, regardless of my party registration. I advocate lower taxes, I am opposed to more gun regulations, and I have been advocating that we cannot have a regulatory system that pushes a one-size fits all legislative agenda, as it harms rural regions. Biomass has been a centerpiece of my jobs' proposal from day one. As a lifelong resident of the North State, I fully understand our forest and timber related problems, and I can work to fix them. Unlike Sen. Gaines, I am fully up to speed on the issues of biomass and the effect it has on our communities if it is not supported. This benefit does not only pertain to jobs, but also pertains to reducing the threat of wildfire and returning our forests to a healthier state. I am appealing to the voters of Shasta County and the rest of this district; you have a reasonable alternative and someone who will represent this district, perhaps for the first time in decades. Sending me to Sacramento will guarantee that this district has a voice, and a senator who will work for the people of the district, not for a political party or some special interest group. This district needs representation on a host of issues: from water, public safety, infrastructure, mental health, homelessness, and the list goes on. Who better to represent the people of this district than one of your own, someone who is not a career politician, who is not looking for his next political office, just a citizen who cares enough to do the right thing and fight for the people he has lived among his entire life. Rob Rowen is the Democratic candidate for the 1st Senate District and lives in Cottonwood. 'Its internal economic rot and corrupt political elite have made the resurgent supremacy of the military establishment more invincible,' says Sunil Sethi. 'He has turned war into a national industry,' said the French philosopher Voltaire of his friend and patron King Frederick of Prussia after the two had a bad falling out. For years Voltaire tried to persuade the king to stop waging senseless, wasteful attacks on his neighbours, but to no avail. Such was the temper and tenor of the 18th century that the Prussian king -- a remarkable military commander and enlightened reformer -- came to be known as Frederick the Great. No such appellation is likely to attach itself to Pakistan's rulers and generals in posterity. Before the terrorist raid on the army base in Uri there was the infiltration of the Pathankot air force station in January 2016, and before that, the Gurdaspur killings in July 2015... and so the list goes on. In between there have been numerous blasts in Kashmir, India's Achilles heel, which has all but shut down since the death of Burhan Wani in July. Extolled by Pakistani Premier Nawaz Sharif at the UN, the 22-year-old Hizbul Mujahideen leader has found a heroic afterlife he could hardly have dreamed of in his short, desperate life on earth. Pakistan's persistent low-level cross-border jihadist incursions are a takedown from the audacious storming of the Indian Parliament in 2001 or the siege of Mumbai in 2008. But post-Uri, they are perceived as belligerent aggression. The BJP's former foreign minister Yashwant Sinha sees them as 'acts of war' that demand 'an appropriate military response... a cool, well-planned and well-timed response, which will fetch us the desired results.' Others, including Business Standard columnist Ajai Shukla, point to the limited options of achieving this end: Deep-penetration retaliatory strikes inside the LoC means a swift ascent up the 'escalation ladder' and full-scale war. The cost to two nuclear nations of such a dystopian eventuality can be imagined. It is said of Pakistan that what is good for the Fauji Foundation is good for the country. If anything, its internal economic rot and corrupt political elite have made the resurgent supremacy of the military establishment more invincible. Earlier this year when Nawaz Sharif travelled for a minor heart surgery to London he commandeered a wide-bodied PIA 777 Boeing to cart off his family and staff to establish a 'camp office' there, at a cost, it was speculated, of 30 to 40 crore Pakistani rupees. The columnist Ayaz Amir in a piece titled 'What have we done to deserve this?' burst out in rich hyperbole: 'Ye gods, we know we have sinned and many are our errors and omissions. But do we deserve this? Is Pakistan someone's personal jagir that you do with it as you please?' More even-handedly, another commentator observed: 'Our law libraries in Pakistan have no shelves left to accommodate the tomes of legislation passed to hold the corrupt accountable.' From being a client State of the US to the abandoned protege of Saudi Arabia (too many troublesome Shias) it has become China's Cinderella in the region. The backward Shia-dominated province of Balochistan, rich in deposits of oil, gas and minerals, is where China is investing $46 billion to create the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and develop the port of Gwadar. Worldly Pakistanis harbour no illusions as to where some of this money may end up. Their recourse is often scathing wit. Learned historian and columnist F S Aijazuddin writes in Dawn: 'Once, the Sharifs looked towards Washington and Riyadh for succour and protection. Now, they look eastwards -- towards Beijing. Short of renaming Islamabad Little Beijing, they are doing everything to ensure that China converts an inefficient, cleric-ridden, theocratic Pakistan into a Muslim facsimile of what was once a medieval, backward, lama-infested Tibet.' On virtually every development indicator, from poverty to birth rate, life expectancy, female literacy and elementary health, Pakistan lags woefully behind others in the SAARC grouping. It has been unable to hold a comprehensive, reliable census since 1998. When Marc-Andre Franche, UNDP's country director for four years and a sympathiser, left Islamabad last month, he gave a surprisingly candid interview: 'You cannot have a political class in this country that uses its power to enrich itself, and to favour its friends and families.' He compared the Federally Administered Tribal Areas that border Afghanistan 'as institutionally living in the 17th century.' Over numerous professional visits to Pakistan since 1977, when I first went when Atal Bihari Vajpayee was foreign minister in the short-lived Janata Party government and General Zia-ul Haq ruled the roost, I have come away feeling like a trip to a hall of mirrors that distort your image in ever more bizarre distortions: Almost every conceivable ill of India appears magnified. Tragically, there is no Voltaire of our age to warn of the consequences of warmongering, nor any leader to emerge with the halo of greatness. 'This army has lost Pakistan's territory, ideology, financial and intellectual capital, ruined its institutions, democracy, the respect for its passport and, like it or not, reduced its status to a globally acknowledged university of jihad,' says Shekhar Gupta. IMAGE: Pakistan army chief General Raheel Sharif. 'If its central premise behind justifying its pre-eminence was winning Kashmir,' says Shekhar Gupta, 'it has failed after 70 years of fighting. In fact, today Pakistan has less of Kashmir than it had after the 1948 ceasefire, having lost Siachen and territory in Kargil, Turtuk etc. What's your view on Pakistan's army? Is it a good army, or a bad army, a great army or an evil army? Is it an invincible army or eminently beatable? Is it a Pakistani nationalist army, or just another Islamic lashkar in uniform with nukes? The answer can depend on which side you happen to be on. As an Indian partisan, I can, of course, use all or some of the many positive choices given there, but I will then perhaps have to live in exile somewhere. Or we can be like our prime-time warriors and simply continue to insist that the Pakistani army is exactly as portrayed in Bollywood 'war' movies, our idea of animated commando comics, bumbling, cowardly, easy to roll over and unsoldierly, particularly when faced with a Sunny Deol or even a lesser equivalent like, say Suniel Shetty or Akshay Kumar. A clinical, professional assessment of the Pakistani army, its mind, motivations, track record and ongoing thought processes is, however, the most crucial need for those analysing, debating, and most importantly, guarding the national interest. The essential complication and challenge of dealing with Pakistan is resolving multiple dilemmas: Are Pakistan, the ideological State, and its army the same entity or different? Can you deal with the State (and people) while leaving aside the army, or vice versa? And if you have to deal with both, who do you deal with first? In all honesty, I am not able to tick each one of the negative boxes out of the choice of adjectives for Pakistans army: Bad, evil, eminently beatable, just an Islamic lashkar, and be done with it. That will be enormously fashionable today, but not a view professional soldiers in our own army would have of their arch enemies. That's why they have come out on top in the final analysis in every engagement since 1947. When in doubt on what is best for your own skin, find an eminent foreigner to make your point. I will, therefore, borrow a line from Stephen P Cohen, globally-respected scholar on India and Pakistan, and their armies. In his seminal book, The Pakistan Army, he described it as the finest army in the world, which had never won a war. Muhammad Zia-ul Haq banned this book, but would lionise Mr Cohen and call him for a meal any time he was in town. He really loved his book except how could Mr Cohen say Pakistan's army never won a war and what about 1965? Today, it will also believe it won a second war, against the Soviets in Afghanistan. This is the real problem with the Pakistani army. It is delusional. It's tough, efficient, audacious, but its brains sit in the nether and wrong part of its autonomy instead of the head. It has not only institutionalised the thought that it won 1965, but it has now resumed that self-hypnosis by reviving the September 6 'Defence of Pakistan Day' celebrations and parades to mark that mythical victory. The problem in Pakistan is that -- at most points of time and definitely at this one -- nobody would dare question it. In India, I can get away with saying, based on the works of many fine soldiers who recorded the history of 1965, that it was a war of mutual incompetence that led to a stalemate within three weeks. But, not in Pakistan. Pakistan's army has a lot going for it. It is a formidable fighting force and is still the only sizeable Islamic army in the world capable of absorbing technology, following orders of its commanders like professionals, and overcome casualties in real combat. Its problem is, it sees its role as being much wider, greater, ideological, moral and even holier than that of any other professional military. That is where problems arise, for their country, and ours. Pakistan is going through a phase unprecedented in its politico-military history -- when the General Headquarters has not seized power openly, but controls it fully. In a series of manoeuvres since the last election, it has destroyed not just the political, but even the moral authority of the Nawaz Sharif government. People by and large, including a lot of the intelligentsia, would have more faith in the army as an institution than the elected government 'of lazy thieves.' The chief, General Raheel Sharif, who also hails from a family of Pakistan's most illustrious war heroes, is now a cult figure and probably the most popular Pakistani general ever. At which point, we can raise our trick question: Does the Pakistani army deserve this kind of awe and respect? Has it done enough to deserve it? For the answers, consider what it promised. If its central premise behind justifying its pre-eminence was winning Kashmir, it has failed after 70 years of fighting. In fact, today Pakistan has less of Kashmir than it had after the 1948 ceasefire, having lost Siachen and territory in Kargil, Turtuk etc. If the proposition is that only it can protect Pakistan's territorial and ideological frontiers, then it vaporises the moment you mention the word Bangladesh. Pakistan lost a large part of its territory, and a majority of its population, thus knocking its ideological basis of the two-nation theory. An independent Bangladesh is now doing much better than Pakistan. If its claim to pre-eminence is that it defeated the Soviets, then the fact is it is still fighting the Afghans, including their jihadi offspring within its own territories. Over these decades, this vaunted army has lost Pakistan's territory, ideology, financial and intellectual capital, ruined its institutions, democracy, the respect for its passport and, like it or not, reduced its status to a globally acknowledged university of jihad, Ivy League or not. This comes at the cost of much of the country's budget. Time to repeat a telling point I have made often: When I first went to Pakistan in 1985, the country looked much richer and modern than ours. It had to, because its per capita income was then 65 per cent higher than India's. That is about the time it chose (encouraged by Afghanistan), to start using cross-border terror as a weapon against India, hoping India will bleed, decline and die. On the contrary, India has risen, and Pakistan has hit new depths: A 65 per cent lead on per capita income is now nearly a 20 per cent deficit, widening at about 5 to 6 per cent per year, the net of India's higher economic growth and Pakistan's population. Pakistan's army has, therefore, lost its captive nation the war, whatever its claims at the many battles it has fought (very well) with ours. Its joy at orchestrating the deaths of a few Indians once in a while is no more than self-destructive. It's the finest army in the world that's destroying its own country first. China has said that its technical hold on India's move to get Pakistan-based JeM chief Masood Azhar designated a terrorist by the United Nations has "been extended", days before the expiry of the hold. China's technical hold was set to lapse on Monday, and had it not raised further objection, the resolution designating Azhar as a terrorist would have been passed automatically. The hold has now been extended and it can continue for up to three months more. As per the procedure dealing with technical hold, a "committee member may request additional time to consider the proposal on the basis that extraordinary circumstances exist. In such cases, the Committee may extend the time for consideration by up to three months from the end of the six month period. At the end of this additional period, a matter still pending shall be deemed approved." "The technical hold on India's listing application submitted to the 1267 committee in March, 2016 has already been extended," Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said. "There are still different views on India's listing application. The extended technical hold on it will allow more time for the Committee to deliberate on the matter and for relevant parties to have further consultations," Geng said. On March 31 this year, China, a veto-wielding permanent member of the UN Security Council, had blocked India's move to put a ban on the Jaish-e-Mohammed leader and Pathankot attack mastermind under the Sanctions Committee of the Council. China was the only member in the 15-nation UN organ to put a hold on India's application with all other 14 members of the Council supporting New Delhi's bid to place Azhar on the 1267 sanctions list that would subject him to an assets freeze and travel ban. "China always maintains that on the listing matter, the 1267 Committee should stick to the main principles of objectivity, impartiality and professionalism, base its judgments on solid evidence and decide upon consensus among the members of the Security Council," he said in a written reply to a question. Following the decision, the hold now has been extended in the midst of India-Pakistan tension over the Uri terrorist attack, which was blamed on the JeM group. China's technical hold coupled with its move to block India's membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group cast a shadow on the Sino-India ties. Both the countries have held several rounds of talks on the issues in recent months. China's move to extend the technical hold comes ahead of the expected meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Goa during the BRICS Summit on October 15-16. In June last year, China had blocked India's demand for taking action under the Council's anti-terrorism resolutions against Pakistan for releasing Lashkar-e-Taiba commander Zaki-ur-Lakhvi -- the mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai attacks. Sources have previously said India is not alone in its bid to get Azhar listed as terrorist as the US, the UK and France had "co-sponsored" the resolution seeking Azhar's listing. India has repeatedly slammed the UN Sanctions Committee for its failure to designate terrorists, saying that the terror groups are proscribed entities under the Sanctions regime but individuals heading them are not listed. India has slammed the UN sanctions committee for taking a "selective approach" in tackling terrorism when the technical hold was put on its application to include Azhar's name on the committee's list of designated terrorists. In April, India had said it finds it "incomprehensible" that while the Pakistan-based JeM was listed in the UNSC Committee as far back as 2001 for its known terror activities and links to the Al Qaeda, the designation of the group's main leader, financier and motivator has been put on a technical hold. India had submitted a detailed dossier on Azhar and moved the UNSC 1267 Committee following the January 2 attack on an Indian airforce station in Pathankot. In March, India's submission was considered by the Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate for technical aspects of the evidence provided. The technical team then with the support of the US, the UK and France had sent it to all the members. All were told that if there were no objections, the designation will be announced after the expiry of the deadline. However, hours before the deadline, China requested the committee to hold up the banning of the JeM chief. India had said the sanctions committee was taking a "selective approach" in tackling terrorism. India had made a strong call for reform of the "subterranean universe" of the UN Security Council's sanctions regimes, as it criticised the lack of transparency in their functioning and said that the principles of "anonymity and unanimity" adopted by Council members absolve individual members of accountability. Karnataka government on Saturday moved the Supreme court seeking a review of its order directing the state to release Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu even as it faced strident calls from opposition parties not to release the water "at any cost". The Karnataka government filed a review petition in the apex court against its three recent orders on Cauvery water release to Tamil Nadu and direction for constitution of Cauvery Water Management Board by Centre saying it would cause "undue hardship" to the state. In the petition, it said that "grave miscarriage of justice" has been caused to it pursuant to three orders of the Apex court dated September 20, 27 and September 30, by which it directed the state to release 6,000 cusecs of water till October 6 and constitution of board by Centre till October 4. It said that apex court has "committed an error" in directing the Centre to constitute Cauvery Management Board, without considering the fact that three judges of apex court has held in 2013 that direction to constitute the board "can wait and may be heard along with the Civil Appeal". "The court has not taken the cognizance of the fact that the constitution of the Cauvery Management Board, being Legislative in character, depends upon the authority exercising the power as well as the nature of the function and obligation arising from the Legislation", it said in the review plea. The plea moved by Karnataka said further water release orders from the reservoirs of Karnataka would "cause irreparable injury" to Karnataka as once the release are made from the reservoirs of the state, the water cannot be retrieved in case of good normal North-East monsoon. The Apex court had on Friday taken Karnataka to task for its repeated "defiance" by flouting its orders for release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu and had directed it to discharge 6,000 cusecs water from Saturday till October 6. It had warned Karnataka that no one would know when the "wrath of the law" would fall on it. Emerging out of a more than a three-hour long all-party meeting in Bengaluru, BJP and JDS leaders said they told the government to stick to the resolution passed by both the Houses of state legislature on September 23 that water should be used only for drinking purpose, and not be spared for any other use. The opposition parties also asked the Siddaramaiah government to oppose the formation of the Cauvery Water Management Board. "We should not obey the Supreme Court order at any cost as it is unimplementable. The House (legislature) decision should be upheld. Government should stick to the decision," Opposition BJP leader in the Assembly Jagadish Shettar told reporters in Bengaluru. JDS leader Y S V Datta said the state should not release 6,000 cusecs of water as directed by the apex court "at any cost". "Whatever may be the consequences, we will all face it together. We are with the government," he said. Meanwhile, former Prime Minister and JDS supremo H D Deve Gowda began an "indefinite" fast seeking "justice" for Karnataka in the ongoing row with Tamil Nadu. The 83-year-old Janata Dal (Secular) supremo is sitting on fast near the Mahatma Gandhi statue next to Vidhana Soudha, the state secretariat, saying, "We want justice. Drinking water is essential for humans to survive." Asserting that he would continue his protest till Karnataka gets justice from the Union government, Gowda said he still has "confidence" in the Prime Minister that the issue will be resolved. Home Minister G Parameshwara, who visited Gowda, said the former prime minister had always fought for the state's interests and added, "I hope it (the hunger strike) will open the eyes of the judiciary." Union Ministers D V Sadananda Gowda and Ramesh Jigajinagi and former Chief Ministers B S Yeddyurappa (BJP) and Shettar, JDS leader H D Kumaraswamy and Congress leader in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge were among those who attended the meet. An attempt to broker an agreement between the two squabbling states by the Centre on September 29 had failed to yield any result. The Cauvery Supervisory Committee had on September 19 asked Karnataka to release 3,000 cusecs daily from September 21 to 30, but the apex court the next day doubled the quantum to 6,000 cusecs from September 21 to 27 after Tamil Nadu pressed for water to save its samba paddy crop. On September 27, the Supreme Court bench directed Karnataka to release 6,000 cusecs water to Tamil Nadu for three days, despite the resolution of the state legislature. In between on September 12, the court had modified its order of September 5 directing Karnataka to release 12,000 cusecs per day till September 20 to Tamil Nadu. The September 5 order had directed release of 15,000 cusecs of Cauvery water per day to Tamil Nadu for the next 10 days. In an unprecedented move in the more than century-long Cauvery dispute, both the Legislative Assembly and the Council on September 23 had adopted the resolution not to provide water for any other purpose except to meet drinking needs, citing "acute distress" and "alarmingly low levels" in its dams. Photograph: PTI Photo Prime Minister Narendra Modi understands the "pain" of the people of Balochistan, the leadership of which has sought India's help for the "first time in 70 years", a prominent Baloch leader said in New Delhi on Saturday. Activist Mazdak Dilshad Baloch expressed satisfaction with the Indian response to the "Baloch appeal", saying Modi's Independence Day speech had played "a major role in spreading awareness" about the "atrocities" of the Pakistani State on Balochistan. But, during the event on 'Baloch Nationality' where the young leader spoke, social commentator Tarek Fatah countered his claim, saying exiled Baloch leader Brahumdagh Bugti had been to India for medical treatment. Bugti has recently sought asylum in India. "India is with us. Narendra Modi understands our pain. In the last 70 years, no Baloch leader has come to India. But now, we have come and we are happy with the response. We thank (External Affairs Minister) Sushma Swaraj for her UNGA speech. "Today, even an autowallah asks me whether I am the same Baloch Modiji spoke about. Since August 15, I have had many such encounters," Mazdak said. He also took a dig at Pakistan over the recent surgical strikes of the Indian Army on terror launchpads in PoK and the subsequent denial of the Pakistani civilian and military leadership of the same, saying "everyone knows" who staged the attack on the army base at Uri in Kashmir. Describing as "false" the distinction made between the Pakistani State and its people, Mazdak questioned the latter's "silence" on the "acts of oppression" at Balochistan. "But, they voiced their opposition against the terror attack in Paris," he said. The event, organised by right-wing thinktank India Policy Foundation and attended by many at Constitution Club, was punctuated with slogans of "Bharat Mata ki Jai" and "Pakistan Murdabad". BJP MP Udit Raj was present in the audience. Former diplomat Vivek Katju, who termed the Baloch issue the "unfinished agenda of partition", and retired armyman GD Bakshi were among the other speakers at the event. A booklet, titled Balochistan: What World Needs to Know, was released on the occasion. However, Mazdak put Kashmir in the same bracket with Balochistan and Sindh while speaking about the aspiration for "freedom" of the people of these places. "Baloch people are being tortured, executed... bodies are dropped from aircraft to create terror... the worst part is, they enjoy killing us," he said, claiming that the Baloch leadership had approached (independent India's first Prime Minister) Jawaharlal Nehru, but did not get a "favourable response". Mazdak claimed that "99 per cent" of the Baloch Sardars were "siding with the Pakistani State" as they were "opportunists", adding that the movement was being led by the "common men and not one or two leaders". IPF Director Rakesh Sinha hit out at Amnesty International, the Western powers and UNHCR for "making noises" on Kashmir, but "turning a blind eye" towards Balochistan. "They work with an agenda," he alleged. A functionary of the foundation also took a dig at Pakistani actor Fawad Khan for "not criticising" the Uri attack. "Our soldiers are fighting at the borders. We need to isolate the apologists within the country," he said. IMAGE: File photo of Baloch Leader Dilshad Mazdak Baloch during a protest against Pakistan near Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi. Photograph: PTI United States presidential candidate Donald Trump doubled down on his attacks on a former Miss Universe in a stream of early-morning tweets. Trumps verbal barbs directed at Alicia Machado, who won the Miss Universe title in 1996, started after the first presidential debate Monday when Hillary Clinton mentioned her and claimed that Trump used to call her Miss Piggy and Miss Housekeeping. Rather than back away from the accusations, Trump has repeatedly defended his criticisms of the woman and her weight. In tweets early on Friday morning, Trump wrote, Wow, Crooked Hillary was duped and used by my worst Miss U, he wrote. Hillary floated her as an angel without checking her past, which is terrible! He further questioned Machados character and contended that she had tricked Clinton into depicting her as a paragon of virtue, and possibly into helping her gain US citizenship. Did Crooked Hillary help disgusting (check out sex tape and past) Alicia M become a US citizen so she could use her in the debate? he asked. Trump may have been referring either to a pornographic video that has been falsely attributed to Machado online, or to an incident from a Spanish reality show when she was filmed in bed with another contestant. Clinton slammed Trump for the tweets, saying, the episode was evidence that a man who can be provoked by a tweet should not have the nuclear codes. Who gets up at 3 am in the morning to engage in a Twitter attack against a former Miss Universe? I mean he hurled as many insults as he could. Really, why does he do things like that? His latest Twitter meltdown is unhinged, even for him. It proves again he is temperamentally unfit to be president of the United States, she said. Image: Miss Universe 1996, Alicia Machado of Venezuela greeted by Donald Trump. Photograph: Reuters The Indian Army has removed the commander of Uri Brigade, which was the target of the deadly terror attack on September 18 that claimed the lives of 19 soldiers and left several others injured, defence sources said. Brigadier K Somashanker has been shifted out of the sensitive brigade, the sources said, adding that he will be out of the base base till the investigation into the strike is completed. They said an officer from the 28 Mountain Division of the army is scheduled to take over as the Uri Brigade commander. Army officials did not respond to calls seeking comment on the development. Earlier, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar had admitted that security lapses had led to the incident. Meanwhile, the Army Chief, General Dalbir Singh is in the Valley to review the border security situation in the wake of ceasefire violations by Pakistan. Image: Smoke rises from the Brigade command headquarters in Uri after terrorists struck it on September 18 We value your privacy. Focus Taiwan (CNA) uses tracking technologies to provide better reading experiences, but it also respects readers' privacy. Click here to find out more about Focus Taiwan's privacy policy. When you close this window, it means you agree with this policy. Shania Twain coming to Indianapolis on first tour in nearly five years Ronald W. Erdrich/Reporter-News Rev. Sam Matthiesen speaks during services Sunday, April 3, 2016, at Holy Family Catholic Church in Abilene. Matthiesen has been appointed by Pope Francis as a missionary of mercy. SHARE By Loretta Fulton, Special to the Reporter-News Joan Taylor can laugh now about her recollections of Holy Family Catholic Church when it was in its infancy. Her husband, Bernie, had been transferred to Dyess Air Force Base from Biggs AFB in El Paso. They joined historic Sacred Heart Catholic Church. When James Bridges, the pastor, began talking about starting a mission to serve the growing southwest part of Abilene, the Taylors were interested. At first, the mission, called Holy Family Catholic Center, met in the former Central Catholic High School property at 1600 Sherman Drive, which now is home to St. John's Episcopal School. "We went to church in the cafeteria," Taylor recalled with a chuckle. Times have certainly changed for Holy Family. It has a new name, Holy Family Catholic Church, and is located in its own facilities at 5410 Buffalo Gap Road. Holy Family was established as an independent parish in 1976, with Robert Kelly serving as first pastor. Nine years later, a new church, featuring a striking modern design, opened on Buffalo Gap Road. Then-Bishop Michael D. Pfeifer dedicated the new Holy Family Catholic Church on Nov. 3, 1985. A new church office and parish center were added in 1994 and a $2.2 million addition and expansion was dedicated in 1994. All of those milestones will be celebrated with a special Mass and potluck supper on Oct. 8. Bishop Michael Sis of the Diocese of San Angelo will celebrate the Mass, along with Frederick G. Nawarskas, pastor since 1996. Holy Family originated with 114 families and has grown to more than 1,200 families. Several families, like the Taylors, have been with Holy Family from the beginning. To those families, the church is more than beautiful buildings on a landscaped property in southwest Abilene. It is the place where baptisms, first communions, confirmations, weddings, and funerals have occurred. The Taylors have four children and all were confirmed at Holy Family. The memories of worshipping in a school cafeteria are long gone for Joan Taylor, but not the memories of the church's role in the life of her family. "We absolutely love it," she said. CHURCH ANNIVERSARY Grace United Methodist Church, 1402 Grape St., will celebrate its 52nd birthday in its current location with activities today and Sunday. There will also be a 'Youth Group Reunion' for all who were a part of the UMYF between the years of 1964-2016 at Grace. The reunion will be held from 3 until 5 p.m. today fellowship hall, followed by a hot dog supper at 5 and a worship service for everyone at 6 p.m. Rev. Ronnie Newton will be preaching and special music will be presented by Mr. Nelson Wilson and his church choir. Sunday morning doughnuts and coffee will be available in fellowship hall at 10 a.m. with worship to follow at 11 a.m., led by church pastor Rev. Stephania Gilkey. A covered dish lunch will be served after worship and at 2 p.m. there will be a Sing-Song in the sanctuary. MISSIONS CELEBRATION SUNDAY The First United Methodist Church- Abilene, 202 Butternut St., will have a Missions Celebration Sunday at 6 p.m. Sunday with a program and worship led by Mary Catherine Walker and mission speaker Mandy McLean from the Palm House, one of the core missions of FUMC. The 10 Core Missions will be presented with slides and live narrative and some video, as well as pamphlets or materials from the mission fields. The event will celebrate and kickoff Operation Christmas Child by distributing boxes and information to gather this year's special collection for this amazing ministry. The celebration will include Gathering Fellowship Meal with Tropical Flavors of the Philippines by our Chef Eddie and his team. The Philippines is one of the FUMC's core missions. A volunteer donation for the meal is much appreciated. If you have any questions, contact Mary Cabasal at marytcabasal@hotmail.com. NATIONAL LIFE CHAIN SUNDAY The 29th National Life Chain is set for 2 to 3:30 p.m. Sunday at 5410 Buffalo Gap Road in front of Holy Family Catholic Church and at South Clack and Southwest Drive in front of Chick-fil-A. The purpose of this event is to be a peaceful, prayerful public witness of pro-life Americans standing in honor of the millions of lives lost to abortion. CRAFT SHOW VENDOR REGISTRATION The third annual Craft Show, Bake Sale & Ministry Fair hosted by the Sonflower Women's Ministry will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 29 at the Abilene First Church of the Nazarene. If you are interested in being a vendor, email carolhehn11@gmail.com. The cost to set up a booth is $20 for each 10 x 10 ft space. ANNUAL GARAGE SALE Aldersgate United Methodist Church, 1741 Sayles Blvd., continues its 48th annual rummage sale from 8 a.m. to noon today. Everything will be sold at 2 sacks for $1.00 The sale benefits local organizations as well as overseas missions. Shop for clothing, kitchenware, antiques, furniture, jewelry, appliances, toys and lots of other bargains. ANNUAL RUMMAGE SALE Grace Lutheran Church, 1202 S. Pioneer, is having its annual Rummage Sale, featuring a wide variety of items, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. Use the Fairmount Street entrance. NATIONAL NIGHT OUT Valley View Baptist Church, 3564 Clinton St., invites residents to 'celebrate unity in the community' at National Night Out activities from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday. Residents are asked to turn on porch lights and join in the fun with free food, music, special guests, games and more. The event is designed to promote crime prevention, police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie. UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST FELLOWSHIP The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 1541 Sayles Blvd., welcomes people of any and all faiths to a travelers' program on a visit to Greece at 11 a.m. Sunday. For more information visit www.uuabilene.org. Send news of your religious organization or group to Religion Editor, Abilene Reporter-News, P.O. Box 30, Abilene, Texas 79604; fax it to 325-670-5242; or email it to jan.woodward@reporternews.com. Deadline is noon Monday. BEDFORD It starts over salad. School board members and administrators from the Hurst-Euless-Bedford Independent School District mingle with attendees at its award-winning program designed to enlighten and change perception of the district, its personnel and the role of the trustees. Nineteen residents from the Fort Worth vicinity are part of this year's class, but joining them for this opening session are seven strangers six officials of the Abilene Independent School District and one newspaper reporter. The AISD contingent is here to see if the program might be a good fit for Abilene. The HEB ISD calls it the Board Ambassador Academy, and the salad portion of that Sept. 19 evening meeting serves as an ice breaker. Introductions are made between attendees, school board members, administrators and the Abilene group. It's a progressive dinner planned for the first academy class of the year, when everyone gets to know each other. After salad, its time for conversation to kick up a notch over an entree pork with vegetables and rolls, all made by students of the HEB school district's culinary arts program. Different table assignments for dinner means more opportunities to meet and share, though a fact sheet about the district distributed to each participant is intended to guide the conversation. Current board members and administrators answer questions and pose their own, while prospective board members and interested community members take it all in. That's why they're there. The Board Ambassador Academy is an entry point for people interested in how public education works. Many of the current HEB school board members are graduates of the program themselves like Dawn Jordan-Wells, an American Airlines employee. She was part of the first academy in 2010 and appointed to the board in May 2012. She was re-elected to the board in 2013. She was active at the time in the school her two children attended and was nominated by their principal to attend the inaugural academy. She credits it with making sure she was ready to get involved on the school board. 'If I wouldn't have done the (Academy), I wouldn't know specifics about how to do this job,' Jordan-Wells said. 'I wouldn't know the time aspect, the budgeting. I didn't come into this job blind. I went to a lot of school board meetings.' OUTREACH Unlike the 19 official members of this year's academy, the six in the AISD contingent weren't at the Gene A. Buinger Career & Technical Educational Academy host campus of the initial meeting of the class year to learn about the HEB district. Instead, they wanted to find out how the academy works. They're thinking of bringing the concept back to West Texas. David Young, AISD superintendent, recognized the Board Ambassador Academy from previous presentations he's heard. So when the question of school board diversity and single-member districts was raised in June by community members, he figured it was a great time to reach out and set something up. Young was joined by board members Danny Wheat, Cindy Earles and Angie Wiley, Deputy Superintendent Gail Gregg and Communications Director Phil Ashby. Both Young and Wheat said much of what they witnessed impressed them. 'It is exactly what I thought it was going to be,' Young said after completing the night, a two-hour drive home awaiting him. 'It's an example of a system designed to generate interest in the community in serving children in the school district.' 'This is one avenue we're looking at as an outreach to the community,' Wheat added. 'You look at how a district is run and the functions of the board. It allows a conversation that goes a little bit deeper, a little more dialogue.' That conversation, Wheat said, could certainly help with diversity on the school board. In Abilene, there is diversity among the sexes, but not among skin color on the board. The largest student population in the district is Hispanic children, but not one Hispanic holds a board seat. There had been one African American in Kelvin Kelley, but he resigned in December after moving to Cisco. As a means of addressing this lack of ethnic and racial diversity, a proposal was crafted by a group of individuals asking the board to consider changing from at-large representation to single-member districts. It would, they said, allow neighborhoods to elect a representative closer in mindset to their individual needs. While the board's race and ethnicity could be affected with single-member districts, it's not a guarantee. It's why the school board and administration are investigating other options, like the academy, instead of focusing on only one solution. Administrators and board members of both districts said that evening a strong board is one that focuses on all of the children in the district, not just ones within certain geographic neighborhoods. 'Everyone keyed into this is what we want,' Wheat said. 'Everything we've heard is about orienting it back to service for all our kids. This program has helped us focus on some points. I feel the outreach to the community will open doors for them so they feel comfortable coming to us. It all keys back to communication.' OPPORTUNITIES Rochelle Ross and Janice Forbes are taking the session this year, part of the record-sized group of 19, with an interest in expanding their knowledge of school district operations. The first session focused on the role of the school board and its members. But Forbes, a PTA volunteer much like Jordan-Wells when she got interested in 2010, has her eye on budgeting. Lucky for her, an entire meeting in February is devoted specifically to the financial makeup of the district. Run by Deputy Superintendent Debra Roesler, academy participants build budgets from examples. They traverse situations where money is added at the last minute, forcing them to determine what to do with it. Do they save it? Put it into additional staffing? New supplies? The flip side is when money is taken away. At that point, participants must figure out where they need to cut. It gets frustrating and hard when the district is as lean as it can be to start, Public Relations and Marketing Officer Deanne Hullender said. Still, that's the reality of school finance, she said, and the program is designed to expose academy participants to all aspects of the district. Ross has her eye firmly on learning all of the curriculum aspects of the district, which will be addressed in December. During a question period at dessert, Ross asks Jordan-Wells just how much impact the school board has on curriculum and instruction. 'I get the school board stuff, but just how much curriculum do you deal with?' Ross asked. Other aspects covered in the six-session program include deep dives into the school district's continuous improvement and systems approach in October, a guided tour of the entire district in March and a graduation-like ceremony in April. As a whole, the program is earning national recognition. Just this past year, the academy earned great praise as a grand-prize winner of the National School Boards Association's Magna Awards. Given to programs existing to help narrow inequity and access gaps, it was a major victory for the district, which fell into the category for districts with 20,000 or more students. That category includes the major school districts from New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago. DIFFERENT SITUATION Both Jordan-Wells, the HEB ISD board member, and Jones, HEB ISD board president, oppose single-member districts. They feel it limits the ability of the board to consider the education system as a whole. But they recognize their board is lucky to have found representatives from a number of different communities Abilene simply doesn't have. The HEB ISD board is made up of two residents of Hurst, one of Euless, three of Bedford and one from nearby Fort Worth. Jordan-Wells is black, Fred Campos and Matt Romero are Hispanic. All of those communities send students to HEB schools. Only the city of Arlington is not represented on the board, but only a small portion of that city is within the school district's boundary. With a number of cities coming together, that means there's bound to be a natural diversity. The board and the student body are just representations of that 'melting pot' mentality, Jordan-Wells said. 'We're very open about it,' she said. 'We don't let our demographics dictate our destiny. Our district is the most diverse district in the country. But we have the same rigor for every student.' According to its most recent statistics, HEB ISD has 22,762 students. It's a growing district, with 8 percent growth over the last five years. It has a $168 million budget, larger than Abilene ISD's recently approved $130 million plan. A total of 74 languages are spoken by students. In appearance, only 39 percent of the student body is white, with next largest single group being 29 percent Hispanic. Jordan-Wells said the district's proximity to DFW airport means a number of foreign nationals arrive and look to settle nearby. HEB and Irving are the two most likely destinations, she said. This does mean that the representatives must consider all of these students as a whole. And Jones said this board has done an exceptional job of doing so. A switch to single-member districts, she said, may ruin that. But that's for her district. She's only presenting the academy to Abilene. 'They have to figure out what works best there,' she said. 'But I don't like single-member districts. Here, we take care of all of our students, and we do a good job of it.' Twitter: @TimothyChippARN Advertisement - Continue Reading Below This just in... Officials in Kabul say "inaccurate information from ground forces" was to blame for an errant air strike by an Afghan military helicopter that killed five Afghan soldiers and a police officer in western Afghanistan late on September 30. The friendly fire incident occurred after government forces called for air support in a battle against insurgents in the Bala Buluk district of Farah Province, the Defense Ministry said. The ministry had initially blamed hard-line Taliban fighters for the deaths. It said investigators were looking into how the mistake happened. The incident came after United Nations and Afghan officials blamed U.S. forces for an air strike two days earlier that killed at least 15 civilians in eastern Nangarhar Province. Based on reporting by AP and dpa International election observers agree that vote buying is a historical problem that plagues elections around the world. But the practice recently has become so blatant in Bosnia-Herzegovina that voters have been advertising online to sell their votes. Such advertisements turned up on olx.ba -- one of Bosnia's most popular websites for buying and selling goods and services -- during the final two weeks before local elections on October 2. RFE/RL contacted one Bosnian man who was selling his vote through the website for 50 Bosnian convertible marks -- the equivalent of 25 euros. "Politicians don't care about the people anyway," said the man, who wished to remain anonymous. "If we sell our vote, at least we get something for ourselves." "A vote goes for 50 convertible marks," the vote seller told RFE/RL. "Some ask for more. One person called me and told me he'd give me 100 marks if I would take a photo of the [marked] ballot and send it to a certain phone number." Another self-declared vote seller in Bosnia who wanted to remain anonymous, rather than face a possible five-year prison sentence for the illegal activity, told RFE/RL he was approached by a candidate from eastern Sarajevo who offered him 25 euros for his vote. "I also know that in rural areas people will sell their votes for a bag of flour, 10 liters of cooking oil, or 10 kilos of sugar," he said. "I've seen it with my own eyes." More than 3.3 million voters are eligible to cast ballots in the two constituent states that comprise Bosnia-Herzegovina. There are races for 74 municipal councils, four city councils, and 131 mayoral offices in the Bosniak-Croatia federation. In the Serb entity, Republika Srpska, there are 10 mayoral races, as well as elections for 57 municipal councils and six city councils. Locals and outsiders alike will be watching for signs there of whether an erosion of popularity that began in municipal elections four years ago continues for that republic's Serb nationalist president, Milorad Dodik. Thomas Rymer, a spokesman for the OSCE's election monitoring division (ODIHR), says his organization has heard allegations and collected evidence on vote buying in many of the OSCE's 57 participant countries. "Vote buying is a problem that actually reinforces itself in some places," Rymer told RFE/RL. "Where this is more prevalent as a practice, you generally have a combination of factors -- economic, as well as a lack of trust in the electoral system -- so that what [voters] feel they are giving up is worth less than what they're being paid for it." "If people are aware that votes are being bought and sold, then it again lowers people's trust in their electoral system and then makes them question even more the value of their vote," he said. OSCE monitoring missions are not tasked with preventing election irregularities. Rather, observers document complaints and violations -- reporting them to relevant local authorities responsible for enforcing the given countrys election laws. Further, due to what Rymer described as operational priorities in the OSCE area and limited budget resources, ODIHR has opted not to send a monitoring mission to observe the October 2 voting. The OSCE division's latest report on Bosnia was about the October 2014 general elections, when ODIHR monitors documented multiple complaints about vote buying and voters going into polling booths with premarked ballots -- one of the methods used by vote buyers to ensure vote sellers cast their ballots the way they have promised. Other complaints in 2014 documented by the OSCE included "campaign activity" outside polling stations, denial of access to polling stations for accredited observers, proxy voting, ballot-box stuffing, and vote counting discrepancies. "What the report from 2014 states is that these complaints about vote buying, as well as the other irregularities, were filed with the relevant authorities," Ryman said. "There didnt appear to have been a real serious investigation into the allegations that were made. It seems like there wasnt enough due attention paid by the relevant authorities -- the [Central] Election Commission in this case -- to the nature of those complaints and whether they were valid." RFE/RL has spoken with voters who admitted taking payments in 2014 equivalent to 50 euros for supporting a whole list of candidates from one political party. None of the parties allegedly involved in vote buying would comment to RFE/RL about the practice. One Sarajevo man said he discovered from "a distant relative" how to contact a vote buyer from one of the political parties offering cash for votes. After registering and agreeing to sell his vote, he said he was met on election day by a woman in front of the polling station in Sarajevo's Novi Grad municipality. "She gave me instructions on how to vote and said that I'd get the money seven days after the elections," he told RFE/RL. "She gave me a piece of paper with the names I needed to circle on my ballot, in case I forgot." The vote seller said he only received his illegal payment after spending two months "going after the money they promised me." "I have no idea how they confirmed that I voted for them," he said. "After the elections, when I first went to ask for the money at their party headquarters, they took out a list of about 150 people from my district and they found my name." "I had been labeled with a green marker," he said. "Those who had registered but did not vote were labeled with a red marker." Rymer said different "confirmation" systems have been worked out by those who illegally buy votes. "You have [some cases] where the ballot is premarked for them, so just the very act of trying to change the vote that's already been marked would invalidate the ballot," he explained. Another confirmation method vote buyers use is to require a person to photograph their ballot in the voting booth before they drop it into the ballot box. "In a number of participating states in the OSCE where we have observed elections, this has led to the actual prohibition of cameras in the polling booth," Rymer said. Another technique is used in districts where support for the opponent of a vote buyers party or candidate is strong. "Its not vote buying but registration renting," Ryman explained. "They pay the voters to give them their voter registration for a day -- on election day. So what they do is actually subtract a vote that theyre fairly sure will be for another candidate." Self-declared vote sellers told RFE/RL they only feared prosecution if they publicly discussed the illegal practice in the media. One man told RFE/RL: "I never had any fears [about the scheme itself], and neither did the politician who is the head of the party [that paid for votes]." With reporting by RFE/RL Balkan Service correspondents Mirna Sadikovic in Sarajevo and Slobodan Kostic in Prague; translations by Deana Kjuka Britain's new Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said Russia risks becoming a "pariah" state because of its air strikes on Syrian civilian targets. "They drop one bomb and then they wait for the aid workers to come out, civilian people pulling the injured from the rubble, and then five minutes later they drop another bomb," Johnson said in an interview with Britain's Sun newspaper on September 30. "We have evidence. We have good ground to believe that the Russians themselves have been doing that," he said. "We are trying to document that fully because that is in my view unquestionably a war crime." A watchdog report on September 30 blamed nearly 10,000 civilians deaths on Russian strikes in the past year. Johnson said Britain and the United States are looking at a "range of options" to ramp up pressure on Moscow, but "the single most potent weapon we have is shame." "The world's attitude towards Russia has been hardening and I think people now believe that Russia is in danger of becoming a pariah nation." "In the end, if [President Vladimir] Putin's strategy is the greatness and glory of Russia, then he risks seeing that turned to ashes as people view his actions with contempt." Based on reporting by The Sun and AFP 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." U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry admits being "frustrated" after losing an argument with the White House to back up diplomatic efforts to end the war in Syria with the threat of using U.S. military force, The New York Times reported on September 30. The newspaper said it obtained an audio recording of a 40-minute discussion Kerry had with a group of antiregime Syrians at the Dutch Mission to the United Nations on September 22. The approximately 20 participants included representatives of four groups that provide education, rescue, and medical services in rebel-held areas of Syria, and diplomats from three or four countries, The Times said. The meeting took place days after a cease-fire Kerry had negotiated with Russia had collapsed and rebel-held areas of the Syrian city of Aleppo were coming under heavy air strikes as Moscow and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government. The Times said Kerry repeatedly complained that his diplomacy had not been backed by a serious threat of military force. "I think you're looking at three people, four people in the administration who have all argued for use of force, and I lost the argument," Kerry said in one of several audio clips posted on The Times' website. "We're trying to pursue the diplomacy, and I understand it's frustrating. You have nobody more frustrated than we are," Kerry said. The recording was made by a non-Syrian who attended the session, the newspaper said, adding that several other participants confirmed its authenticity. It has been widely reported that Kerry pushed President Barack Obama to take a more robust path in Syria, to give teeth to international efforts to force Assad aside and end a civil war now heading into its sixth year. But Washington's top diplomat has been careful to present a united front with the White House in public, particularly as he has spearheaded repeated attempts to work out a cease-fire deal and a revival of peace talks between the warring parties. Russian forces joined the Syrian war a year ago, tipping the balance of power in favor of Assad, who is also supported by Iranian ground forces and Shi'ite militia fighters from Lebanon and Iraq. The Times said several people in the meeting pressed Kerry on what they saw as contradictions in U.S. policy. They expressed frustration that U.S. efforts in their country are focused on fighting the Islamic State group and not on Assad or his allies. One woman, Marcell Shehwaro, asked "how many Syrians" had to be killed to prompt serious action by the United States. Kerry responded that "Assad's indifference to anything" could push the Obama administration to consider new options, The Times said, but he also said that "any further American effort to arm rebels or join the fight could backfire." State Department spokesman John Kirby declined to comment on what he described as a private conversation. With reporting by The New York Times, Reuters, and AFP Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambaev has arrived home in Bishkek after more than a week in a Russian hospital, where his office said he received "treatment" for possible heart problems after he fell ill en route to the UN General Assembly in New York. The 60-year-old leader's office had said earlier in the week that complications related to an irregular heartbeat had been "fully resolved" and he had shown "significant improvement." Atambaev's health scare comes amid a mounting political battle over proposed constitutional reforms in Kyrgyzstan, which is widely regarded as the most democratic of Central Asia's five post-Soviet republics. His allies in parliament this week continued their push for a bill to hold a national referendum on December 4 to decide on the amendments, which would boost the powers of the prime minister. Atambaev is slated to step down next year in accordance with the country's one-term limit on presidents. Atambaev complained of "chest pains" after departing Kyrgyzstan on September 19 and spent several days in a Turkish hospital, before being taken to Russia on September 23. Based on reporting by Reuters and AFP Pope Francis held a stadium Mass in Tbilisi on the second day of a weekend trip to the Caucasus that is focused on preaching religious tolerance and peace. In his homily on October 1, Francis urged Catholics to find consolation in God and not be "saddened by the lack of harmony around us." The Georgian Orthodox Church decided not to send an official delegation to the Mass at Mikheil Meskhi Stadium, saying that Orthodox faithful cannot participate in Catholic services. Orthodox patriarchate spokeswoman Nato Asatiani said the delegation had stayed away "by mutual agreement" with the Vatican. Georgia is overwhelmingly Orthodox Christian but has a 2.5 percent Catholic minority, according to Vatican estimates. Upon his arrival in Tbilisi on September 30, Francis met with Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili and called for the respect of international law and the sovereign rights of nations. His remarks, though measured, were seen as implicit criticism of Russia, which keeps military troops in Georgia's breakaway Abkhazia and South Ossetia regions. On October 2, Francis will fly to Baku and hold Mass at the Salesian-run Church of the Immaculate Conception. Later, he will visit a monument to those who died in the struggle for independence and meet with government leaders. The pope's visit to Azerbaijan will end with a series of interreligious meetings, including one with the sheikh of Muslims in the Caucasus at the Heydar Aliyev mosque. Based on reporting by dpa United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon offered to act as a mediator between India and Pakistan to defuse escalating tensions over the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir. The offer came on September 30 after Pakistan's UN ambassador met with Ban and urged him to personally intervene in what she called an increasingly "dangerous" situation between the two nuclear-armed rivals. Ban called on "both sides to exercise maximum restraint and take immediate steps to deescalate the situation," his spokesman said. The UN chief said India and Pakistan should address differences through diplomacy and dialogue and offered to mediate. "His good offices are available, if accepted by both sides," the UN spokesman said. On October 1, India and Pakistan accused each other of violating the cease-fire across their demarcation line in Kashmir. The Pakistani Army said in a statement that "Indian forces once again resorted to unprovoked firing and shelling across the line of control at Chamb sector." An Indian Defense Ministry spokesman said Indian troops responded after Pakistani troops fired across the demarcation line in the Akhnoor sector of Indias state of Jammu and Kashmir early on October 1. Tensions between the two archrivals have mounted since the Indian government accused Pakistan-based militants of launching an assault on an army base in Kashmir earlier this month that killed 18 soldiers. India on September 29 said it had carried out "surgical strikes" several kilometers inside Pakistan-controlled Kashmir on what they called "terrorist" targets. Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif responded that the Indian action was "unprovoked" and said Islamabad is ready "to counter any aggressive Indian designs." That prompted India on September 30 to start evacuating villages near the disputed border that divides control of Kashmir between India and Pakistan, citing concerns about a military escalation. "This is a dangerous moment for the region," Pakistan's Ambassador Maleeha Lodhi said after meeting with Ban at UN headquarters in New York on September 30. "The time has come for bold intervention by him if we are to avoid a crisis, because we can see a crisis building up." Lodhi accused India of creating "conditions that pose a threat to regional and international peace and security." India's mission to the United Nations told AFP that "India has no desire to aggravate the situation" and stressed that the counterterrorist strike was "focused in terms of targets and geographical space." "With our objectives having been met, that effort has since ceased," the Indian mission said. UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the UN chief has been following the situation "with great concern," citing the escalating rhetoric and maneuvering by both sides. A UN military observer mission is looking into reports of violations of a 2003 cease-fire along the line of control and will report to Ban, he said. The U.S. State Department on September 30 repeated its call for "calm and restraint" by both sides. "Nuclear-capable states have a clear responsibility to exercise restraint regarding nuclear weapons and missile capabilities," State Department spokesman Mark Toner said. The Pakistani UN ambassador said she suggested to Ban that to avert a crisis, he move up his plans to visit India and Pakistan, now scheduled for November. Lodhi also met this week with the current Security Council president, New Zealand Ambassador Gerard van Bohemen, to ask that the council keep a close eye on developments. India and Pakistan have fought three wars since they gained independence from Britain seven decades ago, two of them over Kashmir. With reporting by AFP, AP, and Reuters Mohammad Nayeb-Zehi was among the hundreds of worshippers who gathered on September 30 at the Great Mosalla, a religious site in Iran's southeastern city of Zahedan, for Friday Prayers. Just hours later, the 16-year-old's family learned he was dead. Nayeb-Zehi was among the scores of people gunned down by security forces in a brutal crackdown following anti-government protests in Zahedan, the provincial capital of Sistan-Baluchistan Province, which is home to the country's Baluch minority. "He was a simple laborer and not political," Nayeb-Zehi's brother, Ahmad, told RFE/RL's Radio Farda in a telephone interview from Zahedan, adding that his sibling had been shot in the heart. "We're in pain, and we cannot accept it." The crackdown in Zahedan came amid weeks-long nationwide protests triggered by the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old who died on September 16, days after she was detained by Iran's morality police. In Sistan-Baluchistan, public anger at the authorities escalated amid reports that a 15-year-old Baluch girl had been raped by a police official in the province's southern port city of Chabahar. The violence erupted soon after protesters gathered outside a police station near the central mosque in Zahedan. Members of the crowd chanted anti-government slogans, and some threw rocks. Security forces responded with deadly force by firing on the crowd from the station, according to witnesses. Security forces also raided the central mosque and the nearby Great Mosalla and opened fire on worshippers using live ammunition, rights groups said, adding that many were shot in the head, heart, neck, or torso, revealing a clear intent to kill or seriously wound. At least 94 people were killed and 350 wounded on that day, referred to as "Bloody Friday," according to the U.S.-based Iran Human Rights Documentation Center. At least 13 minors were among those killed, including Nayeb-Zehi. The victims were overwhelmingly Baluch -- a mostly Sunni ethnic group that has long faced disproportionate discrimination at the hands of the Iranian authorities. "He was martyred inside the Mosalla while holding his prayer mat," said Ahmad Nayeb-Zehi. Nayeb-Zehi's family first visited Zahedan's Khatam al-Anbia hospital, hoping he was among the wounded. They later found his body in a seminary at the Great Mosalla. "We entered a room there and saw about 10 bodies," said Ahmad Nayeb-Zehi. "[Mohammad] was among them." He said the authorities prevented the family from filming the scene. "I told them this has to be documented, it has to be published by international media," he said, adding that footage later emerged on social media showing the gruesome scene at the seminary. The family refused to send Nayeb-Zehi's body to the morgue. Instead, his body lay in the living room for around 24 hours before he was buried. "We said he was martyred and there was no need for an autopsy," said Ahmad Nayeb-Zehi. The authorities accused Jaish al-Adl, a Sunni militant group, of attacking the police station. The group is recognized as a terrorist organization by both Iran and the United States and has previously claimed deadly attacks in Sistan-Baluchistan targeting Iranian security forces. But local and independent sources have rejected the authorities' claims. The authorities have also reported a much lower number of fatalities, announcing that only 19 people, including several members of the security forces, were killed. Ahmad Nayeb-Zehi said the authorities were "rubbing salt into the wounds of the people" by claiming "terrorists" were involved. He said he witnessed a military helicopter shooting at civilians near the Great Mosalla. "I haven't even seen such scenes in Hollywood movies," he said. "A helicopter was shooting at people. A lady was shot in front of my eyes." RFE/RL could not verify his account. But activists have accused security forces of shooting at protestors from helicopters. "I don't know what the intention of this crime was," he said. "Our only demand from the establishment is for the murderers of our [family members] to be punished." The killings have led to widespread anger in Sistan-Baluchistan, one of Iran's poorest provinces. Anti-establishment protests have been reported in Zahedan since the crackdown, including on October 14 and October 21, when protesters took to the streets after Friday Prayers and chanted "Death to the dictator." During his Friday Prayers sermon on October 21, influential Sunni cleric Molavi Abdolhamid Ismaeelzahi said senior officials, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, were "responsible" for the September 30 killings. "We are surprised by the silence of the high-ranking officials," he said in his sermon, which was posted on his website. "Scores were killed here without any reason. I don't have the exact number. Some have reported 90, some say less, some say more," Ismaeelzahi added. He also said people will not be satisfied until "those who killed the people" are brought to justice. The Iran Human Rights Documentation Center said the events of September 30 amounted to "a massacre of protesters by security forces." "The government's total denial of responsibility for the massacring of citizens by its security apparatus is consistent with similar past denials and is evidence that internal calls for investigation of such crimes are insufficient," said the rights group, which documents human rights violations in Iran. The secretary of U.S. Homeland Security, Jeh Johnson, says "malicious" hackers who recently breached electronic safeguards to "scan" voting systems in a number of U.S. states do not appear to have manipulated any data. Johnson was responding to suggestions following reported intrusions to election systems in Arizona and Illinois and the Democratic National Committee (DNC) that foreign cybercriminals were seeking to affect November's U.S. elections. Officials have pointed a finger at Russia, where intelligence sources say at least some of the intruders were operating. "In recent months, malicious cyberactors have been scanning a large number of state systems, which could be a preamble to attempted intrusions," Johnson said in a statement. "In a few cases, we have determined that malicious actors gained access to state voting-related systems. However, we are not aware at this time of any manipulation of data." FBI Director James Comey told Congress recently that the his agency was looking "very, very hard" at Russian actors who could try to influence or disrupt the U.S. vote. Russian President Vladimir Putin said of the DNC breach that "I dont know anything about it, and on a state level Russia has never done this." Based on reporting by Reuters and AP A Chesterfield County man was fatally shot in Petersburg early Saturday, according to police. Petersburg police said Corby Powell, 22, was found suffering from a gunshot wound in the 1000 block of Nottoway Street shortly after 6:35 a.m. Powell died at the scene. Police are still investigating the incident. Anyone who saw or heard anything in the area of the shooting is asked to contact Petersburg Police Major Crimes Unit at (804) 732-8070 or Petersburg Dinwiddie Crime Solvers at (804) 861-1212. Correctional officers in the unit at Hampton Roads Regional Jail where Jamycheal Mitchell was held last year were required to check on the inmates every 30 minutes. The day Mitchell died, more than 90 minutes elapsed between his last check and the moment a guard found his lifeless body on the concrete floor of his cell, according to video released last week by Norfolk Sheriff Robert McCabe, the interim superintendent of the Portsmouth-based jail. Mitchell, 24, is one of 18 inmates who have died since 2012 at the jail, a facility that has come under fire for its treatment of prisoners and its refusal to share internal investigations into inmate deaths. Mitchell, who was diagnosed with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, died Aug. 19, 2015, of extreme weight loss and heart problems. He had lost 46 pounds during 101 days at the jail. He was ordered by a judge to be transferred to a state mental hospital for treatment, but he never made it because his paperwork was stuffed in a desk drawer by an admissions worker at the hospital. His family has filed a $60 million lawsuit in federal court against more than three dozen defendants, including guards, jail officials, medical staff, court clerks and state hospital workers. Jail officials initially said the surveillance video taken outside Mitchells cell had been recorded over, but the former superintendent, David L. Simons, reversed course and allowed an Associated Press reporter to watch about 11.5 hours of video last month from the last night of Mitchells life. No other media were allowed to watch it at the time, but in an effort to increase transparency and restore goodwill with the public, McCabe released the original 11.5 hours of video plus an additional three hours that was recorded five days before Mitchell died. The additional video raises questions about the existence of the rest of the video taken in Mitchells last five days a crucial time that would have shown whether he was fed, given medication or checked by medical staff. McCabe said Thursday he is not aware that any other video exists, nor is he sure why the rest of the video wasnt saved. The video taken five days before his death on Aug. 14 shows a naked and unaccompanied Mitchell emerge from his cell into what appears to be a common area. A short time later, a cleaning crew begins to scrub his cell. Fellow inmate Justin Dillon, who saw part of the video and confirmed he was cleaning Mitchells cell that day, said the small concrete room frequently was covered in feces and urine. About 20 minutes later, two corrections officers appear to drag Mitchell back into his cell. Aside from the short time spent outside his cell, Mitchell often appeared to be standing at his door, staring out the window into the common area. Dillon said Mitchell spent all his time standing at the door, speaking incoherently. Mark Krudys, a Richmond-based attorney who is representing Mitchell and the family of another inmate who died at the jail, asked officials to preserve video recordings shortly after Mitchell died. He has said the rest of the video should have been preserved. Krudys was provided a copy of the 14.5 hours of video along with the news media last week. The tape is very disturbing, to include seeing the gaunt, naked Jamycheal being dragged back into his cell by correctional officers, Krudys said. It will break his mothers heart to see him in that condition, and to see the manner in which he was treated. In a phone interview on Wednesday, Dillon said guards often dragged Mitchell around, kicked him out of view of cameras, and squirted a water bottle in his face. He said Mitchell wasnt given clothes, a sheet or a mattress. Dillon is among more than half a dozen inmates who have said in the lawsuit they witnessed guards abusing Mitchell. McCabe has said he is certain corrections officers did not mistreat Mitchell. On Thursday, he declined to speak specifically about the Mitchell videos because of the lawsuit. But in general, he said, officers are trained to use the least amount of force necessary to move inmates. When they wont cooperate and return to their cells, he said, they often have to be physically moved by guards. On his last day, Mitchell was checked by a guard at 4:01 a.m. though its not clear how much the officer could see because the lights in all of the cells were off. In the video, a time stamp on the screen is an hour behind, McCabe confirmed. No other guards made any rounds in the mentally ill 24-year-olds pod until after the lights popped on at 5 a.m., and even then, no one discovered Mitchell lying on the floor until 5:39 a.m. His door remained closed for about 10 minutes while a series of correctional officers took turns peering through the small window in his metal door. Three officers opened the door at 5:49 a.m., but its not clear in the video whether any of them attempted to resuscitate Mitchell. Nurses pushing a cart arrived at the cell at 5:53 a.m., and emergency medical workers pushed a stretcher into the pod at 6:07 a.m., but they turned to leave about a minute later. When the guards and medical workers dispersed, the other inmates in the pod appeared to bang their fists and heads on their cell doors. Mitchells window was uncharacteristically empty. It looks like nothing was found at this location. Maybe try a search? Search for: Search A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind. The campaign of 6th District Rep. Bob Goodlatte rebuffed charges Friday from Democratic challenger Kai Degner that the congressman profits personally from a company involved in the proposed Mountain Valley Pipeline. Degner cited Federal Election Commission documents in saying that Goodlatte, R-Roanoke, increased his share in RGC Resources to between $250,000-$500,000 between 2013-15. The challenger added that RGC Resources, a Roanoke-based holding company that sells natural gas through subsidiaries to customers in West Virginia and Virginia, has a direct investment in the proposed Mountain Valley Pipeline. Voters deserve to know that Bob Goodlatte has significant investments in a company that can profit from eminent domain used to build the Mountain Valley Pipeline, Degner said in a press release. Degner further questions how can he protect our land and environment if he can profit from this $3.2 billion proposed project? But the Goodlatte campaign quickly rebutted Degners claims, noting that the stock is owned by Goodlattes wife, not the congressman himself. Goodlatte Campaign Manager Dan Webb explained that the RGC stock is wholly owned by Maryellen Goodlatte. Webb also claimed the Mountain Valley Pipeline does not even traverse the 6th District. A review of the pipelines proposed route shows a portion of it is slated to run through Roanoke County, a portion of which is, in fact, inside Goodlattes district. But the pipeline route would run across the countys southern end, which is in the 9th congressional district. Regardless, Webb noted, Congress has no authority over the permitting process for pipelines or eminent domain decisions for pipeline routes. The former is controlled by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the latter is handled by the state. Critics of the congressman, though, contend that whether the stock is owned by Goodlatte directly or his wife, he still benefits, and therefore has a conflict of interest. They also say its naive to think that a sitting congressman would have no sway whatsoever, official or not, over permitting and eminent domain issues. But Webb contends that any way you look at it, the allegations dont hold up, and he chastised Degner for attacking the wife of his opponent. Attacking Congressman Goodlattes wife for serving in a leadership role for a Sixth District company is inappropriate, Webb said, referring to Maryellen Goodlattes role as an RGC board member. He said she began serving on the board long before the pipeline was proposed. Throughout her entire career, Maryellen has been a superb lawyer above reproach, and partisan smear attacks will not change her record of service. Webb said Rep. Goodlatte has been and will always be, a strong supporter of private property rights. As a senior member of the Judiciary Committee, which he now chairs, Goodlatte helped lead efforts to pass legislation to overturn the disastrous Kelo Supreme Court decision and restore the Founders intent regarding private property, Webb said. Degner has stated his opposition to the Atlantic Coast Pipeline, another proposed natural gas conduit that would run through Augusta County in the 6th District. There are environmental and safety concerns, as well as concerns over the government using eminent domain to take the land if landowners do not otherwise reach an agreement, Degner said in his release. The Mountain Valley Pipeline is a proposed interstate pipeline of 301 miles that would transport natural gas from Wetzel County, W.Va. to another transmission pipeline in Pittsylvania County. The proposed route includes the Virginia counties of Giles, Montgomery, Roanoke and Franklin. Like the Atlantic Coast Pipeline, the Mountain Valley Pipeline remains under consideration by FERC, the permitting agency for interstate pipelines. A first-of-its-kind journey along India and Pakistan border What binds the two most talked about nations - India and Pakistan together? What makes the $25K in Gannett Foundation grants go to central Kansas organizations Four local organizations are receiving a total of $25,000 as the Gannett Foundation invests in community-building initiatives in north-central Kansas. PARIS (AP) Among the forest decor at the star-studded Balmain collection, pop star and former French first lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy killed time chatting with French Vogue Editor Emmanuelle Alt. Guests were all waiting on one person: Kim Kardashian, who arrived late to the usual whirl of paparazzi flashes in her first appearance since getting attacked by a serial celebrity accoster. Here are the highlights of Thursday's spring-summer 2017 ready-to-wear shows in Paris: ___ KEEPING UP WITH KARDASHIAN When Kardashian, whose face appeared on the Balmain invitation card, finally appeared at the Balmain show she didn't disappoint. Her outfit provoked a media scrum: scantily clad in a floor-length peek-a-boo black Balmain dress with mesh cutouts with a provocative nude body stocking underneath. When she squeezed into the front row with Kourtney Kardashian, her mother Kris Jenner, and Jenner's boyfriend, Corey Gamble also in tow the Balmain display was allowed to commence. Thursday marked the first day Kardashian attended Paris Fashion Week since the attack by Vitalii Sediuk who struck as she was entering a posh Paris restaurant Wednesday. Following the Balmain show, Kardashian and Jenner wouldn't comment when asked by The Associated Press if a formal complaint or request for a restraining order against Sediuk had been filed, after he accosted her by kissing her posterior. Paris police also told the AP that they don't comment on specific cases. ___ BALMAIN GOES FLASHY It was a flashy spring-summer melting pot for Balmain's Olivier Rousteing, a designer with a well-known penchant for the dramatic. Models such as Gigi Hadid strutted out through the verdant leaves of the green recreated forest like multicolored birds of paradise. Show producers had painstakingly attached thousands of branches and leaves to the arches and walls in the stately home venue near the famed Champs-Elysees avenue just for the 10-minute show. And the dramatic decor matched the boldness of the designs for better or for worse. Cinch-waists, sexy cutouts and voluminous proportions in shawls, bell pants and skirts defined the silhouette that moved from the excess of the '80s to some rather unexpected tribal and even Masai styles toward the end. One look, in bright synthetic purple, with a provocative split pant and shoulder sash, could almost have been worn by Dynasty's Alexis Carrington. It was a bit too much. But some other styles towed the line between stylish and bold perfectly, such as a petrol blue one-shouldered bodice with sporty, sensual cut outs. ___ CHLOE'S BREATH OF FRESH SPRING AIR It was the strongest Chloe collection in seasons for British designer Clare Waight Keller who worked her feminine magic on '70s styles for the spring-summer show. Loose silk silhouettes were as airy and bright as the luminous, lofty ceiling inside the Grand Palais show venue. Culotte jumpsuits, '70s bells sleeves, stylish center partings and voluminous floor sweeping silk dresses that fanned out dramatically at the hem captured with subtlety Waight Keller's go-to era of the bohemian. Optical plays of lines and interlocking hoop motifs gave this collection a contagious energy that really felt like spring was in the air. But what made this collection special was the dexterous fusion of sporty styles that endowed the 44-look display a contemporary vibe. Long cords hung down from a sexy bustier corset, or were used tied at the midriff. And the piece de resistance, a dramatic ecclesiastical habit-style dress in Cerulean blue, navy, cream and red, had a funky sport-infused cutout sensually exposing the midriff. ___ RICK OWENS' ABSTRACTION Few designers blur the distinction between "fashion" and "art" as much as Rick Owens. Thursday's highly creative display, which teetered from the figurative to the outright abstract was a good example of this, and will no doubt provoke myriad interpretations among fashion insiders. The designs' artistic flourishes began at the shoulder and collar. In citrus yellow, pale pink, gray and black, stiffly draped lengths of fabric enveloped the models' torsos like origami. Fabric was tied into unyielding abstract shapes and placed on the model, as if Owens in an artistic exercise was trying to completely ignore the contours of the human body beneath. Whole skirt pieces were placed flapping down in front of the model's bare, uncovered legs, questioning philosophically the whole point of creating clothes to wear. And flashes of fur circles were placed haphazardly on the bodice that swirled kinetically with clusters of fabric. ___ CARVEN Alexis Martial and Adrien Caillaudaud changed their gamine styles this spring-summer to inject the Carven aesthetic with a strong dose of chic, bad-girl. Strong diagonal lines in sportswear tops and eye-catching minis made this the boldest collection so far for the relatively new designers who are already garnering praise. Asymmetry also defined the sporty aesthetic, with Grecian-looking white lengths of fabric wrapping diagonally across the bodice. They were held in place with a regal-style embellished silver band. Shoe wear was standout. Peep-toe and strapped ankle boots came in bold patterns with python and flashes of flowers and are sure to fly off the shelves. Styles were young at heart, and this 38-piece-strong collection might well appeal to the same crowd as targeted by Nicolas Ghesquiere's Louis Vuitton. THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) The Netherlands summoned Russia's ambassador Friday to complain about Russian criticism of the Dutch public prosecutor's office over the probe into the 2014 downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17. The Russian ambassador was called to the foreign ministry in The Hague over statements that the Dutch say question the office's "professionalism, integrity and independence." The international criminal investigation concluded that a missile which destroyed the Malaysian passenger jet over eastern Ukraine on July 17, 2014, killing all 298 people aboard, was fired from rebel-controlled territory by a mobile launcher trucked in from Russia and hastily returned there. Dutch Foreign Minister Bert Koenders said "given the convincing nature of the evidence, Russia should respect the results that have been presented, rather than impugning the investigation and sowing doubt." Asked about the ambassador, President Vladimir Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov sought to portray it as a positive development. "This is certainly good news, the head of our mission in the Netherlands will relay our thoughts on the subject," Peskov told reporters Friday. "Dialogue is always a good thing." In a tit-for-tat move, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova announced later that the ministry would call the Netherlands' ambassador to explain Moscow's critical view of the Dutch probe's conclusions. She added the ministry would complain about Dutch investigators' refusal to take into account "objective information" provided by Russian experts. The Russian Defense Ministry has denied that any Russian air defense missile systems have ever been sent to rebels in Ukraine. The Russian experts also said this week that newly found data from radar in southern Russia showed that the missile that downed Flight 17 did not originate in rebel-controlled territory in Ukraine. They said they would give that data to investigators. An interesting story was published on the front page of the Samoa Observer last week, on 30 September 2016. Titled P.M. firm. The land belongs to Govt., it was not an entirely new story though. In fact, it was about that festering dispute between the government and the residents of Sogi over land ownership, so that the matter has actually been in the public domain for quite sometime now. And now that the Sogi family that is directly involved in the dispute is suing the government claiming the land thats in the centre of the dispute was rightfully theirs, Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi came through surprisingly enough this time as a man on the warpath. Last week he told the Samoa Observer: I am not worried about this (lawsuit). Why should I be worried if the land belongs to the government? he said. Another thing, I am not a lawyer. The matter is being handled by the Attorney General. So there is nothing to worry about. Wonderful! Nothing to worry about? Now is that so? The question is: Why is he saying there is nothing to worry about if he is absolutely sure he is not worried? And then as the leader of a country where he is holding near- absolute power over peoples lives, did he really mean it when he said he had nothing to worry about? He could be right though. Still, if youve not yet been told that the Attorney General and his staff could also be referred to as Prime Minister Tuilaepas children, then dont start trying to think about any of this now. Just keep in mind though that the government Prosecutors as well as the Chief of Police, are Prime Minister Tuilaepas children anyway, so that they have no option at all but to do as he would have told them what to do. After all, that is what Tuilaepas children do. They listen to him and they then run ahead and do whatever hes told them to do, with no questions asked. Still, its the residents of Sogis decision to sue the government that is apparently giving Tuilaepa sleepless nights these days. Which is why it appears hes determined to see that those residents are relocated to Falelauniu, a place where most of them have never been before anyway. And yet those residents are now fighting back; indeed, they are adamant that they are the rightful owners of the land in question, and this time they are determined that it should remain that way. Explained their leader, Nanai Liu Tokuma: We have tried everything so that we can keep our land. But now we have nowhere to turn to for help, so we have decided to take this matter to Court. He also said: This is not about money and it will never be about money. Were not looking for any compensation either; we just want our freedom to remain on this land. Nanai went on to explain that this land was offered to us by the late Mataafa Mulinuu, when the government at the time mistakenly charged my father, with the death penalty. Luckily he escaped the charge. So who was Mataafa Mulinuu? Well, perhaps Tuilaepa, as Prime Minister of this country today, should tell us. Since today, it appears that as Samoas current Prime Minister, Tuilaepa is determined to take that very block of land back. In any case, this dispute over land ownership in the township of Apia, reminds about other similar disputes around the Taufusi and Saleufi areas in the past. Government leaders today, including Prime Minister Tuilapea, should know. Since this is where they lived during those days when went to school around Apia; Tuilaepa would have been one of them for sure. And now looking around Saleufi and Taufusi today, all the privately-owned blocks of land that were empty or near-empty there then, are now gone. In their places are supermarkets, restaurants, businesses of all sorts, and even churches. So where have those families who had lived in their houses around Saleufi, Taufusi and Fugalei, gone? Well, some of those who remained might have gone up on the mountains, alongside those steep slopes where the chances of their homes holding on when the floods begin, are practically nil. Over there at Sogi on the other hand, a familys fight to win ownership of the land they believe is rightly theres, has begun. Nanai Liu Tokuma is 76 years old. So what is he going to do at his age, if the government won the fight and his family is relocated to Falelauniu, a place hes never been before? Said Nanai: The Tokuma family has been living in Sogi for more than a hundred years. Now that is a long, long time. Think about the people who were born, nursed and raised on that land during all that time; how many generations after generations they would have been representing over the years, and are some of them working for Prime Minister Tuilaepa and his government, today? And yet now, with a single word from Tuilapea, and all that history would be buried under rubble for ever, never to emerge. Nanai revealed that in his familys Court claim, they are seeking three orders. They are: An order from the court to restrain the government from asking the family to pay for any surveying and evaluation works on the land. An order to stop the government from relocating the family. A decision by the government to allow these people to own the land. Liu Tokuma Nanai also said: Then the late Mataafa offered the land for our family because the government could not afford to pay what they owed them. And then Mataafa told Tokuma go live on the land with your children. What would Mataafa be thinking today if hes heard that Prime Minister Tuilaepa, intends on taking that land from the Nanai family, and returned it to the government? What would he say if hes told that Tokuma Nanai, at age 76, is being relocated to Falelauniu, a place hed never been before? Anyway, is the Attorney General one of Prime Minister Tuilaepas children? Tell the rest what you think. Have a peaceful Sunday Samoa, God bless. For many families who were devastated by the tsunami in September 2009, the scars are not easy to get rid of. For Mose Kamu, of Lalomanu, he will never forget the sight of destruction when he first arrived at his home on that day. Aged 64, he explains his story of grief. At that time I was working for the Governments Agricultural sector so I was in Apia and the Earthquake hit when I was waiting for the bus to go to work, he told the Village Voice. The bus then left and I reached Matautu and a few people jumped on with their bags and holding their children tight. The people said there was no sea at the wharf. The bus then took us to the Avele grounds and we waited there because we were told to get to high grounds. The bus driver then said he needs to call his family and I started to get worried. The driver kept calling his family in the rural village and a stranger picked up saying there was no one at the house and he heard the phone ringing while walking past. The bus driver then said we need to go back because his mom has died so we all came back to this village. Mose continued to describe the scene of that fateful day. The bus driver started picking up all the families who wanted to come back to the village to see their loved ones, he said. The bus couldnt get to the effected areas so we all got off and walked the rest of the way here. It was a sad sight. The hospital was packed and everyone was still in shock. The doctors said they couldnt fit any more people in the hospital so they started covering dead bodies with tarpaulin. People had to go through all the dead bodies to try and identify them. Losing a few loved ones himself, Mose says the sorrow he felt that day is still felt at present. I felt the pain in my heart for other families, he said. There were many who lost more than three loved ones so I felt very sorry for them. Some even lost 14 including children. It was a devastating sight. I lost my mother that day. When the tsunami hit we found her on top of the breadfruit tree. My mother was naked on the tree but some passerbys through clothes up at her before we got there to help cover her up. I also lost one of siblings. The wave came and did its work on her and washed her out to sea. And from this day onwards, Mose and his family refuse to live by the ocean again. We had our service last night where we mourned again, he said. The Lord is in charge of his creation. He who gives life can take it back again. Its not up to us. My family no longer live by the sea; we moved further inland to keep ourselves safe from such disasters. We dont want to go back since that day. A member of the Council of Deputies, Le Mamea Ropati Mualia, is the Patron of the newly established University of Otago Samoan Alumni Chapter. Le Mameas appointment was made official at the Sheraton Samoa Aggie Greys Hotel where the Alumni was launched yesterday. The honour is fitting given Le Mamea achieved a national first when he graduated from Otago in 1970 and became New Zealands first Samoan pharmacy graduate. In Samoa for the occasion is Otago Deputy Vice-Chancellor (External Engagement) Professor Helen Nicholson. The Acting Prime Minister, Sili Epa Tuioti, congratulated the University and acknowledged its contribution to the development of Samoa. Given the number of Samoans who have graduated from Otago, Sili said it is surprising it has taken this long for the Alumni to be established. Many of Otagos Alumni are holding very prominent positions in government and in Samoa generally and are making very positive contributions to the social, economic and political development of Samoa, said Sili. Sili also acknowledged the work done by Otago University in assisting National University of Samoas Faculty of Medicine. Professor Nicholson said the Alumni would provide many opportunities to renew links and forge new friendships with people in the wider community. On a personal level, I greatly appreciate the opportunity to discuss Otagos initiatives in the Pacific in health, research and teaching, with the people who help make them a reality, and to thank Samoa for the contribution its students make to the University Community. Manager of the University of Otagos Pacific Islands Centre, Tofilau Nina Kirifi Alai said the launch is an exciting opportunity for the University as well as Samoa. While having University representatives in Samoa gives alumni a great opportunity to reminisce and share fond memories of campus days, we are also really pleased at the genuine interest they have in hearing about the future direction of the relationship between the Pacific and Otago. Also, from the Universitys perspective, it is humbling to see how our alumni are contributing in their local communities, she said. In the past two decades about 660 students who identified as Samoan have completed an Otago qualification. Where there is a will, there is a way. That is how the Taufua family has been able to overcome the cruel blows thrown their way since the tsunami devastated the south coast of Upolu on 29th September 2009. Seven years later and those mental wounds from that Tsunami remain fresh for many. For the Taufua family, losing 14 family members was hard and rebuilding may have looked impossible; but together they slowly got back on their feet. Pola Taisali, a niece of Faafetai Taufua, the owner of Taufua beach Fales, recalls the day like it was just yesterday. The day began like any ordinary day would for Pola until the earthquake hit. On that day my whole family was awake but I slept in along with a few other girls my age who stayed with us, she said. We were shocked by that strong earthquake then we ran outside to see what was going on because this was the strongest earthquake I have ever felt." We ran back into the house and five minutes later everyone was yelling and running saying that a tsunami was coming." I then warned my Aunty but in my mind I thought it would just be a medium sized wave that will hit us and that there wasnt going to be much damage." I started to run out of the house and when I looked back I saw my Aunty needed help but there was nothing I could do because everything happened so fast. And then the first wave hit. Still inside the house I was looking towards the sea area and my Aunty was looking back at me, Pola explained. The wall then caved in with the water pushing through; I lay at the feet of the old man (Taufua) and my Aunty lay on my chest." I dont know what happened next but when I gained consciences I could only see a bit of light from under water and I thought I was out at sea but I was still inland." When the wave retreated I went back down a bit with all the rubbish and I tried to swim up to get some air and when I got up I saw everyone running up the mountain." The wave came back and I was submerged again. When the last wave hit I felt that my body was weak and just couldnt swim up anymore." As I was dragged down I thought to myself I have no more strength Once my feet touched the sand I gave it one more shot and the next thing I knew the water was leveled at my ankles." I could barely walk because my body was too weak from trying to swim. I looked to the side and I saw old man Taufuas bed and I was hoping that he was alright." We searched and we found my aunty's body and the old man was found a day later at the sea area. That day marked the minds of the Taufua family but they rebuilt their lives one beach house after another." After the Tsunami, Tai (Faafetai Taufua) sent us to New Zealand to have a good time and take our mind off of the tragedy, Pola said. While we were gone he had already started rebuilding. The foundation was the only thing left so he started with a restaurant which he built on top of the foundation." The money he got from the restaurant is what he used to slowly rebuild along with kind donations from our loyal guests. For another family member, Farani Paniana who also works at the Taufua beach fales, he says although rebuilding wasnt easy, they still managed to do so as a family. Right now there have been a lot of changes from the time the tsunami hit, he said. For me I think we have improved a lot since that day. Right after the tsunami, hardly anyone visited us here and now people are starting to come back slowly." We are getting very busy from March till October then the rest of the months are pretty slow for us. The only problems we had was back when we first tried to start up again." We were unsure if we had enough money to rebuild but after a while we managed from the money we received from our guests. Farani too remembers the day like it was yesterday. The sorrow any human feels from any loss is what we feel, Farani said. It was very hard and very sad; not only did the old man pass away but so did many children. When the earthquake hit we thought that was the end of it and never thought a tsunami would come. I was in town when this all happened." When I heard the news I tried to call my family and no one answered so I thought the worse happened to them." My immediate family were alright; whereas my Taufua family were affected really bad. Think a minute A Greek philosopher said that when a son behaves wrongly it is the father who should be punished, since he is the one who failed to do his job. When the wealthy man Friedrich Flick died, he had built a fortune of $1 billion (worth much more today)! He owned 300 companies and was respected as one of the worlds smartest businessmen. Yet, with all his success and power, He could not manage his own children. He had put large companies together, but he could not put his own family together. After he died, his children fought over his money for years. Many experts worked to clean up the broken pieces Flick left behind from his failure as a father. The famous army general Douglas MacArthur is considered to be one of historys greatest military leaders. He led the Allied armies to victory over the Japanese in World War II. Yet with all his fame and success, he surprised people by what he said in this public speech: By profession I am a soldier and take great pride in that. But I am much prouder to be a father. It is my hope in life that when I am gone, my son will remember me not from my victories on the battlefield, but for my leadership and example in the home. Every morning, General MacArthur read his Bible and prayed this prayer: Lord, help me teach my son to be brave when he loses, but humble and kind when he wins. Help me teach my son to be strong in hard times, and compassionate to those who fail. Help me build a son whose character is honest and whose standard is high. A son who masters himself before he tries to master others. Then I, his father, will dare to say: I have not failed in life. Your childs life will largely be determined by how hard you workat being a father. But the only One Who can enable you to develop the character and love you need to succeed at your most important job is your own divine Father. Today, wont you ask God to take charge of every area of your heart and daily life? Day by day He will help you become the loving father and honorable example your children deeply need you to be. Just think a minute Anger over the police shooting death of Alfred Olango continued to linger in the speeches, signs and shouts of marchers at a trio of protest rallies Saturday around the county, but the mood seemed to be shifting toward healing the community and ensuring that shootings like this dont happen here again. The day of marches began in El Cajon, where Olango, a 38-year-old Ugandan refugee, was killed Tuesday by a city police officer. A worried family member had called police to say Olango was in mental distress. In the brief confrontation caught on video released by the District Attorneys Office Friday Olango did not immediately comply with officers and pulled what they thought was a gun from his pants, aiming it at Officer Richard Gonsalves, who shot and killed him. The device was a vaping pen with a gunlike barrel. In the days that followed, El Cajon was roiled by nightly protests that occasionally turned violent. Advertisement The first rally Saturday, organized by clergy of all faiths, drew about 200 people to Prescott Promenade Park, where a large American flag flew at half-mast. About a dozen speakers led prayers and songs and talked about the need for better police training and an end to systemic racism against black men in America. The rally continued with a march through the citys historic downtown that ended with more speeches in an amphitheater next to City Hall. Many in the all-ages, mixed-race crowd carried signs and poster-size pictures of Olango, including a stylized portrait of him in angel wings. 1 / 32 Various religious leaders from around the county spoke out before the start of Saturdays Unity rally in El Cajon. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) 2 / 32 Bishop George D. McKinney spoke earlier at the rally in El Cajon, like the others he called for justice in the shooting of Alfred Olango by an El Cajon police officer. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) 3 / 32 Richard Olango Abuka spoke to protestors, faith leaders and family members of Alfred Olango at the Unity rally in El Cajon Saturday morning. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) 4 / 32 Reverend Shane Harris with the National Action Network called for the Department of Justice to assume control of the investigation. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) 5 / 32 Protestors, faith leaders and family members of Alfred Olango led a Unity rally around the El Cajon Civic Center Saturday morning. (Peggy Peattie / San Diego Union-Tribune) 6 / 32 The family of Alfred Olango stood near by as religious leaders spoke out before the start of Saturdays rally march in El Cajon showing support for justice and Alfred Olango. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) 7 / 32 Sara Olango, one of Alfred Olangos aunts, wipes her eyes as she and other family members listen to speakers call for justice during Saturdays rally. (Peggy Peattie / San Diego Union-Tribune) 8 / 32 Supporters demanding justice for Alfred Olango marched with religious leaders on Saturday in El Cajon calling for justice. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) 9 / 32 Vanessa McCullers and daughter Jazz McCullers, 11, with friend Cymonda Wilson, background, are part of an organization called Moms of Black Boys United, came from L.A. for the Alfred Olango rally. (Peggy Peattie / San Diego Union-Tribune) 10 / 32 Supporters demanding justice for Alfred Olango marched with religious leaders on Saturday in El Cajon calling for justice. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) 11 / 32 Marchers are diverted by a line of police in El Cajon. (Peggy Peattie / San Diego Union-Tribune) 12 / 32 Supporters arrived with signs for the rally and march in El Cajon as they call for justice in the shooting of Alfred Olango by an El Cajon police officer. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) 13 / 32 Apollo Olango, the brother of Alfred Olango, struggles with his emotions as he tries to address the crowd Saturday in El Cajon during a Unity March with religious leaders. (Peggy Peattie / San Diego Union-Tribune) 14 / 32 Reverend Shane Harris with the National Action Network closed yesterdays rally in El Cajon with a prayer. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) 15 / 32 Richard Olango Abuka, right, father of Alfred Olango, spoke with those who gathered for a Unity rally in El Cajon Saturday morning. (Peggy Peattie / San Diego Union-Tribune) 16 / 32 Marchers led by faith leaders walk down Main Street in El Cajon Saturday. (Peggy Peattie / San Diego Union-Tribune) 17 / 32 Marchers led by faith leaders walk down Main Street in El Cajon Saturday. (Peggy Peattie / San Diego Union-Tribune) 18 / 32 The family of Alfred Olango stood near by as religious leaders spoke out before the start of Saturdays Unity rally in El Cajon. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) 19 / 32 Marchers led by faith leaders walk down Main Street in El Cajon Saturday. (Peggy Peattie / San Diego Union-Tribune) 20 / 32 Apollo Olango watches marchers approach a line of motorcycle cops. (Peggy Peattie / San Diego Union-Tribune) 21 / 32 Protestors, faith leaders and family members of Alfred Olango gathered for a Unity rally in El Cajon Saturday morning. (Peggy Peattie / San Diego Union-Tribune) 22 / 32 Jaelyn Kennedy, 15, stands with her mother Jennifer Kennedy, left, listening to religious leaders call for justice for Alfred Olango and for unity in the community, during a rally Saturday in El Cajon. (Peggy Peattie / San Diego Union-Tribune) 23 / 32 Alfred Olangos family members listen to speakers call for justice during Saturdays rally. (Peggy Peattie / San Diego Union-Tribune) 24 / 32 Kim Eisenberg, left, and Kara Rapaheli hold signs during the Unity rally in El Cajon Saturday. (Peggy Peattie / San Diego Union-Tribune) 25 / 32 Supporters arrived with signs for the rally and march in El Cajon as they call for justice in the shooting of Alfred Olango by an El Cajon police officer. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) 26 / 32 he family of Alfred Olango stood near by as religious leaders spoke out before the start of Saturdays rally march in El Cajon showing support for justice and Alfred Olango. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) 27 / 32 Supporters demanding justice for Alfred Olango marched with religious leaders on Saturday in El Cajon calling for justice. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) 28 / 32 Supporters demanding justice for Alfred Olango marched with religious leaders past police officers on Saturday in El Cajon calling for justice. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) 29 / 32 Supporters marched past police officers during Saturdays Unity rally in El Cajon. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) 30 / 32 Supporters demanding justice for Alfred Olango marched with religious leaders on Saturday in El Cajon calling for justice. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) 31 / 32 Apollo Olango (wearing suit) the brother of Alfred Olango marched with supporters and religious leaders on Saturday in El Cajon to show support for his Alfred Olango and demand for justice. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) 32 / 32 Esteban Camarena from San Diego showed his support along with various religious leaders at Saturdays rally in El Cajon. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) Kevin Malone, executive director of the San Diego Organizing Project, a faith-based community organization, told the circle of speakers before the rally there is hot anger out there and were not here to deny them their anger but to show the world theres a peaceful way. Olangos father, Richard Olango Abuka, didnt hold back his anger in a speech where he vowed to fight on for justice for his son. He led the crowd in an African chant: Uhura arambe, uhura arambe. The words, he said later, mean freedom and independence. Were here praying for peace, but we cant have peace if we dont have the independence and freedom to pursue our goal of seeking justice for my son, Olango Abuka said. Because when that officer pulled the trigger on my son, he declared war on humanity. Many speakers questioned why the officer had his gun drawn after responding to a call about a man who appeared unstable. Shane Harris, of the Rev. Al Sharptons National Action Network, said that while Saturdays rally was centered on peace and healing, the Olango family has more to say. We have to make it very clear that what we believe happened to Alfred Olango on that day was murder, Harris said. The world is watching San Diego County, and you will not get off this time. Harris said he will help the family pursue three goals: a U.S. Justice Department investigation of the El Cajon Police Department, the resignation of Officer Gonsalves and a negligence investigation of Police Chief Jeff Davis. Other speakers on Saturday represented the Christian, Jewish, Muslim and Unitarian faiths. Many of the speakers were white, a point made humorously by the Rev. Ronald Cochran, the priest at Church of St. Luke in Rancho San Diego. The Church of St. Luke is up on the hill, Cochran said. We overlook five golf courses. Were pretty white, and this is a tragedy for us, too. North County resident Michael Mufson was one of more than 100 white attendees in the audience. Hanging from his neck was a large poster detailing the history of blacks in America, beginning with their arrival as slaves, their perceived loss of value to white society after the Civil War, and the 150 years of struggle theyve endured ever since with racism, poverty, lack of opportunity, inner-city violence and more. Theres a vacuum there that needs to be addressed, said Mufson, a Palomar College theater professor who in November will produce six 10-minute plays on the dangers faced by young black men in America, called Facing Our Truth: Trayvon, Race & Privilege. Holding her 7-month-old son, Jabari, Sarah Coleman, 40, teared up when talking about what its like to be a mother raising an African-American male today. Fear is not the word. Its more outrage. Its more concern for him. I hope he can be in a country where he can walk around and not be afraid. I have brothers who are afraid. Theyre afraid of the police. Im afraid of the police. I dont want to call the police. We are a threat just walking down the street, and we are not a threat, Coleman said. Among those in the crowd was 28-year-old Rodney Stowers, who is black and a former Army tank crewman. Stowers said he was arrested for disobeying a lawful order at a protest in El Cajon on Thursday night. That evening, police made several arrests after protesters threw objects and blocked traffic. Sometimes you have to understand how people feel when they feel powerless, Stowers said, adding that he can see both sides of the Olango shooting. I believe the officer was scared. But I dont think that justifies unprofessional behavior. He was scared, but were scared too, he said, adding that he came Saturday to show strength in numbers. To let the police know were not scared. Weve already been beat down, shot, killed. Im just here for my people. El Cajon police kept a low profile on Saturday. There were no visible officers at the opening or closing rallies, but motorcycle officers lined up to control traffic on Main Street and Magnolia Avenue to allow marchers through major intersections. While a few marchers shouted at the police as they passed, organizers quickly discouraged them, to keep the days events positive and focused. The scene was almost universally peaceful, save for several skirmishes that broke out between a white woman and several rally attendees. The woman, who was unidentified, made crude racial slurs at those holding signs and shouted, Send Obama back to Uganda. She admitted that she came to the rally to incite anger. Activist Mitchell Sterling, 56, holding a photo of Olango, peacefully guided the woman down Main Street, even as she continued hurling obscenities at him The Olango family arrived more than 20 years ago in San Diego, which is a haven for refugees. Among those gathered at the park Saturday were newcomers from the war-torn city of Paktika, Afghanistan. Eight members of the Hamdard family arrived in El Cajon on September 15 and they are living in a hotel until they can find an apartment. They were brought to the U.S. by the United Nations. Speaking through his 16-year-old daughter Saadia, Lalmir Hamdard said he had heard about the Olango shooting and other unarmed black men killed by police in recent months. This doesnt change our minds about the United States, said Hamdard, 38. It can happen with anyone. It doesnt mean white people hate black people. America is the best country, this is a great country and were happy we came to the United States, even with its problems. Later in the afternoon, fewer than 20 protesters marched from San Diego polices central division in Logan Heights to the downtown police headquarters. Once there, they held a public discussion on race and policing. If we arent vocal about what we want, nothing changes, said Chanel Turner, a march organizer with the nonprofit Black and Blue United. At 5 p.m., a crowd of about 300 or more gathered on the grass outside the WorldBeat Center in Balboa Park for a rally before marching to the Hall of Justice. They chanted black lives matter in an orderly fashion as law enforcement blocked off entrance ramps to Interstate 5. We are marching to the Hall of Justice because we want to see charges pressed, said Tau Baraka with Stop the Genocide, adding that he believes the video of the shooting shows Olango being murdered. Speaker Ahmad Muhammad of the Nation of Islam urged peace within his own community, telling black Americans not to kill each other. He pointed to the Friday night protest in El Cajon where people from many walks of life showed unity Bloods, Crips, Hebrews, Muslims and Christians. A ghost town The area around the El Cajon rally and march sites was mostly abandoned Saturday morning. After several nights of unrest, El Cajon police asked business owners to close for the weekend for safety reasons. Only about a third of the businesses along Main Street were open, with the others posting signs explaining that theyd be shuttered until Monday. At New York Bakery, owner Santino Digrigoli said business hadnt really been affected by the protests. I dont have a problem with them, I have a problem with the city. They sent everybody an email telling us to close by 2 p.m. yesterday. And people closed. Now nobodys really coming around, people dont want to go out, said the native of Sicily. I cant close, Ive got to take care of my bills. Nobodys going to pay my rent, my electric bill. Down the street, at Main and Magnolia, URBN Coal Fired Pizza was open for business after shutting down Friday. We had to cancel a party of 30, a retirement party, that had been planned for a long time, said manager John Younger. He said the restaurant stands to lose a significant amount of money because several large events, including the Cajon Classic Cruise car show on Wednesday and Oktoberfest, scheduled for Friday through Sunday were cancelled. Somebody lost their life thats pretty serious, Younger said. But this is our livelihood, its a mom-and-pop shop. Also closed for the weekend is Panchos Taco Shop, where Olango died. But the shuttered restaurant still bustled with activity on Saturday. El Cajon barber Anthony A.J. Jiminez, 26, had organized a vigil by the tree in the parking lot where Olango fell. Dozens of votive candles, bouquets of flowers, photographs and cards were displayed under a pop-up tent. Jiminez, who was giving away soft drinks and food to all comers, invited out friends, family and neighbors on behalf of his new community group Police Our Police. He said he was inspired to start the group after learning that police officers spend fewer hours in training than he did as a barber. He believes there would be fewer police-related shootings if they officers better trained to handle situations with people who are mentally troubled. El Cajon Shooting On Now Dumanis rules El Cajon police shooting of Alfred Olango justified 2:09 On Now Justice for Alfred Olango 1:33 On Now Video: Protests in the weeks following Olango shooting 1:43 On Now El Cajon City Council Meeting 10.11.2016 1:49 On Now Protest still present after El Cajon Shooting 2:49 On Now Video: Faith leaders, demonstrators rally in El Cajon 3:32 On Now Video: Rally after El Cajon shooting 1:45 On Now Video: Prayer vigil draws crowd in El Cajon 1:12 On Now RAW: Full video of Alfred Olango officer involved shooting 1:46 On Now Angry crowd grows after man is shot by police in El Cajon 1:15 pam.kragen@sduniontribune.com Former L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa endorses marijuana legalization initiative By Patrick McGreevy Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa on Monday endorsed a marijuana legalization initiative. ((Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) ) Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa on Monday became the latest high-profile politician to endorse an initiative on next weeks ballot that would legalize the recreational use of marijuana in California. Villaraigosa is considering whether to run for governor in 2018 amid a field that already includes Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, a leading proponent of Proposition 64. I took my time on this measure because I wanted to make sure it included protections for children and public safety, Villaraigosa said in a statement. In evaluating the measure in its entirety, I am convinced there are enough safeguards to make it a workable proposition. The Proposition 64 campaign welcomed Villaraigosas endorsement at a time when one recent poll indicated slightly fewer than half of Latino voters support the measure. Were glad to have it, said Jason Kinney, a spokesman for the campaign. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Conservative group spends $3.5 million on Central Valley race once considered safe By Sarah D. Wire The Congressional Leadership Fund is pouring another $1.5 million into the race between Rep. Jeff Denham and Democrat farmer Michael Eggman. The group, which is endorsed by House Republican leaders, and works with the American Action Network, has now spent $3.5 million in the race. The race was initially viewed as an easy win for Denham (R-Turlock), but has become increasingly uncertain in recent weeks. The district is being closely watched as an indicator of how Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump might affect down-ballot candidates. Democrats have spent more than $6 million in the district. The Congressional Leadership Fund and American Action Network have spent $45 million in 32 districts nationwide so far and have aired ads in other California House races, including in the nearby 21st District race between Rep. David Valadao (R-Hanford) and attorney Emilio Huerta and the 7th District race between Rep. Ami Bera (D-Elk Grove) and Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones. The groups newest ad in the 10th District race begins running on television Tuesday. It calls Eggman, an almond and bee farmer, an extreme liberal and a rubber stamp for House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) because he supports the Affordable Care Act. It previously ran an ad against Eggman that used news footage from the 2015 San Bernardino terrorist attack. ------------ FOR THE RECORD 2:14 p.m.: An earlier version of this article incorrectly referred to the Congressional Leadership Fund as the Conservative Leadership Fund. ------------ Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement The Rev. Al Sharpton and civil rights leaders hold rally in support of Proposition 61 By Christine Mai-Duc The Rev. Al Sharpton kicks off a rally and march in support of Proposition 61, the California ballot measure that seeks to lower the price state agencies pay for prescription drugs. The Rev. Al Sharpton and other civil rights leaders gathered at a rally Monday morning to support Proposition 61, the ballot measure that seeks to lower the price state agencies pay for prescription drugs. Sharpton appeared alongside black community leaders, including Marc Morial, former New Orleans mayor and head of the National Urban League, and Kevin Sauls, pastor of a South L.A. church. This issue is very simple, Sharpton said to a crowd of about 40 supporters. Its about the right of people to afford what they need, and they need to have accessibility that is affordable with prescription drugs. He likened the issue of prescription drug affordability to a civil right, and recycled the well-known Yes We Can slogan from President Obamas 2008 election to urge voters to pass Proposition 61. Sharptons appearance came a day after he and Morial stumped for the measure at seven different churches in South Los Angeles and the Bay Area. The significance of bringing in people of color is that we are the ones who disproportionately are impacted by the prices and impacted by the need for healthcare, Sharpton said in an interview afterward. I think its a civil right for people to be able to afford healthcare in the wealthiest nation in the world. Appearance of Sharpton, New Orleans mayor Marc Morial and LA pastor follows Sharpton's visits to two South LA churches Sunday for Yes on 61 pic.twitter.com/redBvU8WWZ Christine Mai-Duc (@cmaiduc) October 31, 2016 In a statement, No on Proposition 61 spokeswoman Kathy Fairbanks pointed to support for the opposition campaign from groups like the California NAACP, and the California League of Latin American Citizens. Higher drug prices resulting from Prop. 61 will decrease access to care, Fairbanks said. Thats a policy step in the wrong direction. The Rev. Al Sharpton at a Yes on Proposition 61 rally in downtown Los Angeles. (Christine Mai-Duc / Los Angeles Times) Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Voters are being asked whether they want to cast more votes in future elections on big public works projects By John Myers (Russel A. Daniels / Associated Press) Voters casting a ballot for Proposition 53 on election day are, in effect, choosing more voting on more propositions in future elections. The ballot measure, bankrolled by a wealthy Stockton agribusiness owner, seeks to force voter approval of a particular type of borrowing for large public works projects. Its most likely impact, in the near future, would be ballot measures on a landmark water project and on Californias high-speed rail effort. The propositions backer, Dean Cortopassi, argues its all about more transparency when it comes to government debt. His critics suggest theres more to it than that. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement This congressional race could be one of the Republicans worst nightmares By Sarah D. Wire Rep. Jeff Denham represents the Modesto area in Congress and is up against Democratic beekeeper Michael Eggman, the same man he beat just two years ago by 12 points. Denham first won his seat in 2012 even as a majority of his constituents voted for President Obama. When Denham (R-Turlock) started this latest campaign, most observers thought he would probably win. But some now wonder if Denhams 10th District race will be an example of what Republicans fear across the country. Will conservatives expected to win actually lose because voters arent excited about Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump? Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Rep. Loretta Sanchezs day on the campaign trail: Two ribbons cut, one candle lit, and jabs made at her Senate rival By Phil Willon U.S. Senate candidate Loretta Sanchez shows Clifford Young, president of the West Valley Water District, where to cut the ribbon for the grand opening on a new water treatment plant Saturday. (Phil Willon / Los Angeles Times) With less than two weeks to go before election day, U.S. Senate candidate Loretta Sanchez bounced from the Inland Empire to Monterey Park on Saturday as she tries to drum up support for her uphill Senate bid. Sanchez, the U.S. representative from Orange, started her day with a gaggle of other Inland Empire politicians at the grand opening of a $23-million water treatment system in Rialto, using the occasion to lay out her record on water issues during her 20 years in Congress. Sanchez told the crowd of about 60 that shortly after she was elected to Congress, two members of a local water board approached her about a way to deal with Californias serious drought. They said, we need to convince people that were going to take toilet water and were going to clean it up enough for people to drink it, Sanchez said. They said, we cant get anyone to champion this for us. Well, no wonder. Sanchez said they won her over, and she helped deliver federal funding for Orange Countys Groundwater Replenishment System to do just that. The system uses treated waste water to recharge the local groundwater basin and provides enough water for nearly 850,000 residents. After the event, Sanchez accused her rival in the Senate race, state Atty. Gen. Kamala Harris, of having little grasp of the complexities of Californias drought and water crisis. One of the biggest differences between my opponent and myself is that I actually talk about issues, I actually meet with people, I actually try to figure out whats going on, Sanchez said. Ive not seen anything about her. Ive not seen any policy. All I see is commercials on TV. U.S. Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D-Orange) officially opens the childrens Diwali celebration at the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Hindu temple in Chino Hills on Saturday. (Phil Willon / Los Angeles Times) A few hours later, Sanchez raced over to Chino Hills to open the Kids Diwali Celebration at the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Hindu temple, a family-friendly event filled with carnival rides, booths and food. She thanked festivalgoers, saying they were setting a good example for the rest of the country at a time when the presidential election is filled with such meanness. This is a time where through tradition and through culture you can show Americans the better part of people, Sanchez said. You give the rest of us hope. After listening to Sanchez speak, Kay Mistry, a volunteer at the festival, said he still wasnt sure who he will vote for in the Senate race. He said he was aware that Harris, whose mother emigrated from India, went to a Hindu temple as a child. Im not sure that matters to me, said Mistry, 48, of Chino Hills. Im pretty conservative. Sanchez attends her second ribbon cutting of the day, this time for Halloween in the Park in Monterey Park. (Phil Willon / Los Angeles Times) The Orange County congresswomans final stop of the day was in Monterey Park, where she helped cut the ribbon to open citys Halloween in the Park festival. After the ceremony, Sanchez mingled with the crowd, handing out campaign fliers. Arnold Jeung, 62, stuck the flier in his back pocket. He said he didnt know much about Sanchez or Harris. Im not sure what Im going to do, said Jeung, a Republican. I might not even vote. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement California Politics Podcast: The lowdown on the states big down-ticket races By John Myers Perhaps more than any other recent election season, races for seats in the California Legislature and U.S. Congress are being reshaped by the broad, national discussion. In short, its the Trump effect. On this weeks episode of the California Politics Podcast, we take an overview of some of states most closely watched down-ticket races. Theres new polling data in the U.S. Senate race that suggests a sizable number of voters will skip casting a ballot. Meanwhile, President Obama had endorsed candidates all the way down to the state Assembly level. Im joined by Marisa Lagos of KQED News and Anthony York, author of the Grizzly Bear Project website. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print California, your official presidential write-in options include Bernie Sanders and Evan McMullin By Christine Mai-Duc Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders is one of five officially certified write-in candidates for president in California. (Christopher Dolan / Associated Press) California Secretary of State Alex Padilla released the names of the five officially qualified write-in candidates for the presidential race in California, along with their vice presidential running mates. Contrary to popular belief, votes for write-in candidates only count when the candidate is officially certified. (That means votes for Mickey Mouse, Giant Meteor, or Chuck Norris will not be counted.) The officially qualified write-in candidates are: Laurence Kotlikoff for president and Edward Leamer for vice president Mike Maturen for president and Juan Munoz for vice president Evan McMullin for president and Nathan Johnson for vice president Bernard Bernie Sanders for president and Tulsi Gabbard for vice president Jerry White for president and Niles Niemuth for vice president Now, that doesnt mean that Sanders and the other candidates wanted to be recognized as official write-ins. California law only requires that 55 electors sign on to declare a person a write-in candidate, not that the person consent, according to a statement from the Secretary of States Office. A full list of each candidates electors can be seen here. Write-in votes for these candidates will not be reported until the counties send their final vote certifications after the post-election canvass period, meaning a write-in vote will take longer to count. You might be wondering: Does spelling count? The Secretary of State says election officials will accept a reasonable facsimile of the spelling of a candidates name. For example, Joe Smith and Joseph Smith would both be accepted. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Dueling ads aim to persuade Latinos on proposition to legalize marijuana in California By Patrick McGreevy With a poll indicating Latino voters lag in their support for a ballot proposition that would legalize recreation marijuana in California, the campaigns for and against the measure are launching dueling ads aimed at that large demographic. A poll Wednesday by the Public Policy Institute of California found that Proposition 64 is favored by a majority of likely voters in California, including a majority of all ethnic groups, except Latinos. Latinos support is just under half at 47%. The campaign against the ballot measure will launch its second ad on Spanish language television, titled Asusta or Scary on Halloween. The ad warns if approved, Proposition 64 could eventually lead to radio and television ads for marijuana candy. Federal law prohibits such ads on broadcast stations, and the initiative prohibits television advertising aimed at minors if federal law ever changes. The campaign in favor of the ballot measure said Friday it has launched new counter TV ads targeted to the Los Angeles area, where there is a large Latino audience. One ad, for Spanish language television, labels as falso, or false, the claims that there will be television commercials for marijuana candy. A second ad, in English, features a mother of teenagers saying she appreciates that Proposition 64 has important safeguards for families, like strict product labeling and child-proof packaging of all marijuana products and banning edibles that would appeal to a child. The two sides each claimed Friday that the polls are favorable to their cause. The polls highlight the lack of support by the Latino community because they know their neighborhoods will have to face the problems that recreational marijuana creates, said Andrew Acosta, a spokesman for the opposition campaign. Not true, said Jason Kinney, a spokesman for the Proposition 64 campaign. Polls show that Latino support for Proposition 64 and marijuana decriminalization has been increasing as they learn how communities of color are being disproportionately targeted for marijuana arrest and prosecution, he said. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi endorses ballot measure to repeal the death penalty in California By Jazmine Ulloa (Win McNamee / Getty Images) House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) on Friday announced her support for a proposition that would repeal the death penalty in California, calling the practice cruel and unusual punishment under the 8th Amendment to the Constitution. Even the most heinous of crimes can be punished without killing, she said. As Pope Francis said in his address to Congress, where he reaffirmed his advocacy for the global abolition of the death penalty: every human person is endowed with an unalienable dignity, and society can only benefit from the rehabilitation of those convicted of crimes. Pelosi is among a string of top political leaders, Silicon Valley entrepreneurs and celebrities to come out in support of Proposition 62, which would replace the punishment with life in prison without parole and apply life sentences retroactively to death row inmates. The initiative is one of two competing death penalty measures on the Nov. 8 ballot. She also is among fewer political leaders to denounce the death penalty itself on moral grounds. I oppose the death penalty because too many defendants have not had access to appropriate legal counsel; because poor people especially in communities of color have been disproportionately charged with capital crimes and sentenced to death, compared with more affluent defendants; and, so many people have been exonerated with DNA evidence. It is time for us to take a moral stand. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Obama endorses Emilio Huerta in his Central Valley race against Rep. David Valadao By Sarah D. Wire (Sarah D. Wire / Los Angeles Times) President Obama on Friday endorsed 21st District congressional candidate Emilio Huerta, the Democrats campaign announced. I am proud to endorse Emilio Huerta for the United States House of Representatives, Obama said in a statement released by the campaign. In Congress, Emilio will be a fighter for Central Valley working families. Emilio isnt afraid to take on tough challenges, and hell fight for more and better access to clean water, good jobs with fair wages, and an education system that works for every child. Emilio is the kind of smart leader who will build on what weve accomplished and move our country forward, and thats why I know Californians can count on Emilio Huerta. Huerta, an attorney and son of labor rights icon Dolores Huerta, is challenging Rep. David Valadao in the Central Valley district. Obama had already endorsed six California Democrats. House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) was in the district Thursday to campaign for Valadao. Hes in the middle of a swing through California to support vulnerable House Republicans. David Valadao is exactly the type of representative Central Valley families and those involved in the agriculture industry need. He understands the issues impacting the area, because thats been his life. David was born in the Central Valley, he grew up there, he went to school there -- and he even met his wife there. In Congress, he has led the fight on water, veterans issues, and education, Ryan said in a statement. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Advertisement Comedian Kathy Griffin pokes fun at tobacco company ads By Liam Dillon The tobacco industry-funded television advertisements against the Proposition 56 tobacco tax increase are ubiquitous. They all generally have the same message: The money from the tax hike would go to Medi-Cal, the states low-income healthcare program, and therefore benefit the doctors and insurance groups that are helping finance the measure. Comedian Kathy Griffin decided to spoof the advertisements follow-the-money message in a video she released on Twitter Tuesday. Hey @YesOn56...I had to get involved! #YesOn56 https://t.co/ZXURPBZYZP Kathy Griffin (@kathygriffin) October 27, 2016 Griffin highlighted that tobacco companies had funded the advertisement, which is clear when you read the fine print at the end. So in general just be careful of these opposite ads, Griffin said, dressed in a similar gardening outfit as the actress in the No on 56 ad. Or in general white ladies gardening. You can watch Griffins full spoof here: Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Los Angeles County Bar says expediting the death penalty system will compromise justice By Jazmine Ulloa The Los Angeles County Bar Assn. has joined opponents of a Nov. 8 ballot measure that intends to expedite executions in California, saying it would likely compromise access to justice at all levels of the court system. In a letter released late Wednesday, the organization, which comprises more than 20,000 members, said Proposition 66 would require appellate courts to hear initial death penalty appeals, without providing the roughly $100 million needed to fund additional judges, staff and resources. LACBA opposes Proposition 66 based entirely on its damaging effect on the operation of an already over-taxed judicial system, and most importantly, the resulting lack of access to justice for California citizens, states the letter signed by Margaret Stevens, the associations president. The association said it took no position on the death penalty itself, its effectiveness, morality or social merits. But its opposition to the ballot measure comes as top Los Angeles County officials, including Sheriff Jim McDonnell and Dist. Atty. Jackie Lacey, have announced their support. Proposition 66 has drawn wide support and funding from law enforcement officials and organizations that argue Californias death penalty must be preserved and reformed. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Gov. Jerry Brown launches TV ad against Prop. 53s change to state revenue bonds By John Myers Its a nuanced pitch from Gov. Jerry Brown, asking California voters to oppose an effort that would give them a vote on future big infrastructure projects. But Brown has more than $15 million in campaign cash to make his case against Proposition 53, in a TV ad that began on Thursday. Proposition 53 asks voters to add revenue bonds of $2 billion or more to the list of government borrowing that requires statewide voter approval. Unlike general obligation bonds, which are paid back by taxpayer dollars through the states general fund, revenue bonds are paid back with fees charged to users of projects like bridges, dams and buildings. Brown takes aim in the ad at the fact that 53 is paid for by one millionaire, Central Valley agribusiness owner Dean Cortopassi. In an interview this week, Cortopassi called revenue bonds a blank check to sell debt forward into the future. Proposition 53 could force statewide votes on two high-profile infrastructure projects: Californias plan for a high-speed train system and the construction of twin underground tunnels to divert water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta to Southern California. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print New citizens can still register to vote Nov. 8 even though the California deadline has passed By Sophia Bollag Thomas Macariola, center, fills out a voter registration form after a naturalization ceremony on Oct. 26 in Sacramento, where a cardboard cut-out of Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton was among the witnesses. (Sophia Bollag / Los Angeles Times) Alex De Leon, a 30-year-old immigrant from Guatemala, was among more than 400 people who became U.S. citizens at a ceremony in Sacramento on Wednesday. After the program concluded, he walked outside and filled out his voter registration papers. The registration deadline to vote in the Nov. 8 election for most Californians was Monday. But a 2012 state law allows people like De Leon, who became citizens after the deadline, to register late. To vote, they must bring proof of citizenship and California residency to show to an official at a county election office. As a precaution against voter fraud, theyre not allowed to vote at a neighborhood polling place or with an absentee ballot. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement A new poll shows Californians remain ready to legalize the recreational use of pot By Patrick McGreevy (David Zalubowski / Associated Press) A majority of Californias likely voters continue to favor legalizing the recreational use of marijuana, but the level of support has dipped from a reported 60% a month ago to 55% this month, according to a statewide poll released Wednesday night. The latest poll by the Public Policy Institute of California found 38% of those surveyed oppose Proposition 64 and 6% are undecided. But the basic finding is that the initiative would still pass with a majority vote if the election were held today, according to Mark Baldassare, the institutes pollster and president. The numbers have been favorable, consistent, and exactly where we expected and wanted to be at this point, said Jason Kinney, a spokesman for the Proposition 64 campaign. The poll was conducted Oct. 14-23 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.4% at a 95% confidence level. Proposition 64 is supported by 66% of Democratic likely voters and 56% of independents, but 60% of Republicans are opposed. Just under half of Latino likely voters (47%) would vote yes, while majorities of other racial/ethnic groups (65%) and whites (55%) would do so, the poll report said. Support is highest, at 78%, among those age 18 to 34. The opposition campaign said the campaign for Proposition 64 has turned voters away from the measure. It is clear that voters are realizing that Prop 64 is a 62-page mess that helps the marijuana industry tap into the California market, said Andrew Acosta, a spokesman for the campaign against the initiative. Those polled were also asked whether they have ever tried marijuana and, if so, if they used it in the last year: 18% said they have tried marijuana and used it in the last year, while 25% said they have tried it, but not in the last year. Updated at 9:30 am to include comments by the campaigns. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print New poll shows Kamala Harris leading Californias U.S. Senate race by a 2-to-1 margin By Phil Willon U.S. Senate candidates Kamala Harris, left, points a finger toward rival Loretta Sanchez during their debate at Cal State L.A. on Wednesday, Oct. 5. (Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times) With ballots already being cast, State Atty. General Kamala Harris leads by a more than a two-to-one margin over her rival in Californias U.S. Senate race, according to a new poll by the Public Policy Institute of California. The survey showed that 42% of likely voters supported Harris, compared to 20% who favored her opponent, Orange County Rep. Loretta Sanchez. Among the remainder, 20% of voters were undecided and 18% said they will not vote for either candidate by election day on Nov. 8. The results are dramatically different that those in a PPIC released on Sept. 21, when Harris had just a 7-point lead over Sanchez. But the new poll numbers are closely aligned with results in the June 7 primary, when Harris received 40% of the vote and Sanchez came in second with 19% in a race with 34 candidates on the ballot. In a PPIC poll in July, Harris also had 38% support among likely voters and Sanchez 20%. From the start this has been a race in which Harris, who did very well in the primary, has had a large advantage, said PPIC President Mark Baldassare. Loretta Sanchez hasnt been able to, in any of our polls, get above 25% Unlike the PPICs surveys in July and September, the new poll included the ballot designations for the two Senate candidates, listing Harris as Attorney General of California and Sanchez as a United States Congresswoman. Both Harris and Sanchez are Democrats. There also have been a few major developments in the Senate campaign since Sept. 21, including the Oct. 5 Senate debate at Cal State Los Angeles where Sanchez caused a stir by dabbing as her finale. The following day, U.S. Sens. Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein endorsed Harris. Both Harris and Sanchez are trying to succeed Boxer, who is retiring after serving four terms in the Senate. According to the new PPIC poll, Harris is favored over Sanchez across all general income and education levels of voters, as well as among both men and women. Harris also leads in these major regions of the state: Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay area, Orange and San Diego counties, and the Inland Empire. Latinos are the only major cross-section of likely voters who favor Sanchez over Harris, by a margin of 41% to 33%, the poll shows. Harris also gained support from Republicans and independents over the past month, mostly likely from voters who previously said they would not vote. Still, more than a third of likely Republican voters said they would not vote for Sanchez or Harris, and 16% of independent voters also plan to take a pass. The two Democrats are facing off in the highest-profile contest between two members of the same party since California adopted a top-two primary election system. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Will the Defense Department fix the National Guard bonus repayment problem? California congressional reps are skeptical By Sarah D. Wire (Paul Sakuma / Associated Press) Some members of Californias congressional delegation arent satisfied with a Defense Department plan to verify whether thousands of California National Guard members fairly received bonuses for enlisting during the height of the Iraq war or must repay the money. They said Wednesday that they want a detailed plan by the time Congress returns in mid-November. Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield) organized a call so that Californias 53 House members could question the Defense Department about how it plans to fix the problem, which was first reported Sunday by The Times. Members werent sure exactly how many of their colleagues were on the call. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter on Wednesday ordered the Pentagon to pause efforts to claw back the enlistment bonuses. He said the suspension would continue until he was satisfied that our process is working effectively. Congressional members told The Times that Defense officials said they plan to increase the number of employees reviewing the cases and expect all of them will be examined by July. After the call, Rep. Julia Brownley (D-Westlake Village) said she was still outraged and wants a more detailed plan from the Defense Department. There was definitely a level of skepticism that they would move forward on this in a very fair and evenhanded way, Brownley said. Department officials told the delegation there are 13,800 questionable bonus cases in California. Of those, 4,000 have been cleared as properly eligible and 1,200 cases identified as possible fraud, meaning the guard member was not eligible or did not complete the contract. The department still must review the remaining 8,600 cases. (The case numbers relayed to members of Congress on Wednesday differ slightly from those provided to The Times by the department.) Rep. Judy Chu (D-Monterey Park) said the Defense Department told members its plan is to clear up to 100 cases a day. They will give everybody a chance to go through the panels and make their case, she said, even the 1,200 identified as possible fraud. Brownleys staff said some Guard members were told to pay back more than $60,000. Many of the bonuses were at least $15,000. Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) said that in many cases, Guard members werent spending money they knew they werent supposed to receive, and that the Pentagon should have the burden of proving the soldier knowingly took a bonus they werent supposed to get. In the vast majority of cases, soldiers accepted these bonuses in good faith, Schiff said. You dont call them up years later and say, We shouldnt have offered that and try to collect. The department will give the California members another briefing when Congress returns Nov. 14. Brownley said several members told the department they would go ahead with legislation to forgive the bonus debt for at least some Guard members if a detailed plan was not ready by then. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Latinos in California are motivated to vote against Donald Trump, and that could affect a lot of other races By Sophia Bollag Voters make their way in and out of a polling place at the House of Mercy in Los Angeles in November 2012. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) Latinos make up the largest ethnic group in California, but are often underrepresented at the polls. This year, however, experts say they expect good Latino turnout in November, thanks largely to the heated presidential election that is motivating many Latinos to vote against presidential candidate Donald Trump and his anti-immigration rhetoric. They stand to have considerable impact on many down-ballot races in California, as well as on the outcome of many statewide propositions. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Tom Steyer is now the biggest donor in the effort to raise the tobacco tax By Liam Dillon Billionaire Tom Steyer is now the largest donor in the effort to raise the states cigarette tax by $2 a pack. With a $3.5-million donation to the Yes on Proposition 56 campaign Tuesday, Steyers total spending on the race has reached $11.3 million. Thats more than a third of the $31 million the primary Yes on 56 committee has raised and more than all the money raised during a similar, but failed, effort to increase the tobacco tax four years ago. Steyer, who is a major donor to state and national liberal causes, is the focus in two Yes on 56 television advertisements. Hes said hes motivated to spend to limit youth smoking and the memory of his mother, a smoker who died of lung cancer. Steyer also is frequently mentioned as a potential Democratic candidate for governor in 2018. The No on 56 campaign, which is almost entirely funded by tobacco companies, has raised $71 million. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement California congressional reps say they didnt know so many Guard members were being forced to repay enlistment bonuses By Sarah D. Wire Some of Californias members of Congress say Californias National Guard did not explain in 2014 how many guard members were being forced to repay enlistment bonuses. On Wednesday, Defense Secretary Ashton Carter ordered the Pentagon to suspend all efforts to collect reimbursement from the nearly 10,000 California National Guard members who were improperly given bonuses as an incentive to reenlist at the height of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Earlier in the week, a senior California National Guard official said it told the states members of Congress two years ago the Pentagon was trying to claw back reenlistment bonuses from thousands of soldiers, and even offered a proposal to mitigate the problem, but Congress took no action. After The Times first reported the problem Sunday, most of Californias 55 members of Congress signed onto letters to Carter, or House and Senate leaders, asking for an immediate fix. On Wednesday, they praised the Defense Department for halting the clawbacks and said Congress needs to stop the process entirely and refund the Guard members who already have repaid money. Still, some members took issue with the California Guards characterization of what it told the California delegation two years ago. Staff in members offices said the Guard broadly mentioned the clawbacks in a 2014 letter detailing its policy goals for the year, but officials didnt meet with members of Congress in person or by phone, and didnt otherwise tell them about the scale of the issue. Such letters are fairly common from groups working with Congress. If they would have come and said, Youre going to have thousands of combat veterans having their wages garnished and tax liens being put on them, we would have been all over this, said Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Alpine). That was never communicated to us. Rep. Tony Cardenas (D-Los Angeles) said neither the Pentagon nor California Guard officials told him about the large number of soldiers ordered to repay bonuses, though his office had received complaints from individual soldiers. I have no record of receiving any formal notice of this widespread issue from any department federal or state. The only record I have is of individual cases of service members who approached my office to get help, and we are working with these individuals who have served our country to make sure they are treated fairly, he said. Several high-ranking members of the delegation said this week they first heard of the scope of the problem from The Times reporting. The California Guard also sent members of Congress a suggested provision that would have allowed debt waivers for the affected soldiers in the 2015 defense authorization bill. Reps. Paul Cook (R-Yucca Valley) and Jeff Denham (R-Turlock) initially pushed for the provision but later abandoned the effort, and it didnt appear in the final bill. Cook and Denham said they dropped the effort after being told the Pentagon already had the power to waive the debts. Guard officials said they were told the provision was discarded because waiving the debt would have cost the Pentagon money, requiring the estimated costs to be offset with cuts elsewhere in the defense budget. For the record: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that Denham declined to discuss why he dropped the provision to waive the debt. He dropped the effort after being told the Pentagon already had the power to waive the debt. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Ted Cruzs old gang called into action to help California GOP By Phil Willon Ron Nehring, a former aide in Sen. Ted Cruzs presidential bid, chats with visitors at the California State Fair in Sacramento during his 2014 campaign for lieutenant governor. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) Texas Sen. Ted Cruzs presidential bid may be history, but his supporters in California are banding together to help GOP candidates locked in tight down-ballot races. Ron Nehring, the former state GOP chairman who was a top Cruz booster, said the focus will be turning out Republican voters and recruiting volunteers to work on a list of hotly contested congressional and legislative races selected by the California Republican Party. Among those pinpointed are Vista Rep. Darrell Issa, who faces his toughest challenge since being elected to Congress in 2000, and Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones, who is trying to unseat Democratic Rep. Ami Bera of Elk Grove. It is 100% exclusively boots on the ground, Nehring said. Michael Schroeder, who was co-chairman of Cruzs campaign in California and also served as the state GOP chairman, said Republican turnout in the Golden State is expected to be down because of the controversies surrounding GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump. Having Trump at the top of the November ballot also will motivate more Democrats to vote, and that could endanger GOP candidates in close races throughout the state, he said. Trumps campaign is a lost cause in California at this point, Schroeder said. Trump said he was going to drive Hispanic turnout, and I think hes right -- but not in the way hes hoping for. Californias Cruz alumni have a website and on Monday night held a conference call with 75 former Cruz organizers asking them to activate their local political networks to help with the effort, Nehring said. Other Republicans theyll work to protect or elect: Reps. Jeff Denham of Turlock, David Valadao of Hanford and Steve Knight of Palmdale. Assembly members Catharine Baker of San Ramon, David Hadley of Manhattan Beach, Tom Lackey of Palmdale and Young Kim of Fullerton. State Senate candidates Mike Antonovich of Glendale, Scott Wilk of Santa Clarita and Ling Ling Chang of Diamond Bar. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Central Valley congressional race shifts to a toss-up By Sarah D. Wire (Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images) The 10th Congressional District race between Rep. Jeff Denham (R-Turlock) and Democrat Michael Eggman is now a toss-up, the nonpartisan analysts at the Cook Political Report announced Tuesday. The contest in the heavily Latino Central Valley district had been rated lean Republican, meaning the analysts thought Eggman had a chance, but they expected the third-term Republican to be reelected.The Cook Political Report now lists several California House districts held by Republicans as toss-ups, including Rep. Darrell Issas seat in the 49th District and Rep. Steve Knight in the 25th District. This is the second matchup for Denham and Eggman. Denham won their 2014 encounter with 56% of the vote, but this year, there is the added unknown of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trumps effect on other races and whether his unpopularity will drag down other candidates. For the record: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that Rep. David Valadaos race in the 21st District is listed as a toss-up. It is listed as leaning Republican. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print U.S. Rep. Ami Bera: Soldiers who served our country should not be penalized for the mistakes of others By Sophia Bollag Urging @DeptofDefense today to immediately stop ordering @theCAGuard members to pay back their enlistment benefits. pic.twitter.com/Ti6bzWJias Ami Bera, M.D. (@RepBera) October 24, 2016 U.S. Rep. Ami Bera (D-Elk Grove) wrote to top Department of Defense officials Monday urging them to stop asking veterans to repay enlistment bonuses. The Pentagon has ordered nearly 10,000 California Guard soldiers to repay bonuses that were improperly awarded to them, The Times reported Saturday. With his letter, Bera joined the chorus of lawmakers who have condemned the action, calling on the Pentagon to waive the soldiers debts. Soldiers who served our country should not be penalized for the mistakes of others, wrote Bera, who faces a tough reelection battle in his Northern California district. I urge the Department to halt the collection of these bonuses at this time to prevent placing more service members in financial hardship. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Crime victims oppose the death penalty in Yes on Prop. 62 ads By Jazmine Ulloa In new online ads released Tuesday by proponents of Proposition 62, which seeks to repeal the death penalty in California, crime victims urge voters to end the system and bring peace to grieving families. Proposition 62 would replace the ultimate punishment for murder with a sentence of life in prison without parole, ending a lengthy appeals process that some victims say has interfered with their healing. It is one of two competing death penalty measures on the Nov. 8 ballot. In one of two videos, which campaign officials say are geared toward swing voters, Beth Webb tells viewers she has had to face the death row inmate who killed her sister and seven others in a hair salon almost 50 times in court. Him sitting there, soaking up all of the attention, loving it, its disgusting, she says. The commercials come as proponents of the opposing measure on the ballot, Proposition 66, have released their own ads over the last few days, urging voters to reform the system, not end it. In one of those videos, a murder victims mother says no punishment other than the death penalty is appropriate for the twice-convicted sex offender who abducted her child. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Common, Russell Simmons, Shailene Woodley among celebrities pushing to legalize weed in California By Patrick McGreevy Common at the 2015 Academy Awards (Kevin Winter / Getty Images) Top celebrities including Common, Tim Robbins and the author of the Orange is the New Black memoir are joining forces in what they are calling Artists for 64" the effort to legalize recreational use of marijuana in California. A show of force announced Tuesday includes rapper and actor Common; music producer Russell Simmons; Ty Dolla $ign; actors Danny Glover, Olivia Wilde, Tim Robbins, Sarah Silverman, Shailene Woodley of The Divergent series, Jesse Williams of Greys Anatomy and Michael K. Williams of the HBO series The Wire; and Piper Kerman, author of Orange is the New Black: My Year in a Womens Prison. Jay Z, who last week put out a video calling the war on drugs an epic fail, also signed on to the effort. In California, the question on whether to legalize marijuana for adult use is a policy change that will have a lasting impact on historically marginalized communities, Glover, the star of films including the Lethal Weapon series, said in a statement posted on Artists for 64. Marijuana laws have been used as a tool by law enforcement to racially profile, harass, intimidate and criminalize mostly young African American and Latino men for decades. I am shocked and saddened by the harm that marijuana criminalization brings, especially for communities of color, Wilde said in a statement. The campaign against Proposition 64 said Hollywood celebrities are not the most credible endorsers, charging they are out of touch with the reality of drug abuse in many communities in the state. Today the No on Prop 64 campaign did a press event in Fresno with faith and community leaders who know that the problems that recreational marijuana creates will impact these communities and neighborhoods across California not Hollywood, said Andrew Acosta, a spokesman for the opposition campaign. In a video produced by Dream Hampton and included on the website, former Golden State Warrior Al Harrington talks about how marijuana helped him overcome pain and inflammation during a staph infection and helped his grandmother with her glaucoma. Im a California voter and Im voting `yes for Prop. 64, he says. Williams spoke from personal experience. Im in recovery and dont use marijuana, and my Christian faith is my rock when it comes to staying sober, he said in a statement. But I dont believe people should be arrested for marijuana anymore. California can lead the country by voting yes on Prop 64. Drug Policy Action, an advocacy group backing Proposition 64 to legalize the drug for recreational use, paid for the site. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Californias Congress members knew the Pentagon was trying to get back bonuses from soldiers, official says By David S. Cloud The California National Guard told the states members of Congress two years ago that the Pentagon was trying to claw back reenlistment bonuses from thousands of soldiers, and even offered a proposal to mitigate the problem, but Congress took no action, according to a senior National Guard official. What form that communication took and whether the members of Congress understood the scope of the problem at the time is unclear. On Monday, House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi sent a letter to Speaker Paul D. Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell saying that Congress should pass legislation to halt the Pentagon debt recovery as soon as we gavel back into session after the Nov. 8 election. Other California congressional members, including Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer, and House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, also sent letters to Defense Secretary Ashton Carter about the matter. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Proposition 56 and the great vape tax debate By Liam Dillon (Kenzo Tribouillard / AFP/Getty Images) Turn on any TV in California and you know that all the talk surrounding the Proposition 56 tobacco tax has been about cigarettes. But if the initiative passes next month, e-cigarettes will also be taxed like traditional cigarettes for the first time a huge tax increase that could boost the price of a typical 30-milliliter bottle of e-liquid by $10. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print State ethics watchdog asks court to force assemblymans campaign to turn over documents for investigation By Christine Mai-Duc Assemblyman David Hadley (R-Manhattan Beach) greets people after participating in a candidates forum in Torrance. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) The campaign of Assemblyman David Hadley (R-Manhattan Beach) has delayed turning over documents related to an official investigation into his campaign practices, according to court documents filed by the state Fair Political Practices Commission. The investigation grew out of a complaint from Hadleys opponent, Democrat Al Muratsuchi, that claims Hadleys campaign was illegally coordinating with an independent expenditure committee that also supported Hadley. In a letter to the FPPC, Muratsuchi claimed Hadleys campaign and Spirit of Democracy, a group funded mostly by Republican donor Charles Munger, Jr., shared consultant Steven Presson during at least part of the primary campaign for Assembly District 66. In court documents filed Oct. 13, FPPC special investigator Garrett Micheels said he initially emailed Hadley Aug. 4, asking him to voluntarily provide certain records to the commissions enforcement division. The records requested included emails, letters and text messages between Jan. 1 and June 7 between Presson and the Hadley campaign, or any other individuals or groups concerning the Hadley race. The next day, Presson responded that the campaign would require a subpoena to avoid possible public exposure to sensitive emails within the Hadley campaign regarding our strategy. After a subpoena was issued on Aug. 12, Micheels said in court documents, Hadley retained attorney Steve Churchwell, who asked for extensions to produce the documents at least three times, but never provided the records. On Sept. 27, Hadley produced some of the documents, court filings say, but wrote to explain that he was withholding his communications with Presson because there are hundreds or thousands of such correspondences that contained sensitive/confidential campaign communications that he said he had not had the time to review. As of Friday, the FPPC says, they have not received the rest of the documents requested. There is only one reason Hadley would conceal documents, and that is because he is guilty and is trying to hide the evidence, said Mike Shimpock, a consultant for the Muratsuchi campaign. A Hadley campaign spokesman declined to comment and Churchwell did not return a request for comment. Oral arguments in the case are scheduled for 2 p.m. Friday in the Sacramento County Superior Court. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement New ads urge California voters not to repeal the last defense against killers By Jazmine Ulloa In two new television ads, police officers and prosecutors urge California voters not to repeal the death penalty on Nov. 8, calling it the last defense against killers. The commercials, released late Monday by the California Correctional Peace Officers Assn., are part of the No on Prop. 62, Yes on Prop. 66 campaign. The effort aims to defeat Proposition 62, which would replace the ultimate punishment for murder with life in prison without parole, and to support Proposition 66, which would change and limit how and how often death row inmates can appeal. The pro-death penalty campaign has drawn broad support and funding from law enforcement organizations across the state. The Correctional Peace Officers Assn. alone has donated nearly $600,000 since last September. Ive seen what the worst among us can do, killings so brutal families never recover, Sgt. Dan Cabral of the Sacramento County Deputy Sheriffs Assn. tells viewers in one ad. Its why we have a death penalty. The second ad features the case of serial killer Charles Ng, who has spent 17 years on death row for the rape, torture and slayings of at least 11 victims. This is cruel punishment for the families, Sharon Sellitto, one victims sister, says in the video. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print GOP Rep. Darrell Issa returns fire after President Obama rips his campaign mailer By Phil Willon Vista Republican Rep. Darrell Issa said Monday he was disappointed but not surprised by President Obamas criticism of him for using the presidents photo in a campaign mailer. At a fundraiser in La Jolla on Sunday night, Obama said Issas primary contribution to Congress has been to obstruct and to waste taxpayer dollars on trumped-up investigations that have led nowhere. The president called Issa shameless for using his image in his reelection campaign. Im disappointed but not surprised that the president, in a political speech, continues to deny accountability for the serious scandals that happened under his watch where Americans died overseas and veterans have died here at home, Issa said in a statement released by his congressional campaign Monday. Youd be hard-pressed to find anyone who thinks Ive done too much to hold Washington accountable. Ive worked with the administration on good legislation where it was possible, called out wrongdoing wherever I saw it and will continue to do so. Issa is running his toughest congressional campaign to date, an increasingly nasty race that has been declared a toss-up by the nonpartisan Cook Political Report. Issas Democratic challenger in the 49th Congressional District, retired Marine Col. Doug Applegate, has criticized the congressman as a Washington insider and supporter of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. In the political mailer sent out by the Issa campaign, the congressman said he was pleased with the president for signing legislation he co-sponsored that provides victims of sexual assault legal protections in the federal criminal justice system. At the Sunday night fundraiser, Obama ripped Issa as a guy who, because poll numbers are bad, has sent out brochures with my picture on them touting his cooperation on issues with me. Now that is the definition of chutzpah, Obama said. Issa once called Obama one of the most corrupt presidents in modern times. While chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, he led investigations into the Benghazi attack, the Internal Revenue Service scandal, the botched Fast and Furious gun sting and other actions by the Obama administration. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print California Democrats remember Tom Hayden for pursuits close to home By Michael Finnegan (Lori Shepler / Los Angeles Times) Top California Democrats remembered Tom Hayden on Monday as an influential activist whose pursuit of liberal causes extended far beyond his best-known work leading protests against the Vietnam War. Tom took up causes that others avoided, Gov. Jerry Brown said. He had a real sense of the underdog and was willing to do battle no matter what the odds. Hayden died Sunday in Santa Monica after a long illness. He was 76. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti recalled Haydens work negotiating a gang truce in Venice, along with his contributions to an anti-sweatshop ordinance to prevent worker exploitation. Tom Hayden was a giant who never stopped pushing for peace and justice, and inspired a generation of change agents to bring new voices and overlooked perspectives to the decision-making process, Garcetti said. Hayden, classified by the FBI as a rabble rouser in the 1960s, was prosecuted by President Nixons Justice Department in the raucous Chicago 7 trial after violent clashes with police at the 1968 Democratic National Convention. His conviction was dismissed on appeal. He went on to serve in the state Assembly and Senate for a total of 18 years. John Burton, chairman of the California Democratic Party, recalled two measures that Hayden got passed. One allocated $250,000 to buy tattoo removal machines for imprisoned youth so they could cut their gang ties. The other set up a program for parents to use tax-free accounts for savings dedicated to their childrens college education. These bills didnt get a lot of attention at the time, but they have had a far-reaching impact on young peoples futures, said Burton, who led the state Senate when Hayden was a member. The Senates current leader, Kevin de Leon of Los Angeles, said Hayden was well ahead of the curve on issues involving the environment, social justice, gang intervention and urban peace, access to higher education, domestic violence and much more. Hayden, he said, distinguished himself as a paragon of political integrity and a great intellect. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Secretary of States office holds voter registration drive at the Capitol on the last day to register in California By Sophia Bollag .@CASOSvote staff are outside the Capitol today to register new voters. Today is the deadline to register in CA. pic.twitter.com/vNovU1jNla Sophia Bollag (@SophiaBollag) October 24, 2016 The Secretary of States office is holding a voter registration drive outside the Capitol today, the last day to register in California before the November election. The offices staff registered about 20 people in the first couple of hours, said Milena Paez, who works in the offices elections division. Many people had also stopped by the booth to ask where their polling place is or check their voter registration status, she said. LaRhonda Sayles-Willis, who recently moved to the Sacramento area, said she saw the booth as she walked down the street and stopped by to see where she was registered. She ended up re-registering to vote to be on the safe side and said shes particularly motivated to vote for Hillary Clinton. I really oppose her opponent. I just dont like the guy, the 56-year-old said. I just dont think hes a good representation of the United States. Ada Avelar, 21, said she decided to register because she recently moved to the United States from Mexico City to attend Sacramento State University. Avelar is an American citizen. She said she saw the booth on her way back from having lunch with a friend and decided to register right there. I was like, its a sign, she said. I have to do it. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Assemblywoman Patty Lopez vows not to give up on reelection despite lack of party support By Christine Mai-Duc Patty Lopez watches as ballots are counted in her 2014 race against then-incumbent Raul Bocanegra, who she bested by fewer than 500 votes. ( (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)) On a recent weekend, with just three weeks to go until the November election, Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon made a whirlwind tour of five of the most hotly contested races in the state, stumping for Democratic candidates. Assemblywoman Patty Lopez (D-San Fernando), who faces a stiff challenge from former Assemblyman Raul Bocanegra, was not one of them. Instead, she spent part of her Saturday walking through a community street festival, handing out fliers with a handful of volunteers. Ive been blocked from my party, but my district knows who is Patty Lopez, she said. Sometimes I feel disappointed, but thats not stopping me from doing what I need to do. In 2014, Lopez shocked many when she eked out a win against Bocanegra by a margin of less than 500 votes. With six Democrats on the ballot in this years primary, Lopez received just 27.2% of the vote, a distant second to Bocanegras 44.4%. Despite this, and the fact that the California Democratic Party has endorsed her challenger, Lopez says she is a woman of faith who believes 100 percent that shell be reelected. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Obama says Darrell Issa is shameless for praising him in campaign mailer that is the definition of chutzpah By Sarah D. Wire At a California fundraiser Sunday night, President Obama called Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Vista) shameless for using the presidents photo on a recent mailer and praising him after years of criticizing the Obama administration. Issa is facing an unexpectedly tough race this year as the eight-term Republican squares off against political novice former Marine Col. Doug Applegate. Issas primary contribution to the United States Congress has been to obstruct and to waste taxpayer dollars on trumped-up investigations that have led nowhere. And this is now a guy who, because poll numbers are bad, has sent out brochures with my picture on them touting his cooperation on issues with me, Obama told the crowd, according to a transcript, at a Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee fundraiser in the La Jolla home of donor Christine Forester. Now that is the definition of chutzpah. The Vista Republican has been a frequent critic of Obama and has called him one of the most corrupt presidents in modern times. The campaign mailer said Issa was pleased with the president for signing legislation he co-sponsored into law. Issa was one of 40 House members who co-sponsored the legislation, which provides some sexual assault victims legal protections in the federal criminal justice system. The president is in Los Angeles today and Tuesday for a taping of Jimmy Kimmel Live and two fundraisers, including a $100,000-per-ticket fundraiser at DreamWorks Chief Executive Jeffrey Katzenbergs home tonight that is completely closed to the press. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print The district where water is more important than all other campaign issues By Sarah D. Wire (Sarah D. Wire/ Los Angeles Times) In Californias Central Valley, the nations most productive agricultural region, the drought drives everything. And the ongoing fight over how much water flows could be the reason Democrats havent been able to win in the 21st Congressional District with a national race even though 47% of registered voters there are Democrats. Heres a look at the role of water in the race between Rep. David Valadao, and attorney Emilio Huerta. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement What happens if both death penalty measures are approved by voters on Nov. 8? By Jazmine Ulloa (Pat Sullivan / Associated Press) California voters are weighing dueling death penalty propositions on the Nov. 8 ballot, one that seeks to repeal the system and another that aims to speed it up. If both pass with a majority, the initiative with the most yes votes would supersede the other. If both fail to garner the votes, then the status quo remains, a frustrating prospect for many as advocates on both sides of the issue say the system is broken. California has more than 740 inmates awaiting execution, the largest death row population in the country. Their appeals go directly to the state Supreme Court and take 25 years to process. Both capital punishment measures would require current prisoners to work and pay restitution to victims. But Proposition 62 would repeal the death penalty in California for first-degree murder and replace the sentence with life in prison without the possibility of parole. It also would apply retroactively to offenders already sentenced to death. Proposition 66 would designate lower trial courts to take on initial challenges to convictions and limit successive appeals to within five years of a death sentence. It also would require court-appointed lawyers who dont take capital appeals to represent death row inmates. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print California Politics Podcast: Propositions, polling and parole By John Myers The fact that there are 17 propositions on the statewide ballot has not only made things hard on voters, its been almost impossible for pollsters to sample opinion on so many issues. But one new poll looks at some of the least talked about measures, and its our first topic on this weeks California Politics Podcast. The poll suggests a lot of voters remain undecided about several of these low-profile proposals. We also take a detailed look at one of the most contentious ballot fights, the effort by Gov. Jerry Brown to revamp state prison parole rules through Proposition 57. Im joined on this weeks episode by Marisa Lagos of KQED News. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement In No on 62, Yes on 66 campaign ad, murder victims mother urges California voters to keep the death penalty By Jazmine Ulloa In three online ads released Friday, Sandra Friend tells California voters they should fix the states death penalty system, not end it. The 43-year-old mother has been a crime victims advocate since Robert Boyd Rhoades sexually abused and killed her 8-year-old son, Michael Lyons, two decades ago. She is now serving as one of the main voices behind a campaign that is working to defeat Proposition 62, which would repeal the death penalty, and in favor of Proposition 66, which seeks to speed up executions. Voters will weigh the dueling capital punishment initiatives on the Nov. 8 ballot. Both would require current death row inmates to work and pay restitution to victims, but would take opposing approaches to what the measures both call a broken system. Rhoades, who abducted Lyons on his way home from school in Yuba City, is one of 740 death row inmates in California. Executions have been on hold since 2006, when the states lethal injection protocol was challenged in court. Friend tells viewers it has been difficult coming to terms with the fact that her son was murdered by a twice-convicted sex offender. I am living a parents worst nightmare, she says. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Former state Sen. Ronald Calderon sentenced to 42 months in prison on corruption charge By Joel Rubin Former state Sen. Ronald S. Calderon was sentenced in Los Angeles on Friday to 42 months in prison after he pleaded guilty in a federal corruption case. The Montebello Democrat, who served in the state Senate for eight years ending in 2014, admitted in a plea deal in June that he accepted tens of thousands of dollars in bribes from undercover FBI agents and a hospital executive in return for official favors. Federal prosecutors had asked for a five-year sentence for a charge where the maximum possible penalty was 20 years. U.S. District Judge Christina Snyder, who handed down the sentence to Calderon, said five years was too severe but that a significant prison sentence was needed to punish Calderon and send a message to other elected officials that corruption will not be tolerated. The crime is significant, she said during the court hearing. This is a true public corruption case. Striking a defiant tone throughout, Calderon refused to admit any wrong-doing or to apologize during the court hearing. My goal was always to do the right thing for California, he said. At no point did I intend to break the law. He said he ultimately decided to plead guilty in order to spare his family the ordeal of a trial, but persisted in his innocence, saying he never agreed to any quid pro quo to benefit himself or his family. Unemployed and tens of thousands of dollars in debt, Calderon said professional relationships had been ruined as had his relationship with his brother. My reputation is destroyed, Calderon said. Snyder was unmoved. I did not really hear Senator Calderon accept responsibility or apologize, she said. It was really about himself. Calderon, 59, had pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud as part of a plea in which he admitted to accepting trips to Las Vegas, jobs for a son and daughter, and cash for him and his brother, former Assemblyman Tom Calderon. Tom Calderon was sentenced last month to one year in federal custody for laundering bribes taken by his brother. The Calderon family was politically powerful for decades in California. A third brother, former Assemblyman Charles Calderon, was not implicated in the corruption scandal. Ronald Calderons nephew, Ian Calderon, is a state assemblyman, the last family member in state elected office. He was not alleged to have any part in the corruption scheme. Assistant U.S. Atty. Mack E. Jenkins wrote a blistering brief opposing Calderons request to serve time with home detention or be released for the brief time he already spent in jail. Here, defendants trafficking in his legislative votes (for, by contrast, over $150,000 in benefits) caused a reverberation of negative effects throughout California and put a stain not just on his career, but on the reputation of the state legislature, Jenkins wrote. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Accusations fly in the congressional race for this Northern California swing district By Sophia Bollag Democratic U.S. Rep. Ami Bera, left, shakes hands with his Republican challenger, Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones, after their debate Tuesday in the race for the 7th Congressional District seat. (Jose Luis Villegas / Associated Press) Questions about character have been dominating the congressional race between Rep. Ami Bera (D-Elk Grove) and Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones. Both candidates have been plagued by allegations of wrongdoing. Beras father was recently sentenced to jail for illegally funneling money to two of his sons past campaigns. Jones faces allegations he sexually harassed a subordinate at the Sheriffs Department more than a decade ago, which he denies. Theyre competing in a divided district that leans Democratic, but not by much. In 2014, Bera beat his Republican challenger by less than a percentage point. This race is always one of the closest races in the country, he said. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Loretta Sanchez says she got death threats after she voted against the Iraq war By Phil Willon Rep. Loretta Sanchez, after her speech Thursday. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) U.S. Senate candidate Loretta Sanchez on Thursday urged ROTC cadets at UCLA to have the courage to challenge politicians who call for ill conceived uses of military force such as the 2003 invasion of Iraq. We need military leaders that understand the limits of our military power, said Sanchez, who has served in Congress for two decades and sits on the House Armed Services Committee. Why is it that every generation and every president has to learn that all over again? The Orange County congresswoman made the comments during an address to ROTC cadets at UCLAs Pauley Pavilion. Sanchez said her experience on the House Armed Services Committee made her question the long-term implications of the Iraq invasion, and whether the U.S. might find itself bogged down in a war in the Middle East. In 2002, Sanchez was among the 133 House members who voted against the authorization of military force against Iraq. It was a lonely time, Sanchez told the cadets. [When] I came back to Orange County, I was spit on. I received death threats. The congresswoman told the cadets the military is just one part of a national security strategy that includes intelligence gathering, diplomacy and the use of the countrys economic strength. Because so much is at stake, the use of our military should always be a last resort, Sanchez said. Sanchez is running against fellow Democrat and state Atty. Gen. Kamala Harris for Californias U.S. Senate seat. She says her expertise on national defense and terrorism are among the reasons shes the most qualified candidate. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Tobacco companies claim proponents of cigarette tax will use the new revenue to enrich their top executives By Liam Dillon Tobacco companies have unveiled a new claim in their campaign against the $2-per-pack increase in cigarette taxes on the November ballot. In a television advertisement that debuted over the weekend, the No on Proposition 56 campaign contends that the doctors and health insurance groups financing the initiative wrote it to avoid external oversight over the money going to low-income patient care. They even exempted themselves from the new audit requirements, the ad states. They can use the new revenue to enrich their top executives, and theres no requirement to treat even one more patient. The claim rests on a part of the Proposition 56 initiative that creates new auditing rules to govern where the new tax money would go. But it ignores the litany of state and federal auditing requirements to which Medi-Cal, the states low-income health program, already is subject. First, heres a little background about how the money from Proposition 56 would get spent. Assuming fewer people use tobacco because of the tax increase, the tax would raise about $1.27 billion next year, according to an estimate from the Legislative Analysts Office. Of that amount, $710 million about 56% would go to Medi-Cal, primarily to increase the payment doctors and other healthcare providers receive when they treat patients. The remaining dollars go to back-filling current state and local sales taxes and other programs because fewer people will buy cigarettes, doctor and dentist training and anti-tobacco efforts. The initiative kicks in $400,000 a year to audit the agencies receiving the money. Beth Miller, spokeswoman for the No on 56 campaign, said that opponents like that state and local agencies will be audited if the measure passes. The criticism is that the provisions dont go far enough. It would have been nice to have those audit requirements also apply to those end users, so to speak: the hospitals, the insurance companies and the doctors, Miller said. Medi-Cal providers, however, get audited all the time. The states Department of Health Care Services does internal audits and investigations through an entire department of about 700 employees and a $50-million budget dedicated to reviewing the programs under its jurisdiction, including looking at the financial records of Medi-Cal providers. Beyond that, the California State Auditor has issued at least two wide-ranging audits involving Medi-Cal providers in the last five years on the states oversight of managed-care plans. And the federal Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General also audits programs and providers that receive federal dollars for low-income patients. One recent federal audit of California that examined pediatric dental providers happened last May. Miller contended that the audits required under Proposition 56 are more transparent than the existing state and federal programs. Mike Roth, spokesman for the Yes on 56 campaign, said the initiative has plenty of safeguards to ensure the tax money is spent wisely, including the auditing provisions. This is another desperate and deceitful red herring from tobacco companies, and it takes the cake as far as their flagrant lies about Proposition 56, Roth said. Heres the full ad: UPDATES: 3:03 p.m.: This post was updated to include the full video of the advertisement. This article was originally published at 2:00 p.m. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Central Valley congressional race that once leaned Republican is now a toss-up, report says By Sarah D. Wire Rep. Jeff Denham (R-Turlock) (Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images) The nonpartisan analysts at the Cook Political Report now say its a toss-up whether Republican Rep. Jeff Denham or Democrat beekeeper Michael Eggman will win the 10th Congressional District race. The race had been rated leans Republican since last fall, indicating that the analysts expected Denham to keep the seat, but felt Democrats had a chance. This is the second matchup for Denham and Eggman. Denham won in 2014 with 56.4% of the vote. Democrats have worked for months to tie vulnerable House Republicans to the rhetoric of their presidential nominee, Donald Trump, and this race is one where Trumps effect down the ballot could be most visible. Denham has said he disagrees with Trumps rhetoric, but hasnt backed off supporting him, a move that could prove unpopular in the Central Valley district where at least 40% of the population is Latino. Three Republican-held seats in California are now considered toss-ups. The other two are representing the 25th Congressional District, held by Rep. Steve Knight (R-Palmdale), and the 49th Congressional District, held by Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Vista). Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print California Senate leader endorses gun control initiative despite differences with its author, Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom By Patrick McGreevy California Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon, left, and Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, right, applaud at Gov. Jerry Browns State of the State speech in January. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) Despite political differences with its author, state Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon (D-Los Angeles) on Thursday endorsed Proposition 63, which would expand Californias already tough gun control laws. Proposition 63 was proposed by Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom and would outlaw large-capacity ammunition magazines, require background checks for those buying bullets, require lost or stolen guns to be reported quickly, make stealing a firearm a felony and provide a process for newly convicted felons to relinquish their guns. De Leon and Newsom have both been working on gun control issues for years and both have aspirations for higher office. Newsom is running for governor in 2018. Some in the De Leon camp thought when the initiative was proposed last year that it was being used to try to take over an issue on which the senator has been a leader. The two disagreed earlier this year on the best way to achieve gun control aims, with De Leon publicly calling on Newsom to drop his initiative and allow the Legislature to act, and Newsom refusing, charging that the Legislatures proposals were not extensive enough. In the end, the Legislature approved several bills, including one by De Leon that requires background checks for ammunition purchasers, even though a similar proposal is included in the Newsom initiative. The Legislature also mandated that its background-check plan would supersede the one in Proposition 63. On Thursday, De Leon made no mention of the differences. Earlier this year, our Legislature passed the most sweeping and important package of gun safety laws in the nation, increasing nationwide momentum and grass-roots outcries for common-sense safeguards against gun violence, De Leon said in a statement. I endorse Proposition 63 because we must send a powerful and united message to the national Gun Lobby that California will not capitulate to political bullying or compromise the public safety, he added. The differences between the two politicians were highlighted noted by Richard Grenell, co-chairman of the Coalition for Civil Liberties, which is campaigning against the initiative. This is a prime example of why people should trust law enforcement on this question before self-interested politicians, Grenell said. Just a few months ago, de Leon asked Newsom to repeal Prop 63. De Leons statement was released a day after Newsom ruffled some feathers in the De Leon camp when he told the Sacramento Press Club that his initiative accomplishes things that state officials could not. Newsom noted that 11 other states have enacted the requirement that stolen guns be reported. There have been legislative attempts and they have failed multiple times here in the Capitol, Newsom said. The Legislature did approve such a bill this year, but it was vetoed by Gov. Jerry Brown in July. The political dispute between the two leading Democrats surfaced last year when De Leon acted to slash a third of Newsoms staff, notifying him that two Senate employees who had been on loan to the lieutenant governors office were being reassigned. UPDATED at 1:10 pm to include comment from opponent of initiative. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print No fight from the business community over the proposed tobacco and income tax hikes By Liam Dillon (Justin Sullivan / Getty Images) Business groups often make up a triumvirate with Republicans and taxpayer advocates against tax increases. But on the two tax hikes on the 2016 California ballot, major business leaders are mostly staying away from the fight. They tend to dislike the income tax extensions promised by Proposition 55, but arent campaigning against them. And some are even backing Proposition 56s cigarette tax increases. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Almost half a million Californians have already voted by mail, with a surge in some hotly contested races By John Myers (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) Early data compiled from local elections officials shows a surge of ballots being returned in the mail, especially in some of the most closely watched races this election season. A report compiled by Political Data Inc. shows almost 408,000 ballots cast in just the first eight days of voting, with more than half of those ballots arriving in local election offices Wednesday. As weve reported before, election day in California is now more like an election month. A majority of the states voters cast their ballots away from traditional polling places, and political professionals can closely monitor which voters in any given race have turned those ballots back in. The report also shows strong early voting in some of Californias most talked about congressional races. In the hotly contested reelection race of Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Vista), more than four times as many ballots have been returned so far compared to the 2014 general election. And even though Republicans have an eight-point registration advantage in Issas district, the ballots cast so far have skewed more Democratic. In early voting, the two major parties are almost even in the number of votes cast. Issa, facing a tough race against Democrat Douglas Applegate, recently sent out a campaign mailer trying to appeal to local voters who support President Obama. Compared to the first few days of the 2014 general election, substantially more ballots have also been cast in the Central Valley races featuring Reps. Jeff Denham (R-Turlock) and David Valadao (R-Hanford). In both districts, Democratic voters are outpacing GOP voters in early ballot returns. While none of the data offers information on how those ballots were cast -- these are only totals received by county officials -- the early numbers may offer a glimpse at how energized some parts of the electorate are in this contentious campaign season. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement What will Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom focus on in his run for governor? Aging infrastructure among issues By Patrick McGreevy California Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks at an event in Los Angeles in April. (Nick Ut / Associated Press) Signaling that his gubernatorial campaign will shift into higher gear after next months election, Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom said Wednesday that he is working on a plan to double spending on roads and other infrastructure since the Legislature failed to act this year. This is going to be something you will be hearing a lot more from me on over the course of the next number of months, a very aggressive infrastructure proposal, Newsom said in a speech to the Sacramento Press Club. The former San Francisco mayor is running for governor in 2018. He noted that the governor and Legislature did not reach an agreement on a transportation funding program in the face of a $130-billion backlog in state and local road repairs. Legislative Democrats proposed a $7.4-billion plan earlier this year that would raise the gas tax by 17 cents a gallon. Thats about twice the size of an earlier plan by Gov. Jerry Brown. Weve got to more than double our investment in infrastructure in this state, Newsom said, adding the problem has reached code red in California. Plans by the governor to use proceeds from sale of cap-and-trade credits have merits, he said. Separately, Newsom said he continues to support the vision of a high speed rail system for California but said I remain concerned about the finances. He said the private sector must step up to provide more of the money as the project cost has close to doubled from its original $33 billion price tag. Newsom acknowledged that he has work to do to introduce himself to voters outside his home base. I think a lot of the state really doesnt know me yet, he said, adding he sees it as a great opportunity to tell his story. He declined to comment on the gubernatorial candidacy of state Treasurer John Chiang and possible runs by former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and billionaire environmental activist Tom Steyer. Im not focused on those others, he said. Im focused on what we have before us. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print L.A. activist is building his AIDS organization into a political powerhouse with two November ballot measures By Christine Mai-Duc (Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times) When Michael Weinstein launched his AIDS Healthcare Foundation in the late 1980s, he had a coffee can for donations and a $50,000 budget to provide end-of-life care to those dying of the disease. Today, hes grown the nonprofit into a $1.2-billion operation that manages hundreds of clinics and pharmacies globally, and has quickly become a major political player in California, and, he hopes, nationally. AHF, as it is known, is sponsoring two initiatives on Californias November ballot: Proposition 60, which would require adult film actors to use condoms during sex scenes, and Proposition 61, which would bar state agencies from entering contracts to purchase drugs where the price is higher than that paid by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Thats quite a feat in a state as expensive as California, and in a political year as crowded as 2016. Were doing things on a scale that we havent before, Weinstein said in a recent interview from his office in a Hollywood high-rise. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement These janitors are giving up sleep to knock on doors for Hillary Clinton By Sarah D. Wire Yamilex Rustrian, left, of North Hollywood, and Leticia Soto of Los Angeles check Las Vegas addresses to visit to encourage voters to support Hillary Clinton. (Sarah D. Wire / Los Angeles Times) Early Saturday morning, Yamilex Rustrian sat with her mother and other janitors assembled at long tables in the old mortuary that is home to the SEIU United Service Workers West. They ate ham, cheese and bean sandwiches as they waited for the final workers to get off the late shift. At least one came still dressed in her blue smock. The group of janitors and their children made a quick trip to Las Vegas over the weekend to knock on doors for Hillary Clinton, and got home Sunday just in time for the late shift. Each had their reasons to join the more than 150 union members who made the trip. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Federal prosector seeks 5 years for former California Sen. Ron Calderon in corruption case By Patrick McGreevy A federal prosecutor has recommended that former state Sen. Ron Calderon be sentenced to five years in prison as part of a federal corruption case that rocked the California state Capitol. Assistant U.S. Atty. Mack E. Jenkins wrote a blistering brief urging the federal judge to not show leniency to Calderon, who in June entered a plea deal in which he pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud. Here, defendants trafficking in his legislative votes (for, by contrast, over $150,000 in benefits) caused a reverberation of negative effects throughout California and put a stain not just on his career, but on the reputation of the state legislature, Jenkins wrote ahead of Fridays sentencing date. The prosecutor noted that only one fellow politician wrote a letter of support for Calderon, a Montebello Democrat. In defendants plea agreement, he admitted to participating in two substantial and complex bribery schemes that entailed multiple forms of bribes, concealment and sophisticated money laundering, the prosecutor wrote. Here, defendant sold his vote not just to help pay for the expenses of living beyond his means, but for the more banal and predictable aims of corruption fancy luxuries, fancy parties and fancy people. An attorney for Calderon has asked the judge to sentence the former lawmaker to time already served in jail during his booking or home detention. Jenkins proposed that Calderon be sentenced to five years in custody, one year of supervised release, a $7,500 fine and 250 hours of community service. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement A new Jay Z video says pot should be legal in California and calls the war on drugs an epic fail By Patrick McGreevy Rapper Jay Z has weighed in to support Proposition 64, which would legalize the recreational use of marijuana in California, calling the war on drugs an epic fail, in a YouTube video, which also describes how the effort filled prisons with young African American and Latino men. Young men like me who hustle became the sole villain, Jay Z says as the video depicts the deterioration of a neighborhood drawn by artist Molly Crabapple. The one-minute video was produced by the group Drug Policy Action from a longer animated video that addressed the general issue of drug prohibition, said Jason Kinney, a spokesman for the campaign. The shortened video, titled The War on Drugs from Prohibition to Gold Rush, ends with a new, written message urging people to vote for Proposition 64, adding, We can stop the harm on Nov. 8. Jay Z agreed to have the video tailored to the Proposition 64 campaign, Kinney said. Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, who helped qualify the initiative, praised the rapper on Twitter, writing Thank you, Jay Z, for your strong voice for social justice & co-creating this new @Yeson64 video! Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Bay Area congressman Eric Swalwell got married over the weekend By Sarah D. Wire View Instagram post Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Dublin) and Brittany Watts, a sales director at the Ritz-Carlton in Half Moon Bay, got married on Friday. They were married at the Rene C. Davidson Courthouse in Oakland. Before being elected to Congress, Swalwell worked in the courthouse as a prosecutor with the Alameda County district attorneys office. Here is the couples wedding announcement. The congressman also posted an image of the couple cutting their wedding cake on Instagram. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Los Angeles top elections officer talks about voter fraud and polling place intimidation in Reddit chat By John Myers The questions posed by Reddit users on Monday to the top elections officer in Los Angeles ranged from small problems over where to cast an early ballot to broader concerns about election security. Dean Logan, Los Angeles Countys registrar of voters, attempted to answer almost all of them during the hourlong online conversation. Asked about intimidation of voters at the polls, possibly inspired by criticisms over comments by GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump, Logan said the question has been popping up a lot in his office. We, of course, encourage people to observe all elements of the process, but any disruption of voters or intimidation of voters is unacceptable, he wrote. Another Reddit user asked whether all ballots mailed or dropped off at a polling place are counted. Any valid and timely received vote by mail ballot will be counted and included in the certified election results, Logan wrote. I am always surprised by this question. Logan said that officials mailed some 1.8 million ballots last week to Los Angeles Countys permanent absentee voters, with one-time requests for ballots by mail being sent out this week. Asked by one Reddit user about a potential way to commit voter fraud with absentee ballots, Logan said it is important to note that the voter doing so would be signing an oath under penalty of perjury. He also agreed with one questioners concern that voter turnout was too low, and suggested that a new state laws significant expansion of voting by mail may help. I think the model of voting we use is somewhat outdated and unfamiliar to new voters, Logan said. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Kamala Harris and her husband made $1.17 million in 2015, according to report on their tax returns By Phil Willon Atty. Gen. Kamala Harris files to run for the U.S. Senate in February at the Los Angeles County Registrar with her husband, Douglas Emhoff. (Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times) The 2015 tax returns filed by U.S. Senate candidate Kamala Harris and her husband, Los Angeles attorney Douglas Emhoff, show that the couple earned $1.17 million that year, according to reports. Harris tax returns, which were viewed and first reported by the Sacramento Bee, also showed that the California attorney general and her husband paid $450,000 in state and federal income taxes. Harris campaign spokesman Nathan Click said journalists are being allowed to view the tax returns by appointment only. Harris rival in the Senate race, Orange County Rep. Loretta Sanchez, provided her 2015 tax return to the Orange County Register and will not make those tax records available to other journalists until after that news organization publishes its story, said Sanchez campaign spokesman Luis Vizcaino. Harris and Sanchez have net worths that likely run in the millions, according to federal and state financial disclosures. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum reopens and his daughter and grandson get a tour By Christine Mai-Duc Christopher Cox, grandson of Richard Nixon, talks to reporters during a tour of the newly renovated Nixon Presidential Library and Museum. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times) The Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum reopened Saturday, after a 10-month renovation that sought to reframe the narrative of the 37th presidents life and legacy. The $15-million remake brings to a close a more than decade-long effort to bring greater legitimacy to a library that historian and Nixon scholar Stanley Kutler once called just another Southern California theme park whose reality level was slightly better than Disneyland. We wrote about the librarys new exhibits a couple of months ago, and the challenge of building an unflinching portrait of a complicated man. In attendance were Henry Kissinger, Nixons former secretary of State, former California Gov. Pete Wilson and Nixons daughter and grandson, Tricia Nixon Cox and Christopher Nixon Cox. Times photographer Mark Boster attende Despite impressive resumes, the Women PeaceMakers at the University of San Diego are used to being ignored. The four activists come from places Nigeria, Kenya, Pakistan, an Algerian refugee camp where female voices often go unheeded. They arent getting much attention in the U.S. either, as their two-month stay overlaps with our presidential campaign. Kenyas Jane Anyango understands. Let Americans deal with their own issues first, she said. Advertisement But heres the rub: These women work abroad, yet their issues are very much at home in the U.S. Terrorism, education, refugees, bitterly contested elections sound familiar? Now in its 14th year, the Women PeaceMakers program annually brings activists to USDs Linda Vista campus for two months. The first of five free events involving the women is Wednesday. This years crop of PeaceMakers was harvested from more than 150 applicants representing 30-odd countries. During their stay, the women conduct research, give lectures and share notes with others at the universitys Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies. Everything, including their living arrangements in the schools Casa de la Paz guest residence, underscores a message: This truly is a small world. I am Muslim, she is Christian. But we treat each other like sisters, said Fatma Mehdi Hassam, a Western Sahara native who shares quarters with Anyango. This is our world. The PeaceMakers and their messages: Hamatsu Allamin of Nigeria When the radical Muslim group Boko Haram kidnapped about 300 Nigerian school girls, among the people leading the campaign to rescue these children was Hamatsu Allamin. Naturally. Allamin has spent years advocating for peace in northeastern Nigeria, a region wracked by bloodshed and rebellion. The U.S., she noted, should monitor Boko Haram and other terrorists. Yet her experience has led her to question Washingtons strategy. Too often, she said, the U.S. ignores local residents and deals with government people who do not represent the grass roots, just protecting their own interests. Arms sales to repressive governments and drone strikes that often kill innocents, she maintained, help Boko Haram gain new recruits. Even the terms the Western media use to describe terrorists can backfire. ISIS lends legitimacy to the radical cause, Allamin noted, referring to an Islamic State. She prefers the Arabic acronym DAESH, which sounds like a word meaning one who sows discord. Peace can only come to Nigeria and other regions, Allamin said, when the U.S. bypasses self-serving politicians and gains an understanding of ordinary Nigerians, who are beset by corruption and poverty. You have to understand what fuels this anger in our youth, she said. Jane Anyango of Kenya When Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump claimed the U.S. election could be rigged, Anyango thought of the violence that erupted in Kenya in 2007 and 2008 after a disputed election. Maybe the U.S. needs to prepare to prevent violence, she said. Following the post-election violence in her country, Anyango helped organize 800 women in the Kibera settlement. The Kibera Women for Peace and Fairness not only pledged that members would work for non-violent change, they also agreed to persuade the men in their lives. Anyangos work was shown in the recent documentary I Will Not be Silenced. Too often, she said, well-meaning outsiders prescribe solutions to problems without first gaining an understanding of the culture. To illustrate, Anyango offered a parable: In Kenya, the rainy season brings out infestations of biting ants. These pests can be foiled by charcoal ash scattered around the home. People who dont understand will come in and sweep out the ash, Anyango said. Charcoal is expensive! Now where am I going to get more ash? Whether the problem is ants or suspect election results, resolutions should involve all parties. Talk to the people, Anyango said. That is the only way we are getting to a solution. Khurshid Bano of Pakistan The Taliban is very active in the Swat Valley, where Bano lives, works and dodges death threats. Encouraging dialogue and co-existence between different religious groups is risky in his region. So is promoting girls education and womens rights. Yet Bano does all of this as the founder and CEO of Da Hawwa Lur or Daughters of Eve. The global community knows one side of Pakistan the negative side of terrorism and radicalization, Bano said. But we are living our lives there. Local problems, she insisted, need local solutions. The Taliban targets schools, killing students and denouncing girls education as anti-Muslim. Yet she insists that schools are essential in this struggle against extremism. People at the grass roots are not educated, so they dont understand, she said. We need to work at the grass-roots level. A broad education is essential in these isolated villages, where theres little knowledge of the outside world and much suspicion about the West. The new generation is thinking that America is our enemy because of drone attacks and that sort of thing, she said. Fatma Mehdi Hassam of Western Sahara Mehdi is a woman without a country, having lived nearly 40 years in an Algerian refugee camp after fleeing the fighting in her western Sahara homeland. We are not refugees of hunger, we are refugees of a political situation, Mehdi said. Algeria is not our country, not our land. What we need is to go back to our land. Because that return has been delayed for decades, a sort of civil society in exile has sprung up in the camp. Mehdi is a leader in this quasi-government, as president of the National Union of Saharawi Women and chair of the African Unions Women and Gender Cluster. She understands that refugees are often seen, in the U.S. and elsewhere, as a security as well as humanitarian crisis. But how do we make this security happen? she asked. Violence, she insisted, just leads to more insecurity. And in the crowded camps, it is essential to cooperate rather than fight, to treat everyone with respect. Even former enemies. Her camp contains Moroccan prisoners captured while fighting in Western Sahara. Among the prisoners is the man who taught Mehdi English. We start working with our children to teach them they cannot blame them they were obliged to come here as soldiers, Mehdi said. Great things, she said, come from small things. For more information on five free Women PeaceMakers events, click here. The Navy announced a tsunami of a cultural shift on Thursday, and the move has not produced many fans on the internet. It used to be, in a Navy steeped in tradition, a sailor was known by his or her job, or rate. If you were a gunners mate, people called you, Hey, GM1, for example. That let people know your job, which is gunners mate (the sailors in charge of weapons and ordnance,) and your rank, which is petty officer 1st class. But top Navy officials have jettisoned the old rates in favor of a new coding system they say will make it easier for sailors to move between specialties in the Navy, and get civilian jobs after discharge. So instead of a gunners mate, that sailor will now be known by a Navy occupational specialty or NOS code. Navy officials gave specific instructions on how to speak to people under the new system. (Navy slide) So that GM1 will now be called petty officer first class. On social media, current and former sailors didnt view the changes favorably. Some comments reflect the pride sailors have in qualifying for a specific job. I will always be IC1, said one commenter on the Navys website. I worked for that rate. As of Friday afternoon, more than 24,800 people had signed a petition asking President Barack Obama to restore the Navys rating system. As is customary, if signatures reach 100,000 within 30 days, the White House will issue an official response. The Navy, on its official Facebook account, asked people to post questions about the changes. The ears of Navy Secretary Ray Mabus and Adm. John Richardson, the chief of naval operations, may be stinging a bit. (From Facebook) On the other hand, change usually sparks criticism and this isnt the first time Navy job titles have gone under the knife. The sea service has been whittling down its tally for years. During a visit to San Diego in February, the now-former master chief petty officer of the Navy said the sea service had 400 rates following World War II. Those were merged down to 100, then todays 91. Also, the Marine Corps describes its jobs by military occupational specialty, or MOS, codes without complaint. For instance, if you ask a Marine grunt, a rifleman, what his job is, the answer will likely be 0311. Its unclear to what degree traditional Navy titles will stay around in some fashion. For instance, in a Defense Department news story released Friday, a sailor was described as Petty Officer 2nd Class Joshua Blanchard, a hospital corpsman. Notably, the Navy didnt do away with man in its titles despite an ongoing push by the Navy secretary toward gender neutrality. The first three ranks of enlisted sailors will be referred to as seaman. RELATED A new Marine Corps commercial may mean a replacement for iconic slogan, 'The Few. The Proud. The Marines.' jen.steele@sduniontribune.com Facebook: U-T Military Twitter: @jensteeley Theres a new Navy mayor in town and his name is Yancy B. Lurch Lindsey. In a change of command ceremony Friday afternoon aboard the USS Midway Museum in downtown San Diego, Lindsey took charge of Navy Region Southwest. Headquartered near the Broadway Pier, the command that runs through California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Colorado and New Mexico handles housing, security, port services and medical care for retirees, 83,000 active-duty sailors and their families. Advertisement Its commander is informally called the Navy mayor. An Arizona native, Lindsey replaces fellow Rear Adm. Markham K. Trash Rich, who is retiring after 33 years of service. Both career aviators, Lindsey previously succeeded Rich as commandant of Washingtons sprawling Naval District in mid-2015. Rich had led the district, known as the Quarterdeck of the Navy, since 2013. Considered a vast command within the military stretching across 4,000 square miles of the nations capital, Maryland and Virginia the district is nevertheless tiny compared to the territory covered by Navy Region Southwest. And another thing that sets us apart here [in the Southwest] is the operational aspect, Lindsey, 54, said in an interview following Fridays change of command. The units here go on operations and its not as ceremonial. Once a Puckered Penguin who flew LC-130 Hercules aircraft for Antarctic Development Squadron VXE-6, Lindsey oversaw Coronado Naval Base from 2009 to 2012. He got his Lurch pilots nickname because of his deep, booming voice. At Navy Region Southwest, much will be demanded, and more to be asked, Lindsey said during his brief speech aboard the retired aircraft carrier. While giving the keynote address Friday, Adm. Scott H. Swift, commander of all Navy forces in the Pacific region, praised the quiet warrior Rich as a compassionate, selfless and gifted leader who always placed himself last and the nations missions and his sailors first. Rich, 56, former commander of the Fighting Swordsmen of Strike Fighter Squadron VFA-32, told the audience of sailors and local dignitaries that it has been an absolute privilege to represent the Navy to this great community of San Diego. cprine@sduniontribune.com (619) 293-1371 RELATED A man was killed in a shooting in Otay Mesa early Saturday, San Diego police said. Someone called 911 at 3:55 a.m. reporting a man was injured in the street, on Picador Boulevard near Caminito Quixote, police said. Officers found the victim unconscious and he died at the scene. Police said he appeared to have a gunshot wound to his upper body. Advertisement Authorities were waiting to release the name of the victim, a 48-year-old who is believed to have lived in Imperial Beach. Police were not provided any suspect description. Residents reported hearing gunshots in the area and the sound of a vehicle speeding off, authorities said. Anyone with information can call San Diego police or leave an anonymous tip with Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477. kristina.davis@sduniontribune.com Twitter: @kristinadavis Slow it down. Police havent always been trained to think that way. Theyre supposed to take immediate control of a situation, resolve the problem and move on to the next call. There are always more calls. But the recent spate of fatal police shootings of unarmed black men including Tuesdays killing of Alfred Olango by El Cajon police is fueling a movement by agencies across the country to expand the training officers get in de-escalation techniques. Through role-playing with real-life scenarios, they are taught better communication skills aimed at helping them defuse situations that might otherwise turn violent. Advertisement Its the direction law enforcement needs to go, said former San Diego Police Chief Bill Lansdowne. We need to spend more time on when to shoot as opposed to just how to shoot. Although de-escalation has been a part of recruit training for years, its generally been just a small part. A survey last year of almost 300 law enforcement agencies by the Police Executive Research Forum, a non-profit best practices organization based in Washington, D.C., found that recruits on average receive 58 hours of training on firearms, 49 hours on defensive tactics and just eight hours on de-escalation. In-service training for veteran officers also gives little attention to it, according to the survey. The issue is drawing renewed interest after a summer marked by fatal police shootings and riots in Milwaukee, Wis., Tulsa, Okla., and Charlotte, N.C. Two weeks ago, police officials in Chicago, beset by use-of-force controversies, began sending all 12,500 of their sworn officers through mandatory, two-day de-escalation training. That follows similar efforts in Seattle, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles. Its not publicly known what kind of de-escalation training officers receive in El Cajon, which has had six other officer-involved shootings in the past five years, two of them fatal, both white women. Department officials did not respond to a request seeking information about training. Not much is known at this point either about everything that led up to the fatal encounter between Olango, 38, and two officers, Ricardo Gonsalves and Josh McDaniel, both 21-year department veterans. Police were responding to reports of a man walking in and out of traffic and acting erratically when they found him in a parking lot behind a downtown restaurant. They said he ignored their commands, pulled something out of his pants pocket and took a shooters stance in the direction of one of the officers. Gonsalves shot him with a gun, and McDaniel fired a Taser. The device in Olangos hands was an electronic cigarette. A witness took a cellphone video of the shooting and turned it over to police, who made it public on Friday along with surveillance video from a nearby business. The release of the videos came after three nights of what officials described as increasingly violent street protests. El Cajon Police Chief Jeff Davis said even though the investigation is continuing, the videos were released in the interest of transparency and to correct ongoing misinformation being circulated in the community about what happened. In the footage, Gonsalves approaches Olango, who walks away. They maneuver back and forth. Then McDaniel comes in from the side. The whole encounter on camera lasts less than a minute. New guidelines De-escalation techniques can be especially useful while dealing with people who are mentally ill or emotionally disturbed, according to experts. In Olangos case, family members and friends said after the shooting that he was upset by the recent death of a close friend. His mother said he was having a mental breakdown. The incident started Tuesday afternoon when Olangos sister and members of the public called police, with the sister saying her brother wasnt acting like himself. Dispatchers sent the call out as a 5150, someone who may be mentally ill. In a video posted on Facebook after the shooting, the sister wailed at police: I called for help. I didnt call you to kill him. About 25 percent of fatal police shootings in the country involve people with mental health issues, according to data collected by the Washington Post 172 of the 716 shootings so far this year. A 2013 study by the Treatment Advocacy Center and the National Sheriffs Association said the figure is closer to 50 percent. As the Police Executive Research Forum survey found, police in general get little training on how to interact with the mentally ill. That can be a problem, according to experts, because an ongoing shortage of mental-health treatment services leaves people to call 911 for help in a crisis. The first ones there are usually officers carrying guns. We really have to take a second look at the training we are doing in this country, said Chuck Wexler, the research forums executive director. Its not kept up with todays demands. His group issued a report in March called Guiding Principles on Use of Force that highlights 30 recommendations for improving policies, training, tactics and equipment. Several pertain to de-escalation, including one that says it should be a core theme of an agencys training. During a difficult situation, communications between officers and the person they are encountering should begin at a low level, according to the guidelines, with police talking calmly in a normal tone of voice and asking questions instead of shouting orders. When possible, they should use distance and cover to slow the situation down and provide time to communicate and develop options. Officers should not unnecessarily escalate a situation themselves, the guidelines say. Lansdowne, who along with hundreds of other police personnel from around the country participated in conferences that helped shape the guidelines, said he thinks theyre the right approach, especially when it comes to dealing with people who are mentally or emotionally disturbed. They often dont respond well to commands and orders, he said. Youve got to back off and calm it down. In San Diego County, mental-health related calls to law enforcement have been skyrocketing, even as overall crime has dropped. Since 2009, those calls went up 84 percent in the county, while the population increased just 5 percent. On difficult calls, local police agencies can call in Psychiatric Emergency Response Teams, which pair an officer with a mental health clinician. About three dozen teams are spread around the county. Among other information, clinicians have access to electronic medical records, which can provide crucial background on the person they are dealing with. Often by talking to someone, were able to have them de-escalate and we find some common ground, said Dr. Mark Marvin, director of the program. The research forum guidelines say teams like that, patterned after the Crisis Intervention Team model started in Memphis in the late 1980s, have proven especially effective in defusing potentially deadly encounters. On Tuesday, the team assigned to El Cajon was busy elsewhere when the call came in about Olango and wasnt able to reach the scene before the shooting. Police pushback The push toward more de-escalation training has drawn backlash from police unions and rank-and-file officers, some of whom dismiss the emphasis on better communication strategies as hug a thug. Harvey Hedden, executive director of the International Law Enforcement Educators and Trainers Association, told The New York Times, The concern we have is that hesitation might end up having an officer getting killed or assaulted. When the research forum was holding conferences on the use of force, Robert Lehner, the soon-to-retire chief in Elk Grove, talked about an incident that happened in Eugene, Ore., where he used to work. The departments lead trainer in crisis intervention approached a mentally ill woman during a traffic stop. She shot and killed him. If anyone would have had the training to defuse that, Lehner said, he did. The guidelines acknowledge those concerns. There will always be situations where police officers will need to use force, including deadly force, to protect the public or themselves. Nothing in these Guiding Principles should be interpreted as suggesting that police officers should hesitate to use force that is necessary to mitigate a threat to the safety of themselves or others. Lansdowne said hes heard resistance from the old cadre that doesnt want to change. But its time, said the retired chief. We get it. Law enforcement is resilient, innovative and very much wants to do the right thing. At the news conference Friday releasing the videos of the shooting, Chief Davis said his department will evaluate what happened, as it does after any tragedy involving one of its officers, to see what if anything they might do better next time. Its all part of the growth process, he said. Staff writer Pauline Repard contributed to this report. Stuck in what has been called an invisible achievement gap, Californias foster youth finally have a place in school, district and state report cards. For the first time, the state has issued standardized test scores for foster youth, shining a light on the academic needs of some of the most disadvantaged students in public schools. Released in September, results from the 2014-15 administration of the states new Smarter Balanced tests confirm what experts and advocates have known for years: foster youth lag far behind their peers academically. Advertisement In the first official administration of Californias tougher new Smarter Balanced tests, 26 percent of foster youth in San Diego County met or exceeded English language arts standards, far below the 51 percent of non-foster youth. In math, 18 percent of foster youth hit that mark, compared to 40 percent of the non-foster youth population. The countys foster youth out-performed their counterparts in the state, where 18.8 percent met English language arts standards (compared to 44.2 percent of non-foster youth) and 11.8 percent met math goals (compared to 33.8 percent of non-foster youth). The data really showed what we have known for a very, very long time, that this is an incredibly underachieving group of kids, said Michelle Lustig, who oversees foster youth programs for the San Diego County Office of Education. They have underachievement due to a lot of different factors due to abuse and neglect and trauma sustained due to instability. Countywide, there is a wide disparity in the academic performance of foster youth, according to a an analysis by the Union-Tribune. In Santee, the countys top performer for foster students, 50 percent of foster youth met state standards in English language arts, and 35 percent hit those marks in math. San Marcos Unified School District nearly hit that mark in English with 47 percent of foster students meeting or exceeding standards, and 35 percent accomplishing that in math. Cathy Pierce, superintendent of the Santee School District, attributed the results to efforts to establish a personalized learning environment for all students. That means tailoring education plans to meet student needs, an especially important factor for foster youth. Still, she said the districts has more work to accomplish for students. Our focus on creating a personalized learning environment for every child, engaging students in complex tasks, and providing an iPad for every student to use 24/7 has contributed to our students success, Pierce said. We are working towards unprecedented levels of learning for every child, including foster youth. In the Sweetwater Union High School District, which educate foster youth with the most severe emotional troubles, only 14 percent met English language arts standards, and 11 percent reached that level in math. In the Poway Unified School District, 31 percent of foster youth met or exceeded English standards, and 15 percent did in math. Thats in contrast to 75 percent of non-foster students who met or surpassed state standards in English language arts, and 65 percent who hit that mark in math. The state is expected to release the 2015-16 test scores for foster youth in the coming months. Also to be released will be suspension and expulsion rates, graduation rates and student mobility . State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson said the release of test scores for Californias 70,000 foster youth in the states public schools is part of a coordinated effort to assist these vulnerable and academically at-risk students. In San Diego County during the 2014-15 school year there were 3,177 K-12 students in foster care. Californias Local Control Funding Formula, passed in 2013, increased funding for high-needs students, including foster youth, English learners, and economically disadvantaged students. The law requires the state to collect detailed information about educational results for foster youth annually. We know that foster youth face unique challenges, Torlakson said when releasing the data. The California Department of Education is leading new efforts to help improve outcomes for foster youth, but California can and should do more to help these young people succeed on their way to 21st century careers and college. The states new education plans also allow school districts to find out exactly which students are in foster care, with the goal of providing them a better education. Michelle Francois Traiman , director of the National Center for Youth Laws Foster Youth Education Initiative, said California is the first state to report test scores for foster youth. Now that that school districts have this information, what do they do with it? Part of the work we have ahead is to engage with district leaders and make sure they consider the needs of foster youth, she said. These students are in these situations through no fault of their own. Foster youth are deserving of the very same thing that their peers are. The state is working with two counties Orange and Shasta to develop model teams of educators to expand foster student services, oversee case management, and monitor student progress. School districts are required to identify how they will use state funds to better serve foster youth in their Local Control and Accountability Plans, which shape their budgets. County offices of education in Shasta County and Orange County are leading efforts to help foster youth, and will share the information with the states other 56 counties. County offices of education will help coordinate efforts to help districts serve foster youth, collaborating with the courts and social workers. maureen.magee@sduniontribune.com San Diego activist investor Ralph Whitworth, who helped turn around troubled companies ranging from Waste Management to Home Depot to Hewlett Packard, died Thursday at a local hospital of complications from cancer. He was 60. The co-founder of Relational Investors, Whitworth targeted firms with poor corporate governance and other problems that resulted in a discounted stock price. He then bought a stake in those firms and then agitated for change. At its peak, Relational Investors managed $6 billion in assets from pension funds and other institutional investors. The firm closed last year. Advertisement A lawyer, music lover and car buff, Whitworth recently turned his energy to finding a cure for cancer. Whitworth and his second wife, Fernanda, worked with UC San Diego to build a rare cell-processing laboratory, laying the foundation for a center of excellence at UCSD for immunotherapy. In 2015, they created the nonprofit Immunotherapy Foundation to fund cancer research at UCSD and the La Jolla Institute for Allergy & Immunology. Whitworth would meet with researchers every couple of weeks to ask questions about their progress, said Stephen Schoenberger, an immunology professor at the La Jolla Institute. I did more in two years than I think reasonably could have been done in 10 years in the normal grant application system, said Schoenberger. Almost from the very first meeting, I was really struck by his focus and enthusiasm. Though Relational Investors made him wealthy, Whitworth maintained ties to his rural hometown of Winnemucca, Nevada, where he absorbed the determination of his stepfather, a mining engineer and geologist who roamed the Southwest in search of a fortune that eluded him. We took a trip over the summer and visited his childhood homes, said Joshua Moss, an investment adviser and family friend. We are talking about 600-square-foot homes in the middle of nowhere. We went into some of the mines that he had actually dug when he was 16 years old. On those long drives from Rancho Santa Fe to Nevada, Whitworth would talk in detail about subjects ranging from the Beatles to geology, said Moss. Whats unique about Ralph is he had a professional side, but outside of that there was not a subject that he couldnt talk really intelligently about, said Moss. Whitworth graduated from the University of Nevada, Reno in 1982 and began working for U.S. Sen. Paul Laxalt, R-Nevada, in Washington, D.C. He was active in the 1984 re-election campaign of Ronald Reagan while earning his law degree from Georgetown University. Whitworth then joined corporate raider T. Boone Pickens at Mesa Petroleum, where he ran a group that promoted shareholder rights. He became an expert, petitioning the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in 1992 to overhaul executive compensation disclosure rules. In 2013, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Corporate Governance Network. Ralph was governed by a really strong moral compass, and hes a gifted debater and speaker as well, said Moss. When you have those things together, you drive results. In 1996, he and fellow Pickens alum David Batchelder founded Relational Investors, which identified companies that werent working for shareholders and tried to fix them. The firm received an initial $200 million from the California Public Employees Retirement System. Were thought of as the quiet activist, although some of our projects have become contentious, said Whitworth in a 2013 interview with the Union-Tribune. Weve found that it is more effective if we can convince the management of our case. Then they can go do the work and get the credit. Over the years, Relational Investors bought stakes in some of the best-known names in corporate America, including IBM, Sprint Nextel, Mattel and J.C Penney. Whitworth sat on the boards of 11 public companies and served as chairman of three Waste Management, Apria Healthcare and Hewlett Packard. Relational Investors success made Whitworth wealthy. He hired ex-Beatle Paul McCartney to perform at the birthday party of his first wife, paying $1 million to a charity that McCartney chose. Later, he paid to have the Rolling Stones perform a private show at the Belly Up in Solana Beach for his second wifes birthday party. Yet he maintained friendships with people from all walks of life. He worked with the Boy Scouts in Rancho Santa Fe and was active in the community. His level of commitment to his children and anyone in the community who had a child that needed some help or guidance, he was the guy to do it, said Moss. Whitworths love of cars led to a long-time friendship with auto racer Don The Snake Prudhomme, who has a car racing operation in Vista. I just barely got out of high school, but we were still on the same level in getting in these conversations, said Prudhomme. I have been with him driving to some hot rod shop. Hes talking to Meg Whitman on the cell phone, and he couldnt wait to get off the phone so we could go look at wheels for a hot rod. A couple of weeks ago, Prudhomme told an ailing Whitworth that he probably would not attend Nitro Night, a hot rod event in Escondido held Friday. Ralph says to me, You better go, said Prudhomme in an interview. These guys are your fans. Paul McCartney goes on tour and makes millions of dollars, but when hes in Liverpool he plays for free. So Ralph passed away yesterday. The car is in the trailer. I am going there tonight, said Prudhomme. Whitworth is survived by his wife, Fernanda, as well as children Douglass, 9, and Ava, 7. He also is survived by Amaya, 20, and Walker, 18 children from his first marriage; sisters April Whitworth, JoAnn Cook, Diana Whitworth and Susan Whitworth; and four nieces. In lieu of flowers, the family asks for an honorary gift to Immunotherapy Foundation, www.theimmunotherapyfoundation.org. mike.freeman@sduniontribune.com; Twitter:@TechDiego 760-529-4973 The internet may never be the same after Sept. 30. Big changes are coming that threaten its security, stability and openness. The United States has always controlled how the internet functions but, under a plan backed by President Barack Obama, next month it will abdicate control to a multi-stakeholder international governing body. Its a big deal, but its complicated. Advertisement Let me explain: To reach a website or person on the internet, you must give your computer a destination usually entered as a name or number. That destination has to be unique so computers know where to find each other. Humans prefer to find web and email addresses by name, such as google.com. But computers know each other by numbers, or Internet Protocol (IP) addresses. The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) acts as the phone book of the internet by assigning and matching domain names with IP addresses. ICANN makes all sorts of policies that affect how the internet works and how related problems get resolved. Without their coordination we wouldnt have one global internet. Although the Los Angeles-based nonprofit organization typically does what it wants, ICANN ultimately answers to the U.S. government. Thats because the government essentially invented the internet and thus got to decide who manages it. U.S. officials have always kept an eye on ICANN and let it know when its policies were astray. But soon America will relinquish exclusive control and begin sharing ICANN oversight with foreign governments, tech companies and advocacy organizations. Why give away control of ICANN and, with it, significant parts of the internet? If it aint broke, dont fix it, argue critics of the handover. Indeed, The global community has shown little ability to reach consensus positions on internet issues, warns Richard Chapo, a San Diego-based lawyer specializing in internet law. Moreover, many do not share Americas laissez faire regulatory approach that has allowed the internet to flourish. Unfortunately, America doesnt have much choice. Our government has promised since 1998 to share internet oversight with the world, but progress keeps getting delayed. Theres a risk that if the U.S. doesnt follow through, the United Nations may seize control and enact extreme changes to the internet. Or other countries and continents could form their own insulated internets, like North Korea already does, rather than participate in the global, interconnected internet we have today. That would be a major loss for everyone, including Americans. America may have pioneered the internet, but its no longer the center of the virtual universe. Countries such as China and India have many more internet users, and they want a say in how the internet functions. If the net is truly the worlds communication tool, then no one owns it, and everyone should have a role in its governance. The U.S. governments willingness to allow the internet to be a more truly global asset will improve the stature as a global citizen, says Greg Shatan, a partner at New York City law firm McCarter & English whos assisting ICANN with its transition. Such goodwill is necessary because the United States is no longer trusted after the Edward Snowden scandal, which Shatan says tarnished the image of the U.S. as the steward for the global internet. In short, having global oversight is a matter of fairness. But it lacks a good plan. There is currently nothing prohibiting ICANN, post-transition, from eliminating or transferring what are essentially the Web addresses for U.S. government and military websites. A company owned by or located in Russia or China could end up managing whitehouse.gov, fbi.gov or army.mil. Losing control of these web domains would put our nations security at risk. Another concern is transparency. Publicly available databases, which show who owns what domain name and how to contact them, could disappear. Companies and law enforcement rely on these to resolve infringement and cybersecurity issues, and eliminating access would have a severe effect on businesses ability to protect themselves. The plan also lacks adequate accountability measures to ensure that ICANN doesnt suffer the systematic corruption that has plagued other international governing bodies, such as FIFA. And there are many other uncertainties surrounding the handover. The information superhighway is too important of a resource for America to hastily hand off the keys to a new driver simply to meet an arbitrary bureaucratic deadline. Obama should put the brakes on this dangerous giveaway. Lets road test the transition plan first. America can maintain ownership for another year but, as a show of good faith, give the international community an equal say in the internet. Once the plans kinks are worked out and the new stakeholders demonstrate theyre ready to govern ICANN, well hand over the pink slip. The worlds been waiting 18 years whats one more year? If we dont do the transition now, the world is not going to end. But if we do, the internet as we know it might. Grabowski is an internet law professor at Adelphi University in New York. He wrote this for InsideSources.com. Twitter: @ProfGrabowski Thank you for an editorial (Trump lost debate, but will it matter? Sept. 27) that tells it like it is. Unfortunately, you will have readers berate you for what they see as your turn to the left. Letters and commentary policy The U-T welcomes and encourages community dialogue on important public matters. Please visit this page for more details on our letters and commentaries policy. E-mail letters@sduniontribune.com Mail: Andrew Kleske, Reader Outreach Editor San Diego Union-Tribune P.O. Box 120191 San Diego, CA 92112-0191. You can also leave a comment below Advertisement I have discovered, through the course of this election, that there are two kinds of Republicans those principled Republicans who value the countrys well-being first and those who think that they must support their partys candidate, despite that fact that he is dangerous and lacks Republican principles. Actually, it would appear he has no principles at all. Donald Trump has disqualified himself in many ways but beyond redemption when he denigrated John McCain as not being a true hero as if Mr. Trump has any idea of what that means. Kudos to those true principled Republicans who will not endorse or vote for Mr. Trump. Lee Galloway North Park * * * I for one was not impressed by the Trump-Clinton debate. Clinton came on stage with the self-congratulatory pride of having a well-prepared, Oxford University debate speech. Her details for change were not detailed at all. It came off as the same political generalities we hear from any well-honed, practiced politician. But the responsibility of the presidency is not about personality. Its about rescuing our country from its financial abyss. Diane Valdez San Diego * * * The first presidential debate was a real eye-opener for me. As far as Im concerned, Trump blew it with just four words. During the debate, Trump repeatedly condemned our NATO allies for not paying their fair share in that organizations peace-keeping attempts. He further condemned many of our allies for allowing us to pay the lions share of the cost of their own defense. Do you remember how disgusted the American public was when they found out that Mitt Romney was in a lower tax bracket than his secretary? During the debate, Clinton suggested that perhaps one of the reasons Trump hasnt made his tax returns available was that he pays no taxes. Trumps reply, That makes me smart. By logical extension, arent our treaty partners also smart for finding ways to make us foot the lions share of peace-keeping? I suggest Mr. Trump starts helping to pay for the running of our government before he accuses others of taking advantage it. John Sharkey Linda Vista * * * The editorial board at the U-T certainly has the right to an opinion. But using pejorative language and putting words in the mouths of your opposition is bush-league journalism. You said Donald Trump depicted our NATO allies as parasites. That is your slanderous description, not his. You suggest it would be easy to envision Trump as a wrecking ball in the White House. A vivid imagination is not necessarily informative and has no basis in fact. In a court of law, that is called conjecture. Arguing over support for the Iraq War is pointless, since Sen. Clinton voted for it and Trump was simply a celebrity developer at the time, it seems more pertinent to challenge her inconsistency than his. Rick Elkin Escondido * * * Well, those of us who went to school, got an education, go to work every day to earn an honest living, dont resent paying our fair share of taxes and may even consider ourselves smart, learned from Donald Trumps debate remarks that were really just a bunch of dumb suckers. Mort Tuchin Poway * * * During the presidential debate, Donald Trump chastised Clinton for publishing her plan for dealing with ISIS on her website. According to Mr. Trump, she was being foolhardy, laying out her plans for the enemy to see. That is why, in contrast, Mr. Trump is keeping his plan secret. It should be an obvious fact that the plans being referred to are the broad strategic policies and actions that Ms. Clinton would employ against ISIS, things the American public has the right and, in fact, the duty to consider in choosing our next leader. Mr. Trump is not the first candidate to try this ploy. In 1968, Richard Nixon ran for president with a similar secret plan to win the war in Vietnam. The American people naively accepted this. Sadly, there was no secret plan. Seven years and 25,000 American lives later, the war ended in American defeat. Jean Paul Olmsted Carlsbad * * * In the first Trump-Clinton debate, each candidate displayed the roots of their characters. Donald Trump was brash and to the point, and Hillary Clinton was condescending and arrogant. The main difference between them is that Trump is a very successful businessman and Hillary Clinton is a slick politician with a history of political corruption, abuse of power and extreme greed. In terms of their goals, Trump wants to save America and make it great again. Clinton expects a coronation as the first woman president and to rule as queen of America down the road to ruin. What was missing from the debate was the fact that Clinton and Obama are responsible for the proliferation of ISIS and Russian aggression, and that Bill Clinton is responsible for the 2008 housing and financial collapse. Daniel B. Jeffs Carlsbad * * * By now it should be clear to all concerned that television journalists do not possess the knowledge or skills required to moderate any serious debate, much less a debate between presidential nominees. These debates are important. Both candidates deserve the opportunity to make their positions known, without specious fact-checking or continual interruption. Most major universities field debating teams. These universities have senior staff members who have spent years teaching students to participate in and moderate debates. Im sure that many of these experienced academics would be delighted to make themselves available as moderators for the remaining debates. Or perhaps we should eliminate the moderator entirely, and let the candidates speak directly to one another. If Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas could do it, so can Hillary and Donald. Gail Graham Coronado * * * Huh? What debate were you watching? The one I watched had no clear winner or loser. Have you become so biased that cant evaluate clearly? I definitely prefer Trump over that empty red suit occupying the other dias. David R. Gillespie Bonita Want to see more letters that appear only online? Follow @UTLetters on Twitter and UTOpinion on Facebook. UPDATES: 3:42 p.m.: This article was updated with additional letters. Just when you thought everything about the first presidential debate that could be dissected had been. Turns out something was not working properly with Donald Trumps audio during Mondays debate between Trump, a Republican, and his Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton. The Commission on Presidential Debates announced the development without further elaboration on Friday. Just moments after walking off the debate stage at Hofstra University in New York, Trump offered reactions to his performance, the moderator NBC Nightly News anchor Lester Holt and his microphone. And they also had, gave me a defective mic. Did you notice that? My mic was defective within the room," Trump told reporters gathered after the debate. One journalist was able to share the candidates remarks on Twitter. https://twitter.com/Mosheh/status/780612017237417984 Trumps post-debate comments, and other subsequent remarks, about his microphone got some coverage in the news media. Even Clinton jumped in with her reaction to his comments. So now what will happen? https://twitter.com/ABCPolitics/status/780787081614426113 On Friday, the Commission on Presidential Debates the official organizers of presidential debates revealed that Trumps audio did have issues. In a one-line statement, it announced: Regarding the first debate, there were issues regarding Donald Trump's audio that affected the sound level in the debate hall. https://twitter.com/RunGomez/status/781962451453513728 Although the commission did not specifically address what those audio issues were or whether they were related to his microphone, the statement quickly caught peoples attention given that Trump had made his defective mic a central talking point on the media during the week. His focus on the microphone fueled theories about the debate, including one in which he insisted the debate was rigged. After the commission released its statement, plenty more people expressed a mix of emotions and reactions on the implications of the debates. https://twitter.com/michaelharrisdr/status/781931032815763456 https://twitter.com/AmericanBand911/status/781968369272717312 https://twitter.com/paul_schale/status/781920500117147648 https://twitter.com/JamesPMorrison/status/781932452906270720 https://twitter.com/ByronYork/status/781964093121040384 Based on some of those reactions, it seems the commissions response to Trumps audio issues was insufficient and a more detailed explanation may be coming at some point. Well update this post if and when the commission decides to elaborate on this issue. Upcoming debates Vice Presidential Debate: Tuesday, Oct. 4, from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. (Pacific Time). The debate takes place at Longwood University in Farmville, VA. CBS News anchor Elaine Quijano will be the moderator. Second Presidential Debate: Sunday, Oct. 9, from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. (Pacific Time). This debate takes place at the Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. ABC News anchor Martha Raddatz and CNN anchor Anderson Cooper are moderating. Third Presidential Debate: Wednesday, Oct. 19, from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. (Pacific Time). This debate takes place at the University of Las Vegas in Nevada. Fox News Sunday anchor Chris Wallace will be the moderator. Email: luis.gomez@sduniontribune.com Twitter: @RunGomez ALSO Donald Trump won Monday's debate, says the entire internet Trump alludes to 'transgressions of Bill' Clinton after debate Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton debate: who won? Three Linda Vista schools will launch STEAM magnet programs next year under an effort to boost enrollment among neighborhood students and meet growing demand for science and technology courses. Funded with a $10 million federal grant, the new magnets were announced as San Diego Unified opens a six-week window for its school choice applications from Oct. 3 through Nov. 14. Starting next fall, Carson and Linda Vista elementary schools and Montgomery Middle School will take on an academic focus promoting science, technology, engineering, art and math, STEAM subjects that are increasingly essential for college and careers. Advertisement The schools will also offer robotics, coding classes and creative maker spaces for engineering and design projects. Educators also envision corporate and community collaborations. Superintendent Cindy Marten said the San Diego Unified School District applied for the U.S. Department of Education grant with the intent of revitalizing the three Linda Vista campuses that feed into Kearny High School and its similarly themed academies. We were very strategic about this. This is not three random magnet schools, this is about creating a STEAM pathway all the way to high school, Marten said. We are committed to quality neighborhood schools. And we listened to our community, this is what families want. The Linda Vista schools have seen enrollment drop in recent years, with neighborhood students bypassing the convenience of their local campuses for charter schools and other far-flung options. Enrollment has dropped. A lot of it is perception. There was a perception that this was a tough school, said Julie Martel, who will help coordinate the campus transformation as San Diego Unifieds executive director of facilities, planning and design. At Carson Elementary, the percentage of neighborhood students attending a charter has increased from 3.5 percent in the 2011-12 school year to 11 percent in the 2015-16 year. Among students living in the Linda Vista Elementary attendance zone, about 10 percent of students attended a charter last year, up from 4.6 percent in the 2011-12 academic year. The former principal of Roosevelt Middle School in Balboa Park, Martel helped revitalize that campus and win back neighborhood students with an International Baccalaureate program that feeds into San Diego High Schools well-regarded IB program. On Monday the district will start accepting applications from parents who want their children to attend a school other than the neighborhood campus they are assigned to based on their address. Each year, the district fields thousands of school-choice applications that are granted in lotteries. Some families seek specialized schools that promote foreign-language instruction, the arts, science and technology, and other themes. Others want a seat in high-ranking schools outside their attendance boundaries. Of the 12,518 choice applications the district received last year, more than 70 percent of all students received a seat in the school listed as their first choice, officials said. With graduation rates rising, new technology in our classrooms and an expansion of arts and music programs across the district, this really is the perfect time for parents and students to explore San Diego Unified, Marten said. Any student in San Diego Unified is eligible to attend any campus subject to a menu of rules and enrollment programs. Applications received by Nov. 14 will receive priority. Charter schools set their own deadlines and application policies. Magnets draw students districtwide from geographical areas called clusters. Students applying to a magnet school in a region that has different demographics than their cluster would gain a higher priority for enrollment. Students also can participate in the districts Voluntary Enrollment Exchange Program, which allows students in designated neighborhoods to attend schools elsewhere. Special attendance patterns are established by pairing predominantly white schools with predominantly nonwhite campuses. Enrollment catalogs are expected to hit mailboxes next week. Electronic catalogs are available on the district website. Families can schedule personal consultations with an enrollment specialist by calling (619) 260-2410. We start by asking parents what kind of experience they want for their students, and then we try to match them with a school that meets their needs whether their child is a future artist, engineer or entrepreneur, said Marceline Marques, director of the Family Welcome and Enrollment Center. The district expects to send letters to families in late February if their students are accepted into their first-choice school. Those not accepted in their first choice will receive phone calls to discuss options, officials said. Maureen.magee@sduniontribune.com Twitter: MaureenMagee RELATED Google has now launched its own ride-sharing program, Waze Rider in San Francisco. The service is now going live to the public after series of tests for several months in a private Beta. Google Waze Rider though seems similar to the Uber App, it is a new arena in the on-going battle between the ride-hailing firm and the search giant. How's It Different? According to a report by The Wall Street Journal, the Ride Sharing app is now available for the users in San Francisco area. The Waze Rider, however, has certain differences from other such ride-sharing apps. For instance, the service currently is not for earning a profit. Google's App though offers cheaper travel rate for passengers, the pay for drivers is also quite low, only $0.54 per mile. Due to this low payment rate, the service slips under the regulations that other Apps are required to follow. The Car Pool Service aims to match riders to drivers headed in the same direction. The idea is to let drivers fill the cars' empty seats on their routine commutes. This would reduce the density of cars on road and for a heavily populated area like San Francisco, this could totally reduce the traffic. Currently, drivers and riders are allowed to use the app only twice a day in the initial Beta test, Yahoo News reports. To work with Google's Waze Rider, drivers are only required to submit certain details, including their home and work addresses as well as their general schedule. The App doesn't currently require driver's proof of insurance. Charges A trip in the Google Waze Rider costs the rider only $6.30 while the rival services cost about $30. Reports, however, indicate that there are still bugs in the app. The Waze Rider is not yet able to use the Waze App itself as a primary navigation method. The App is currently in its Beta Version, but so far it seems to be doing a great job in comparison to other services. The Prices will definitely rise in the coming few months, but there's hope the prices will still be lesser than Uber. You can download the app here. After Apple's exorbitant launch of iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, it's Google's turn to unveil its latest products and that's going to happen next week, at an event in San Francisco, on October 4, 2016. There have been speculations about what exactly is Google going to announce in the much awaited event. Based on the facts that have reached The Verge, there are going to be a lot of hardware related announcements. New phones, their release dates, specifications and pricing, news about Google's competitor for Amazon Echo and a new Chromecast are all expected. The thread to bind all this together will be Google's new assistant that has debuted with the Allo messaging app. Pixel and Pixel XL: What to expect from Google's event next Tuesdayhttps://t.co/AOmrlJl9jm pic.twitter.com/dpAs3U6bMY Android Central (@androidcentral) September 30, 2016 Pixel and Pixel XL Google is anticipated to call off the Nexus brand and launch two new phones Pixel(5 inches, 1080p) and Pixel XL(5.5 inches, quad HD display). Both phones are expected to be largely identical with 4GB Ram, 12-megapixel cameras, large batteries, fingerprint scanners and Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon 821 processor. It is rumored that both phones have a design very similar to that of an iPhone and have unibody aluminium designs. The phones will be manufactured by HTC but with Google's branding. The phones are also expected to release with Android 7.1 Nougat. News about the announcement of these new phones was first published by Android Police, earlier this month. Chromecast Ultra It is believed that Chromecast will also be getting an update in the upcoming event. Android Police reported that Chromecast Ultra, supporting 4K and HDR content will be announced and will be sold at $69. Though that price seems to be higher than the standard Chromecasts, the Ultra's high-end capabilities justify that. Andromeda This is the most surprising news that's flying around the corners ahead of the grand event. The search giant is expected to finally launch its Android-Chrome hybrid operating system named Andromeda. Not much details are available at the moment regarding what one can expect from Andromeda. Google WiFi A new wifi router is also anticipating its launch at the event to be held next week. The router is named Google WiFi and is expected to be priced at $130. It will include many of the smart features that were present in Google OnHub last year. It's technology is similar to that found in Eero. With so much to look forward to, the event is expected to be Google's big surprise reveal event. What is actually announced and what are just rumors is something to wait for. Amidst the controversies about herbal supplements, a large firm has agreed to conduct a test on its products to make sure they provide what the consumers expect. Herbal supplements have been among the topics of discussions when it comes to health. This is especially true these days when some brands have been controversial. NBTY, maker of popular supplements, has agreed to do an advanced genetic testing on its products with the aim of ensuring that they contain the ingredients indicated in the label. Among the affected products are Sundown Naturals and Nature's Bounty, and Solgar. NBTY makes ginseng and gingko biloba products. According to The New York Times, the agreement follows an investigation done last year, in which experts found that four out five products tested did not contain the herbs indicated on the labels. Instead, they contained cheap fillers like asparagus, powdered rice, houseplants, and soy and nuts in some cases. The last mentioned could cause danger to people who have food allergies. Moreover, this is the third agreement with a supplement maker that the office of the state attorney general negotiated. Such agreement aims to put pressure on the herbal supplement industry in order to adopt strict measures on quality control. Questions about the alleged widespread labelling fraud has prompted the attorney general's investigation. Caryle Group owns NBTY. The company has 22,000 products that include, herbal products, meal replacements, vitamins, fish oil, protein bars, and nutritional supplements. Meanwhile, Fox News reported about herbal supplement Kratom being banned by the federal government. The ban deems the product as dangerous as heroin despite the fact that some believe it has saved their lives. As people are becoming mindful of their health, numerous products have come out in the market. However, the aforementioned controversies are a clear indication that consumers should be careful when choosing a health product to use. Have you ever dreamt of living a life in Mars? If so, SpaceX is among the companies that are ready to realize your dream. On Tuesday, its CEO Elon Musk announced his plan to colonize the Red Planet within the next 40 to 100 years. Known to many, numerous people have also been dreaming of going to and living in Mars. According to The Verge, missions have been drawn out during the last 70 years. At present, SpaceX is in competition with NASA and Mars One. NASA aims to send astronauts to Mars some time in the 2030s while Mars One plans a one-way trip by 2026. Apparently, the planned missions to Mars will be expensive and massive. Experts need to consider and figure out a lot of things. Some of those are protection against radiation while traveling and the life-support system in Mars itself. How does SpaceX stand in the middle of competition? As of writing, many people think that NASA is the best bet because it has the greatest chance to provide the necessary things needed for the mission. Meanwhile, SpaceX likewise plans to send robotic landers to the Red Planet. According to Gizmodo, this short-term goal is doable. The Interplanetary Transport System Musk needs technical and financial support from the international community in order for it to materialize. Moreover, while many call Musk's ambition as crazy, it is important to take note that he does not aim to show the public that SpaceX alone can reach the goal. He aims to convince the world that what SpaceX is doing is worth it. Among the early planned missions to Mars was the Mars Direct proposal published in 1991. Engineers Robert Zubrin and David Baker believed it might be possible to land the mission in 1999. It did not happen, their proposal set the stage for Mars plans at present. FLORENCE, S.C.Southside Middle School is now in the company of elite schools around the world. Earlier this week, the school received the news that it had received AdvancED STEM certification. Kelvin Wymbs, Florence School District Ones director of secondary education, said the certification is a great distinction. There are only 51 schools in the world that have this, Wymbs said. They have a couple of schools in Puerto Rico, a couple of schools in Japan. It is really a lofty award. The application for certification is open to many schools but the evaluation process precludes many from receiving it. It is open to all schools that have STEM programs, Wymbs said. The evaluation process is quite rigorous with two trained AdvancED evaluators. They really go through a tough standard of essential questions that you have to make a certain score on to qualify for the award. They interviewed students and parents going through this process; that makes it quite different from other evaluations. Wymbs said that when Southside Principal Craig Washington approached district administration about applying for the certification, they were happy to give the go-ahead. Ive been very excited about the work of our teachers, administrators, students and parents, Wymbs said. Washington said his school was pleased to have received the prestigious certification. We are proud to achieve the status of an AdvancED STEM Certified School, Washington said. It demonstrates our commitment to continuous improvement in the area of teaching and learning. Washington said that their work in STEM, and in turn receiving the certification, shows that he and his staff are working hard to develop students with 21st-century skills. This certification exhibits Southside Middle Schools commitment to addressing workforce needs, Washington said. We will do this by preparing our students with the relevant skills and experiences to succeed and meet the rigorous standards of college and career readiness. STEM certification will continue to uphold our school to high standards while providing a clear roadmap for us to continuously improve our STEM disciplines and program. Several other schools in Florence One will be working toward this certification in the months to come. FLORENCE, S.C. In the past few weeks, the South Carolina Department of Education has released data from several standardized tests. Results show that students in the state, and in several districts in the Pee Dee Region, have improved in some areas while still needing improvement in others. SAT Statewide the number of students taking the SAT dropped by several thousand from 2015; those numbers follow a national trend, in which numbers dropped by several hundred. While mean composite scores fell nationally, scores in South Carolina rose. Public school students in the state saw an increase of 18 points taking the mean score up to 1446 out of a possible 1600. In Florence County, two districts had double-digit increases, while the three other districts had double-digit losses. Florence One and Florence Three had increases of 33 and 57, respectively, in the mean composite scores, taking the scores to 1378 and 1239. Florence Two lost 44 points, Florence Four lost 95 points and Florence Five lost 20. That brought their scores to 1279 in Florence Two, 1079 in Florence Four and 1440 in Florence Five. Darlington County School District scores remained almost even, with a one-point increase to 1477. No more than 46 percent of the graduating seniors in these districts took the SAT. IB Wilson High School in Florence One and Hartsville High School in the Darlington School District both offer an International Baccalaureate program. In 2016, Hartsville awarded 15 of the 17 IB diplomas attempted; Wilson awarded 23 of the 32 attempted. ACT In 2016 the number of students taking the ACT more than doubled, as it became a mandatory benchmark to gauge college and career readiness in South Carolina. Mean composite scores for all public school students dropped two points from the previous year to 18.2. In the Pee Dee, most districts had a similar drop. Darlington and Florence Three had the smallest drops, with .6 percent and .5 percent, respectively, to 17.9 and 16.3. Florence One and Florence Five also had nearly identical drops at 1.9 percent and 1.8 percent, correspondingly, taking them to 17.6 and 17.7. Florence Two and Florence Four saw the biggest drops at 3.5 and 2.5 points, leaving them at 14.9 and 14.1. ACT WORKKEYS The ACT WorkKeys test is a career-based test that determines whether students have learned the skills that are important for them to be successful in the workforce if they decide not to attend college. Nearly 87 percent of students in South Carolina who took all three WorkKeys tests received an ACT National Career Readiness Certificate. The three test areas are applied mathematics, locating information and reading for information. In the Pee Dee, most districts had decreases in the number of students receiving the career readiness certificate. Florence Three had the largest drop, going from 86.3 percent in 2015 to 73.8 percent in 2016. Florence Five was the only district to have any gains, going from 88.2 percent in 2015 to 91 percent in 2016. Florence Three Superintendent Lara Hickson said that while some of the districts score improved, the administration is looking for more improvements all around. We will continue to review all assessment data available to us to implement necessary changes for continuous improvement, Hickson said. We have seen improvement in some areas, but there are still areas of concerns. Our district instructional team is working closely with school administrative teams and teachers to determine the best strategies to address these challenges. Florence Two Superintendent Neal Vincent said that his district is proud of the work by individual students to improve their test scores. We are pleased with the ACT and ACT WorkKeys overall score increases for Florence Two students, Vincent said. We appreciate our students and teachers efforts. Florence Two will continue to encouragement, motivate, and provide educational opportunities for all students to meet the profile of the South Carolina graduate. Photo: Shown is an enlarged 3-D print of the jaw and tooth-like denticles of the ancient fish fossil. Credit: Stuart Hay, ANU A 400-million-year-old fish fossil from Australia may hold fresh clues about the evolution of teeth. Writing in the journal Biology Letters, a team of scientists from Australian National University (ANU) and Queensland Museum describe their work using micro-CT scanning and 3-D printing to create three-dimensional prints of the jaws of Buchanosteus, an armored fish in an extinct class called placoderms. RELATED: 8 Amazing Things You Didn't Know About Teeth Study co-author Yuzhi Hu, an ANU researcher, called the evolutionary origins of teeth a major and still open question. "We are researching this question using new evidence from an exceptionally preserved fossil fish," she said in a statement. In some countries, including the United States, being born within the territory of a sovereign state is enough to become a citizen. In other countries, citizenship can simply be purchased by those who have the spare cash lying around for another passport. And yet still others are increasing the barriers to citizenship, making it more difficult than ever for new arrivals to join. Earlier this summer, for example, Denmark introduced a new citizenship test on Danish history and culture so difficult that only a fraction of foreign nationals passed, and even many native Danes struggled with it. Denmark may have raised the bar to become a citizen, but it still isn't the most difficult country to naturalize, as the video above explains. RELATED: What Does Citizenship Even Mean? Take Switzerland, for example, a country with citizenship requirements that include at least a decade of residency and an expectation of integration confirmed only by what are generally considered intrusive measures to monitor how applicants interact with their communities. Requirements are so stringent that in 2014 Swiss authorities rejected the application of a 75-year-old man who spent four decades in country and even taught at a Swiss university. He didn't, however, know enough about the region's politics and geography to merit citizenship evidently. Neighboring Austria isn't much more welcoming to prospective arrivals. Even becoming a permanent resident, a stay of more than two years, requires an "integration agreement," which mandates language study as well as social, economic and cultural participation. To become a citizen requires an individual to live within Austria's borders for at least 15 consecutive years, assuming an applicant can prove full integration. If not, that number doubles. Dual citizenship is also frowned upon. RELATED: Which Countries Don't Allow Dual Citizenship? Moving outside of Europe, Japan has puts up some of the highest barriers for anyone looking to pursue citizenship. Although the five-year residency requirement isn't as bad as Switzerland or Austria, the road to citizenship in Japan is complicated by a mountain of paperwork, inspections by immigration officials and a requirement for approval by the Minister of Justice. So why would anyone want to subject themselves to such a difficult process in any of these countries in order to become a citizen? In each case, all three countries have a high standard of living and quality of life. Switzerland, for example, is the second happiest place on Earth, according to the latest World Happiness Report. Maybe if citizenship weren't quite so difficult to obtain in these countries, a lot more people would be lining up to join. -- Talal Al-Khatib Learn More: The New York Times: Denmark's Tougher Citizenship Test Stumps Even Its Natives Independent: Switzerland Denies Muslim Girls Citizenship After They Refuse To Swim With Boys At School The Japan Times: Many Angles To Acquiring Japanese Citizenship The US government is set to cut the final thread of its oversight of the internet, yielding a largely symbolic but nevertheless significant role over the online address system. Barring any last-minute glitches, the transition will occur at midnight Friday (0400 GMT Saturday), when the US contract expires for the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, which manages the internet's so-called "root zone." When the agreement with the US Commerce Department runs out, ICANN will become a self-regulating nonprofit international entity managing the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority, the system for online "domains" such as .com. RELATED: A World Government for the Internet? Not So Fast US and ICANN officials say the change is part of a longstanding plan to "privatize" those functions, but some critics complain about a "giveaway" that could threaten the internet's integrity. Christopher Mondini, ICANN's vice president for global business engagement, said the change will have no impact on day-to-day internet use, and will assure the global community that the system is free from government regulation and interference. "This is a new kind of governance model," he told AFP. The system will be managed through a "multi-stakeholder" model in which engineers, businesses, non-government groups and government bodies serve as checks against any single entity. If any of the groups that make up ICANN see the organization veering away from its mission, Mondini said, "they can initiate measures to self-correct." WATCH VIDEO: How Much of the Internet Is Hidden Press Release September 30, 2016 Legarda Pushes for Prepaid SIM Card Registration Senator Loren Legarda is calling for the urgent passage of a bill seeking for mandatory registration of all prepaid subscriber identity module (SIM) cards to avoid unregistered numbers to be utilized for malicious or any unlawful acts. "If we can make postpaid mobile subscribers submit identification, why can't we do the same for prepaid mobile phone users? With SIM cards registered, criminals and perpetrators who exploit the anonymity provided by prepaid SIM can be identified and tracked down easily," Legarda stressed. The Senator added that the registration of prepaid SIM cards will help minimize the opportunity for certain parties to execute terror threats, prank calls and text scams which are becoming more prevalent because of the ease and convenience of purchasing a prepaid or 'Pay As You Go' SIM card without having to present identification. Under Senate Bill No. 1160 authored by Legarda, the direct sellers of SIM cards shall require buyers to present valid identification with photo to ascertain the latter's identity. The end users are also required to accomplish and sign a control-numbered registration form used by the respective public telecommunications entity (PTE) of the SIM card being purchased. PTEs will collect accomplished registration forms from direct sellers and submit a copy to the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC). PTEs are instructed to submit an updated SIM card registration of their subscribers to NTC every six months. If the end user fails to comply with the requirements, they will be refused the sale of a SIM card by the direct seller. In case the person intending to purchase a SIM card is a minor, the parents or guardian will be required to give their express consent in writing, and submit the same with the registration form and valid identification cards with photo of both the minor and the parents or guardian. The direct seller can also make further inquiries or require the submission of additional identification if necessary, and withhold the sale of the SIM card pending compliance with the additional requirements. In case of loss or any change in the information after the acquisition of the SIM card, the subscriber must notify the PTEs within 30 days from such loss or change. The concerned PTE must notify the NTC of such loss or change in the information within 15 days from receipt of notification from the subscriber. All information in SIM card registration shall be treated as absolutely confidential. The news stories about the shooting death of Alfred Olango by El Cajon, CA police list the dead man's age as 38. That is an estimate. There was no birth certificate. Mr. Olango was born in Uganda and came to the U.S. as a refugee in 1991. The Uganda he grew up in was a nation ruled by a series of brutal leaders and clearly his experiences caused him to emigrate to the West.Refugees need a place to go, and as long as we address the issues of keeping our nation safe, as members of a global community we need to do our share. But that doesn't mean we should be forced to keep refugees who prove they are not fit to be members of our society. Mr. Olango was ordered to be deported twice. Both times his native Uganda failed to allow him to be repatriated to that nation.Why was he ordered deported? The first time he was convicted of transporting and selling narcotics. The second time came after he finished serving a prison term for a firearms violation. Both crimes serious enough to warrant deportation and a lifetime ban from reentering the U.S.The problem is that a U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) decision inprohibits the U.S. from detaining those ordered deported for more than six months without demonstrating that they can eventually be sent elsewhere; or a "special circumstance."So what do we do with people like Mr. Olango who have clearly demonstrated they do not belong in the U.S.? Even if we were to create a "stateless space" somewhere in the U.S. where such people could be sent and kept until another nation is willing to take them, SCOTUS would consider that detention. A prison, no matter how nice, is still a prison in the eyes of the law.What other nation, if not the original home of a refugee will accept someone being deported for criminal acts? What would be their motivation?It seems there is no good answer. And in the final analysis, the fact that this man was here even after twice being ordered deported is NOT relevant in the discussion of whether or not he should have been shot by police officers. Yes, I've buried the lead, but by design. I wanted to see if those who are as interested as I am in seeing that police officers are better trained to deescalate rather than reach for firearms will read past the arguments we will hear from anti-immigration proponents to get this far.No matter what the reason for Mr. Olango's continued presence in the U.S., even if he were found to actually be an EDP (a cop acronym for Emotionally Disturbed Person), doesn't justify shooting him UNLESS he presented an imminent threat to the lives of others. I don't know the specifics or how tough it is to distinguish an e-cigarette from a gun; but this requires investigation. Preferably an independent investigation not designed to protect cops. The cops might have been right to shoot. They may have been wrong. But only an independent investigation by an outside agency can guarantee an unbiased analysis. Atherton Police Chief Ed Flint is retiring after spending the last few months on medical leave, city officials said Friday. City Manager George Rodericks said the chief had been on medical leave since mid-April, when Acting Chief Joe Wade took the helm. Further details on the chiefs health were not disclosed. When Bonnie Weinstein Crowe dropped her son off at UC Berkeley to start his freshman year of college in August, she couldnt help but worry. A kid leaving the nest can be nerve-racking for any parent. For Weinstein Crowe, the typical worries were heightened: Her son is autistic. When my kid is comfortable, hes amazing. Hes extremely gifted academically, the Thousand Oaks (Ventura County) resident said. But when hes nervous and scared, and theres a million people, and he feels uncomfortable, feels anxiety he cant be himself. He cant do his thing. She had faith in UC Berkeley which touts itself as the birthplace of the disability rights movement in large part because of a campus program that helps students with physical, mental and developmental disabilities adjust to college and independent living. But on Sept. 1, shortly after her son settled on campus, the school informed students that the program would be discontinued in a month. It officially ends Monday, and on Friday staffers were cleaning out their desks and offices. Services offered through Workability IV, better known as WAIV, helped students with disabilities transition from home to life at college. It also taught students with disabilities how to secure services from the state, helping to make them less reliant on family. Students and parents say the program also helped students with disabilities learn how to advocate for themselves and master everyday skills: riding BART, doing laundry, talking with students and professors. They said program also helped them find tutors and study groups and offered support in times of emotional distress. Now, those services are gone, and dozens of students have lost what many felt was a critical support system. He wants to be a physicist. He deserves to be a physicist. Hes gifted and bright and he could change the world he really could, Weinstein Crowe said of her son. He just needs a little help. Michael Short UC Berkeley, which said it had 1,800 students with disabilities last school year, offers services through its Disabled Students Program, of which WAIV was a part. School officials blame the shutdown of WAIV on changes to contract terms triggered by a federal law, the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, that took effect over the summer. The California Department of Rehabilitation offers schools funding for WAIV programs, but in exchange the schools must provide a certain level of funding toward staffing the program. The new rules state that only staff interacting directly with students not administrators, equipment or program space can count toward the matching funds. UC Berkeley would have had to devote roughly $209,000 worth of staff time to be able to continue offering the program, according to the Department of Rehabilitation budget. In exchange, the university would have received $314,000 from the state. The new rules gave the campus little wiggle room and, rather than paying, it chose to close the program, according to university spokesman Roqua Montez. The closure comes as the school deals with a $150 million budget crisis. UC Berkeley is one of 12 universities in the state with WAIV programs but the only school to eliminate it due to the new rules. Montez said the university is looking for another way to provide assistance to students with disabilities. Two university administrators will meet with students next month to discuss a new model for services, he said. We agree that there are students with disabilities who need increased support to improve their chances for success at Cal, Montez said by email. Weinstein Crowe heard of the programs closure before her son did and had to tell him what shed learned over the phone. Are you sitting down? she asked him. Last week, he had an anxiety attack, she said. He has been struggling in one of his classes and the university was unable to help him find a tutor or study group. A WAIV staff member helped the young man through his anxiety attack, but on Friday, with the program closure, the staff member was out of a job, cleaning out his office. Weinstein Crowe isworried about who will help her son the next time. The end of WAIV comes as the university struggles to provide the most basic of disability services, campus activists say. Only six specialists in the Disabled Students Program and two administrators serve the hundreds of registered students with disabilities, according to Montez. Some students told The Chronicle of waiting weeks or months into the semester to receive their textbooks in an accessible format (for instance, braille or audio textbooks for students who are blind), having exams scheduled during other classes and struggling to communicate their accommodation needs to professors who arent trained in how to comply with disability access requirements. 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. Lisa Albertson, a student who receives accommodations because of an autoimmune condition, said she waited a year to get her note-taker request approved, ultimately filing a complaint with the Office of Civil Rights. Her incompletes and academic difficulties led to the loss of her financial aid, she said. Her experience battling the administration led her to co-found the activist group Berkeley Disabled Students, which has lobbied the campus for improved services. I ended up having to take out payday loans so that I could make it through my last semester, she said. In December 2015, the Faculty Coalition for Disability Rights, a small group of UC Berkeley professors, co-signed a letter to Chancellor Nicholas Dirks expressing concern over delays to accommodations, staffing vacancies and the possibility that the school was not in compliance with the terms of the settlement of a 2005 disability-related lawsuit. Dirks wrote a letter delegating the issues to a member of his administration 3 months later. Over the summer, he acknowledged in another letter that the schools approach to delivering services must change. Dirks has since announced his resignation amid criticism of his handling of campus sexual harassment cases and the school budget. Sarah Funes, a senior studying political science, said UC Berkeleys disability support services have fallen short of expectations in every way except for WAIV. She said it was the only campus disability program that ever worked for her, helping her to secure two internships at U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxers office. I never wouldve gotten that opportunity had I not had help with my resume and my cover letter through Workability IV, she said. Parents like Weinstein Crowe, who want those kinds of opportunities for their children, say they feel there is little recourse. I feel like he has to fail and then I can file a complaint. But I dont want that to happen, I dont want him to fail, she said. I just want somebody to be there for him I just want what was promised. Filipa Ioannou is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email fioannou@sfchronicle.com The previous Portals described how, on a sweltering Tuesday afternoon 50 years ago in Hunters Point, a white police officer shot and killed Matthew Johnson, an unarmed 16-year-old African American suspected of car theft who was running away and more than 80 yards distant. The shooting prompted unrest that spread not only through the neighborhood, but into areas of the city that were miles from the scene. As Walter Thompson writes in The Fire Last Time, an article about the Hunters Point uprising that appeared in the October issue of San Francisco Magazine, residents of the impoverished neighborhood said the shooting ignited long-smoldering grievances. I think it just took that one more incident to say wed had enough and would start acting crazy, Tyrone Primus, who was 16 at the time, told Thompson. I cant say how it exploded, but it just happened. After Johnsons body was removed, enraged groups of young men began moving down Third Street, throwing rocks and breaking the windows of businesses that werent owned by African Americans. Attempts to calm people failed Mayor Jack Shelley was shouted down when he went to a meeting hall that evening in the Bayview, and a police officer who had acccompanied him was hit in the face by a thrown brick. Police were soon issued protective headgear and batons and ordered to prevent looting and violence. According to the official police report on the disturbances, Shelley and Police Chief Thomas Cahill told officers to avoid unnecessary force in dealing with the protesters. The officers set up staging areas on Quint Street, just west of Third, and began clearing the streets. By 11 p.m., however, the unrest had spread to the Fillmore. At 11:39 p.m., Shelley called Gov. Edmund Pat Brown, who declared a state of emergency and called up 2,000 National Guardsmen. A curfew was instituted in Bayview-Hunters Point and the Fillmore. The Guardsmen were mustered at Kezar Stadium and Candlestick Park. The next morning, Sept. 28, a crowd gathered at Third and Mendell Street. Community leaders briefly managed to calm them, but things soon spiraled out of control. By 11 a.m. it was already 86 degrees it would hit 95 that day and the crowd had swelled to 200 people. Their fury heightened by liquor looted from a nearby store, groups of men hurled rocks and Molotov cocktails at passing cars. With the crowd now 700 strong, the outnumbered police called for help. Meanwhile, the disturbances spread to schools. At Mission High, large groups of students began to gather and fights broke out. By 12:20 p.m., riot conditions were reported on all floors at Mission High. At 1:18 p.m., there was a riot call at Horace Mann Junior High. At the same time, youths in the Haight began smashing windows and throwing objects at cars. Violence also broke out at Washington and Balboa high schools. The uprising reached its climax late Wednesday afternoon. In response to gunfire, hurled rocks and firebombs, a patrol force was dispatched into the Bayview, moving from building line to building line on Third Street to disperse the crowd. The officers were targeted by gunfire and firebombs from the Bayview Community Center at Third and Mendell, and from a nearby parked car. Hunters Point resident James Lockett, who took part in the uprising, told me that men on higher ground also fired at the patrols. The officers were ordered to return fire to protect themselves. First they fired two warning volleys into the air, then blasted away at the windows where the shots were coming from. The entire facade of the community center was riddled with bullets and every window was broken. Miraculously, no one was killed or seriously injured. Duke Downey / The Chronicle 1966 At 6:26 p.m., National Guardsmen with fixed bayonets began marching north on Third and the blocks to the east and west. They, too, came under gunfire. Checkpoints were set up and a curfew enforced, and only minor incidents reported that night. For four more days, violence and sporadic looting rocked the Bayview-Hunters Point, Haight, Fillmore, Oceanview and Mission neighborhoods, with isolated incidents in Bernal Heights and North Beach. Firefighters were attacked, cars tipped over and Molotov cocktails thrown into liquor stores. The police incident log includes such entries as, Juveniles with clubs 23rd and Fair Oaks, and 16-18 Negro male juveniles with hammers, 23rd and South Van Ness. But the worst was over. At 11 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 2, the state of emergency was lifted. The Hunters Point uprising did not result in the massive property damage and loss of life that characterized disturbances in places like Watts or Cleveland. Johnson was the only person who was killed. A total of 161 people were injured: 85 police and firefighters, five other city employees, two California Highway Patrol officers and 69 civilians. Property damage amounted to $135,887. Authorities arrested 457 people, 325 adults and 132 juveniles. Of the total, 129 were white. Tellingly, the arrest statistics reveal a wide disparity between the types of jobs held by whites and those held by blacks. Seventy-one of the blacks arrested were laborers, compared with 15 of arrested whites. One notable non-arrest: Alvin Johnson, the officer who shot Matthew Johnson. He was cleared of wrongdoing. The Hunters Point eruption shook San Francisco to its core, forcing it to reckon with an ugly racial reality it had tried to ignore. Blue-ribbon panels were appointed to look into the causes of the disturbance, jobs programs were created and federal money allocated. 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. But despite these efforts, the underlying problems remained lack of jobs, racism, inferior schools, broken families, gangs, substandard housing. Those problems were exacerbated when crack cocaine ravaged urban black communities in the 1980s. In the last few decades, many of the neighborhoods African Americans have left. Fifty years after the disturbances, Hunters Point stands on the verge of a transformation almost as radical as the one it experienced during World War II, when large numbers of blacks first moved there. The massive San Francisco Shipyard project is slated to create 12,000 new units of housing; another developer is planning to build 1,000 units at India Basin. How many black people will be living in the neighborhood 50 years from now is an open question. Gary Kamiya is the author of the best-selling book Cool Gray City of Love: 49 Views of San Francisco, awarded the 2013 Northern California Book Award in creative nonfiction. All the material in Portals of the Past is original for The San Francisco Chronicle. Email: metro@sfchronicle.com Trivia time The last trivia question: From 1860 to 1889, what occupied the land of what is now Dolores Park? Answer: Two Jewish cemeteries. This weeks trivia question: What kind of rock makes up Nob, Russian and Telegraph hills? Editors note Every corner in San Francisco has an astonishing story to tell. Gary Kamiyas Portals of the Past tells those lost stories, using a specific location to illuminate San Franciscos extraordinary history from the days when giant mammoths wandered through what is now North Beach to the Gold Rush delirium, the dot-com madness and beyond. His column appears every other Saturday, alternating with Peter Hartlaubs OurSF. Elizabeth Camacho, a public defender in San Francisco, put off applying for U.S. citizenship for years. But this election year, the task took on new urgency. In January, as she sat with a group of attorneys at a conference, the talk turned to presidential candidate Donald Trump and his accusation that Mexico was sending its worst people to the U.S. Camacho, 30, who came to California from Mexico as a child and was undocumented for years before gaining her green card as a permanent resident, was reminded of school bullies who called her a wetback and ridiculed her language skills. As her fellow attorneys discussed why the Latino community wasn't standing up to Trump, she had an epiphany: She would apply for her citizenship and vote against him. It was important for me to have a voice for all the people who cant organize or vote, said Camacho, who became a citizen in August. I felt that was my responsibility. Camacho was among 718,430 people who applied for citizenship from Oct. 1 to June 30, government records show a 25 percent increase from the same period a year earlier and the highest number for that time frame in an election year since 1996. While experts say the rise in applications cant be directly attributed to Trump, and that larger increases have been seen in non-election years as recent as 2007, immigrant advocates say theyve seen a wave of people motivated by the GOP candidate. For many Latino immigrants, voting against Trump is a way to fight back against his rhetoric he has said many of the unwanted people coming from Mexico are criminals and rapists as well as his proposals to build an impenetrable wall on the southern border and deport millions of people who are living in the U.S. without documentation. Only those who are permanent residents for a few years are eligible to apply for citizenship, and only citizens can vote. Marissa Montes, co-director of Loyola Law Schools Immigrant Justice Clinic, which holds workshops in Los Angeles to help people apply for citizenship, said she has seen a three- to fourfold increase in attendance this year. Its a similar story in the Bay Area, where the East Bay branch of Catholic Charities has welcomed nearly double the usual number of attendees at the five naturalization events it has held this year. Over and over, Montes said, she hears the same two explanations from those who attend: They want to vote against Trump, or they are worried they might face repercussions under a Trump presidency if they have a green card but not full citizenship. People tell us they are becoming U.S. citizens to protect themselves from anything happening, Montes said. They hear Trumps rhetoric and I think it really scared a lot of people. The only permanent way of never getting deported is if youre a U.S. citizen. In short, Montes said, Trump has mobilized the immigrant community. His statements and proposed policies have had an impact on all Latino voters. In a recent Wall Street Journal/NBC poll, 65 percent of likely Latino voters surveyed supported Hillary Clinton and 17 percent backed Trump. In the same poll, 80 percent of Latino voters said they had negative views of the Republican nominee. Yessica Toral-Vital, a 31-year-old Vallejo resident, falls into that category. The native of Mexico had wanted to apply for U.S. citizenship in the past but couldnt afford the application fees, which run up to almost $700. Then she heard Trumps comments about Mexican immigrants. Toral-Vital began putting aside money each month. She applied in the spring and gained her citizenship in July. I was horrified, terrified in every way. I thought I was going to get deported, he was going to split my family apart, she said. Now she plans to vote to show that we the people have the power, that Hispanics have a voice, and we are going to vote for people that take care of us. Immigration attorneys in the Bay Area recount similar experiences. Irma Perez, a lawyer in Hayward, said almost every one of her clients pushing for naturalization has cited voting against Trump as their inspiration for applying. Paul Chinn/The Chronicle Everyone I meet with asks: Whats going to happen if Trump wins the presidency? Perez said. Its a very valid fear that they have. While the pace of applications this year is notable, said Jens Manuel Krogstad, a writer on immigration and demographics at Pew Research Center, there is no empirical evidence that Trumps candidacy is behind it. Citizenship applications can rise and fall for many reasons that are political, financial or technical. Election years, he said, typically bump up applications. And while the numbers this year are high, they arent unprecedented. Significantly more applications were seen in past years, such as 2007 or 1997, when application fees were on the brink of increasing or new restrictive laws were about to come into place, according to an analysis by Krogstad. 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. There are also plenty of practical reasons for people to apply for citizenship, such as the ability to seek federal income aid, to travel freely and to petition for legal status for family members. Probably contributing to this years rise in naturalization applications is last years push by the Obama administration to get eligible permanent residents a group that was estimated by the government to include about 9 million people as of 2013 to apply. Nearly half of those people are from Latin America and almost a third are from Mexico, officials said. A side effect of the rise in applications has been an increase in petitions that are pending more than 500,000 as of July, according to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Officials said, however, that the high number of pending applications does not constitute a backlog, and that the agency is meeting its goal of processing requests within five to seven months. Political groups opposed to Trump are hoping to take advantage of the rush for citizenship. Latino Victory, an organization focused on building political power in the Latino community, hopes a new crop of voters will help Hillary Clinton win battleground states like Florida, where nearly 100,000 citizenship applications were submitted from Oct. 1 to June 30. We at Latino Victory are definitely reaching out to these folks, educating them and mobilizing them, said Cesar Blanco, interim director of the organization and a Texas state representative. Latino Victory does not help with naturalization applications, but tracks those who have become citizens so it can dedicate resources to them, making sure they register to vote and ultimately go to the polls. Carol Rivera, a 34-year-old Hayward resident who came to the U.S. from Mexico as a child and became a citizen last month, said she wont need to be pushed to vote. She said she applied for citizenship in the spring as Trump gained support and emerged as a strong presidential contender. These days, she said, the Trump phenomenon and his potential ascendency are the main conversation topics in her family. There are a lot of immigrants that have been here for years, she said. We are educated. We can contribute positively to society, rally people and make positive change, so being able to vote and have it actually count toward something is huge its a huge voice. I couldnt have had that had I not become a citizen. Hamed Aleaziz is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: haleaziz@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @haleaziz The U.S. Department of Transportation has recently issued regulations for two emerging technologies that have drawn intense interest and money from Silicon Valley: drones and self-driving cars. Thats normally a good thing for the industry: The sooner that federal agencies set rules and standards, the faster companies can bring these technologies to the market. But the feds appear more interested in getting autonomous vehicles onto roads as soon as possible, which is why companies including Ford and Volvo boldly predict that they will roll out self-driving cars in just five years. Uber and Google also are testing such vehicles. Such optimism is largely missing from the drone industry. Advocates have complained that the Federal Aviation Administration has been dragging its feet, a frustration that has prompted some companies to test drones overseas rather than in the United States. Why such mixed signals from Washington? After all, self-driving cars and drones both have the potential to transform transportation by getting people or products to destinations faster and more efficiently. However, analysts say that drones carry a more negative connotation with the public, while self-driving cars offer more obvious, immediate benefits. The vehicles meet a lot of the needs that people have now, said Rebecca Lindland, a senior analyst with Kelley Blue Book. Consumers seem more open to self-driving cars because they can help prevent dangerous, distracted driving and allow people to multitask while a computer operates the vehicles, she said. The first time many Americans heard about drones was when the U.S. military started to use Reaper and Predator unmanned aircraft to kill terrorists in Afghanistan and Pakistan, UPS Foundation president Eduardo Martinez told me during a drone demonstration in May. People also have come to fear that drones will violate their privacy by shooting video or snapping pictures from the air. So it makes sense for the government to go slow on green-lighting the technology. But drone advocates want the agency in charge of policing the drones to move faster. The FAA oversees manned aircraft, and keeping up with rapidly evolving technology from Silicon Valley doesnt necessarily mesh with the agencys conservative culture, said Tom McMahon, vice president of advocacy for the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International in Arlington, Va. Matt Rourke/Associated Press Even though Congress asked the FAA to write rules for drones in 2012, progress has been slow. Until recently, the FAA would approve commercial drone use only if operators held a pilots license. In June, the agency finally issued rules that allow people to operate drones if they can pass knowledge tests and a background check. However, people can fly drones only up to 400 feet, during the day, and away from people. Unsurprisingly, the U.S. is falling behind other countries in drone use. Poland is considered the best place to operate drones among the 15 countries where they are most common, according to a report by PricewaterhouseCoopers. The country already provides licenses for drones operated from a remote location, without requiring that the pilot be able to see the aircraft. In addition, Polands insurance carriers offer full liability coverage for drones and operators. The United States ranks 12th, ahead of only Japan, Russia and Argentina, in encouraging drone use. Advocates would like to fly higher, and out of sight despite the publics reservations. There is a feeling within the industry the FAA should be moving faster, McMahon said. Even the FAA would agree that they are behind, that they have a lot of catching up to do. The FAA could not be reached for comment Friday. As for self-driving cars, the Obama administration has aggressively moved to promote the technology. This year Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx requested from Congress $4 billion over 10 years to accelerate the development of autonomous vehicles. Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes And last month, Foxx issued the agencys first Federal Automated Vehicles Policy that sets clear expectations for developing and using automated vehicles. Fox argues that self-driving cars can go a long way toward reducing the number of roughly 30,000 people who die every year in the United States from car accidents. Automated vehicles have the potential to save thousands of lives, driving the single biggest leap in road safety that our country has ever taken, Foxx said in a statement. Lex Kerssemakers, the CEO of Volvo USA, told me last week that the autonomous vehicles policy and Foxxs statements of support are big reasons that he thinks the United States will be the global leader in self-driving cars. Autonomous vehicles are getting the space to develop in the United States, he said. Foxx is ahead of Europe. I havent seen similar movement from European regulators. And according to a recent survey by Kelley Blue Book, 63 percent of people say they would be willing to buy a car equipped with advanced autonomous technology within three years. The biggest thing we found when we looked at the data was how receptive people would be to the cars in such a short period of time, Lindland said. Thomas Lee is a San Francisco Chronicle columnist. Email: tlee@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ByTomLee After coffee but before leaving for school or work, women across America sit down at their computers for a daily ritual: scouring search results and websites for nude photos or sexually explicit videos that they never meant for the whole world to see. For victims of what has become known as revenge porn, the battle to regain control over their images and reputations is constant. Once images are published on the Internet, experts said Friday at a panel discussion in Washington, they become like wildfire: fast-spreading and hard to control. Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Hillsborough, introduced a bill this year that would make it a crime to maliciously share a private visual depiction of a persons intimate parts or a person engaging in sexually explicit conduct without that persons consent. Violators would face prison sentences of up to five years. Since Congress is unlikely to move forward on the Intimate Privacy Protection Act before the end of the year, Speier said Friday she will reintroduce the bill next year and hopes to garner extraordinary bipartisan support. I knew to get something done on this complicated issue, I needed to draft a bill that had teeth yet could withstand congressional scrutiny, said Speier, who hosted the session with the nonpartisan Information Technology & Innovation Fund. Today, with smartphones and endless social media platforms, there is no difference between online and offline life. It is all just life. Speiers bill treats revenge porn as an issue of privacy rather than online harassment, a distinction not always made in state legislation. Thirty-five states and the District of Columbia have laws against revenge porn, but theyre all different, and the acts they define and the punishments they seek to dole out vary. Federal legislation would attempt to fill in the gaps and cover women in states where there is no such law, Speier said. Banning revenge porn has been a thorny issue. A similar federal bill failed in 2013 because, some experts believe, it raised questions of individuals First Amendment rights. But Speiers bill, which took two years to devise, is narrowly tailored in hopes that it will avoid conflict with free-speech protections. And it may, according to constitutional scholar Erwin Chemerinsky, who has signaled his support. The First Amendment does not require us to stand idly by as real lives are destroyed by virtual actions, Speier said. This why we must do something now to address this issue. It is already out of hand, and it is time for Congress to act. On Friday, she was joined by supporters from a variety of backgrounds, including a lawyer who represents revenge-porn victims, a member of the Federal Trade Commission, a Facebook executive and the vice president of the National Organization for Women. Antigone Davis, Facebooks head of global safety policy, said the Menlo Park company has been dealing with revenge porn for years. Often, it is one of the first places where nude photos pop up for the purpose of humiliating the subject. Users can report offensive content, then employees review it and determine whether it should be removed. If a person indicates that the content is revenge porn, Davis said, the company takes it down right away while pending review. If people dont feel safe, they wont share, they wont post photos, they wont connect with their friends, she said. We want people to feel safe, and legislation like this will help people feel safe online. Twitter, which has also backed Speiers legislation, recently released tools designed to ease the process of reporting harassment and content that violates the companys rules. But teenagers today are less likely to post nude photos or sexually explicit videos on a social media page than they are to circulate the images themselves, peer to peer, said Internet privacy lawyer Carrie Goldberg. This can make it harder to track and address, she said, as you cant issue a takedown notice when its not actually posted on any website. There are lots of ways for revenge porn to spread, Goldberg said. It usually starts device to device over apps like WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger, and at some point, in some way, it ends up on Instagram. A state law last year banned certain types of revenge porn, but did not include selfies, which are popular with younger people. Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes Californias law covers only photos taken of a victim by someone else that is then shared without consent with the intent to cause serious emotional distress. Those images can include photos and videos surreptitiously taken and those recorded with consent at the time. Violating Californias revenge porn law could lead to a $1,000 fine and up to six months in jail. A harsher federal penalty might be a bigger deterrent, Speier said. Though that may not stop everyone such as those who run websites that rely on revenge porn Speier and others said Friday the vengeful ex-partners and individuals seeking to humiliate someone may think twice about what that may cost them. Were continuously talking about what victims should do, whether its a copyright or civil suit issue, but what we should be talking about is how we can deter the offenders, Goldberg said. Offenders are not afraid of being sued for a copyright infringement. Theyre not usually people who have money. Theyre often abusive exes who want to get back with the victim, even if that means theyre dating in courthouses. What those people are afraid of is going to jail and having something on their public record. Thats why we need to have a criminal law, because then victims wont have to think about what to do. Marissa Lang is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mlang@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Marissa_Jae What is the Intimate Privacy Protection Act? Legislation that would make distributing revenge porn a federal crime, punishable by up to five years in prison. What is revenge porn? The distribution of graphic photos or videos that depict a persons private parts and/or a person engaged in sexual acts without that person consenting to the images distribution. Isnt that already illegal? Somewhat. In the United States, 35 states and the District of Columbia already have revenge porn laws. But they differ in how they treat revenge porn and what consequences violators may face. Some laws address it as a harassment issue, others treat it as a privacy violation. There is no federal law against it. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate For the first time, automakers will be able to test autonomous cars with no steering wheels, brake pedals or human drivers on some public roads in California, under legislation signed Thursday by Gov. Jerry Brown. The law does not open Californias vast network of freeways, highways and streets to robot cars. Instead, it is tailored to allowing tests in two particular places both in the East Bay. AB1592 allows self-driving car tests on public roads in the former Concord Naval Weapons Station and Bishop Ranch business park in San Ramon. The old naval facility, which used to store munitions, has been converted by the county into a test bed for autonomous vehicles, dubbed GoMentum Station. The Contra Costa Transportation Authority recently acquired two self-driving shuttles made by French company EasyMile. The shuttles will first be tested at GoMentum Station, which the authority manages, before being sent to Bishop Ranch, a 585-acre business park along Bollinger Canyon Road that is home to offices for Pacific Gas and Electric Co. and AT&T as well as Chevrons global headquarters. The bill was written by Assemblywoman Susan Bonilla, D-Concord. She cast the rules as necessary to maintaining the Bay Areas role as a center for research into autonomous cars. California has always been a global leader in innovation, and as transportation technologies evolve, so must our laws and regulations, she said in a press release. With the passage of AB1592 our state will prove to the federal government and the rest of the nation that California remains the leader, and that the deployment of autonomous vehicles without the presence of a driver can be done safely and successfully. California currently requires that any autonomous cars tested on public roads have a human in the drivers seat as well as the equipment to ensure that the human can take control if needed. Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes The new law allows for very specific exceptions. For example, any company wishing to test cars without drivers or steering wheels on public roads within the designated areas must first prove to the county that the cars have successfully navigated similar roads on their own. The company must also give the county detailed plans for the test and obtain insurance worth $5 million. David R. Baker is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: dbaker@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @DavidBakerSF Paul Chinn/The Chronicle A 42-year-old man walking on northbound Highway 101 in San Jose was struck and killed by a car early Saturday, police said. The incident occurred at around 1:35 a.m. when the man, walking on the fifth lane of Highway 101 at Tully Road, was struck by a vehicle, said Officer Ross Lee, a spokesman with the California Highway Patrol. The driver stayed at the scene and cooperated with authorities, he said. Oakland school district officials who neglected to seek accreditation for a new high school scrambled to make up for the mistake this week, while acknowledging the lapse will make it harder for graduating seniors to apply to the University of California and California State University systems. The 75 seniors at Madison Park Academy on the southeast edge of the city found out Tuesday that their school does not have the proper accreditation from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, a certification that tells UC and CSU admissions officers that the schools courses are state-approved. That means the students must gain admission by exception or exam, district officials said. The admissions process wont rely on the courses taken by students or the grades they earned, but rather SAT or other test scores, or a demonstration of exceptional circumstances that merit admission despite the lack of traditional qualifications. The UC system does not place limits on the number of students admitted by exam, but caps those admitted by exception at 6 percent of newly enrolled freshmen. All other Oakland high schools are accredited, district officials said. But Madison Park, previously a K-8 school, only recently expanded to include high school grades, and this is the first graduating class. District administrators failed to apply for accreditation, said district spokesman John Sasaki. Due to the high school being new and turnover of district staff, the accreditation process dropped between the cracks, Sasaki said. Obviously this is not what we want to have our students dealing with. District officials met with students and parents Thursday night to try to allay fears, but frustration was apparent Friday as families struggled to understand what the mistake would mean. Senior Kaila Anderson, 16, said she plans to apply to several universities, including UC campuses, in her pursuit of a career as a nurse practitioner for victims of domestic violence. Were taking it one day at a time, she said. Were trying to persevere through all this madness. She worried that the burden of using an alternative application process would discourage some of her classmates from applying to a four-year college. The kids are really, really upset, said a district teacher who has been talking with students and attended the meeting Thursday. The students worked so hard. Many of the students have overcome educational hurdles and would be the first in their families to attend college. Ive never seen anything this awful happen to children, said the teacher, who asked not to be identified because she was not authorized to speak. COVID Resources Coronavirus Map Tracking COVID-19 cases across the Bay Area and California. Representatives for the accrediting association were at Madison Park on Friday, before an expected vote on accreditation expected in December and official notification in January. But college applications are due in November. Applications to the military, community colleges, private universities and out-of-state colleges will not be affected, officials said. To help students, the district will send a college and career readiness specialist to the school twice a week, and will sponsor financial aid nights and a college admissions course. In addition, the school will get $10,000 to pay for activities like campus tours. The district has hired an accreditation coordinator to make sure this doesnt happen again, Sasaki said. Jill Tucker is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jtucker@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jilltucker This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Aki Kumar was sure the whole idea was a big mistake. Born and raised in Mumbai, he discovered the blues after moving to the United States, and quit his day job as a software engineer three years ago to focus on his burgeoning career as a harmonica player and vocalist on the South Bay blues scene. In the back of his mind, hed always wanted to bring together the uproarious Bollywood anthems of his youth with the low-down grooves hed come to love in the blues, but the idea seemed too outlandish to pursue. Until veteran blues keyboardist Jim Pugh happened to ask Kumar if he had any dream projects on the drawing board. Now riding a wave of international attention, Kumar performs Sunday, Oct. 2, at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass as part of a program showcasing artists associated with Pughs Little Village label, which recently released Aki Goes to Bollywood. Jim knew I was playing a lot, and he casually asked what I had in the works, recalls Kumar, 36. I really wasnt serious about the Bollywood thing. I had a lot of doubts. But when I mentioned it, his face lit up. To see somebody with a different perspective get really excited about it made it seem like something I should pursue. Recorded at Kid Andersens Greaseland Studios in San Jose, Aki Goes to Bollywood draws on music from several decades of Hindi-language films, including iconic songs by composers such as R.D. Burman (Janu Meri Jaan), Anand-Milind (Eena Meena Deeka) and Kishore Kumar (Chala Jata Hoon). Part of Kumars initial hesitancy stemmed from fear of offending devoted fans of Bollywood, one of the cultural forces that ties the supremely diverse subcontinental nation together. But I was also worried that blues folks would think it was frivolous and stupid, Kumar says. Im pleased to say that none of those fears have come true. The response has been overwhelmingly positive. Ultimately, what makes Aki Goes to Bollywood such an engaging album is that Kumar draws on an array of blues styles for the East-meets-West communion, which is what you would get normally at one of my shows, he says. I dont play one particular blues style. Ill do a Chicago shuffle, and a low-down delta thing, something straight up and funky, and a jump blues, so it made sense to treat the Bollywood material the same way. Kumar moved to the United States in 1998 at the age of 18, and after a short stint of studying in Oklahoma City, he transferred to San Jose State University. After getting turned on to doo-wop and early rock n roll listening to oldies radio, he traced the styles back to their roots and fell in love with the blues. Looking for a creative outlet, Kumar started taking classes at harmonica player Dave Barretts School of the Blues in San Jose, which led him to Chicago harp masters like Little Walter, James Cotton and George Smith. The South Bay scene has long boasted several lively blues jam sessions, and Kumar built up his chops by sitting in regularly. He started making a name for himself as rapidly developing player with a communitarian ethos, and in recent years hes become a valued leader, helping run a Thursday night jam at Little Lous BBQ in Campbell. He plays regularly at all the major blues joints, from San Franciscos Biscuits and Blues and San Joses Poor House Bistro to Fremonts Smoking Pig BBQ Company. Kumar, who recently performed with Chris Cain, Igor Prado and the Norwegian-born Andersen, tearing up Little Lous, speaks to the international reach of the blues, even if the music isnt always honored at home. Its an African American art form with roots that go back at least 150 years, Kumar says. Its Americas greatest cultural gift to the world, and part of the musical and cultural fabric of the U.S. Andrew Gilbert is a freelance writer. Aki Kumar: Hardly Strictly Bluegrass. Noon at Arrow Stage, 4 p.m. at Porch Stage, Sunday, Oct. 2. Free. www.hardlystrictlybluegrass.com/2016 Listen to songs on Aki Kumars website: www.akikumar.com Check out The Chronicles guide to Hardly Strictly Bluegrass at www.sfchronicle.com/hardly-strictly-bluegrass This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Recently I stumbled into what I thought was a really good party. It was on 24th Street in the Mission, normally a sleepy area for nightlife. I was passing the Juan R. Fuentes Gallery, and there was a crowd filling the space and spilling into the street. There was laughter; families had brought children and coolers. I glanced at the crowd, which I can only describe as Misionero people with deep roots in the neighborhoods many Latin American communities. Theyre the ones who organize lowrider car shows and have strong opinions on the right way to eat a pupusa. From within the building, I heard old-school songs playing. Pulled in as if by centripetal force, I saw the stunning women from the Chulita Vinyl Club spinning. I started dancing and snapping photos, so it took me a while to recognize that there were big, beautiful, mural-style paintings on the walls. Looking closer at them, I saw images of the neighborhoods struggles burning Victorian buildings, a portrait of Alex Nieto, who was killed by police and its iconography, in the form of Mayan and volcanic gods. In a flash I realized that the community was here because they needed to be here. What Id thought was a party was actually a healing ceremony. It was the opening night of Gentromancer!, a solo exhibition and community project by Josue Rojas. Rojas, 36, wanted to create a positive community response to the large, scary, looming monster of gentrification. People invested heavily in creating the community of this neighborhood, he told me. Its important to come together and form creative responses to threats. In addition to Rojas large artworks, Gentromancer! includes a broadsheet with a wide variety of students, teachers and poets responding to the theme of gentrification. Contributors include everyone from young students in San Franciscos juvenile justice system to San Franciscos poet laureate, Alejandro Murguia. (You can read them online at http://bit.ly/2duYpyd.) The poets joined Rojas for a reading in partnership with Galeria de la Raza and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art in September. They were part of the reason that the exhibits opening night was so packed. Rojas is dreaming up even more ways to involve them in future iterations of Gentromancer! Now that I know this is a seed, Id like to extend the invitation to the entire Bay Area, Rojas said. Ive always seen this as something bigger than me, because were all dealing with it. Rojas is intimately familiar with the violence of displacement. He arrived in San Francisco at the age of 1 his family was fleeing El Salvadors civil war. He grew up in the loving radius of 24th Street panaderias, San Franciscos bilingual El Tecolote newspaper offices, the Balmy Alley murals. Even as a child, I understood that the neighborhood was a jewel because so much unpaid work had gone into making it special, Rojas said. There arent elves making the murals or cooking the tacos. Leah Millis/The Chronicle He credits the community of Precita Eyes for saving him during the summer he was 15 the summer both his father and his cousin died, the summer he almost lost himself to alcohol and gangs. Murals opened up my life, Rojas said. After learning the basics through Precita Eyes arts education programs, he went on to study art at California College of the Arts and Boston University. While he was getting his bearings, his family was evicted from the Mission in 1999. The landlord was able to get much more in rent than what we were paying, so he basically said he could give some money to lawyers or he could give it to us, Rojas said. At the time, my mom didnt realize what that meant that agreeing to leave effectively meant wed have to leave the neighborhood for good. After watching similar stories play out recently for his Misionero friends and neighbors many of whom had also fled war, poverty and violence in their home countries Rojas realized that displacement would have to be a subject for his work. He started thinking about turning gentrification into gente-fication people power. Theres a saying from (Edgar) Degas We draw the devil so we can have power over him, Rojas said. Its important to personify this so people can speak it out, to face it, to respond to the fight. Rojas enormous, powerful artworks tie the whole exhibit together. The pieces reflect all of Rojas influences the classic mural techniques of Mission artists like Juana Alicia, the La Palma-style folk art traditions of El Salvador, the Voltron cartoons of his childhood, and the Pop Art history he studied in art school. Im very intentionally taking the artistic traditions that exist and combining them with contemporary subject matter, he said. Its a way of bridging the Missions past, its present and the future were fighting for. Caille Millner is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: cmillner@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @caillemillner See for yourself Gentromancer!: Through Oct. 14. Juan R. Fuentes Gallery, 2958 24th St., S.F. Watch a video of Rojas talking about his work in galleries and in Balmy Alley: http://bit.ly/2cGGpEl San Franciscos housing problems and the wars over solving them are spilling over to the ballot again. This falls election features two measures that change the rules on building and occupying subsidized units in a crowded, expensive city. Proposition P is backed by the local Board of Realtors, who believe city rules on selecting affordable-housing builders should include competitive bidding to get the best deal. The second measure, Prop. U, raises the income limits for winning a below-market rental to draw in more middle-income applicants. Its also backed by the real estate group. Both are served up as good-government ideas designed to prod city officials to improve housing. But these claims are skimpy and do nothing about the central problem: a lack of housing across the board. The political subtext is just as troubling. Recent city ballots have featured progressive fixes, including a flat ban on market-rate housing in the Mission district, which thankfully lost, and a plan to boost affordable units from 12 to 25 percent in new projects, which unfortunately passed. Both plans were opposed by the real estate world. Whether its payback or an effort to win credibility, real estate forces are advancing their ideas in these two measures. Realtors bankrolled the signature gathering to put the propositions on the ballot. Prop. P obliges the city to seek three bids when offering city land to affordable housing builders. But City Hall already beats the bushes for multiple contenders. By one count, the last 10 projects had at least two bidders. Locking in a three-bid minimum could kill projects which dont attract that threshold number of entrants. The measure has the potential to stop promising deals, the last thing San Francisco needs. Prop. U plays on another aspect of the housing crisis. In awarding subsidized units to the crowds lining up for rentals, there are two categories: Some units are set aside for a family of four with an income of up to $59,250 and other units are set aside for families with incomes of up to $107,700. This measure changes the process to just one category of $118,450. Backers say this would help middle-income families compete in a market thats skewed toward rewarding lowest-income applicants. Housing costs are invariably cited as a reason families flee the city, and theres appeal in offering housing breaks to a wider range of renters. But the proposed shift will only worsen tensions because a larger pool of housing hunters will be competing for a very limited supply. Prop. U adds to the backlog of would-be renters, but does nothing about the underlying need for more units. The guidelines for competitive bidding and income qualifications are better left to a process of legislative hearings, study and political compromise that balances the competing goals and concerns. These are not issues to be settled at the ballot box. San Francisco voters should reject Props. P and U. Hillary Clinton has promised that in her first 30 days as president she will propose a constitutional amendment to overturn the U.S. Supreme Courts 2010 Citizens United decision, which she characterized as a disaster for our democracy. Because Clinton has a better-than-even chance of being elected president, who am I to argue? The California Legislature is ahead of Clinton. It has placed on the November ballot an advisory measure, Proposition 59, which instructs state officials to use all their constitutional authority to overturn the ruling. Its funny how Democrats talk as if Republicans are rolling in dough, while Dems are stuck passing the hat. The opposite often is true, especially this year. As of Aug. 31, the Washington Post reported, pro-Clinton campaigns had raised almost twice as much money ($795 million) as pro-Trump concerns ($403 million). Bloomberg looked at super PAC money on Sept. 21 and reported that pro-Clinton super PACs raised $153 million, and spent $121 million, while pro-Trump super PACs raised a $16 million, and spent $12 million. The Dems outspent Repubs $121 million to $12 million. Thats 10-1. Wheres the outrage? Bloomberg recently reported that Clinton campaigns are out-raising money from billionaires on a margin of 20-1 against Trump. If Clinton wants to do something about the corrupting effect of big money in politics, all she has to do is talk to the mirror. Its a good thing money doesnt buy popularity. At Monday nights presidential debate, Trump ribbed Hillaryland for spending buckets on advertising designed to bury him. Quoth The Donald: $200 million is spent, and Im either winning or tied, and Ive spent practically nothing. Thats the dirty little secret about campaign spending it cannot compensate for a bad candidate. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, Trump won the GOP primary after spending half the amount that bankrolled the candidacy of former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush. Florida Sen. Marco Rubio was a good candidate who outspent Trump, but he could not win his home state. Like it or not Im on the not side Trump won the GOP primary because his message popped with GOP voters. Its laughable that Clinton is proposing a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United because whoever her Supreme Court picks are, they are bound to oppose Citizens United as Clinton has promised to have a litmus test for her Big Bench picks. There would be no need for a constitutional amendment. The left gets all teary-eyed about the absolute authority in the Supreme Courts decision to uphold Obamacare. That ruling is sacrosanct. Citizens United, however, is easy prey so easy that state lawmakers are invited to venture into deciding federal law. Its become a code word for everything you dislike about politics, Bradley Smith, former Federal Election Commission chair and now chairman of the Center for Competitive Politics, told me. The public has come to think that a reversal of Citizens United will end the supersize role of money, especially corporate money, in politics. They forget that the 5-4 decision written by Justice Anthony Kennedy denied the governments authority to censor a political documentary. The conservative group Citizens United had produced an unflattering 90-minute film called, Hillary: The Movie. The FEC prohibited the films airing on pay-per-view stations to comply with the 2002 McCain-Feingold ban on electioneering communications funded by corporations or labor within 30 days of a presidential primary. If the Big Bench were to overturn Citizens United, Smith added, the court likely will make it impossible to air a documentary movie close to the election whether the filmmaker is Citizens United or Michael Moore but would not cleanse politics of corporate funds. Jeffrey Toobin reported as much in the New Yorker. People use Citizens United as shorthand for all the problems of money in politics, but in fact the decision itself had little to do with money in politics, and reversing it would do little or nothing to remove money in politics, Pamela Karlan, a professor at Stanford Law School who also worked in the Obama Justice Department told him. Because of all the misinformation, expect Californians to approve Prop. 59. But the measure likely would fail if its effects were characterized more accurately. Smiths suggestion: We should make (Prop. 59) an up-or-down vote on whether the government ought to be able to censor political documentaries. Voter, beware. A truly apolitical ban wouldnt apply to conservatives only. Debra J. Saunders is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: dsaunders@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @DebraJSaunders Citizens United in short If the First Amendment has any force, it prohibits Congress from fining or jailing citizens, or associations of citizens, for simply engaging in political speech. Justice Anthony Kennedy, Citizens United Today, Im announcing that in my first 30 days as president I will propose a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United and give the American people, all of us, the chance to reclaim our democracy. Hillary Clinton campaign video The First Amendment right of free speech is generally considered to be a liberal cause. So its disappointing to see how quickly liberals abandon it when the speech is something they disagree with. PUEBLO, Colo. Four years ago, this town in the plains of southern Colorado happily joined with the rest of the state in legalizing recreational use of marijuana. In a land of plentiful sunshine, rolling farmland and underused industrial space, one of the states most cannabis-friendly communities bloomed. Too friendly, some people think. With more than 200 marijuana-related businesses having opened in and around Pueblo, theres a backlash against the economic and cultural changes that have come with being what supporters envision as Colorados Wine Country of weed. Its a preview, perhaps, of what could happen in California if voters approve Proposition 64 on Nov. 8. Legalizing recreational marijuana is a state issue, but the nuts and bolts of how its implemented how many pot businesses are allowed, and where theyre allowed is very much up to the locals. Pueblo County backed legalized marijuana in 2012 with 55 percent of the vote. But after seeing how it played out, some dismayed residents qualified a county ballot measure that would ban new recreational cannabis businesses and growing operations and close existing ones. Home-growing and medical marijuana operations would still be legal. Prop. 64 would allow local jurisdictions in California to ban cannabis businesses. So did Colorados legalization and roughly two-thirds of its 64 counties and about three-quarters of its cities have some sort of prohibition on recreational sales. Jim Parco, a Colorado College economics professor and Pueblo dispensary owner at the forefront of the pro-legalization group Growing Pueblos Future, says bringing prohibition back to Pueblo would have national implications and put a lot of his neighbors out of work. This is the domino. We are the first domino, said Parco, whose new dispensary sits on 2 acres next to the family farm where he grew up. If they could be successful (in overturning legalization) here in Pueblo County, this becomes a very deliberate strategy they could use not just in other counties in Colorado, but throughout the country. Many in Pueblo saw the weed business as a way to bring back jobs to the region. This was a steel-making hub until the recession of the early 1980s, when well-paying manufacturing jobs began to leave. Local leaders welcomed the new industry, with one envisioning Pueblo as the Napa Valley of cannabis. With 202 dispensaries and other operations, Pueblo County had the third-highest number of licensed marijuana-related businesses in the state at the end of last year even more than Boulder County, hipster home of the main campus of the University of Colorado. A third of the new commercial building projects in Pueblo County involved marijuana businesses in 2014, and industrial vacancies have dropped. Pot-related excise taxes brought $3.5 million of new revenue to the county last year. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 3 1 of 3 RYAN JONES/Special to The Chronicle Show More Show Less 2 of 3 RYAN JONES/Special to The Chronicle Show More Show Less 3 of 3 Ryan Jones/Special to The Chronicle Show More Show Less The Southern Colorado Growers Association an industry group that helps to place workers says the weed business generated 1,300 new jobs in 2014. It puts food on the table, said Dave Bernal, a 24-year-old Pueblo resident who was laid off as a railroad switchman a year ago. Since then, he has been working in a local dispensary, where the money has been OK. Weed entrepreneurs flocked to Pueblo, where it is cheaper to set up shop than in increasingly pricey Denver. Among them was Karson Bechstrom, a 27-year-old who moved to Colorado several years ago after receiving a degree in horticulture in his native South Dakota. He raised more than $1 million to open a cultivation business here. They were very welcoming to having cannabis-related businesses here, and it was affordable. It was an easy place to start, Bechstrom said. If the ban passes on Nov. 8, he said, I would be devastated. I would lose everything. I would probably end up on the street. Proponents of the ban say Pueblo didnt know what it was getting when it backed legalization. RYAN JONES/Special to The Chronicle Paula McPheeters, a 45-year-old Pueblo native and budget analyst for the local community college, opposed legalization four years ago. Soon after recreational pot got the green light, she started to notice changes in the more exurban part of the county where she lives Pueblo West, which narrowly voted against legalization. Several marijuana businesses opened up, taking advantage of lax zoning laws. Homeless people started to appear, something McPheeters says she never saw before in Pueblo West. One day while driving her son home from school where he had recently completed the required drug education class the boy looked out the window and asked, Mom, is that a marijuana store? How did that get there? She explained that just because somethings legal doesnt make it safe. Then her son asked, What are you doing to about it? she recalled. She accepted the challenge and helped form Citizens for a Healthy Pueblo, which got the ban on the November ballot. McPheeters is dubious about statistics touting marijuana-related job growth. They count the guy who put in the lightbulb as a job, McPheeters said. OK, fine. Is that base-building employment? I dont think so. Is that a career for the future bud tender? Not in my world. I think Pueblo can strive to be better. She added, I dont see it as economic driver as a much as social decliner a drag on our community. We are the test case as to whether this works or not. And pot opponents have their own statistics: Pueblo County had the highest number of high school students reporting that they had used marijuana in the past 30 days (32 percent) in the state, according to a March report from the Colorado Department of Public Safety. In April, three Pueblo-area hospitals came out in favor of the commercial marijuana ban. After noting an increase in teenage pregnancies and suicide attempts, one hospital executive said, While it is not clear that marijuana is directly the cause of all these problems, one might conclude that this surge is the result of this high-risk culture that commercialization of marijuana helps to promote. Parco, the Pueblo dispensary owner, never touched marijuana in his life until two years ago. But when he saw his uncle suffering from shingles, he bought some medicinal cannabis for him and saw the relief it brought. He and his wife, who also grew up in town, moved back to open a dispensary. Their fight is financial as well as personal. He has $1.5 million invested in his business. This is epic, Parco said. As goes Pueblo, so goes the rest of the country. Joe Garofoli is The San Francisco Chronicles senior political writer. Email: jgarofoli@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @joegarofoli This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Every year, millions of Californians suffer in silence from an acute seasonal disorder. A friend or coworker nonchalantly mentions that theyre off to their place in the mountains for the weekend, and it strikes: cabin envy. Symptoms include an intense desire for a charmingly ramshackle house in the forest, pine-scented solitude, and a view over a lake or burbling stream; a longing for family traditions and campfire-tinged memories. If you are one of the afflicted, an easy remedy is at hand in the Lakes Basin Recreation Area, a quiet northern Sierra wonderland of cold blue lakes, rimmed by towering mountains, with yes woodsy cabins. They may not be yours exactly, but along the 17-mile long Gold Lake Highway from Bassetts on Hwy 49 to Graeagle (Hwy. 89), there are six historic lodges each with its own small brigade of cabins, all waiting to be yours for a short getaway. Many families will book the same cabin each year: all the tradition and memories you could ask for, without the hassle of actually owning a cabin. The earliest lodges in the area opened in the 1850s on the heels of the California Gold Rush. In 1850, a rumor of a lake lined with chunks of gold triggered what newspapers at the time called the Gold Lake excitement. Thousands of desperate gold-seekers set off in search of the legendary lake. Andy Murdock/Special to The Chronicle Surprise, surprise: there was no lake of gold. But in the hunt, the prospectors did find a precious gem of a region with over 20 lakes (the largest they named Gold Lake), and people stayed. The Gray Eagle Lodge, opened in 1923, the comfortable cabins string along the creek, several with decks right on the water, including the Waterwheel cabin (complete with real waterwheel from its days as the lodges powerhouse), which looks out right on Gray Eagle Falls. The creek is stocked with trout, and theres an irresistible (if chilly) swimming hole at the base of the falls. Even the tap water is a treat here, piped in from a spring high up on the mountain. If youre looking for a Lakes Basin trip to be all-lake, all the time, its hard to get much more lakey than the Sardine Lake Resort, where the chinked log cabins sit right beside the deep blue of Lower Sardine Lake at the feet of the high Sierra Buttes. Just a short walk away is Sand Pond, a soft-bottomed, emerald swimming pond, very popular with families in the summer months. Day hikes can take you to Upper Sardine Lake or Volcano Lake, where you can regularly have a whole lake to yourself. The undisputed winner for day hikes, however, is the Sierra Buttes Lookout trail. If it feels like youre walking on air, its because you are: the steep steps to the lookout at 8590 feet cross over a deep cleft in the peak, and the see-through metal walkway hangs out over a sheer drop of you dont want to know how many feet straight down. Get ready for palm sweat and wobbly legs. Even if youre not going to the top, dont miss the Sierra Buttes: Float up for a cocktail at Sardine Lake Lodges dockside bar, Poor Georges Playpen, or ogle them from one of the many viewpoints along the Gold Lake Highway. From any angle, the Sierra Buttes are, well, beauts. In the nearby towns of Graeagle, Blairsden and Sierra City, there are plenty of options for dining out, but you neednt stray far from your cabin. The lot fills up each night for Firewoods, the restaurant at the Gray Eagle Lodge. With nightly specials like braised short ribs with potato hash, a quality wine cellar, after-dinner campfire with smores for the kids, all set to the pleasant gnip-gnop emerging from the lodges rec room, its no wonder diners linger well into the evening. The restaurants at Gold Lake Lodge and Packer Lake Lodge are good spots to fuel up with breakfast for a day of hiking. Fall and spring are the slow seasons for the Lakes Basin area lodges, with a better chance of last-minute cabin openings. Visitors in the fall get treated to aspens turning bright gold and clear nights starting to take on an edge of chill. Because of the high demand, its also a good time to book cabins for the year ahead. Even with four other choices Salmon Lake Lodge, Packer Lake Lodge, Gold Lake Lodge and Elwell Lakes Lodge demand is high, and cabin supply can be tight. If you strike out or want to explore off-season, numerous campgrounds are available, and nearby Graeagle and Sierra City have motel and B&B options but will that cure your cabin envy? Andy Murdock is a freelance writer based in Alameda. E-mail: travel@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @andy_murdock If you go GETTING THERE Lakes Basin Recreation Area lies along the Gold Lake Highway, which runs between Hwy 49 (at Bassetts) and Highway 89 (at Graeagle). Graeagle is 45 miles north of Truckee, 4 hours from San Francisco. WHERE TO STAY Cabins in high season can book up 1-2 years out. Lodges will sometimes have last-minute availability, especially for short stays and for those willing to change cabins mid-stay. Gray Eagle Lodge: 5000 Gold Lake Road, Graeagle; (800) 635-8778; www.grayeaglelodge.com. 21 comfortable, charming cabins along Gray Eagle Creek and two guest rooms in the main lodge with king beds, all with full baths. Cabins and rooms start at $245 per night; additional charges for extra guests or pets. Rates include breakfast and dinner. Open Memorial Day to mid-October. Sardine Lake Lodge: 990 Sardine Lake Road, Sierra City, CA; (530) 862-1196; www.sardinelakeresort.com. Nine rustic cabins with kitchens and full baths, starting at $210 per night, $1275 per week; additional charges for extra guests or pets. Open Memorial Day to mid-October. WHERE TO EAT Firewoods at Gray Eagle Lodge: 5000 Gold Lake Road; (800) 635-8778; www.grayeaglelodge.com/restaurant/. Quality comfort cuisine with house-baked bread and California wines. Entrees: $19-$34; included for guests. Reservations recommended. Packer Lake Lodge: 3901 Packer Lake Road; (530) 862-1221; www.packerlakelodge.com. Classic country breakfasts and homey dinners with an Italian buffet bingo night on Wednesdays through summer. Entrees: $12-$26. Reservations recommended. Gold Lake Lodge: 7000 Gold Lake Road; (530) 836-2350; www.goldlakelodge.com. Simple breakfasts and family-style dinners at large communal tables. Entrees: $10-$29. Reservations recommended. WHAT TO DO Sierra Buttes Lookout: The trail starts at the Pacific Crest Trail trailhead on Packer Saddle (Packer Lake Road to Butcher Ranch Road; the road past the parking area is only for 4-WD vehicles). 5 miles roundtrip, with a climb of about 1500 feet. Mills Peak Bike Trail: Info and maps can be obtained from the Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship: (775) 813-4354; www.sierratrails.org Kayaks and stand-up paddle boards can be rented from the Gray Eagle Lodge (see above) and delivered to one of the local lakes. Horseback riding: Trail rides, programs for kids and pack trips throughout the area can be arranged through Gold Lake Stables: (530) 836-0940; www.reidhorse.com. MORE INFORMATION Lakes Basin Recreation Area, US Forest Service: http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/regions/Pacific_Southwest/LakesBasin/index.shtml Oaklands political feuding hit new depths of dysfunction when a City Council member seized the public-speakers microphone for a 40-minute diatribe that ended only when her colleagues pulled the plug on their meeting. Councilwoman Desley Brooks, attending the Rules Committee session as a spectator, declined repeated pleas from the panels council members Thursday to surrender the microphone so they could get on with their meeting. When they had the microphone turned off, Brooks started shouting. I can filibuster, Brooks said. Thats what this process is supposed to be about. At one point, the councilwoman called for a mike check a technique used by members of the Occupy movement to disrupt and take over public meetings. She then led supporters sitting in the audience in a call-and-response taunt directed at the three committee members: You have not followed the rules. How childish, City Councilman Dan Kalb said as he argued with Brooks from the dais. They continued chanting as the committee members Kalb, council President Lynette Gibson McElhaney and Councilman Abel Guillen tried to press on. Finally McElhaney, the committee chairwoman, ordered City Hall security guards to clear the chambers and ended the meeting. We had important business that day, McElhaney said Friday. We were going to hold a hearing to name Bobby Hutton Grove at DeFremery Park in West Oakland, honoring a 17-year-old Black Panther Party member killed in a confrontation with Oakland police in 1968. That item got shut down because of a political play, McElhaney said. Kalb said Friday that it may have been the worst outburst hed ever seen from a council member, but that this isnt the first time a meeting has fallen off course because of extended interruptions and lack of adherence to the council presidents authority. And its always the same member making the interruptions, he said Brooks, who has been on the council since 2002 and represents an East Oakland district. She did not respond to requests for comment about her actions at the Rules Committee. The uproar started with an agenda item aimed at re-crafting marijuana ordinances that the council approved in May, which have caused a continued outcry from people involved in the citys cannabis business. At the heart of the ordinances is a program that sets aside half the citys cannabis permits for people who were either jailed on marijuana convictions in Oakland or who live in one of six East Oakland police beats that saw a high concentration of marijuana arrests in 2013. All of those beats are either in Brooks district or the district represented by an ally, Councilman Larry Reid. Opponents say the plan will kill the citys marijuana business just as the states voters are on the verge of legalizing recreational use of the drug. They say many Oaklanders suffered because of enforcement of marijuana laws, not just those in Brooks and Reids districts, but theyll be shut out of obtaining business permits unless the law is changed. Brooks has developed a pattern of disrespecting voters in West Oakland by undermining their representative, McElhaney said. And we see that in the cannabis legislation. Brooks, however, has doubled down. Along with Reid and Councilman Noel Gallo, she has proposed an ordinance that would require all pot businesses and anyone who leases property to a pot business to give 25 percent of their profit and at least one seat on their board of directors to the city in exchange for permits to operate. McElhaney has been largely silent on what the city should do, but that didnt keep Brooks from going after her at the Rules Committee meeting. She demanded that the council hold a disciplinary hearing on a June civil grand jury report that concluded McElhaney had broken ethics rules by getting involved in a dispute over a town-house development next to her home. When the committee refused to convene an immediate hearing, Brooks went ballistic. I have watched this body over and over again attempt to stifle the voices of the community, Brooks said, eliciting angry jeers from her supporters. McElhaney said Brooks actions Thursday were unprecedented, even for a council that has shut down meetings because protesters chained themselves to the dais. Look, I went to UC Berkeley, I learned all about Mario Savio, and I have never been upset or called for arrests when members of the public tried to shut us down, McElhaney said. But here you have an elected representative using a (protest) tactic as a political ploy. I dont understand why she would resort to a tactic thats really for people who dont have access. Political strife isnt unusual for the City Council, whose members often treat each other like the heads of rival fiefdoms. But McElhaney said she and the other members have tried since the 2014 elections to get along better and work cohesively. In April, for instance, McElhaney asked council members to tour each others districts so they could understand the challenges that each representative faced. It wound up being a powerful team-building exercise, she said. The only member who did not participate was Brooks. She has battled ethical fights of her own. Two years ago, after a civil grand jury concluded that she had hired a contractor for a teen center in her district without taking bids and had authorized $19,000 in payments to a guitar store without city permission, Brooks argued that the investigation had been politically motivated. The council voted not to censure her. Council member Brooks has a long history of insisting that the rules apply to everyone but her, said Pat Kernighan, who was council president at the time. Her self-righteousness knows no bounds. Kalb, who is among the council members trying to scrap the marijuana permit ordinance, noted with dismay that Brooks outburst Thursday was aired on the citys government affairs cable channel. Itll be replayed Sunday, Kalb said. And thats embarrassing. Rachel Swan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: rswan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @rachelswan Top tweet The Chicago Tribune endorsed Gary Johnson when he finds out where Chicago is, hes going to be so happy. Comedian Chelsea Handler, poking a bit of fun at the gaps in the Libertarian Partys presidential nominees knowledge. During a televised forum this week, Johnson had failed to name even one foreign leader he respected. I guess Im having an Aleppo moment, Johnson said, referring to an earlier episode when he drew another blank when questioned about the besieged Syrian city. Doh! Sure, weve all had flight delays and even cancellations, but United Airlines found a special way to abuse passengers at two of its United Clubs at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey: It stopped serving free booze. No, Carrie Nation has not been appointed as the companys CEO; somebody at the airline simply forgot to renew its liquor license. So no booze could be served from Wednesday until Friday morning, when the matter was resolved. Hear here Oh, I wish I were an Oscar Mayer wiener. Those were the words and lyrics of Richard Trentlage, who wrote the jingle that first appeared in a 1960s television commercial featuring cartoon children marching along and singing. He died recently at age 87, according to an obituary posted online by a northern Illinois funeral home. The tune remained a fixture for the next half a century, and Trentlages words helped establish the companys hot dogs as a piece of Americana. The Daily Briefing is compiled from San Francisco Chronicle staff and news services. See more items and links at www.sfgate.com. Twitter: @techbriefing If you missed it ... In a week when 400-pound hackers had their 15 minutes of fame and Yahoo and Wells Fargo had a lot more than 15 minutes of infamy we also saw: The Carnegie Deli, a Manhattan landmark for decades (at least for tourists), is closing at the end of the year, the New York Post reported. The Post said that the deli will keep licensing outposts in various other places, including Las Vegas. Public agencies and businesses soon may face pressure from InjusticeBoycott.com, a national group created by Shaun King of the New York Daily News that already has more than 80,000 people signed up. The group will identify companies and agencies that are actively or passively supporting police brutality and racial violence. The boycott begins Dec. 5. One company unlikely to get hit by that boycott is AT&T, as CEO Randall Stephenson drew attention from the Washington Post for his comments on Black Lives Matter. A YouTube video shows Stephenson, who is white, defending the movement in a speech to hundreds of staff members: When a parent says, I love my son, you dont say, What about your daughter? When we walk or run for breast cancer funding and research, we dont say, What about prostate cancer? When the president says, God bless America, we dont say, Shouldnt God bless all countries? And when a person struggling with whats been broadcast on our airwaves says, Black lives matter, we should not say All lives matter to justify ignoring the real need for change. From now until Election Day, the Amazon Echo will give bite-size answers to questions like, Whats the latest with Donald Trump? and Whats the latest with Hillary Clinton? Yeah, but does it understand the phrase lesser of two evils? The Daily Briefing is compiled from San Francisco Chronicle staff and news services. See more items and links at www.sfgate.com. Twitter: @techbriefing Public anger over the cost of drugs has burned hot for a year, coursing through social media, popping up on the presidential campaign, and erupting in a series of congressional hearings, including one last month over the rising price of the allergy treatment EpiPen. But one set of voices has been oddly muted the nations biggest patient advocacy groups. The groups wield multimillion-dollar budgets and influence on Capitol Hill, but they have been largely absent in the public debate over pricing. To those who have closely followed the drug world, the reason is simple: Many of the groups receive millions of dollars a year in donations from companies behind the drugs used by their members. When they prod drug companies, it is generally for better not less expensive treatments. But critics say that by avoiding the debate over cost, they are failing in their patient-advocacy duties. It is a conflict of interest, because the interests of the pharmaceutical industry, from whom they are getting support, may be different from the interests of the patients, said Dr. Michael Carome, the director of the Health Research Group at Public Citizen, a consumer advocacy group. Over the past year, pharmaceutical companies have increased prices on medications as varied as breakthrough hepatitis C drugs and little-known generics that have been around for decades. The higher prices have hit American pocketbooks harder than usual, as insurers have increasingly shifted costs to patients. And for patient groups, loudly addressing the issue can be perilous, as Cyndi Zagieboylo, the CEO of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, recently discovered. Zagieboylo said members of her group, one of the most influential patient charities, had identified cost as a priority. The average annual cost for multiple sclerosis medications is $78,000 today, almost 400 percent higher than the $16,000 average in 2004, the group says. But as soon as Zagieboylo started discussing a plan a modest proposal that involved bringing together drugmakers, insurers and others to find solutions she said she encountered resistance. Other patient groups would not join her, and she said she was told by members of Congress, as well as some of the pharmaceutical companies that donate to her group, to tread carefully. We were warned, you know, in a number of ways, just sort of to be careful about this, she said. A couple of pharmaceutical companies mentioned, Boy, we support you. Why are you doing this to us? The group went ahead with the new campaign anyway, announcing it at an event attended by the National Health Council, an umbrella group for patient advocacy groups. But Zagieboylo said the resistance gave her pause. She said she and the groups board members decided they had to be ready to lose donors over the issue, including drug companies. The pharmaceutical industry gave about $10 million to the group in 2015, according to its website, accounting for about 4 percent of its annual budget. Some of the largest groups can call on millions of dedicated and highly motivated members and help drug companies by signing up participants for clinical trials, running financial assistance programs and even lobbying government officials for drug approvals or favorable legislation. Its much more compelling when a parent reaches out to their congressman and says, Please contact the FDA, because my child is dying, said Diana Zuckerman, the president of the National Center for Health Research, a nonprofit that does not accept money from industry. Some patient groups have directly challenged the industry. The American Diabetes Association, for example, called on drug companies this year to be more open about their prices and to allow the federal government to negotiate over Medicare drug pricing. But those actions have been the exceptions. And when patient groups have discussed pricing, their ire is largely focused on insurance companies, expressing arguments similar to those used by the pharmaceutical industry. Part of the problem for the patient groups, many sources said, is that there are no easy answers. Drug pricing is notoriously opaque and complex, involving a series of companies like pharmacy benefit managers such as Express Scripts, drug distributors such as Cardinal Health, or pharmacies such as CVS or Walgreens that can also profit from higher prices. Yet patient groups may be increasingly pulled into the pricing debate whether they like it or not. Dr. James Baker Jr. and his group, Food Allergy Research & Education, got an uncomfortably close look at the shifting landscape several weeks ago, when they were criticized for taking money from Mylan, the company that makes the EpiPen. In September, the group announced it will stop taking money from Mylan until there is meaningful competition in the market. Part of the reason patient groups have not taken up the drug pricing issue, Baker said, is that for years, many of their members had insurance with low co-payments and deductibles, shielding them from the total cost of drugs. It was more of an issue of whether or not they could get the drug, and whether it was on the formulary, than what they were paying for it, he said. I think that is changing. Longtime customers of Targets pharmacies are finding a change in pill bottle design hard to swallow. After CVS began operating Targets drugstores this year, distraught customers have been asking in some cases begging the drugstore chain to bring back the retailers red prescription bottles, which came with color-coded rings, labeling on the top and prescription information that was easier to read. Some customers also took more drastic steps. Vivian Ruth Sawyer went fishing through her trash to rescue the old Target bottles soon after opening her stapled prescription bag to find the dowdy, white-capped amber vials that are common in most medicine cabinets. She has since poured refills of her thyroid medicine into the old Target bottles, even though they dont have the right expiration dates. Its worth it, she said, because those bottles make it easier to tell her prescriptions apart when she looks in her drawer for them. This is really inconvenient and irritating, the Louisville, Ky., resident said. CVS says it is working on a new system for dispensing prescriptions and helping people stay on their medications, but spokeswoman Carolyn Castel declined to share details or say whether that might involve an updated bottle design. Meanwhile, shoppers continue to mourn the loss of a bottle that was considered groundbreaking when it debuted about a decade ago and was once on display at New Yorks Museum of Modern Art. Target flipped bottle design on its head in 2005 when it introduced a red container with the opening on the bottom. That allowed the label to wrap around the top so it could be seen from above. It included a flat surface that customers found easier to read than the curve of a typical pill bottle, and it came with color-coded rings for the neck to help family members quickly tell their medicines apart. Deborah Adler devised the new approach as part of her masters thesis at New Yorks School of Visual Arts. She was inspired to try something different after her grandmother mistakenly took her grandfathers prescription. Adler now runs her own design business and is working with CVS on its new prescription system. The red bottles were important to Christina Mihalek of Cincinnati because she accidentally took her moms high blood pressure medicine instead of an antibiotic when she was in high school, and she passed out in the lunch line that day. Mihalek took to Twitter to voice her displeasure, telling CVS in a post with the hashtag #redbottlesrock that perfection was at your fingertips. Shelley Ewalt of Princeton, N.J., also tweeted to the drugstore chain, asking if there is any chance they might return to the vastly superior design of the Target bottles, which she found easier to open. CVS Health, which runs the nations second-largest drugstore chain, started operating Target pharmacies this year as part of a $1.9 billion deal the companies announced in 2015. CVS Castel said the company stopped using Targets bottles because its more efficient to fill prescriptions with the same bottle at all of its 9,600 pharmacies. Customer visits to Targets in-store pharmacies slipped in the second quarter. Castel said CVS doesnt see a connection between that and the change in prescription bottles. But the bottle switch might have influenced a small percentage of customers to shop elsewhere, according to Marshal Cohen, chief retail analyst with market researcher NPD Group. He said the second quarter was tough for many retailers, but he also noted that regular customers to pharmacies dont like change. When you start tinkering with things ... the consumer kind of gets a little testy, he said. Patients can buy prescription bottle caps that glow or beep when its time to take their medicine. But Purdue University pharmacy professor Alan Zillich hasnt seen much of an evolution in the design of pill containers used by pharmacies because it just isnt worth it, financially. Even though drugs cost a lot, pharmacies dont make much off each individual prescription, he said. Sawyer still holds out hope that any new system CVS adopts might include features from the old Target bottles to replace the amber bottles, which she describes as a ghastly leftover from the 1950s. Everyone else uses the same stupid bottle, she said. A former Contra Costa County sheriffs deputy pleaded not guilty Friday to sex crimes in a sprawling misconduct investigation involving a Richmond teenager that has implicated law enforcement officials around the Bay Area. The arraignment of Ricardo Perez, who resigned this year after The Chronicle published details of the allegations against him, came a day after the 19-year-old woman at the center of the scandal filed claims seeking tens of millions of dollars in compensation from Richmond, San Francisco, Livermore and Alameda County. The teenager has said she had sex with 29 law enforcement officers in the Bay Area in the past two years. She said some of them paid her, while others tipped her off about prostitution stings or ran the names of people she knew through law enforcement databases. In the claims, her lawyers described the actions by officers and sheriffs deputies as human trafficking, obstruction of justice and witness tampering. The claims lay the groundwork for civil lawsuits. The young woman previously went by but has since discarded the online alias Celeste Guap. Her attorneys have asked that she be referred to only by her first name, Jasmine, to protect her privacy because shes the victim of crime. The allegations against Perez, 28, are among the most severe leveled by Alameda County prosecutors against the five current and former officers so far criminally charged. Deputy District Attorney Sabrina Farrell said she plans to charge two other Oakland police officers one of whom has resigned but has yet to do so because of investigations into their conduct. Perez was the second of the accused officers to appear in court. Last week, Brian Bunton of the Oakland Police Department pleaded not guilty to charges of engaging in prostitution and obstruction of justice. Jasmine told investigators that she and Perez had sex about 10 times in the summer of 2015 at a dirt turnout near Fish Ranch Road in the Oakland hills when she was 17. In interviews with investigators, Perez denied the timeline but admitted to having sexual intercourse and oral sex with the teenager at the location she described. He was charged with felony oral copulation with a minor and two counts of engaging in lewd conduct in public. Jasmine said in a previous interview with The Chronicle that Perez would pick her up while off duty and drive her to the spot near Fish Ranch Road. She said no money was exchanged. Asked if the deputy knew she was younger than 18, Jasmine said, I dont think he asked. At the Hayward Hall of Justice on Friday, Judge Joseph Carson ordered that Perez be released on his own recognizance, meaning he was not required to post bail or surrender to jail. Farrell had asked for a bail of $60,000. During the arraignment, Carson made an apparent joke about the sexual misconduct, saying he hadnt been to Fish Ranch Road since he was in high school a comment sharply criticized outside court by Jasmines attorneys. I think that reflected the sentiment of the court, that this conduct was minimal and should be minimized and would not warrant an appropriate bond for this young man, said Pamela Price, one of the lawyers. This judge obviously had his own filter through which he observed the situation, and he made a judgment call. Perez and his attorney, Joseph Motta, did not speak with reporters at the courthouse. In arguing that Perez shouldnt have to pay the bail Farrell had requested, Motta said that Perez had certainly lost his job over this and that the ex-deputy is now living with his parents in east Contra Costa County. Perez was ordered to return to court Nov. 4 for a pretrial hearing. Kimberly Veklerov is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kveklerov@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kveklerov Oakland school district officials who neglected to seek accreditation for a new high school scrambled to make up for the mistake this week, while acknowledging the lapse will make it harder for graduating seniors to apply to the University of California and California State University systems. The 75 seniors at Madison Park Academy on the southeast edge of the city found out Tuesday that their school does not have the proper accreditation from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, a certification that tells UC and CSU admissions officers that the schools courses are state-approved. That means the students must gain admission by exception or exam, district officials said. The admissions process wont rely on the courses taken by students or the grades they earned, but rather SAT or other test scores, or a demonstration of exceptional circumstances that merit admission despite the lack of traditional qualifications. The UC system does not place limits on the number of students admitted by exam, but caps those admitted by exception at 6 percent of newly enrolled freshmen. All other Oakland high schools are accredited, district officials said. But Madison Park, previously a K-8 school, only recently expanded to include high school grades, and this is the first graduating class. District administrators failed to apply for accreditation, said district spokesman John Sasaki. Due to the high school being new and turnover of district staff, the accreditation process dropped between the cracks, Sasaki said. Obviously this is not what we want to have our students dealing with. District officials met with students and parents Thursday night to try to allay fears, but frustration was apparent Friday as families struggled to understand what the mistake would mean. Senior Kaila Anderson, 16, said she plans to apply to several universities, including UC campuses, in her pursuit of a career as a nurse practitioner for victims of domestic violence. Were taking it one day at a time, she said. Were trying to persevere through all this madness. She worried that the burden of using an alternative application process would discourage some of her classmates from applying to a four-year college. The kids are really, really upset, said a district teacher who has been talking with students and attended the meeting Thursday. The students worked so hard. Many of the students have overcome educational hurdles and would be the first in their families to attend college. Ive never seen anything this awful happen to children, said the teacher, who asked not to be identified because she was not authorized to speak. Representatives for the accrediting association were at Madison Park on Friday, before an expected vote on accreditation expected in December and official notification in January. But college applications are due in November. Applications to the military, community colleges, private universities and out-of-state colleges will not be affected, officials said. To help students, the district will send a college and career readiness specialist to the school twice a week, and will sponsor financial aid nights and a college admissions course. In addition, the school will get $10,000 to pay for activities like campus tours. The district has hired an accreditation coordinator to make sure this doesnt happen again, Sasaki said. Jill Tucker is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jtucker@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jilltucker This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Looking for a little advice on how to navigate this years Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival? The last person you want to ask is Dawn Holliday. When I saw the lineup in print, I was completely overwhelmed, she says. But that doesnt stop the festivals longtime producer, who is also general manager of Slims and the Great American Music Hall nightclubs, from trying to offer a few pointers. Wynonna and Big Noise? Unbelievable. I saw her at the Ryman, and she tore the roof off the place, Holliday says. Buffy Sainte-Marie? I cant wait to see her! Buddy Miller has an amazing bunch of people coming with him. She keeps going, surveying the weekends itinerary spread across her desk in a brick building behind Slims in SoMa. Its the first time Cake has played. How have I not thought about Cake in the last decade? And then theres Jackson Browne! And have you heard Moon Hooch? Boy, Im pretty excited about them. John Hammond I saw when I was kid at Maxs in New York. I was 12 and sneaking in, pretending I was 18. Holliday pauses for breath. Oh, who am I kidding? she finally says. Is there anybody on this list I dont love? More than 500,000 music fans who feel the same way are expected to turn out for the free three-day concert in Golden Gate Park from Sept. 30 to Oct. 2. Holliday has worked since the beginning of the year to wrangle the 150-plus acts who will perform across its six stages. Among the artists performing at the 16th annual event are 80s pop star Cyndi Lauper, alt-rock vets Cake, San Francisco crooner Chris Isaak, indie heroes like M. Ward and Conor Oberst, and a slew of country rock icons and regulars like Emmylou Harris, Steve Earle, Rosanne Cash and many more. Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, which is funded by an endowment by the late investment banker Warren Hellman, remains a passion project through and through, as evidenced by the singular lineup. I dont think we ever had a vision, Holliday says. I think Warren just wanted to hear live music and wanted it to affect people. Theres still a guiding principle, but it doesnt need to have a banjo attached to it. This years concert will once again feature a performance by the Go to Hell Man Clan, featuring family and friends of Hellman, as well as an all-star tribute to the late Merle Haggard led by Dave Alvin. The Silent Disco crew returns, offering eclectic sets that include contemporary tributes to David Bowie and Prince. The Friday morning program for San Francisco middle-schoolers will once again feature Poor Mans Whiskey (called PMW for the benefit of the young audience) doing popular songs in a bluegrass fashion, plus sword swallowers, magicians and clowns from Circus Quirkus. Its hard to imagine anywhere else fans can get it all especially for the asking price. And for those who cant make it to the park, an online live stream will be available courtesy of Roger McNamee of Doobie Decibel System. I have the freedom of not wanting to be popular, Holliday says. We dont have to sell tickets. Its such a relief. Aidin Vaziri is The San Francisco Chronicles pop music critic. Email: avaziri@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @MusicSF Hardly Strictly Bluegrass: 10:30 a.m.-7 p.m. Sept. 30; 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Oct. 1-2. Free. Hellman Hollow, Lindley and Marx meadows, Golden Gate Park, S.F. www.hardlystrictlybluegrass.com As the Treasure Island Music Festival marks its 10th anniversary and its last year on its namesake island The Chronicle wants to know about your most memorable moments at the San Francisco outdoor event. Did you discover your favorite band at the festival? Did you meet your sweetheart on the Ferris wheel? Share your best and worst stories with arts content editor Mariecar Mendoza at mmendoza@sfchronicle.com. Please be sure to include your full name, city of residence and what year you attended the festival; then check back at www.sfchronicle.com/treasure-island 1 Oil spill: Cleanup continued Saturday at the Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant in Buchanan, N.Y., where an undetermined amount of oil spilled into a drainage canal leading to the Hudson River. Jerry Nappi, a spokesman for Indian Point owner Entergy, said the oil is not radioactive and none was observed in the river. State environmental officials were notified after an oil sheen was observed in the discharge canal Friday. Nappi said the spill occurred after the cooling system for one of the turbines in a nonnuclear area of the plant malfunctioned. 2 Zika virus: Zika-carrying mosquitoes have been found in a new neighborhood of Miami Beach. The Florida Department of Agriculture said Saturday that its the sixth time Zika-bearing mosquitoes have been captured in Miami Beach. Zika can cause severe brain-related birth defects in pregnant women who become infected. The same mosquito species that spreads Zika also transmits dengue fever. EL CAJON, San Diego County Alfred Olango, the unarmed black man shot and killed by police in a suburb of San Diego, was remembered in a demonstration Saturday organized by clergy members and supporters of his family. Several hundred people gathered at a park in El Cajon to hear speeches by religious leaders and then marched through the streets to police headquarters, where Olangos family members joined them. Mourning is a public sharing of grief and his unnecessary killing has rent the fabric of our human community yet once again and we are feeling it deeply in our hearts, said the Rev. Frank Placone-Willey of Summit Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in nearby Santee. Olangos father, Richard Olango Abuka, called for the resignation of the police chief and said his sons death is a turning point in a peaceful struggle to change police practices. Other speakers demanded changes in how police respond to calls about people in mental distress. The event came a day after two videos of the shooting were released by authorities. The videos show the officer fired four times at close range almost immediately after Olango, 38, suddenly raised both hands to chest level and took what was described as a shooting stance. In addition to the videos, police showed the 4-inch electronic cigarette device Olango had in his hands when he was shot. The shots came less than a minute after police arrived at the scene in response to Olangos sister calling 911 and reporting he was acting erratically. The videos were released after nights of unruly and, at times, violent protests in El Cajon. On Thursday night, an officer was struck in the head by a brick hurled by a protester. We felt that the aggression of some some of the protesters was escalating to the point where it was necessary to release some information and truly, it was my hope to relieve some of that concern, said police Chief Jeff Davis. A fourth night of protests Friday remained peaceful, with about 200 people blocking intersections. A lawyer for the family said they welcomed the release of the videos, but he questioned the tactics used by Officer Richard Gonsalves. Olango had been reported to be mentally disturbed and unarmed, yet Gonsalves approached with his weapon out, Dan Gilleon said. It shows a cowboy with his gun drawn provoking a mentally disturbed person, Gilleon said. The incident is the latest in a series of fatal shootings of black men that have roiled communities across the U.S. NOVI, Mich. Thousands of Michigan voters roared with approval as Donald Trump lashed out at an economic system he said was rigged against everyday Americans. They cheered louder when he declared that Hillary Clinton was to blame. I am going to fight so hard for all of you, the Republican presidential nominee boomed as he read from a teleprompter, and I am going to bring back the jobs that have been stripped away from you and your country. Friends and foes agree he is at his best in those scripted moments. But Trumps frequent unscripted moments are often drowning them out diverting attention from his economic message and alienating women and minorities with early voting already under way in some states. The Friday night speech was the latest example of Trumps sharpened focus on the economy and his Democratic opponents shortcomings as he treks across the Midwestern battlegrounds he needs to become the 45th president of the United States. But on Twitter and in interviews, the former reality television star fueled a self-inflicted political firestorm last week after an underwhelming debate performance by attacking a former Miss Universe, first seizing on her weight and then calling on the world to view her sex tape. Hes not going to change. This is who he really is, said former Minnesota Rep. Vin Weber, a Republican. Its ridiculous to even argue this, but if he could stay on message, which is to say if he could be somebody else, he could win. Lifelong Republican loyalists across the country are beyond frustrated that Trumps dueling personae appear to be jeopardizing the GOPs chance to take back the White House. Despite Trumps faults, Clinton remains deeply unpopular and untrusted by a large segment of the electorate. Yet there is little room in the national conversation for Clintons faults when Trump tweets about sex tapes. Ohio GOP Chairman Matt Borges calls Clinton a liar and says she deserves to lose. And just when its looking like its a good bet that she will lose, were talking about things that I believe dont help us win, he says. There is little sign that Trumps approach will help him expand his support beyond the white working-class voters who cram into his rallies. During Mondays debate, he said African American voters are living in hell. And his four-day feud with former Miss Universe Alicia Machado threatens to push his already-low standing among women and Latinos even lower. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The foliage season is really starting to bloom across Northern California according to CaliforniaFallColor.com, which compiles a weekly update of current conditions across the state. This weekend in the Eastern Sierra conditions are at peak above 9000 feet. Near peak colors are being seen above 7000 feet in Eastern and Northern Sierras. Below 7000 feet, the leaves are just starting to turn. "Few Californians know our state has the longest, most diverse, and - I believe - the most spectacular show of fall color in the nation, perhaps the world," proclaims John Poimirro, who runs CaliforniaFallColor.com. The website bases its reports on the findings of a group of 75 volunteer leaf peepers and photographers. Below are the current reports the group provided for Northern California: HIGH SIERRA Eastern Sierra - Inyo County Overall Conditions Above 8,500' - Peak (75-100%) It's time to head to Bishop Creek Canyon to see high areas of the canyon at peak. Overall Conditions Between 7,500' and 8,500' - Just Starting (0%-10%) to Patchy (10-50%) Most of the lower canyon is still just starting, though areas between 8,000 and 8,500 are still patchy or just starting at the lowest elevations. Weir Pond (9,650') - Peak ( 75-100%) GO NOW! - The canyon wall above the pond are peaking with yellow and some orange. Aspen around the pond's shoreline are now more yellow than green to lime. Sabrina Campground Area (9,000') - Peak ( 75-100%) GO NOW! - The aspen along Hwy 168 are going off in a big way right now and are at or near peak. There's still lots of green within the campground itself and along the stream, hence my "near peak" rating. Parchers Resort (9,260') - Peak ( 75-100%) GO NOW! - The canyon walls to the east and west of the resort are brightly painted with yellow, orange and rose, as are many of the aspen on the resort grounds. Willow Campground (9,000') - Peak ( 75-100%) GO NOW! - This area has really developed in the past week with yellow filling in. Views up canyon from the campground are beautiful but the campground and the aspen lining the road and the beaver pond are a mix of lime and fresh yellow. Table Mountain Camp (8,900') - Peak ( 75-100%) GO NOW! - The mountainside just down canyon from the campground is covered with brilliant yellow and a touch of orange. The aspen along the creek are now filling in with lime and yellow. Surveyors Meadow (8,975') - Peak ( 75-100%) GO NOW! Surveyor's meadow is gorgeous, though there are still many more stands to turn. This area should remain at peak for two weeks (conditions permitting). Lake Sabrina (9,150') - Peak ( 75-100%) GO NOW! - Lots of color can be seen at the lake along the back slopes that descend to the lake and along the eastern shoreline. Sabrina Approach (9,100') - Patchy (10 - 50%) The approach to Sabrina and the small ponds below the dam remai mostly green with spots of yellow. North Lake (9,255') - Peak ( 75-100%) GO NOW! The approach to the lake and the groves on the mountainside above the lake are now at low peak color. More yellow is appearing along the road, though it will be another week to full peak on North Lake Road. Mist Falls and the groves above Bishop Creek Lodge (8,350') - Patchy (10-50%) Yellow is filling in slowly. Aspendell (8,400') - Just Starting (0 - 10%) - Just a touch of yellow here and there in this neighborhood. Groves above Cardinal Village (8,550') - Peak ( 75-100%) GO NOW! - The canyon slope from above Cardinal Village up to Cardinal Pinnacle is at peak. More lime and yellow are now showing near the middle fork of Bishop Creek and surrounding Cardinal Village; give it another week for peak color there. Four Jeffries (8,000') - Just Starting (0 - 10%) Still scattered yellow branches. Intake II (8,000') - Patchy (10 - 50%) Lime and yellow, scrub aspen on the hillside have turned. Big Trees Campground (7,800') - Just Starting (0 - 10%) Still green Mono County "Fall colors are exploding in the higher elevations," of Mono County reports Jeff Simpson. He assesses Virginia Lakes, Dunderberg Meadow Road, Lobdell Lake, and Rock Creek as being at full peak and urges, "Go Now!" Other locations worthy of viewing for the coming week, in Mono County, include Sonora Pass, Green Green, and the higher elevations of Tioga Pass. Hikers should focus their energy on the Parker Lake (Hike of the Week), Walker Lake, Laurel Canyon, Green Lake, and Rock Creek trails. For fabulous fly fishing surrounded by fall color, head to Little Walker Lake. Areas like Lundy Canyon, Convict Lake, and the June Lake Loop are just starting to show color and will be ready soon. The Eastern Sierra will have rolling peaks for at least the coming three weeks, at varying elevations. Lobdell Lake (9,200) Peak (75-100%) GO NOW! Colors are absolutely stunning along the road to Lobdell Lake off Burcham Flat Road. Virginia Lakes (9,770) Peak (75-100%) GO NOW! Colors are at full peak along Virginia Lakes Road and around Virginia Lakes. Take the Dunderberg Meadow Road towards Green Creek for wonderful red groves in Cinnamon Meadow. Upper Rock Creek (10,300) Peak (75-100%) GO NOW! These high elevation areas are exploding with brilliant yellows and a few oranges. Sonora Pass (9,623) Near Peak (50-75%) GO NOW! A mix of colors depending on elevation and location. A full peak near the top of Sonora Pass while still very patchy around Leavitt Meadows. Green Creek (7,500) Near Peak (50-75%) GO NOW! The hike to Green Lake is at full peak while colors around the campground and along Green Creek Road are patchy. Tioga Pass (9,943) Near Peak (50-75%) GO NOW! The upper elevations around Tioga Lake, Ellery Lake and Saddlebag Lake are in prime viewing condition. Parker Lake (8,313) Near Peak (50-75%) GO NOW! HIKE OF THE WEEK The next 10 days are going to be brilliant at Parker Lake. Take the Parker Bench Trail (7,772) from Silver Lake Resort for a more difficult but worthy fall color experience. The lake is overshadowed by 12,000 peaks of the Sierra Crest. Little Walker Lake Near Peak (50-75%) GO NOW! Just starting to turn yellow with patchy lime greens around the lake. Carry a fly rod, barbless flies and a license for catch-and-release fishing for bows, brookies, kamloops and browns. Laurel Canyon (8,500) -Near Peak (50-75%) GO NOW! If you're looking for fall color that's off-the-beaten-path, Josh Wray of Mammoth Lakes recommends nearby Laurel Canyon. Unlike many of the Eastern Sierra's color hotspots, Laurel Canyon's aspen grove cannot be driven to on a paved road. Instead, the only ways to get there are by 4WD vehicle, horse or foot. To get to the best views, the trail is, at-times, a steep, narrow and winding gravel/rock road. The best color is seen in the middle section of the trail beside Laurel Creek. Patchy (10 50%) Conway Summit, Green Creek Rd., Lundy Lake and Canyon, Summer's Meadow, Mammoth Lakes Basin, Mammoth Creek Rd., Convict Lake and Canyon, McGee Creek Just Starting (0-10%) Walker Canyon, Towns of Walker/Coleville, Twin Lakes, June Lake Loop, Convict Lake Resort/Campground, Crowley Lake, Lower Rock Creek. Northern Sierra Hope Valley (7,300') Near Peak (50-75%) GO NOW! Brilliant stands of yellow aspen, brushed with orange are seen in the Hope Valley. This area along CA-88 on the east side of Carson Pass will continue to peak for two weeks. Lake Tahoe (6,200') Patchy (10-50%) Spots of yellow aspen are seen at points along lakeshore drive. Middle Martis Creek/Brockway Summit (7,179') Near Peak (50-75%) GO NOW! The groves surrounding an old ranch cabin at Middle Martis Creek off CA-267, between Northstar and Brockway Summit, is close to peaking. NORTH COAST Sonoma County Sonoma Valley Regional Park, Glen Ellen (253') Patchy (10-50%) John Natelli reports that valley and black oaks, bigleaf maple and white ash are about 40% there, with mostly green and lime appearing among maple and ash, with the oaks a mix of green to changing leaves. California's oak woodlands are often difficult to classify, because oak leaves turn and fall over so long a period of autumn change. SHASTA CASCADE Hat Creek Meadow, Lassen Volcanic National Park (6,500) Peak (75-100%) GO NOW! Lassen Volcanic color spotter Shanda Ochs says Hat Creek meadow's grasses and willows have "beautiful rusty orange, gold and yellow foliage." However, meadow grasses provide an early show that doesn't last long. Shanda believes the display at Hat Creek will wane, as leaves turn with approaching colder temperatures. Manzanita Lake, Lassen Volcanic National Park (5,900) Just Starting (0-10%) - Lime-colored willow, alder and cottonwood ring the lake. Alder Creek Campground, CA-32 (3,900) Patchy (10-50%) - Sharon Roberts of the St. Bernard Lodge (10 mi. west of Chester/Lake Almanor) reports that the Indian Rhubarb (Darmera peltata) also known as the umbrella plant have begun their showy fall display of firey orange beside Deer Creek. Along its banks the fan-leaved plant turns bright orange-red at peak in early October. Presently the color is at the low end of Patchy, though examples of brilliant color can be found. Public apology I am writing this public apology for my actions on December 2, 2015, that led to the Arlington Public School located at 705 N. 9th Street going into lock-down that morning. I was participating in a telephone conference concerning my child and was upset at the timing of the information I received. I meant no physical harm to any of the students or administrators. At no time was I an actual threat to them. However, the school acted appropriately in taking the precautions they did, not knowing how to interpret my comments over the phone. I apologize for the concern and inconvenience that I caused all involved. James Gilcrist Fremont Few wildlife events have created more excitement than the well-publicized invasion mountain lions into Iowa. So much so that the media-hyped excitement has, at times, bordered on near hysteria. In reality, it isnt likely that Iowa will ever harbor a viable population of free roaming cougars even a tiny one. But it is probable, however, that the occasional western straggler will continue to at least visit our state. Most Iowans will never see one, of course. Even those folks living in areas with high cat densities rarely catch a glimpse. With fluid-like agility and incredible strength, mountain lions are among the world most awe-inspiring predators. Like many outdoor enthusiasts, Ive long relished the thought of seeing an untamed cougar in its natural habitat. Last week I nearly received that rare opportunity. It happened during an archery elk hunt conducted on the western slope of the Colorado Rocky Mountains. The encounter came as a surprise and was certainly not the kind of event I had envisioned. The episode occurred early on a frosty morning. I was tucked into the low branches of a thick clump of mountain spruce while my hunting partner, Lake Mills Police Chief Dave Thomas, was cow calling 30 yards to my rear. Longbow in hand, the plan was for me to execute a front echelon ambush if a bull responded to the sounds. I was puzzled when barely into the set, Dave suddenly quit calling and deliberately stepped into plain sight. Were shutting this site down immediately, he said. Heres what happened. While Thomas was conducting of a series of calls, the tawny, round-eared, cantaloupe-shaped head of a cougar suddenly appeared above the grassy ground cover. After methodically surveying the surroundings, the huge cat slowly lowered itself back to the ground and disappeared. Thomas had rightfully decided that we wanted no part of a scenario where an apex predator was considering something as large as a cow elk to be a viable menu item. I agreed. Its not unusual for mountain cats to kill and eat large prey; they do it all the time. I have acquaintances in the western Black Hills who have killed five cougars that literally came running to the sound of distressed deer calls. The heaviest of those lions weighed in at 127 pounds. Now thats a big cat. As far as Thomas and I were concerned, this was definitely not the time to be in the middle of a situation where a hungry puma could react to a case of mistaken identity. Heres the bad part: Although the cougar had actually been much closer to me than it was to Thomas, I never got to see the puma due to the thick cover I was hiding in. In any event, the high adventure episode provided unexpected excitement and gave us plenty to think about after the fact. MANLY Since its installation earlier this year, Central Springs staffers hope a buddy bench can be a designated spot where children can find a friend at recess. Theyre looking out for each other ... as opposed to leaving somebody out, said paraprofessional Kristi Florea. You dont see very many kids playing alone. The Central Springs PTO purchased the bench for just over $500 with funds from a $2,500 Monsanto grant. The bench was for those kids that are rather shy and may not want to take the first step in forming friendships, said Central Springs PTO member Kathy Gaetzke. You dont want your kid coming home saying, I dont have anyone to play with, she said. Its pretty heart-wrenching. For about two years, Northwood-based Premier Polysteel has been one of several companies marketing and selling the bench to schools nationwide. During that time, it has sold hundreds of benches, said Corey Coen, Premier Polysteel director of sales and marketing. North Iowa schools that have purchased a similar bench include Lake Mills, Garner-Hayfield-Ventura and Northwood. The company is holding its second annual contest and will award a free bench to one school each in Iowa and Minnesota which can make the case on how it can promote friendship at their school. The contests deadline is Oct. 7. The most important part is that we get to see the school use the bench, Coen said. If it can change one kids life ... thats payment enough for us to see that happen. MASON CITY | Residents of Mason City are invited to share coffee with local police at Coffee With a Cop on Friday. Mason City police officers will meet informally with community members at 2 p.m. Oct. 7 at McDonald's restaurant, 1651 Fourth St. SW. There is no agenda or presentation. Residents are invited to meet with police officers, chat, discuss any concerns, ask questions and enjoy a cup of coffee. The goal of the event is to build and improve relationships between community members and police officers. It is a nationwide program. Molly Montag The Texas Department of Public Safety presented a report to the state earlier this summer which included a map of major smuggling routes along the U.S.-Mexico Border. Steven McCraw, DPS Director, presented a powerpoint to the Texas House Appropriations Committee July 19 detailing an overview of Operation Secure Texas, a border protection plan, and proposals requested by the Joint Committee on Border Security, according to the DPS website. OSAGE Plans for building a new Osage Community Daycare on the Lincoln Elementary School campus moved forward last week. The Osage City Council appointed a Community Development Block Grant selection committee of Frank Arciniega, day care director Shelly Parks, City Clerk and day care board member Cathy Penney, and council members Judy Voaklander and Ross Grafft. The council also made twin approvals for CDBG grant administration and architect/engineering services associated with the project. All are first steps leading to a final decision on a new building construction. Penney said after the meeting the building would be financed through the block grant, if successful, and fundraising. A block grant award could reap as much as $600,000 and would be awarded in May 2017. The Mitchell County Regional Health Center has shown interest in acquiring the current property, located north of the hospital on Pine Street. Early estimates put the project at about $2 million, said Penney. Size of the structure would be, in part, dictated by requirements set by the Department of Human Services, which oversees day care operations. The current day care provides services for infants through elementary-age children. Tentative plans would be to build the day care on the northwest corner of the lot at the corner of Fifth and Mechanic streets, all of which is owned by the Osage district.District. Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle These articles and photo collections on SFGate.com and the premium SFChronicle.com got the most visits in the week ended Thursday at 10 a.m. SFChronicle.com Legislation that would have allowed all cities in California to use ranked-choice voting, the system in San Francisco and three other Bay Area communities that lets voters rank candidates by preference and decide an election in a single round of ballots, has been vetoed by Gov. Jerry Brown. Ranked-choice, also known as instant-runoff voting, gives voters the option of choosing multiple candidates in order of preference. After the ballots are first counted, the candidate with the fewest top-rank votes is eliminated and the next choices of that candidates supporters are apportioned among the remaining candidates. The process continues until one candidate gets a majority. While the system can sidetrack a leading candidate who lacks second-choice votes, it also encourages voters to support the candidate they prefer, rather than a less-favored rival who has a better chance of winning. The system is less expensive for cities than the traditional primary and runoff elections. California law allows the states 121 charter cities to adopt the ranked-choice system if their voters approve it. Only four have done so San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley and San Leandro while the others hold two-round elections for local offices. The 361 general law cities, those without self-governing charters, hold single-round elections in which the top vote-getter is declared the winner, needing only a plurality of the voters rather than a majority. That category includes such Bay Area communities as Antioch, Brisbane, Concord, Daly City, Menlo Park and Walnut Creek. The legislation, SB1288 by Sen. Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, would have allowed any city to switch to ranked-choice balloting if voters endorsed it. The measure passed both houses on divided votes but was vetoed Thursday by Brown in a sharply worded message. In a time when we want to encourage more voter participation, we need to keep voting simple, the governor said. Ranked-choice voting is overly complicated and confusing. I believe it deprives voters of genuinely informed choice. Leno reacted with bewilderment. Ranked-choice voting is very simple, he said, and the point of his bill was whether we, the state, should dictate to these general law cities how they should design their voting systems. Brown may have had other reasons for his veto. Mayor of Oakland from 1999 to 2007, he supported former state Senate leader Don Perata in the 2010 mayors race, the citys first under the new system. Perata got the most votes in the first round but wound up losing to Jean Quan, a councilwoman who ran to Peratas left and got more second-place votes from supporters of like-minded candidates. Perata, and some of his backers, said afterward that ranked-choice voting had unfairly cost him the election. Groups seeking changes in the electoral system supported Lenos bill and were dismayed by the veto. Ireland uses ranked-choice voting to elect its president, and Australians elect representatives with that system, said Steve Chessin, president of Californians for Electoral Reform. I cant believe that the people in California are any less able to understand the system, he said. Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @egelko Counting down the days until Nov. 8, some county officials are still scrambling to fill the ranks of people needed to actually conduct the election. In Iowas larger counties, hundreds of people are needed for whats essentially a one-day job. County auditors lean heavily on older folks retirees who are willing and available to spend a long day helping voters cast their ballots. Recruiting poll workers has always been a challenge, said Eric Van Lancker, Clinton County auditor for eight years, who needs about 200 poll workers for Nov. 8. Thats because of the amount of responsibility, the long hours and increasingly complex duties, said Karen Showalter, Black Hawk County elections manager. Black Hawk County hopes to hire 350 poll workers. Understand that they work a 16-hour day, administering hundreds of complex election laws to process up to 1,000 voters over a 14-hour period, once a year, added Ken Kline, Cerro Gordo County auditor, who will deploy 165 poll workers to 26 polling places and another 24 to count a projected 12,000 absentee ballots. Thats not a great enticement, but auditors said once recruited, poll worker generally come back for future elections. They often are the best recruiters of other poll workers, Kline said. Within three days after the 2012 presidential election, we had two individuals and one couple stop in the office to sign up to be precinct officials, because, in the words of one person, They heard how much fun it was to work the election, Kline said. Auditors have tried a variety of ways to attract poll workers formally known as precinct election officials (PEOs). Raising their pay is a common approach. Linn County Auditor Joel Miller, who needs more than 600 poll workers, pays $160 for Election Day $200 for poll chairpersons and mileage if they travel more than five miles to a poll. In Woodbury County, where 234 PEOs are needed at polling places and 30 to count absentee votes, Auditor Pat Gill needs met with the local Democratic and Republican parties to discuss the issue. The most common comments were about low pay and long hours. The Board of Supervisors raised pay to $10 an hour $12 for chairpersons. It also was agreed that poll workers could work a split shift, something Gill didnt think was an ideal solution. However, by agreeing to pay time-and-a-half after eight hours to give them incentive to work the entire 16-hour day, Gill was able to attract more than enough workers and has a standby list. In Scott County, Roland Caldwell, operations manager in the auditors office, was well on his way to meeting his target of 350 PEOs, but you always lose some to health or other things along the way. Scott pays $7.92 an hour $8.21 for chairpersons. In Johnson County, 400 poll workers are needed. Kline has heard that the average age of poll workers is 70-plus and that conforms to his colleagues experience. Now theyve also turned to recruiting high school students who are at least 17 years old. Showalter has tried recruiting younger people comfortable with the technology used in polling places. But most are still working full-time and unable to take a vacation day to work the polls, she said. Van Lancker reported succeeding in recruiting a couple of people who take a day of vacation to work at the polls. One auditor said the problem with trying to recruit younger poll workers is hes found few millennials willing to put down their phones for that long. Auditors say the increased use of technology can cut both ways in attempts to recruit poll workers. New technology is voter-friendly, Showalter said. However, as we continue to develop our processes and take advantage of the technological resources that are available to us, we continue to lose some of our older, more experienced poll workers. However, Kline said the Precinct Atlas system he helped develop has aided recruitment and retention. For one thing, PEOs dont have to remember complex election laws. They simply read and follow the intuitive and user-friendly prompts on the computer screen, he said. Overall, Kline said, the majority of poll workers see it as public service. They want to be part of an important process and proud of the work they do, he said. PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii Countries need to look for practical ways to defuse incidents in the South China Sea, where China is pitted against smaller neighbors in multiple disputes over islands, Singapores defense minister said. Ng Eng Hen told reporters Friday on the sidelines of a conference in Hawaii that incidents may not necessarily involve military ships. He noted navies have established protocols for when they encounter each other at sea. Instead, confrontations may develop between fishing vessels or other civilian ships, the defense minister said. Defense ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter discussed ways to prevent such incidents from escalating, Ng said. Singapore doesnt have any claims to disputed islands, but Ng said its interested in the issue because the South China Sea is a major shipping route and many economies depend on it. China claims virtually the entire South China Sea as its own, citing historical reasons. That has pitted it against the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei, all members of ASEAN. China has recently developed shoals and coral reefs into seven islands with major land-reclamation work. Some of the islands have airstrips capable of handling military aircraft. In July, an international arbitration tribunal ruled against Chinas claims, saying they were illegal. Beijing has rejected the ruling and continued its activities. Ng said the tribunals ruling is law, but there are practical concerns to consider. For Singapore, a non-claimant sate, our main interest is, either with or without a ruling, how do you make sure the region is still stable and to make sure you actually have mechanisms to prevent any escalations? he said. Carter told reporters he and his counterparts discussed improving coordination and cooperation between their militaries to keep the regions waterways open. He said he asked the heads of the U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard to hold a meeting with ASEAN partners next year to share their best practices for maritime security. Ng said the terror threat posed by the Islamic State group was uppermost on the minds of the ministers at the meeting. BEIRUT Russia warned the United States on Saturday against carrying out any attacks on Syrian government troops, saying it would have repercussions across the Middle East as government forces captured a hill on the edge of the northern city of Aleppo under the cover of air strikes. Russian news agencies quoted Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova as saying that a U.S. intervention against the Syrian army will lead to terrible, tectonic consequences not only on the territory of this country but also in the region on the whole. She said regime change in Syria would create a vacuum that would be quickly filled by terrorists of all stripes. U.S.-Russian tensions over Syria have escalated since the breakdown of a cease-fire last month, with each side blaming the other for its failure. Syrian government forces backed by Russian warplanes have launched a major onslaught on rebel-held parts of the northern city of Aleppo. Syrian troops pushed ahead in their offensive in Aleppo on Saturday, capturing the strategic Um al-Shuqeef hill near the Palestinian refugee camp of Handarat that government forces captured from rebels earlier this week, according to state TV. The hill is on the northern edge of the Aleppo, Syrias largest city and former commercial center. The powerful ultraconservative Ahrar al-Sham militant group said rebels regained control Saturday of several positions they lost in Aleppo in the Bustan al-Basha neighborhood. State media said 13 people were wounded when rebels shelled the central government-held neighborhood of Midan. Air strikes on Aleppo struck a hospital in the eastern rebel-held neighborhood of Sakhour putting it out of service, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and the Local Coordination Committees. They said one person was killed in the air strike. Opposition activist Ahmad Alkhatib described the hospital, known as M10, as one of the largest in Aleppo. He posted photographs on his Twitter account showing the damage including beds covered with dust, a hole in its roof and debris covering the street outside. A doctor at the hospital told the Aleppo Media Center, an activist collective, that thousands of people were treated in the compound in the past, adding that two people were killed in Saturdays air strikes and several were wounded. In the eastern province of Deir el-Zour, warplanes of the U.S.-led coalition destroyed several bridges on the Euphrates river, according to Syrian state news agency SANA. The province is a stronghold of the Islamic State group. SANA said that among the bridges destroyed was the Tarif Bridge that links the eastern city of Deir el-Zour with the northern Syrian city of Raqqa, the extremists de-facto capital. JOHANNESBURG South African protesters lob rocks at security guards at one of the continents leading universities. Police fire rubber bullets at students on another campus. Vice-chancellors warn that students might not be able to finish the academic year if a national dispute over financing higher education is not resolved soon. Twenty-two years after the end of white minority rule, grievances over economic inequities are fueling unrest that has forced the closure of some of South Africas most prominent universities, which are struggling to cover costs. Opinion has splintered among students, faculty, parents and the government, which acknowledges funding shortfalls but accuses a radical minority of bringing campuses to a standstill. One target of protesters condemnation is Adam Habib, vice-chancellor of the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, also known as Wits. Habib, in turn, has suggested it is ironic that Wits, whose student population is mostly black, could unravel because of protesters who say they are committed to decolonization. He tweeted: The tragedy of our moment. The protests are smaller than widely popular demonstrations in 2015 that forced the government to suspend university fee increases this year. Demonstrations picked up again after the government said universities can increase fees by up to 8 percent next year, although it will pay about $180 million to cover the costs of poor students in 2017. Wits and the University of Cape Town hope to resume the academic program on Monday. Some students vehemently oppose that plan. Once a student demand for free education is met, we are willing to go back to class. I mean, we are here because we want to study and get degrees, said Mzwanele Ntshwanti, a student leader at Wits who wore a jacket with an emblem of the Student Representative Council. Weve managed to disrupt the system because thats the only language that they understand, he said Friday in a reference to university administrators and the government. Ntshwanti was standing outside the Great Hall, a temple-like building whose tall columns evoke Western academic traditions that irk some South African students who demand a curriculum more focused on African affairs. As he spoke, about 100 members of the Wits teaching staff, many in red and black academic robes, rallied on the Great Hall steps to demand more state funding and an end to violence. On Sept. 20, protesters at Wits threw stones at private security guards, smashing glass at the Great Hall entrance. Some guards picked up projectiles and threw them back, contributing to an image of a prestigious center of learning as a chaotic battleground. In a separate incident, the government blamed student activists for the death of a university worker who was hospitalized after being affected by a fire extinguisher sprayed by protesters. On Wednesday, police fired rubber bullets and arrested 11 students during a protest for free education at Rhodes University in the city of Grahamstown. That prompted the vice-chancellor, Sizwe Mabizela, to say students should not become collateral damage in the dispute over costs. Vice-Chancellor Max Price of the University of Cape Town on Friday met 200 protesters who oppose the universitys re-opening on Monday. Separately, about 2,000 students and staff held a silent rally urging the resumption of classes, Price said on the universitys website. KINGSTON, Jamaica One of the most powerful Atlantic hurricanes in recent history weakened a little on Saturday as it drenched coastal Colombia and roared across the Caribbean on a course that threatens Jamaica, Haiti and Cuba. Matthew briefly reached the top hurricane classification, Category 5, and was the strongest Atlantic hurricane since Felix in 2007. The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said Matthews winds had slipped slightly from a peak of 160 mph to a still-potentially devastating 150 mph, a Category 4 storm. It is expected to near eastern Jamaica and southwestern Haiti on Monday. The latest forecast had Matthews path passing closer to Haiti than before and the center issued a hurricane warning for Jamaica and much of Haiti, and said life-threatening rainfall was expected in parts of the impoverished Caribbean nation. The forecast track would also carry Matthew across Cuba and into the Bahamas, with an outside chance of a brush with Florida, though that would be several days away. Its too early to rule out what impacts, if any, would occur in the United States and Florida, said Dennis Feltgen, a spokesman at the Hurricane Center. As Matthew skimmed past the northern tip of South America there were reports of at least one death the second attributed to the storm. Authorities in the area overall breathed a sigh of relief as the storm triggered heavy flooding in towns along the La Guajira peninsula of Colombia, but damage overall was minimal. Some officials were even grateful for the rain after a multi-year drought in the poverty-stricken area. Authorities say at least 27 houses were damaged and two roads were washed out. One person, a 67-year indigenous man, was carried away to his death by a flash flood in an area where it hadnt rained for four years. There was concern that heavy rain across much of Colombia this weekend could dampen turnout for a nationwide referendum Sunday on a historic peace accord between the government and leftist rebels. In Jamaica, high surf began pounding the coast and flooding temporarily closed the road linking the capital of Kingston to its airport. Carl Ferguson, head of the marine police, said people were heeding calls to relocate from small islands and areas near rural waterways. Feltgen said storm force winds and rain will arrive well before the center of the storm. Jamaicans basically have daylight today, they have tonight and they have daylight tomorrow to take care of what needs to be done, he said Saturday. In Haiti, civil protection officials broadcast warnings of a coming storm surge and big waves, saying the country would be highly threatened from the approaching system. Forecasters said rainfall totals could reach 10 to 15 inches with isolated maximum amounts of 25 inches in Jamaica and southwestern Haiti. The U.S. Navy base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, is also potentially in the path of the storm. A mandatory evacuation of non-essential personnel was under way. Imagine a real-life version of Inglourious Basterds, Quentin Tarantinos quixotic movie about Jewish avengers in World War II but in this case involving a plot by a band of refugees to kill millions of Germans just after the war by poisoning their water supply. The plot, which targeted five major cities in retribution for the Holocaust, failed. So did the conspirators Plan B, which followed in mid-April 1946: to murder 12,000 captured SS officers members of the very unit that enforced the Nazis reign of terror and ran the death camps by lacing their bread rations with arsenic. The second scheme was not a complete failure, however. Led by 21-year-old Joseph Harmatz, a survivor of the Vilnius ghetto in Lithuania, the plotters sickened more than 2,200 German prisoners, inducing vomiting and other symptoms of cholera. Their weapons were 3,000 loaves of black bread, which had been painted with a mixture of arsenic and glue at a bakery, which one of the group had infiltrated. Mr. Harmatz, who died at 91 on Sept. 22 at his home in Tel Aviv, Israel, never publicly expressed remorse for his role in either conspiracy. But later on, his son Ronel said Tuesday, he did acknowledge privately that he was grateful that the mass water-poisoning plot was abandoned after one of his collaborators was arrested. He did admit that it is good that this plan did not happen, the younger Harmatz said. He knew at the back of his heart that it would have damaged the prospects for a state of Israel, then being advocated, and that they would have compared the Jews to the German people. Still, he said, Mr. Harmatz was sorry that Plan B, to fatally poison the imprisoned SS officers, had not been as successful as he had hoped. The conspirators claimed that the poisoned bread killed several hundred prisoners at Stalag 13 in Langwasser, a district of Nuremberg. That was never confirmed, but Army investigators found enough arsenic at the bakery to kill tens of thousands. Was he sorry? He was sorry that it didnt work, Ronel Harmatz said. He wanted to do more. The conspirators were made up of 50 or so former guerrillas who had fought the Germans from the sewers of the Vilnius ghetto, where the Jewish population plunged from about 40,000 to a few hundred during the war, and from the Rodniki forest south of Vilnius, now the capital of Lithuania that was also known then as Vilna. They reconstituted themselves in Bucharest after the war ended, in 1945, and become known as the Nakam, Hebrew for avengers. Its mission was simple. Kill Germans, Mr. Harmatz said this year. How many? As many as possible, he replied. The avengers were believed to be responsible for the kidnapping and killing of countless individual former Nazis in Europe and elsewhere after the war. In another daredevil plot, they sought to assassinate more than a dozen top Nazis on trial for war crimes in Nuremberg, only to cancel the operation after failing to find U.S. guards to help them. Ronel Harmatz said he never doubted his fathers motivation: He wanted the Germans to pay for their crimes, and for him it was not like the Nazis were aliens from a different planet. They were just Germans. Mr. Harmatz was born on Jan. 23, 1925, in Rokiskis, Lithuania, the son of Avraham and Devora Harmatz. His father was in the wholesale food business, and the family was well-to-do. After the Germans invaded and Jews were confined to a Vilnius ghetto, his father, unable to provide for the family, left a suicide note and disappeared. All four grandparents were slain. So was Mr. Harmatzs younger brother. His older brother was killed in combat. Only his mother survived. At 16, as a young communist, he joined the underground and smuggled partisans through the sewers to the forests so they could join a group of guerrilla fighters and saboteurs led by Abba Kovner. After the war, they reorganized as the Avengers. (Kovner became a prominent Israeli poet.) Mr. Harmatz wrote about his experiences in From the Wings, a book published in English in 1998. By his account the plot to poison the SS prisoners had been sanctioned by Chaim Weizmann, the Zionist leader who would become the first president of Israel. Weizmann was not told about the scheme to poison the water supply, Mr. Harmatz wrote, but other Zionist leaders were, and it worried them; they feared it would jeopardize support for the proposed Jewish state. The plot was aborted when Kovner was arrested as he was returning to Europe with the poison. Mr. Harmatz helped thousands of European and North African Jews reach Palestine. He settled in the new state of Israel in 1950 and married Gina Kirschenfeld. She died in 1987. Besides their son Ronel, who confirmed the death, he is survived by another son, Zvi, and three grandchildren. LAGOS, Nigeria Nigerias president promised Saturday to drive hunger out of Africas most populous nation but made no mention of a conflict-driven famine threatening to kill tens of thousands of children in northeast Nigeria. The United Nations has warned that 75,000 children could die of starvation in a year if speedy action isnt taken in northeastern Nigeria, where underfunded aid agencies say 4.4 million people need food and 65,000 are living in famine-like conditions amid an Islamic insurgency by Boko Haram extremists. KO OLINA, Hawaii Defense Secretary Ash Carter hinted at U.S. impatience with the Philippine government over inflammatory comments by President Rodrigo Duterte. At a news conference Friday, Carter was asked his view on pursuing greater military collaboration with the Philippines in light of Dutertes latest remarks. Earlier Friday the Philippine leader compared his bloody anticrime war to Adolf Hitler and the Holocaust and said he would be happy to slaughter 3 million drug addicts. Carter said he had not discussed Dutertes comments with his Philippine counterpart, Delfin Lorenzana, who was attending a meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations hosted by Carter at an Oahu resort. Just speaking personally for myself, I find these comments deeply troubling, Carter said. The Pentagon chief noted that the Philippines is a longtime U.S. treaty ally. Like all alliances, it depends on the continuation of a sense of shared interests, he added. So far in U.S.-Philippine history we have had that. We look forward to continuing that. But thats something that we continue to discuss with the Philippine government. When Carter visited the Philippines in April, he praised the strength of the partnership. Last week in San Diego, he called U.S.-Philippine defense relations ironclad. That seeming closeness took a sharp downturn when Duterte was elected president in June. In early September, President Obama canceled a meeting with Duterte after the Philippine leader publicly called him a son of a bitch. Later, Duterte said he regretted the comment. Earlier last month, Duterte said joint military exercises of Filipino and American troops scheduled for this week will be the last such drills, although his foreign secretary quickly said the decision was not final. Duterte said the Philippines will maintain its military alliance with the United States because they share a 65-year-old mutual defense treaty. Aides to Carter said he probably will seek clarification in Hawaii from Lorenzana regarding the future of U.S.-Philippine military exercises. Lorenzana is well known to U.S. officials after serving for more than a decade at the Philippine Embassy in Washington before taking the defense portfolio after Duterte was elected. Carter wants to encourage more regional cooperation in Asia and the Pacific on key issues such as maritime security and terrorism. As part of a broader Obama administration push to rebalance its security interests by paying greater attention to Asia and the Pacific after 15 years focused mainly on the Middle East, Carter is pitching the idea of an Asian security network. Rachel J. Holcomb OSAGE Rachel J. Holcomb, 89, of Osage, died Thursday, Sept. 29, 2016, at the home of her son in Arnolds Park, Iowa. Services will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 5, at the First United Methodist Church in Osage with Pastor Julie Schubert officiating. Burial will be in the Osage Cemetery. Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday at Champion-Bucheit Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to the Osage Public Library. Champion-Bucheit Funeral Home, Osage, is in charge of arrangements. NEW YORK, Sept. 30, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Guggenheim Investments, the investment management division of Guggenheim Partners, today announced that the following Guggenheim exchange traded funds (ETFs) have declared distributions. The table below summarizes the distribution for each ETF. Distributions Schedule Ticker Exchange Traded Fund Name Ex-Date Record Date Payable Date Total Rate Per Share GSY Guggenheim Enhanced Short Duration ETF1 10/03/16 10/05/16 10/07/16 $ 0.0513 GTO Guggenheim Total Return Bond ETF 10/03/16 10/05/16 10/07/16 $ 0.1164 BSCG Guggenheim BulletShares 2016 Corporate Bond ETF 10/03/16 10/05/16 10/07/16 $ 0.0090 BSCH Guggenheim BulletShares 2017 Corporate Bond ETF 10/03/16 10/05/16 10/07/16 $ 0.0246 BSCI Guggenheim BulletShares 2018 Corporate Bond ETF 10/03/16 10/05/16 10/07/16 $ 0.0265 BSCJ Guggenheim BulletShares 2019 Corporate Bond ETF 10/03/16 10/05/16 10/07/16 $ 0.0323 BSCK Guggenheim BulletShares 2020 Corporate Bond ETF 10/03/16 10/05/16 10/07/16 $ 0.0376 BSCL Guggenheim BulletShares 2021 Corporate Bond ETF 10/03/16 10/05/16 10/07/16 $ 0.0419 BSCM Guggenheim BulletShares 2022 Corporate Bond ETF 10/03/16 10/05/16 10/07/16 $ 0.0459 BSCN Guggenheim BulletShares 2023 Corporate Bond ETF 10/03/16 10/05/16 10/07/16 $ 0.0512 BSCO Guggenheim BulletShares 2024 Corporate Bond ETF 10/03/16 10/05/16 10/07/16 $ 0.0496 1On September 30, 2013, Guggenheim Enhanced Short Duration Bond ETF changed its name to Guggenheim Enhanced Short Duration ETF. Distributions Schedule Ticker Exchange Traded Fund Name Ex-Date Record Date Payable Date Total Rate Per Share BSCP Guggenheim BulletShares 2025 Corporate Bond ETF 10/03/16 10/05/16 10/07/16 $ 0.0500 BSJG Guggenheim BulletShares 2016 High Yield Corporate Bond ETF 10/03/16 10/05/16 10/07/16 $ 0.0226 BSJH Guggenheim BulletShares 2017 High Yield Corporate Bond ETF 10/03/16 10/05/16 10/07/16 $ 0.0833 BSJI Guggenheim BulletShares 2018 High Yield Corporate Bond ETF 10/03/16 10/05/16 10/07/16 $ 0.0901 BSJJ Guggenheim BulletShares 2019 High Yield Corporate Bond ETF 10/03/16 10/05/16 10/07/16 $ 0.0992 BSJK Guggenheim BulletShares 2020 High Yield Corporate Bond ETF 10/03/16 10/05/16 10/07/16 $ 0.0999 BSJL Guggenheim BulletShares 2021 High Yield Corporate Bond ETF 10/03/16 10/05/16 10/07/16 $ 0.1015 BSJM Guggenheim BulletShares 2022 High Yield Corporate Bond ETF 10/03/16 10/05/16 10/07/16 $ 0.1166 BSJN Guggenheim BulletShares 2023 High Yield Corporate Bond ETF 10/03/16 10/05/16 10/07/16 $ 0.0817 Past performance is not indicative of future performance. To the extent any portion of the distribution is estimated to be sourced from something other than income, such as return of capital, the source would be disclosed on a Section 19(a)-1 letter located on the Funds website under the Literature tab. Distributions may be comprised of sources other than income, which may not reflect actual fund performance. For more information, please visit http://www.guggenheiminvestments.com/products/etf. About Guggenheim Investments Guggenheim Investments is the global asset management and investment advisory division of Guggenheim Partners, with $202 billion1 in total assets across fixed income, equity, and alternative strategies. We focus on the return and risk needs of insurance companies, corporate and public pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, endowments and foundations, consultants, wealth managers, and high-net-worth investors. Our 275+ investment professionals perform rigorous research to understand market trends and identify undervalued opportunities in areas that are often complex and underfollowed. This approach to investment management has enabled us to deliver innovative strategies providing diversification and attractive long-term results. Read a funds prospectus and summary prospectus (if available) carefully before investing. It contains the funds investment objectives, risks, charges, expenses and other information, which should be considered carefully before investing. Obtain a prospectus and summary prospectus (if available) at http://guggenheiminvestments.com or call 800.820.0888. The referenced funds are distributed by Guggenheim Funds Distributors, LLC. Guggenheim Investments represents the investment management businesses of Guggenheim Partners, LLC (Guggenheim), which includes Guggenheim Funds Investment Advisors, LLC ("GFIA") and Guggenheim Partners Investment Management (GPIM), the investment advisors to the referenced funds. Guggenheim Funds Distributors, LLC, is affiliated with Guggenheim, GFIA and GPIM. 1 Guggenheim Investments total asset figure is as of 06.30.2016. The assets include leverage of $11.4bn for assets under management and $0.5bn for assets for which we provide administrative services. Guggenheim Investments represents the following affiliated investment management businesses: Guggenheim Partners Investment Management, LLC, Security Investors, LLC, Guggenheim Funds Investment Advisors, LLC, Guggenheim Funds Distributors, LLC, Guggenheim Real Estate, LLC, Transparent Value Advisors, LLC, GS GAMMA Advisors, LLC, Guggenheim Partners Europe Limited, and Guggenheim Partners India Management. NEW YORK, Sept. 30, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pomerantz LLP announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Polaris Industries, Inc. (Polaris or the Company) (NYSE:PII) and certain of its officers. The class action, filed in United States District Court, District of Minnesota, and docketed under 16-cv-03108, is on behalf of a class consisting of all persons or entities who purchased or otherwise acquired Polaris securities between January 26, 2016 and September 11, 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). If you are a shareholder who purchased Polaris securities during the Class Period, you have until November 15, 2016 to ask the Court to appoint you as Lead Plaintiff for the class. A copy of the Complaint can be obtained at www.pomerantzlaw.com. To discuss this action, contact Robert S. Willoughby at rswilloughby@pomlaw.com or 888.476.6529 (or 888.4-POMLAW), toll free, ext. 9980. Those who inquire by e-mail are encouraged to include their mailing address, telephone number, and number of shares purchased. [Click here to join this class action] Polaris, together with its subsidiaries, designs, engineers, manufactures, and markets off-road vehicles, snowmobiles, motorcycles, and on-road vehicles in the United States, Canada, Western Europe, Australia, and Mexico. On July 23, 2015, Polaris issued a recall for the Companys model-year 2016 Youth RZR off-highway vehicle, citing fire hazards. Three other recalls of the Companys RZR vehicles followedin October 2015, December 2015, and April 2016affecting more than 160,000 RZR vehicles of various model years. Nevertheless, Polaris consistently advised investors that the Company expected full year 2016 net income to be at least $6.00 per diluted share. On January 26, 2016, Polaris issued a press release reporting full-year guidance in the range of $6.20 to $6.80 per diluted share; on April 21, 2016, Polaris issued a press release maintaining the same guidance estimate; and on July 20, 2016, Polaris issued a press release only slightly lowering and narrowing its guidance range to $6.00 to $6.30 per diluted share. The Complaint alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made false and/or misleading statements, as well as failed to disclose material adverse facts about the Companys business, operations, and prospects. Specifically, Defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) the Company was unable to sufficiently validate the initially identified repair for certain of its recalled RZR vehicles; (ii) as a result, the Company would ultimately need to implement a more complex and expensive repair solution; (iii) the financial impact of RZR vehicle recalls was therefore greater than the Company had disclosed to investors; (iv) consequently, the Company had overstated its full-year 2016 guidance; and (v) as a result of the foregoing, Polariss public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times. On September 12, 2016, pre-market, Polaris issued a press release announcing that the Company was lowering its full-year 2016 earnings guidance to the range of $3.30 to $3.80 per diluted share. The Company attributed the lowered guidance to the impact of RZR thermal-related problems, citing, in part, the Companys inability to sufficiently validate the initially identified RZR Turbo recall repair, necessitating a more complex and expensive repair solution. On this news, Polaris stock fell $4.05, or 5.01%, to close at $76.79 on September 12, 2016. The Pomerantz Firm, with offices in New York, Chicago, Florida, and Los Angeles, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, the Pomerantz Firm pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 80 years later, the Pomerantz Firm continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomerantzlaw.com Martinsried / Munich, Germany, Oct. 1, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MorphoSys AG (FSE: MOR; Prime Standard Segment, TecDAX; OTC: MPSYY) announced today that its licensee Janssen Research & Development, LLC (Janssen) has reported positive results from a clinical phase 3 study examining guselkumab, a fully human antibody intended to target IL-23 identified from MorphoSys's HuCAL antibody library, in 837 patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis ("VOYAGE 1" study). Janssen stated in a press release issued today that "new phase 3 data show significant efficacy versus placebo and superiority of guselkumab versus Humira in treatment of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis" and that guselkumab "demonstrates significant efficacy compared with tumor necrosis factor blocker Humira across all major study endpoints through 48 weeks of treatment". According to Janssen, the two co-primary endpoints of the study were met: Primary endpoints included improving signs and symptoms of psoriasis, while delivering clear or almost clear skin (IGA 0 or 1 and PASI 90) at week 16, in patients receiving guselkumab compared to placebo. In addition, according to Janssen, all major secondary endpoints achieved statistical significance in comparisons of guselkumab versus Humira. Janssen presented the data from the "VOYAGE 1" study today in a late breaking session at the 25th congress of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV) in Vienna, Austria. The randomized, double-blind, placebo- and active-comparator-controlled study evaluated guselkumab, in comparison to placebo and active comparator adalimumab (Humira), in the treatment of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. END OF AD HOC ANNOUNCEMENT About MorphoSys: MorphoSys developed HuCAL, the most successful antibody library technology in the pharmaceutical industry. By successfully applying this and other patented technologies, MorphoSys has become a leader in the field of therapeutic antibodies, one of the fastest-growing drug classes in human healthcare. Together with its pharmaceutical partners, MorphoSys has built a therapeutic pipeline of more than 100 human antibody drug candidates for the treatment of cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, and Alzheimer's disease, to name just a few. With its ongoing commitment to new antibody technology and drug development, MorphoSys is focused on making the healthcare products of tomorrow. MorphoSys is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under the symbol MOR. For regular updates about MorphoSys, visit http://www.morphosys.com. HuCAL, HuCAL GOLD, HuCAL PLATINUM, CysDisplay, RapMAT, arYla, Ylanthia, 100 billion high potentials, Slonomics, Lanthio Pharma and LanthioPep are registered trademarks of the MorphoSys Group. Humira is a registered trademarks of AbbVie Inc. This communication contains certain forward-looking statements concerning the MorphoSys group of companies. The forward-looking statements contained herein represent the judgment of MorphoSys as of the date of this release and involve risks and uncertainties. Should actual conditions differ from the Company's assumptions, actual results and actions may differ from those anticipated. MorphoSys does not intend to update any of these forward-looking statements as far as the wording of the relevant press release is concerned. For more information, please contact: MorphoSys AG Dr. Claudia Gutjahr-Loser Head of Corporate Communications & IR Jochen Orlowski Associate Director Corporate Communications & IR Alexandra Goller Senior Manager Corporate Communications & IR Tel: +49 (0) 89 / 899 27-404 investors@morphosys.com Ad hoc Release http://hugin.info/130295/R/2046038/764505.pdf SAN FRANCISCO: Cloud computing company Salesforce is reportedly trying to block the $26.2 billion Microsoft-LinkedIn deal, arguing that Microsoft's acquisition of the enterprise social network LinkedIn will be anti-competitive. According to a report in pcworld.com, Salesforce Chief Legal Officer Burke Norton will take the company's argument to the European Union's anti-trust authorities. "Microsoft's proposed acquisition of LinkedIn threatens the future of innovation and competition," Norton said in a statement. "By gaining ownership of LinkedIn's unique dataset of over 450 million professionals in more than 200 countries,Microsoft will be able to deny competitors access to that data, and in doing so obtain an unfair competitive advantage," Norton added. Salesforce - now rumoured to be in the race to buy micro-blogging website Twitter - was also in the fray to acquire LinkedIn. After losing to Microsoft, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff has showed his concerns over the deal, urging the Federal Trade Commission to "scrutinise Microsoft's plans for LinkedIn". Microsoft President Brad Smith, however, said "the deal has already been cleared to close in the US, Canada, and Brazil," Wall Street Journal reported. In June, Microsoft announced to acquire LinkedIn in an all-cash deal, billed as one of the largest such pacts in the global social media space. LinkedIn, which has nearly 10 pct of its over 430 million users in India, will retain its distinct brand, culture and independence and Jeff Weiner will remain the chief executive of LinkedIn, reporting to his Indian-born Microsoft counterpart Satya Nadella, the tech giant said in a statement. The deal, expected to close within this year, works out to over $60 per LinkedIn user. Microsoft will pay $196 per LinkedIn share - a 50 pct premium to LinkedIn's closing price on June 10. Read Also: Google To Set Up Cloud Region In Mumbai Top 10 Mobile Operators in India NYSI-20160927-150302-NWS_SNOW.jpg New York City Department of Sanitation conducts mock snowstorm response drills to be prepared for winter weather. This truck was out on Sunday, Sept. 25, 2016, on Preston Avenue and Koch Boulevard in Eltingville. (Photo courtesy of Michael Wolfe). STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.-- No one listens to the weather forecast more closely than Kathryn Garcia. That's why the Department of Sanitation of New York commissioner, who has already heard media reports about a rough winter, is not taking any chances. Garcia has sent city Sanitation Department workers out in force, starting last weekend, for snow training. Staten Islanders may have spotted the Sanitation trucks out in their neighborhood and questioned why plows were out with no snow in sight. "It was one of the things we committed to after the blizzard last year," Garcia said, referring to last year's record-breaking snowfall due to Winter Storm Jonas. According to the National Weather Service, the blizzard of 2015 left behind more than two feet of snow-- the second largest amount of snowfall in the city since 1869. With this in mind, the Sanitation Department upped it's game this year. "We've done snow drills in the past, but it's never been the entire force and it's never been, 'Let's look at every single route right before snow season starts,'" Garcia said. "This is just taking it to another level." Garcia said 1,800 sanitation workers were re-trained last weekend. The training will continue on Sundays throughout October. "Every single Sanitation (Department) worker is getting retrained," said Garcia, noting that one of the reasons for the training is the fact that equipment can change over time. The training refreshers allow workers to get familiar with all aspects of a vehicle, such as its host of features. "There are a bunch of features in these vehicles that you need to be refreshed on," Garcia said. The Sanitation workers also drive all the routes throughout the five boroughs to anticipate any changes in city streets. "The city is constantly changing," Garcia noted. Sometimes a worker will notice there's new bollards on a local roadway or construction being done, she said. They will ensure that turns can be made and vehicles can get through. Garcia pointed out that during these training sessions Sanitation workers make sure that they have "the right equipment for each route." The city Sanitation Department has a lot of new equipment, Garcia said. During the training, Sanitation workers will also test the GPS system. Garcia's goal is to make sure that the Sanitation Department is ready for anything. "Expectation from the public in New York City is very high and we want to make sure we are doing everything we can to be prepared," Garcia said. Garcia said that she wants to make sure that all roads have access to emergency vehicles, including ambulances and New York Police Department and Fire Department of New York vehicles. "That's the most critical thing for us is to make sure those roads get opened as quickly as possible . . . and if this training makes us more effective at opening the city back up, then it's well worth it," Garcia said. YONKERS -- Thousands of mourners including firefighters and elected officials have filled a suburban church to pay respects to a New York City fire battalion chief killed by debris from a house explosion last week. Mayor Bill de Blasio, Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro and Cardinal Timothy Dolan are among those attending Michael Fahy's funeral at Annunciation Church, in Yonkers. The 17-year fire department veteran and father of three died Tuesday. He was directing operations from the street when he was struck by debris when the house in the Bronx exploded. Authorities say a tampered gas main may be to blame. They're looking into whether the building was used to grow marijuana. Two people have been arrested in connection with the explosion. Fahy was posthumously promoted on Thursday from battalion chief to deputy chief. CHARLESTON, S.C., Oct. 1, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- With this vibrant new stamp design, the U.S. Postal Service continues its tradition of celebrating Kwanzaa by dedicating a new Kwanzaa Forever stamp today. The First-Day-of-Issue dedication ceremony took place in Marion Square in Charleston at the MOJA Art Festival celebrating African-American and Caribbean arts. Kwanzaa, an annual non-religious holiday taking place over seven days from Dec. 26 to Jan. 1, brings family, community and culture together for many African-Americans. This year, Dec. 26 marks the 50th anniversary of the widely celebrated holiday. The public is asked to share the news using the hashtag #KwanzaaStamps. "Kwanzaa celebrations focus on the importance of family, community and culture, and reflect some of the core values of African culture," said U.S. Postal Service Deputy Postmaster General and Chief Government Relations Officer Ronald Stroman. "The stamp's bold colors depict a young African-American woman as the embodiment of Africa, with her dress collar and matching earring featuring an African design. The image shows her holding a large purple bowl overflowing with fruits and vegetables, symbolizing the abundance of African first harvest celebrations that inspired the creation of Kwanzaa," Stroman added, referring to the work of stamp artist Synthia Saint James. Joining Stroman and Saint James in the dedication ceremony were Charleston Mayor John Tecklenberg; Charleston Lowcountry Kwanzaa Planning Committee Chairpersons Mama Abena Allen and Sarah Nesbit; and Kwanzaa stamp art director Greg Breeding. Pastor of the Nichols Chapel AME Church Reverend Randolph Miller served as master of ceremonies. "We are honored that the United State Postal Service has chosen to unveil the new Kwanzaa stamp in Charleston at our MOJA festival where we celebrate African-American and Caribbean arts throughout the city," said Tecklenberg. "This is a fitting backdrop for the dedication of the Kwanzaa stamp, which pays tribute to the holiday that honors the community and values of African culture." "What an incredible honor," said Saint James. "I was first commissioned to create the painting for the first Kwanzaa Stamp in 1996, which was released in 1997. Now a brand new Kwanzaa Forever Stamp, nearly 20 years later, celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Kwanzaa holiday. I'm jazzed, elated and thrilled. In my first Kwanzaa stamp, I highlighted the sixth day of Kwanzaa the celebration of the principle of 'Kuumba' creativity and the Kwanzaa feast. The emphasis of this stamp is 'First Fruits' equal Kwanzaa, and the affirmation for both spiritual and material abundance in our lives. For this stamp, the African-American woman, adored with symbols of the Ndebele Tribe on her earring and on her dress, is offering us all to partake from her overflowing bowl of first fruits in celebration of the Kwanzaa holiday." Growing up in New York and later Los Angeles, where she resides today, Saint James always knew she wanted to be an artist. Self-taught, she developed an artistic style that is uniquely and recognizably her own. She sold her first painting at age 20 a commissioned piece for a coworker which helped launch her artistic career. A professional artist for more than 45 years, she has worked with clients such as Barnes and Noble, Maybelline, UNICEF, "Essence" magazine and The Coca-Cola Company, among others. Saint James created the original cover art for Terry McMillan's novel "Waiting to Exhale" and has illustrated and/or authored 17 children's books. Her work has been exhibited internationally and has appeared in several United States embassies around the world. With bright, bold colors, Saint James's striking paintings convey the joy and vibrancy of her subjects. Inspired in part by French Impressionists, she focuses on shapes and overall visual effects, using as many as nine coats of paint to get the colors just right. Kwanzaa's History Created in 1966, Kwanzaa draws on African traditions, deriving its name from the phrase "first fruits" in Swahili, a widely spoken African language. It has its origins in celebrations that occurred across the African continent in ancient and modern times. Kwanzaa synthesizes and reinvents these traditions as a contemporary celebration of African-American culture. Each year, millions of African-Americans gather with friends and family around a table set with the mkeka a straw mat symbolizing the history of African-Americans. They light seven candles known as the mishumaa saba, and share in a feast that celebrates their common heritage. Kwanzaa is a festive occasion to rejoice in the prospect of health, prosperity and good luck in the coming year, while also recalling the past and its role in future happiness. This is the sixth stamp design issued by the U.S. Postal Service in celebration of Kwanzaa. The first Kwanzaa commemorative stamp was issued in 1997. New designs also were issued in 2004, 2009, 2011 and 2013. This Kwanzaa stamp is being issued as a Forever stamp, meaning it will always be equal in value to the current First-Class Mail 1-ounce price. Ordering First-Day-of-Issue Postmarks Customers have 60 days to obtain the first-day-of-issue postmark by mail. They may purchase new stamps at local Post Offices, at The Postal Store website at usps.comshop or by calling 800-782-6724. They should affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes to themselves or others and place them in a larger envelope addressed to: Kwanzaa Stamp Stamp Fulfillment Services Cancellation Services 8300 NE Underground Drive, Pillar 210 Kansas City, MO 64144-9998 After applying the first-day-of-issue postmark, the Postal Service will return the envelopes through the mail. There is no charge for the postmark up to a quantity of 50. There is a 5-cent charge for each additional postmark over 50. All orders must be postmarked by Dec. 1, 2016. Ordering First-Day Covers The Postal Service also offers first-day covers for new stamp issues and Postal Service stationery items postmarked with the official first-day-of-issue cancellation. Each item has an individual catalog number and is offered in the quarterly "USA Philatelic" catalog, online at usps.comshop, or by calling 800-782-6724. Customers may request a free catalog by calling 800-782-6724 or writing to: U.S. Postal Service Catalog Request PO Box 219014 Kansas City, MO 64121-9014 Visit this link for information on upcoming stamp events. The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations. # # # Please Note: For broadcast quality video and audio, photo stills and other media resources, visit the USPS Newsroom. Reporters interested in speaking with regional Postal Service public relations professionals should visit this link. Follow us on twitter.com/USPS and like us at facebook.com/USPS. For more information about the Postal Service, visit usps.com and usps.com/postalfacts. A photo accompanying this release is available at: http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=41558 STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.-- The NYPD officer who shot himself four times in the stomach was recently visited by the feds and had ties to Deputy Inspector James Grant, the Staten Island cop accused in the police corruption probe, according to the New York Post. Lt. Peter Salzone, who was found shot in his girlfriend's house in Queens Friday afternoon, could have potentially testified against Grant, who appointed him the 19th Precinct's integrity control officer, the Post reported. Grant was the boss at the 19th Precinct on the Upper East Side, Advance records show. A source told the Post that the feds stopped by Salzone's home either late last week or early this week - and that his union lawyers were arranging for him to speak further with the feds. Grant allegedly accepted diamonds and cash from a businessman at the center of the FBI probe into whether NYPD officials took handouts for certain services, according to a report by the New York Post. Grant was stripped of his gun and badge and reassigned to the Medical Division, according to Advance records. He vehemently denies the allegations, his attorney, John Meringolo, told the Advance in April. Grant is one of four officers from Staten Island to be disciplined amid the FBI corruption probe. NWS CB1 Community Board meetings are open to the public and a way to get involved in your community. In this photo. members of Community Board 1 gathered for a full board meeting. (Staten Island Advance File Photo). STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The fall is a busy season for Community Boards throughout Staten Island as issues arise on a variety of topics from transportation to local development. Committees plan to meet this week regarding public service, budget, quality of life, land use, youth services and traffic/transportation issues. Community Board meetings are all open to the public and a way to get involved in your community. It is also a great place to learn more about local happenings and report neighborhood news about issues in your neighborhood. If you have a question or concern you'd like to speak out about, all you need to do is sign up -- before the meeting is called to order -- to speak in the public session. COMMUNITY BOARD 1 Arlington - Castleton Corners - Clifton - Concord - Elm Park - Fort Wadsworth - Graniteville - Grymes Hill - Livingston - Mariners Harbor - New Brighton - Port Richmond - Randall Manor - Rosebank - St. George - Shore Acres - Silver Lake - Stapleton - Sunnyside - Tompkinsville - West Brighton - Westerleigh There is a The board office is located at 1 Edgewater Plaza, Suite 217, Stapleton. The office phone number is 718-981-6900. The board chairman is Nicholas Siclari; the district manager is Joseph Carroll. COMMUNITY BOARD 2 Arrochar - Bloomfield - Bulls Heads - Chelsea - Dongan Hills - Egbertville - Emerson Hill - Grant City - Grasmere - High Rock - Lighthouse Hill - Midland Beach - New Dorp - New Springville - Oakwood - Ocean Breeze - Old Town - Richmond - South Beach - Todt Hill - Travis There is a The There is a There is a All committee meetings are in the board office, which is located in the Lou Caravone Community Service Building on the campus of Sea View Hospital Rehabilitation Center and Home, 460 Brielle Ave., Sea View. The office phone number is 718-317-3235. The chairman of the CB 2 board is Dana T. Magee; the district manager is Debra A. Derrico. COMMUNITY BOARD 3 Annadale - Arden Heights - Bay Terrace - Charleston - Eltingville - Great Kills - Greenridge - Huguenot - New Dorp - Oakwood - Pleasant Plains - Prince's Bay - Richmond Valley - Richmond - Rossville - Tottenville - Woodrow There will be a There is also a Committee meetings are in the board office located at 1243 Woodrow Road, 2nd Floor, Rossville. The office phone number is 718-356-7900. The CB 3 board chairman is Frank Morano; the district manager is Charlene Wagner. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- In a bid to more quickly resolve certain drug cases and get dealers off the street, a dedicated narcotics part--the location where defendants are arraigned--will begin operation Monday in state Supreme Court, St. George, said District Attorney Michael E. McMahon. Justice Charles Troia will now handle those felony cases in which defendants are accused of drug sale or drug possession with the intent to sell, McMahon said. "This is part of our two-pronged approach to deal with the problem directly - to go after the dealers and to try to get earlier diversion to treatment for those who have an addiction illness," McMahon said Friday during an interview in his office. "This is a life-and-death situation on Staten Island. We need to attack the suppliers, and this is one of the ways to do that." There are about 100 such cases on the docket now, and they will gradually be transferred to Troia's courtroom, if they aren't disposed of in the interim, the D.A. said. New cases which fit the criteria will go directly to Troia for arraignment and eventual disposition, either by plea or trial, said McMahon. McMahon, who took office in January, has made battling the borough's drug scourge a top priority. As of Friday, there were 71 overdose deaths on the Island this year which prosecutors believe are heroin- or opioid-related and are being investigated as such, the D.A. said. "We believe the narcotics cases are among the most urgent on Staten Island," said McMahon. "We'll be able to shut down people who are dealing, and it gets to deal with cases more quickly. If you are selling drugs on Staten Island, you will be arrested and swiftly prosecuted." McMahon said he broached the idea of the new part with Justice Stephen J. Rooney, the borough's administrative judge for criminal matters, who approved of it. Judge Janet DiFiore, the state's chief judge, and Judge Lawrence K. Marks, the state's chief administrative judge, also green-lighted the new part, said McMahon, who thanked those jurists as well as Troia for their support. Having just one judge handle these cases will allow for "more consistent outcomes," said Chief Assistant District Attorney Paul A. Capofari. Capofari said the office remains committed to the Staten Island Drug Treatment Court presided over by Judge Alan J. Meyer and will not divert any resources from it. Drug Treatment Court handles felony and misdemeanor drug-possession cases in which defendants are addicts with no prior criminal record and are now accused of committing a non-violent crime. There are currently 118 cases in Drug Treatment Court, said McMahon. Several criminal defense lawyers said the new part makes sense provided treatment is an option. "If it's merely just a part to give people jail sentences who are charged with drug offenses, I don't see the need for that," said Mark Geisser. "But if they're doing it with an eye toward evaluating these cases to see if someone accused of sales is selling because he's an addict, that's a great idea." Lawyers Thomas Reilly and Kevin McKernan, both former prosecutors now working in criminal defense, agreed. "If they're doing this to help people who are selling because they are addicts and get them into a program, it's a good thing," Reilly said. "But if it's just to push along harsher sentences for people who do nickel and dime sales, it's not going to solve anything." Said McKernan, "I think that any time you can have a program or court that looks more to treatment than incarceration, it's a good thing. Incarceration in many cases doesn't solve the problem. There are many people out there who are only selling to support their habit." McKernan added that Drug Treatment Court under Meyer "is effective." By clicking Agree, you consent to Slates Terms of Service and Privacy Policy and the use of technologies such as cookies by Slate and our partners to deliver relevant advertising on our iOS app to personalize content and perform site analytics. Please see our Privacy Policy for more information about our use of data, your rights, and how to withdraw consent. Agree betterscore wrote: A mutual fund having billions of dollars in assets will typically invest that money in hundreds of companies, rarely holding more than one percent of the shares of any particular corporation. (A) companies, rarely holding more than one percent (B) companies, and it is rare to hold at least one percent or more (C) companies and rarely do they hold more than one percent (D) companies, so that they rarely hold more than one percent (E) companies; rarely do they hold one percent or more Meaning is crucial to solving this problem: Concepts tested here: Meaning + Verb Forms + Pronouns + Grammatical Construction + Awkwardness/Redundancy A: Correct. as a result such a mutual fund B: anyone a mutual fund having billions of dollars in assets C: as a separate action as a result D: for the purpose of as a result E: as a separate action as a result Hence, A is the best answer choice. Dear Friends,Here is a detailed explanation to this question-Understanding the intended meaning is key to solving this question; the intended meaning of this sentence is that a mutual fund having billions of dollars in assets will typically invest that money in hundreds of companies, and as a result, it will rarely hold more than one percent of the shares of any particular corporation. Semicolons and the comma + conjunction construction are used to link two independent clauses; commas are used to link an independent clause with a dependent one; comma cannot be used to join two independent clauses. The introduction of the present participle ("verb+ing"- holding in this case) after comma generally leads to a cause-effect relationship.This answer choice avoids the pronoun error seen in Options C, D, and E, as it uses no pronouns. Further, Option A uses the phrase "rarely holding...corporation"; the use of the "comma + present participle ("verb+ing" - "holding" in this sentence)" construction conveys the intended meaning - that a mutual fund having billions of dollars in assets will typically invest that money in hundreds of companies, andwill rarely hold more than one percent of the shares of any particular corporation; remember, the introduction of the present participle ("verb+ing"- holding in this case) after comma generally leads to a cause-effect relationship. Additionally, Option A correctly uses a comma to join the independent clause "A mutual fund having...companies" with the dependent clause "rarely holding...corporation". Besides, Option A is free of any awkwardness or redundancy.This answer choice alters the meaning of the sentence through the clause "and it is rare...corporation"; the construction of this clause incorrectly implies that it is rare forto hold more than one percent of the shares of any particular corporation; the intended meaning is that it is rare forto hold more than one percent of the shares of any particular corporation. Further, Option B uses the needlessly wordy phrase "at least one percent or more", leading to awkwardness and redundancy.This answer choice incorrectly refers to the singular noun "A mutual fund" with the plural pronoun "they". Further, Option C alters the meaning of the sentence through the phrase "and rarely do they hold...corporation"; the construction of this phrase incorrectly implies that a mutual fund having billions of dollars in assets will typically invest that money in hundreds of companies, and, it will rarely hold more than one percent of the shares of any particular corporation; the intended meaning is that a mutual fund having billions of dollars in assets will typically invest that money in hundreds of companies, and, it will rarely hold more than one percent of the shares of any particular corporation. Additionally, Option C incorrectly uses conjunction ("and" in this sentence) to join the independent clauses "A mutual fund having...companies" and "rarely do they hold...corporation"; please remember, semicolons and the comma + conjunction construction are used to link two independent clauses.This answer choice incorrectly refers to the singular noun "A mutual fund" with the plural pronoun "they". Further, Option D alters the meaning of the sentence through the clause "so that they...corporation"; the use of "so that" incorrectly implies that a mutual fund having billions of dollars in assets will typically invest that money in hundreds of companies,rarely holding more than one percent of the shares of any particular corporation; the intended meaning is that a mutual fund having billions of dollars in assets will typically invest that money in hundreds of companies, and, it will rarely hold more than one percent of the shares of any particular corporation.This answer choice incorrectly refers to the singular noun "A mutual fund" with the plural pronoun "they". Further, Option E alters the meaning of the sentence through the clause "rarely do they hold...corporation"; the construction of this clause incorrectly implies a mutual fund having billions of dollars in assets will typically invest that money in hundreds of companies, and, it will rarely hold more than one percent of the shares of any particular corporation; the intended meaning is that a mutual fund having billions of dollars in assets will typically invest that money in hundreds of companies, and, it will rarely hold more than one percent of the shares of any particular corporation.To understand the concept of "Comma + Present Participle for Cause-Effect Relationship" on GMAT, you may want to watch the following video (~3 minutes):All the best!Team_________________ "Our only concern at this point was community safety," Police Chief Jeff Davis said. "We felt that the aggression of some some of the protesters was escalating to the point where it was necessary to release some information and truly, it was my hope to relieve some of that concern." Claire Grant has seen more than her fair share of political change over the years. While the Red Hill resident who turned 100 years old last month has seen many changes in prime ministers and chief ministers, she said the biggest change had been honesty among elected officials. Claire Grant is one of only 59 people on the electoral roll who is over 100 years old this election. Credit:Elesa Kurtz "I don't think politicians are reliable as they used to be," Mrs Grant said. "The risk of an ICAC-type body is that we deflect criticism of a minister to supposedly an expert body," he said. Chief Minister Andrew Barr and Opposition Leader Jeremy Hanson have both promised to create new integrity bodies an Integrity Commissioner and an ICAC, respectively if elected. Credit:Kirsten Lawson Professor John Uhr said he was cautious of models similar to the Independent Commission Against Corruption where a powerful, broad-based authority can scrutinise any area of government. The new integrity bodies promised by the three major parties should not take the place of inquiries led by elected officials, an ANU professor of politics has warned. "The cost of everybody now facing not just ministers, not just the Legislative Assembly, the Canberra Times, not just the auditor-general but the new body, is it adds to the stress within government. "Maybe that's an appropriate stress or maybe in some cases it's a step too far." Professor Uhr, from the School of Politics and International Relations, said a lot could be gained by having a properly appointed ICAC, but it had to be careful not to gazump the role of the Legislative Assembly in holding ministers and public servants to account. The Labor government promised last Saturday to create an Integrity Commissioner if re-elected, about a month after the Canberra Liberals shifted from their earlier stance and promised to establish an ICAC. The Greens had led the way, promising an independent Integrity Commission at their campaign launch in July. Professor Uhr saw no substantial difference between the integrity bodies proposed by the three parties. Public school fees of more than $10,000 annually for the children of temporary residents have been criticised by the ACT Human Rights Commissioner as potentially breaching the territory's human rights law. International students and workers are being forced to leave their children in home countries while the ACT government reaped more than $1.4 million this year from the fees. Peyma Choden paid her own way for a masters degree in Canberra but she and her husband struggled to meet the costs for her daughter to attend a public school. Credit:Rohan Thomson Foreign parents must pay $10,400 for every primary school student, $13,600 for each student in junior secondary school and $15,200 for any child in senior secondary school. Australian citizens and permanent residents send their kids to the same schools for free, with only a voluntary donation of a few hundred dollars commonly asked for. ACT Human Rights Commissioner Helen Watchirs said reforms to the directorate's policies in the past year had been a significant improvement in widening free school options, but concerns about discrimination remained. The ACT economy will be boosted with 1000 new jobs and an extra $160 million a year due to the expansion of the National Disability Insurance Scheme, a new government report claims. But a private disability support provider who has enjoyed massive growth under the scheme said limited workforce options in Canberra and meagre pay rates would make the forecast 70 per cent job growth in three years difficult. Minister for Social Services Christian Porter, said the market position statement for the ACT predicted a disability support sector worth $350 million a year by 2019, as the number of ACT participants rose to 6900. "Most importantly, an additional 1800 local residents living with a permanent and significant disability will receive funded supports a 35 per cent increase," he said. If Hillary Rodham Clinton loses the November 2016 United States presidential election, it will be because she is a woman. Not exclusively of course, but substantially. Decisively. How can one be sure of such a categorical statement? Because the observable conditions point precisely to this conclusion. No male presidential candidate who had so comprehensively out-gunned his opponent on all of the key performance indicators required for national leadership would find himself in the current neck-and-neck race especially against such an obviously defective alternative as Donald Trump. America's options: The Donald and HRC. Credit:AP Think about it. A highly qualified, governmentally experienced and broadly credible mainstream candidate with a lifetime of political service and national-international exposure is defeated by a naive outsider armed with nothing more than money, bravado, and a reality television fame for declaring "you're fired!" ... of all things. HRC, as Barack Obama noted at the Democratic National Convention, is probably better prepared for this unique office than any presidential candidate in history. And that is a fact acknowledged across the aisle by numerous Republicans many of whom intend to vote for her. It's a trend that doesn't grab many headlines. But over the past decade an industry focused on helping others has quietly become entrenched as Australia's biggest employer. Healthcare and social assistance which includes doctors, nurses, dentists, physiotherapists, childcare workers and aged care providers has made the largest contribution to the nation's jobs growth over the past 15 years. It now employs more than 1.5 million people, or one in every eight Australian workers. It's also a well-educated sector about three-quarters of its workers hold a post-school qualification, which is well above the national average. One driver of this care boom is our prosperity. It is hardly surprising that as we become richer we're prepared to spend more on our health and wellbeing. And thanks to the relentless advance of medical sciences there are lots of expensive new products, services and treatments available. The ageing of our population is another factor underpinning the care boom because older people tend to consume more healthcare and social assistance services. But those trends are not limited to Australia. Rising wealth levels and longer life expectancy in emerging economies, including China and India, means global spending on health and social assistance is set to surge. A massive number of care workers will be required to meet the demand. A former Liberal premier of NSW used to tell confidants that his state was basically Labor and the only way for the Liberals to win was to have Labor values but Liberal competence. I doubt that Prime Minister Turnbull has thought that deeply about this but the only way he will win the next election is if his NSW ex-colleague's dictum applies to the whole country. The Turnbull government is said to have had its best fortnight yet but its three cited achievements: a superannuation compromise, some modest savings measures and showcasing Australia's border protection policies at the UN were all capitulations to someone else. On super, Turnbull and Treasurer Scott Morrison surrendered to party conservatives who insisted that the backdated cap on non-concessional contributions was electoral rat poison in Coalition seats. On savings, the government accepted Labor's proposals rather than fight for its own. And on border protection, the Prime Minister, through gritted teeth, finally embraced the Abbott policies that he'd never liked. For as long as the Turnbull government lasts, this is what we'll see: deals with Labor or the Greens to raise taxes, cut concessions or reduce so-called middle-class welfare; incessant discussion with the crossbench to produce watered down versions of the Abbott government's policies to get tough with militant unions; and look-both-ways, hedge-your-bets responses to any new circumstance that the government might face. More than 246 properties evacuated, 97 flood rescues, 181 families stranded on inland islands, and tens of millions of dollars in losses to local businesses throughout central NSW. That is the human, emotional and economic toll of a flood that was in some ways, man-made. This week the Lachlan River, which runs for more than 1000 kilometres down the spine of NSW, peaked at 10.67 metres, reaching its highest level in at least 25 years, with devastating consequences for hundreds of farming families spread throughout the central west, local tourism and the many businesses which surround them. This was no flash flood, where rain unleashes torrents of water suddenly upon unsuspecting communities. It was a flood that was calculated and controlled by the water management arm of the NSW government when it knew Wyangala dam would breach its capacity and hit 100.2 per cent. Yasuo Takamatsu at a memorial for the lost bank employees. Credit:Asako Narahashi Takamatsu made his way back to Onagawa and listened to the radio for news of a tsunami. He received a message from the University of Sendai about his son, that he was alive, but he couldn't reach Yuko or his daughter, a high-school student in Ishinomaki. Finally, at 3.21pm, he received a text from Yuko: "Are you okay? I want to go home." Takamatsu thought that Yuko would have evacuated to a hospital on Mount Horikiri, about 240 metres from the bank. It was high up on a hill, one of many that surrounded Onagawa, and a designated evacuation point for the town. But Takamatsu couldn't get there. Firefighters blocked the road that led to the hospital. He had no way to reach Yuko, so he went home. She had been lost once before, he told me, on one of their first dates, when Takamatsu took her to a shrine on New Year's Eve. He told her not to get lost in the crowd, but she did anyway, for 20 minutes, until he found her again in the flow of exiting people. He would never forget those 20 minutes. The only photo of the Naritas and their daughter Emi not destroyed in the tsunami. Credit:Courtesy of Masaaki Narita Takamatsu returned to the hospital in the morning. "I'm here to look for my wife," he told the nurses. He asked if anyone knew what happened to the bank employees. Many people in the hospital had witnessed their fate their screams, their arms extended but no one said anything. Finally a woman told Takamatsu she had heard that some employees were wiped off the roof. She was certain they didn't make it. "But I don't know about Yuko," she added. Takamatsu didn't think she was dead. He went to every floor of the hospital, and when he couldn't find her, he walked to all the designated evacuation points. On this search, he ran into many friends and neighbours, and from them he learnt that his daughter was safe. Still, no one had seen Yuko. Yasuo Takamatsu and his wife Yuko. He has been on more than 100 dives looking for her. Credit:Courtesy of Yasuo Takamatsu At the age of 56 the reason I'm actually interested in learning to dive is that I'm trying to find my wife in the sea. Yasuo Takamatsu, husband of missing woman Yuko It snowed the day of the tsunami. The wave was expected to sweep in at a height of three metres. When it first reached the shore at 3.20pm, it was surging as high as 13.7 metres. Soldiers from the Ground Self-Defense Force arrived at Onagawa, and the morning after the tsunami they began poking the debris for bodies. All told, 613 bodies were identified, many elderly who were discovered entombed in their homes. Sometimes Takamatsu walked alongside the soldiers and listened as they spoke over walkie-talkies. If they announced the discovery of a body, he would ask what the body was wearing. Yuko was wearing black trousers and a camel-coloured coat. Even though he was searching for Yuko's body, he was always relieved when it wasn't hers. A month after the tsunami, when the bank was cleaning its premises, someone found Yuko's phone in the parking lot. Takamatsu found a text he didn't receive, written at 3.25pm. "So much tsunami," it read. From that text he knew she was alive until 3.25pm. He guessed the tsunami was up to her feet. When Masaaki Narita heard about what happened to the bank employees, all of them swept off the roof by the tsunami, he returned home, crying. He had last seen Emi the day before, on March 10. On Sunday morning, Emi's husband travelled to Onagawa by bicycle, and the next day the Naritas travelled by car. They all looked for Emi's body. Inside the bank they called out her name. They found her business cards in the mud. In April, six weeks after the tsunami, a body was found floating under debris in the waters off Tsukahama Beach, on the opposite side of the port, in Goburra Bay. It belonged to Michiko Tanno, a 54-year-old who worked at the bank for more than two decades. Seven or eight bodies floated nearby. Tanno's sisters, Keiko and Reiko, told Takamatsu the news. The body of a second bank employee washed up in Onagawa, at Takenoura Beach, on September 26, 2011. It was a 25-year-old named Kenta Tamura. Takamatsu worried that his wife would be next. By this January, Takamatsu had been on 110 dives, each lasting 40 to 50 minutes. He was not just looking for the body; he was also searching for a wallet, clothes or jewellery anything that might identify his wife after five years in the ocean. "I expected it to be difficult," Takamatsu said, "and I've found it quite difficult, but it is the only thing I can do. I have no choice but to keep looking for her. I feel closest to her in the ocean." I thought of the song that a French composer named Sylvain Guinet composed for Takamatsu after he learned of his loss. The title is Yuko Takamatsu. Takamatsu listened to the song, a piano solo, when he shopped online, ironed his clothes, drove his car and as he fell asleep. I asked him if the song brought back memories of Yuko. "It does not bring back memories," he said. "Because it is not something that I forget." We often think of searching as a kind of movement, a forward motion through time, but maybe it can also be the opposite, a suspension of time and memory. German philosopher Martin Heidegger wrote of a metaphoric pain, calling it the "joining of the rift". It's this rift, he said, that holds together things that have been torn apart, to perhaps create a new space where joy and sadness can find communion. This is the space I believed Takamatsu found beneath the sea, where he could feel close to his wife, in the rift between "missing" and "deceased". There was one survivor from the bank. The day of the tsunami, fishermen found him, tangled in debris, drifting in and out of consciousness. A month later, the families organised a meeting with the bank, and everyone hoped to speak with him. They wanted to know why the employees evacuated to the roof and not the hospital. But the meeting ended before they could speak with the survivor. "Everyone was quite confused," Takamatsu said. "We thought we would see him again." The bank would schedule a meeting, but the survivor always cancelled. The following year, Takamatsu received a formal invitation to a memorial service from the bank. At that point, he and the other families discussed filing a lawsuit. No one wanted to sue, but they needed to know what happened. Keiko and Reiko Tanno, the sisters of Michiko, joined the suit with their elderly mother as the legal plaintiff. The trial began in February 2014 in Sendai, and the district court ruled in favour of the bank, concluding that its evacuation plan was reasonable. In April 2015, the families' lawsuit failed on appeal. By then, though, they had finally been able to hear the survivor tell his story in court. In January, I met Keiko and Reiko at the bank memorial outside the hospital. Keiko told me the survivor's story as she remembered hearing him tell it in court. At 2.46pm, there was an earthquake, she said. The manager of the bank in Onagawa was out of the building when it happened. (His name and the survivor's have been kept secret by the bank.) He returned at 2.55pm. He told them about the tsunami warning. Two customers fled. One employee asked to leave. "I want to go home," she said. "I'm worried about my children." When she stepped outside, it was 3.05pm, and the tsunami sirens were already wailing. She lived. At 3.10pm, the remaining employees climbed to the roof. The tsunami was expected to reach a height of three metres, and the roof was nine metres. It would arrive at 3.30pm. They had time. By 3.15pm, all 13 employees were on the roof. Everyone seemed calm. They made phone calls and wrote to their families. Yuko wrote to Takamatsu. Michiko wrote to her sisters: "I'm safe." The bank manager told the survivor and Kenta Tamura to listen to the radio and monitor the sea. Kenta noticed that the hospital on the mountain was crowded with evacuees. He talked to the survivor about the hospital and wondered if they should go there. They agreed that they still had time to run. Everyone seemed calm. They decided to stay. The survivor saw the ships near the fish market move suddenly over the water. The bank was built on a floodplain over the ocean, and water swelled up from below. It cracked the earth and spread through the streets. Shortly after 3.30pm, the wave came. It was low at first and rushed past the building, but then the water level rose, gradually and then quickly, to about 20 metres from 5.8 metres. It took five minutes to flood the first floor. The manager commanded everyone to the highest point, a small electrical room with a three-metre vertical ladder. He was the last to climb, and when he stepped up, the building was already underwater. On January 11, in the afternoon, Takamatsu, wearing a silver tracksuit and high-top white sneakers, came to watch a body hunt conducted by the coastguard. The tracksuit glimmered like tinfoil. Narita wore a puffy jacket with a fur hood. The search was Narita's idea. Every now and then, he asked the Japan Coast Guard to conduct an official search for his daughter's body. He had asked them to search in May, and in October, and again in January. The government let Narita decide where. On this day, Narita chose a shipping route that belonged to the government, because it was a place he would never be able to dive himself. Not many people came to watch the search only the families of the bank victims and Takahashi and a few local residents. Members of the Japanese press outnumbered spectators. The coastguard divers arrived by sea. There were seven, dressed in bright orange-and-black dive suits and thick yellow helmets. After a brief speech, they saluted the families and drove the boat 20 metres from the dock. Hiromi poured coffee in the ocean for Emi, and everyone took a photograph. She pointed out to sea. "Today I served Salisbury steak," she said. "Emi's favourite." We waited an hour before the divers resurfaced. The dive commander briefed the families. "We found nothing," he said. Narita nodded and wiped his nose. Takamatsu was very still. "Nothing that didn't already belong in the sea," the dive commander continued. "The soda cans are all new. But do you want to see the photos anyway?" "Yes," Narita said. The underwater images played on a laptop computer in the back of a van. Narita and Takamatsu leaned forward to look inside. Here is a section of a building, he said, and part of a clock. Takamatsu walked quickly away from the crowd. He stayed close to the sea, and I tried to catch up with him. He started searching again. He stepped onto a pile of rocks, put his hands on his knees and stared down into the sea. The search for love, the search his, hers, everyone's is not for a needle in a haystack, nor a fish in the sea. It's for a specific person on Earth. The world never looks as big as when someone is lost. Long Chim, Sydney In the right hands, a bird's-eye chilli can be like a stealth bomber. It lurks, hidden and silent, then pounces, taking you by surprise. And at Long Chim, David Thompson's hands are very much the right ones. Long Chim in Sydney's CBD. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer Sydney has waited a long time to get Thompson back. This CBD eatery, a cavernous basement space, is the third in a global roll-out of design-focused Long Chim restaurants Singapore and Perth are up and running and a Melbourne version is the next tuk-tuk off the rank celebrating Thai street food in all its sweet, sour, salty, bitter and hot glory. Look hard enough and you'll find most of the same dishes served roadside in Thailand, but at Long Chim you've got a better selection of beers, cocktails and wines to go with them, plus knowledgeable, friendly service. Depending on where you sit, you might also have a revolving disco ball above your head. Star watchers, if you listen really, really carefully, you might just be able to make out a faint squeaking noise, or at least that is what it sounds like to the untrained ear. Actor Alexander Siddig played Prince Doran Martell in season five of Game of Thrones. Credit:HBO But rather it is actually the unmistakable sound of the world's tiniest violin being played as the latest in a long line of pampered celebrities throws a pity-party-for-one to publicly complain about the gigs or roles that got them to where they are today. Two weeks ago there were not too many people who had heard of actor Alexander Siddig. But all that changed last week when he gave an interview to launch into a long-winded whine about his gig on the cult hit show that has taken the world by storm over the past few years: Game of Thrones. Mel McFadden with her boys Dom (left) and Seb in their Canberra home. Credit:Andrew Meares "The amount of paperwork was pretty overwhelming. I had to put everything in writing and then chase up supporting documentation from doctors, the school, counsellors and gather up all of that. "I have a business background so this type of bureaucracy isn't totally alien to me but I do wonder how people who don't have that sort of background would be able to do it without support. That said, once I got it organised and got the application in, the funding came really quickly, and that opened a whole new world for us." Disability service provider My Supports was founded by two men with disability, Jim Cairns and Terry Mader. Jordanne's support package, worth $30,000 a year, covers the cost of support workers and specialists as well as activities which help her engage with the wider community, make friends her own age and develop life skills. The NDIS is aimed at giving people with disability greater choice and control on what kind of services they receive and who provides them, a radical shift from the previous rationed system. Jordanne and her mother engaged the Nepean Area Disability Organisation (NADO), a community-based charity which serves their local area. "It is important to her to have friendships and that's what her plan has allowed her to do," Debra says. "With NADO, she's been to Disney on Ice, they go to movie nights, they went into Sydney to see Vivid. She's made loads of friends which is what she wanted and what I hoped for. "I just want her to be able to be a teenage girl who has places to go and things to do and friends to see, all the things that we take for granted. If she is going to develop and be part of the community, that's the kind of interaction she needs." The ability to hire a support worker to supervise Jordanne has also freed up Debra to spend time with her other children and "just be a mum" to Jordanne rather than her carer. "Previously my days were all about doing what Jordanne is doing," she says. "Jordanne has the benefit of the funding but I think the whole family has benefited." While Jordanne has only been in the scheme since April, Debra has already noticed an improvement in her daughter's confidence and independence. "I'm not going to be around forever to do everything for her so she needs to be able to develop these life skills and express what she wants," Debra says. "The possibilities that have been opened up are endless." One of the goals of the NDIS is to boost workforce participation and Jordanne is now thinking about what she'd like to do when she finishes high school, considering the possibility of becoming a childrens' dance teacher. PLANNING YOUR PLAN Community service organisation Uniting is one of the local area co-ordinators for the NDIS in NSW, providing a link between potential participants and the scheme and then helping eligible applicants devise their plan and choose supports. Uniting NSW/ACT director Anita Le Lay says the transition to the scheme can be both terrifying and life-changing for participants and their families. "There is a lot of anxiety upfront, lots of fear and lots of worry," she says. "Once they have got their plan and got their funding, they work out what they want to do and you see that uncertainty lift. "The power in that has been quite incredible, particularly where families have put up with average services in the past or no support at all. They can say, 'That's not good enough and I am going to try something new'." Before signing up to the NDIS, Mel and Grant McFadden endured a revolving door of support workers for their two sons Seb, 9, and Dom, 8, who have complex medical and developmental needs. "We had 55 different support workers in our home in five years," Mel says. "We had no control over who it was coming into our home. Some were a fantastic fit and some were absolutely not a great fit." The McFaddens live in Canberra, one of the early trial sites for the scheme which they joined last year. They have used the boys' plans to sign up with a new provider, Hireup, an online portal which allows people to employ support workers directly rather than through an agency. "When we transitioned to the NDIS we could have continued using our existing agencies but I wanted to try some new services," Mel says. "I was quite happy to get rid of one agency in particular because the service was inconsistent, it wasn't very well co-ordinated. I felt like we were paying for something we were locked into that didn't suit our needs. "It's just so much better now. We choose who comes into our home, we choose when they work, we choose the level of training and qualifications they have, we choose what they do." In the past 12 months Mel has employed a swimming teacher for Seb, who was anxious around water, as well as an occupational therapist who is teaching circus skills to Dom. "We call it fun occupational therapy," she says. "It meets all of his sensory needs as well as enabling him to socialise with kids his own age. We never could have done this without the NDIS." NEW PLAYERS Hireup, founded by sibling disability advocates Jordan and Laura O'Reilly last year, is one of a number of new providers entering the market in response to the NDIS. Jordan O'Reilly says his personal experience with the services assigned to his late brother Shane, who had cerebral palsy, inspired him to start the company which operates nationally. "Growing up with a brother with a disability made us all aware of some of the challenges around getting the right support," he says. "We had many wonderful experiences with services but a lot of experiences where the system let us down. We thought the NDIS was a great opportunity to create some innovative solutions to some of the problems we experienced by connecting individuals directly with workers who suit them and their needs." Another new player is My Supports, founded by two friends Terry Mader and Jim Cairns, who have paraplegia. My Supports, which was established in Western Australia in 2014 but launched in NSW and Victoria in August, provides a range of disability services within local communities. The company also makes a point of employing people with disability. "The NDIS will create thousands of new jobs, and we see no reason why a good portion can't be for people with a disability passing on their skills and experiences," says Mader, who has a background in investment banking. "The NDIS really opens up things up if the NDIS was not around we would never have been able to start." BIG BUSINESS The NDIS will be fully rolled out across Australia over the next three years, eventually supporting 460,000 people, many of whom have not previously received funded services. The National Insurance Disability Agency, which administers the scheme, is predicting a huge increase in demand for services as the NDIS expands. According to the NDIA's market position statement, the scheme will create up to 30,000 jobs in the disability sector in NSW and up to 18,000 in Victoria over the next three years. The disability services market in NSW will more than double from $3.4 billion to $6.8 billion a year and in Victoria it will grow from $2.6 billion to $5.1 billion. The number of people with disability receiving funded support in NSW will increase by 60,000 over the next three years and by 27,000 in Victoria. "This is the biggest transformational change since Medicare," says Uniting's Le Lay. "It will change the lives of thousands of people." How to access the NDIS 1. Check your eligibility. 2. Consider supports you will need and who will provide them. Focus on your child's needs rather than the funding, and make a draft plan. Loading When a backpacker drowns or a child's life is cut short in a swimming pool tragedy, it makes headlines but a 10-year study reveals the deadliest and most common location for drowning is Australia's vast and often remote rivers. Middle-aged men, many of whom are at least four times over the alcohol limit, continue to be over-represented among victims, said the study's lead author, Amy Peden of the Royal Life Saving Society of Australia. Bailey Maher, 18, of Camden, drowned in December 2015 when he went for a swim from a houseboat at a Christmas party on the Hawkesbury River. More men than women die from drowning in rivers. Credit:Facebook Of the 2892 people who drowned in Australia between 2002 and 2012, 770 jumped, dived or fell to their deaths in rivers, making it the leading location for unintentional drowning deaths. Four out of every five victims were male, nearly all drowning victims lived with 100 kilometres of where they died, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders and people living in remote locations were more likely to drown. The French vessel Languedoc under fire from the British ship Renown in 1778, by Pierre Ozanne. Credit:US Library of Congress Abbass founded RIMAP more than 20 years ago to survey America's largest concentration of revolutionary era vessels, with the blessing of the Rhode Island Historical Preservation and Heritage Commission, the state agency that protects historical resources. All involved acknowledge that Dr Abbass' team has done an amazing job with limited funding, however the US maritime archaeologist she emphasises that the project benefits from an amazing asset: the unbounded enthusiasm of the almost 900 American maritime history volunteers who have been involved over the years. The project has received support memberships, donations and US federal grants along with funding and professional help from the Australian National Maritime Museum in Sydney, where a replica of the Endeavour is the focus of many public programs. Signing the memorandum of understanding: director of the Australian National Maritime Museum Kevin Sumption, Dr Kathy Abbass; then ambassador to the US Kim Beazley. Maritime archaeologists from this federally-funded museum research manager Dr Nigel Erskine and manager of maritime archaeology Kieran Hosty are working with Abbass' team of divers in Newport Harbour. Neither Abbass nor the Australians are raising expectations as fieldwork starts, but both parties are clearly excited by the sense that they are closing in on the elusive Endeavour. Captain James Cook kept a journal aboard the Endeavour. Particularly meticulous British naval documents mean we know more about the Endeavour than many of its contemporaries. Credit:Pat Scala When the Endeavour sailed out of Australian history, it became a lowly transport or prison ship. Dispatched to the British garrison at Rhode Island, it sailed into that stormy episode in the War of Independence. By the time this new chapter in its story unfolded, the bark had a new name, the Lord Sandwich, a fact Abbass was able to confirmed after tirelessly trawling through Admiralty and mercantile records in London. More recently, following further detective work in London during a trip funded by the Australian maritime museum, Abbass confirmed and expanded on some of Erskine's research. Dr Nigel Erskine is part of the Australian-US team searching for Captain Cook's ship the Endeavour. Credit:Xanthe Rivett/Silentworld Foundation "We now know for certain that the Endeavour is one of five vessels scuttled in a relatively small area north of Goat Island and that it is lying at a depth of 40 feet," Erskine says. "We know that RIMAP has already identified four ballast mounds in this area, so our September fieldwork will focus on finding that fifth vessel." A ballast mound may be all that remains visible on the harbour bed, but when surviving timbers or artefacts are entombed in silt sealed from oxygen beneath ballast stones vital clues can be left embedded in them. Could something as tiny as a fragile grain of pollen from a eucalypt gathered by one of Sir Joseph Banks' botanists, or perhaps some tropical timbers possibly used during repairs to the vessel in Batavia (Indonesia), help identify the Endeavour? Newport Harbour has undergone significant change since the transports were scuttled almost 250 years ago: dredging and the mighty storm surges common on this Atlantic coast will have reconfigured the seabed, so it's hard to say how much of the buried vessels would have survived. However, there is much to buoy the hopes. of these marine detectives. Abbass points out that meticulous British naval records showing how the vessel was initially built as a coaling ship and later refitted to carry Cook and Banks have ensured that we know more about the dimensions and structure of the Endeavour than most of its 18th-century contemporaries. So what next, if that fifth ballast mound suggests that this could be the Endeavour? "Proper excavation and the ability to manage any artefacts would be required before we could conclusively say that we have the Endeavour," Abbass says. "The Rhode Island Historical and Heritage Commission has custody of all these wrecks and it issues RIMAP with permits for non-disturbance survey work. The lack of a conservation facility is one reason we've had to move slowly. It would be improper to begin removing sediment and exposing artefacts before Rhode Island had a facility and it is likely to cost in the region of $US7.5 million," she says. "Anyone interested to help in this process is welcome to join RIMAP, take our training, get involved, and especially contribute financially to help create the lab." Naturally Australia has a stake in the success of this project, and former ambassador to the US Kim Beazley (who has a great interest in US and Australian history) signed the memorandum of understanding between RIMAP and the Australian museum in Washington last year, while Consul-General Nick Minchin hosted an event in Manhattan at which Abbass and Erskine gave presentations. Just before leaving to join RIMAP's fieldwork, Erskine said: "If the Endeavour is found, there would undoubtedly be huge publicity and huge celebrations on both continents, because in terms of both of our foundation stories, it would be an absolutely fabulous find ? and this is a story that needs to reach a much wider audience." More than 120 partygoers were arrested for drug related offences at the Listen Out Festival in Centennial Park in Sydney's east on Saturday. The arrests came as two teenage boys, who were headed in the direction of the festival, were taken to Westmead Hospital after a suspected drug overdose. Paramedics were called to the boys who were travelling on a private bus on the M2 motorway at Seven Hills. Another three people at the festival were taken to hospital after having adverse reactions to drugs and 116 people were treated at the festival by paramedics. The Baird government will push for a high-voltage interconnector to be built between NSW and South Australia following South Australia's blackout, convinced the incident has highlighted the need for national energy security. NSW Minister for Energy Anthony Roberts will attend an emergency meeting of COAG's Energy Council on Friday, where the South Australian government is expected to seek to speed up a proposal to build the new interconnector between South Australia and the east coast. Energy and Resources Minister Anthony Roberts. Credit:Dean Osland The $500 million proposal would involve South Australia's ElectraNet and NSW's Transgrid constructing a 300-kilometre transmission route, potentially between Buronga in NSW and Robertson in South Australia, that could supply surplus electricity from NSW. NSW can already exchange power with Queensland and Victoria. It's a busy morning at Southern Cross Veterinary Clinic in Sydney's inner west. A dog is on the operating table, the floors are being mopped, and four dogs are in the recovery room, including one being comforted by a blanket and a heater. In many ways, it's a typical vet clinic except it offers some of its services for free. Since it opened in 2013, the clinic, on a busy road in St Peters, has become the first port of call for homeless people whose pets are sick or injured. They work with Mission Australia to spread the word, but often their referrals come by word of mouth. A motorbike rider has died and a pedestrian is in a serious condition after a horror nine-hour period on central Queensland roads. On Saturday morning, a motorcyclist was killed in Hay Point, 30 kilometres south of Mackay. A motorcyclist is dead and a pedestrian is in a serious condition after separate incidents in central Queensland. Police said about 5.30am a car was travelling north on Hay Point Road when it lost control and veered onto the wrong side of the road, hitting a motorbike. The rider, a 42-year-old man, was taken to Mackay Base Hospital, but died a short time later. Queensland's culling program is not the solution to NSW's shark problem Were sorry, this feature is currently unavailable. Were working to restore it. Please try again later. Dismiss New York: A woman widowed when her husband was killed at the Pentagon on September 11, 2001 is suing the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia just two days after US Congress enacted legislation allowing Americans to sue foreign governments for allegedly playing a role in terrorist attacks on American soil. Stephanie Ross DeSimone alleged the kingdom provided material support to al-Qaeda and its leader, Osama bin Laden, in a complaint filed Friday at a US court in Washington. Her suit is also filed on behalf of the couple's daughter. DeSimone was pregnant when Navy Commander Patrick Dunn was killed. From left, President Barack Obama, Saudi Arabian King Salman, and Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa al Khalifa in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in April. Credit:AP Fifteen of the 19 men who hijacked airliners used in the attack were Saudi nationals. One jet struck the Pentagon, seat of the US military, two destroyed the World Trade Centre's twin towers in New York while another crashed in a Pennsylvania field as its passengers fought back against the hijackers. A US commission that investigated the 2001 attacks said in a 2004 report that it "found no evidence that the Saudi government, as an institution, or senior officials within the Saudi government funded al-Qaeda". Long-classified portions of a congressional inquiry that were released in July found the hijackers may have had help from some Saudi officials. New Delhi: In a country where philanthropy has yet to take root, a simple idea is growing. In Bhilwara, Rajasthan, India, a Wall of Kindness is groaning under the weight of all the clothes, books, shoes, school bags, kitchen utensils, and books that have been donated by residents. A man checks out a garment left at the Wall of Kindness in Bhilwara, India. Credit:Gopal Kamad A resident who had heard about the first wall of kindness in Iran contacted Pradeep Singh, secretary of the Urban Improvement Trust in Bhilwara. Singh was sceptical. "I thought, first no one will give anything much and even if they do, it will be looted at night," he said. Srinagar: Kashmir is facing its worst crisis in a generation, political leaders warned, as the United Nations offered to mediate in the deteriorating situation between India and Pakistan. It followed renewed gunfire across the border on Saturday in Jammu region, south of Kashmir. A masked Kashmiri protester shows victory sign after drawing a graffiti on the wall of a building in Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir. Credit:AP Tension has risen following India's so-called "surgical strikes" against terrorists inside Pakistan-controlled Kashmir on Thursday. No casualties were reported in the latest clashes, although thousands of villagers have been evacuated amid fears of Pakistani military reprisals. Garbo's work gave the Allied forces the advantage in their D-Day landing at Normandy. Credit:US Coast Guard By that summer Juan Pujol Garcia was, as far as the Nazis were concerned, running their entire spy network in Britain a sophisticated and busy group who encoded letters in invisible ink with details of Britain's troop movements, defences and armaments. The network had even penetrated the Ministry of Information. The Germans were so delighted with Juan's work they doubled his pay. They didn't bother sending any more spies over the Channel. US soldiers landing at Normandy on June 6, 1944. But in fact, every spy in his network was a work of fiction. Code-named '"Garbo", Juan was the jewel in the British intelligence crown. He gave them insight into Axis intentions and knowledge, through the questions Berlin asked of him (as well as asking for reports on Britain's defences, domestic food stocks and shipbuilding, they asked him to research "what would be the result of Japanese aggression against Hong Kong, Singapore, the Dutch East Indies and Australia"). The Germans provided him with a new "unbreakable" cypher for their most secret communications very useful to the code-cracking boffins at Bletchley Park which one MI5 agent remarked, "is perhaps the strongest indication to date of the implicit trust [the Germans] have in Garbo or of their incredible stupidity". "[Garbo] puts a weapon of the highest value into our hands," another wrote in mid-1943. "[He] holds almost unlimited potentialities for good, especially in the sphere of deception." The next year they would wield that weapon, crucially. He convinced the Germans that General George Patton had assembled a million-man army which would land at Calais. Once D-Day began, as the Allies landed at Normandy, Garbo sent a long telegram insisting it was a feint and Berlin believed him, weakening their counter-attack by keeping their Panzer divisions pinned at Calais until the Normandy beachhead was well-established, and the Nazi forces in retreat. But a year earlier, on the home front, things were not going so well. In February 1943, Garbo's MI5 handler wrote to his superiors: "Mrs Garbo has periodical fits of homesickness and a desire for a more active and adventurous life." No wonder. To minimise the risk of alerting the Germans to Garbo's work, MI5 carefully restricted their social circle. Spaniards were a danger, because some might be Nazi sympathisers. Indeed, they were discouraged from meeting any foreigners. And Garbo himself was not much fun, the MI5 file notes: "By the time he gets back from his work he is tired and has his mind on the case and is not always in the best of humour to chat with [his wife] about trivialities her existence therefore is not a very enjoyable one". "Her desire to return to her country and in particular to see her mother has driven her to behave at times as if she were unbalanced she is a highly emotional and neurotic woman." The cancelled dinner date was the last straw. Mrs Garbo and her husband had a furious row, after which she called his MI5 handler. In a series of melodramatic calls she demanded they send her back to Spain, to her family. And she threatened to expose his work to the enemy. The calls were recorded by the phone tap on the house and transcribed for posterity in the Garbo file. "I must leave England because I don't want to stay another day here," she said. "I don't want to live one more day more with my husband ... I don't want to be here and you don't take it into consideration and don't take any notice of me ... I'll take my revenge. "If tomorrow at this time you don't give me the answer that I am to leave England, I am going to go to the Spanish Embassy and make a row I am going to spoil everything I know what I have to do to spoil the work." The MI5 file even records that she then "slammed down the receiver". Garbo and his handler had a crisis meeting. Garbo said he "was convinced" she would not carry out the threat, but didn't want to take responsibility if he was wrong. The next day MI5 came back to Garbo with a plan: he would tell her MI5 had blacklisted him, meaning they could not leave the country, and he would pretend to get a new job at the BBC while continuing in espionage. But Garbo didn't like the plan, his handler recorded: "[He] put forward a rather more drastic plan, which was subsequently put into operation." It was a convoluted, brilliant and cruel scheme (MI5 later praised its "extraordinary ingenuity") to utterly destroy his wife's will. First, they placed a watch on the Spanish Embassy. Then a note was delivered to Mrs Garbo saying her husband had been arrested. As anticipated, she phoned his handler, who told her his superiors had confronted Garbo about his wife's threats of treachery, he had defended her, and they had decided to punish him. Her pleas for clemency were ignored. They sent round agent Haines to her house, whose handwritten statement sits in the Garbo file. He arrived about 8pm to "find her sitting in the kitchen with all the gas taps turned on [and] the door of the children's bedroom carefully shut". She told him to leave but "she worked herself into several hysterical outbursts in the course of the evening", again threatening suicide. Haines said there was a "90 per cent chance this was mere play-acting" and indeed Mrs Garbo later said she had thought she was being framed. But the handler sent his wife over, who Mrs Garbo considered a friend, and over the night they washed and ironed Garbo's clothes in preparation for "a long period of detention". Finally, Mrs Garbo was convinced. By the next morning, Haines wrote, she was "nervous and weepy and I think very frightened. She was very amenable to all suggestions I made". MI5's Lt Col Stafford arrived, to find what he reported, "a very highly strung woman and inclined to become more unbalanced". "After a display of tears," he said [which another recorded as "weeping incessantly for many hours"], Mrs Garbo wrote an emotional statement of apology, pledging "very seriously never to perform any action which might compromise my husband's work the work which we have carried out with so much loving care up to the present". But MI5 and Garbo weren't done. Mrs Garbo was told a car would fetch her at 4pm. She was taken to Kew Bridge, blindfolded, put in the back of a closed van, and taken to Camp 020, an interrogation centre for captured German agents in South London run by Lt Col Robin "Tin Eye" Stephens. There she saw her husband for 20 minutes. He was in prison clothes, unshaven. She swore that she "would help him in every way to continue with his work with even greater zeal she would never ask again to go back to Spain". But Garbo's plan to break his wife's will was still not done. The next day she was taken to MI5 interrogator Major Edward Cussen in room 114 at the Hotel Victoria. He extracted a promise that she would behave in exchange for her husband's freedom, which he told her was in his power to grant. Cussen wrote later to a senior MI5 officer: "I said she must remember two things that I did not like being proved wrong and that if she was bad in future I should be very angry indeed. That I had no time to waste with tiresome people and that if her name was ever mentioned to me again, I should simply direct that she should be locked up." And finally, the brutal charade was over. A few days later, the MI5's controller of double agents wrote a brief letter to "Tin Eye" at Camp 020, thanking him for the "magnificent stage management" which "got us out of an extremely difficult position". He attached "for your amusement" a letter written by Garbo, supposedly pleading for mercy, but actually intended for his wife's eyes to round out the deception. "To my mind it is a masterly piece of prose," the controller wrote. From then on, MI5 were more attentive to Mrs Garbo's mental health or to put it in their words, they "put up with her difficult nature". Trump claimed former Miss Universe Alicia Machado appeared in a sex tape. Credit:AP Yet for close students of Trump's career and campaign, it all has a familiar ring. Over the years, he has issued a stream of needlessly cruel and seemingly off-the-cuff insults - both on and off social media - that have inflamed the public. He declared on Twitter that Kim Novak, a reclusive 81-year-old actress at the time, "should sue her plastic surgeon," sending her into hiding. He derided the appearance of a rival, Carly Fiorina, angering female voters by asking: "Can you imagine that, the face of our next president?" And he criticised the mother of a slain American soldier, musing that, as a Muslim woman, she was not "allowed" to speak, undercutting his campaign momentum at a crucial time. Such fulminations have almost always arisen from Trump's wounded pride, after he has been attacked or has suffered a setback. And they have frequently played out on Twitter, at unusual hours of the day when much of America is fast asleep. Hillary Clinton branded Trump 'unhinged' over the tweets. Credit:AP The early-morning tweets about Machado were a reminder, said Republican strategist Charles Black, that Trump "cannot let something drop until he proves he's right, and it's beside the point who's right." Around midnight one night during the primary campaign, he posted an unflattering photo of Heidi Cruz, the wife of his Republican rival, Senator Ted Cruz of Texas. Early one morning, he alleged a sexual affair between two well-known television anchors who had criticised him. Early one Saturday, he distributed an image of Hillary Clinton, surrounded by falling cash and a six-pointed star that many said was a Star of David and was anti-Semitic. And at 11pm one evening, he shared a digitally-altered image of Jeb Bush appearing to pick his nose. Alicia Machado made headlines after the first presidential debate. Credit:New York Times "Late night Twitter-drunk Donald is back at it!" an aide to Bush replied at the time. On Friday morning, Trump was at it again between 3:20 and 5:30am, issuing a series of indignant messages that mocked Machado and Clinton, who raised the experience of the former beauty queen to hurt Trump during the debate. Clinton, he wrote "was duped and used by my worst Miss U. Hillary floated her as an 'angel' without checking her past, which is terrible!" A few minutes later, Trump theorised - again, without offering any evidence - that Clinton had helped Machado become a US citizen so that the Democratic nominee could mention the beauty queen in the debate to hurt Trump. Trump, in an interview on Friday afternoon, said he remained proud of his tweets about Machado. "Why would I have regrets? I'm a very truthful person, and I'm telling the truth. Now people understand it. And before the tweets, people didn't understand it." It is unusual for a major party presidential nominee to directly control any online communications, let alone issue provocative, unsubstantiated claims without the filter of a campaign aide. But Trump is fixated on Twitter: he has nearly 12 million followers and has revelled in watching his stray thoughts become viral sensations on the social media platform. He has been fond of quoting a fan on Twitter, who described him as "the Ernest Hemingway of 140 characters." So like a car careening down a highway with no guardrails, Trump on Friday crafted one inadvisable tweet after another. His suggestion of a sex tape featuring Machado sent his most zealous followers hunting for images of the former Miss Universe. A few of them posted pornographic images of women who, they believe, resembled Machado. Machado on Friday called Trump's online assault "cheap lies with bad intentions" and said that she would not be intimidated. Aides to Clinton, who have long warned of his reckless ways on Twitter, said Trump's behaviour had once again bolstered their argument that he is mentally unfit for the presidency. "I mean, his latest Twitter meltdown is unhinged, even for him," Clinton said on Friday. "Really, who gets up at 3 o'clock in the morning to engage in a Twitter attack against a former Miss Universe?" she asked. Many wondered aloud on Friday whether Trump's erratic late-night behavior is the result of disorienting insomnia, since he regularly boasts of needing only a few hours of sleep. But Trump quickly rejected that theory. "For those few people knocking me for tweeting at three o'clock in the morning, at least you know I will be there, awake, to answer the call!" Trump tweeted. For full functionality of this site it is necessary to enable JavaScript. Here are the instructions how to enable JavaScript in your web browser GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- Ministry of Public Housing, Environment, Spatial Development and Infrastructure (Ministry VROMI), announces that there will be a partial road closure of the L.B. Scott road on Sunday, 2 October. One lane will be partially closed in the vicinity of Cake House. This closure will allow for the construction of a sewage connection. The works will be carried out between 7.00am to 6.00pm. Motorists are requested to pay keen attention with respect to traffic directional signs and the use of equipment and personnel in the area. Ministry VROMI apologizes for any inconveniences this may cause. GREAT BAY(DCOMM):--- The Collective Prevention Services (CPS), a department within the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labour, would like to congratulate the countries senior citizens on International Day of Older Persons that will be observed on October 1. The United Nations (UN) internationally observed day is being held under the theme: Take a Stand Against Ageism. The objective is to draw attention to and challenging negative stereotypes and misconceptions about older persons and ageing. Ageism is a widely prevalent and prejudicial attitude that stems from the assumption that age discrimination, and sometimes neglect and abuse of older persons is a social norm and therefore, acceptable. It is a reality in some form in all societies, and finds expression in individuals attitudes, institutional and policy practices, as well as media representation that devalue and exclude older persons. In 2014, Governments around the world adopted a resolution at the Economic and Social Council that recognized ageism as the common source of, the justification for and the driving force behind age discrimination. Such discrimination shapes how older persons are treated and perceived by their societies, including in medical settings and workplaces, creating environments that limit older persons potential and impact their health and well-being. The failure to tackle ageism undermines older persons rights and hinders their contributions to social, economic, cultural and political life. The composition of the world population has changed dramatically in recent decades. Between 1950 and 2010 life expectancy worldwide rose from 46 to 68 years, and it is projected to increase to 81 by the end of the century. It should be noted that at present women outnumber men by an estimated 66 million among those aged 60 years or over. Among those aged 80 years or over, women are nearly twice as numerous as men, and among centenarians women are between four and five times as numerous as men. For the first time in human history, in 2050, there will be more persons over 60 than children in the world. Almost 700 million people are now over the age of 60. By 2050, two billion people, over 20 per cent of the worlds population, will be 60 or older. The increase in the number of older people will be the greatest and the most rapid in the developing world, with Asia as the region with the largest number of older persons, and Africa facing the largest proportionate growth. With this in mind, enhanced attention to the particular needs and challenges faced by many older people is clearly required. Just as important, however, is the essential contribution the majority of older men and women can continue to make to the functioning of society if adequate guarantees are in place. Human rights lie at the core of all efforts in this regard. PHILIPSBURG:--- PCMI Academy Programs concentrates on the development of Professional, Personal and the Corporate Skills necessary to achieve success in todays workplace. Ask about our Small Business Management series that focuses on the needs of small business community to ensure their survival in these challenging economic times. We pride ourselves in bringing you qualified and experienced lecturers that are leaders in their respective professions. Our classes are conveniently located at W.J.A. Nisbeth Rd. #53, Philipsburg, St. Maarten (Upstairs Office World). Programs are held every weekday and our short courses on Saturdays for the convenience of those that cannot make it during the week. Signature program include: Introduction to Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Building Relationships for Success in Sales Surviving Economic Crisis Workplace Ergonomics Safety in the workplace Body language- Reading Body Language as a Sales Tool Excel Pivot Tables Dutch Naturalization Entrepreneurship 101 Quickbooks DOMINICAN REPUBLIC/ PHILIPSBURG:--- St. Maarten media core was thrown in the state of mourning early Saturday morning when the news of one of St. Maartens veteran journalist Samuel Allen Jr. aka Venus (48) passed away in the Dominican Republic less than 24 hours after he was airlifted there for further medical analysis. Allen fell down at this home on Thursday after suffering a massive head stroke at his home. He was rushed to the St. Maarten Medical Center where he was already brain dead due to severe bleeding in the head as one of his veins in his head had ruptured. Despite little hope doctors of St. Maarten Medical Center transferred Allen Jr to the Dominican Republic for further analysis and possible treatment. Even though St. Maarten do not have the required specialists in place doctors on the island knew that Allen was critical condition and his chances of survival was minimal. However, early Saturday morning several journalists on the island woke up to the sad news of the passing of their colleague and friend. Venus as he is well known in the St. Maarten community, worked at PJD2 for 32 years, a few years ago he launched his news website www.sxmislandtime. The community of St. Maarten will miss a known voice, a known media man and broadcaster as his voice were always heard on the radio, the daily news. SMN News expressed deepest condolences to the late Allens wife Brenda, his siblings in Jamaica and his close relatives, his brothers in the LODGES and the entire media core on St. Maarten and the PDJ2 family as they too have lost a dedicated worker and friend. Popular news reporter Samuel Allan dies. It is with deep regret that the Police Public Relations Department received the sad message of Samuel Allan Jr. also known as Venus. A family member stated Samuel who has been ill for quite some time and was admitted to hospital, was flown by air ambulance on September 30th for further medical treatment. He however passed away early Saturday morning in the hospital in the Dominican Republic. On behalf of the Chief of Police Carl John, the management team and the entire staff, I extend sincere condolences to his wife, his family and friends on the passing of Samuel Allan Jr. and wish them much strength during these difficult times. May his soul rest in peace. KPSM Press Release. Huawei Outlines the UBB Roadmap for Telecom Operators and the FMC 3.0 Business Proposition FRANKFURT, GERMANY (Marketwired) 09/30/16 The Ultra-Broadband Forum 2016 entered its second day with intelligent discussions around Business Innovation and Network Enablement in the Cloud Era. Huawei and leading global telecom operators, including BBF, Telefonica, TIM, KPN, Orange, du, as well as the Linux Foundation shared their viewpoints about the next steps in the development of Ultra-Broadband. An intelligent world, in which all things are connected, smart and can be sensed, is coming towards us. As a result, telecom operators business is fundamentally changing. David Wang, President of Huawei Network Solutions, said: In the intelligent world, telecom operators should rethink their role and business model in the B2C, B2B and IoT markets. Huawei believes that telecom operators core business proposition should be centered on the concept of FMC 3.0. By building up a ubiquitous, experience-driven, agile and on-demand ultra-broadband network, telecom operators will be able to monetize the business opportunities created by vertical market digital transformation. The emergence of Gigaband connectivity is an accepted trend. The industry is witnessing the accelerating growth of 4K and VR along with large-scale enterprise digitalization and cloudification and the deepening development of industry IoT. The ultra-broadband all-connected network is going to be the major driving force of the emergence of all things sensing and all things connected and the fundamental building blocks of the intelligent world. From telecom operators point of view, FMC 1.0 was more about the broadband connection services which converged the fixed and mobile broadband networks. FMC 2.0 focused on the monetization of UBB through continuous optimization and development of content services, which are positioned as the basic service. On top of FMC 1.0 and 2.0, Huawei now releases the FMC 3.0 concept to facilitate operators redefining the scope of their business: In B2C markets, operators need to position video as the core basic service to fulfill their customers continuously growing expectations in user experience. In B2B markets, since enterprise customers require integrated ICT services which can provide the R.O.A.D.S experience instead of basic communications services, operators need to cloudify themselves completely so as to meet enterprise customers ever-growing demand of digitalization. In addition, operators need to use IoT as an entry point into the digital transformation of vertical markets. Based on the FMC3.0-centric business proposition, Huawei defines three directions for the development of telecom operators ultra-broadband network: Beyond human beings, connect everything: forging a network that compels the business success of the Smart Home and the Agile IoT by extending network coverage from the last mile to the last inch. Beyond bandwidth, focus on user experience: engineering the unified bearer transport network to enable the best possible experiences for families, individuals and enterprise customers. Beyond network, embrace the cloud: building an end-to-end agile on-demand network which not only meets customers needs of agile VPN and customized cloud services, but also enables operators to monetize the new cloud-based services. The UBBF is jointly organized by the UN Broadband Commission and Huawei, to create a platform for communications between carriers, content providers, consumer electronics vendors, Internet service providers, and regulatory agencies worldwide. Through discussion of the future developments of ultra-broadband, the Forum promotes the commercial success of all industry members and the sound and sustainable development of the ultra-broadband industry ecosystem. Huawei is a leading global information and communications technology (ICT) solutions provider. Our aim is to enrich life and improve efficiency through a better connected world, acting as a responsible corporate citizen, innovative enabler for the information society, and collaborative contributor to the industry. Driven by customer-centric innovation and open partnerships, Huawei has established an end-to-end ICT solutions portfolio that gives customers competitive advantages in telecom and enterprise networks, devices and cloud computing. Huaweis 170,000 employees worldwide are committed to creating maximum value for telecom operators, enterprises and consumers. Our innovative ICT solutions, products and services are used in more than 170 countries and regions, serving over one-third of the worlds population. Founded in 1987, Huawei is a private company fully owned by its employees. For more information, please visit Huawei online at or follow us on: Miranda Liu 5 seats up for election on St. Joseph County Council, majority at stake Five of the nine seats on the St. Joseph County Council are up for election Welcome to SwanseaOnline - your home for the best news, sports and what's on coverage of the city. Never miss a Swansea story with our daily newsletter Sign up to comment on our stories here Follow us on Facebook and Twitter | Swansea City news | Ospreys news | InYourArea Space.com's Samantha Mathewson experienced how difficult it is for astronauts to work in the vacuum of space, using an EVA glove simulator from NASA's Langley Research Center. Tightening a lug nut on the tire of your car in the driveway seems like an easy enough task, but imagine trying to do it while wearing incredibly bulky gloves and working in the vacuum of space. Still sound easy? That is what a day's work entails for astronauts working outside the International Space Station. A simple task that would otherwise take 5 minutes to complete on Earth can take hours in space. I had the opportunity to experience a simulation of what it is like for astronauts working in space. I tested out an EVA (extravehicular activity) glove simulator operated by NASA's Langley Research Center at "Star Trek": Mission New York earlier this month. The EVA glove simulator challenged users to put the top on a plastic bottle and tighten it into place. [Weightlessness and Its Effect on Astronauts] While this sounds like a task someone may complete a dozen times a day opening a jar of peanut butter, taking the top off a milk carton or water bottle it is a far different task to complete when working in the vacuum of space (which is a fancy way of saying low-pressure environment). To begin the simulation, users were given soft gloves to put on before putting their hands in the EVA gloves, which were housed in a plastic box. Inside this box, there was a plastic bottle and top. The air inside the box was drawn out to mimic the low pressure of space and create a vacuum. Then, once a near-perfect vacuum was reached, users had to try to put the top on the bottle. Although I was able to pick up both the bottle and the top and place the top on the bottle, I could not maneuver my hands well enough to screw the top down into place. Brandon Guethe, an exhibit tech for Space Technology Game Changing Development at the Langley Research Center in Virginia, explained why this task was so hard to complete. "The biggest problem is that they [astronauts] lose the majority of their dexterity because of the vacuum in space," Guethe said, adding that the gloves also have multiple layers that restrict an astronaut's movement. Guethe, who was operating the simulator at Mission New York, said that thousands of people had tried to complete the task at hand, but only eight were able to successfully screw the top onto the bottle. Guethe noted that firefighters, hazmat technicians and scuba divers who are used to working under extreme conditions while wearing bulky equipment are generally more successful at using the space glove simulator. The EVA glove simulator challenged users to put the top on the bottle and screw it down into place in a container whose air had been drawn out. (Image credit: Jeremy Lips/Space.com) Another big problem with operating the gloves is that astronauts can't tell how hard they are actually pulling on something or how hard they need to hold on to a tool when they are tightening a nut or bolt, Guethe said. "This has actually caused a lot of damage to their hands just because they don't have the circulation and they don't know how hard they are really grabbing something," Guethe added. A third major problem Guethe mentioned was the accumulation of moisture and bacteria in the astronauts' gloves. "They have a lot of problems with losing their fingernails, cuticle damage and fingernail fungus," he said. When astronauts are outside the space station working, the vacuum of space pulls moisture through their skin, into the glove material, Guethe added. NASA scientists are working to create a "High Performance EVA Glove" that will revolutionize current glove designs. NASA says current EVA glove designs account for nearly 50 percent of spacesuit injuries reported in the past 18 years. The new EVA gloves, however, are designed to reduce potential injury and improve finger restraint and mobility, according to NASA. The gloves also will have lightweight, dust-tolerant bearings, which is important for deep-space missions, where astronauts may encounter more orbital dust and debris. In addition, the new gloves will simulate the vibration of texture to give astronauts more dexterity, Guethe said. While astronauts may not be touching anything physically (because multiple layers of thick material separate their hands from the physical object), vibrations will send sensory signals to the astronauts' brains, telling them they are holding something. The more they grab onto an object, the more certain sensors in the glove will vibrate. Testing out the EVA gloves alone proved to be extremely difficult. Astronauts must not only overcome this challenge but also figure out how to work in an entire spacesuit made of the same thick, restrictive material. "When they're doing repairs [outside] the space station, it is actually much harder because it's not just the gloves; their entire suit is stifling," Guethe said. "They really don't have that much mobility from the waist up." To overcome this challenge, astronauts plan and practice for EVAs (aka spacewalks) in a facility called the Neutral Buoyancy Lab a large swimming pool at NASA's Johnson Space Center that houses a replica of the space station. Astronauts train in this pool for up to 6 hours at a time, wearing their spacesuits. So, do you have what it takes to be an astronaut? Follow Samantha Mathewson @Sam_Ashley13. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com. What's the secret to becoming a successful scientist? Owning your curiosity. That's what Michelle Thaller, NASA's deputy director of science communications, told a roomful of people at the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum earlier this month. She, NASA astronaut Kjell Lindgren, JAXA astronaut Soichi Noguchi and Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) Systems engineer Bobak Ferdowsi gathered at the museum Saturday (Sept. 3) to talk about life on the International Space Station, the journey to Mars and the future of space exploration. Kris Brown, of NASA's office of communications, moderated the panel. The first question concerned "Star Trek," which is celebrating its 50thanniversary this year: Just how did science fiction like "Star Trek" and "Star Wars" influence the astronauts, astrophysicists and other space explorers who grew up watching? [Space Station Drives 'Star Trek' Fiction Toward Reality: NASA Video] "It was 1977, I was 7 years old, and I was walking out of the theater after I saw 'Star Wars,'" Thaller answered. "I thought, 'I have to do something to do with space.'" The other panelists had similar stories of inspiration through science fiction. Noguchi, who was among the crew on the first flight back into space after the Columbia disaster, explained how much it meant for him to see a character like Hikaru Sulu on "Star Trek." JAXA astronaut Soichi Noguchi talks about what seeing a Japanese character on the "Star Trek" crew meant to him. (Image credit: Kasandra Brabaw/Space.com) "I was really interested in the international flavor of the crew they were mixed nationality, mixed gender. It gave me the possibility that the Japanese could someday take a flight to space," he said. Living aboard the space station certainly gives astronauts the same kind of international feel as the "Star Trek" crew. The station is an international laboratory, and crew from multiple countries who collaborate on experiments that further space exploration and hopefully someday allow us to land on Mars. "It's a demonstration of what we are able to do when we work together," Lindgren said. "When we go to Mars, I believe we should go there as humanity, not as a specific country." Those space station experiments, along with space missions like the New Horizons spacecraft that flew by Pluto last July and the Curiosity rover currently on Mars, also mimic "Star Trek" in the development of futuristic-seeming technology. "Some of the coolest tech right now is the stuff on the space station," Ferdowsi said. "Like the 3D printers, which definitely feel a little like replicators." Lindgren said he's looking forward to transporters, which instantly beamed characters from the show to other locations, but also agrees that 3D printers are an incredibly useful bit of tech to come from "Star Trek" imagination. "If something breaks on the space station, instead of having to ship it up there we could just print that part." Possibly the coolest "Star Trek"-like technology on the station (and on the ground), though, is the HoloLens. The HoloLens is essentially a small version of the "Star Trek" holodeck, and it uses augmented reality to let NASA officials "see" images of celestial bodies like Mars or Pluto as if they were right there. Thaller was lucky enough to have used the HoloLens during a meeting at JPL. "We have this Curiosity rover on Mars right now," she said. "If all around the world people put on these virtual-reality goggles, you could actually be standing right where Curiosity is on Mars. You will see an image of the ground and the hills and the landscape around you that was taken by the cameras on Curiosity." While it's definitely cool, a HoloLens is also the most efficient way to use Curiosity's time, Thaller said. It allows JPL scientists and engineers to see exactly where they should take the rover next. As one of the engineers on Curiosity, Ferdowsi said the day the rover landed was one of the most incredible moments he's witnessed working with NASA. Michelle Thaller, NASA science communicator, answers questions about Pluto after the panel. (Image credit: Kasandra Brabaw/Space.com) "I worked for 9 years on Curiosity before it landed on Mars," he said. "The moment it landed we took two snapshots. The first is of Mount Sharp and just in front of that is the shadow of this rover that I spent 9 years trying to get there. That was the most emotional I've ever been." [7 Minutes of Terror: Curiosity Rover's Risky Mars Landing (Video)] An emotional moment for Thaller who admitted to being one of the NASA officials to demote Pluto from its planet status was the surprising beauty of the dwarf planet found during the New Horizons flyby. "What we thought was going to be this dead, cold, isolated little place turned out to be so beautiful," she said. "It has active glaciers that are still flowing, mountains that are 12,000 feet high that are made of pure water ice, and hills that are actually floating on top of the glacier." The surprising Pluto terrain is making NASA rethink the idea of how the solar system formed and how planets work, Thaller said. Now, both Ferdowsi and Thaller say they're excited for even more surprises from space missions like images from Juno spacecraft, which is doing a similar flyby around Jupiter. Noguchi said his "jaw-dropping moment" working in space exploration was the thought of new things about space that have yet to be discovered. "We (Japan) have upcoming asteroid missions and deep-space projects. We have Hubble. We have Chandra. There are still much better, jaw-dropping, goose-bumping moments," he said. "So, my young friends, don't worry your time will come." Follow Kasandra Brabaw on Twitter @KassieBrabaw. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com . It is, of course, theoretically possible that Todenhofer's video was spliced together using material from two different quarries, even if the video suggests the contrary. If you take a closer look at the second quarry near Khan Tuman that Todenhofer identified as the new location of the interview in his first clarification, another detail becomes apparent: The almost 100-meter-long, smoking garbage dump in the middle of the quarry, which can be seen in the published video, cannot be seen in high quality images of the Khan Tuman quarry. The fact that high-resolution images of the Khan Tuman quarry exist at all is the result of a fateful irony. In mid-September, rebels claim to have shot down an Iranian Shahed drone. Some of the images from the drone could be saved and one of them is a bird's-eye view of the quarry in which Todenhofer, in his first clarification, claims to have met his masked interview partner. The image of the quarry was obtained by the German tabloid Bild. The fact that there is a large garbage dump in the other quarry near Sheikh Said is because garbage from the overpopulated western half of Aleppo is taken there. Both western Aleppo and the Sheikh Said quarry are under government control. It can be safely asserted that at least part of the video was made in the quarry located in territory held by the regime. But it is almost impossible that Todenhofer could have met there with a real commander from the radical group that used to be called Nusra and is now known as Jabhat Fateh al-Sham. On the other hand, it is unlikely that the video could have been filmed in the Khan Tuman quarry because the distinctive elements from the images are not to be found there. Important Places and Dates Just as curious as the contradictions surrounding the site of the interview is the alleged commander Abu Al Ezz himself. He speaks with the accent common in the surroundings of Aleppo, but he apparently knows nothing of the battles that have taken place in the region nor of the most important places and dates. There was years of fighting in the area of the army's most important bases in the region and everyone in rebel-held areas is familiar with the vast "Bastion 46." Just last year, Nusra Front itself drove a moderate rebel group out of the base so it could use it itself. But the alleged Nusra commander calls it "Bastion 47" in the interview. Then, Abu Al Ezz mentions the huge, former infantry school in northern Aleppo that was stormed by rebels in January 2013. But Abu Al Ezz said it happened "two years ago." Furthermore, he doesn't use the formulations common among Islamist radicals. His choice of words makes him sound more like a member of Assad's Baath party. The fact that he initially introduced himself in the video as a member of "al-Qaida Egypt," a detail that didn't make it into the German translation, completes the image of a man who repeats the Assad regime propaganda about Nusra, but who has little idea about the organization he is said to belong to. Plus, he is wearing a rather large golden ring, which is severely frowned upon by radical Sunnis such as members of Nusra. Todenhofer says of the ring that it is quite common for Muslims in Syria to wear jewelry. The contradictions surrounding both the site of the interview and the man interviewed are numerous. One possible explanation for them comes from a dozen refugees from the small village of Haraybel who all said the same thing after being shown the video. Abu Al Ezz may be masked in the video, but his voice can be clearly heard. The refugees say that his real name is Ahmed Ezzu Sheikh al-Dai'a and that he comes from the village of Haraybel, which is located on the regime-controlled side of the front. Ahmed Ezzu, they say, is not a member of Nusra Front -- indeed, prior to the Syrian uprising, he led a life that had very little to do with religion. They say he was the local drug smuggling kingpin and endured several stints in prison. Like many criminals, he accepted the regime offer after 2011 to give up his criminal ways and join the state security services. He became a powerful "Shabiha" say former neighbors and distant relatives who have fled Syria -- a "ghost," as those fighters are called who belong to militias supporting Assad. Until recently, his Facebook profile showed a somewhat corpulent man in a military uniform instead of in -- seemingly brand-new -- jihadist garb as Todenhofer's interview partner is wearing. Jurgen Todenhofer's video has also spread through northern Syria. Because people there likewise quickly noticed the contradictions in the video, they immediately began searching for the interviewee's true identity. Just hours after the name of Ezzu the Shabiha began making the rounds, the photo on his Facebook profile was blocked. Looking for Answers There are no other images or videos of Ahmed Ezzu Sheikh al-Dai'a of the kind that exist of many other Shabiha leaders. The witnesses from his village think they know why he may have been a good choice to play the role of a radical leader: He kept a low profile, they say, and was just a criminal and not an ideologue. On this point, they are in agreement with Jurgen Todenhofer. In his clarification, Todenhofer said his interview partner was a "soldier of fortune" and that he had joined Nusra because it "pays better." But if Todenhofer and his team "know practically everything about him," as he wrote, and were able to "research his identity in-depth," then they must have realized that they could hardly have been speaking to a rebel leader in rebel-controlled territory. The terror group denied having had anything to do with the interview. In his first clarification, Todenhofer angrily wrote: "The fact that my critics choose to believe the political leadership of a terrorist organization more than me is messed up!" He wasn't at all bothered by the Nusra denial. He said he had expected such a reaction from the terrorists. After all, they would not have approved of a simple commander speaking in that manner. Of course, it is impossible to completely exclude the possibility that Jurgen Todenhofer may have driven through the siege ring in a car. It is also theoretically possible that a Nusra commander risked almost certain death to speak with Todenhofer on enemy territory. That is why SPIEGEL sent questions about the inconsistencies to both Jurgen Todenhofer and his legal representative Michael Nesselhauf on Friday and again on Saturday. Neither of the two answered our questions. Editor's note: This story has been updated to include the quotes from the official English version of Jurgen Todenhofer's clarification posted on his Facebook page. A paintball gun war led to a cease-fire call from authorities in Connecticut, who fear that teenagers who are playing around, might get hurt or be killed. Friday, the New Haven Police Department held a press conference explaining that there have been numerous 911 calls made about young people walking around with assault-style weapons. When police arrive to arrest or question those teens, they discover that the weapons are paintball guns. Standing in front of a dozen of reporters, Assistant Chief Archie Generoso stated that while no one has been killed in this paintball gun war, there have several people injured and therefore is calling for a cease-fire. One paintball/BB gun caused a 10-year-old girl to be hospitalized after she was shot in the head. During the press conference, police spokesman Officer David Hartman held a paintball gun next to a Colt AR patrol rifle used by New Haven police and pointed to the fact that they were almost identical. They were the same size, color, and design. The small difference between a real gun and paintball gun is a rubber tube that connects to a canister located at the rear of the weapon. However, it is almost impossible to spot the difference from a distance. Hartman explained that it is difficult for police officers or residents to distinguish the real from the fake. He said: I want you to tell me if you can tell the difference between these two weapons and I want you to tell me if you were a police officer or you were the clerk at a store who has one of these pointed in your face while youre being robbed, if you could tell the difference. He added: The warning is this; Dangerous situations with potentially tragic outcomes exist when responding police officers cant quickly determine if the gun displayed is real or not. Hartman also shared the story of a panicked woman, who called 911 after she spotted a gunfight between groups using what she said were assault weapons or AK-47s. When police confiscated the guns, they found out that they were paintball guns. He said things like that have to stop before a tragedy occurs. Hartman got very emotional as he pleaded with residents and parents to please call 911 and report any weapons. He also begged parents to monitor their children and make sure they do not partake in this dangerous game. He said: Even you have to call the police to report its your own son thats involved in this activity, better do that than have to call us to tell us your son is now laying dead in your yard because he pointed this at the wrong person. Fighting back the tears, Hartman added: Just thinking about what could be the outcome of police officers arriving at the scene of what is being reported as a gun battle and ending up with teenagers and children shot dead because what they were involved in what they thought is some type of game. Recently, officers were called after a teen was seen with a weapon and they drew their guns and aimed at him. When the police and a group of people who witnessed the incident discovered it was a paintball gun, a scuffle took place. The crowd almost attacked the officers. Hartman said: Any officer who wouldnt draw their weapon (in such a situation) and point it at someone regardless wether they are a teenager or an adult is a fool. Were also not going to tolerate people attacking police officers after its found out that the weapon was a facsimile weapon. Experts say that the entire community needs to help solve this matter. Havana, October 1, 2016 (SPS) - The great African activist, Dr. Sam Nujoma, has called on the international community to exert more pressure on the Kingdom of Morocco in order to comply with the legitimacy, condemning the Moroccan intransigence and its refusal to hold a free, fair and transparent referendum on the self-determination of the Sahrawi people. At a ceremony held Friday in Havana by the Organization of Solidarity with the People of Asia, Africa and Latin America (OSPAAAL) to honor the first president and father of the nation of Namibia in El Mehdi Ben Barka Order of Solidarity, the African leader has reiterated its support for the Sahrawi people in their just struggle for freedom and independence. The historical leader of the Organization of the People of South West Africa (SWAPO) deplored the non resolution of the question of Western Sahara, the last case of decolonization in Africa. He also thanked the Cuban revolution for continuous and unconditional support for the struggle of the African peoples and movements for freedom and independence. (SPS) 062/090/TRA A "dangerous" thug has been jailed for seven-and-a-half years after stabbing a man seven times in the street in broad daylight. Jesse Richards, 26, became embroiled in an altercation with a man on St Lawrence Way in Lambeth shortly after 2pm on March 30. Chasing the victim until he fell over, Richards stabbed him seven times while he was on the ground. Passers-by spotted the victim and gave him first aid to stem the blood loss. The victim was taken to hospital where he was treated for serious injuries to his hands. An investigation by officers from Lambeth led to the arrest of Richards on April 12. Richards, of Camplin Street, New Cross was found guilty of causing actual bodily harm with intent at Inner London Crown Court yesterday. Lambeth CIDs DC Sarah Mustoe said: I am grateful to members of the public who assisted the injured man after the attack, and to those who attended court to give evidence. Their actions limited the impact of potentially life-threatening stab injuries and ensured that a dangerous criminal has been taken off Londons streets. P olice are hunting a sex attacker who threatened a woman at knifepoint before raping her in a horrifying attack in south London. The suspect approached a woman in her 30s outside an address in Northbrook Road before he brandished a knife and forced her into a home where she was raped. The victim suffered cuts to her arms during the attack but did not require hospital treatment. She was taken to a Haven and is being supported by specialist officers. The suspect is described as a black man, aged between 25 and 30, around 6ft tall and of slim build. He has short, black shaved hair, brown eyes, a flat nose and stubble and was wearing a black hooded top, dark blue jeans, black trainers and black gloves. Officers from the Sexual Offences, Exploitation and Child Abuse Command are investigating and there have been no arrests. At this stage, the attack is not being linked to any others although enquiries continue. Anyone with information should call officers on 020 8721 4251 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 A man has been arrested after a woman was allegedly threatened with a knife and raped in south London. Police put out a public appeal in the hunt for the suspect following an attack on a woman in Croydon. The woman in her 30s claims she was approached by a man outside an address in Northbrook Road before he pulled out a knife and forced her into a home where she was raped. The victim suffered cuts to her arms during the attack but did not require hospital treatment. She was taken to a haven and is being supported by specialist officers. On Saturday detectives from the Met Police's sexual offences, exploitation and child abuse command arrested a man on suspicion of rape. He currently remains in custody at a south London custody suite. Detectives launched an investigation following the incident, which happened at around 10.45pm on Thursday, September 29. Officers were called at approximately 10:45hrs on Thursday, 29 September after a woman was raped at an address in Northbrook Road, Croydon. Police said at this stage, this is not being linked to any other incidents although enquiries continue. The Met Police said they had no further details on the arrested man at present. A man has been killed after being hit by a suspected drug-driver in south-east London today. Police were called to Romborough Way, Lewisham just after 3am to reports of a pedestrian being hit by a car. Officers attended along with the LAS and a 27 year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the car, a 34 year-old man, stopped at the scene and was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs. He has been bailed. Lewisham High Street was cordoned off from Ladywell Road while the incident was being dealt with. Officers from the Met's serious collision investigation Unit are investigating. Anyone with information should call the Serious Collision Investigation Unit at Catford Traffic Garage on 0208 285 1574 or Crimestoppers anonymously 0800 555 111. A 19-year-old man was arrested last night after scaling St Pauls Cathedral for a protest about fathers rights. The protester came down after spending several hours camped out on top of the iconic London landmark. A City of London police spokesman said the teenager was arrested on suspicion of criminal damage and that three other protesters remained at the scene. Police were called on Friday shortly after 4pm to the cathedral after activists were spotted on a gallery where they unfurled large purple banners in protest over fathers rights. The group later confirmed they were associated with New Fathers 4 Justice and abseiled from the cathedral "to pray for Britain's children. Messages on the banners read: "Pray for Children" and "Family Court Hell." Large crowds of confused bystanders gathered at the scene to watch the protest unfold but no road closures or cordons were put in place. A young man is suffering from suspected life-changing injuries after a gruesome stabbing in north London. Scotland Yard confirmed police were called to the scene shortly after 3am on Saturday to reports of a man stabbed. The Met said the victim, a man in his 20s, was rushed to an east London hospital with possible life-changing injuries. A dramatic picture taken from the crime scene in Coburg Road, Wood Green, was taken by London Ambulance Services Joint Response Unit, a dedicated team set up to work alongside police. The image today shows blood splattered across the pavement as clothes and medical supplies are left strewn on the ground. The unit tweeted: Another quick, life saving #collaborative response with @MPSHaringey to a patient stabbed. Taken to a Major Trauma Centre as a priority." Police added they are investigating. A group of stand-up comedians will this week take to the stage in London in a combined show named 'We love immigration.' The show focuses on the fallout from Brexit, UKIP, Boris Johnson and unashamedly celebrates immigration and its impact on Britain and comedy. English comedian, London Hughes, will be among the acts performing on October 4 at Leicester Square Theartre. The 27-year-old said: "There are tons of comedians from all different walks of life performing all over the country. "This show brings them all into the same place and you can appreciate their unique view points. If you went to another comedy club you definitely would not see such a diverse line-up." The comedian recently appeared in the London is Open campaign that was launched by Mayor Sadiq Khan, following the Leave vote in the referendum on June 23. London Hughes said: "Comedy is at its best when it's voices are diverse and its a great way to show other peoples perspectives." All proceeds from the night are going to Migrants' Rights Network, which is a network of people and organisations across the UK who are working to support the rights of migrants. Also performing at the event are comedians Grainne Maguire, Nish Kumar, Bec Hill, Andrew ONeill, Bobby Mair, Mae Martin, Tim Renkow and David Mills. Tickets for We Love Immigration at Leicester Square Theatre, are available now. Watch the Standard's interview with London Hughes at the top of the article Horrified diners were left stunned when a rat reportedly fell onto a woman in an upmarket City restaurant. The rodent plunged onto the female diner before bouncing off her and on to her table at Smiths of Smithfield in Farringdon, the Sun reported. The newspaper said the rat, which was killed by the fall, was then immediately removed by restaurant staff. Paul Stubbs, 56, from Harrow, told the Sun: All of a sudden there was a commotion and what looked like a rat fell from the ceiling. It hit somebodys head and ended up on the table. We were disgusted. It was only a baby but still about three inches long. It had obviously fallen from a nest in the open vents. People were pretty horrified. Everybody stayed to finish, though I wouldnt go back. The woman, who was said to be on a work night out, was given 450 off the bill by the restaurant, the newspaper added. A spokesman said the incident was investigated as a matter of urgency. He said: At Smiths we pride ourselves on our hygiene and food safety management. We have investigated the matter fully and this is an isolated incident and we confirm that there is no risk to our customers. He added diners were offered what was accepted as reasonable compensation." L ondoners have been offered the chance to live rent free in a spacious apartment overlooking the Thames in exchange for grandma-sitting duties. Ross Elder, 40 and his partner Sofi, 32, advertised the bizarre offer involving Mr Elders 93-year-old grandmother Margaret, which has triggered a flood of responses from bargain hunters. The couple said the chance to bunk down free of charge in the swish apartment was up for grabs to someone able to commit to 30 hours of grandma sitting a week. Posted on SpareRoom, the home is described as a spectacular 2000sqft three bedroom three bath apartment with a huge balcony boasting stunning river views next to the Globe Theatre. Unusual: Ross Elder wants someone to help care for his grandmother Margaret in exchange for rent-free accommodation / Ross Elder/SpareRoom Margaret, who suffers from dementia and memory loss, is due to move to the London apartment next month from a care home in Staffordshire. So-called grandma-sitting duties involving Margaret include cooking, helping her to get dressed, showered and spending time with her during morning and night shifts. The advert reads: We really want everyone in the house to be able to do the things they are passionate about; study, music, star gazing, work, go out, get seriously fit or whatever it is, but also be willing to be around to find those 30 hours to help with Margaret at times schedules and needs allow. Crossword fan: Candidates must undertake a series of grandma-sitting duties to be successful / Ross Elder/SpareRoom Mr Elder said he decided to move his grandmother, who he described as a huge crossword and puzzles fan, from the home because he became struck by a sense of loneliness in her. He told the BBC: I want to spend more time with Margaret. We have a lot of fun and we really enjoy her company. She's had a really busy and active life but two years ago she had a stroke and when we realised she couldn't live independently any more we had to move her into a care home." They do a great job there but I just became struck by a sense of loneliness in her. Spacious: The couple are moving Margaret into the apartment next month / Ross Elder/SpareRoom "The staff don't have time to spend one-on-one with every resident and she's not the type who would just join a group activity. "I felt I wanted to do something more and so we decided to look at moving her in with us." Since the advert was posted this week, the couple say they have been overwhelmed by more than 200 enquiries about the offer. In an update posted on Friday, the couple said: Thank you to all those who have contacted to wish us well or share their own stories of caring for a loved one - it helps a lot - we are really nervous about the responsibility we are about to take on and want to try our best to get it right. This includes those of you who have kindly offered to come and sing/play music to my Nan! You are awesome and we will be baking lots just for you!!! A man has suffered "life-changing" injuries after being hit by a train at east London this morning. Emergency services were called to Ilford Station around 10.40am to reports of a man being hit by a train. Services in and out of Liverpool Street were suspended while the incident was being dealt with. A BTP spokeswoman said: BTP officers were called to Platform 3 at Ilford Railway Station on Saturday the 01st October 2016 after a report that a person had been struck by a train. The incident is not being treated as suspicious / @harry_chitty Medics from the London Ambulance Service also attended and a male was treated at the scene for potentially life changing injuries before being taken to a local hospital. An LAS spokesman confirmed crews including the air ambulance were called and treated the patient at the scene. He was taken as a priority to a major trauma centre. The incident is currently being treated as non-suspicious. S adiq Khan today became the latest politician to show off his dancefloor credentials when he performed a dance-off at a retirement home in south London. The Mayor gave Londoners a glimpse of his dancing talents as he waltzed with residents and at the Bertha James Day Centre in Bromley to celebrate Older Peoples Day. In a video posted on the Mayor of Londons Twitter account, he posted: To celebrate @OIderPeoplesDay - the dance-off that proves #Agedoesnotmatter. The clip has since been retweeted dozens of times with more than 200 likes. Dancefloor exploits: Sadiq Khan performed a "dance-off" at a retirement home in Bromley / @MayorofLondon Users took to Twitter in a series of tongue-in-cheek tweets to compliment or lightly mock the former Tooting MP. Lee Greenhalgh tweeted: Mr Bean wants his dance back! while another posted: Smooth moves Sadiq. And another said they didnt expect the Mayor to follow in the footsteps of former Labour MP Ed Balls by adding: I can't see you getting a call from Strictly any time soon! F our men have been seriously injured after a car ploughed into pedestrians on a Kent business estate following reports of nuisance vehicles. Kent Police said 13 people were hurt after a crash in Sir Thomas Longley Road on the Medway City Estate at around 10.16pm on Friday. Four men, aged between 20 and 50, were taken to a London hospital with serious injuries while nine others were taken to a local hospital. Police were called to the estate to reports of a disturbance involving nuisance vehicles before the collision took place. An 18-year-old man from Eltham, south-east London, has been arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving and remains in custody. Police have appealed for any witnesses to the collision and to anyone who may have filmed or took photographs of the crash. Sergeant Scott Lynch, from Kent Polices Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: We are conducting numerous enquiries into this incident and would like to speak to anyone with information who has not yet spoken to officers. A lot of people were in the area at the time and we believe that some of them may have video or pictures of the collision I would like to encourage anyone with footage to get in contact with us as it could be vital for our investigation. Anyone with information should contact police on 01622 798538 P rince WIlliam and Kate today ventured on a fishing trip with young people on stunning waters off a remote Canadian island. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge boarded their Highland Ranger fishing boat on Haida Gwaii with teenagers from a local youth centre. The royals were shown how to cast out a fishing line on the boat and attempted to catch salmon on an educational tour of the waters. They also chatted to four teenagers from the youth centre who were also on board the trip. Haida Gwaii is famous for fishing and it plays a key role in the tourist economy. Royal tour: The Duke and Duchess are nearing the end of their Canadian tour / PA Owner, operator and captain of the boat, Danny Robertson, 48, said the Duke and Duchess had been looking forward to the fishing excursion He said: "I heard they're both into the outdoors so this is a great opportunity for them to experience the incredible scenes here. "It's a great day for fishing. Very calm waters, good weather. "We'll be fishing for salmon but you get lots out here - halibut, rock cods, steel head trout." Educational visit: The royals learned about the waters off the Haida Gwaii with teenagers from a youth centre / PA William chatted to fishing guide Randy Price as the boat began to pick up speed, while Kate sat down to put a khaki green coat on. Their boat hit the water at high speed, heading to the nearby BC Tel Point for their first stop - to fish for salmon. Once out on the water, Pryce took the Duke and Duchess to both sides of the boat, showing them how to throw a fishing line out on each side. Salmon fishing: The couple attempted to catch salmon on the trip / PA The pair looked interested and appeared to ask questions while the demonstration took place. With the baited lines out, their boat slowly crawled the wall of the lake at a slow speed, giving William and Kate a chance to chat to the four teenagers from the Skidegate Centre. After 15 minutes the couple moved into Captain Robertson's control deck, where they were given a demonstration and spoke about the area. Welcome ceremony: The pair sported otter scarves as a welcoming present / PA Earlier the couple sported scarves trimmed with sea otter fur given to them as a sign of welcome and respect by the local First Nations Haida Community. The woven raven's tail scarves are a sign of wealth and rank among the Haida people, who in times gone by had to travel by canoe to trade for the wool on the mainland. But a closer look showed that they were trimmed with fur, often a controversial issue for British royals. Local resident Denise Ross told Mail Online that the fur was sea otter, which was worn only by matriarchs, Chiefs and their wives or persons of great standing in the community. She said the fur would most likely have been brought in from Alaska or Bella Bella, with whom the Haida people had a trading agreement. A fter last weeks first Strictly Come Dancing live show saw the contestants strut their stuff, this time theyre dancing to stay in the competition. Louise Redknapp and Danny Mac now both sit atop the leaderboard, after both pairs wowed the judges with their own takes on the Viennese Waltz. Redknapp received her second standing ovation in a row, after last weeks lively jive, and her "gorgeous" waltz set to KD Lang's version of Hallelujah prompted comparisons to one of the judges themselves. It was exquistively lyrical, your arms moved like water - like Darcey Bussell! Tonioli gushed. Bussell herself also praised Redknapp and her partner Kevin Clifton, describing thier performance as "stunning". Mac joins her in first place, after his modern take on the Viennese Waltz with Oti Mabuse impressed even old-school stickler Len Goodman. I wasnt exactly transported to old Vienna, Goodman told Mac and Mabuse. It was sort of a modern twist on a traditional dance, which I enjoyed very much - what a shocker! Earlier in the show Goodman chastised original leaderboard-topper Daisy Lowe for tossing a lift or two into a 50s inspired cha-cha. Strictly Come Dancing 2016 1 /58 Strictly Come Dancing 2016 Ed Balls with his dance partner Katya Jones during Saturday's live edition of the BBC1 show, Strictly Come Dancing. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Issue date: Saturday October 8, 2016 Guy Levy/BBC host Tess Daly with Tameka Empson and her dance partner Gorka Marquez after she was voted off Strictly Come Dancing Guy Levy/BBC Judge Robert Rinder with his dance partner Oksana Platero during Saturday's live edition of the BBC1 show, Strictly Come Dancing Guy Levy/BBC Claudia Fragapane with her dance partner AJ Pritchard during Saturday's live edition of the BBC1 show, Strictly Come Dancing Guy Levy/BBC Ed Balls with his dance partner Katya Jones during Saturday's live edition of the BBC1 show, Strictly Come Dancing Guy Levy/BBC Will Young with his dance partner Karen Clifton during a dress rehearsal Guy Levy/BBC Tameka Empson with her dance partner Gorka Marquez Guy Levy/BBC Danny Mac with his dance partner Oti Mabuse during a dress rehearsal Guy Levy/BBC Ed Balls Guy Levy/BBC Claudia Fragapane with her dance partner AJ Pritchard Guy Levy/BBC Lesley Joseph with her dance partner Anton Du Beke Guy Levy/BBC Naga Munchetty with her dance partner Pasha Kovalev Guy Levy/BBC Danny Mac with his dance partner Oti Mabuse Guy Levy/BBC Daisy Lowe with her dance partner Aljaz Skorjanec Guy Levy/BBC Will Young with his dance partner Karen Clifton Guy Levy/BBC Louise Redknapp Guy Levy/BBC Laura Whitmore with her dance partner Giovanni Pernice Guy Levy/BBC Ed Balls with dance partner Katya Jones Guy Levy/BBC Melvin Odoom and Janette Manrara leaving the competition, during the results show Guy Levy/BBC Anastacia with her dance partner Brendan Cole Guy Levy/BBC Laura Whitmore with her dance partner Giovanni Pernice Guy Levy/BBC Ore Oduba with his dance partner Joanne Clifton Guy Levy/BBC Daisy Lowe with dance partner Aljaz Skorjanec Guy Levy/BBC Ore Oduba with his dance partner Joanne Clifton Guy Levy/BBC Naga Munchetty with her dance partner Pasha Kovalev during a dress rehearsa Guy Levy/BBC Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly Guy Levy/BBC Louise Redknapp with her dance partner Kevin Clifton Guy Levy/BBC Naga Munchetty with her dance partner Pasha Kovalev Guy Levy/BBC Will Young with his dance partner Karen Clifton Guy Levy/BBC Lesley Joseph with her dance partner Anton Du Beke Guy Levy/BBC Judge Robert Rinder with his dance partner Oksana Platero Guy Levy/BBC Pasha Kovalev (right) and Naga Munchetty Guy Levy/BBC Lesley Joseph (left) and Anton Du Beke Guy Levy/BBC Natalie Lowe (left) and Greg Rutherford Guy Levy/BBC Ed Balls with his dance partner Katya Jones Guy Levy/BBC Ore Oduba with his dance partner Joanne Clifton Guy Levy/BBC Greg Rutherford with his dance partner Natalie Lowe Guy Levy/BBC Anastacia with her dance partner Brendan Cole Guy Levy/BBC Robert Rinder Robert Rinder and Oksana Platero dance the cha cha Guy Levy/BBC Greg Rutherford Natalie Lowe and Greg Rutherford dance the jive Guy Levy/BBC Ore Oduba Joanne Clifton and Ore Oduba dance the tango Guy Levy/BBC Naga Munchetty Pasha Kovalev and Naga Munchetty dance the waltz Guy Levy/BBC Laura Whitmore Laura Whitmore and Giovanni Pernice dance the Cha Cha Guy Levy/BBC Lesley Joseph Lesley Joseph and Anton Du Beke dance the waltz Guy Levy/BBC While several pairs got a leg up the leaderboard, Ed Balls didnt manage to escape the bottom rung. Although Tonioli described his trip to the American South for a silly charleston as A comeback Tony Blair would be proud of, Craig Revel Horwood suggested his "goofy" dance had "an air of desperation" about it. Many contestants were praised for how they had improved since the first week, including BBC presenter Ore Oduba and fan-favourite Judge Rinder. The first results show airs on sunday, where the two lowest scoring contestants will have to dance their hearts out for a place in the competition - and well find out the first casualty of the public vote. Follow @StandardEnts or like us on Facebook for more entertainment news. Why Syria Matters to You George Friedman Editor, This Week in Geopolitics The war in Syria is significant in two ways. First, the outcome can reshape the Arab Middle East. Second, and perhaps more important, Syria is not simply about Syrians. The US, Russian, Iranian, Turkish, and French forces are engaged there along with the Islamic State (IS), al-Qaida, and secular Arabs. The Saudis and the rest of the Arab monarchies also exert political and economic influence on Syria. I have written in the past about how the growing crises in Eurasia are increasingly interacting. Syria is the place where that interaction is the greatest and most violent. Prior to World War II, there was a civil war in Spain. Nazi Germany and fascist Italy sent troops. The Soviet Union did as well. In addition, leftists from around the world flocked there to fight. The French and British refused to get involved, trying not to be drawn in. The Spanish Civil War was said to be a rehearsal for World War II. The major players of the European war were therethough some werent. New weapons were tried out. The civil war ended in April 1939, five months before Germany invaded Poland, which began World War II. Syria is drawing in major global and regional powers. When, for example, the US and Russia are engaged in a countrywith very different goals and supporting hostile factionsit is certainly not something to dismiss out of hand. On the contrary, Syria matters a great deal. If nothing else, it has become a test of the strength of powers with interests far beyond Syria. The Origins of the Syrian Conflict There is a class of conflicts whose importance to us diminishes over time. These conflicts involve intense slaughter and suffering and generate endless conferences, meetings, and wringing of hands by global statesman. But these wars seem never-ending. Their origins are lost in the mists of time, the situations on the battlefield are hard to grasp, and they appear to have little consequence to the rest of the world. The relief workers do a heroic job and try to shame us into caring and giving, but in the end, each conflict seems to be just another war in a faraway place having little to do with our own lives. But Syria is far more than that. The current regime was founded by Hafez al-Assad, an air force general, in a military coup. He was an Alawite, part of the Shiite sect of Islam. He was also a secularist. Gamal Abdel Nasser, an Egyptian military officer, had staged a coup in Egypt in 1952 and wanted to create a state based on three principles: secularism, socialism, and Pan-Arabism. His vision was the creation not of a caliphate, but of a secular, socialist, unified Arab world, based on military rule. Many regimes were patterned on this, including Assads regime in Syria. But ideology aside, Assad represented the Alawite faction, and what he created was a state built around his faction. Other factions were excluded, oppressed, and not infrequently, killed. However, Alawites are only around 12% of the Syrian population, which was why he relied heavily on the minorities (Christians, mainstream Shiites, Ismailis, Kurds, and Druze) that together constitute 40% of the population. More important, he also relied on many Sunnis. Even today, the regime is alive because a lot of Sunnis have not rebelled against the state. Nevertheless, Assad kept Syria from fragmenting by suppressing any challenge to him. After he died, his son, Bashar al-Assad, kept running the family business. The Arab Spring in 2011 generated a challenge to his regime. The problem was that the opposition was deeply split. They spent as much time fighting each other as they spent fighting Assad. Democracy had little to do with it. The Alawite-Sunni split had a great deal to do with it. But the Assad regime had a lot of support. One of the misunderstandings of US foreign policy has been that tyrants rule only through the threat of violence. That is true, but in order to have a credible threat of violence, you have to have people who are prepared to carry that violence out. And they need to be loyal to you, or they may turn the violence against you. Tyrants do not live alone in isolated palaces. If they did, they wouldnt live very long. The Alawites had done extremely well under the Assads. They dominated the military, trade, smuggling, and internal business. They were hated by many Sunnis, especially the more religiously inclined. The Alawites knew that if Assad fell, their position would collapse, and they would become the target. They, therefore, had to resist the uprising, and since they controlled the military, they believed they would not be defeated. Assad was not going to be overthrown by a wildly fragmented and poorly armed and trained opposition. Enter the Americans The Assads had been a problem for the United States in many ways. They sent weapons and supplies into Iraq during the US occupation from 2003 to 2011. They helped destabilize Lebanon. They fought multiple wars with Israel. And above all, they were closely aligned with the Iranians, fellow Shiites. Hezbollah in Lebanon, also an ally of Iran and Syria, represented a terrorist threat for the US (even in 2011 when the Sunnis were the main enemy). When the Syrian war began, the US saw a chance to crack Assad, dramatically reduce Iranian influence in the region, and break Hezbollah. The problem was that the US didnt want to get directly involved in the war, at least not excessively. Since most Sunni groups were jihadist, the US had to find groups that were anti-jihadist, anti-Iranian, and anti-Assad and that were motivated to fight. The US was looking for secularists not aligned with Assad. It was, to say the least, difficult to find such a group. It was also hard to be certain that they would stay that kind of group, and that they wouldnt sell the weapons they were given. Still, the US felt it had enough to gain to keep trying. At this point, IS emerged, seizing control of parts of Iraq and Syria. This put the US in a fix. If it brought Assad down, IS might extend its power. If it attacked IS, it would give Assad breathing room and alienate some of the opposition (some of which wanted an all-out attack on Assad while others didnt want IS hindered). The US found itself Waist Deep in the Big Muddy, as the song about the Vietnam War went, and it had yet to create an effective opposition to Assad anyway. More Global Powers Get Involved Then, the Russians became involved militarily. Russian intelligence had been close to the Assads since they took over in Syria. Russia did not want him to fall. But it had far greater problems than Assad. First, it suffered a strategic setback in a crucial buffer state, Ukraine, when a pro-Russian government was replaced by a pro-Western one. Attempts to foment an uprising in the east failed, and all Russia could claim was control over Crimea, where by treaty it had already based major force. Second, the collapse of oil prices had a massive impact on the economy that was going to pyramid. At the very least, President Vladimir Putin needed to demonstrate that, barring Ukraine, Russia was a major power. The military importance of his decision to deploy a relatively small number of aircraft and special forces in Syria was massively inflated by the Russians, who wanted to appear stronger than they were, and by the Americans, who wanted to make Russia out as an aggressor. Both approaches helped cement Russias role. Then, having deployed aircraft and troops, Russia confronted the same problem as the Americans. The Russians could not reshape the Syrian landscape, especially with US resistance. The US, Russia, and Iran were all active in Syria and unable to end the conflict. That left the Turks. The Turks hated the Assad regime, and when the Russians first intervened, the Turks shot down a Russian plane, causing a serious confrontation. Then, there was an attempted coup in Turkey, and the Turks turned against the Americans (who they partly blamed for the failed coup) and got closer to the Russians. Realizing that the Russians were inflexible on Assad, the Turks shifted back toward the Americans and were prepared to fight IS, but only if the US understood that the Turks had a simultaneous war underway with the Kurds. Syria did not simply draw players in. It sent huge numbers of migrants to Europe as well. This triggered a huge crisis in the European Union, dividing countries that wanted to block migration from those that would encourage it. This compounded already existing tensions in Europe over the economy. It is reasonable to say that Syrian migrants shaped the Brexit vote, encouraged the rise of radical nationalist groups throughout Europe, and redefined the underlying issues. The Paris terrorist attacks had another effect. The French sent an aircraft carrier to carry out airstrikes in Syria in cooperation with the United States. The Syrian migrants and the inability of European forces to block them, or to take effective unilateral action against IS after the attacks on Paris and other cities, generated not only greater military involvement in Syria, but long-term planning to manage the fallout from the conflict. Syria as a Testing Ground Syria is a battleground in which the United States, Russia, Turkey, and Iran are increasingly involved. Watching barely on the sidelines are the Israelis and the Saudis, while Lebanon is constantly uncertain. Iraq is heavily influenced by what is happening in Syria, while the Kurds, facing IS in Iraq, are now facing Turkish forces in Turkey and Syria. And the Europeans are coping with a wave of terrorism and contemplating rearmament. All of this is driven by Syria, a country that seems gridlocked in a permanent and insoluble war. But it is a country that has brought together friends, enemies, and contenders for power in a small place. It reminds me of nothing as much as Spain in the 1930s. For the first time since the 1940s, all of Eurasia is unstable. Syria is not the pivot of this instability, but it is the showcase. Most major powers are there or nearby, except the Chinese. My eyes glaze over when I hear about Syria, yet they shouldnt. I have to force myself to see the increasing importance of this test war. Before I sign off this week Heres an interesting statistic: Since the end of March, more than 70% of This Week in Geopolitics issues have focused on countries and issues from the cradle of disorder. From North Korean strategy, to the EU post-Brexit, to power struggles in the Middle East, weve been looking resolutely east. This is no coincidence. Events in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia are a growing threat to world peace. Even before Wednesday's fatal New Jersey Transit crash in Hoboken, the New Jersey Transit authority was seen as underfunded and leaderless. Incidentally, New Jersey's state infrastructure fund was supported by the state's gas tax, which hadn't been raised since 1988. The fund ran out of money this summer, and after a stalemate over whether or not to raise the state gas tax, Governor Chris Christie and Democratic leaders finally announced a compromise that will increase the tax and fund the state's Transportation Trust Fund. The deal on the gas tax was announced yesterday afternoon, just two days after the train crash that left one person dead and more than 100 people injured. The tax will increase by 23 cents and will kick in sometime in early October. With the hike, taxes on gas in New Jersey will rise to 37.5 cents per gallon, which is still lower than the gas tax in New York (42.64 cents per gallon) and Pennsylvania (50.4 cents per gallon), a fact NJ State Senate president Stephen Sweeney was sure to mention to NJ.com. The good news is, this means you can still stop in New Jersey to fill up your tank on the way back from a road trip in order to save a few bucks. The gas tax increase will fund the state's Transportation Trust Fund with either $16 billion or $32 billion over eight years. Since he's still a Republican and a Trump surrogate, though, Governor Christie promised the gas tax hike will be the only tax hike he'll authorize. The increase also came with a series of tax cuts, including the elimination of the state estate tax a decrease in the state sales tax. 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To help you find what you are looking for: Enter Search Term(s): Still cant find what youre looking for? Send us a message using our contact us form. To report a broken link or other problems with the website, please include the URL. Thank you for visiting state.gov. Cops are looking for two men who allegedly impersonated police officers and attempted to rob a 45-year-old woman in Fort George. Police say the would-be thieves approached the victim on Tuesday, July 26th around 1:00 p.m. on the corner of Fairway Avenue and Broadway Terrace. According to the NYPD, the men identified themselves as police officers and unsuccessfully attempted to take her bag before fleeing in a dark-colored sedan. On Friday, the NYPD announced the arrest of three men who were impersonating police officers in order to pull over drivers and rob them. Before they were nabbed by police in Queens, Ricardo Torres, Jay Peralta and Kevin Remache allegedly committed a series of robberies and amassed cash, credit cards, cell phones and even a bike. Police also identified Peralta as the man who made a string of unauthorized broadcasts (including yodeling) on the NYPD's radio frequency beginning in April. An NYPD spokesperson told Gothamist that the attempted robbery on July 26th does not appear to be related to the arrests made last weekend. Anyone with information regarding the incident is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime stoppers website or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then entering TIP577. Four sentences in a letter to Speaker of the House Todd Richardson are about to turn the Missouri political world upside down. My name is Cora Faith Walker. I will be in the Capitol in January as the Representative of the 74th District. Earlier this week, I reported a sexual assault to the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. I named my rapist as Steven Roberts, Jr., who hopes to be in the Capitol in January as the Representative of the 77th District. On Friday night, Walker, 31, a Ferguson attorney who won the Democratic primary for her seat in August, sent the letter containing those four sentences and more to Richardson, Minority Floor Leader Jake Hummel and assistant minority floor leader Gail McCann-Beatty. She is asking the leadership of a Missouri Legislature that has been rocked by sexual scandals over the past couple of years to not allow Roberts, a Democrat, to take his seat until this investigation is complete. Both Walker and Roberts are running unopposed in November. On Saturday, after this column appeared on stltoday.com, each of the three legislative leaders issued statements responding to Walkers letter. Richardson called the allegations disturbing and said he would monitor the criminal investigation. The Democratic leaders suggested Roberts should consider dropping out of the election. In an interview at the home of her husbands parents, Walker asked me to tell her story, including using her name, to give courage to women who are victims of rape, and to encourage a change to the Jefferson City environment that perpetuates gender violence and rape culture. I felt a moral responsibility to speak out, Walker said. The idea or the thought of me trying to just bury it is one I could not live with. Walker said the alleged assault took place either the evening of Aug. 26 or the early morning of Aug. 27 at an apartment in the city of St. Louis. She had gone there to meet Roberts to discuss how they might work together in the upcoming legislative session, Walker says. The two will be the only black lawyers in the Legislature. Walker said she met Roberts at the apartment about 9:30 p.m. She woke up in a bed there the next morning. I had no recollection of why I was still there, she said. Walker said she had two glasses of wine and remembers nothing after the second glass. She told her husband, Tim, the next day about what happened, she said, but it took the couple several weeks to decide whether to go to police. Two highly placed law enforcement sources confirmed to the Post-Dispatch that there is an active investigation into Walkers report to police and that Roberts is the person being investigated. He has not been arrested nor charged with a crime. The investigation, and the letter from Walker to Richardson, comes during a precarious time in Missouris capital city. Richardson took over leadership in the House after the former speaker, Rep. John Diehl, R-Town and Country, resigned in disgrace after sending salacious text messages to an intern. Sen. Paul LeVota, D-Independence, also resigned in 2015 after being accused of sexual harassment by interns. In 2016, after Richardson vowed to clean up the sexist culture of the Capitol, Rep. Don Gosen, R-Wildwood, resigned his position after admitting to an affair. Walker says shes concerned that sending Roberts into the Capitol atmosphere will put her and other women at risk. I want him to do everything in his power to prevent this from happening to someone else, she said of the speaker of the House. Whatever that is. In a phone interview Friday, Roberts said he was not aware that he was under investigation. When asked about the events of Aug. 26 and 27 he said hed have to call back, and hung up. Roberts attorney, Scott Rosenblum, said he was aware that an allegation had been made. Whatever encounter occurred was completely consensual, Rosenblum said. I have viewed documentary evidence to support that. Roberts is a former assistant prosecuting attorney in the office of Circuit Attorney Jennifer Joyce. He was fired from his position in October 2015. Earlier that year, he had been investigated but not charged for an alleged incident at a bar involving a female college student. Roberts denied any wrongdoing. Like many women, Walker waited awhile to call police to report the alleged crime against her. She said she and her husband and family talked about what they expect will be a very difficult road ahead. Im proud that shes here now, being able to speak up about it, said Tim Walker. In January, one way or another, Walker plans to walk the halls of the Capitol representing her Ferguson constituents. The city has been through a lot in the past couple of years, and she plans to fight for an agenda that will help improve community-police relations. In the meantime, shes dealing with police on a level she wishes she didnt have to. Walker hopes other women will gain confidence by her public battle. The odds are against me, Walker says. But I know what happened to me. And I know I dont want it to happen to anybody else. I dont know whats going to happen. But its OK to speak up. Its OK to be afraid. Friends of Ridgewood resident Carolyn Bush, who was allegedly murdered by her roommate on Tuesday night, are raising money on GoFundMe to help her family with funeral costs. On the fundraiser page, Bush's friend and former roommate Masha Mitkov wrote that all proceeds will be used to "offset the unexpected costs of such a tragedy." Bush was studying for a literary theory degree at the New School when she was killed. Pamela Jean Tinnen, a childhood friend of Bush's and fellow Ridgewood resident, told Gothamist that Bush was "an amazing person in so many ways." Tinnen said that Bush, who was a writer and poet working towards a literary theory degree "lived to read, she lived for ideas," and planned to get her PhD after completing her undergrad work at the New School. "She was so delightfully weird and unique, there was nobody like her," Tinnen said. "She was somebody that everybody loved. She was so smart it was almost unnerving, but she was so kind too. She and I would go to thrift stores, she loved beautiful and unique clothing. She loved music. She made the best mix CDs, I have mix CDs that she made me ten years ago that I still listen to. She always wanted to go to readings, to lectures, to do new things and wander the city." Bush was also the co-founder of East Williamsburg library and literary space Wendy's Subway, a place Tinnen described as "space to work and be with like-minded creative people," and that she called Bush's "whole life." "She was always actively involved in whatever literary community was around her, whether at Bard or here in New York," Tinnen said. Tinnen said that Bush and her roommate and alleged killer Render Stetson-Shanahan had been living together for about a year. "She seemed to trust him, which makes this much more horrible," Tinnen said. At his arraignment, Stetson-Shanahan told the court that he was drunk and high and stabbed Bush while she was on the phone. Bush's friends and family are going to work on compiling her writing and poetry for a posthumous collection, but Tinnen said Bush would be more concerned with Wendy's Subway continuing to grow. Wendy's Subway is holding a vigil for Bush on Sunday at 5 p.m. "She should be described always as a poet, and a beloved friend," Tinnen said, attempting to sum up Bush. "She had a beautiful soul." A 23-year-old East Village man was arrested today and charged with the murder of his 82-year-old great-grandmother, who police say he left bound by her wrists and ankles in their apartment. Police say that at around 5:35 p.m. Friday, they found suspect Gary Bias's great-grandmother, Ella Mae Bias, unresponsive and unconscious in their apartment at 711 FDR Drive in the Lillian Wald housing development. Ella Mae Bias and a 39-year-old woman, who is reportedly the suspect's mother, both had their limbs tied up with tape; the younger woman was able to break free and call 911. Ella Mae Bias was pronounced dead at the scene, while the other victim was treated for her injuries at Bellevue Hospital. Gary Bias has been charged with murder and attempted murder. Simeon Tulloch spurned a great chance to put Town ahead in the 70th minute against Cambridge City. Photo: Mark Williamson WITH Cambridge yet to win a home league game and Stratford similarly yet to lose away, something was expected to give at the Pro-Edge Stadium on Saturday, but both records remained after a game which had goalless draw written all over it from the start, writes Bryan Hale. The match got off to a low key start as both sides took time to adapt to the tricky playing surface. Stratford were unlucky not to take the lead with the first decent move of the afternoon in the 18th minute when Dan Summerfields driven-in cross from the right was met by Will Grocott with a first time drive, which cannoned against Cambridge keeper Enol Ordonezs right-hand post. At the other end, Cemal Ramadan hit a fiercely-struck effort straight at Niall Cooper, but there was little other goalmouth action until the closing minutes of the first half when Ramadan volleyed a Dean Mason against the bar from barely six yards out, followed by Jon Kaye firing a 20-yard free-kick narrowly wide. There was little change to the pattern of play after the interval, but Stratford should have broken the deadlock in the 70th minute. A mistake by Cambridge central defender David Femiola allowed Simeon Tulloch a clear run on goal, but he could only shoot against the advancing Ordonez . Soon after, Ordonez parried a drive from Edwin Ahenkorah, who then hit the rebound against the outside of the upright. Neither side was able to find the back of the net as the match drifted to its inevitable conclusion. TOWN: Niall Cooper, Dan Summerfield, Kieren Westwood, James Fry (c), Liam Francis, Jordan Cullinane-Liburd (Trey Brathwaite 79), Barry Fitzharris (Jean Kalenda 64), Will Grocott, Edwin Ahenkorah, Jamie Sheldon (Donnell Benjamin 68), Simeon Tulloch. Full match report in next week's Herald. KIEV, Ukraine, Sept. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The Minex Platform has already raised over $150,000 in its currently ongoing ICO. As the ICO progresses, the platform urges interested investors to hurry, in order to benefit from its lowest price offering. Investors can now buy 1000 MNCs per Bitcoin, along with up to 33% bonus. The current offering will last only until October 6, 2016, after which the price will change to 800 MNCs per Bitcoin with up to 25% bonus. Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160930/414046 For those investors who are still undecided about investing in MineCoin, the platform gives them four important reasons to change their mind. 1. MineCoin Can Be Used to Buy Anything MineCoin is the cryptocurrency of the Minex Ecosystem. On this full-fledged blockchain- based ecosystem, users can buy anything, ranging from a pen to stakes in companies with MineCoin. The cryptocurrency is also responsible for keeping the Minex platform decentralized. The use of MineCoin as the currency of Minex ecosystem is further empowered by; a. Minex Platform A specially designed investment platform that makes it easier for the investor community to manage and track the progress of their investments. At the same time, it also helps start-ups, small and medium businesses, non-profits and even idea staged projects to attract investments. Minex Platform is a feature-rich platform sharing few similarities with crowdfunding sites like Kickstarter and Indiegogo. MineCoin holders can easily invest in digital shares of various companies with the cryptocurrency and also receive dividends over time. b. Minex Exchange It is a decentralized exchange platform for digital assets like shares, currencies, bonds, options, futures contracts and other derivatives. All these financial instruments on Minex Exchange can be traded only with MineCoin. The platform allows users to convert their MineCoin holdings to any currency or financial instrument. The decentralized nature of Minex Exchange, combined with distributed private key storage structure ensures the security of the platform. c. Minex Bank Minex Bank is quite similar to conventional central banks in various ways. The integral part of the Minex ecosystem is responsible for; i. Maintaining the stability of MineCoin by eliminating high volatility to make it an attractive alternative option for storing value. This will allow investors to park their funds without worrying about fluctuations in prices. ii. Smart Lendingis a novel feature offered by Minex Bank. It is backed by a credit reputation system that determines the eligibility of a borrower based on recent activities and previous records on the Minex ecosystem. By using smart contracts and sophisticated algorithms, Minex Bank allows the community members to borrow MineCoin without any direct human participation. iii. Minex Bank also allows the digital currency community members to deposit their MineCoin with them, for safe keeping. The deposit also acts as a Proof of Stake on the network. d. Minex Market Minex Market is an online marketplace of the Minex ecosystem targeted towards influencing mass market adoption of the digital currency. It allows users and merchants to trade goods and services for MineCoin. 2. Becoming a Shareholder in Minex Systems Minex offers various benefits for its shareholders. MineCoin is a commercial project whose rights belong to Minex Systems. The platform charges a commission of 0.1 MNC per transaction. All investors participating in the subscription will be issued tokens entitling them to a share of the transaction fees from the MineCoin payments system. Interested investors can take part in the MineCoin subscription here. 3. Bonus Options With the progress of the ICO, the number of MNCs per Bitcoin and associated bonus offerings will decrease. The MineCoin ICO flow is as follows; a. September 1, 2016 to October 5, 2016 at 1 BTC = 1000MNC with a bonus of 33%b. October 6, 2016 to November 2, 2016 at 1 BTC = 800 MNC with a bonus of 25%c. November 3, 2016 to November 30, 2016 at 1 BTC = 640 MNC with a bonus of 10%d. December 1, 2016 to December 28, 2016 at 1 BTC = 512 MNC with no bonus. 4. Guaranteed Refund of Investments Minex Systems guarantees to return all the investments made so far, as part of the subscription if it fails to reach the fundraising goal of 2882 BTCs. All the funds collected will be refunded to respective wallet addresses specified by investors in their personal profiles on MinexLight. To learn more about MineCoin, please visit: https://minecoin.org/ Media Contact Contact Person: Daniel Shulyaev Contact Email: [email protected] Location: Kyiv, Ukraine MineCoin is the source of this content. Virtual currency is not legal tender, is not backed by the government, and accounts and value balances are not subject to consumer protections. This press release is for informational purposes only. The information does not constitute investment advice or an offer to invest. Related Links Bitcoin PR Buzz MineCoin This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. For more info visit: http://www.newswire.com To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/minexsystems-offers-4-reasons-to-join-minecoin-ico-this-week-300337544.html SOURCE MinexSystems Houston, Texas (PRWEB) October 01, 2016 The bioJet fuel market is growing faster than the supply and a number of biofuel refineries are planned to be online by 2019 without low cost seed oil feedstock in volume. Jack Katz, the CEO of Monarca, a Mexico City based Corporation, has a plan with great vision to produce bioJet fuel for Mexican aviation as well as produce low cost seed oil for export to the US refineries. "Our Monaca project in the Yucatan is being expanded to add another 33,000 hectares of Jatropha to produce low cost seed oil for the US refineries," says Katz. Katz continues, "Our current project on 33,000 hectares in the Yucatan near Cancun is focused to produce 30 million gallons annually of biojet fuel for the Mexican government Aviation Services Department (ASA); however, several new biofuel refineries are planned in the US and I believe we can supply seed oil in volume at the best price and drive this intuitive". Katz concludes, "The Yucatan of Mexico has land, water, a year around growing season, an abundance of labor and the government support for our program to create a biofuel center in the Yucatan. Our Monarca biojet fuel project near Cancun is the first to include a Honeywell UOP refinery at the plantation to grow, refine and deliver certified biojet fuel 60 kilometers to the Cancun International Airport. Next, we will add another 33,000 hectare plantation near the port of Progresso on the Yucatan to produce and ship over 50 million gallons of seed oil annually to the biofuel refineries in the US. This will expand and diversify our market and products." "The Jatropha plantation is driven by new high yield sustainable agriculture practices that will push the hybrid Jatropha fruit production over 50% higher using less land, less water, fertilizer and chemicals by building soil health. This plantation will be the most efficient high production biofuel operation in the world," says Michael Chaplinsky, President of Turf Feeding Systems and COO for Agriculture for Monarca. Contact Information Jack Katz, CEO - Zphere Works, S. de R.L. de C.V., a Mexican Limited Liability Company - Cerrada Manchester 13, floor 3 - Mexico City, 06600 +52.1.55.20954727 jkatz(at)blacksmithicg(dot)com Michael Chaplinsky, President Turf Feeding Systems, Inc. Houston, Texas USA COO - Agriculture - Zphere Works +1 713.849.9040 mc(at)turffeeding(dot)com http://www.turffeeding.com Bio: Mr. Jack Katz is the CEO of Zphere Works, S. de R.L. de C.V headquartered in Mexico City. Mr. Katz has been in the waste to energy business for over 10 years. His background has been focused on integrating government agencies with solutions in waste and environmental issues. He has brought together teams of designs and implementers to structure and install systems that address municipal waste and water quality. Mr. Katz has just launched a municipal waste to energy project for Cancun. Michael Chaplinsky is the President of Turf Feeding Systems a world leading company in fertigation, headquartered in Houston, Texas. Mr. Chaplinsky has developed new technologies integrating fertigation, new irrigation technologies and special soil treatments to reduce irrigation water up to 50%, reduce fertilizer and chemicals 60% while increasing crop production as much as 50%. Mr. Chaplinsky works and speaks at many agriculture conferences worldwide. He is a world expert in Soil Restoration, Water Efficiency and Sodium Issues in water and soil. He developed a new sustainable agriculture program that restores poor soil and produces higher crop production, while reducing water, fertilizer and chemicals. He states, "The world population has passed 7 billion and will pass 9 billion by 2050; however tillable productive farmland in the world is diminishing. My mission is to restore damaged farmland not bulldoze native forests to increase farmland Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2016/10/prweb13729668.htm VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 10/01/16 -- Northern Vertex Mining Corp. (TSX VENTURE: NEE) (the "Company") announces that effective immediately, Ken Berry, B.Comm, has been re-appointed as the Company's President and Chief Executive Officer, replacing incumbent President and CEO Dick Whittington, who has resigned from the Company. Mr. Berry is co-founder as well as Chairman of the Company and has played an instrumental role in acquiring the Moss project as well as helping to raise in excess of $47 million to advance the Company's now 100% owned Moss Mine Gold-Silver project in Western Arizona from the exploration stage to final feasibility. Mr. Berry will also assume the role of President at the Company's wholly owned Arizona subsidiary, Golden Vertex Corp. Chairman and CEO Ken Berry states; "On behalf of our entire Board, I would like to thank Dick for his leadership during his tenure as CEO of the Company. Dick has played a key role in getting the Company positioned for the next step in its exciting growth. In particular, he led the Company's feasibility study team in last year's highly economic feasibility study, the arbitration with Patriot and, earlier this year, the subsequent purchase of the remaining 30% of the Moss project from Patriot. The Company now owns 100% of a development ready, near term production project which we are looking forward to expediting to production. We wish him all the best and continued success in the future. "As President and CEO, I will continue to work closely with the Northern Vertex / Golden Vertex team in what I consider to be one of the best gold production opportunities in Arizona," Mr. Berry continued. "This includes liasoning with our Golden Vertex General Manager Joe Bardswich, who played a vital role in the success of our Phase I pilot production program and our Moss Mine Project Manager David Stone who will be a pivotal force in further streamlining our approach to upcoming construction and mine development operations." Construction Team Remains Focused As Northern Vertex's President and CEO, Mr. Berry brings over 20 years of senior level experience in capital markets and mine exploration and development. Among his accomplishments, as a co-founder and current Chairman of Kootenay Silver Inc., over the past two years Mr. Berry has helped guide Kootenay through a major transitional period that included the strategic acquisition of Canadian based Northair Silver Corp. and a carried interest to production option agreement with Pan American Silver Corp. Mr. Berry will be working with Northern Vertex's recently appointed construction Project Manager, Dr. David Stone to oversee the design, procurement and construction activities of EPCM contractor M3 Engineering, our heap leach facilities consultant, our mine contractor and other site based contractors through to production. Dr. Stone has authored numerous prefeasibility and feasibility studies. He has extensive experience in the design and construction of heap leach mines dating back to the 1980's including Beal Mountain and Basin Creek in Montana, Yellow Aster in California, Manhattan in Nevada and Brewery Creek in the Yukon. Joe Bardswich, P.E. (Arizona), the Golden Vertex General Manager will lead permitting activities, heavy construction mobilization and initial crew activation at the Moss mine site. Mr. Bardswich has extensive experience in all facets of mining from contract miner, through to production supervision, mining engineering, heavy civil engineering and mine management in underground, open pit and alluvial operations in Canada, the U.S., Europe and Africa. Mr. Bardswich is a Professional Engineer in the Province of Ontario and a life member of the Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (CIM) and is a "Qualified Person" as defined in NI 43-101 Standards for Mineral Disclosure. Mr. Bardswich is a graduate of the University of Windsor (B.A.Sc.,Civil Engineering) and received his Masters Degree (M.Eng. Mining) from McGill University. Bob Cuffney, Consulting Geologist will continue to play a significant role as the company advances to commercial production at the Moss Mine. Mr. Cuffney will also be responsible to assist in the design and implementation of an anticipated systematic multi-phase drill and resource expansion program at the Moss project that is expected to run concurrently with the mine construction and production schedule. In addition to its existing gold-silver resource, over 95% of the Moss property remains largely unexplored. There is up to 3.0 kilometers of untested strike extent on the structure hosting the Moss resource itself. The Moss is a mineral rich property package that hosts over 200 historic mining disturbances. Geological mapping and airborne magnetics indicates a potential for up to approx. 21 km of untested strike in several structures. Surface sampling and mapping to date has identified several priority targets which will be the focus of the upcoming multi-phase exploration / drilling program. Northern Vertex has contracted M3 Engineering & Technology Corp. of Tucson, Arizona, as the Engineering, Procurement and Construction Management ("EPCM") provider for the Company's Moss Mine Project. M3 will be responsible for the detailed design, procurement of the necessary equipment and supplies and managing the construction of all processing and auxiliary surface facilities required to support the planned 5,000 tonnes per day, open pit, heap leach, gold and silver mine as outlined in the Company's Feasibility Study released last year (see news release dated June 8th, 2015). Additionally, the Company announces that it has obtained TSX Venture Exchange approval to extend the closing date on its non-brokered convertible debenture private placement (the "Private Placement") up to October 31, 2016 from October 2, 2016. Please see the Company's news release dated May 25, 2016 and August 25, 2016 for further information on the Private Placement. The Company closed $7,225,000 of the Private Placement as announced on July 15, 2016, with the second tranche expected to close by October 31, 2016. The proceeds from the Debenture issuance will be used for the advancement of the Company's Moss Mine Gold-Silver property located in Mohave County, NW Arizona, USA and general corporate purposes. The Private Placement remains subject to certain conditions including, but not limited to, regulatory approval and the acceptance of the TSX Venture Exchange. The securities being offered have not been, nor will they be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons absent U.S. federal and state registration or an applicable exemption from the U.S. registration requirements. This release does not constitute an offer for sale of, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, securities in the United States. About Northern Vertex: Northern Vertex Mining Corp. is an exploration and mining company focused on the reactivation of its 100% owned Moss Mine Gold/Silver Project located in NW Arizona, USA. The Moss Mine Gold-Silver Project is an epithermal, brecciated, low sulphidation quartz-calcite vein and stockwork system which extends over a strike length of 1,400 meters and has been drill tested to depths of 370 meters vertically. It is a potential heap leach, open pit project that has been advanced to the Feasibility Study stage to ensure that technical, economic, permitting and funding requirements are met prior to proceeding with the development of the mine. The Company's management comprises an experienced management team with a strong background in all aspects of acquisition, exploration, development, operations and financing of mining projects worldwide. The Company is focused on working effectively and respectfully with our stakeholders in the vicinity of the historical Moss Mine and enhancing the capacity of the local communities in the area. Qualified Persons: The foregoing technical information contained in this news release has been approved by Mr. L.J. Bardswich, P.Eng., General Manager Moss Project, and a Qualified Person ("QP") for the purpose of National Instrument 43-101 (Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects). ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF NORTHERN VERTEX Kenneth Berry, President & CEO 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. Forward-Looking Statements: This news release contains statements about our future business and planned activities. These are "forward-looking" because we have used what we know and expect today to make a statement about the future. Forward-looking statements including but are not limited to comments regarding the timing and content of upcoming work and analyses. Forward-looking statements usually include words such as may, intend, plan, expect, anticipate, believe or other similar words, and include, without restriction, statements regarding the planned completion of the further tranches of the Private Placement, and the planned listing of the Debentures on the TSX Venture Exchange. We believe the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable. However, actual events and results could be substantially different because of the risks and uncertainties associated with our business or events that happen after the date of this news release. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. As a general policy, we do not update forward-looking statements except as required by securities laws and regulations. 2016 number 19 Contacts: Investor Relations 604-601-3656 or at 1-855-633-8798 www.northernvertex.com Source: Northern Vertex Mining Corp. EAST HANOVER, N.J., Oct. 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Novartis announced today new data showing Cosentyx (secukinumab) delivers efficacy in patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis out to four years of treatment. These late-breaking data come from the extension study of the Phase III SCULPTURE trial.1 Results were presented for the first time at the 25th European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV) Congress in Vienna, Austria. "These impressive results show that Cosentyx keeps working year-on-year, maintaining high levels of skin clearance with a favorable safety profile," said Vasant Narasimhan, Global Head, Drug Development and Chief Medical Officer, Novartis. "Psoriasis patients need therapies they can use over long periods of time without loss of efficacy and we are pleased that Cosentyx is proving a sustainable choice for patients." The ultimate aim of psoriasis treatment is clear skin, and the Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI) 90 response is considered an important measure of treatment success.3 SCULPTURE extension patients received the same blinded maintenance treatment regimen and dose up to the end of Year 3. In the fourth year, the study became open label. All results presented are for the Cosentyx 300 mg every 4 weeks group. Almost clear skin (PASI 90) was achieved by 68.5% of patients at Year 1 (Week 52) and 61.9% of patients at Year 3 (Week 156), and was maintained at Year 4 (Week 208) in 66.4% of patients.1 In addition, completely clear skin (PASI 100) was achieved by 43.8% of patients at Year 1 and 41.7% of patients at Year 3, and was maintained at Year 4 in 43.5% of patients. The historic standard goal of treatment, PASI 75 skin clearance, was achieved by 88.9% of patients at Year 1 and 78.4% of patients at Year 3, and was maintained by 88.5% of patients at Year 4. The most common adverse events (AEs) at Year 4 were nasopharyngitis (12.1%) and upper respiratory tract infection (3.5%) and were similar to those observed at Year 1.1 Also presented at EADV were results from the GESTURE study demonstrating the strength of Cosentyx versus placebo in patients with moderate to severe palmoplantar plaque psoriasis, which are considered difficult areas to treat on the body. At Week 16, about 40% of patients achieved clear or almost clear palms and soles with Cosentyx 300 mg every 4 weeks, which continued to improve with approximately 60% of patients achieving clear or almost clear palms and soles at Week 80 (Year 1.5). AEs were reported in 47 of the 69 patients receiving Cosentyx 300 mg and 27 of the 68 patients receiving placebo at Week 80.2 Patients with palmoplantar psoriasis are known to suffer greater disability and discomfort than those with psoriasis on other areas.4 "The four-year study adds to a growing body of evidence that Cosentyx is an important longer-term treatment option for patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis," said Craig Leonardi, MD, study author and adjunct professor of dermatology at St. Louis University Medical School. "Furthermore, the palms and soles of the feet are generally very difficult to treat. This new data is significant as there is still high unmet need for effective treatments for those living with palmoplantar psoriasis." Additional data presented at EADV from a study in moderate to severe scalp psoriasis showed Cosentyx demonstrated superior efficacy compared to placebo. In the study, Psoriasis Scalp Severity Index (PSSI) 90 responses were achieved by a significantly greater percentage of patients receiving Cosentyx 300 mg (52.9%) than placebo (2.0%) at Week 12 (P About the four-year Cosentyx safety and efficacy study (A2304E1)A2304E1 is a multicenter, double-blind and open-label extension study to evaluate the long-term safety and efficacy of Cosentyx in patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. Patients who completed 52 weeks of the core SCULPTURE and STATURE studies and re-consented to treatment were eligible for the extension, and continued the same Cosentyx dose and regimen that they were receiving in their core study. Patients did not have to achieve a PASI 75 response at the end of their core study to enroll. A total of 642 patients entered the extension study: 168 continued on Cosentyx 300 mg every 4 weeks, 152 continued on Cosentyx 150 mg every 4 weeks, 172 continued on Cosentyx 300 mg retreatment-as-needed, and 150 continued on Cosentyx 150 mg retreatment-as-needed. At the end of Week 156, the study was open-label and patients could continue their assigned dose and regimen or switch to 300 mg every 4 weeks based on the investigator's judgment. Results presented at EADV focus on those patients from the SCULPTURE core study who enrolled in the extension study. The primary endpoint of this extension study was overall safety and tolerability. Secondary efficacy measures included the proportion of patients achieving PASI 75, PASI 90 and PASI 100.1 About the palmoplantar psoriasis Cosentyx study (GESTURE extension)The GESTURE study is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Cosentyx in 205 patients with moderate to severe palmoplantar plaque psoriasis (pustular psoriasis was not included). Eligible patients were equally randomized to one of three groups: 1) Cosentyx 300 mg; 2) Cosentyx 150 mg, or 3) Placebo administered at Weeks 0, 1, 2, 4, and then every 4 weeks thereafter. At Week 16, patients in the placebo group who did not achieve a score of 0 (clear) or 1 (almost clear) on the palmoplantar Investigator's Global Assessment (ppIGA) and at least a 2-point reduction from baseline were re-randomized to receive either Cosentyx 300 mg or 150 mg. The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients who achieved a ppIGA 0/1 response at Week 16. Secondary objectives included the evaluation of ppIGA response over time and overall safety and tolerability.2 About the scalp psoriasis Cosentyx studyThis study is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Cosentyx in 102 patients with moderate to severe scalp psoriasis. Eligible patients were equally randomized to either subcutaneous Cosentyx 300 mg or placebo at Weeks 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 and then every 4 weeks for 12 weeks. At Week 12, patients in the placebo group who did not achieve at least a 90% improvement from baseline in the Psoriasis Scalp Severity Index (PSSI) score were re-randomized to Cosentyx 300 mg until study completion. The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients who achieved PSSI 90 response rate at Week 12.5 About Cosentyx (secukinumab) and interleukin-17A (IL-17A) Cosentyx is a fully human monoclonal antibody (mAB) that selectively binds to the interleukin-17A (IL-17A) cytokine and inhibits its interaction with the IL-17 receptor.6 Cosentyx is approved in more than 65 countries for the treatment of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis which includes the European Union countries, Japan, Switzerland, Australia, the U.S. and Canada.7 In the U.S., Cosentyx is approved for the treatment of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis in adult patients who are candidates for systemic therapy or phototherapy (light therapy). Cosentyx is also approved for adult patients with active ankylosing spondylitis and active psoriatic arthritis.6 More than 10,000 patients have been treated with Cosentyx in clinical trial settings across multiple indications, and over 50,000 patients have been treated in the post-marketing setting.7 Novartis is committed to ensuring patients and prescribers have access to Cosentyx. Cosentyx currently is covered on over 95% of U.S. commercial formularies across its three approved indications for plaque psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, and ankylosing spondylitis.8 About psoriasisAffecting about 7.5 million Americans, psoriasis is a chronic immune-mediated disease characterized by thick and extensive skin lesions (plaques), which can cause itching, scaling, and pain.9 Patients reported these symptoms can negatively impact their quality of life, both psychosocially and physically, which makes daily functioning difficult.10-12 Additionally, patients with psoriasis are at increased risk for other chronic illnesses.13 INDICATIONS COSENTYX (secukinumab) is a prescription medicine used to treat adults: with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis that involves large areas or many areas of the body, and who may benefit from taking injections or pills (systemic therapy) or phototherapy (treatment using ultraviolet or UV light, alone or with systemic therapy) with active psoriatic arthritis with active ankylosing spondylitis IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION Do not use COSENTYX if you have had a severe allergic reaction to secukinumab or any of the other ingredients in COSENTYX. See the Medication Guide for a complete list of ingredients. COSENTYX is a medicine that affects your immune system. COSENTYX may increase your risk of having serious side effects such as: Infections COSENTYX may lower the ability of your immune system to fight infections and may increase your risk of infections. Your doctor should check you for tuberculosis (TB) before starting treatment with COSENTYX. If your doctor feels that you are at risk for TB, you may be treated with medicine for TB before you begin treatment with COSENTYX and during treatment with COSENTYX. Your doctor should watch you closely for signs and symptoms of TB during treatment with COSENTYX. Do not take COSENTYX if you have an active TB infection. Before starting COSENTYX, tell your doctor if you: are being treated for an infection have an infection that does not go away or that keeps coming back have TB or have been in close contact with someone with TB think you have an infection or have symptoms of an infection such as: fevers, sweats, or chills muscle aches cough shortness of breath blood in your phlegm weight loss warm, red, or painful skin or sores on your body diarrhea or stomach pain burning when you urinate or urinate more often than normal After starting COSENTYX, call your doctor right away if you have any signs of infection listed above. Do not use COSENTYX if you have any signs of infection unless you are instructed to by your doctor. Inflammatory Bowel Disease New cases of inflammatory bowel disease or "flare-ups" can happen with COSENTYX, and can sometimes be serious. If you have inflammatory bowel disease (ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease), tell your doctor if you have worsening disease symptoms during treatment with COSENTYX or develop new symptoms of stomach pain or diarrhea. Serious Allergic Reactions Serious allergic reactions can occur. Get emergency medical help right away if you get any of the following symptoms: feeling faint; swelling of your face, eyelids, lips, mouth, tongue, or throat; trouble breathing or throat tightness; chest tightness; or skin rash. If you have a severe allergic reaction, do not give another injection of COSENTYX. Before starting COSENTYX, tell your doctor if you: have any of the conditions or symptoms listed above for infections have inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis) are allergic to latex. The needle caps contain latex. have recently received or are scheduled to receive an immunization (vaccine). People who take COSENTYX should not receive live vaccines. receive live vaccines. have any other medical conditions are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if COSENTYX can harm your unborn baby. You and your doctor should decide if you will use COSENTYX. are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if COSENTYX passes into your breast milk. Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Know the medicines you take. Keep a list of your medicines to show your doctor and pharmacist when you get a new medicine. How should I use COSENTYX? See the detailed Instructions for Use that comes with your COSENTYX for information on how to prepare and inject a dose of COSENTYX, and how to properly throw away (dispose of) used COSENTYX Sensoready pens and prefilled syringes. Use COSENTYX exactly as prescribed by your doctor. If your doctor decides that you or a caregiver may give your injections of COSENTYX at home, you should receive training on the right way to prepare and inject COSENTYX. Do not try to inject COSENTYX yourself, until you or your caregiver has been shown how to inject COSENTYX by your doctor or nurse. The most common side effects of COSENTYX include: cold symptoms, diarrhea, and upper respiratory infections. These are not all of the possible side effects of COSENTYX. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088. Please see accompanying full Prescribing Information, including Medication Guide DisclaimerThe foregoing release contains forward-looking statements that can be identified by words such as "continues," "aim," "growing," "committed," or similar terms, or by express or implied discussions regarding potential new indications or labeling for Cosentyx, or regarding potential future revenues from Cosentyx. You should not place undue reliance on these statements. Such forward-looking statements are based on the current beliefs and expectations of management regarding future events, and are subject to significant known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. There can be no guarantee that Cosentyx will be submitted or approved for any additional indications or labeling in any market, or at any particular time. Nor can there be any guarantee that Cosentyx will receive additional regulatory approvals or be commercially successful in the future. In particular, management's expectations regarding Cosentyx could be affected by, among other things, the uncertainties inherent in research and development, including unexpected clinical trial results and additional analysis of existing clinical data; unexpected regulatory actions or delays or government regulation generally; the company's ability to obtain or maintain proprietary intellectual property protection; general economic and industry conditions; global trends toward health care cost containment, including ongoing pricing pressures; unexpected safety, quality or manufacturing issues, and other risks and factors referred to in Novartis AG's current Form 20-F on file with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Novartis is providing the information in this press release as of this date and does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this press release as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. About NovartisNovartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation offers a broad range of medicines for cancer, cardiovascular disease, endocrine disease, inflammatory disease, infectious disease, neurological disease, organ transplantation, psychiatric disease, respiratory disease and skin conditions. Located in East Hanover, NJ Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation is an affiliate of Novartis AG, which provides innovative healthcare solutions that address the evolving needs of patients and societies. Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Novartis offers a diversified portfolio to best meet these needs: innovative medicines, eye care and cost-saving generic pharmaceuticals. Novartis is the only global company with leading positions in these areas. In 2015, the Group achieved net sales of USD 49.4 billion, while R&D throughout the Group amounted to approximately USD 8.9 billion (USD 8.7 billion excluding impairment and amortization charges). Novartis Group companies employ approximately 118,000 full-time-equivalent associates. Novartis products are available in more than 180 countries around the world. For more information, please visit http://www.novartis.com. Novartis is on Twitter. Sign up to follow @Novartis at http://twitter.com/novartisFor Novartis multimedia content, please visit www.novartis.com/news/media-libraryFor questions about the site or required registration, please contact [email protected] * As observed analyses. References Bissonnette R, et al. Secukinumab maintains high levels of efficacy through 4 years of treatments: results from an extension to a phase 3 study (SCULPTURE). Presented as a late breaking abstract at the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology 2016. Vienna, Austria.1st October 2016. Gottlieb A, et al. Secukinumab is effective in subjects with moderate to severe palmoplantar psoriasis: 1.5 year results from the GESTURE study. Presented as an abstract at the 25th European Academy of Dermatology and Venerology. Vienna, Austria. 1st October 2016. Guideline on clinical investigation of medicinal products indicated for the treatment of psoriasis. European Medicines Agency Web Site. http://www.ema.europa.eu/docs/en_GB/document_library/Scientific_guideline/2009/09/WC500003329.pdf. Accessed September 1, 2016. Pettey A, et al. Patients with palmoplantar psoriasis have more physical disability and discomfort than patients with other forms of psoriasis: implications for clinical practice. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2003;49(2):271275. Bagel J, et al. Secukinumab is Efficacious in Clearing Moderate-to-Severe Scalp Psoriasis: 12 Week Results of a Randomized Phase IIIb Study. Publication. Presented as an abstract at the 25th European Academy of Dermatology and Venerology. Vienna, Austria. 1st October 2016. Cosentyx (secukinumab) [prescribing information] . East Hanover, NJ: Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp, 2016. Novartis data on file. Novartis data on file. Psoriasis fact sheet. National Psoriasis Foundation Web Site. https://www.psoriasis.org/sites/default/files/publications/PsoriasisFactSheet.pdf. Accessed September 1, 2016. Rapp SR, Feldman SR, Exum ML, Fleischer AB, Jr., Reboussin DM. Psoriasis causes as much disability as other major medical diseases. J Am Acad Dermatol. 1999;41(3 Pt 1):401-407. Martinez-Garcia E, Arias-Santiago S. Quality of life in persons living with psoriasis patients. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2014;71:302-307. Mease P, Menter M. Quality-of-life issues in psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis: outcome measures and therapies from a dermatological perspective. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2006; 54:685704. Comorbidities associated with psoriatic disease. National Psoriasis Foundation Web Site. https://www.psoriasis.org/about-psoriasis/related-conditions. Accessed September 1, 2016. Novartis Media RelationsCentral media line: +41 61 324 2200E-mail: [email protected] Eric AlthoffNovartis Global Media Relations+41 61 324 7999 (direct)+41 79 593 4202 (mobile)[email protected] Michelle BaumanNovartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation +1 862-778-6519 (direct)+1 973-714-8043 (mobile)[email protected] Novartis Investor RelationsCentral investor relations line: +41 61 324 7944E-mail: [email protected] Central North America Samir Shah +41 61 324 7944 Richard Pulik +1 212 830 2448 Pierre-Michel Bringer +41 61 324 1065 Sloan Pavsner +1 212 830 2417 Thomas Hungerbuehler +41 61 324 8425 Isabella Zinck +41 61 324 7188 To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/novartis-late-breaking-data-show-cosentyx-continues-to-deliver-high-skin-clearance-for-majority-of-psoriasis-patients-at-four-years-300337596.html SOURCE Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation OTTAWA, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 10/01/16 -- Canada's commitment to diversity and inclusion is a vital, powerful and ambitious approach to making our country a great place to live. Today marks the beginning of Canadian Islamic History Month and this year's theme, Muslim Contributions - Enriching Canada, provides an opportunity to recognize the valuable role Muslim Canadians play in our country. There are so many talented and skilled Muslim-Canadian trailblazers who have enriched our lives-the internationally acclaimed musician K'Naan, award-winning foreign correspondent Nahlah Ayed, Canada's first female Dean of Engineering Hoda ElMaraghy, Calgary mayor Naheed Nenshi, and Zarqa Nawaz, creator of the hit series Little Mosque on the Prairie, to name just a few. As Minister of Canadian Heritage, I encourage all Canadians to take advantage of Canadian Islamic History Month to enhance our understanding of the rich heritage of Canada's Islamic community. Through education and sharing positive stories, all Canadians can grow and connect in the best way possible. Stay Connected Follow us on Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and Flickr. Contacts: Pierre-Olivier Herbert Press Secretary Office of the Minister of Canadian Heritage 819-997-7788 Source: Department of Canadian Heritage ADEN (Reuters) - A suicide bomber blew himself up near a cinema in the Yemeni port city of Aden on Saturday, killing one person and wounding three others, residents and a local official said. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the bombing in Aden's Crater district, which was carried out by an attacker wearing an explosive belt. Islamist militants, including the Islamic State group, have exploited an 18-month civil war between a Saudi-backed exiled Yemeni government and the Houthi movement to carve out influence in southern Yemen, where they have been recruiting new followers and launching attacks on military targets and senior officials. Islamic State claimed responsibility for the assassination of two security officers killed in Aden earlier this week, the group said on Friday via its Telegram account. In August, a suicide bomber killed at least 54 people when he drove a car bomb into a militia compound in Aden in one of the deadliest attacks claimed by Islamic State in the southern port city. (Reporting by Mohammed Mukhasaf; Writing by Tom Finn; Editing by Helen Popper) Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Pakistan Ameer Sirajul Haq warned India saying that New Delhi and Mumbai will be battlefields, if it made any mistake. While addressing a public meeting against corruption in Faisalabad, Sirajul Haq said the nation stood shoulder to shoulder with armed forces for the defence of Pakistan. He announced to support the government to fight against Indian aggression despite having differences on several issues. He declared Narendra Modi as a mad prime minister of India. The JI Ameer said that a mad PM put worlds peace at risk. He was of the view that they wanted to transform Pakistan into a welfare state where every children be provided quality education, sick be given better treatment and homeless be given homes. Haq said that God is with them, hence they did not care if the whole world was with Modi. The occasion was also addressed by JI central leaders including Secretary General Liaqat Baloch, Mian Muhammad Aslam and others. A large number of JI activists were present in the public meeting. Russia has accused the United States of protecting the Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, formerly known as al-Nusra Front, in Syria. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Friday said Washington had broken its promise to "take as a priority an obligation to separate the opposition" from Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, which is al-Qaeda's branch in Syria. "We have more and more reasons to believe that from the very beginning the plan was to spare Nusra and to keep it just in case for Plan B or stage two, when it would be time to change the regime," Lavrov said in an interview. Russia has repeatedly urged Washington to honor its commitment to separate terrorists operating in Syria from the so-called moderate opposition. On September 9, Russia and the United States agreed on a truce deal aimed at allowing humanitarian access to conflict-ridden areas and joint attacks against militant groups that are not included in the agreement, mainly the Daesh terrorists and Jabhat Fateh al-Sham. Ten days later on September 19, the Syrian army announced an end to the ceasefire, blaming militants for the failure of the truce. Russia has criticized the United States for not doing enough to rein in militants in Syria to protect the truce, saying continued violations of the ceasefire by militants made it senseless for Damascus to stick to the agreement. Phone conversation on Aleppo The Russian foreign minister had a telephone conversation with US Secretary of State John Kerry on Friday, when the two sides discussed the situation in Aleppo, a northwestern Syrian city that has been a flash point over the past few years. The western section of the city is under the control of government forces, but the east is held by foreign-backed militants. Lavrov told Kerry during the phone call that Moscow was ready to consider additional ways to normalize the situation in Aleppo. The ceasefire agreement, the Russian foreign minister said, had been violated numerous times in eastern parts of Aleppo by militants led by Jabhat Fateh al-Sham. The United States' failure to separate terrorist groups from the moderate opposition, Lavrov added, had allowed Jabhat Fateh al-Sham to "hide behind other armed groups of the opposition with which Washington is cooperating." The two men who removed a pressure cooker from a suitcase in Chelsea and perhaps accidentally deactivated it last month were apparently in-flight security officers for EgyptAir. The Times reports that the men, Hassan Ali and Abou Bakr Radwan, were in New York on the evening of September 17th after flying in on the airline. They were caught on security taking the pressure cooker, which had allegedly been placed there by New Jersey resident Ahmad Khan Rahami, out of the suitcase before taking the bag with them. Though Rahami had allegedly left several bombs in Manhattan and in New Jersey, all of which detonated, authorities think Ali and Radwan actually deactivated the bomb they found. Investigators had been attempting to find the two men in the wake of last month's bombing, but when no one came forward with information about them, they began to believe they were tourists who had eventually left the country. It turns out they are instead security officers for the Cairo-based airline. An official with the airline told the times that Ali and Radwan saw the suitcase and "thought it was nice," so they decided to take it. They apparently believed the pressure cooker was a pot. "You know, we see things left on the street in New York all the time," the official told the paper. "Stuff no one wants. Its normal to take them." Neither Ali nor Radwan knew they were wanted for questioning until they arrived back in Egypt, and officials with EgyptAir deny the duo were at all involved with the bombings. "These guys are harmless; they would be useless in a fist fight," another airline official told the paper. "They are shocked and scared now. Radwan is especially scared. The poor guy is always anxious." When the Times called Radwan yesterday, he told them he "cannot say anything," and directed them to a spokesperson for the company. Rahami, who is still hospitalized in Newark after being wounded in a gunfight with police, has retained an attorney with the ACLU. Turkey has ordered the closure of 20 television and radio stations, including one that airs childrens programmes, for spreading terrorist propaganda, adding to fears that emergency rule is being used to stifle the media. The president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has said he wants to extend a three-month state of emergency imposed after a failed coup attempt in July, so that authorities can eradicate the threat he says is posed by a religious movement blamed for the plot, and by Kurdish militants who have waged a 32-year insurgency. The banned channels are owned or operated by Kurds or the Alevi religious minority, according to Hamza Aktan, news editor at IMC TV, a news broadcaster slated for closure. He said the move was based on powers given to the government in a decree issued in July. This has nothing to do with the coup. It is an effort to silence the last independent media covering the Kurdish issue and violations committed by the state, Aktan said. IMC has aired reports looking at security forces conduct during 14 months of military operations against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers party (PKK). Among the banned television channels are Govend TV, which plays folk music, and Zarok TV, which airs Kurdish-language childrens cartoons. Robert Mahoney, of the Committee to Protect Journalists, said: Turkey is targeting a wide swathe of cultural and political expression by shuttering minority broadcasters. When the government sees even childrens programming as a threat to national security, it is clearly abusing its emergency powers. An official at the Radio and Television Supreme Council, the state watchdog, confirmed that 20 stations were being closed. Erdogan says the state of emergency is helping authorities swiftly root out supporters of the military uprising by bypassing parliament to enact laws and suspend rights. Turkey blames the US-based Muslim preacher Fethullah Gulen for masterminding the coup, in which 240 soldiers, police and civilians were killed trying to stop rogue troops who had commandeered fighter jets and tanks to bomb parliament and shoot protesters. Another 100 people behind the putsch were killed. About 100,000 state employees suspected of links with the Gulen movement have been purged, and 32,000 people are in jail for their alleged role in the coup attempt. Gulen denies involvement. Dozens of members of the press have been arrested, making Turkey the worlds biggest jailer of journalists. Aktan and other IMC staff continued on air on Friday while waiting for police to arrive at their offices. Other stations on the closure list were raided and sealed off on Thursday, newspapers and the CPJ said. IMC, founded in 2011, has faced other punitive measures. In February its satellite feed was cut while prosecutors investigated whether it supported the PKK. Turkish police raid prison, courthouses in post-coup probe Police in Turkey have raided the countrys biggest prison and courthouses to arrest prison guards and employees deemed linked to the failed July coup in the country. According to Turkish media reports, police on Friday raided three Istanbul courthouses, including the Caglayan courthouse, where some of Turkeys most important trials are held. Turkeys largest prison Silivri, which is located west of Istanbul, was also raided. This comes after arrest warrants were issued for more than 160 personnel and prison guards as part of nationwide investigations over the failed coup. Prosecutors have issued arrest warrants for 87 courthouse personnel. Separately, arrest warrants had also been issued for 75 more personnel and guards in three separate prisons across Istanbul. According to Turkish Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag, authorities have suspended 1,500 prison personnel over links with the US-based opposition leader Fethullah Gulen, whom Turkish officials accuse of being behind the failed July 15 coup attempt. Speaking at an event in the Turkish capital Ankara, Bozdag said on Friday the prison personnel were temporarily suspended but could be sacked if concrete links were found. More than 270 people were killed and above 2,100 others sustained injuries when an army faction launched the putsch, using helicopters and tanks and clashing with government troops and people on the streets of the capital, Ankara, and the city of Istanbul. Shortly after the coup bid was largely suppressed on July 16, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused Gulen of being behind it. Gulen has denied any involvement and warned that the blame game could be a ploy by the ruling Justice and Development Party to cement its grip on power. Official figures show some 32,000 people have been arrested for their alleged role in the attempted coup. Nearly 100,000 people in the military, civil service, police and judiciary have been sacked or suspended. The descendants of a German Jewish businessman who sold a Picasso to finance his family's escape from Nazi-controlled Europe are suing the Metropolitan Museum of Art for the return of the painting. On Friday, Laurel Zuckerman filed the $100 million suit on behalf of her great-grandparents, Paul and Alice Leffmann. Zuckerman, who learned about the painting in 2010, had reportedly tried to negotiate with the Met for several years but had never been able to reach a settlement. Until 2011, the Met incorrectly claimed that Leffmann sold the painting to an unnamed German businessman, who then sold the painting again in 1938. Court papers say Leffmann sold his home and business in Cologne, Germany before fleeing to Italy with his wife in 1937. The Leffmanns later left Italy for Switzerland, and eventually fled to Brazilbefore leaving Europe in 1938, they sold The Actor, an incredibly rare work from Picasso's Rose Period, to Paris-based art dealers Hugo Perls and Paul Rosenberg. In 1941, automobile heiress Thelma Chrysler Foy purchased the painting through the Knoedler Gallery for $22,500the suit claims this price is evidence that Leffmann sold the painting at a steep discount. In 1952, Chrysler Foy donated The Actor to the Met. It is now one of the museum's most valuable Picassos. A description of the painting on the museum's website briefly name-drops Leffmann, but doesn't mention the conditions under which he sold the painting. According to the Times, the suit alleges that the Met "did not disclose or should have known that the painting had been owned by a Jewish refugee, Paul Leffmann, who had disposed of the work only because of Nazi and Fascist persecution." But the museum claims their research makes it clear that the sale was not a result of Nazi persecution, particularly since the Leffmanns tried to reclaim property they had been forced to sell but did not make a claim on the painting. "While the Met understands and sympathizes deeply with the losses that Paul and Alice Leffmann endured during the Nazi era, it firmly believes that this painting was not among themand that tThe Met has indisputable title to The Actorwhich it will vigorously defend." museum representatives said in a statement. Bdesh travel ban props SLs prospects in apparel sector By Duruthu Edirimuni Chandrasekera View(s): View(s): Britains travel ban to Bangladesh owing to the bloody terrorist attack two months ago has seen a flurry of apparel buyers flocking in to Colombo. Certain big names in the apparel industry along with foreign (apparel) buying offices in Colombo have been welcoming many British apparel sourcing officials in the past two months and are hopeful of an opportunity for Sri Lanka, a senior merchandiser at a top garment liaison office told the Business Times. She was confident that issues with Brexit will also push the British buyers to eye Sri Lanka favourably. A statement by the UK Travel Department said: Security forces in Bangladesh remain on high alert following previous attacks. There may be increases in security force presence and restrictions on movement may be put in place at short notice. There is heightened threat of further terrorist attacks. Attacks could be indiscriminate although foreigners, in particular westerners, may be directly targeted. Crowded areas and places where westerners are known to gather may be at higher risk of attack. You should minimise your exposure to these areas, consider your movements carefully and take appropriate security precautions. A top apparel companys senior manager said that they are entertaining a few British apparel buyers and hopeful that some business can be directed to Colombo. Economic development zone ends the VOA saga in Sri Lanka By Bandula Sirimanna View(s): View(s): An economic and tourism development zone is to come up at the 410 acre-Voice of America (VOA) broadcasting facility site at Iranawila, which caused a major local and international problem for Sri Lanka during the 1990s, official sources revealed. The US Information Agency has agreed to return the land to the present government even before the expiry date of the lease agreement, a memorandum submitted by the Ministry of National Policies and Economic Affairs said. An environmental friendly economic development programme is to be created at the Iranwila VOA site surrounding a natural environmental system abound with mangroves and biodiversity in a natural ecology resource system. This recommendation was made by a group of experts assigned by the National Planning Department and Tourism Development Authority after conducting a field inspection at the site on a request of the Ministry of National Policies and Economic Affairs. The VOA broadcasting facility site is located 500 metres away from the Iranawila beach at Mahawewa divisional secretariat area in the Puttalam District. Fisher families are living in thatched huts in the village surrounded by the sea on one side and a lagoon on the other. Much of the area in and around Iranawila has been declared a security zone after the construction of the VOA broadcasting station barring local fishermen access to the lagoon to make their living. In 1951, the US Government and the Government of Ceylon entered into an agreement to construct a civilian broadcasting facility in this small fishing village and thereafter revised it in 1971 and 1976 to carry VOA programming over Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) . In 1991 a plan to build a US $40 million five-star hotel in this tranquil spot on Sri Lankas north-west coast was thwarted by the people in the area. In 1993, the US began building the $ 60 million VOA facility in this small fishing village after the new agreement was signed in December 1983 and revised it in 1991. In October 1994, villagers formed the Iranawila Peoples Solidarity Forum (IPSF) and continued their protests against the construction work citing environmental degradation forcing the authorities to suspend the project. One villager was shot dead by the police when they opened fire to disperse a protest demonstration during the same year. Despite protests from villagers and Indian authorities who contended, that the station might be used as a covert listening post in South Asia, the VOA began its transmission in 1994 with seven shortwave broadcast transmitters and sixteen high-gain curtain antennas. Its signal is picked up in regions as far as Africa, Central and Southeast Asia. Hayleys opts for oil rig hub business By Sunimalee Dias View(s): View(s): KATUNAYAKE Hayleys Energy Services has begun to explore opportunities in diversifying within the oil and gas industry by locating an oil rig at the tax free Advantis Free Zone at Katunayake, the first of two more in the pipeline. Since the country is in a logistically viable position, Hayleys has provided the logistics for global company EMAS Energy to bring down and obtain space at the Advantis Free Zone that could eventually turn out to be a hub for more rigs in time to come serving, regional markets as Sri Lanka is considered to be competitive as against countries like Singapore and Dubai. The attractiveness of bringing it to Sri Lanka is because of its location, Advantis Free Zone Director Amal Rodrigo said in an interview with the Business Times during a site visit to the Katunayaka Export Processing Zone as it could serve the South Asian, South East Asian and the Middle East markets. He noted that this provides opportunities for Sri Lankans to work on these rigs and give them the necessary exposure into this particular field as well. Two final year undergraduates, the first in their batch of students specializing in petroleum engineering from the Department of Earth Resources Engineering, Moratuwa University are currently gaining training on site namely Sahan De Silva from Ambalangoda and Geethika Ranga from Kadawatha. With the Advantis Free Zone having the capability to provide the space for locating these rigs it has proved attractive due to its duty free access enabling clients to bring goods and store them at value without duty, Mr. Rodrigo explained. Land-based oil rigs require a place to be positioned; and this particular one was located with its different components in a number of countries as a result of which when needed all parts had to be shipped to the location from various parts of the world. In this respect, EMAS Energy picked Sri Lanka to position its oil rigs in Colombo with all parts installed to be shipped out whenever required. Refurbishing, modifying and other maintenance aspects including repairs with the assistance of the Colombo Dockyard, have been carried out at the site by Hayleys Energy, Hayleys Energy Services CEO/Director Chas Charles said. This first rig was brought down to the country in May including all of its other components and would be shipped to Bangladesh from October 5-10 for its first assignment out of Sri Lanka leased out to an international oil company. The oil rig located at the EPZ is a work over rig, which is a rig that could be used for servicing an existing oil well on land, he said. Currently about 40 Sri Lankan workers would be working on the rig alongside 11 foreign experts from EMAS Energy. Locating in Sri Lanka saves money EMAS Energy HWO Operations Manager Keith Cravey told the Business Times that this hydraulic work over rig was commissioned at the Advantis Free Zone compared to other locations like the UAE and Thailand as Sri Lanka was closer to their next assignment in Bangladesh and it would save them more time, money and shipping costs. He explained that the free zone facility would also save in terms of opportunity cost and duties as a result of which, Mr. Cravey noted Sri Lanka has the capability to establish a centre for development of the oil and gas service industry. With the required infrastructure in place for this industry, the company was looking at the possibility of bringing down drilling rigs that could be marketed to oil and gas companies in Asia, Bangladesh, Myanmar and the Middle East. This rig in Sri Lanka has been contracted for work in Bangladesh for two months and for three years with the same international oil company. EMAS Energy is an international company working on both onshore and offshore operations in the energy lifecycle and is a client of Hayleys Energy Services. Hayleys Energy Services General Manager Ricky Barnett explained that the main components of the oil rig from Hamriyah Free Zone in Sharjah, UAE called the Lewek Explorer 600 and another from the Ramong port in Thailand were brought into the Advantis Free Zone with police escort in the night from the port. About 60 import shipments on sea and air freights were brought in to assemble the oil rig that took about six months to complete and would be dismantled in two weeks before being shipped out. The total revenue on the oil rig generated by Hayleys Energy Services would be totalling about Rs.100 million, Mr. Barnett said. Sri Lanka is considered to be 60 per cent cheaper than Singapore and 30 per cent cheaper than Dubai, he noted. Lankan gift teas in China hit by corruption crackdown By Sunimalee Dias View(s): View(s): High-priced special Ceylon Tea has hit an unusual barrier for the wrong reasons in China: A government crackdown there on civil servants receiving special gifts perceived as corruption and bribery. Some of these specialty teas retailed at between US$300 500 each with high-end packaging were sold in the Chinese market as gift teas ending up in the hands of top government officials in the form of gifts, Tea Exporters Association Chairman Rohan Fernando told the Business Times. He noted that these teas have seen a drop in demand since the past two years when the Chinese authorities imposed checks on its civil servants receiving these luxury items as gifts. Though this had been a tradition to pass on these gifts to the officials, the new leadership had disapproved of it leading to not just rumblings within the Chinese bureaucracy but adding to the woes of the niche market captured by Sri Lanka, it was pointed out. However, other general teas marketed in China were seen to grow over the years, which is a buyer of the black orthodox teas. China was Sri Lankas 9th largest buyer of tea importing 4.9 million kg (of all categories) in the eight months to August 2016, up from 4.7 million in the previous year. New Age CEOs are bound to take risks despite failures, says JKH Deputy Chairman By Raj Moorthy View(s): View(s): Look before you leap, one of the famous idioms elders used to advise the young people at a point when they try to take decisions on their own. Today with technological advancement and the world moving forward there is no time to look, but to take big risks and leap. Company Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) who are also known as the New Age CEOs are bound to take more risks and challenges in organisations than the old age CEOs, says Ajith Gunewardene, John Keells Holdings Plc Deputy Chairman. The new age CEOs are bound to take more risks than the old age CEOs. The old age CEOs did not have a second option. Once you try and if you fail, that is it there is no second thought or an option. odays generation have nothing to lose, even if they fail in their first attempt with all the money their parents saved for them. They have a second or even may be a third try as well, he said. If you ask a new age CEO, one will say that there is no harm in experimenting things and failing. This is the kind of revolution that is going to boost the economy and development of our country in the future, said Mr. Gunewardene. He made these comments at a panel discussion organized by the Sri Lanka Institute of Directors at the Cinnamon Grand in Colombo last week. The Business Times was the only media present among the audience who gathered that evening. The topic of the discussion was New Age CEO Are you one? He said that just because the big boys (old age CEOs) are in the industry, you dont have to get scared or run away. Every competitor has some game to play against the opposition. The new age CEOs will have to build on the platform the economy that is already been built. In 5 to 10 years most of the big corporate companies will be working with the new age CEOs onboard, he noted. On the sidelines of the panel discussion, Mr. Gunewardene told the Business Times, The world is open to many opportunities, especially with the evolving technology. There is so much for the younger generation to always think like new age CEOs. They should be allowed to choose their career path unlike in those days or else they will not be happy. You cannot have someone unhappy and unmotivated running a business which will ultimately end up in failure. New age CEOs do what they want, they live a completely different life, their value systems and their needs are different. They want to have flexible working hours and work hard. They will also balance their work as well as the vacation times with friends and family even in the middle of the workload. He also mentioned that there is a big difference between the new age CEOs and the old age CEOs. Its all linked to what was available at that time 30 to 40 years back in terms of the size of the economy and the opportunities. The aspirations people had at that time were limited, he noted. Roar Digital (Pvt) Ltd Founder Director Mustafa Kassim stated that start-ups in Sri Lanka need to grow, if not there is no space for development in the country. In terms of growth of an organisation by a new age CEO, Mr. Kassim noted, Ask yourself whether you can make profit today. Assess yourself and that will be a good way forward. Takas (Pvt) Ltd Co-Founder, Director and CEO Lahiru Pathmalal expressed that new age CEOs should look at opportunities and put things together. You have to do what you want and what you have to do. Build your network and from one director to another, work together in order to raise the bars of an organisation. Every organisation should think what their strengths are. Emojot Inc Founder and CEO Shahani Markus described a new age CEO as a person having a different kind of attitude, who doesnt totally depend on the technology itself. She also stated that all business organisations should innovate and launch new products to run the business entity. We have fantastic engineers here, but you still have to think of outsourcing some of the services to countries outside Sri Lanka due to lack of experienced people in the country. New age CEOs like to do things differently but their parents do not understand the concept of entrepreneurship when their kids do things at an extremely different level. They need to get out of the box, she added. The NYPD is searching for two men they say committed a string of robberies in Greenpoint early last Sunday morning. In the first incident, at 3:10 a.m., cops say a 26-year-old male victim was skateboarding with some friends on the northeast corner of Jackson Street and Meeker Avenue. He was approached by four unidentified males, who tried to talk to them; one of the men grabbed the victim and forced him to the ground, while another stole his backpack. A third suspect hit the victim in the back with his skateboard, before all four fled eastbound on Jackson Street. The victim says the suspects made off with a $100 Pentax camera, an iPhone 6, his identification and passport, and three books ("Just Kids", "Philosophy of Andy Warhol" and "Lolita"). He refused medical attention. A little over an hour later, at 4:15 a.m., a 35-year-old man was approached by three men he didn't know, while walking near Jewel Street and Meserole Avenue. One man allegedly hit the victim in the face with some sort of object, while the other two stole his iPhone, wallet, ID and MetroCard, along with $300 in cash. They fled the scene, and the victim was given stitches to fix a laceration on his chin at Wyckoff Medical Center. Fifteen minutes later, at 4:30 a.m., a 32-year-old man says he was headed south on Diamond Street at Meserole Avenue when two men came up to him from behindone punched him in the face, and he fell to the ground. The two men then allegedly went through his pockets and stole his Samsung Galaxy 7, and his wallet, which contained $80, an ID, and an assortment of bank cards. They then fled the scene, according to police. And at 4:45 a.m., a 33-year-old man says he was walking south on Leonard Street at Engert Avenue when two men, one of whom was carrying a skateboard, came up to him and asked for the time. Then, the victim says one of the men held him at knifepoint and asked him to hand over his property. The men took off with the victim's iPhone 6 and American Express credit card. Photos of at least two of the suspects are above. Anyone with information in regards to this incident is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577. Sri Lanka media lacks pre-disaster reporting skills View(s): The Rathupaswala protests over a drinking water pollution crisis in which three persons including two students were shot dead in Army shooting could have been preempted if there was early reporting by the media on the issues, research has shown. The above comment was made by Prof. Lakshman R. Piyadasa, Head, Dept of Mass Communication, Kelaniya University while addressing a workshop on Media Sensitivity in Emergency Response and Disaster Risk Reduction held in Colombo last week. He said that this showed that there was no discussion or early warning in the mass media on an impending disaster. The research showed that only in one newspaper there was a letter on the issue by a reader. Going back to the 1971 insurgency, he said that there was no pre-warning creating a discussion between the policy makers and the society though youth prepared for this uprising in 1965 conducting training camps in jungles. He said that the newspapers did not go beyond the official media releases during the incident and pointed out that the whole gamut of media response in disaster reporting would influence contemporary politics, the sale, marketing promotion and the attractive emotional writings. He questioned the behaviour of the media as there was no analytical investigation by the media after this man-made disaster. Prof. Rohan Samarajiva, Head, LIRNEasia indicated that with the modern technology there are improved communication systems developed to reach the disaster victims and the importance of early warning systems and how to reach the victims in a disaster was felt since 2005, after the tsunami. He said that though the Sri Lankan community is strong in helping disaster victims even out-doing the government though its the states primary responsibility, this country is weak in preventing disasters. Prof. Samarajiva pointed out that Bangladesh provides an example in preventing or minimising damage and pre-warning. He said that country experienced major cyclones in three occasions, since 1970 and in the first cyclone there were around 400,000 deaths. But after 37 years the cyclone death toll is very much less, he asserted. He also cited an example in Sri Lanka too in minimising losses in life and property as far back as 1978 when there was a major disaster in the East. At that time, he said though Sri Lanka had only one electronic channel radio only the entire process was managed in a single news room. He said that with the information reaching through radio, the Government Agent at that time and the police evacuated most of the people from the disaster site. He pointed out that in comparison to the tsunami the number of people displaced were the same but the deaths during the cyclone was 900 while during the tsunami the death toll was a massive 32,000. Prof Samarajiva stressed that pre-warning disaster management is the sole responsibility of the government and it should take appropriate decisions. He said that one example was the landslide at Meriyabedde where there were pre-warnings for the people to leave disaster prone areas. Residents didnt move out because they were trying to defy death but for the simple reason that they did not have an alternate place to move out. When Dr. Ranga Kalansooriya, Director General at the Information Department began addressing the media, it was apparently a blame game and he went to the extent of changing the age old tag for media as the Watchdog to that of a hungry dog sniffing muck until it finds something to wallow and to prevent the search of muck they should be given something to munch, which was an insulting comment. He said media channels are greatly influenced by the profit motive and whether these media channels are owned by the government sector or the private sector their agendas are heavily influenced by the marketability potential of the news item and how far it could sustain in the agenda to yield profit. At the outset he distanced from media and said that his present duty is to be the governments chief propagandist. He said that the media personnel should take time to understand the disaster. He said that the media has a capacity issue and questioned the competency and the training in handling disaster reporting. He pointed out that when the mass media delays the information dissemination to the public, the social media picks up and in that there could more disinformation than information. He said: Me PR agency walata kiyanawa me badaginne inna ballo wagei jaathiyak. Kanna dhenna monawahari. Ethakota kai. Neththang kunu bakki awussanawa. Anura Priyadarshana Yapa, Minister of Disaster Management, chaired the seminar. (QP) Tax experts prescribe new institutions for Sri Lankas ailing tax system By Bandula Sirimanna View(s): View(s): Sri Lankans are currently suffering from a confused mindset: the tax phobia has been widely spreading in the society as a result of the failure to create awareness on complex and complicated taxes by successive governments including the present Yahapalanya which made it worse and complex. Under the status of confusion now, no one likes to pay taxes, myself included although I am one of the non taxpayers in the country (based on my income) with a tax department handling 148,000 individual tax files and 48,000 corporate tax files. However taxes are the price we pay for a civilised society and all the benefits of that society. But how do we collect taxes without properly legalising it? Is it proper to levy such taxes from the local taxpayers? This dislike of taxes has been aggravated to a total out-of-control phobia, making taxes similar to Satans work. The Sunday Times Business Club recently hosted two specialists on the subject, Suresh Perera and Shiran Fernando to diagnose the tax phobia and prescribe some remedies at its members meeting held at the Kingsbury hotel in Colombo on Tuesday. Mr. Perera, Principal, Tax & Regulatory KPMG and a multidisciplinary professional specialising in taxation with an accounting, legal, company secretarial qualifications and practical experience, prescribed a tri-dosage for the current tax ailment. He stressed the need of improving the tax governance of Sri Lanka by introducing new institutions to the countrys tax system. The first is a Tax Ombudsman, and the second is an Independent Advanced Ruling Authority (IARA). The other remedy is to devise and implement a white paper on the countrys policy to create awareness on taxation. The Tax Ombudsman should be created by an Act of Parliament and would be responsible for looking into complaints made by the taxpayers on the maladministration of the Department of Inland Revenue, he emphasised. These would include delayed tax refunds, delays in processing issues, probably due to the rudeness of the tax officers, etc. The concept provides the taxpayer with an institution to resolve issues caused by administrative roadblocks without resorting to tax litigation. He noted that a Tax Ombudsmans role is not to get involved in technical interpretations of the law, its only the maladministration issues pertaining to the Inland Revenue Department. In Sri Lanka currently we have the ruling committee, he said adding that as this committee consists of Commissioners from the Inland Revenue Department it cannot be considered to be independent. He stressed the need of an IARA that will improve the taxpayers confidence. For instance a business could approach the independent ruling authority and ask the tax consequences and then knowing the tax consequences before entering into a transaction, he said adding that this will improve the taxpayer confidence and will also eliminate disputes between the IRD and the tax payers. Outlining the current status of some of the taxes introduced or amended in 2016 budget, he disclosed that after the budget proposals 2016, four bills have been published, but are yet to be enacted by Parliament. They are Value Added Tax (VAT) Bill (13th September 2016) Nation Building Tax (NBT) Bill (19th August 2016) Land Lease Tax (LLT) Bill (02nd September 2016) and PAL. (Ports and Development Levy 22nd July 2016). Further, for Income Tax (IT) and Economic Service Charge (ESC), no bills have been presented in the Parliament yet, but press notices have been published on 8th April 2016 which have been followed by the taxpayers. Relevant Gazettes have been issued on 1st January 2016 to abolish Stamp Duty on transfer of shares and on local credit card transactions. The Stamp Duty on usage of credit cards in any merchant country other than Sri Lanka will be increased to 2.5 per cent. Referring to the situation of VAT, he said, according to the latest VAT Bill issued, the VAT rate will be increased to 15 per cent from the date of passing the amendment in the parliament. Further the rate would prevail at 15 per cent for the period from 2nd May 2016 to 11th July 2016. For any period after 11th July 2016 up to the date on which the Bill is passed in the parliament, the rate will remain at 11 per cent. Confused? (So was I). The threshold for VAT registration has been reduced to Rs.3 million per quarter with effect from 1st April 2016. However the threshold for wholesale and retail will be Rs.12.5 million per quarter from the date of passing the VAT Bill. The threshold currently prevailing for wholesale and retail would be Rs.100 million per quarter. The exemption which prevails for healthcare services has been narrowed down only to diagnostic tests, dialysis and OPD services excluding medical consultation services. The VAT exemption provided to healthcare services will be removed with effect from the date on which the Bill will be passed in the parliament and for the period 2nd May 2016 to 11th July 2016. The VAT Bill has revoked the exemptions granted to the Telecommunication services Telecommunication services including services of issuing licenses for telecommunication which is now liable for VAT for the interim period 2nd May 2016 to 11th July 2016 to the date on which the Bill is legislated. Shiran Fernando, lead economist and senior product head of Frontier Research, noted that the money you pay in taxes goes to many places. In addition to paying the salaries of government workers, your tax money also helps to support common resources, and ensure the roads you travel on are safe and well-maintained. But in Sri Lanka the main challenge is to improve the countrys tax to GDP ratio, he said adding that there has to be additional tax collection to state coffers, should to improve this. The question is where should this additional tax revenue come from? he asked. There should be certainty and convenience of payment with regard to quantum and time of tax payment, he pointed out. Referring to several countries which have no tax systems, he pointed out that Dubai does not have comprehensive tax system, it has income tax decrees enacted by each emirate. In practice only foreign banks and oil companies are subject to income tax. It does not have indirect taxes such as VAT on turnover tax. Instead of indirect taxes Dubai gathers revenue by imposing levies on usage of infrastructure. The STBC is looking for young and energetic members. Please email bt@sundaytimes.wnl.lk for information. Double standards? Oh no, were British View(s): Less than two months ago the Saudi Arabia-led coalition bombed a hospital in Yemen killing 11 persons and wounding 19 others. It was a hospital that was being assisted by the reputed French organisation Medecins Sans Frontiere. Reports say the air attacks are increasingly targeting places normally used by civilians. The previous week coalition aircraft bombed a food factory and a school. Earlier in May, British media reports said that a British-manufactured cluster-bomb was found in a Yemeni village, all but confirming that banned weapons are being used by Saudi-led coalition forces in the Yemeni civil war where civilians are being slaughtered. But this tragedy in a forgotten corner of the world is overshadowed by the attention focused on the devastating conflict in Syria which the west blames others for ignoring its own sordid role. The BL-755 cluster bomb found in the village is designed to be dropped by British manufactured Tornado jets used by the Saudi Arabian Air Force though these highly controversial weapons had been used in conflict some decades ago. That is not all. Amnesty International, the human rights organization, has said that it had discovered Brazilian, US and UK made cluster bombs in use in the Yemeni war where coalition forces are attacking rebel-held areas on behalf of the Yemeni government. Amnesty International discovered the unexploded munition during an inspection of a village in northern Yemen. The weapon, originally manufactured in the 1970s by a Bedfordshire company called Hunting Engineering, contains 147 bomblets which scatter across a wide area, but often do not detonate until they are disturbed at a later date, often by unsuspecting civilians picking them up. One man, who herds goats in a village in Hajjah governorate about six miles from the Saudi Arabia border, told Amnesty: In the area next to us, there are bombs hanging off the trees, Britains Independent newspaper reported then. Britain which ratified a 2008 international convention banning the use of cluster bombs has destroyed its own stocks. But the US, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Brazil have not ratified it. The British-manufactured cluster bomb found in Yemen was probably part of stocks of weapons sold in the 1980s and 1990s. But the fact is that the banned bombs are still in use and are dropped from British supplied aircraft in arms deals with Saudi Arabia which are still continuing. There was a huge international hue and cry when pictures of a cluster bomb supposedly found in a theatre of war during the violent conflict with the LTTE became public. Whether the pictures produced were actually of a bomb found in Sri Lankas north and whether it has been so established I do not know. But the issue is this. Those who preach to us about human rights and hold Sri Lanka accountable for what they perceive as violations of international humanitarian and human rights laws are the very people who violate them with impunity. Quite recently a joint committee of the House of Commons claimed that UK-made arms are being used in indiscriminate bombing raids on civilian targets by the Saudi-led coalition involved in neighbouring Yemen. The committee said that one of the attacks resulted in the death of 47 civilians including 21 women and 15 children when a wedding party at a house was struck by missiles from military aircraft. Chris White, the chairman of the Committee on Arms Export Controls (CAEC) said that Britain had led the way in setting up international humanitarian laws to govern arms sales. He said an inquiry by his committee had been presented with evidence by respected sources that weapons made in the UK have been used contravening international humanitarian law. The chairman was insistent that the British government can no longer wait as the House Foreign Affairs Committee wishes to do, but take urgent action to stop the sale of arms to the Saudi-led coalition. The government should not wait to make sure that there is no risk of a violation. As chairman he called for an independent inquiry into the circumstances relating to several incidents in Yemen including allegations of the use of cluster bombs. Would the British government agree to an independent inquiry as sought by the chairman of five committees of the Commons? Not on your sweet life, it would not. Yet when it comes to Sri Lanka, Britain and the US in particular have no hesitation in calling for independent inquiries. In fact, they would like to see foreigners sitting in judgment whereas they would not countenance even their own citizens being appointed to such an inquiry into UKs own actions. The urgency behind the committees call for an independent inquiry and the humanitarian concerns that they find worrying follows numerous reports from the field about the violations of international law and the suffering of the civilian population in the rebel-held areas of Yemen. Kristine Beckerle, an expert on Yemen with Human Rights Watch, said the war, and particularly the Saudi-led coalitions actions, had been devastating for civilians. Over the last few days, weve seen Saudi-led coalition airstrikes on a factory, a school, and now, another MSF-supported hospital, she said. These strikes follow a year and a halfs worth of unlawful attacks on schools, markets, hospitals, and factories. Its unacceptable, and only underscores the need to immediately suspend arms sales to Saudi Arabia until it curbs its unlawful airstrikes in Yemen and credibly investigate those that have already occurred. But Britains new Prime Minister Theresa May and her Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson have brushed aside calls for the government to stop selling arms to Saudi Arabia. It is interesting to note that the Conservative Government has licensed 5.6 billion in sales of arms, fighter jets and other military hardware to Saudi Arabia since David Cameron became prime minister in 2010. Research by the Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) shows that in the six years since Camerons election the UK has sold weapons to 24 of the 27 states included in its Foreign Office list of countries of humanitarian concern. Even more interesting perhaps is this. On the countries of concern list is Sri Lanka. Vice News reported in March 2015 that one of the countries that would benefit from UK arms exports would be Sri Lanka. Please note that this was when the Mahinda Rajapaksa government was in power and the British government was carrying out an international campaign against it for its war against the LTTE and for human rights abuses. The Committee of MPs who inquired into UK arms sales discovered that strategically controlled items had been sold to Sri Lanka. Although the monetary value might be relatively small- 8 m- the Colombo government had been issued with 49 licences and the seeds for many of these sales were sown by the Labour Party governments of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. The items included 600 assault rifles. What this indicates is that while the British governments were castigating Sri Lanka for all sorts of crimes and violations of international law, it was ready to sell strategically controlled items whatever that might mean. But Sri Lanka was not the only listed country over human rights concerns that benefited from arms sales. There was also Iran, China, Russia, Belarus and Zimbabwe. Speaking in London in February this year Ban-Ki Moon, the UN secretary general, urged states such as Britain to set an example in fulfilling one of the [arms trade] treatys main purposes: controlling arms flows to actors that may use them in ways that breach international humanitarian law. Does this worry the UK which is constantly preaching homilies to weaker and more vulnerable countries while selling arms to them to kill each other? If Blair (who led the country into war but is unlikely to end up before a war crimes trial) and Brown sold arms to countries that are suppressing their own people and killing their neighbours, the Conservative government of David Cameron and now Theresa May have no qualms about continuing the same tradition while praying for peace in the world. In early September in parliament, Prime Minister May resolutely defended arms sales to Saudi Arabia insisting that close bilateral cooperation with the Saudi kingdom was helping keep people on the streets of Britain safe. That sure is a hell of an argument, just like Blairs argument that Iraq must be bombed back to the stone-age because it was a threat to British interests. If the streets of Britain are not quite safe today one of the reasons is that the UK is aiding and abetting authoritarian regimes particularly in the Middle East to deny human rights to their people and providing arms to such countries to crush their own people. It is time that the UK (and US), without blaming the rest of world for the mess that exists especially in the Gulf region, accept that there is a fundamental disconnect between vigorously pursuing arms deals with authoritarian regimes for monetary and political gain while at the same time criticizing their lack of human rights. That is mega hypocrisy. Declare October and November as Grow-More-Trees months View(s): In September we mark the birth anniversary of the Anagarika Dharmapala and former President J R Jayewardene while commemorating the death anniversary of former Prime Minister S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike. These personalities understood the importance of rain and general fertility of the land. Ranasinghe Premadasa, when he was prime minister, declared September as the Grow-More-Trees month. He wanted it observed in the whole country and had the main event at the Viharamaha Devi Park. I attended this ceremony and presided over the religious rites. We were instrumental in introducing to the late Prime Minister the idea of the Tree Bank as practised in India. People were encouraged to plant a tree, with seeds and young plants being made available through our efforts. At Gam Udawa events, there was a plant exhibition. We made such progress that we came close to a world record in tree planting. The world famous Mahogany plant was introduced to Sri Lanka during the government of D.S. Senanayake. We have so many Mahogany trees now. Schools and religious Institutions co-operated with us. Many local companies also joined. But some ignorant village people who were unaware of the value of these trees cut the young plants to make broom sticks and props for construction. Though we have laws against this, they are not implemented. If permits are issued we can export Mahogany timber abroad and earn valuable foreign exchange. Nedun is a local tree. One of the rooms in the royal palace in England has furniture made of Nedun. I was fortunate to see this. The furniture turned out by Don Carolis Company is valuable today. We turned out such valuable furniture, but what is our status today? I am sad that government leaders have not looked into this. I hope the new police chief Pujith Jayasundera, who stopped the indecent behaviour of three wheeler drivers at the Kataragama sacred city, will take effective steps to implement laws on timber. It will give him many blessings. I am proud to say that I am a bhikku who endeavoured to grow most of the trees in this country after observing the Tree Bank in India. If you want to see the result, come to the plantation developed under the Bhadravati Fernando Fund at Urumutta in Akuressa. Make a visit there and see the Samadhi statue of the Buddha made out of rock. The Rajjurubandara Shrine gives great blessings to all. As terrorism raged, Mr. Premadasa became the President and declared that there was only Rs. 5 million at the Central Bank. But he was smart and with the help of the flour subsidy from the United States, he developed the country. From our concept of Janasawiya, he collected foreign aid. Later on, this became Samurdhi and the Samurdhi Bank became as prosperous as other banks. The Media should spend some time in researching our immediate past. Many who knew of that time are no longer with us. I say this because there are lessons to be learnt and a proper understanding of the present is possible if we knew what happened then. For instance, in my view Dr. N.M. Perera as Finance Minister during Sirimavo Bandaranaikes Government brought our foreign debt under control. But his LSSP being a Marxist party apparently targeted power centres opposed to the government. The takeover of Lake House was a key objective. This threat to press freedom brought many sturdy warriors into the field to oppose the nationalisation of the Lake House Newspapers. I recollect the former Chief Justice Hema Basnayake and Lalith Hewavitarana, a close relative of the Anagarika Dharmapala, assisting in the fight against the takeover in 1964. The Ven. Medagoda Dhammajothi Thera, Chief Incumbent of the Sri Sumangalarama in Punchi Borella, and I worked to unseat NM in his Yatiyantota electorate. Lake House was in the forefront of our struggle for Independence from Colonial rule. Much later, our first TV Station, ITN, was taken over by President Jayewardene. ITN was started by members of Ranil Wickremesinghes family. This action, I believe, was prompted by mere hearsay. Both institutions remain in Government control, but we could forget history. In 1987, the then Prime Minister Premadasa and Minister Wickremesinghe arrived in Sri Lanka after their tour of China, the day before the peace accord was signed with Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. That night the whole country was on fire and a Pirith Ceremony was to be conducted at the Prime Ministers residence. The Gangaramaya was the only temple that hoisted black flags that day. President Jayewardene was also expected at the Pirith Ceremony at Temple Trees. We had hoisted the black flags by then. The Prime Minister sent minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to our temple to inform us not to say anything that might hurt the President Jayewardene who was expected that day. I informed him that we do not create problems in others houses. I went to the Pirith ceremony, met and spoke to the President on friendly terms and came back to the temple. The next day when the Peace Accord was signed I did not attend the Dana at Temple Trees, since I was fasting that day. A naval rating attacked Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and some years later an LTTE suicide bomber killed him. Even today India wishes to exert its influence over neighbouring countries. We are under its close scrutiny. India and Sri Lanka are preparing to sign a trade agreement. Former President Mahinda Rajapakse evaded this. As the country of the Lord Buddha we honour India. But the government should be vigilant to protect our country. We must not be a puppet of India. We must be united to preserve our freedom and for trade. In the 1990s, the Indian Oil Company wanted 100 petrol sheds but now it has some 500. Even if we have to eat grass, we must not give in to foreign powers. Sinhala, Tamil, Muslim and other communities must unite to live in peace and harmony. Since this is a period of drought and the Government has forgotten about the grow more trees month of September, let October, November be declared as Grow more trees months and have the people plant at least a Kottamba or a rubber tree along the road for shade. In September, we planted Thibbatu around the Beira Lake. In Akuressa and Ingiriya there are more than 25,000 plants. In addition to teak, mahogany and jak trees, there are thousands of plants in nurseries. On the initiative of Bishop Oswald Gomis trees were planted around Aquinas in Colombo. There are teak, mahogany and jak trees planted in church premises around the country. Trees are grown on the side of roads in Colombo. to those who are read this column, please plant a kottamba, jak, rubber or some other valuable tree and set an example. Please plant a common herb and replenish the food supply. It is good if the practice started by President R Premadasa to plant cowpea, beans to provide midday meals to school children was re introduced. Let everyone be happy and healthy. President presents 11-page draft for lasting national reconciliation View(s): Power-sharing for political settlement to address grievances and aspirations of all communities Clear-cut perspectives on human rights, inclusivity, diversity, multiculturalism, gender equality and judicial independence Former President Rajapaksa scoffs at new policy as inappropriate; focus on October 8 anti-Govt. rally By Our Political Editor Just after his successful visit to the United Nations General Assembly sessions in New York, President Maithripala Sirisena went before his ministers on Tuesday to try to win approval for a National Policy on Reconciliation. This policy, spelt out in an eleven-page document, acknowledges the principle of power-sharing as the means of reaching a political settlement, which would address the grievances and aspirations of all communities as a necessary constituent for reconciliation. However, ministers will make a further study of this policy. This was after objections were raised by National Dialogue Minister Mano Ganeshan. He complained that though he was the minister in charge, neither he nor his officials had been consulted on the formulation of this national policy. The postponement of a detailed discussion will now afford them the opportunity to examine details of the policy and make suggestions if they so wish. The policy has been drafted jointly by the Ministry of National Integration and Reconciliation and the Office of National Unity and Reconciliation. , President Sirisena notes that reconciliation involves addressing the broad areas of truth seeking and healing; justice; reparation and non-recurrence including institutional reform as components of transitional justice. He adds; The State should make every endeavour to achieve these imperatives through independent, objective, credible, adequately resourced mechanisms that are established through wide consultative process and operate with continuous consultation and participation of victims and victim organisations for the duration of its function. In an accompanying note, President Sirisena said that the Office of National Unity and Reconciliation (ONUR) had drafted the National Policy in a manner that reflects that reconciliation is a whole-of-government effort and a multi-stakeholder endeavour. The ONUR is headed by former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga. President Sirisena has said that public awareness and education campaigns would be carried out on the national policy to develop a co-ordinated mechanism for the implementation of all reconciliation programmes. The introduction to the National Policy on Reconciliation notes that a three-decade conflict including a protracted armed conflict has caused suffering and damage to all communities and peoples in the country. It acknowledges that the armed struggle concluded in 2009, leaving behind a breakdown in relations and trust, intolerance and prejudice between and within communities in the country. It adds that there remains a national need for an expressly stated and comprehensive national policy. The Tiger guerrillas were militarily defeated by the previous Mahinda Rajapaksa administration in May 2009. Former President Rajapaksa and his backers appear to be holding a different view. He told the Sunday Times, This is not the way to go about with reconciliation. They are making it more and more difficult. Take for example the recent protests in Jaffna. Those involved were trying to inflame communal passions. They were also condemning our brave armed forces. They are promoting communalism (Jaathiwadaya). Naturally, the majority community becomes suspicious of the conduct of those protestors and those giving leadership to such campaigns. We should not do anything that will make our communities become distanced from with each other. There should be a way out. We cannot force something down the throats of the people. We also stood for reconciliation. We rehabilitated 12,000 guerrilla cadres. We did not shut down military camps. Joint Opposition Leader Dinesh Gunawardena that the Government was yet to discuss the national policy with the JO. Without an exchange of views, we cannot move forward. How can the Government go ahead with such a policy when Northern Province Chief MinistercC.V. Wigneswaran is provoking the people through protests and challenging that very unity? He is disregarding the rights of other communities. We will wait until the Government chooses to discuss issues with us. At that stage we will point out the shortcomings. Here are some significant highlights of the National Policy on Reconciliation Sri Lanka 2016 recommended by President Sirisena. PREAMBLE Concerned by the suffering, damage and detriment caused to the lives, dignity and security of all citizens of Sri Lanka due to the prolonged period of social and political tension, including the protracted armed conflict that spanned three decades; Acknowledging that since the conflict ended there remains a breakdown of trust, intolerance and prejudice between and within communities; Mindful of the fact that at the heart of the problem is the lack of an acceptable arrangement of shared political authority satisfactory to all communities in the country and that this has manifested itself in discontent and violence at different periods in the history of the country; Knowing that a lack of equal access to opportunities ranging from, but not limited to, education, livelihood, employment and justice remains the major cause of discontent in the country; Aspiring to re-establish the good relationship between the State and the citizenry through a range of measures including but not limited to, through strengthening civil administration and, return of property and lands to rightful owners; promoting media freedom, generating livelihood opportunities, and protecting the right and interest of missing and disappeared persons and their relatives; Determined to respect, protect and fulfil the human rights of all citizens equally, including civil and political rights on the one hand and economic, social and cultural rights on the other, while continuing to combat impunity and uphold the rule of law; Recognising that it is essential to build a shared Sri Lankan identity that embraces diversity and multiculturalism; Affirming that a process of healing has to take place in a holistic manner both individually for victims of conflict and violence, and collectively at the level of communities and societies that have suffered; Considering the importance of developing a national narrative of the past that resonates with all communities in Sri Lanka; Committed to creating an inclusive society, a sense of belonging, and an environment conducive to the full realisation of the potential of every Sri Lankan citizen; Calling for a whole-of-government effort and a multi-stakeholder process that combines a two-pronged approach, namely preventive through ensuring non-recurrence of past events, and through futuristic initiatives for reconciliation. This National Policy on Reconciliation is founded on the imperatives of Democracy, Good Governance, Human Rights, Rule of Law and National Unity. OBJECTIVES To function as state policy on reconciliation. To provide direction to national reconciliation by addressing past violence and conflict, and through envisioning of a shared future that fosters national unity and peaceful co-existence among all peoples and communities in the country. To provide a guiding framework to all stakeholders working on reconciliation in order to achieve coherence in reconciliation initiatives. Policy Principles A set of actionable principles and long-term goals that will form the basis for making rules and guidelines, and to provide overall direction to planning and development for national reconciliation. Equality Acknowledge the principle of power-sharing as the means of reaching a political settlement, which would address the grievances and aspirations of all communities as a necessary constituent for reconciliation. Ensure gender equality in all national initiatives; develop protection mechanisms for vulnerable women around the country; redress and provide reparations to women who have endured violations; and promote agency of women as partners in decision-making and as agents of change in reconciliation process and activities. Ensure that all citizens have equal access to their substantive freedoms and promote unequivocal non-discrimination, transparency, accountability and fairness in all legal, social, political and administrative mechanism and proceedings at national, provincial and local level. HUMAN RIGHTS The State shall make every endeavour to ensure that the full range of civil and political rights are equally upheld for all citizens and groups in the country in a non-discriminatory manner. The State should provide a mechanism to enforce civil and political rights and an enabling system for its implementation, which includes the rule of law, administrative justice, educational measures to promote a rights culture and democratic structures with checks and balances. The judiciary should play an important role in ensuring the implementation of these rights. INCLUSIVITY AND DIVERSITY Proactively cultivate a sense of belonging, responsibility and solidarity towards strengthening a shared Sri Lankan identity and values enriched by the nations diverse ethnic and cultural heritage, and to explore the notion of active citizenship in Sri Lanka and what it means to be a Sri Lankan. Ensure the right of every citizen to use and demand services in Sinhala and Tamil, the National and Official languages of Sri Lanka as enshrined in the Constitution and collectively work towards achieving trilingual competencies in Sinhala, Tamil and English languages. The State shall endeavour to create an inclusive society by setting up mechanisms to actively encourage the participation of formerly marginalised groups in decision making as well as their access to opportunities and services. Ensure representation within the public service and judicial system that reflects the diversity of the Sri Lankan population. Design specific mechanisms and programmes that within State and public sector institutions to mainstream policies and practices that uphold the principles of multiculturalism. Address the needs, empower, and engage with vulnerable groups affected by the conflict, including but not limited to, female heads of households, war widows, survivors of sexual and gender-based violence, children and youth, internally displaced communities, families of missing and disappeared, ex combatants, differently-abled, resettled communities. JUSTICE AND RULE OF LAW Strengthen, and reform where necessary, the judicial system so as to adequately deliver, and provide access to, swift and expeditious justice. Actively work towards ensuring equal and informed access to justice, maintenance of law and order and the equitable, impartial, competent, and swift dispensation of justice by way of an impartial and competent judiciary. Make every endeavour to provide reparations to victims who have been identified to have suffered loss as a result of the conflict and to ensure the protection of victims and witnesses during and after their quest for justice and redress. To amend and repeal laws which are discriminatory and are not in compliance with normative standards; and to introduce laws that are necessary to foster reconciliation. OWNERSHIP Proactively examine the obstacles faced by respective sectors, including but not limited to, female-heads of households, war widows, children & youth, internally displaced communities, families of the missing and disappeared, ex-combatants, differently-abled, resettled communities, and Sri Lankans living overseas and persons of Sri Lankan origin living overseas belonging to all communities, in participating and exercising their rights and define and implement actions to address these obstacles. CLEAR AND CONSISTENT COMMUNICATION Design and implement reconciliation interventions in consultation and with the participation of relevant stakeholders, and listening to respective stakeholders including civil society, direct and indirect victims of conflict and violence, and other affected groups; while the State should proactively release information on progress towards reconciliation in the country and such information must be communicated with responsibility and remain accessible, open and transparent to citizens. The State should make a concerted effort to engage the general public, through mobilising traditional and non-traditional media, in order to bring about positive attitudinal change that will in turn facilitate the readiness and preparedness of citizens to receive and accept solutions to the root-causes of conflict. Government and non-government actors must go beyond using media as a mere tool for communication; rather they must proactively leverage the media as a strategically powerful tool to promote reconciliation through carefully designed interventions. Even before the National Policy on Reconciliation has been launched, Opposition political parties are veering towards anti-Government campaigns. Besides, what they call an inappropriate policy on reconciliation, the campaign is also to focus on the re-introduction of the enhanced Value Added Tax (VAT), the economic and trade co-operation agreement with India and the recent Jaffna protests which the opposition groups claim was a threat to the countrys national security. The first such meeting will be held in Ratnapura on October 8. Contrary to reports that the launch of a new political party will take place on this day, its convenor and former Minister Basil Rajapaksa told the Sunday Times, it will not be on this day. He said that it has already been decided to form a new political party. This is because most people have lost confidence in the two major political parties, the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and the United National Party (UNP), he said. Since they were now in a coalition, the policy they were implementing was contrary to the pledges made to the people and had caused disillusionment, he said. We have already formed a political party. We have thought of a flag, colour and have asked artistes to design a flag. We will make it public in due course. Basil Rajapaksa declined to divulge the name except to say he had told supporters also to suggest names. The new party will be in alliance with other like-minded political parties. Some of those who are backing the Government now will also join us, he claimed. He said the aim of the new party would be to fill the void created by the SLFP and the UNP by going into a coalition government. He projected that the new party would be in place by January next year and would be ready when there would be a referendum on the new Constitution and when local government elections were held. The campaign by the Opposition groups over the enhanced VAT comes as the imposition of the new tax has been still further delayed. Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake had wanted to introduce the enhanced rates to be effective from October 1 i.e. yesterday. Karunanayake told the Sunday Times the Vat Bill would now be debated in Parliament on October 26. It would be implemented immediately thereafter, he said. Karunanayake also revealed that a new Appropriation Bill which would incorporate amendments would be introduced in Parliament on Tuesday. It will be printed on the same day by the Government Printer, he said. The changes in this Bill, it is learnt, are to ensure that the debt servicing ratio is less than five per cent of the GDP. The move, a Government source said yesterday, was to fall in line with requirements of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and qualify for its second tranche of US$ 1.5 billion from its extended fund facility. This is expected to be released in April 2017. Government sources said yesterday that President Sirisena was awaiting the return of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to have a top level discussion on the November 10 budget. The Premier is now on a visit to New Zealand and is expected to travel to New Delhi for an economic forum. Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera who returned from the United States of America on Thursday is expected to join him. Also due to take part in the meeting are Finance Minister Karunanayake and other senior ministers. The idea of President Sirisena summoning the meeting is to obtain a general idea of the budget proposals and thus obviate the need for any changes after they are announced, like what happened the last time. A Government source said it would also ensure that the proposed measures would not be opposed by the SLFP faction in the Government. Though the budget debate is due to end on December 10, Government sources said yesterday, it was likely to be extended at least by another week. Without doubt, the upcoming budget has become a subject of top priority for the Government. This is particularly in the light of the local government elections planned for the early part of next year. Efforts at reconciliation have also become an important issue in view of the interest shown by the international community. However, such an enormous task, there is no gainsaying, is more difficult than winning the separatist war militarily. It involves winning the hearts and minds of all stakeholders, something which the United National Front Government has not been able to achieve to a considerable extent. The once guerrilla-dominated North and the LTTE presence in the East are no more realities. The North has turned out to be the fastest developing region in Sri Lanka. Yet, neither the Government nor the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), one of its undeclared appendages, are allowing the situation to slip by. The recent Rise Tamil uprising by the hardline elements of the North with the Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran thrust as the leader thereof has caused more than a stir within the Government and also the TNA that disowned the move. This has helped others sow the seeds of communalism, disparage the armed forces and create serious suspicious in the minds of other communities. It proves that erasing communalism is easier said than done. A national policy alone will be of no use if it is limited to a document. There also should be the national will from all parties to act and make it a reality. Therein lies the problem. Protest against settlements in North View(s): My dear Wiggie, I thought I must write to you when I heard that you had given leadership to some kind of a protest in Jaffna that led to shops closing and public transport coming to a halt. Well, if your idea was to get some attention, you seem to have succeeded, because everyone is talking about this now. To start with, Wiggie, I was really disappointed to hear that your protest was called Eluga Thamil which means Arise, Tamils. Remember, last year we had a similar campaign which was called Mahinda Samaga Negitimu which means Arise with Mahinda and that really didnt go anywhere! At your protest, you had apparently called for a halt to Sinhalese settling in the North, merging the North and East and a federal set up to administer the country. Hearing all that, Wiggie, it seemed as if you are stuck in time, making the same demands that were made more than sixty year ago! What you said last week was also similar to what Chelvanayakam and Amirthalingam said at Vadukkodai forty years ago. They wanted to be heroes just as you are doing now but they didnt know that it would snowball into terrorism later. Do we want history to repeat itself, Wiggie? We should hardly be surprised about what you said because previously you had made headlines saying that Prabhakaran was not a terrorist but a great leader. Ah, isnt it a pity that you didnt make such pronouncements when you were sitting on the bench of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka? Judging by what you said last week, Wiggie, you seem to have forgotten that we ended thirty years of war a few years ago. However, that does not mean that the differences of opinion between various communities have disappeared and much more needs to be done to make us one nation once again. When people are trying to do so by drafting a new Constitution and putting other measures in place to prevent tensions between communities, the last thing we need is someone trying to inflame communal passions but if that was your idea, Wiggie, congratulations you seem to have done just that! Already, Gnanasara, who was silent for many months, has come out of the woodwork and was out on the streets of Vavuniya chanting slogans and claiming that you are trying to divide the country. If you continue staging protests, you can be assured that many will start to believe what Gnanasara is saying. All sorts of people have condemned what you said and some have called for your resignation. Most importantly though, there are many in the South who will now try to capitalise on what you said, blame Maithri and the Green Man, create a fear psychosis in the South and gain a political advantage. What is sad, Wiggie, is that you are not yet another politician, even though you are the Chief Minister of the North now. You were a Justice of the Supreme Court until you came into this business after retirement. So, people expected you to rise above petty politics and be statesman like in what you did. If my memory serves me well, that was the only reason why Sampanthan seeya chose you as the chief ministerial candidate from his party. At that time, Mavai was the obvious choice to run for the post of chief minister. He deserved a reward, having served the party through very difficult times. Nevertheless, Sampanthan seeya chose you, hoping that you will become the Lakshman Kadirgamar of his party. Obviously, he got his calculations very wrong because what he got was not the next Kadirgamar but the next G. L. Peiris, who changes his tune to suit his own agenda and own survival! To their credit, Sampanthan seeya and his party have quite clearly distanced themselves from your remarks but then, that is also what you want, isnt it, Wiggie: to become the Gnanasara of the North, so that people with racist tendencies will flock to you in droves and see you as their only saviour? We know that your son is married to Vasus daughter. Some are even suggesting that this is a plan by the two of you: you play on communal sentiments in the North and Vasus Joint opposition plays on similar feeling in the South to get votes from the masses and you both win! Is that true, Wiggie? At seventy six years of age, you are an old man in a hurry who is thinking of making history but surely, that shouldnt come at the expense of starting another war that could last long after you are gone? I hope you still have the common sense and the willingness to consider all this, Wiggie. Yours truly, Punchi Putha PS: Heres another thought: When Chelvanayakam and Amirthalingam stirred the youth in the North, they thought they were making history. They did, but it was by becoming victims of the youth they motivated into becoming a ruthless band of terrorists. Think about that too, will you, Wiggie? Happy Childrens Day! View(s): In Sri Lanka we celebrate Childrens Day on October 1. Childrens Day was first celebrated worldwide in October 1955, under the sponsorship of the International Union for Child Welfare in Geneva. Youll get to celebrate Universal Childrens Day again in November, thanks to Rubab Mansoor, who proposed the United Nations General Assembly create one day for all children across the world in 1954. Universal Childrens Day takes place on November 20 annually. It was established to encourage all countries to institute a day, firstly to promote the welfare of the worlds children. November 20 is also the anniversary of the day the UN General Assembly adopted the Declaration of the Rights of the Child in 1959. The Convention of the Rights of the Child was then signed on the same day in 1989, which has since been ratified by 191 states. Abuse of university quota system: Offending officials, students to be sacked By Damith Wickremasekara View(s): View(s): A countrywide probe is underway to nab education officials, principals, teachers and students who collaborated in abusing the quota system for university admission, officials said yesterday. They said those who helped students to fraudulently register in schools to sit the G.C.E. (Advanced Level) examination from areas outside their original district of study and gain university admissions would be hunted down. Education Ministry Secterary Sunil Hettiarachchi said the students had abused the quota system given to under-developed areas and the ministry was expecting reports from provinces to take action against the offenders. He said those found guilty would be sacked. A committee comprising officials of the University Grants Commission, the Examinations Department and the Education Ministry decided that students who fraudulently sat the exam would not be allowed to enter universities. Mr. Hettiarachchi said students who had misused the facility and gained admission to the universities in the last batch would be removed from the campuses. Examinations Commissioner W.M.N.J Pushpakumara told the Sunday Times that at least 100 such students had been identified so far, but further investigations were underway to nab those who had abused the quota system. Around 25,000 students were being checked as part of the investigations. Under existing regulations, a student should be registered for a minimum of three years in a school in the respective district to be considered for university selection from the particular district. UGC Chairman Mohan de Silva said students who had misused the facility and gained entry would be disqualified from universities on the grounds of providing false information. Airbus deal: SriLankan works out compromise By Bandula Sirimanna View(s): View(s): The debt-ridden national carrier SriLankan Airlines has re-negotiated the termination of the three A 350 Airbus lease contract with one of the worlds largest airline leasing company, AerCap as they were not suitable for existing routes and too expensive to maintain, officials said. The leasing company has agreed to reduce the termination fee to US$98 million from $154 million, a top Sri Lankan Airlines official who wished to remain anonymous told the Sunday Times. He explained that the re-structuring of the airline (including sorting out the termination leases) would have been delayed as a result of not accepting this offerand a default situation would arise leading to a court case. This would further delay the re-structuring of the airline and jeopardise the Expression of Interest process (EOI) and this situation should be avoided, he added. The Public Enterprise Development Ministry and the Treasury were of the view that the termination fee was too high and the maximum fee should be in the region of $75 million to $85 million as agreed by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Management (CCEM). Meanwhile, Public Enterprises Minister Kabir Hashim has told the CCEM that an offer had been received to buy the three aircraft outright and sell them for $330 million to another company. However, AerCap the owner of the aircraft has refused to sell them and the Finance Ministry and Public Enterprises Ministry then agreed to contact this leasing firm and re-negotiate the deal directly with it. One of the A350 aircraft has already been off-loaded with a penalty of $17.5 million. Four other A350 aircraft that SriLankan Airlines was to take delivery of in 2019-2020 would be cancelled by the Government, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said in April. Seven A330 aircraft and eight A350s were ordered during the previous regime in a $2.6 billion deal. Of the A330s one aircraft has already been vested in Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) with two more to follow in the coming months. Sri Lankan has ordered up to eight A350s with three due this year, one next year and the other four from 2020 onwards. (Please see Page 2 for related story) Angry Pakistan cancels SAARC summit View(s): Pakistan has formally announced that the 19th South Asian Summit which was to be held in Islamabad next month has been cancelled. A statement from the Pakistan Foreign Office said, The spirit of the SAARC Charter is violated when a member state casts the shadow of its bilateral problems on the multilateral forum for regional cooperation. Sri Lanka on Friday said it regretted that the prevailing environment in the region was not conducive for holding the 19th SAARC Summit in Islamabad on November 9 and 10. Earlier India, Afghanistan, Bhutan and Bangaladesh also said they were skipping the summit. We rely on your support to make local news available to all Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2022. Donate today Fiat justitia View(s): Former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the man who coordinated the eventual military defeat of the LTTE, was brought to face charges relating to allegations of irregularities surrounding the Avant Garde floating armoury. He is seen kept in a cell in the Colombo Magistrates Court last Friday until his bail was secured. He leaves for China next week to attend a defence seminar. First ever Advisory Committee on Health to be convened By Kumudini Hettiarachchi * Colombo holds 24th triennial conference of C'wealth Medical Association * Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council to partner CMA in Healthcare Business and Investment Forum View(s): View(s): Virtual will be the hospital that will be showcased, not physically there but aptly brought to life through software, when the Commonwealth Medical Association (CMA) holds its 24th Triennial Conference in Colombo, with some firsts on the table. In mid-October many eminent personalities from Commonwealth countries across the world, including Commonwealth Secretary General Baroness Patricia Scotland and Commonwealth Foundation Chairman and former Governor-General of New Zealand, Sir Anand Satyanand, are due to fly-in to Colombo to take part in the conference themed Digital Health for Health and Wellbeing from October 14 to 16 at the Cinnamon Grand Hotel. The conference is scheduled to be inaugurated by President Maithripala Sirisena. A first-ever will be the convening of the 16-member Commonwealth Advisory Committee on Health (CACH), the highest policy formulating-body in the field of health in the Commonwealth, in Colombo, away from its traditional home-base of London, United Kingdom. This is not all, the Sunday Times learns, for the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council has partnered with the conference to organise the first Commonwealth Healthcare Business and Investment Forum with the participation of the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council Chairman Lord Marland of Odstock, Wiltshire. Both these firsts are a signal honour for Sri Lanka, says CMAs President-designate Prof. Vajira H.W. Dissanayake who will guide this august body in the next three years. The 24th Triennial Conference is hosted by the Sri Lanka Medical Association (SLMA), the Health Informatics Society of Sri Lanka and the Government of Sri Lanka following an invitation extended by the country during the 23rd Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting held here in November 2013 and also at the Commonwealth Health Ministers Meetings in Geneva in May 2015 and May 2016. The CMA is spread across the six regions of South-East Asia & Australia; Central Asia; Eastern, Central & Southern Africa; West Africa; Europe; and Canada & the Caribbean. Established in 1962, the CMA is a non-governmental organisation with the main objective of assisting and strengthening the capacities of national Medical Associations (in Sri Lanka it is the SLMA) of Commonwealth countries to improve health, well-being and human rights in their countries and within their communities. Incidentally, while the CMA had been formally launched at the Galle Face Hotel in Colombo back in 1962 with Dr. A.D.P.A. Wijegoonewardene as its first President, the SLMA is the oldest professional Medical Association in Asia and Australasia, dating back to 1887. Not only the CMA Triennial Conference but also the CACH meeting being held on its fringes where Health Secretaries and Focal Points for Health from Commonwealth countries and other regional organizations will make crucial policy decisions is seen as being both politically and economically important for Sri Lanka. The Commonwealth Healthcare Business and Investment Forum, meanwhile, is aimed at bringing in much needed direct foreign investment to the country. Prof. Dissanayke who takes over the CMA mantle from Dr. Solaiman Juman said that a more active role is being envisaged for the CMA in the current global context, while the CMA has been working in stronger partnership with the Commonwealth Secretariat since 2013. We are working closely to try to extend the area of the Commonwealth Secretariat in the implementation of various programmes and initiatives, with the flagship programme being the Commonwealth Health Hub, he explained, pointing out that the conferences website would strengthen the aim of connect, collect, consult and collaborate among healthcare personnel in Commonwealth countries. Reiterating that the CMA has identified digital health as a tool that can be used to promote health and well being in Commonwealth countries and communities, Prof. Dissanayake, himself a whiz with computers, is hopeful that at the conclusion of the conference they would be able to launch the Commonwealth Digital Health Network which in turn would become the main CMA project in each and every Commonwealth country. And Sri Lanka is set to play a leadership role in this digital health initiative, as the country has been able to develop capacity in ehealth and mhealth at a low cost, the Sunday Times understands. The proof lies in the fact that Sri Lankas District Nutrition Monitoring System developed by the Health Ministry in collaboration with UNICEF (United Nations Childrens Fund) and the Health Informatics Society of Sri Lanka won the mBillionth Award from the Digital Empowerment Foundation as the best early-stage healthcare mobile app in South Asia. This is now used by 600 midwives in the three districts of Matale, Polonnaruwa and Nuwara Eliya to monitor the nutrition status of children, says Prof. Dissanayake, creating the vision of how digital health could be used as an umbrella of care to cover the aging population with non-communicable diseases; monitor maternal and child health and nutrition; and control tobacco use and substance abuse. A main sponsor of the conference is the global software giant Microsoft. When launching the conference, Health Minister Dr. Rajitha Senaratne said that Sri Lanka has pioneered various eHealth, mHealth and now digital health initiatives with very low-cost free and open-source software backed by a unique postgraduate training programme for doctors aimed at creating leaders in health informatics. By 2019, Sri Lanka will become the second country in the world after the United States of America to have board-certified health informaticians. More than 100 distinguished speakers including the Commonwealth Secretariats Health & Education Unit Director Dr. Joanna Nurse; Melbourne Universitys Laureate Professor Alan Lopez; Global He@lth 2030 Innovation Task Force Executive Director Denis Gilhooly; Asia eHealth Information Network Chairman Dr. Alvin Marcelo; OpenMRS Co-Founder & President Paul Biondich; dhis2 Co-founder Jorn Braa; a Father of the Internet, Vint Cerf ; Microsofts Asia-Pacific Director Callum Bir; World Medical Association President Sir Michael Marmot; and Association for the Accreditation of Human Research Protection Programmes Chief Executive Officer Elyse Summers are billed to address the 24th Triennial Conference. More than 500 participants are expected to attend and will include doctors, nurses, midwives, other healthcare workers, hospital operators and businessmen from around the Commonwealth. Important sesssions The CMAs 24th Triennial Conference will focus on many important issues facing the modern world. With anti-microbial resistance emerging as a threat, a symposium has been organised to look at this topic from all angles, in collaboration with the Commonwealth Pharmacists Association and the Pharmaceutical Society of Sri Lanka. There will also be a special symposium on the Commonwealth response to the global eradication of polio, in collaboration with Rotary International, with the participation of the Chair of Rotarys International PolioPlus Committee, Michael McGovern. Some of the other important sessions will be on Open Access Publications in collaboration with INASP, an organisation working out of Oxford, and a Workshop on Research and Clinical Ethics in collaboration with the University of Miami. Sri Lanka is keen to promote its health sector which is on par with rest of the world. Health tourism is one subject that will be studied, while partnerships with health providers in other countries will also be explored, said Prof. Vajira H.W. Dissanayake. (For more information please e-mail: office@cma2016.org) Former AG legal consultant to CIFC View(s): Former Attorney General Yuvanjana Wijethilake has been appointed legal consultant of the new Colombo International Financial City (CIFC) formerly Colombo Port City, the Cabinet Committee of Economic Management (CCEM) was informed at a recent meeting. It was stated that Mr. Wijethilake will be resposible for dealing with legal matters of the centre, which is to be governed under a new Act titled the CIFC Law. The relevant draft Bill will be presented in Parliament shortly and envisages the creation of an International Financial Zone (IFZ) within the land area to be reclaimed by the Project Company CHEC Port City Colombo (Pvt) Ltd. The IFZ will create an environment for the international financial services industry by attracting reputed international banking and financial services companies to locate within the CIFC, it was stated. The CCEM has directed the Ministry of National Policies and Economic Affairs to establish the Legal Division, creating a cadre for supporting staff of senior and junior research officers, recruiting persons recommended by Mr. Wijethilake, in consultation with the Department of Management Services of the Finance Ministry. Human rights activist grilled at airport View(s): Human rights activist Ruky Fernando on his way for an international seminar in Britain was questioned at the Bandaranaike International Airport by the intelligence service, a civil rights movement said. Mr. Fernando was on his way to attend a human rights session at Britains York University when he was questioned for about one and half hours, said Keerthi Tennakoon, Executive Director for the Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CaFFE). He said Mr. Fernando was released a few minutes before the flight after the intervention of lawyers. Mr Fernando made representations regarding a human rights campaigner Balendran Jayakumari who was arrested for harbouring an armed man in Kilinochchi in 2014. Mr. Tennakoon said as a civil rights organisation they were condemning the questioning of Mr Fernando at the airport. He said the questions posed to him included details about the session he was attending and his personal life. Police spokesman Priyantha Jayakody said he was not aware of the incident and would make inquiries from the relevant unit. Jayalalithaas health sparks speculation; specialist flown in from London By Kumar Chellappan View(s): View(s): A cloak of secrecy surrounds the health of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayaram Jayalalithaa, who has been in a Chennai Hospital since September 22, as speculation is rife despite pleas by her party, AIADMK, not to believe any rumours. A pall of political uncertainty prevails in the southern Indian state as the chief minister remains incommunicado in her room in the fortified Apollo Hospital. Soon after her admission to the hospital, the hospitals Chief Operating officer Subbiah Viswanathan said the chief minister was being treated for fever and dehydration. In subsequent statements, he said her condition was stable but she would be under observation for a few more days. He dismissed reports that the chief minister was being flown to Singapore for further treatment. The doctors attending to Ms. Jayalalithaa feel that there is no need for her to go to Siingapore as she is responding to the treatment, he said But the secrecy with which her admission to the hospital was handled and the high security around the hospital complex have given rise to speculation that there is more to it than meets the eye. Ms. Jayalalithaa appeared tired and exhausted when she last appeared in public to inspect the guard of honour on Indias Independence Day on August 15 at Fort Saint George, Tamil Nadus seat of power. On Friday, Dr Richard John Beale, Consultant Intensivist was flown in from the London Bridge Hospital to examine Ms. Jayalalithaa. Dr. Beale, who will be staying in Chennai for a few more days, said Jayalalithaa was receiving the best course of treatment at the hospital. However, the arrival of the intensivist has only added to rumours that the Chief Minister is critically ill. This is because an intensivist is a physician who provides special care for critically ill patients. Meanwhile, the opposition Dravida Munnetral Kazhakam (DMK) leader Muthuvel Karunanidhi in a statement yesterday asked the Tamil Nadu government to clarify on Ms. Jayalalithaas health and put an end to speculation and agony of her party cadre. The 93-year-old politician wanted the States Governor to issue a statement on the chief ministers health. DMK sources said Mr. Karunanidhi made the request since neither the hospital nor the Tamil Nadu government had issued pictures of the Chief Minister after she was admitted to hospital. The Tamil Nadu government had claimed that the chief minister had summoned senior state officials to her hospital room to instruct them on the talks they were to hold with the Union Water Minister regarding the Cauveri water-sharing crisis involving, among other states, Karnataka. But there were not many takers of the story. Meanwhile, Indian media reports said last night that Governor Vidyasagar Rao visited the hospital but met only the doctors who briefed him on the chief ministers condition. The Governor was happy to note that the chief minister is recovering well and appreciated the doctors for providing the best medical care and treatment, a statement issued by his office said. Three named to Right To Information Commission View(s): Three Commissioners of the five-member independent Right to Information (RTI) Commission were appointed on Friday by President Maithripala Sirisena. The newly-appointed Commission members are former civil servant Mahinda Gammanpila (Chairman), attorney-at-law S. G. Punchihewa and attorney-at-law Kishali Pinto-Jayawardena (nominee of the Editors Guild of Sri Lanka, the Newspaper Society of Sri Lanka, the Free Media Movement, the Sri Lanka Working Journalists Association and the Sri Lanka Press Institute). The quorum for any meeting of the Commission is three. The appointments were made following recommendations by the Constitutional Council after calling for nominations from organisations of publishers, editors and media persons, the Bar Association of Sri Lanka and other civil society organisations. According to the Right to Information (RTI) Act, No 12 of 2016, the nominated persons should have distinguished themselves in public life with proven knowledge, experience and eminence in the fields of law, governance, public administration, social services, journalism, science and technology or management. Two other proposed members law academic N. Selvakkumaran and retired Supreme Court Judge Saleem Marsoof though initially consenting to the recommendation by the Constitutional Council, later declined to take up positions. This was on the basis that the RTI Act bars those holding public office, judicial office or any other office of profit from being Commissioners. Mr Selvakumaran is attached to the University of Colombo while Justice Marsoof will depart for Fiji as a visiting judge shortly. Two further appointments are therefore pending given the question as to whether the Commission needs all five members to function. Further, the Bar Association of Sri Lanka may need to suggest fresh names for its nominee to be represented on the Commission. Under Section 12(2)(b) and (3) of the Act, if new nominations are not forthcoming, the Constitutional Council shall make its own recommendations. The Right to Information Act also precludes an MP or Provincial Council member and any person carrying on any business or pursuing any profession from being appointed. The Commission is the main overseeing body monitoring the performance of public authorities and information officers under the Act as well as making recommendations for reform. It can directly prosecute before the Magistrates Court with stiff sentences and fines liable to be imposed on offenders. The Acts reach is wide, going beyond government bodies and including companies in which the State has a controlling interest as well as non-governmental organisations in so far as the information sought relates to service rendered to the public. Sri Lankas RTI law was, this week, ranked as the ninth best in the world by the Canadian based Centre for Law and Democracy and second best in the region, yielding only to India. Activists have however pointed to the huge challenges in implementation. 30 years ago she walked into the Govt. Press, now she heads it Kumudini Hettiarachchi talks to Gangani Liyanage, the first woman to succeed a long line of men in the 214-year history of this state institute View(s): View(s): The clackety-clack greets us long before we enter building No. 8..and as we climb up a few steps there comes into view the presses in all their magnitude going back and forth, gobbling up fat reels of paper and spewing forth all documents official. As those who work the presses, now ranging from the old to the new, having moved to the digital age while still making use of the old iron horse, attend to their daily work, on the second floor accessed by an antique-looking lift, another male bastion has toppled. In the seat of the Government Printer, acting it still may be, since September 15, is Gangani Liyanage, the first woman to succeed a long line of men in the 214-year history of the Government Press, now called the Department of Government Printing, sprawled across five acres of land down Baseline Road (Dr. Danister de Silva Mawatha) in the very heart of Borella. Above her seat is prominently displayed the Sri Lanka Government emblem. It is a busy day for her, with her staff, be it senior or junior, walking in and out of her office with ease, as she deftly deals with a Tender Board issue, a forklift matter while querying whether that plate eka gahalada (of course, not referring to ceramic but printing plates), assuring someone that she will give her decision on Friday, signing several documents presented to her in files and making ready to step out to Kanatte at noon, to condole with an employee who has lost his father. Mrs. Liyanage is able to multi-task and handle many an issue with aplomb as she has grown-up within this very system, joining the Government Press as a young woman just out of the Colombo University, armed with a Degree in Physical Science, 30 long years ago. Saree she wore on that first day and saree she still wears to work, she smiles when asked whether there was no trepidation coming to work in a literal all-male environment. Yes, there was only one other girl who was Staff Officer when I joined. She was in the computing section, says Mrs. Liyanage, going back to her wonderfully free childhood in her maternal village of Uduwa in Horana where there was never any gender stereotyping. Her earliest memories are of being brought up, along with her older brother, amidst an extended family in her maternal Maha Gedera, moving to a home her parents built later also in Horana and attending Sripalee College, a mixed school where once again gender did not matter. There was a gang of cousins, both boys and girls. Sundara, was their younger days, not only climbing but also tumbling off trees, romping in the wela (paddy-fields), bathing in the streams and crawling into the kelawa (jungle) to eat dang. They quarrelled and made up, but there was never any discrimination or taboos placed on the girls. They were allowed to roam the village as free-spirited as the boys. The family also travelled far and wide, for her father was in government service, attached to the Health Department. So with the railway warrants he had every year, they would board a train to visit the ancient cities or go to Nanu Oya, take a bus from there and climb Pidurutalagala. It was for the Physical Science Degree that she was selected to the Colombo campus and her father came on transfer as Secretary at the Lady Ridgeway Hospital for Children. Having sat the final examinations, she was persuaded by a senior Akka, Prema Swarnasinghe, to join a research project of the Sociology Department. Wider became her exposure to a world not experienced before, the shanties of Colombo, where the research team went in search of returnee housemaids to talk to them about their stints abroad and also share their meagre meals which were readily offered to them. As was customary among just-passed out graduates, vacancies were pored over in the Gazette and the newspapers and several applications sent out. Ganganis picks were Trainee Brand Superintendent at the Government Press; Management Trainee in the Maharaja Group; teaching; and the Sri Lanka Administrative Service (SLAS), all first levels of which she sailed through without much effort. Gangani was making ready for an interview for the teaching appointment when her mother called her to give the good news. A telegram had arrived that she should report to work at the Government Press. Having been informed earlier at the interview by then Government Printer Neville Nanayakkara of there being only one before her, it was without any hesitation that Gangani arrived at the Government Press reporting for duty on August 11, 1986, to start her career in an almost all-male (nearly 2,000) environment with monstrous machines all around her. There were only about 150 women in the non-Staff Officer, the clerical, typesetting and binding sections. There have been no regrets and no turning back, with Gangani embracing her job with vigour and enthusiasm, even working late shifts, from 1 to 8 p.m. two days a week. Kisima prashnayak thibbe ne, she says, adding that there were no issues at all, with many of the Works Department employees who manned the letter-presses and the offset machines treating her like their own daughter or sister. Over the years though, the gender imbalance has tilted somewhat with more women joining. How much the scales have righted is evident when she talks of the latest recruitment among the 30-odd binders they are about to take in from the National Apprenticeship Board, all except one are women, while among the 30 typesetters, 28 are girls! There have been challenges and there will be challenges, is the view of Mrs. Liyanage, a mother of two sons who are in their 20s, who has managed home and work life with major support from her husband. A hotbed of trade union action, does she fear the future at the helm of a department which is an integral part of government be it the printing of the Gazette announcing the election of a new President of Sri Lanka or the more humble but vital birth, marriage or death certificates or the crucial ballot? Some of the major and immediate challenges are a dearth of staff, particularly higher grades; upgrading the technology in keeping with modern trends, while repairing and retaining the old but solid machines; and improving employee welfare. I am ready to face and overcome them all, with the support of my staff, Mrs. Liyanage is confident as she occupies this important and difficult seat, for she is sure that the Government Press is one big family. There may be squabbling, differences, debates and arguments, but we are family. Rediscovering, reinventing dance and the female By Purnima Pilapitiya View(s): View(s): The curtains opened on this years edition of the Colombo Dance Platform to a new energy, new faces and a fresh take on dance. Initiated, funded and presented by the Goethe-Institut, the fourth edition of the Platform aims to help artists, dancers and audiences contextualize contemporary dance in relation to the regional dance scene. The Platform closes on October 9 with a weekend of dance, discussion and workshops offering audiences and critics a chance to participate and nurture their understanding of contemporary and experimental dance. Curating the event this year is first time curator Venuri Perera. Although the experienced dancer is no stranger to Colombo Dance Platform, having performed on their stage in 2012/13 Venuri, whose initial training was in Kandyan dance has since branched out into film, theatre, live art and therapeutic movement in several projects at home and abroad. Currently a visiting lecturer at the University of Visual and Performing Arts and member of the Dance Panel of the Arts Council in Sri Lanka she sums up this years Platform as completely different, with a local curator taking the helm for the first time and the programme made up predominantly of foreign artistes. This years theme is Shakti: A Space for the Single Body -a concept that Venuri also shares a personal passion for, for Shakti celebrates the primordial divine feminine energy. Focused more on movement rather than dance, this years platform is a showcase of solo work which aims to rediscover and reinvent dance and the female. The platform includes artistes from India, Cambodia, Switzerland and Germany, all whom Venuri has performed with as a part of various projects. I am influenced by the patriarchy and patriotism explains Venuri. She feels that dance in Sri Lanka is still anchored by a sense of masculinity; while women choreographers are not always brought to light and women are objectified in dance. Were stretching the boundaries of what it means to be female. Among the enlightening performances are pieces by artists such as German Sri Lankan Sarah Mikolai, trans dancer Tara Transitory aka One Man Nation and the programmes only male performer Pradeep Gunarathna fresh from the Attakkalari Biennale (Bangalore, 2015) with an exploration of the androgynous form. Colombo Dance Platform which began this weekend will continue on October 8 and 9. All events are free entry. For more information, see www.facebook.com/colombodanceplatform/ To register for workshops email- info.colombodanceplatform2016@gmail.com Between the worlds of Kautilya and Nye View(s): By Dr. Sarala Fernando Everyone is talking of soft power today and referring to the work of Joseph Nye. In a nutshell, soft power is the ability to shape the preferences of others through appeal and attraction rather than by hard power (i.e.military force). Nye sets the frame in the changing global power equation which has witnessed the rise or return of India and China, as well as the communication revolution which has diffused power to many new stake holders. He suggests there is a need to avoid the Thucydides Trap referring, inter alia, to the fear mongering which is said to have triggered unending war between Athens and Sparta in classical times. In the application of soft power, Nye offers as basic principles, the need for credibility in strategic communications and the seeking out of win-win solutions to achieve the ultimate goal of smart power. Our soldiers, who in the course of the operations against the LTTE had faced the very heart of darkness, would find it more easy to associate with the views of Kautilya, written in the 4thcentury BC, notably the Arthashastra which sets out the art of combining military power and diplomatic persuasion in the pursuit of national self-interest. As the Minister to Emperor Chandragupta Maurya, Kautilya had to deal with real life situations, at a time when military power and economic power were the two recognised main pillars of national security. Then, the guiding values were of pragmatism and realism and Kautilya considered any means were acceptable to secure the kingdom; thus assassinations, spies and secret agents, duplicity in negotiations are freely discussed as necessary tools. Clearly Kautilyas world is different to the world of today where such means are considered as covert operations and rarely discussed in public. Nevertheless these secret operations are coming to light as ethical choice weighs in on strategic thinking, for example as in the legal debate in the US over the limits on use of torture and practice of rendition. These developments can be ascribed in part to the rise of the United Nations after the catastrophic events of World War 11. From its founding, the UN placed emphasis on disarmament and the promotion of human rights. Thus, the very first resolution adopted by the UN General Assembly called for the elimination of all forms of WMD and the subsequent adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights set out standards which have influenced constitution-making around the world. A huge body of international law and humanitarian law has come into existence which has a direct bearing on the conduct of war and on shaping public opinion. Hence, we are drawn to the example of Mauryan Emperor Ashoka, whose place in history is defined not by his territorial conquests over virtually all of India but by his vision of upholding the Buddhist teachings as a cultural foundation for political unity and good governance. One problem though has not changed since the time of Kautilya, how to respond to the rise of zealots such as Osama Bin Laden and Prabhakaran who can inspire countless followers to rally to their cause, killing and maiming thousands, destroying public infrastructure, food and water supply, and even UNESCO World Heritage treasures. Military leaders who have faced the forces of terror remain convinced that there is no other recourse than that of hard power. They would say it is foolish to believe that we can shape the preference of such zealots through attraction and achieve security goals through soft power instruments such as diplomacy, strategic communications, exchange partnerships and humanitarian assistance. So should we re-assess the value of Kautilyas work as a counterpoint to the growing influence of soft power? Already some parts of his work are recognisable within IR theory. For example, the five prong model of options for a ruler to achieve his strategic objectives collusion, cooperation, alliance, acquisition or destruction has influenced modern balance of power theory and strategies now called bandwagoning and balancing, cooperation with security blocs, neutrality etc. However we know less about Kautilyas view of human nature, what are the driving forces that throughout time create fanatical leaders who can rally their followers to the path of untold destruction? Equally important, what are the lessons we could draw from Kautilya on how hard power should be balanced with soft power to counter emerging threats? Is there a proportionate measure to be applied or timing to be identified such as a tipping point in the crisis? When a threat is imminent or an attack takes place, a common response is to react with more controls and monitoring banning the burqa or online magazines for example. As a multi-religious country, a good starting point for Sri Lankas security planners would be to organise early warning consultations with religious and other civic leaders whose support would be required to both educate those who may be prey to violent extremism as well as to provide prior intelligence on terror attacks. However, as Sri Lankas involvement in UN peace keeping operations increases, the military will have to come to terms with the world Nye represents. Public opposition to war is growing around the world as witnessed for example by falling voluntary recruitment in the military and public demands for the relocation of funds from defence to social spending. This trend is illustrated in the resort to growing civil-military cooperation and the induction of robots and drones. In the past, opposition to foreign interventions usually came from the affected (mostly developing) countries. However, influential voices in the West are now questioning their leaders on taking their countries into foreign wars, viz the Chilcot and UK parliamentary reports on Iraq and Libya. These reports, partly inspired by confrontational politics, were also commissioned due to the pressure of families who had lost their husbands, sons and daughters in these foreign wars. Such rising public opinion will surely impact on the new thinking at the UN suggesting that its peace keeping operations should become more robust. Already there are signs of friction on this issue between human rights advocates on the one hand and the countries sending troops, mainly developing countries, on the other hand, who naturally would not want to place their personnel in harms way or to carry the blame for bureaucratic indecision. Ironically, with the democratisation of the internet and reducing of the cost of information, communications and computers and enhanced distribution through internet cafes and networks highlighted by Nye, the dark side of Soft Power, notably the propagandising of violent extremism, is emerging as a major security threat today. The technological divide is also deepening between countries; those more advanced have moved on to forge cyber security partnerships for protection of critical infrastructure and combating of cyber crime. Major attitudinal changes have occurred since the World Information Summit in Tunis in 2005 where countries imposing firewalls on the internet came in for much criticism. Today, 10 years on, firewalls, monitoring of on-line behaviour, electronic eaves dropping and counter measures has become standard practice in countering security threats. The constituency to maintain the integrity of the internet without significant loss of privacy or degradation of individual rights has already lost ground to the demands of national security. As troop levels are drawn down and civil-military cooperation is increasing around the world from the US to China, how will the Sri Lanka military strategise to meet the new challenges between the two worlds of Kautilya and Nye? (The author is a retired Sri Lanka Foreign Service Ambassador) Memories etched in stone and in our hearts View(s): This is the third and final part of an article based on the writers recent visit to China. The first two articles were published in the Sunday Times of Sept. 18 and 25. By Ameen Izzadeen For the first time, in our 10-day stay in China, we felt we were like a group of social anthropologists. From the time we arrived in Nuohei, a village inhabited by Chinas Yi people, on a sunny morning, it was a learning process for us till we departed after a sumptuous Yi lunch. Nouhei is situated in Shilin County in the Yunnan Province. It took nearly two hours for us to reach the village from our hotel in Kunming, the capital of the province, which is on a rapid development drive to bring its economy to the level of Chinas prosperous provinces such as Fujian. Tourism plays a key role in this process. As we arrived in Nouhei, we were greeted by a smiling village girl in purple and white traditional clothes and a red hat. The village surrounded by mountains and lakes was as beautiful as she was. Its simplicity, perhaps, was its biggest attraction. Most houses in the village were made of thick stone slabs stacked one on top of the other, with no cement or binder being used to keep them in place. Thin stone slabs were used as roofing. We thought that the houses, called slate houses, would crumble with one push. But we were wrong. They were as strong as the traditions of the Yi people, who have a more than 3,000 year old history. About 8 million Yi people live in China and are spread across Yunnan and several neighbouring provinces. They largely live in mountainous areas like Nouhei, which in Yi language means Monkey Pond. The Yi people say their ancestors followed the trail of the monkeys and founded this village by the lake. The villages few inns, also built in slate-house style, bespeak an attempt to promote rural tourism Yi tourism, in this instance among people from other areas. The alleys are paved with polished stones. The beauty of the stone village, the smiling girl and the fascinating traditions of the Yi people woke the anthropologist within us. We wanted to be like Dr. R.L. Spittle, who during the early 20th century lived among the Veddas to study their life, or the French anthropologist who spent 30 years among the Yi people to study their life and culture. Yes there is an anthropologist in every one of us because we show some inclination to study or know about the culture and customs of other peoples. This anthropologist within us is a racist, if we think one culture is superior to another. Good anthropology is beyond ethno-centrism and prejudices. It assumes that every communitys culture, which includes traditions, beliefs and practices, however strange it may seem, makes sense and is meaningful. Yet there were no takers among us the 17 Sri Lankan journalists on a Chinese embassy-sponsored visit to China when we made jovial remarks about getting married to a beautiful Yi girl and settling down in the village on the pretext of studying the Yi people.. We laughed at the proposal while the Yi girl was explaining to us the life and times of her people, pointing to the exhibits in the village museum. As though she understood our banter in Sinhala, the girl who gave her name as Wang Xiao Yanmi also laughed and changed the topic to marriage and the Yi traditions associated with it. Pointing to the two long ear pieces attached to her mitre-like hat, she said they were worn by unmarried girls. One of the two ear pieces has an embroidered butterfly. A man can propose to her by touching the butterfly. But the matter is not as easy as that. The Shilin Country Yi people are a matriarchal society. The men listen to their women who work in the fields cultivating mainly tobacco, corn and potatoes. In the past, the men stayed at home and were engaged in hunting and slaughtering animals for food. Today the men also work in the public and private sector and the houses have modern amenities, but the matriarchal tradition survives. However, the womenfolk were generous enough to set aside seven days of the year for the men. During these seven days, the men reign. They gather at a designated place in the village to make merry with no questions asked, while the women stay inside their houses. The Yi tradition demands that a man who proposes to a woman by touching the butterfly on the hat should work for three years for the brides family till the marriage is solemnised just as the prophets of the Middle East worked for their would-be fathers-in-law prior to their marriage during biblical times. If there is more than one contender for a girl, the one who is stronger gets her. The prospective grooms will have to prove themselves by enduring the weight in two baskets connected to the two ends of a pole balanced on the shoulders. The one with the longer staying power wins. Or sometimes, a prospective groom, like Ashimas lover, will have to wrestle with other contenders to prove their manliness. We saw Ashima not in the Yi village of Nouhei, but at the Stone Forest in the same county. Hers is a sad story. Petrified in the stone forest, she is still awaiting her lover. We visited the Stone Forest after we had our lunch at a Nouhei restaurant. There was plenty of corn, potato chips, pumpkin, green leaves, peanuts, cauliflower and meat all cooked in Yi style. After the lunch, the girl and her aunt sang traditional Yi songs for us. The stone forest was a short drive from Nouhei. The 500 square kilometre forest where large linear rocks take the shape of petrified trees, was bustling with people when we went there. Some 270 million years ago, the area was a shallow sea, said our tourist guide who was dressed like Ashima the beautiful Yi girl. When the water receded gradually, they exposed the limestone rocks. Tens of thousands of tourists visit the forest daily to absorb the beauty of the rock that looks like Ashima, the rocks that look like eagles, crocodiles, elephants and other things that we conjure up in our minds. Ashima, the folklore says, was a beautiful Sani (a branch of Yi) girl. She was kidnapped by Rebubala the wicked landlord, prompting her lover Ahei to come in search of her. Ahei fights Rebubala and defeats him. He takes Ashima and rides his horse as fast as he can until they get caught in a thunderstorm. They decide to take refuge in a bees house in the Stone Forest. It is so dark that the lovers cannot see each other. Ashima slips and gets trapped between the rocks. She tells Ahei that the stone god would free her only if he makes a sacrificial offering of a white cock and a white pig. Ahei goes as far as he can in search of a white cock and a white pig, but does not succeed. Visitors to the rain forest can see a petrified Ashima carrying a basket on her back gazing into the distance. Hoping against hope, she awaits the arrival of Ahei. The story was made popular by the blockbuster Chinese film Ashima. Most young girls visiting the Stone Forest take pictures of themselves in Ashima dress. One can pay ten yuan and hire the dress. The stories of the Yi people and Ashima are not only etched in stone but also in our hearts. Also etched in our hearts was the hospitality of the officials of the Foreign Affairs Office in Quanzhou and Kunming during our stay in China. They proved they were hosts par excellence. We say a big thank you to them for taking care of us like their own children and also to the Chinese embassy in Colombo for organising this familiarisation tour, which turned out to be a memorable one. National Unity Govts achievements and challenges ahead View(s): By Krishantha Prasad Cooray Twenty months ago a decision was made that changed the course of our country. Many factors contributed to what happened next. Many individuals, organizers and in the end the majority of the voters played important and even crucial roles in how things unfolded. However, if one man had not taken an all-important decision, we may not be where we are today and indeed we may have been even poorer. Only a man endowed with immense courage, self-confidence, sense of purpose and trust in the people could have made the decision to break ranks with his political party and go against the leader who even his most tenacious opponents considered invincible. Maithripala Sirisena may have felt, given his experience as a seasoned politician, his moment had arrived. He may have been pushed to make the decision by a consideration of the relevant factors and the persuasive arguments of key members of the political opposition to the then regime such as Chandrika Kumaratunga, Ranil Wickremesinghe and Karu Jayasuriya, as well as civil society leaders such as the late Ven Maduluwawe Sobitha Thera. Such factors he would have had to consider along with the fate that befell Sarath Fonseka in 2010. While it is true that the events and processes that preceded this historic decision were all about the concept of good governance and that any good candidate may have defeated the incumbent, the fact that Maithripala Sirisena was the General Secretary of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party made a huge difference. His decision clearly tilted the odds against Mahinda Rajapaksa.Maithripala Sirisenas courage would inevitably be tested after assuming office. He would also be challenged to bridge seemingly impossible gaps, create trust and unite a nation broken along ethnic, religious and party lines. Today, 22 months later, two years into Sirisenas presidency and more than a year after the consolidation of the Unity Government following the general election, a question is being asked: have things changed and if so is it for the better? The quick answer is that things are indeed better but they could have been much better. In fact the climate of freedom that has enabled open and harsh criticism has by and large made people forget how things were before the 8 January, 2015. An assessment would be useful, therefore. The programme was ambitious. A lot was promised in the first 100 days. Progress was made on important issues, but it was and still is perceived to be slow. Two reasons can be attributed to this state of affairs. The first is that an over-optimistic new regime failed to understand that systems and cultures, especially bad ones, are extremely resilient. Secondly, there is the impatience of the people when quick fixes are expected, disappointment and disillusionment usually follow. Frustration is essentially a result of high expectations not being fulfilled. Countries are seldom turned around in a flash. Bloody revolutions can do it, but as the term indicates theres a heavy price to pay. We saw a democratic revolution on January 8, 2015. Sirisena and the Unity Government he formed with Wickremesinghe inherited a next to bankrupt economy, a political culture marked by abuse and apathy, officials who are incompetent or timid or both, and robust systems that are veritable partners in crimes of corrupt politicians. It was certainly a situation that had to be handled carefully. They could not afford to let emotions get the better of them. Sober, careful and pragmatic measures had to be taken with a view to long-term recovery. Unfortunately we inhabit a political culture where those who favour reason over rhetoric, and the pragmatic over the popular, are seen as weak and ineffective. Had President Sirisena opted to crack the whip hard as his predecessor did he may have been called a strong, decisive and effective leader. The truth is that efficiency, strength and decisiveness are not about putting political opponents behind bars through the abuse of the judicial system. Indeed in most instances restraint requires more strength. Restraint was and is necessary because its absence is part of the reason why democracy has suffered so much over the past several decades. If rule of law and democracy are to be re-established then it would have been erroneous to do things as they were done before. If wrongdoers were treated the way Sarath Fonseka and Shirani Bandaranayake were treated, for example, it would not create a better country but further compromise democracy and the rule of law. When the foundations of democracy have been seriously damaged it is not possible to restore the edifice without relaying the base. Thats what the 19th Amendment and the Right to Information Act were about; the foundations for a more robust democracy. These changes have been complemented by the restoration of judicial independence. Slowly but surely the people are beginning to trust the courts, another necessary element of the democratising process which had to be carefully handled. Sirisena is the only President who willingly conceded some of the enormous powers vested in his office. This even his strongest critics cannot deny. With the creation of independent commissions, President Sirisena and the Unity Government have effectively put the country on the path to a more accountable and transparent system of governance. We are already seeing the benefits of these measures. Politicians are slowly but surely realising that being elected is not a license to throw their weight around. The previous government was feared but not respected. The present regime is respected but not feared. It could be argued that fear rather than respect makes for better political stability. However, conviction generally works better than compulsion. A people who feel they belong and who believe they have ownership stakes are more likely to work with passion. Before January 8, 2015 we had a situation where few politicians or officials dared to object to proposals and directives from the top. Those who did so were punished. Of course today we do have some lethargic public servants who drag their feet or whine that they dont want to be hauled to the FCID, but then again no innocent person has been prosecuted. We can argue that the true measure of governance is when present and not former ministers are questioned, but we must understand that although things are not ideal things certainly are better. Hopefully we will evolve to a point when anyone in power who steps out of line is questioned. It is respect and fear of robust systems and not individuals with power that will get us there. Systems are being put in place and we are not too far away from a situation where wrongdoers in this Government will be investigated, something that was unthinkable just two years ago. President Sirisena, as we mentioned above, had to be a unifying factor to begin with and since being elected has had to keep the forces of democratic change together, united and focused. He had to deal with dissidents and dissent within his party. The President and the Prime Minister have both had to struggle to overcome the traditional antagonisms between the parties they lead, even as they try to strengthen these very same parties. Thats not the only kind of unity that the President and the Unity Government has had to contend with. The task of post-conflict reconciliation was never going to be easy. It was not an issue that can be put on the back burner. The commitment to create a society free of hatred, violence and fear was reiterated by the President at the United National General Assembly a few days ago. A constitutional reform process is underway. There has to be give-and-take across the board and here a sober, patient and empathetic leader like the President is a tremendous source of strength for these are the attributes required of a person whose task it is to draw people from extremes as well as peripheries to the centre and common ground. President Sirisena is a man who listens and who measures his words, qualities that have earned him respect and positioned him to play the role of a unifier in a broader context, that of overall national reconciliation. It would be naive to say that the difficult part is done. The reform project is incomplete, electoral reform has unfortunately been postponed while amendments or even a total overhauling of the constitution for purposes of reconciliation is bound to be slow and contentious. The political reforms have to be matched by performance on the economic front, certainly a challenge in the context of a global economic crisis. The civil service has to be revamped, systems have to be put in place so that capable leaders are developed, a passion for the country has to be inculcated among all students at all levels and as the President pointed out in New York the war on drugs needs to be fought on all fronts and relentlessly too. And everything, one could argue, depends on the continued partnership between the two major political parties in the island. There is very little room for error. This is exactly why the sober, quiet and determined persona of the President gives reason to be hopeful. Democratisation can never be driven by the undemocratic, the rhetorician, the rabble-rouser; it is only someone of the calibre of Maithripala Sirisena who can navigate things at this point and only with the continued support of Ranil Wickremesinghe and the United National Party. It is not an ideal situation, but then again when was any progress wrought in ideal circumstances? It remains to be seen whether the two will see the country through this tough and necessary period of democratisation. hey probably understand much better than their respective supporters that if either or both put party before country both would lose and that the hope for a more democratic Sri Lanka will consequently diminish. The party faithful need to understand this too. Fortunately, in Maithripala Sirisena and Ranil Wickremesinghe we have two leaders who are at the helm and one cannot ask for two individuals better suited to be in charge at this point. They need the right people in the right places. This is not easy in a country that suffers from a serious human resources crisis, all the more reason for making best use of the meagre pool of capable men and women of integrity. Twenty months have passed since the historic electoral victory of Maithripala Sirisena. It is probably more advisable to look to tasks yet undone rather than the achievements over this period, remarkable though they are considering the state of the country before 8 January, 2015. Public service and service to the public: The need for efficient systems View(s): By Ariyaratne Hewage Public means the people in a country. Public service therefore, should concentrate on providing the required services to the people. The main objective of the members of public service is to ensure that the functions entrusted to each one of them would be performed in an efficient and effective manner to improve quality of life of people. However, public officers should keep in mind that they are also a part of the public and not a group of aliens. Today, there are about 1.3 million public officers working in different capacities throughout the country. In a broad sense, both elected members of public as well as appointed public officers should realize that they are expected to serve the public to ensure economic, social and cultural improvement of people. When one takes a critical look at the present day public agencies, it is doubtful if the services provided by them help to address issues of people. Results-oriented approach The main objective of the government mechanism is not only to perform various functions by utilising public funds but also to ensure the achievement of results or outcomes expected of such functions. It is necessary to ensure that expected results are achieved from any type of project and the responsible officers must develop indicators to measure results and undertake continuous monitoring. This process of results orientation is a world accepted system called Results Based Management, adopted by many developed countries. Comparative experience We can learn from two key innovations introduced in England and Malaysia where they have been able to improve the delivery services to address identified issues of people. When Prime Minister Tony Blair completed his first term in office and wanted to run for the second term, he realised that many promises pledged at the first election had not been fulfilled. He was concerned about delivering key services to people and established a special unit called, Prime Ministers Delivery Unit (PMDU) under his direct supervision. The main task entrusted to the PMDU was to identify the priorities of services delivered to the people and to develop targets and measurable indicators for such services. Health, education, law and order and transport were identified as priority areas. The PMDU prepared a strategic plan to resolve the identified issues and assigned targets and timeframes for implementation to relevant government agencies. Training programmes conducted to educate the officers of relevant agencies as to how they should proceed in the process of implementation and reporting the progress. Progress of the achievement levels was regularly reviewed and reported to the PM who arranged to present the progress regularly to the Cabinet of Ministers. Similarly, Malaysias Prime Minister Najib Razak who was reelected in 2013 had identified six national priorities with the concurrence of his cabinet ministers. They were called National Key Results Areas (NKRA) and the main priorities included the provision of basic rural infrastructure, reduction of crimes and improving the quality of education. Another important aspect to be considered in this process is present auditing practices in Sri Lanka. Audit officers normally review the paid documents and check whether allocated funds have been utilised according to the set rules and regulations and whether the physical outputs have been produced. They do not pay adequate attention to review the achievement of results or outcomes in the audit process. Practising good governance Good governance and reconciliation has been identified as two main priorities of the present Government. The term governance refers to the administrative mechanism available to manage the economic, social and political affairs of a country. Political leaders and public officers who wish to practise good governance should be conversant with its basic principles. As identified by the UNDP, the main principles of governance are characterised by participation, rule of law, transparency, responsiveness, consensus orientation, equity, efficiency, effectiveness, accountability and strategic vision. Private sector in development It should be noted that in the implementation of development programmes, the public sector alone cannot achieve development goals and therefore, the cooperation of the private sector becomes essential. The public officers should play the role of a facilitator to involve the private sector in a productive manner and as a regulator to ensure the quality of development in all its dimensions. Multiple roles of a ministry secretary Ministry secretaries hold the highest positions in the public service. They are the chief executive officer of the respective ministry and are entrusted with the responsibility of executing the programmes in terms of the policies approved by the Cabinet of Ministers. They should ensure that all officers of the ministry and the officers in agencies under the ministry perform efficiently and effectively and adhere to the rules, regulations and procedures and achieve planned results. They should also communicate with their ministers about the progress of the programmes implemented by the officers. The secretaries are responsible to the President, and perform on the directions of their respective ministers. They are responsible to Parliament on managing public finance and to the Cabinet of ministers about the affairs of the ministry. Appointment of officers It is important to follow a systematic methodology when recruiting and appointing officers to various posts. Appointments to the posts should be done in a professional manner after evaluating the qualifications, skills and interests of officers. It can be observed that there is no proper system followed when making appointments to top posts in the public service and such appointments are done mainly on the basis of personal relations. When I attended a meeting of SLAS officers recently, some senior officers told me that they are frustrated about the way how the ministry secretaries have been appointed. They said that some who are lower in seniority have been appointed as secretaries and they have been overlooked although they are senior in the service. They also said that during the last regime, the secretaries were appointed on the basis of personal relations and that there is no change in the present system too. I then asked them whether they advocate a system of appointing ministry secretaries purely on the basis of seniority. Then they said that they would wish to see a proper system in place when appointing secretaries and that they would not be unhappy even if they were not selected. If selections were made according to a fair and transparent system, there would be good governance. Importance of coordination Often, repetition can be observed when various levels of government agencies implement their programmes without any interaction with each other. Maintaining a sound inter-agency coordination becomes predominantly an important element in the implementation process. Already, a system of coordination exits at Divisional Secretaries level and district level. However, no formally established coordination mechanism exists to coordinate the activities among the ministries and various agencies functioning under a ministry. It is also necessary to establish a coordination mechanism between the national and provincial agencies. Capacity building An essential requirement of the public service is to provide training to public officers to enhance their knowledge, skills and attitudes and improve their professional competencies. Developed countries accord a higher priority for public service training. The Sri Lanka Institute of Development Administration (SLIDA) is mandated to provide training to public officers, particularly for those in the executive grades. In playing its important role, SLIDA should identify the competency frameworks required for different levels of executive grades and organise its training programmes with a view to developing their competencies and equipping them with the capacity to perform their functions efficiently and effectively. As required by the service code, the executive grades of public service should obtain a masters level degree before they are promoted to the class 1 of the respective service. However, it is observed that obtaining a postgraduate level degree is done only to fulfil the promotion requirement and many officers who have completed postgraduate programmes in local or foreign universities have not shown a significant improvement in their performance. The authorities may identify the study needs of officers in different fields and communicate with recognised universities in advance and organise the study programmes in a systematic manner. Building a strong and formal mechanism To govern the affairs of the country, a strong and formal mechanism with legal backing is required. It can be observed that many political leaders and bureaucrats today use an unlimited discretionary power in decision making related to policy matters. Not only when the government changes are policies changed but also when a minister of the same government changes. Relevant authorities may appoint teams of experts and educated persons to study in depth the subjects in question and request the teams to submit their alternative recommendations with possible costs and benefits for each of the alternative. The political and bureaucratic authorities will then be able to select suitable alternatives on a rational basis. The major policies of national importance should not be changed haphazardly and all relevant authorities should follow the accepted system and procedure. When such an accepted system in policy formulation is followed, the high level authorities will get used to doing business in a professional manner which will also lead to improved practices of governance and development of the country. Conclusion Adopting the systems and methods discussed in this article would invariably help improve quality and productivity of governance. It should also be stated that many public officers are aware of the concepts of good governance but it is observed that they do not use much effort to put such concepts into practice but carry on their business as usual. (The writer is a senior officer of the Sri Lanka Administrative Service and has held many positions in the public service including the Secretary, Ministry of Ports & Aviation and Ministry of Education. He also functioned as the Chairman, Finance Commission). Trump versus West View(s): By Dominique Moisi NEW YORK In less than 50 days, we will know who the next president of the United States will be. Though Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton has a lead in national opinion polls, it has narrowed to a near-tie, meaning that her Republican opponent, Donald Trump, could well triumph. Indeed, US observers are now examining what a President Trumps first 100 days in office would entail. Its not pretty. With Trumps candidacy, reality has become more incredible than fiction. No Hollywood scriptwriter would have dared to invent a presidential candidate much less an actual president as ridiculous as Trump. In comparison, Kevin Spaceys Frank Underwood, the evil and conniving protagonist of the American version of the television series House of Cards, who actually commits murder during the series, looks like some kind of Kant-Lincoln hybrid. Trump is Americas reality-TV Mussolini. He is not just a populist, isolationist politician; he is a caricature of one. By electing him to the presidency, American voters would achieve what neither the Soviet Union during the Cold War nor Islamist fundamentalists today ever could: undermining and potentially destroying the democratic system of the worlds greatest power. Consider the support for Trump provided by Russian President Vladimir Putin, arguably the Wests most prominent authoritarian nemesis. Given his denigration of the Wests democratic model, the master of the Kremlin views Trumps candidacy as a divine gift. Trumps election would be definitive proof that, despite more than two centuries of struggle against the Enlightenment spirit of reason and freedom, the gods of despotism have not forsaken their earthly agents. Even if Trump doesnt win, the fact that he could come so close that he was not roundly dismissed as a candidate by US voters, not to mention the entire Republican Party establishment does not bode well for the values and principles upon which Western democracies rest. But a Trump victory would obviously be far more destructive. And simply assuming that it is not going to happen, that the scenario is too absurd and dangerous to consider, will only make it more likely. The United Kingdoms June vote to leave the European Union is a case in point. Virtually all of the experts agreed that Brexit would have serious economic repercussions, and many pro-EU Britons felt so confident in their fellow voters that they didnt bother to vote. Alas, Leave won the day, triggering financial and economic turmoil and a spike in hate crimes. The future of the UK and Europe remains uncertain. The driving forces behind the Brexit vote were fear and false nostalgia. Britons were promised a return to an idealized past of peace and prosperity, when they were masters of their own destiny. And they were told that insidious external forces from immigrants to EU institutions were the reason for all of their problems. The Remain campaign, for its part, was heavy on facts and light on emotion. The parallels with the current US presidential campaign are arresting. As Clinton struggles to inspire, Trump is stirring up peoples basest passions.For white Americans, in particular faced with the evolution of a continent that, in less than 30 years, will be dominated by Spanish-speakers the mixture of fear and nostalgia served up by the Trump campaign is a powerful potion. Unsurprisingly, Trump has done particularly well among white men without college degrees, and relatively poorly among those with less positive memories of the past: minorities and women. In my 2009 book The Geopolitics of Emotion, I argued that, whereas the twentieth century had been the century of ideology, the twenty-first century would be the century of identity.Much to my dismay, the Brexit vote and Trumps candidacy seem to vindicate my forecast. Identity politics including issues of sovereignty and security has replaced rational economic concerns as the main driver of voters choices. Man does not, after all, live by bread alone. To be sure, economic factors contribute to the emergence of identity politics. Rising income and wealth inequality have weakened the middle class, spurring many to revolt against the elites. As the British journalist Martin Wolf put it, for many, liberal democracy and globalized capitalism no longer seem to mesh, and indeed may directly contradict each other. Now, many seem to want to tear down both of them. But the situation has escalated considerably, owing to a terrorist threat that has been blown out of proportion, together with general fearmongering about immigrants. People may be convinced to live in relative poverty, if it means staying safe. But, when faced with the prospect of both poverty and insecurity, fear joins anger to overwhelm their reason. In such a context, everything becomes possible even something as unthinkable as a Trump presidency. The fact that the establishment is represented by Clinton, with her long-standing unpopularity and portrayal by the media and Republicans as a frail old woman, does not help matters. Americans but not only Americans will watch the remainder of the campaign with the curiosity of Roman citizens watching a battle between gladiators. But we are not in a Roman circus. The future of the West, if not of democracy, depends on which contestant is still standing at the end of the race. (Dominique Moisi is Senior Counselor at the Institut Montaigne in Paris.) Copyright: Project Syndicate, 2016. The exclusive to the Sunday Times. www.project-syndicate.org Seafarers will now be able to ring-fence most of their old and legacy tickets for free under changes to Maritime New Zealands certification rules. Coming into force on September 30, the changes to seafarer certification rules means those tickets will be kept valid for life without the cost of moving into the new certification framework, SeaCert. The rule changes also allow more than 30 different tickets to be ring-fenced, enabling seafarers to continue using them to work domestically. If seafarers have ring-fenced a ticket, they can also choose to move to a new SeaCert ticket at any time in the future. Maritime NZ Director Keith Manch says the SeaCert framework provides seafarers with clear career pathways, and certificates that are recognised internationally. But -fencing would suit many seafarers, and also save them up to $592 in transition costs. Ring-fencing has been introduced after we heard from industry that a lot of seafarers just want to keep doing what they are doing. If you have old or legacy tickets it makes sense to ring-fence because it leaves all options open you can choose to transition to a SeaCert ticket in the future if you decide that is what you want to do with your career. Seafarers have until September 1, 2017, to decide whether to ring-fence their tickets, transition those tickets to SeaCert, as well as notify Maritime NZ of their choice. After this date it will not be possible to ring-fence tickets. Keith says if seafarers take no action then their tickets will expire. After theyve made their choices, Maritime NZ will send them a Verification of Status card confirming what tickets they have ring-fenced. Seafarers are able to ring-fence any eligible old or legacy certificates they hold. Even if a ticket has previously expired, a seafarer can revive the ticket by requesting it be ring-fenced. They will be able to continue using ring-fenced tickets to work, for life but need to have a medical certificate from any GP if they are using their ring-fenced tickets. Seafarers will have two years from the date of issue of their Verification of Status card to get their first medical if they are actively working. Those who want to start using their ring-fenced ticket more than two years after ring-fencing will need to get a medical certificate before they start work. Medical certificates must be renewed every two years if a seafarer is continuing to work. If they are not working, seafarers do not need a medical certificate. Seafarers can continue using their old or legacy tickets until September 1, 2017, but must either ring-fence, or tell Maritime NZ they plan to transition, by this date. For more information visit the Maritime NZ website at: www.maritimenz.govt.nz/ringfence or call: 0508 669 734. Cat Jenkins is a farmer. She gets up early and heads out to feed the calves, collect chook eggs, check on the horses and do other farm chores. But not before she straps her one-year-old onto her back. Or her front. Mr Wright and charter broker Claire van der Vorm joined us to discuss this year's Monaco Yacht Show, the current charter market, popular destinations and more. Were a small business, Ive been involved in loads of new builds over the years and every time we put a new build together were hoping its going to be some sort of big development. "Invariably there are small adjustments here and there, and boats get better, but this year were very excited we have a 76-metre under construction at Van Lent and it will be their very first ever unfared yacht, for delivery Spring 2018. Just days before the show, Henry Smith of Cecil Wright confirmed the sale of Kingdom Come, commenting moments after the sale; Kingdome Come offers something unique and we are delighted to have sealed the deal as we head to Monaco. You can watch the full interview in the video above this article and also keep up to date with all of our Monaco Yacht Show news on Facebook,Twitter and Instagram. SENECA FALLS, N.Y. -- A man overdosed on heroin while driving in Seneca Falls, police said Friday. Anthony J. Serafino, 47, of West Main Street, Waterloo, crashed his vehicle into guardrail in a parking lot off of Fall Street, said the Seneca Falls Police Department. When witnesses approached Serafino, he was unconscious, police said. Firefighters started to give Serafino CPR. After determining he had overdosed on heroin, Serafino was given two doses of naloxone, a drug used to treat opioid overdoses. A North Seneca Ambulance crew transported Serafino to Geneva General Hospital for treatment. He was later arrested and charged with driving while ability impaired by drugs. bakpromo.jpg Police charged Kyle O. Bak of Tonawanda, New York, with aggravated driving while intoxicated, DWI, operating an unregistered motor vehicle and operating an electronic device while driving. (City of Tonawanda Police) TONAWANDA, N.Y. -- Kyle O. Bak drove into a utility pole in the City of Tonawanda Thursday night, and after consenting to a blood-alcohol test, he then remarked about the results - 0.20 percent to officers, according to a police report. "That's conditioning, yeah," Bak told officers after the test, City of Tonawanda police said. Bak, 28, of Follette Lane, Tonawanda, in Western New York crashed into the pole at Young and Scott streets before 7:30 p.m., and he initially told officers he had been texting and driving, police said. He also acknowledged he had been drinking. "I was drinking all day and just finished a 25-ounce can of beer," Bak told officers who arrived on scene, according to city police. Police charged him with aggravated driving while intoxicated, DWI, operating an unregistered motor vehicle and operating an electronic device while driving. Bak, who was uninjured, was held on $250 bail. "I'm not proud of running into a telephone pole, ruining my car," Bak said Friday, adding that the "conditioning" statement was made because both he and police officers were surprised at the blood-alcohol reading. "I was cordial with every single officer. I apologize profusely for what I did. I made a bad judgment." -- Aaron Besecker, The Buffalo News, N.Y. Dunkirk, N.Y. The Upstate New York woman killed by a train Wednesday morning was trying to save a dog when she was struck. police said Friday. The woman has been identified as Athena Dipirro, 37. Dipirro was walking with her boyfriend's dog along the railroad tracks in the Western New York city of Dunkirk just after midnight. The dog, which investigators believe wasn't on a leash, got on to the tracks as a westbound CSX freight train approached. Police believe Dipirro was trying to get the dog off the tracks when the train struck them, killing both. Police were called to an area of the tracks west of Middle Road at about 12;04 a.m. "This was a tragic accident and our thoughts and prayers are with the victim's family and the CSX train personnel as well," Dunkirk Police Chief David C. Ortolano said in a written statement. By Aaron Besecker, The Buffalo News, N.Y. APTOPIX School Shooting A Townville Elementary student looks out of the window of a school bus as she and her classmates are transported to Oakdale Baptist Church following a shooting at Townville Elementary in Townville, South Carolina earlier this week. (Katie McLean | The Independent-Mail via AP) ANDERSON, S.C. (AP) -- A 14-year-old South Carolina boy was charged as a juvenile Friday with murder and three counts of attempted murder after authorities say he killed his father and opened fire on students at a school playground, wounding three people. The boy did not show any emotion as he walked into the courtroom wearing a yellow jumpsuit. He was unrestrained, not wearing handcuffs or leg shackles, as required by state law in most juvenile cases. As the hearing unfolded, one of the wounded students, 6-year-old Jacob Hall, was on life support and fighting for his life at a hospital about 30 miles away. His family said they were praying for a miracle. Inside the courtroom, the boy's lawyer, Frank Epps, noted that the teen has given a statement to law enforcement and asked that investigators not question him again without his lawyer present. The judge agreed to that, and ordered the teen to be held in jail. The boy's mother sat on the front row during the brief hearing and left the courtroom sobbing and leaning on another woman. The Associated Press typically does not identify juveniles charged with crimes. Authorities say the teen shot his 47-year-old father Jeffrey Osborne at their home on Wednesday afternoon before driving a pickup truck 3 miles down a country road to Townville Elementary. The teen -- who is not old enough to have a driver's license -- had to make only two turns to arrive at the red brick school, where he crashed the truck, got out and started firing during recess. Bullets struck two students and a first-grade teacher. The building was immediately placed on lock down. Authorities have not released a motive for the killing or the school shooting. They have said the boy was being homeschooled, but have not explained why. Prosecutors haven't given any indication about whether they will ask to try the teen as an adult. When juveniles accused of violent crimes are 14 or 15, a prosecutor has 30 days to ask a family court judge to try the teen as an adult. If denied, the prosecutor can appeal to the circuit court, which can order the transfer. Sixteen-year-olds accused of murder are automatically tried as an adult in South Carolina. Anderson 4 Superintendent Joanne Avery said staff saved lives by flawlessly implementing active-shooter training drills conducted with students at Townville Elementary, most recently as last week. A teacher, though shot in the shoulder, "was with-it enough" to close the door, lock it and barricade the students, Avery said. "If he'd gotten in the school, it would've been a different scenario," she said. The shooter then fired toward students on the playground but missed. A teacher who heard the first gunshot was able to get those students safely inside, Avery said. The teacher who was shot and another student who was hit in the foot were treated and released from a hospital, officials said. Relatives of Jacob issued a statement late Thursday saying the boy sustained a major brain injury due to the amount of blood he lost after being shot in the leg. Jacob has been unconscious since arriving at the hospital, his great-aunt Rebecca Hunnicutt told WYFF. "As long as his heart's beating, we've got hope," she said. "We are hoping for a miracle. We're praying for a miracle, and we're expecting a miracle." Hunnicutt said Jacob has seven siblings, and his parents haven't left his hospital room. She described Jacob as "one of these kids that you'd swear was carved out of cream cheese. He is as beautiful on the inside as he is on the out." Classes are scheduled to resume at the school Monday. Heres a book that will get your attention: The End of White Christian America. If that doesnt grab you, then the introduction, written as an obituary, certainly will: After a long life spanning nearly two hundred forty years, White Christian America a prominent cultural force in the nations history has died. WCA first began to exhibit troubling symptoms in the 1960s when white mainline Protestant denominations began to shrink, but showed signs of rallying with the rise of the Christian Right in the 1980s. Following the 2004 presidential election, however, it became clear that WCAs powers were failing. The book is by Robert P. Jones, chief executive of the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) and regular contributor on cultural and political issues for The Atlantic as well as other publications and news programs. Is his provocative premise just journalistic hype? Heres his hypothesis. White Christians have been the dominant cultural force in this country since our beginnings. Mainline Protestants like Presbyterians, Methodists and Episcopalians ruled the roost till the mid-20th century. Romans Catholic and Evangelicals were minor players on the religious landscape. Then, with the election of John F. Kennedy, a Roman Catholic as president, the Mainline had to share its monopoly. Soon, however, came the Mainliners precipitous membership losses and consequent decline in cultural importance. Evangelicals stormed to the forefront. Now, they are also facing falling membership. During their respective ascendancies, the three groups had something in common. Nearly all their leaders were white and male. If you dont believe me, look at pictures of religious conferences and leaders from the 20th century. Except for womens suffrage and the civil rights movement, you will mostly notice white male faces. If there were gay people in the picture, they were quiet about their sexuality. There might be some Black or Latino people in the background. Youd look in vain for a Muslim, Buddhist or Hindu person. Thats not the case anymore. In fact, the U.S. Census Bureau predicts that white Americans will be in the minority by 2050. What effects have these demographic changes made on the American religious scene, especially the moral and political landscapes? In a word, huge. Thats what the book is about. The addition of nonwhite faces, let alone a majority of them, has set off a furious reaction in some circles. Jones uses insights from the late psychiatrist Elisabeth Kubler-Ross in her book, On Death and Dying. She discovered five stages that most people experience as they are dying: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. Jones applies these stages to the losses that white Christians are suffering as churches and our country become more diverse and the white presence becomes less prominent. In 1988, white Mainline Protestants made up 24 percent of the population. In 2014, they had shrunk to 14 percent. Mainline Christianity has gone through its denial and anger phases and is moving toward acceptance he says, but Evangelicals are having a hard time as they are now starting to shrink. White Evangelicals had a 22 percent share of the population in 1988 and declined to 18 percent in 2014. The largest Evangelical body in the country, the Southern Baptist Convention, has lost members nine years in a row. There are exceptions, of course. Meanwhile, nonwhite churches have been growing or remaining stable. Latino Catholics, Latino Protestants and Asian Protestants are growing. African American Protestants have held their place. Giving up privilege and power is difficult. But history, like a great river, keeps rolling along. As Bob Dylan sang in the 1960s: The order is rapidly fadin' and the first one now will later be last for the times they are a-changin'. Research in the book lines up with what other social scientists are finding. The Pew Research Institute, for example, compared 2007 religious statistics with 2014. Evangelicals declined .9 percent over that period. Mainline Protestants and Catholics had a steeper decline, 3.4 and 3.1 percent each. Non-Christian bodies increased 1.2 percent and unaffiliated shot up 6.7 percent. None is the fastest growing group, especially among millennials (ages 18-34). Those are national figures, but even in Helena -- which is overwhelmingly white -- has seen changes in the religious landscape. We have a revitalized Jewish community, Buddhist and Baha'i groups, as well as a Native-American congregation called the Togendowagan Society. Jones does a good job analyzing the decline of white Protestants, both Mainline and Evangelical. I wish he would have had something to say about Pentecostals. They get shoe-spooned under the general Evangelical heading. I also think he could have provided a better analysis of challenges of white male dominance among Roman Catholics. Nevertheless, I think the book deserves reading and discussing, especially in this election year. Its on several bestseller lists. What are some of the takeaways from the book? The decline of white Christian power and prestige is not necessarily bad news. It is good news if you are African-American or Latino or Asian or Native-American or Jewish or female or LGBT. But what about those nostalgic people who miss the power and prestige that came with the white Christian monopoly? The decline can be a good development for them too. But they need to get past the disappointment of not being the center of attention anymore. Throwing a religioushissy fit wont change the demographics. We are a much more diverse society today. Be true to your faith, but dont berate or belittle the beliefs of others. Accept and welcome religious diversity among fellow citizens. Partner with other religious people and non-believers alike to create a better world. Thats the mission imperative for our time. It is official: OnePlus is finally rolling out the Marshmallow update to OnePlus X. This will be in the form of OxygenOS 3.1.2 and is coming to devices over the air (OTA), which means that this article will not include a download link. First off, the update is said to be incremental, indicating that the users should expect new builds later. Now, here is a really simple step by step guide on how to update a OnePlus X device. 1. Open Settings. 2. Go to the System menu and choose About device. 3. Tap the option to download manually. 4. Tap OK, then, Start. 5. Once a restart message pops up, choose OK. Users can also go to the About phone option in the Settings menu, then tap System update. A window will open showing the available update or if the system is already updated. Just one note to owners of devices with 2.2.3, 3.1.0 and 3.1.1 versions. They can download the OTA directly without the need to flash the devices to previous versions. Some OnePlus X enthusiasts probably know that OnePlus has previously announced that the official Marshmallow update will not arrive until next week. This news came alongside the information revealed by OnePlus executives during the an ask-me-anything (AMA) session in Reddit that the company is also working on the Android 7.0 or Android Nougat update to OnePlus 3. But here we are. So what changed in the latest OxygenOS? It turns out that there are several new improvements. For example, there is a big launcher upgrade, which includes new icon packs, a Google search bar UI customization and a new wallpaper picker style. There are also two new apps, the OnePlus Music Player and OnePlus Gallery. The user interface also got tweaked with the capability to long press boards in order to rearrange or remove. With respect to overall user experience, OnePlus cites that the update will improve system performance and will fix bugs and known issues. OnePlusX is also due to receive security patches but they will only begin rolling out in October. Some known inconveniences include the tendency of the Facebook and Facebook Messenger apps to crash when using the camera if they are not given storage permissions. Finally, it is important to remember that OnePlus has a history of incremental distribution of OTA updates. A user's device, therefore, will not receive an update notification weeks after other users got theirs already. Regardless of this variable, one should be reassured that the update is not only on the way but that it is also earlier than what was promised. 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The United States government is set to hand over the "address book" of the internet to non-profit organization Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers on Oct. 1, a move that many Republican lawmakers are calling as an "internet giveaway." A tiny branch of the Commerce Department of the United States will assign the oversight of the root zone, which is the highest level of the domain naming system structure of the internet, to ICANN, a non-profit created in 1998. ICANN will be running the database after the oversight contract of the United States government ends, and it will become accountable not just to the country but also to international stakeholders of the internet. These will include a governmental advisory committee, an industry committee, a technical committee, telecommunications experts and average internet users. Republican lawmakers, however, have been trying to block the handover, which is strongly supported by internet companies such as Google and Facebook and the outgoing administration of President Barack Obama. "Today our country faces a threat to the Internet as we know it... If Congress fails to act, the Obama administration intends to give away the Internet to an international body akin to the United Nations," said Texas senator Ted Cruz in a speech on the senate floor. The campaign of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump shared the same sentiments, calling for the American people to support the Republicans in Congress in their fight to "save the internet." Republican attorneys general have even filed a lawsuit in the federal courts as a last-ditch effort to block the handover of oversight to ICANN, seeking the judge to block the transition. The argument is that, without the oversight of the United States, foreign governments and hackers might be able to take over the internet, causing its infrastructure to crumble and leaving the internet in anarchy. However, ICANN, the Commerce Department and many others have scoffed at the assertions being made by Republicans over the matter. According to a statement by ICANN, the United States government never had the ability to set the direction of the non-profit organization's policy development work, which is what Senator Cruz seems to be suggesting. The government of the United States, along with any other government in the world, will not see an increase or decrease in their role on overseeing the internet. The doomsday scenarios that the Republicans are warning against will simply never happen, according to other government officials, companies in the tech industry and the architects who helped build the current internet system. The oversight of the United States on the internet is too small that handing over the duty will not have any great effect. In fact, even with the handover, the United States will still retain vast control over the internet, as the most popular top-level domains in the world, specifically .com, .org and .net, are based in the United States, which means that these organizations will still follow laws and court orders in the country. 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. As Samsung scrambles to recover from the ongoing Galaxy Note 7 fiasco, the company could already be looking forward to its next flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S8, to win back customers and restore trust in Samsung's products. According to leaked documents on the Galaxy S8, the smartphone will be using the new 10nm chipset named the Exynos 8895 alongside the new Mali-G71 GPU of ARM, which is said to be up to 1.8 times more powerful compared with its predecessor, the Mali-T880 that is used with the Exynos 8890 in the Galaxy S7. The Galaxy S8 is reported to be combining the Mali-G71 with a screen boasting of 4K resolution at 3,840 x 2,160 pixels for 806 pixels per inch. With these two components, Samsung looks like it would be tapping into virtual reality as the secret weapon of the upcoming smartphone. With significant experience and a deep understanding of consumers in the virtual reality space collected through its Gear VR headset, Samsung will be looking to provide a topnotch experience with the Galaxy S8. This becomes more important as more systems and headsets, such as Sony's PlayStation VR, are set to be released, pushing virtual reality further into the mainstream. Samsung has been pushing for innovations and cutting-edge technology in its flagship smartphones, such as the curved display that has been reported will also be coming to the next Apple iPhone. The burgeoning virtual reality industry is still looking for the killer application that will allow it to fully penetrate consumer electronics, and perhaps this is the mission that Samsung has undertaken for the Galaxy S8. According to analysts, customers might not have to wait long to see what Samsung will offer for the Galaxy S8. In what is considered to be a silver lining in the Galaxy Note 7 recall program, which was initiated by Samsung due to the incidents of exploding batteries, the company could be looking at an earlier launch for the Galaxy S8 to deal with the crisis. Instead of trying to recover the lost sales of the Galaxy Note 7, analysts say that Samsung should instead focus on getting the Galaxy S8 out into the market as soon as possible to be able to offset the negative impact of the global recall program. If Samsung does indeed release the Galaxy S8 earlier than planned, and with the focus on virtual reality with a 4K display and the Mali-G71, will the smartphone be able to win back customers who have lost their trust in the company after the Galaxy Note 7 fiasco? That remains to be seen, but if Samsung is aiming to do so, such a massive move on its part for the company's next flagship smartphone would be a necessity. 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. In June, LeEco, a popular tech company in Beijing, announced that it was gearing up for its officially entry in the United States, hiring market specialists along the way to affirm a market presence in the country. LeEco recently distributed press invites for its Oct. 19 event in California where it's expected to unveil a smartphone and a video-on-demand service that will compete directly with Netflix. LeEco is one of the biggest Chinese companies specializing in online video, where it's primarily known for until it ventured in the smartphone arena, when it released the Le Max in January this year, followed by the Le 1s in February. The Le2 and Le 2 Pro followed suit in April. Then the Le Max 2 in May and then Cool1 in August. LeEco has released a total of six smartphones even before the start of Q4. Most notably, LeEco released its flagship device, the Le Pro 3 in China on Sept. 28, selling over 500,000 units in 15 seconds. The company likely sees a potentially lucrative market in the country. Chinese smartphones have been known to come way cheaper than their competitors, and the reason is that they don't have to pay patent-related fees. However, now that the LeEco is entering the U.S. market, it seems that it's prepared to step in, despite the arduous patent affair. LeEco's mum about what it's officially going to reveal during the event, so there's still a chance that they might have something unexpected up their sleeve. Some of you may not be familiar with the company, as the name is fairly nascent. But it's worth noting that some refer to it as the Chinese counterpart to Google, and that juxtaposition alone speaks volumes. LeEco is famed for selling beefy specs with affordable price tags. No wonder why the Le Pro 3 sold that many units in just a quarter of a minute. The phone is loaded with Snapdragon 821 quad-core CPU, 4 GB of RAM, a 5.5-inch 1,920 x 1,080 display, 32/64 GB of internal storage, 16/8-megapixel front/rear-facing cameras and it comes with Android 6.0 Marshmallow. All these for $269, once converted to U.S. currency. The Le Pro 3 is currently unavailable in the United States but the Oct. 19 event might announce an official release date for the country. Interestingly, the company also recently acquired Vizio, a popular consumer electronics company, for an astounding $2 billion, likely a strategic gateway to strengthen its footing once safely settled in the U.S. shore, greatly expanding LeEco penetration into the TV sector. 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. American information security company Zerodium is currently offering payouts of up to $1.5 million for original and unreported vulnerabilities with fully functional exploits on major operating systems, software and/or devices. With this figure, exploits on iOS 10 can be the most profitable of payouts. Founded in 2015, Zerodium's main business focuses on acquiring zero-day vulnerabilities and exploits and creating protective security measures and recommendations for them. The information on vulnerabilities and its corresponding protective measures will then be reported to Zerodium's clientele, which are mostly major corporations within the technology, finance and defense sectors. The company also has dealings with government organizations. Zerodiudm's zero-day exploit acquisition program covers anything from phpBB to iOS with varying payouts. Zero-day exploits on Windows, MacOS and Linux vulnerabilities can net security researchers up to $30,000 while the ones on Android can secure up to $200,000. Reporting exploits for browsers such as Chrome, Internet Explorer and Edge, as well as Safari, can land checks as high as $80,000. "Any acquisition made by Zerodium will be paid in full and in one installment via a bank/wire transfer," the company specifies on its FAQ page. "Zerodium may also pay additional bonuses in one or more installments if the research meets specific lifespan requirements." Zerodium reports that it has spent over $6.5 million in acquiring the vulnerabilities and exploits during the course of the last 12 months. Moreover, the biggest amounts paid were for iOS and Android. The $6.5 million payout includes last year's $1 million bounty that Zerodium paid to a team who successfully made a remote browser-based untethered iOS 9.1/9.2b jailbreak. After the payout, Zerodium then decreased the iOS reward down to $500,000 before tripling it in the current program. "We've increased the price due to the increased security for both iOS 10 and Android 7, and we would like to attract more researchers all year long, not just during a specific bounty period as we did last time," says Zerodium founder Chaouki Bekrar. Note that prior to Zerodium, Bekrar also founded the now-defunct Vupen Security, a French information security company that also specialized in discovering zero days in software and selling the information to intelligence and law enforcement agencies. Apple itself is also putting up bounties for exploits in its mobile platform. Cupertino announced its own exploit bounty program last month at Black Hat, an annual hacker conference. Researchers can net a maximum of $200,000 for exploits found in iOS 10. Secure boot firmware exploits have the highest payout. 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Facebook has found a new way to copy Snapchat with its new "Messenger Day," which lets users post ephemeral photos and videos complete with filters. Snapchat's whopping success has tempted many rivals to copy its recipe and many have tried, including Facebook. After several experimental attempts, Facebook is now giving it another shot and is testing another Snapchat clone in Poland, where Snapchat is not as popular as it is elsewhere in the world. Some users in Poland have reportedly started to see some new features in their Facebook Messenger and they're highly reminiscent of Snapchat. Called Messenger Day, Facebook's new experiment lets users create ephemeral stories with photos and videos that disappear after 24 hours. The service also lets users set privacy controls, such as specifying who can see their latest posts. Facebook has confirmed the tests to TechCrunch, but did not offer additional details at this point. "We know that people come to Messenger to share everyday moment with friends and family," Facebook told TechCrunch. "In Poland, we are running a small test of new ways for people to share those updates visually. We have nothing more to announce at this time." It's worth pointing out here that Facebook often runs small tests to a limited audience before deciding whether to roll out new products or features to other regions. That said, there's no guarantee that the Messenger Day that's currently in testing in Poland will even make it to other markets worldwide. Facebook could release it globally at some point, but only if it proves successful during this testing phase. Considering that Snapchat has 60 million daily users in the United States and Canada, Facebook's Messenger Day should have a stellar performance abroad to warrant a wider release stateside. As for how the new experimental feature works, it's all very similar to Snapchat Stories another feature Facebook has copied on its Instagram service with the fairly recent Instagram Stories. Messenger Day users can draw or add text to images in the same way they can on Snapchat, but Facebook does add a new element: graphic filters, which serve as suggestions for what to share rather than just celebrating events and holidays or sharing your location. Facebook's new Messenger Day also offers more than a hundred stickers with no features borrowed from Snapchat. Oddly enough, users currently testing this feature apparently have no way to opt out, so Facebook is basically forcing it on Messenger users in Poland. It remains to be seen whether Facebook's new Messenger Day will prove to be successful enough in Poland as to warrant a global release, but we'll keep you up to date as soon as we learn more. 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Therapeutic music program Saturday Mary Stevens, of Harp for Healing, LLC, will present a lecture and demonstration of therapeutic music in ministry and healthcare settings at St. John's Lutheran Church on Saturday, Oct. 1, from 1 to 3 p.m. The presentation will include information on the history, types, and science of therapeutic music, the use of therapeutic music in ministry, and training options for therapeutic musicians. The presentation will include a generous number of musical demonstrations played on the harp. Following the lecture/demonstration, will be an opportunity for attendees to actually play a harp. Stevens will have with her several harps of various sizes, which will be used in a "harp circle." Participants are invited to bring their own harp if they have one. Participants will play the harps together in a group setting. St. Johns Lutheran Church is located at 1000 Helena Ave. There is no cost to attend, but preregistration is requested by contacting the church at helenastjohns.org or call 442-6270. Fraud is topic at 'Lunch 'N Learn' On Wednesday, Oct. 5, Helena United Methodist Ministries continues its popular first Wednesdays Bridges luncheon program. Now named Lunch N Learn, the October luncheon features a program titled Scams and Frauds In Montana by Tim Summers, director AARP Montana. Learn how to recognize and avoid scams. Bridges is a community outreach program in collaboration with AARP Montana and hosted by Covenant United Methodist Church, 2330 E. Broadway. All are welcomed. A free catered lunch is provided by Chili OBriens compliments of AARP Montana. Lunch is served at noon followed by a program, which concludes at 1:30 p.m. Come and enjoy meeting others in the second chapter of life. Register for your free lunch no later than Monday, Oct. 3, by calling AARP Montana at 1-877-926-8300. No need to be AARP member. Fully accessible facility. Helena United Methodist Ministries supports Helena Food Share -- we are pleased to receive your gifts of nonperishable food items at each Bridges event. Come 30 minutes early and receive a free confidential blood pressure reading by a registered nurse. For more information call 442-6501. Auction/art fundraiser upcoming St. Johns Lutheran Church, 1000 Helena Ave. in Helena, is hosting a fundraiser on Sunday, Oct. 9, from 4 to 6 p.m. to benefit Freedom in Christ Prison Ministry in Deer Lodge. Coffee and dessert will be provided. Free-will offerings are gladly accepted. Please call St. Johns Lutheran Church at 442-6270 or email the church at saintjohns@helenastjohns.org for more information. The featured event is a live statewide silent auction of quilts handmade by quilters and quilting groups from across Montana and many pieces of art. Bolivian Bazaar to raise funds for missionaries Grace Community Fellowship is sponsoring a Bolivian Bazaar Fundraiser for missionaries in Bolivia. The bazaar will be held Saturday, Oct. 15, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the church, located in the Dunphy Building, across from the Park Avenue Bakery. Authentic alpaca wool items will be for sale, including a bake sale, rummage sale and a drawing for gift baskets. The church has an elevator that assists all visitors in reaching the Sanctuary. The church supports the Kayuparu mission in La Paz, Bolivia. The public is invited to the bazaar, and all funds will be distributed to the mission in La Paz, to help fund the building of this unique church and for the solar pane project. People are also invited to visit the churchs table at the downtown Fall Fest for kids in Pioneer Park. Elon Musk captured the imaginations of science/space enthusiasts the world over during his speech at the International Astronautical Congress in Guadalajara, Mexico, when he unveiled his plans to shuttle 1 million people to Mars over the next 50 to 100 years via the Interplanetary Transport System. However, he had a question for prospective participants who assumed these efforts would be all sunshine and rainbows: "Are you prepared to die?" The explanation of his plans was simple and almost romantic in a way: In the not-too-distant future, at least 1,000 ITS spaceships would simultaneously launch from Earth's orbit and ferry space explorers in groups of 100-200 toward Mars. However, the reality isn't quite as romantic. Musk was quick to reveal that the colonization of Mars would be a difficult task, and wouldn't be one that's suited for those unprepared to die in the process. "I think the first journeys to Mars are going to be really very dangerous. The risk of fatality will be high; there's just no way around it," Musk said at the IAC, adding that children wouldn't be ideal for these flights. "It would be, basically, 'Are you prepared to die?' If that's OK, then, you know, you're a candidate for going," he added. Just to reinforce just how dangerous this task would be (or perhaps reinforce his belief that this would be achievable in his lifetime), Musk said during a teleconference following the initial speech that he wouldn't likely be among the first to go to Mars. "I would definitely need to have a very good succession plan, because the probability of death is quite high on the first mission, and I'd like to see my kids grow up and everything - so, some pros and cons there," he said. Despite those risks, he still emphasized just how important colonizing Mars is. As he noted in the past, a major part of the reason why he founded SpaceX in 2002 was to get humans on Mars - a move he deems necessary if humans are to survive as a species if something catastrophic were to happen on Earth. Of course, this journey to Mars isn't something that's expected to be happening anytime soon, so don't expect to hear about people potentially flying off to their deaths just yet. As Musk also noted during the announcement, going to Mars is secondary (or even tertiary) to SpaceX's ongoing investigation into what caused the Falcon 9 explosion on Sept. 1. Photo: SpaceX | Flickr 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Two Vincent van Gogh paintings that were stolen from an Amsterdam art museum 14 years ago have been recovered by anti-mafia police in Italy. The Van Gogh Museum, which housed the Dutch post-Impressionist painter's "Seascape at Scheveningen" and "Congregation Leaving the Reformed Church in Nuenen" when these were stolen in 2002, announced that a curator who inspected the works confirmed the recovered artworks were the real paintings. Naples police said on Friday, Sept. 30, that the artworks were recovered during a police operation that focused on a mafia gang involved in international cocaine trade. The paintings were found wrapped in cloth in the basement of an apartment owned by the rich and powerful drug dealer Raffaele Imperiale. The discovery of the paintings described as being "priceless" in the village of Castellammare di Stabia near Naples was part of a crackdown investigating the Amato Pagano clan, an international drug smuggling group linked to the Camorra crime clan, a notorious mafia family. Along with the paintings, the police also seized tens of millions worth of properties. The Van Gogh Museum said that the paintings appear to have some damage but they seem to be in relatively good condition. "Contrary to our expectations, the stolen paintings appear to be in relatively good condition," the museum said in a statement. "It is unknown where the works were kept after the theft in 2002, but it can be assumed that the paintings were not preserved under suitable conditions." The recovery of the two canvases was a relief for the museum more than a decade after the much publicized heist. Thieves stole the artworks using a ladder and a rope. The paintings hold great historical value. The watery seascape, which was painted in 1882, serves as an important example of the Dutch master's early style of painting. It is also one of the only two seascapes painted by van Gogh while he was in The Hague. The painting of the church, on the other hand, is the only painting in the museum's collection that remains to be in its original stretcher frame, which has paint splashes that appear to be from when the influential painter was cleaning his brush. It was painted for the artist's mother in 1884, but van Gogh later added churchgoers in mourning garb after his father's death in 1885. The paintings are being held to be used as evidence for the criminal trial. It was not immediately clear when these artworks would be returned to the Netherlands. 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The winner of the Brazilian presidential elections on Sunday, former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (2003-2011), assured that he would work to put his country back on the international... | Read More In response to a negligence lawsuit filed against Helena Public Schools for sexual assaults that occurred years ago, the school district's attorney has added the victim's mother as a responsible party. In his 2015 lawsuit, the victim accuses the district of being negligent in its oversight of Wakina Sky Learning Circle, a now-defunct nonprofit that provided its own after-school learning program for Native American youth. For several years, the school district acted as a fiscal agent for federal grant money to Wakina Sky. The lawsuit states that beginning in 2001, when the plaintiff was 9 years old, he was sexually assaulted by William Augustus Henness, a mentor at Wakina Sky. Henness was also assigned as the plaintiffs Big Brother in the Helena Big Brothers Big Sisters program and continually assaulted and molested the plaintiff for a decade, according to the 2015 suit. The plaintiff named Henness, Wakina Sky Learning Circle and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Helena (and affiliates) as defendants in earlier lawsuits dating back to 2013. We are still trying to understand why they think the school district has a duty (here)," school district attorney David Dalthorp said in an earlier Independent Record article on the suit. It was an after-school program run by Wakina Sky with their staff and volunteers, said Dalthorp, who is with the Helena law firm Jackson, Murdo & Grant, P.C. In July of this year, Dalthorp filed a third party complaint naming the victims mother as one of the defendants and alleging negligence by her in entrusting the care of her son to a man who abused him. The third party complaint Dalthorp filed alleges that the initial sexual assault by Henness took place at Native American Days, an event that was not sponsored by Wakina Sky Learning Circle or the Helena school district. It also states that the victims mother gave permission for her sons overnight trip with Henness to that event and many subsequent times when she entrusted her son to Henness care. An attorney for the victim said his client's mother should not have been named as a defendant. We dont see our clients mother as a proper defendant in any way, countered Missoula attorney Bryan Spoon, with Spoon, Gordon, Ballew PLLP, which represents the victim. Adding her as a defendant has caused the family additional emotional difficulties. Our client has been through a lot. It seemed in quite poor taste that the school district would try to blame his mother." When asked if the school districts naming of the victims mother as a defendant was meant in any way to be an intimidation strategy against the victim, Dalthorp responded Oh, heavens no. If the lawsuit against the school district goes to a jury trial, he said, the jury would have an opportunity to look at all the parties named as defendants in various lawsuits -- Wakina Sky Learning Circle, Big Brothers Big Sisters, William Henness, the school district and the victims mother -- and determine and apportion, who and (in) what percentage anybody had to do with that. Interim school district superintendent Jack Copps said he has not discussed the lawsuit with Dalthorp since starting his job with the district in July. I guess the question is if we had responsibility to manage that program, said Copps. Wakina Sky Learning Circle was responsible for the management of that program. Now what is happening (in the lawsuit) is we are being told we had responsibility to manage and oversee it. If that in fact is true, it would be very costly for the school district because it would mean we would have to manage and oversee all grants that are passed along to other organizations. That would certainly impact what we do and the amount of money that would be available to the organization. He thinks this suit could have a significant impact across Montana. The suit would impact all school districts that are passing grants to other organizations, he said. This would be a very important case. In 2011, Henness was charged in Lewis and Clark County District Court with three felony counts of sexual intercourse without consent. After Henness pleaded guilty, he was sentenced to the Montana Department of Corrections in August 2012 to 20 years with 16 suspended on each count. He was released on parole Jan. 22 of this year. Kenrard D. Broussard was four years into an 18-year prison sentence on cocaine charges when two of the narcotics officers who arrested him pleaded guilty earlier this year in a broad federal probe of abuse and cover-ups at the Iberia Parish Sheriff's Office. Now Broussard is back home, his case dismissed along with more than 100 others in the fallout of the investigation into Sheriff Louis Ackal and his deputies. Ackal is fighting charges in the beatings of inmates and arrestees that prosecutors say he encouraged or ignored, but nine deputies have pleaded guilty to allegations of abuse. They also have admitted in some cases to falsifying paperwork and lying in court depositions to cover-up wrongdoing. The acknowledgement of the falsehoods as part of their guilty pleas has called into question hundreds of the mostly drug cases the deputies investigated. "I think these officers' arrests show that no one is above the law and no one is above breaking the law," said defense attorney Harry Daniels III, who handled Broussard's case and several others where testimony by the now-convicted deputies was key. Since the first guilty pleas came down in the federal case in February, Iberia Parish prosecutors have tossed out roughly 107 pending criminal cases involving those deputies, said 16th Judicial District Attorney Bofill Duhe. And defendants who have already been convicted have won new trials or dismissals after raising the issue of the deputies' reliability, according to court records. Duhe said his office began working earlier this year to identify every case involving the deputies who pleaded guilty, going back to when Ackal took office in 2008. The District Attorney's office sent letters to all defense attorneys who worked those cases to alert them to the federal investigation, should the attorneys want to use that new information to challenge a conviction or pending charge, Duhe said. "You would rather be over-reactive than under-reactive, because a lot of times you might be dealing with a person's freedom," Duhe said. "... If these officers were involved in a case in any way, shape or form, we sent a letter." Most of the more than 100 dismissals were done without any request from defendants or their attorneys, Duhe said. He said his office reviewed all pending cases to determine which ones were too weak to pursue without the testimony or evidence tied to the convicted deputies. "If I pulled their role out of this case and put it on the side, what do I have left?" Duhe said. Some of the cases involving the deputies, though, are still active. "Certainly, there are cases we have not dismissed because we felt there was sufficient corroborating evidence to support them," Duhe said. Still uncertain is the fate of defendants who were convicted on the now-tainted word of the deputies who pleaded in the federal case. Many drug cases depend on an agent's testimony he saw the defendant sell the drugs, he found the drugs in the defendant's car, he made the undercover buy and when an agent's truthfulness is in doubt, the entire case can fall apart. In the case of Broussard, a 40-year-old former Carencro Middle guidance counselor who was serving 18 years in prison for possession of cocaine, prosecutors dismissed his charges earlier this year after a judge granted his motion for new trial. Broussard, who was a first-time offender, faced a particularly harsh sentence because he was arrested within 1,000 feet of a school zone and had more than 200 grams of cocaine, about $20,000 worth. "In this case, Broussard was convicted on the testimony of documented liars," Daniels wrote in court papers filed to void his client's 2011 conviction in a case where deputies Byron Lassalle, Wade Bergeron and Jason Comeaux were key in the investigation. All three deputies pleaded guilty earlier this year to abusing inmates, and federal prosecutors allege they concocted a false story to cover up the abuse when questioned in a lawsuit filed over the inmate beatings. "I always thought something was wrong with these officers. Handling cases with them, they could never keep their stories straight," Daniels said. "But we couldn't actually put our hand on it to say this guy is a liar. ... We just knew something was not right with them." One of the Iberia Parish cases now being questioned involves 36-year-old Anthony Daye, allegedly beaten during an April 2011 shakedown at the Iberia Parish jail that is at heart of the federal investigation. Daye is challenging the conviction and life sentence he received as a repeat offender after a 2012 drug trial that relied heavily on the testimony of Lassalle and Comeaux. Had jurors known about Lassalle and Comeaux's crimes, "the verdict would almost certainly have been different," New Iberia attorney Richard Spears wrote in a court filing seeking a new trial for Daye. Regardless of the outcome, Daye will likely remain in prison, at least for the near future, because he has a pending second-degree murder charge. Spears said he is researching about 25 cases involving the convicted deputies. "I probably have 7 to 10 pending cases that were thrown out because of those officers," he said. Daniels, a Baton Rouge attorney who keeps an active criminal defense practice in his hometown of New Iberia, said Broussard's case is one of at least 15 convictions and pending charges he has challenged based on guilty pleas of the deputies. In one case, prosecutors dismissed pending drug charges against a defendant after Daniels filed motion to keep certain evidence out of trial evidence a judge had earlier ruled admissible based on the testimony of deputy Lassalle. In another case, a defendant who had received a life sentence in 2011 on a drug charge when sentenced as a repeat offender had his prison term cut to 30 years. A deal to reduce the sentence was made last month after Daniels filed a motion for a new trial. "We basically went back and looked at every case these individuals have been involved in," Daniels said of the deputies. "Each case was different." Ackal, one of his top supervisors, Gerald Savoy, and former Capt. Mark Frederick are currently set to go on trial Oct. 31 in the federal investigation. +3 Iberia Parish Sheriff Louis Ackal seeks to move trial from Shreveport to Lafayette Iberia Parish Sheriff Louis Ackal plans to appeal a judge's decision to hold his civil right Ackal faces a long list of allegations, including encouraging excessive force by his deputies, interfering in internal affairs investigations and having internal affairs records destroyed. CASPER, Wyo. -- The No. 3 official at the Wyoming Highway Patrol is under investigation for posing for a photograph near a bison at Yellowstone National Park, possibly violating the rule that people must stay at least 25 yards from wildlife. Highway Patrol Major Keith Groeneweg posted to Facebook a photo of himself near the large mammal, with the description Yellowstone signs everywhere: Stay 100 yards from animals. They can be dangerous. Keiths translation: Time to sneak up and hug a buffalo!#YNP #ILoveWyoming. Groeneweg has told the parks chief ranger and his Highway Patrol boss he was observing the rule and that the photo appears closer than he actually was, they said. The investigation comes after a busy summer in Yellowstone when an unusually high number of visitors, most from outside Wyoming, have approached wildlife too closely. Rangers for the National Park Service, which is celebrating its centennial this year, worked hard to educate people about wildlife rules. Nevertheless people have been gored, mauled and chased by bison, bears and elk. Pete Webster, Yellowstones chief ranger, said a handful of people shared pictures of Groenewegs Facebook post with park officials. I did call and spoke with him, Webster said. He was apologetic. He said the photo was purposely distorted to appear a lot closer than he was, and he was beyond our prescribed distance of 25 yards. Rangers continue to investigate, he said. Wyoming Highway Patrol Col. Kebin Haller said Groeneweg was forthcoming to him about the Yellowstone investigation and is cooperating with the park. Groeneweg told Haller the picture was taken during a vacation last week. A ravine cut between him and the animal, although the photo doesnt show it, Haller said. Haller said he believed everything Groeneweg told him and the major is not on any kind of administrative leave. Haller will obtain a copy of the investigation once its completed, he said. Law enforcement officers are held to high standards in their personal lives, since they are in charge of enforcing the law in society, he said. I would have to say as individuals and professionals, we are always accountable for our actions and behaviors, Haller said. Despite Groeneweg writing the distance between people and wildlife must be 100 yards, its actually a minimum of 25 yards for most animals. Bears and wolves are the exception. People must stay at least 100 yards from them, said Chief Ranger Webster. Its to allow wildlife to roam free on the land, stress-free, he said. The distance is also just as important to keep people safe, he added. Weve had injuries caused by people getting too close to bison, by people getting too close to elk. "Prayer or Protests. In a recent message, the Rev. Herman O. Kelly, pastor of Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Baton Rouge, said they should go hand and hand. And any form of protest should be rooted in prayer and faith much like the demonstrations of the civil rights era. 'Black Lives Matters' is a slogan, Kelly said. But its got to be grounded in a faith experience. The civil rights movement was grounded in the black church. In fact, Kelly said the Old Testament prophets' prescription for justice still applies today, referencing Amos 5:24: "Let justice run down like water, and righteousness like a mighty stream." People of faith need to be in prayer for justice, Kelly said. The civil rights movement taught us when they left marching, they went to the church and had a mass rally, and they opened the mass rally with prayer," Kelly said. Noting the spate of protests around country including in Baton Rouge; Charlotte, North Carolina, and Tulsa, Oklahoma sparked primarily over police shootings, Kelley said this younger generation of protesters needs to know there's a "higher source" and to call out, "Lord, fix this community. Lord, fix Charlotte. Fix Tulsa. In addition to the element of prayer, protests should also be nonviolent and have a plan, said Kelley, an adjunct instructor at LSU, who teaches a course called the Black Rhetorical Tradition in the African and African-American Studies Program. "I teach young people that the civil rights movement tells us that protests were good, but we've always protested in a nonviolent direct action," he said. "Not only were we nonviolent, but we had an agenda. I told my class the issue that I have with Black Lives Matters is 'What is their agenda, what is their plan?' All of our great civil rights leaders had a plan." Pastor Herman Kelly reflections on prayer, protests The Rev. Herman Kelly is the pastor of Bethel AME Church in Baton Rouge Those leaders also had hope, something lacking in this generation, Kelly said. Instilling hope in young people in the community is something Kelly has worked on as a teacher and pastor. "I explain to them that I'm a local pastor, but I'm also an instructor," said Kelly, who has been leading Bethel for 18 years and been in the ministry for 30 years. "As the pastor, I just want to tell you the community climate. As your instructor, I want you to think things through. I want you to give your input. I want young people to have hope." Sadly, too many are losing hope in light of the recent police shootings and other incidents. Kelly witnessed that hopelessness during a recent class discussion on the tradition of Protest and Rhetoric in the African-American diaspora. He said he was blown away when a student declared, "Dr. Kelly, why be concerned? We are getting killed anyway." The statement gave Kelly chills, so much so that he went back to his office and put his thoughts to paper. Here's some of what Kelley wrote: "My heart is troubled by the statement, and we also should be troubled by the statement. My job and calling is to teach and instruct students to be creative and reflective positive individuals. I was taken back by these words. Could it be that our most reflective and creative minds in society and in the academy are losing hope? I trust that we will all do some soul searching and deep reflection. Presently, in Baton Rouge, we all have been engaged in the Flood of 2016. We have reached beyond Race and Color to help those in need. Why can't we do the same to make the beloved community a reality? Guns, violence and chats with no substance is not the answer. Yes! We all want justice. We all want a wholesome quality of life." Dialogue among various races, religions and other groups can go a long way toward helping solve some of those problems in the community, Kelly said. "I think after we finish marching and protesting, we've got to have dialogue," said Kelly, who hosted an ecumenical prayer vigil following the shooting deaths of three Baton Rouge police officers in July. "We had vowed that we were going to stay together and have dialogue. We've got to train our young people to look at history. We have never won anything with violence. Never." Kelly said he wasn't able to host or engage in that kind of dialogue immediately following the Alton Sterling shooting because was out of town at the AME's general conference. As the father of a Washington, D.C., police officer, Kelly said he's symphathic to both sides of the police shootings. "Somebody's got to be the mediator," Kelly said. "Somebody's got to talk for the community. Somebody's got to talk for the police officers. I feel the pain of the Sterling family. I feel the pain for the police. As a pastor, I've got to stand in the gap for both entities." The Book of Isaiah Readers will find the answers to almost everything they've wanted know about the Old Testament book of Isaiah and more after reading "Isaiah: A Ride in the Chariot" (AuthorHouse) by Theodor B. Rath. "The overwhelming theme of the book (of Isaiah) is salvation," Rath writes. "Other themes include judgment, punishment, captivity, the fall of the nation, comfort, hope, holiness and salvation through a coming Redeemer. While the first 39 chapters deal primarily with messages of judgment and call to repentance, the last 27 chapters are messages of forgiveness and hope." Rath explains that Isaiah was one of 16 radical or writing prophets who spoke the nation of Israel during a difficult time in its history. He says the book of Isaiah is broken down in three parts: Proto-Isaiah or First Isaiah (Chapters 1-39), Deutero-Isaiah or Second Isaiah (Chapters 40-55) and Trito-Isaiah or Third Isaiah (Chapters 56-66). A highlight of Rath's thorough 237-page book is his description of the nine different roles or images of God as found in Isaiah Chapter 40. "First, God, a loving Father was ready to forgive, restore and to re-establish the exiles into a wholesome relationship; this is also true for all human beings," Rath writes. Rath doesn't get just delve into the life and times of Isaiah, but he gives a mention to all the other prophets that make up the last 17 books of the Old Testament. Chapters in "Isaiah: A Ride in the Chariot" include "The Prophets in the Beginning," "No Other Gods," "God's Promises of Deliverance" and "The Babylonians From Their Past to the Present." Faith Matters runs every other Saturday in The Advocate. Reach Terry Robinson at trobinson@theadvocate.com or call (225) 388-0238. Rouses Markets is acquiring the nine locations of LeBlanc's Food Stores, a move that will increase the company's presence in Baton Rouge. The deal will give Thibodaux-based Rouses 54 locations, including 10 in metro Baton Rouge. Financial details were not disclosed. Donny Rouse, managing partner of Rouses, said his family and the LeBlancs have similar values and a dedication to buying local and supporting local fishermen and farmers. "This really is a perfect fit," he said. The deal had been in the works since the summer. While Rouses has grown since 2007 though acquisitions of Sav-A-Center, Choice Supermarkets and Belle Foods, the deal with LeBlanc's is a little different. "This is not a turnaround," Rouse said. "None of the stores are in poor condition. The LeBlancs have done a great job operating them and they hired great team members. That makes it a little easier to go forward." The LeBlanc's stores will undergo some changes. Plans call for some remodeling, expanding the perishable and seafood departments and adding rooms to boil seafood. All of the current LeBlanc's employees will have the option to remain with Rouses. Rouse said he doesn't know yet if there will be any additional hiring to staff the expanded departments. "We won't know until we get into the stores," he said. "They were kind of our competitors so we weren't able to get into the stores and study them." Rouse said the LeBlanc's stores will be rebranded as Rouses by the end of October. The LeBlanc family has been in the grocery business for more than 100 years. L.C. LeBlanc started the chain in 1961 in Gonzales. LeBlancs has two stores in Gonzales, and one each in Baton Rouge, Prairieville, Zachary, Donaldsonville, Plaquemine, Plattenville and Hammond. In 2013, the company started rebranding some of its stores with the Frais Marche concept, emphasizing organic produce, prepared foods and specialty Cajun meat dishes. There are now five Frais Marche stores. +2 LeBlancs Frais Marche opening in Drusilla Village The LeBlancs Food Stores chain out of Ascension Parish is powering into Baton Rouge with it In a prepared statement announcing the sale, owners Marcy and Randy LeBlanc thanked their customers and employees for their years of service and dedication. "The continued success of the supermarket operations we built are now with an established company well positioned to compete in a competitive retail environment," the family said. Marcy LeBlanc will stay on for several months to help with the transition and make sure that Rouses doesn't miss out on any important community partnerships or items that customers want, Rouse said. Rouses was founded 66 years ago by Anthony J. Rouse Sr., Donny Rouses grandfather. The company now has stores across South Louisiana, the Mississippi Gulf Coast and South Alabama. Rouses currently has stores on Airline Highway in Baton Rouge and Juban Crossing in Denham Springs. The Juban Crossing store is temporarily closed because of flooding. Rouse said a third Baton Rouge area location is in the works. "We should be able to announce something in a couple of weeks," he said. Prosecutors in Louisiana wield one of the stiffest habitual-offender laws in the nation, a strong lever to raise both the low and high ends of sentences for those convicted of repeat crimes reaching 20 years to life for a fourth conviction, whatever the felony involved. Yet just three district attorneys in the state actually invoked the law with any frequency last year, according to state corrections data analyzed by the Pew Charitable Trusts. Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro's office led the way, sending 154 convicts off to long prison sentences under the statute, the data show. Jefferson Parish District Attorney Paul Connick's office, which led the state in newly sentenced prisoners last year, used the repeat-offender law 116 times. St. Tammany and Washington parishes, under recently elected 22nd Judicial District Attorney Warren Montgomery, logged a combined 64 people sent to prison as habitual offenders, though Montgomery said new policies have cut that pace in half. None of the 39 other judicial districts in the state including East Baton Rouge Parish shipped more than three people to prison under the statute last year. Under the law, after a conviction of a repeat offender, a district attorney can file to have the convict's punishment enhanced on account of his criminal history. Prosecutors need only prove that the details of that history are accurate, and judges have little choice but to lengthen the convict's sentence, sometimes exponentially. Some plea deals also incorporate habitual-offender sentences. The relatively infrequent use of the repeat-offender law statewide raises questions about how much it directly contributes to Louisiana's nation-leading incarceration rate a costly distinction that Gov. John Bel Edwards has pledged to end. And the fact the law is used almost exclusively in and around New Orleans highlights a wide variance in how and why prosecutors choose to unleash it. Orleans, Jefferson, St. Tammany and Washington parishes accounted for a combined 25 percent of all newly sentenced Louisiana prisoners last year, but 92 percent of the 365 inmates sentenced under the repeat-offender law, the Pew data show. Task force eyeing reforms The data were presented last week to a task force that is supposed to formulate a package of criminal justice reform bills for the 2017 legislative session. Report: Louisiana could lose title of highest-in-nation incarceration rate, but hurdles exist New data on the ingredients of Louisiana's highest-in-the-nation incarceration rate show tha An earlier Pew report found that Louisiana imprisons people on convictions for nonviolent offenses at a vastly higher rate than other states in the region with similar crime rates a key finding that figures to loom large in reform discussions. Last month, Legislative Auditor Daryl Purpera's office found a similar trend with the habitual-offender law, reporting that 78 percent of habitual-offender convictions were for nonviolent offenses, though some of those inmates may have had prior convictions for violent crimes or may have pleaded guilty to lesser crimes to avoid trial on violent offenses. Purpera's office suggested narrowing the statute to limit its use on nonviolent offenders. E. Pete Adams, executive director of the Louisiana District Attorneys Association, suggested that the figures for nonviolent offenses are deceptive. "The anecdotal stories I'm getting back are: You've got a guy with a long history of violent arrests, he's just a bad guy, and he ends up as a third felony offender on a murder case you can't get witnesses on, or you got him for drugs in the same incident," Adams said. "You don't prosecute the murder case; you put him away on the (charge of) felony intent to distribute drugs, which is what you need" for a lengthy sentence, even though it is listed as a conviction for a nonviolent offense. He said prosecutors "are telling me, 'I may not use it a lot, but when I use it, I need it.' " It's true, according to the data, that district attorneys in most jurisdictions use the powerful law relatively rarely. Statewide, the 365 newly sentenced habitual offenders last year accounted for only about one in 20 of all newly sentenced prisoners. For Orleans Parish, however, it was almost one in four, according to the Pew data. Post-prison support the goal of 3 new bipartisan-backed bills at Louisiana Capitol this session A bipartisan group of criminal justice reform advocates is backing three pieces of legislati A spokesman for Cannizzaro's office called it misleading to compare parishes in their use of the law. "You're dealing with different crime problems, socioeconomic levels, and you're dealing with different judges, different sentencing dispositions," said the spokesman, Christopher Bowman. "If you were dealing with a situation where a prosecutor feels probation is being given too freely, then the district attorney is required to use the habitual-offender law." Bowman described the repeat-offender law as "a useful tool that we don't use at every opportunity. We use it in a small minority of cases in which a defendant is actually eligible to receive it." Use of law trending upward The data show that sentencing under the habitual-offender law has trended upward, though they list only the leading jurisdictions for 2015 and 2006, the year after Hurricane Katrina, when Orleans Parish notched just 10 prison admissions under the statute. Montgomery's office provided other state corrections data showing parish figures based on the total number of offenses not inmates that were sentenced under the habitual-offender law from 2010 to June 2016. Those figures show the same trends. They also indicate that Cannizzaro, a former judge who assumed the Orleans DA post in 2009, ratcheted up sentencing under the statute two years later. His prosecutors applied it to convictions on 197 criminal counts in 2010. That rose to 514 counts in 2012 before tapering off to 387 last year. Montgomery said use of the statute in St. Tammany and Washington parishes peaked last year under practices that lingered from his predecessor, former longtime DA Walter Reed. Montgomery said he sometimes uses the habitual-offender law as a threat for defendants to abide by the terms of diversion or drug court programs, but he leans away from using a law he described as "a big hammer." He'll wheel it out, though, with "predators," he said. "I've told (his office's prosecutors) I don't like the multiple bill," Montgomery said, although, "as a general rule, if someone wants to make a career out of preying on others, (he) needs to be removed from society that is the overarching purpose. "It doesn't have to be people who are violent. If someone burglarizes homes over and over, that person is preying on people." Connick's office declined to comment Friday on the data, which an official said the office had not yet reviewed. East Baton Rouge Parish District Attorney Hillar Moore, whose office turned to the habitual-offender law just three times last year, according to the state data, said he reserved its use for extreme cases, like that of Donald Ray Dickerson, who was sentenced to life in May under the statute. Dickerson had three prior felonies on his record when a jury convicted him last year of second-degree battery in a brutal attack on Mother's Day three years ago. Dickerson beat a St. Francisville man at a north Baton Rouge convenience store after telling the man he was in the wrong neighborhood. "That's the kind of case we use it for," said Moore, who acknowledged he uses it sparingly. He counted four habitual offender cases from his office last year. The only one considered "non-violent" involved a felony hit-and-run involving serious bodily injury, he said. "To us, it always comes down to public safety: Is the sentence for the underlying charge sufficient enough to protect the public?" Moore said. "I don't know that it's quite so easy to judge Baton Rouge versus Orleans, Jefferson and St. Tammany. We have different makeups and different judges and jury systems." Effect on plea agreements Pew did not break down the parish figures by the type of offense, though statewide it found that drug possession, simple burglary and theft charges were the most common "primary" offenses leading to habitual-offender sentences. It is uncertain what indirect impact the habitual-offender law has on the size of the prison population because of plea agreements reached under threat of its use. Criminal defense attorney Craig Mordock, who primarily represents people in the three New Orleans-area jurisdictions, said one result of the law is to boost conviction rates. Most defendants would rather plead guilty to something than "get punished for going to trial," he said. "For multiple offenders who commit nonviolent crimes, (the law) takes the sentencing range for the conduct they committed into a violent-crime range," Mordock said. Whether changes to the habitual-offender statute will form part of the expected package of proposed criminal-justice reforms at next year's legislative session is uncertain. Kevin Kane, of the Pelican Institute for Public Policy, a libertarian think tank that focuses on criminal justice reform in the state, said the total statewide numbers may understate their impact on the incarceration rate. According to the Pew data, habitual-offender cases made up 5 percent of total Department of Corrections admissions last year but 15 percent of the state's prison population. The difference is likely the result of longer sentences under a statute that also "flattens" many of those prison terms, increasing the portion that must be served before an inmate can be released. Montgomery said the law brings more prison time but less supervision upon release, under the premise that habitual criminals won't learn. Pew did not release data on the average stay in prison for habitual offenders. But the Louisiana inmate population overall is largely transient. Most inmates are serving relatively short sentences on convictions for nonviolent crimes and drug offenses, according to Pew. "The most significant number of all is how many nonviolent offenders we put away compared to our neighboring states," Kane said. "I think the habitual offender (issue), because the numbers just aren't that great, is really a sideline to the bigger problem, which is simply incarcerating nonviolent people." A man changed his name in the weeks after failing to appear in court on bribery and corruption charges, a Canberra court has heard. The ACT Magistrates Court ordered on Saturday Brett Peters, formerly known as Brett Edward Kenny, be extradited to Western Australia to face charges of bribery, corruption, false testimony and disclosure of restricted matters in relation to his former role as an electrical contractor with the City of Perth. Police arrested Peters in Fyshwick on Thursday on a WA-issued warrant for failing to appear in court after officers identified him leaving a brothel. WA's anti-corruption body, the Corruption and Crime Commission, had summonsed Peters, then known as Brett Kenny and previously known as Brett Wright, to face a Perth court on April 15, but he did not appear. The ad begins with a young man cleaning his shoes, buttoning up his jacket, straightening his hair. He pauses, and takes a deep breath. Down the path he goes to knock on the first door: "Hi. I'd like to ask for Sinead's hand in marriage, please." A plebiscite would cause hurt and damage. "Sure, no problem," is the reply. A quick smile, then the young man is off. The next house, another stranger, the same request and on it goes. BUTTE -- Wanting his apple treats, a male black bear returned to Butte a year later and is, once again, captured and relocated. Fish, Wildlife and Parks caught an approximately 200-pound male bear Friday morning on White Boulevard near Atherton Lane, north of the Butte Country Club. No one was hurt. Residents spotted the bear. Animal control alerted FWP at about 8 a.m., said state game warden Shane Yaskus. When Yaskus and other FWP officials arrived, the bear had climbed three quarters of the way up a spruce tree in a residents yard. There was evidence all over the yard hed been munching away at apples, FWP game warden Regan Dean said. Eating apples, thats what hes in town for, Dean said. NorthWestern Energy provided a truck with a bucket so Yaskus could get close enough to shoot the bear with a tranquilizing dart. The bear began to climb down once tranquilized and fell only a short way with branches breaking his fall. Yaskus said the bear did not appear to suffer injury. Dean said the bear is a repeat visitor: It's same one that appeared in early September 2015 and climbed a tree on Princeton Street, near Whittier Elementary School. FWP relocated the bear in the mountains between Anaconda and Wise River. Dean could tell it was the same bear because of its ear tag. As everything dries out, they want to get to whats green, as well as any fruit, Dean said. He knows where to go I guess. This time FWP is taking the bear father away -- to the Big Hole Valley -- with the hope that he wont be able to find his way back a second time, Dean said. One advantage of relocating a bear that has been on an apple binge is that he didnt smell quite as bad as a bear normally smells. He smells like apples, Dean said. The first legal steps in the Brangelina divorce have produced a temporary deal on child custody, suggesting the breakup of a once-quintessential Hollywood couple might not be so intractable as first indicated. TMZ and the Associated Press have reported that lawyers for Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, prodded by the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), have worked out an initial arrangement under which Jolie gets full custody of the couple's six children, with Pitt allowed to visit. Plus, he has to submit to random drug and alcohol testing and both parents have to undergo separate counselling and family counselling. "Two sources familiar with the agreement but not authorised to speak publicly said the accord will be in place for three weeks," the AP reported. "It calls for Pitt's first visit with his children to be monitored by a therapist, but that may not be a requirement for subsequent visits." The Sydney Fish Market will be redeveloped into a high-rise precinct containing the equivalent number of dwellings as 10 of the residential towers slated for Barangaroo, government documents reveal. Urban Growth has forecast up to 2760 new dwellings will be built at the Bays Market District, a thin strip of waterfront land encompassing the fish market, car park and a boat dock. Sydney Fish Markets will be redeveloped into a high-rise precinct. Credit:Lidia Nikonova The site is opposite Wentworth Park, where the Department of Education is building a "pop-up" school on a greyhound racetrack to house 300 primary students while Ultimo Public School is redeveloped into a high rise. Greens MLC David Shoebridge expressed surprise at the residential density proposed for the fish markets, and said it was "mind-boggling" this population growth wasn't being taken into account in the department's planning for the inner city school. A 16-year-old boy is in a stable condition at Royal North Shore Hospital after he was stabbed in the chest and back near Sydney's Luna Park on Friday night. Emergency services were called to Luna Park Reserve on Olympic Drive, Milsons Points about 8pm after reports of a stabbing. A 16-year-old boy was stabbed near Luna Park Credit:SMH Police said the teenager was with a group of friends heading to the theme park when they were approached by another group, also believed to be teenagers. Police said an altercation took place and the second group ran off. Paramedics treated the boy at the scene before taking him to hospital. Significant rainfall across southern Queensland and northern New South Wales has breathed new life into farmers' crops. The downpour is being celebrated on Facebook under Queensland Country Life's Kids In Crops moniker. Children pictured in a paddock of potatoes in Tolga in far north Queensland. Credit:Toby Crockford Not only are children smiling but parents and pets are also enjoying the change of fortune. A woman has been charged after allegedly stabbing a man repeatedly with a fork during a domestic violence incident in Redcliffe on Friday afternoon. It will be alleged about 1.30pm police located a man on Oxley Street, who had sustained multiple stab wounds. A woman has been charged after allegedly stabbing a man several times with a fork. Police said a man and woman were involved in an argument at a nearby residence, where the man was allegedly stabbed multiple times with a fork. He then departed but was followed by the woman who allegedly stabbed him several more times. The excitement of his team winning its first grand final in 62 years proved too much for a Western Bulldogs fan who went into cardiac arrest at the final siren at the MCG. But paramedics were able to quickly revive the 60-year-old man. A Bulldogs fan had a heart attack as the final siren sounded. Credit:Eddie Jim Ambulance Victoria spokesman John Mullen said the crew went to the man's aid immediately. "Right on the siren, a Doggies' fan had a heart attack," Mr Mullen said. A big blast of wild weather has swept through Victoria, with strong winds toppling trees beside train lines, damaging roofs, delaying air travellers and sending at least three people overboard into choppy, chilly waters. The wind damage came as a severe weather warning remained in place for most of the state on Sunday night. The severe weather warning area. Credit:Bureau of Meteorology Heavy rain and more damaging winds have been forecast overnight and into Monday morning. Earlier on Sunday, two men were found clinging to their overturned boat in Corio Bay as wind gusts topped 100km/h, police said. When you talk to a stranger on a park bench, anything can happen, from a pleasant time-passer to the start of a lifelong friendship. Maureen and Tony Wheeler famously met on a bench in 1970 in London's Regent's Park, fell in love, and later founded the Lonely Planet travel guides. Hello, stranger: Claire Dixon, right, with Valerie Mills, who she met on a train after her phone died, inspiring the Talking Park Bench program. Credit:Eddie Jim Claire Dixon just wants people to look up from their phones and talk to one another. A chance meeting on a train inspired her to invent the not-for-profit Talking Park Bench scheme. Mexico City: Sons of jailed drug kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman were likely behind an armed attack on a military convoy that left five soldiers dead and 10 wounded on Friday, a senior Mexican security official said. The attack took place in the early morning on the edge of the city of Culiacan in northern Sinaloa state, along Mexico's Pacific coast, the home base of the Sinaloa Cartel, whose former leader Guzman was recaptured in January. Investigators examine the site where a military convoy was ambushed using grenades and high-powered guns, killing five soldiers in the city of Culiacan, Mexico. Credit:AP The convoy was transporting a detainee, Julio Ortiz, when it was ambushed by armed men hurling grenades which caused two of the convoy's vehicles to burst into flames, said General Alfonso Duarte, the regional defence ministry commander in charge of Sinaloa. Ortiz was arrested in El Chapo's hometown of Badiraguato in Sinaloa. Ortiz was allegedly involved in a conflict over control of drug crops pitting El Chap's brother Aureliano Guzman, against Alfredo Beltran, a leader of the rival Beltran Leyva cartel. White Plains, NY: Not to be outdone by her Republican rival, Hillary Clinton fired off a series of early-morning messages on Saturday (US time) on Twitter. Only the tweets sent over the Democratic presidential nominee's account dealt with a very different subject matter than those blasted about a former beauty-pageant winner by Donald Trump 24 hours before. Clinton instead focused on national service, a subject to which she had devoted a speech in Florida on Friday. "It's 3:20am. As good a time as any to tweet about national service," said the first one, coming at the same time that Trump started his storm of disparaging tweets about former Miss Universe Alicia Machado. BIGFORK The investigation of a Bigfork man the state alleges may have been operating a Ponzi scheme to defraud investors has spilled over into the race for Montanas lone seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. A spokeswoman for U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke, R-Mont., told the Missoulian that the congressmans campaign would donate all contributions it has received from John Kevin Moore, also known as Kevin Moore, to the Flathead Food Bank. That includes $5,100 Moore appears to have donated to the Zinke campaign, using two different names and occupations but the same Bigfork mailing address, during the 2014 general election. That amount would exceed the federal campaign contribution limit for an election cycle by an individual, which was $2,600 that year. Moore has not been charged in the current securities investigation. He is scheduled to appear in a Flathead County courtroom next week for a show-cause hearing to argue why a judges order freezing his assets should not be continued in the form of a temporary injunction. In court documents filed earlier this month that successfully sought a temporary order to restrain Moore from selling more investments or disposing of any assets, Montana Deputy Securities Commissioner Lynne Egan accused Moore of selling more than $2.7 million in investments in oil leases without registering the securities with the state, and without registering as a securities broker. The documents say 36 people invested with Moore. Those same documents allege that, while paying out $886,600 to investors from those funds, Moore also withdrew almost $800,000 for himself, spent more than $400,000 to make mortgage payments and pay escrow service and legal fees on two Bigfork homes, and used even more of the money to purchase vehicles, fine art, an RV and an ATV. Egan said she began her investigation after four people complained they had made investments but received minimal or inaccurate information about Big Sky Mineral Resources from Moore. The Associated Press has reported Moore has previous criminal convictions for defrauding an individual in the sale of a painting, for defrauding another person of $75,000 in a gold coin scheme, for writing bad checks, and for mail fraud, in a 2003 case where he portrayed himself as a licensed outfitter in mailing materials to potential clients. Heather Swift, communications director for Zinke, said the congressman had no idea of the transgressions and only learned of the situation when he read the article in the newspaper. The Missoulian first discovered a possible tie between Zinke and Moore on the website for Big Sky Mineral Resources, the company Moore allegedly sold the investments through, while reporting on the state investigation. The lead picture in the photo gallery on the Big Sky Mineral Resources website shows Moore standing with Zinke and former Vice President Dick Cheney. Another photo in the gallery shows Zinke talking to a group of people at a place called Legacy Ranch, with a man who appears to be Moore standing closest to the congressman. Since then the campaign of Zinkes Democratic opponent this fall, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Denise Juneau, has circulated a photograph of Moore and four other men preparing to dine with Zinke and Zinkes wife, Lola, in an email calling for Zinke to explain his relationship with convicted felon Kevin Moore. That picture, and another of Moore and Zinke together, can be found at NoisyRoom.net, along with a report about the meetings where the photographs were taken. They identify Moore as the marketing director for Stand Up America, a not-for-profit organization founded by retired Army Maj. Gen. Paul Vallely, who also lives in the Flathead Valley. Vallely is also pictured in those photographs. The Congressman met Mr. Moore because they both live in the Flathead and know many of the same people, like General Paul Vallely, who founded the veterans organization Stand Up America, and Mr. Moore attended the occasional campaign event with dozens of other Flathead residents, said Swift, who went on to say Zinke had no knowledge of Moores past criminal history or the investigation that is now ongoing. Vallely on Thursday confirmed that Moore had been invited to attend events in Washington, D.C., associated with Stand Up Americas launch of the Legacy National Security Advisory Group, formed to advise presidential and congressional candidates on national security and military strategy. But he said Moore was never an employee of Stand Up America, and had passed himself off as the groups marketing director. Thats what con men do, Vallely said. They work their way into your confidential circle, and then use you. Thats what he did to Congressman Zinke, and thats what he did to us. Vallely is a West Point graduate and former military analyst for Fox News. He is a critic of President Barack Obama, and last year in a radio interview on The Real Side with Joe Messina said Obama should be arrested for treasonous activities. Vallely said the meetings launching the Legacy National Security Group that included Moore occurred before Moores current and past legal problems were known by Stand Up America. The retired general also said the FBI has restricted much of what I can say about Moore, and said the federal agency has also launched an investigation into Moore and his sale of investments in oil and gas leases. Moore has donated $5,700 to Zinkes 2014 and 2016 campaigns, according to records with the Federal Election Commission and the Center for Responsive Politics. The affidavit Egan filed detailing expenditures of more than $3.3 million from multiple bank accounts held by Moore and his businesses include 37 categories, such as more than $143,000 in fine art purchases and more than $126,000 in vehicle purchases, but none identified as campaign contributions. There are categories called Moore personal expenditures ($126,425) and uncategorized expenditures ($71,149), but there is no indication those might have included donations to Zinkes campaign. The 2014 records show Moore used different names and occupations, but the same Bigfork post office box number, to donate $5,100 within a month during Zinkes 2014 general election campaign. On Aug. 29, 2014, a Kevin Moore, who listed his occupation as martial arts instructor, donated $2,600 to the Zinke campaign. A 2008 Flathead Beacon feature story about martial arts in the Flathead Valley includes a photograph of a man identified as Kevin Moore, and calls him a Brazilian jiu-jitsu master. The Kevin Moore in that photograph, and the Kevin Moore pictured with Zinke and Cheney, appear to be the same man. On Sept. 29, 2014, a John K. Moore, who listed his occupation as art dealer, donated $2,500 to the Zinke campaign. The John Kevin Moore under investigation by the state allegedly spent more than $140,000 on fine art, and has a previous conviction for defrauding someone in the sale of a painting. Both came from the same mailing address, a post office box number that LexisNexis, which provides an electronic database for legal- and public records-related information, says has been associated with Kevin Moore since 1993. The reports of the two donations are 658 pages apart in the 1,087 pages of the Zinke for Congress required quarterly filings with the FEC in October, 2014. The first contribution was made to the Zinke Victory Fund and transferred to the campaign. Julia Queen, public affairs specialist with the FEC, declined to say whether the donations would violate individual limits. Monday 05 September, 2016 Reliable information reaching Biafra writers desk has it that the life of Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indi... Global Payments Inc. provides payment technology and software solutions for card, electronic, check, and digital-based payments in the Americas, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific. It operates through three segments: Merchant Solutions, Issuer Solutions, and Business and Consumer Solutions. The Merchant Solutions segment offers authorization services, settlement and funding services, customer support and help-desk functions, chargeback resolution, terminal rental, sales and deployment, payment security services, consolidated billing and statements, and on-line reporting services. 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The company was founded in 1967 and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. I dont know, I dont know, I really dont know, Donald Trump said when asked, in a deposition, if a reputation for being anti-Mexican would hurt business for celebrity restaurateur Geoffrey Zakarian. Months before, Zakarian had pulled out of his contract to open a restaurant in the new Trump International Hotel on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C. over Trumps comments about undocumented Mexican immigrants, leading to a heated legal battle. Trump conceded it was his statements about illegal immigrants that led to the fallout, which is a very big topic in this country, he said. and which is a topic that, you know, has led to my nomination in a major party in the country, so its not a very out there topic, but claimed he had no idea his politics would prove a business liability. Wearing a blue and white striped tie and bulky suit jacket, Trump sat before a cloudy gray backdroplike the kind used for school picturesat a DC law office on June 16, 2016, exactly one year after he announced his candidacy for President of the United States and made the comments Zakarianand Jose Andres, among other Americansfound so indefensible. What he said, if you recall, was this: The U.S. has become a dumping ground for everybody elses problemsWhen Mexico sends its people, theyre not sending their best. Theyre not sending you. Theyre not sending you. Theyre sending people that have lots of problems, and theyre bringing those problems to us. Theyre bringing drugs. Theyre bringing crime. Theyre rapists. And some, I assume, are good peopleTheyre sending us not the right people. Its coming from more than Mexico. ITs coming from all over South and Latin America, and its coming probably, probably, from the Middle East. But we dont know. Because we have no protection and we have no competence, we dont know whats happening. And its got to stop and its got to stop fast. He raised his right hand. Do you swear the testimony youre about to give will be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth? the court reporter asked. I do, Trump said. He stated his name, Donald John Trump. What followed was ninety-nine minutes of depositionlonger than the first presidential debatethe video and full transcript of which were made public on Friday, following Superior Court Judge Brian Holeman ruling Thursday that concerns the video may be used in campaign ads against Trump were insufficient cause to keep it private. Trump had sought to keep the video from being released, but several news organizationsincluding Buzzfeed and The Washington Postsued. In the video, Trump said he didnt write his comments about undocumented Mexican immigrants ahead of his announcement speech and didnt consult with anyone about it, but he had planned on saying what he said on June 16, 2015. Youve taken the position that the media has misinterpreted your comments and liberal groups have misinterpreted your comments, Zakarians lawyer told him. Well, I dont know, Trump responded. Some have misinterpreted and some havent. The voters, I dont think have. I got more votes than anybody in the history of the Republican party primaries, by a lot, and you know, thats pretty mainstream when you think about itIts possible that ill help him as opposed to hurt himIf he had the restaurant, it would be helped as opposed to hurtIve tapped into something and Ive tapped into illegal immigration, Ive tapped into other things also. When you get more votes than anybody in the history of the partythats pretty mainstream when you think about it. Besides Zakarian and Jose Andres, Trumps campaign rhetoric has cost him business deals with Univision, Macys, NBC, Serta, Turnberry and Lifestyle, a Dubai-based retailer. I guess they didnt like my comments, Trump said of Univision, during the deposition, I think they made a mistake. Im a big boy, I understand, Trump said. Ive been making these statements for many years. This is not just new. When I describe this weeks installment of High Maintenance as her episode, Yael Stone is quick to correct me. Its not mine, its definitely Gatsbys, she says. Shes right. Gatsby, a gangly and adorable Goldendoodle, is the protagonist of the shows third episode, which premiered on HBO Friday night. In fact, the entire thing is shot from his perspective, a decision that could have turned into a lame gimmick on any other show but becomes an unexpectedly moving device on Ben Sinclair and Katja Blichfields High Maintenance. We follow Gatsby as he moves from the suburbs to the city and ultimately falls deeply in love with his pot-smoking dog walker Beth, a character that Stone originally played in the web series version of the show. Calling from New York, where shes currently filming Season 5 of Orange Is the New Black , Stone talks about the serendipitous timing of a role that had her practically getting intimate with a dogI would happily smear peanut butter on my face for him, any day, she says. She also looks ahead to Season 5 of the Netflix hit that put her on the map and explains why being Australian has not stopped her from doing everything she can to stop Donald Trump. Below is an edited and condensed version of our conversation. Warning: Minor spoilers for Episode 3 of High Maintenance and Season 4 of Orange Is the New Black. What did you think when you found out your character was going to have this love affair with a dog? Oh, I cant even tell you how happy it made me. The timing was particularly beautiful and sad, in a way. Id actually just found out that my dog in Australia, my long-term dog that I think of as my baby, got really, really sick. And I was going to try to rush back and see her and she died really suddenly. And then the next day I got this episode. I read it and was just crying. And all I wrote back to Ben and Katja was, How did you know? Im Australian, obviously, and Ive struggled to really know where I live, where I make my home. And Ive had this wonderful experience with Orange, where I was in New York and all Ive wanted is to get a dog. And Ive flip-flopped about it for the last four years, so being able to hang out with a bunch of dogs and people who work so beautifully with dogs, was really so special. All I want to do now is Turner and Hooch the remake. The episode is really unlike anything else on television. What challenges did shooting from the dogs perspective bring for you? Because Ben and Katja have such a unique vision it means they just do things really differently. Thats meant that our hero, the Guy, we dont even know his name. In the same way that Orange Is the New Black has the prison as the context for all this very diverse, human interaction, in High Maintenance the Guy is the link. In this episode, we have some doggystyle interactions. In terms of challenges in this episode, Bodie, who plays Gatsby, was better behaved than I am. He got more treats than I got. And I would happily smear peanut butter on my face for him, any day. Hes a delightful dog and the people who work with him are so talented. Its incredible what they can do. Hes a much better actor than me, thats for sure. Those fantasy sequences are pretty insane. What were those like to shoot? That was like all my fantasy dreams come true. I put one shoe on that had Stevie Nicks and another shoe on that was Kate Bush and I just danced around like a maniac. There was no real plan. My greatest disappointment was that I did a full backbend in one of those takes, all the way down to the ground. Ive never done that in my life before. I dont know why the fuck they didnt use that take. Thats the only thing that makes me feel bad about this episode. The one time I got over my fear and did a full backbend and theres no evidence of it! But its just so much fun working with people who know what they want, but are free and are bringing you on board because you are you. And trying to create an environment where you just get to be the most you can be. So you dont feel like a meat puppet, you feel like, I have an essential spark that I want to share. And even if thats an illusion, its nice for an actor to feel like that every now and again. How did you originally connect with the creators Ben and Katja for the web series? I watched everything in one night, which Im sure is not an unusual story. You just cant stop. Then I found out some mutual friends knew them and I was basically like really stalk-y, heavy-breathing, like, Hey, would you guys mind if we all had dinner together? So my friends kindly organized a dinner together and I just creeped out on them and tried to be cool. I was deeply uncool, but I think they got the idea that I was really keen to do anything they would let me do. They kindly invited me to have a little cameo on Tracee Chimos amazing Stomp episode [Esme] where I think I promptly called her a cunt. But I only did it for laughs. Did the experience of shooting the HBO version of the show feel different than doing the web series? When we first did the web series, I had just flown in on a red eye from my very first Emmys experience. So I was already in a highly altered state, so everything felt weird. I was very aware doing the web series that they had assembled a really beautiful team of very cool, laid back people that could accommodate almost anything. Obviously, now that theyre working with HBO there are different resources, but the guys are still using a lot of the same people. They havent done that thing where theyre like, Oh we got a bunch of money so were gonna drop everyone who was there and pick up with a whole bunch of new people. When you work with [Orange Is the New Black creator] Jenji Kohan or these guys, theres a way of setting tone by surrounding yourself with great people. Every actor whos in High Maintenance is uniquely spectacular. You sort of hope you could have a love affair with all of them. Id say for all intents and purposes, its not different, people are just getting paid now. You mentioned that they really let actors bring themselves to their roles, so would you say this character is closer to the real you than Lorna Morello on Orange Is the New Black? [Laughs] Yes, I would say shes closer. Obviously not exactly the same, but shes definitely closer to me. Im a great believer in actors who are able to bring themselves to a role with joy and levity and a sense of authenticity. I think thats a really hard thing to do. When I look to Ben [Sinclair], actually, Im really inspired by what he does. Because the Guy is a totally compelling character. Hes like your best worst psychologist ever. He brings it all out, he lets people kind of expose themselves. And hes also funny and charming, with moments of unlikability as well and I feel like Ben manages to translate this quite elusive person in this deeply charming way. Going back to Orange, it seemed like things were going well for Morello after she married Vince, but then we saw her return to her old jealous ways toward the end of Season 4. Where do you think she will be emotionally when Season 5 begins? I try to keep a perspective thats based in reality and her fantasy life is very strong. Her sense of paranoia is very strong. That has been a hop, skip and a jump to a sort of violent anger. Thats where we had her last season, and it was sad because she kind of turned on her sister. Obviously those are great scenes for me to play and I love kind of digging into that very delicate switch where her deep, deep insecurity flips over to paranoia, which flips over to violent anger. Its very fun for me to play. Its kind of exhausting in a lot of ways because it requires so much energy. So its not nice for the character, but its quite fun for me. And then theres these other wonderful parts of Lorna that Ive enjoyed, having fun with Natasha [Lyonne], my favorite scene partner. We have so much fun together and I think Lorna and Nicky have so much fun together. She appeals to Nicky in that way because she is playful and silly and kind of madly fun. All the best people in my life are a little mad too, so I definitely have a soft spot for her. I just wish she wasnt so violent and crazy. And sometimes shes a little racist, but were working on that. You and your Orange Is the New Black co-stars recently filmed a PSA for the Ohio Democrats. How did that come together? Ive had very strong feelings about the election. I live here, I pay my taxes here, but Im not a citizen and I cant vote. I was nervous that people would think Im kind of putting my nose where it doesnt belong. But I do believe that this election is a truly critical moment and revealing moment for our society. And I have to get real with myself and say, you know what? The implications go beyond just the United States. The country has global implications because this is a global world power and I personally dont want to see a man like Trump leading that global world power because I just think its too dangerous. Our alternative is Hillary Clinton and Im very pleased to be supporting a woman in this position. I know that a lot of the women [on Orange Is the New Black] feel passionately about that, and a lot of the men do too. A part of me wants to shut my voice down and I feel embarrassed sometimes to have opinions. People hate actors who have opinions and I get it. But you know what, I dont want to look back in 10 years and say I said nothing and I did nothing. In my small, ignorant, actorly way, I want to know that I at least tried to influence peoples thinking. I do want people to vote on my behalf. I do want people to vote for a safer future, free of bigotry and misogyny. What I love about High Maintenance is its insight into connectivity and humanity. And in the context of this election and everything thats going on in the world, anything that reminds us of our connectivity and our humanity is a good thing in my book. The comedian Bill Maher is, of course, no fan of Donald Trump. Over the course of the election season, hes branded the former reality show host sexist for his gross history of misogyny, the voice of treason for urging Russia to hack Hillary Clinton, and even jokingly compared his children to Nazis. So it comes as very little surprise that on Fridays edition of his HBO series Real Time, the political satirist basked in the afterglow of the Republican candidates embarrassing loss to Hillary in the first big presidential debateand also mocked the man-childs litany of excuses for why he performed so poorly, as well as his post-debate tirade against a former beauty queen, Alicia Machado, that hed fat-shamed in the past. Welcome to another week of yes, this is really happening, said Maher during the monologue. I dont know if you saw what happened this morning but Donald Trump, a 70-year-old man and father of five, went apeshit on Twitter between 3:20 a.m. and 5:30 a.m. in the morning slut-shaming Miss Universe 1996. Yes, after being baited by Hillary Clinton during the debate with his own disgusting comments directed towards Machado (Trump referred to her Miss Piggy and Miss Housekeeping after she put on a bit of weight), at 5:30 a.m. Friday morningseveral days after the debateTrump tweeted the following about Machado, urging the American voting public to check out her sex tape: Machado does not have a sex tape. She has, as many internet sleuths have pointed out, been confused with a popular porn star by the name of Angel Dark. Or maybe Trump was referring to Machados caught-on-camera romp on a reality show that was decidedly PG-13 (given his Infowars fandom, it was most likely the former).Yes, Donald Trump, major party nominee who wants to be the President of the United States, is urging the American public to check out a sex tape that doesnt exist from a Venezuelan reality show! exclaimed Maher. Republicans out there: thank you so much for this. Thank you so much. You must be so fucking proud that your candidate takes a concrete position on something, and its: no fat chicks. Maher then teed off on Trumps demeanor during the debate, constantly sniffing and guzzling water by the cupful, as well as his excuses for losing after. His comments seemed to echo Howard Deans tweet the night of the debate jokingly referring to Trump as a coke user. And even though all the polls say that Hillary won the debate, aw, [Trump] won! said Maher. And if he didnt win, totally not his fault! The moderator asked the wrong questions, he had a bad microphone, the whole system is rigged, she had the questions beforehand, the sun was in my eyes, the coke wore off! Hillary got a big bump after the debate, and Trump looked like he did a big bump before the debate, added Maher. I mean, Im hearing! I dont know it for a fact, I hope its not true, a lot of people are saying it! A lot of people are saying it, thats all I know. I hope its not true. He was sniffing a lot. Its either that or hes allergic to facts. Later on in the program, during his New Rules segment, Maher went off on Trumps clownish surrogates, guessing what positions these national embarrassments might assume within The Orange Ones presidential administration. These include: Pastor Mark Burns, who admitted to cooking up a fake resume; 9/11 truther Katrina Pierson, aka Trumps national spokesman; and Trump Organization lawyer Michael Says Who? Cohen, who believes you cannot rape your spouse. In fact, [Cohens] the head lawyer at the Trump Organization. So we know hes awfully busy with lawsuitslike the one that Trump filed against me in 2013, said Maher. Remember that lawsuit? OK, a lot of people remember that as a defamation suit. It wasnt! He was suing me to collect five million dollars because I offered that to him if he could prove that his mother didnt in fact fuck an ape! So, he went into court. This happened! He went into court and produced his birth certificate as if it was going to say orangutan on it. Yes, I made Donald Trump produce his birth certificate, and Im very proud of that very proud of that! Donald Trump: the self-described anti-PC candidate who cant take a goddamn joke. An Arkansas murder was a practice run for the zombie apocalypse, according to an unusual accusation made by prosecutors in an Arkansas courtroom. Prosecutors allege that Richard Jordan Tarver, 31, kidnapped a 90-year-old woman from her home in July 2015 and forced her into the trunk of her car. When they got to a nearby cornfield, he allegedly pointed a .38-caliber handgun at the back of her head and fired, killing the elderly woman. Lavinda Counce wasnt found for ten days. Prosecutor Grant DeProw told jurors that Tarver binged on zombie television shows and decided to see how hed fare in the event that truth mirrored fiction. He wanted to feel what it felt like to kill someone, DeProw said. Tarver and his alleged victim lived just 100 yards apart in Bay, Arkansas. Tarver faces murder, kidnapping, robbery, burglary, theft, and firearms charges. Police say Tarver confessed after witnesses pointed them in his direction. "The witness said that they returned home at the trailer park and a friend, Richard Jordan Tarver, was there stating that he had walked up from NEA Hospital where he was dropped off to see someone in the hospital and was needing a ride back to Bay," a probable cause affidavit read, according to the Jonesboro Sun. "The witness said he drove him back to his residence at 309 Harris Street in Bay. Officers obtained a physical description of Tarver, which matched the general appearance of the person walking away from Mrs. Counce's vehicle." Police said they found Tarver, his wife, and a child in the home after forcing their way in. They claim Tarver confessed to the kidnapping and murder, and to taking some money from the woman. Tarver's attorney, Randel Miller, did not return a request for comment. 4029TV reports that he said that evidence against Tarver was weak, and that a supposed confession was coerced. "He would've said anything at that point to keep them from taking his wife," Miller told the Jonesboro Sun. "So he just repeated what he had heard on the news and said what he had to say to keep her from being arrested." In the trial, which began this week, witnesses testified about the search for Counce and the discovery of her body. Her daughter, Patsy Scott, found the house full of unmade beds and a black bag with hammer, a hatchet, rope and a club wrapped in plastic tape, according to Arkansas Online. "I can't describe the panic I had not knowing where she was," Scott said. "I picked [the bag] up, then dropped it and started praying." At the jury selection, one woman told DeProw that she wasnt sure she could impose the death penalty because God decides matters of life, Arkansas Online reported. "That's a good point," DeProw said. "That's a question I may ask when the trial is over." By any measure the disappearance and death of 329 people is a serious event. Imagine if this were the toll of a terrorist attack in the U.S. There would be an immediate investigation into how it happenedand the results of that investigation would reveal if failures had occurred that could be fixed. The chances of covering up any of those failures would be minimal. Yet when the tragedy involves the souls lost aboard Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 what has followed? Two and a half years later we know virtually nothing about the investigation that is supposedly continuing. None of the responsible parties wants to talk, wants to accept any accountability, wants to respond to the continuing grief of the families who lost loved ones. Shocking light on this scandal is shed by a veteran reporter, Christine Negroni, in a new book, The Crash Detectives, published by Penguin. As soon as I received a review copy of The French Chef in America, Alex Prudhommes new intricately and intriguingly detailed biography of his delicious, good-naturedly opinionated great-aunt, Julia Child, I went right to the index in hopes of finding my name. That would mean that some of our meetings and exchanges had been worth chronicling for posterity. I suspect this will be standard practice for anyone in the food world whose paths crossed those of the woman whose TV cooking shows brought perfect understanding of French cuisine to all of America. Sure enough there were several mentions, the longest of which recalled the most defining experience, one that colored our entire relationship ever after. The date was July 8, 1976, just a few months after I arrived at The New York Times and, as I recall, before I ever had met Julia. The event was a state dinner at The White House given by President and Mrs. Gerald Ford to mark our bicentennial with Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip as the guests of honor. (Come to think of it, it was a sly reminder that We won. You lost.) A pungent mixture of sweat, deodorant, and cooking meats from the Tibetan restaurant next door immediately assaults the senses upon walking into the Jackson Heights dojo used by Elena Waldman. The utilitarian second-floor space sits hard by the elevated tracks of the Roosevelt Avenue subway station, where the E, F, 7, and R lines converge. Mexican tortillerias, Colombian taxi-bars (where the women selling dances for $2 allegedly provide a broader menu of services for an additional fee), Middle Eastern grocery stores, and Bangladeshi cell phone kiosks line the sidewalks below. Late at night, as well as early in the morning, the dojos sealed windows provide an unobstructed view of sex workers on the stroll, which runs along Roosevelt from around 72nd Street to Shea Stadium. Roosevelt Avenue is also the place to go if you need to buy a counterfeit birth certificate or Social Security card. But although the fake-papers trade is entrenched enough for the stretch of pavement to be nicknamed La Embajada, or, The Embassy, sex is the product being sold at night. Those selling it are overwhelmingly black and Latino, a large number of them transgender. Commercial activity in these parts always bustles, but the pace of business picks up considerably shortly after 4 a.m., when the bars close. And with that activity comes danger. According to the most recent data available, 3.3 workers per 100,000 are killed on the job each year in the United States. For sex workers, the number is 204 per 100,000. Thats 51 times the death rate of liquor store workers, the next-riskiest occupation in America. At least 41 sex workers were murdered nationwide in 2015, though the actual rate is almost certainly far higher; many crimes against sex workers go unreported. Nearly 40 percent were shot, 15 percent were strangled, and 5 percent were beaten to death. One-third of the victims were trans women. Waldman, a 52-year-old native New Yorker with a blackbelt in kyokushin karate, is teaching them how to fight back. She will travel anywhere to teach anyone who needs to learn self-defense, wherever they are, free of charge. This has often meant drug addicts, the homeless, and victims of domestic abuse, though sex workers, the most vulnerable of whom Waldman says are transgender and undocumented, consistently make up a large portion of the student body. No one wears a gi in Waldmans classes; she prefers that students come in their regular clothes, which she says is what they need to learn to fight in. If its a morning class, some students might be coming straight from work. If its an evening class, they might be headed out for the night. As such, its not unheard of for someone to arrive in booty shorts and stilettos. People occasionally arrive high, drunk, or both, which Waldman, who is built like a reinforced concrete blast wall, accepts without judgment; she is herself a recovering addict. Waldman always keeps baby wipes and baby powder on hand, since foot (and other) odors can be an issue. To approximate real-world conditions, Waldman wraps blindfolds around her students eyes, and stuffs earplugs into their ears. She restricts their movements with duct tape and rope, forcing them to fight from a position of near-helplessness. She has had accomplices burst into the room and assault her in front of a class, to help the students learn to deal with fear. When an older female sex worker insisted that the rhinestone-bedazzled hammer she kept in her pocketbook was all she needed to stay safe, Waldman let a few moments go by before informing the woman that she had already stolen the bag off the back of her chair without her knowing. Its disconcerting and scary, Waldman admits. But it works. There are group walks through the neighborhood so Waldman can point out dangerous spots, safe havens, and anything and everything one can use as a weapon, including sandwich boards, police sawhorses, and the acrylic menu holders outside Chinese take-out joints. De-escalation should be the goal, though is not always an option, says Waldman. A john can turn violent for reasons from a disagreement over money to the level of service he believes he is entitled to. Other times, Waldman says, A girl gets in a car, the trick didnt realize she had a penis, violence ensues. Ive heard that story over and over and over again. By design, none of Waldmans techniques require hours of practice to master. Shes not teaching martial arts, she explains, shes teaching self-defense. Leave car windows open a crack; theyre easier to kick out that way. If youre on a violent johns lap, facing away from him, slam the back of your head into his face to break his nose. Gouging somebodys eyes out can also be very effective, says Waldman. A lot of the people I work with have long nails, and I tell them, You will get eyeball matter under your nails, you just will. In the early 1980s, before she ever entered a karate dojo, Waldman, who has worked as an emergency room rape counselor and a rape crisis hotline operator, was fully immersed in what was then called the feminist empowerment model of self-defense. Its as much an ethos as it is a fighting technique, rejecting cultural victim-blaming and holding perpetrators solely responsible for sexual violence. I fell in love with self-defense as a political statement and as a statement of human rights, she says. Waldman eventually began learning karate, and when the women working the stroll expressed an interest in learning how to protect themselves, Waldman combined aspects of the empowerment model with aspects of kyokushinwhich is a full-contact style she describes as very, very martial, very little artsto create a curriculum specifically to fit their needs. As one might expect, violence affects street-based sex workers far more frequently than it does high-end escorts or call girls. The more your clientele feels they have to lose, the safer you will be, because they are not going to cause trouble, says Anna Saini, an escort and activist in Brooklyn who charges $400 an hour. (All women named in this article agreed to do so in advance). However, while violence may occur more often on the streets, rapes, murders, and assaults happen at all price points and in all locations. The very first time I was ever raped on the job was in the most expensive hotel in New Orleans, says Maggie McNeill, a call girl and author who also charges $400 an hour. Escort and author Amanda Brooks says she uses a web-based tool called VerifyHim to vet new clients. Local sex worker organizations compile bad date lists, which list the names of dangerous and abusive johns. And the worst of the worst are featured on their own dedicated sites and pages, one of which is maintained by Brooks herself. Yet, many sex workers insist they fear law enforcement more than any client. According to one study, 24 percent of Chicago street-based sex workers surveyed said they had been raped by a police officer. In another, almost one in five Washington, D.C., sex workers reported having been propositioned for sex by cops. Several respondents said officers demanded sex in exchange for leniency. According to a 2007 working paper by economists Steven Levitt and Sudhir Venkatesh, roughly one in every 33 tricks turned by Chicago street prostitutes was actually a quid pro quo freebie for a cop. Their chances of being locked up? One in 450. Theres an argument to be made for removing police from the equation altogether, which has been shown to substantially reduce the violence suffered by sex workers. In Rhode Island, where an inadvertent loophole accidentally legalized indoor prostitution from 2003-2009, the overall number of rapes committed across the entire population reportedly dropped by 33 percent. None of this matters much to Autumn Burris, an anti-legalization activist who was forced into the sex trade as a young woman. Burris describes prostitution as compensated rape, adding, the exchange of money does not change that fact. Waldman doesnt hide her disdain for this point of view, countering, To say that all sex work is exploitative is as offensive as saying that all penetration is rape. You cant scientifically demonstrate to me that giving someone a blowjob is hurting somebody else. Back on Roosevelt Avenue, the stroll is quiet. Waldman orders a falafel from one of four competing food carts sharing the same corner, and looks at her phone. Shes got 14 unopened voicemails from people that want to train with her. I say, Tell me what you need, tell me what youre exposed to, tell me what your fears are, and how can I be of service? Recently, a sex worker student of hers asked how to escape a violent john inside a vehicle. Waldman didnt have a solid answer. So, she went away and came up with one. She was selling anal sex, doing it with the passenger seat laid down, and fighting on your stomach is extremely hard to do, says Waldman. So, I got in the car with my sensei, got down on my belly, and he choked me out. Working for the patriarchs and matriarchs of Middle Eastern royal families and their mercurial offspring has never been regarded as an employment opportunity without its drawbacks. Known risks include being murdered, raped and imprisoned, so perhaps the Parisian decorator who turned up to paint the apartment of a Saudi Arabian princessand who then alleges he was bound, beaten and made to kiss the Princesss feet before being kicked out of the apartment without payshould count himself lucky. He had enraged the princess, according to Le Point by taking some photographs of the room at the apartment on the Avenue Foch, an expensive road that runs off the Arc de Triomphe, where he was carrying out some decorating work. He said taking pictures was standard practice, and that the snaps were shot simply so he would know where to put back any furniture he had moved, but the unidentified princess accused him of scheming to sell the photographs to the press, and told an armed bodyguard: You have to kill this dog, he doesn't deserve to live. Le Point reports that, in the course of what became a four-hour ordeal, the bodyguard, struck him a blow to the head before tying his hands, after which the craftsman was ordered to kneel and kiss the feet of the princess. Abuses of staff appear to be a troublingly regular phenomenon among the wealthy Gulf families that populate Europes capital cities during the summer months. Migrants rights organizations consistently highlight appalling treatment dished out to staff, but the fact that many staff are foreign workers on tied visas combined with the diplomatic immunity many of these minor royals enjoy means meaningful interventions rare. Last year, Majed Abulaziz al-Saud, a 29-year-old Saudi prince, allegedly sexually accosted five women at a Beverly Hills compound. He was arrested after neighbors spotted a naked, bleeding woman frantically trying to scale the 8-foot fence around Al-Sauds Beverly Hills compound. They helped the woman escape and called police. A few days later Al-Saudsubsequently revealed to be a son of Saudi Arabias late King Abdullahwas free on $300,000 bail. He allegedly told his victims: I am a prince and I do what I want. You are nobody! Sheikh Rashid, the fast-living eldest son of Dubais ruler, Sheikh Mohammed, fell into disfavor with his fatherand was stripped of his order in the succession in 2008after he apparently murdered a worker at his fathers office. The alleged homicide was revealed in a confidential memo sent from the U.S. consulate in Dubai back to Washington published by Wikileaks. Acting consul general David Williams wrote: It is alleged that Rashid killed an assistant in the Rulers office, thereby forfeiting his opportunity to be heir. The astonishing claim was never proved. Some foreign domestic servants working away from their native lands for foreign princes have suffered astonishing levels of abuse. A United Arab Emirates ambassador to Ireland was ordered to pay three Filipina workers a total of 240,000 for breaching their employment rights. Ambassador Khalid Nasser Rashed Lootah and his wife Mehra Metad Alghubaisi had paid the women less than $2/hour to perform housework and other tasks for 15 hours a day, seven days a week, a tribunal heard. The staff were constantly on call, had their passports confiscated and were never given a day off. One of the women, Jennifer Villaranda, told Irish website thejournal.ie that she and her colleagues were treated like slaves. Racial abuse has also allegedly been a fact of life for some employees. One black man working in the British household of a Gulf Sheikh alleged he was referred to as, black slave by other staff members. Another Saudi Princess, Buniah al-Saud, was arrested and thrown in the town jail in Orlando after it was alleged she hit her Indonesian maid and pushed her down the stairs of her Orlando townhouse. The princess, who denied the charges, was reported to be a niece of King Fahd. In 2013, a Saudi princess named Meshael Alayban was arrested in Irvine, California on charges that she imprisoned and abused a Kenyan house servant. However, the charges were eventually droped. The most shocking case of domestic abuse to be widely publicized however came in 2010, when Saudi Prince Saud bin Abdulaziz bin Nasir Al-Saud was jailed for life in the UK after bludgeoning his manservant Bandar Abdulaziz to death in London. During Nasir Al-Sauds trial it came to light that the man he murdered was also his sexual partner. The BBC noted that the 34-year-old prince spent more of his time in court arguing that he wasnt gay than he did denying the murder. It all makes the ordeal suffered by the Parisian decorator seem a rather trifling affair. As a British businessman with extensive knowledge of Saudi and Gulf life told the Daily Beast despairingly of the alleged incident, Its not particularly a royal thing. Its the same culture as ISIS, Saddam Hussein, Gaddafi, and Assad destroying Aleppo. So this poor decorator had to kiss a princesss feet? He got off lightly. They paved paradise and put up a parking lot, Joni Mitchell sang in 1970, decrying our modern frenzy of development. But perhaps no one feels this loss more acutely than one of our early ancestors. The Peking Man lived more than 400,000 years ago, he learned how to make fire and use tools, and he was widely feted when his remains were found. Afterlife was gooduntil his ungrateful descendants lost the precious bones, that is. Today, many believe the Peking Man ingloriously resides beneath a concrete slab dotted with cars in Qinhuangdao, China. The saga all began in the 1920s, when explorers discovered a series of clefts at a site called Zhoukoudian west of Beijing (it was made an official UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987). The first Westerner to explore the area was a Swede named J. Gunnar Andersson, whose curiosity was piqued after he heard locals talking about dragon bones that could be found in the cliffs. He publicized his discovery of a quartz rock he thought might be evidence of an early human tool, and in 1929, a full excavation began. What archeologists uncovered became one of the most important fossil finds of that era. They discovered pieces of around 40 Homo erectus skeletonsincluding skulls, teeth, leg bones, and morethat are now believed to be at least 400,000 years old, possibly much older. Together these remains were called the Peking Man. The Peking Man offered a huge leap forward in our understanding of the evolution of the human species. Prior to this, similar bones discovered on the Indonesian island of Java were thought to be evidence of the development of apes. But Peking Man find made it clear these were in fact early ancestors of Homo sapiens. Animal remains and stone tools also found at the site confirmed these humans were able to create and use toolsand possibly fire. A dispatch to The New York Times on Nov. 27, 1933, explained the importance of these discoveries. Hitherto, it had been assumed from his abnormally small, flattened skull that the Peking Man was only slightly above the ape in the scale of intelligence, the article reads. But anthropologist and professor G. Elliot Smith explained the findings revealed so much more. It now appears that the Peking Man had hands essentially identical with modern mans and we are justified in the inference that the tools found with the remains of this man were made by him. They correspond entirely with the tools made by other primitive peoples, Smith told the Times. His feet, however, were lagging behind. They were not straight, and he must have walked holding his toes in, as the ape does. The excavation was moving along swimmingly until the iron tentacles of World War II began to inch toward China. The bones were being held for study at the Peking Union Medical Hospital, which was run by the U.S.something officials were grateful for after Japan invaded in 1937. But as it increasingly looked like Japan and the U.S. might go to war, administrators began to worry Japanese forces would take over the facility. So, a fateful decision was made: The bones would be boxed up and sent to America for safe-keeping. The most important of the remains were securely packed into two large crates. The intention was to send these crates back to the U.S. via a naval ship to be entrusted to the American Museum of Natural History. But the last time anyone is sure to have laid eyes on them is when the last box was sealed. From there, the Peking Man vanished without a trace. As with all good mysteries, many people have theories about what happened. Some say the bones were stolen in a Japanese raid. Others say they were put on a ship that was sunk in the Pacific. Many believe they never left China at all, and were buried at some point, for safe-keeping or more nefarious purposes. It could be that the bones were hidden before they even left Beijing. Or it could be that they were shipped to Tianjin, paleontologist Gao Xing told the Times in 2005. But some people also think that somebody found them before they were put on the train and buried or hid them in Fangshan. There isnt specific evidence. The most concrete tip came from a U.S. Marine, Richard Bowen, who was stationed in a port city in China after World War II ended. In 2010, his son sent a letter on his behalf to the paleoanthropologist and National Geographic explorer Lee Berger claiming his father thought he may have found one of the boxes while at a military base in Qinhuangdao in 1947. His battalion was part of the rear guard of the retreating U.S. Army. After being surrounded by the Communist 8th Route Army, they began digging foxholes for protection. In this nightly digging process, we dug a lot of holes. In one of them we found a box that was full of bones. At night it gave us a little scare and we filled in that hole and dug another. Shortly after this we evacuated the area, Bowen said. His story checked out and archeologists, with Bowens help, began to pinpoint the area in Qinhuangdao where this find may have occurred. What they found was disheartening. The area is now an industrialized haven, filled with buildings andyou guessed itpaved over with concrete parking lots. Officials deemed it too disruptive to dig up the area looking for this box. However, the site is set to undergo another development phase sometime soon and, when that happens, officials have promised to keep an eye out for this treasure and for excavation opportunities. Even then, the chances that the box and its contents survived the areas extensive development in the 1970s are slim. In the meantime, the bones arent completely lost. Casts were made of all of the archeological treasures before they were packed up. But the details on these reproductions arent fine enough to determine certain things, like whether or not our dear old relatives were cannibals (although some tell-tale signs might be the work of hyenas, instead). Excavations continue at Zhoukoudian, but the most important finds that have come from the siteand possibly the most important archeological discoveries of the 20th centuryremain missing. Hopefully, they wont be lost forever. Seventy year ago, the 1945-46 Nuremberg Trials of Nazi Germanys top surviving wartime leaders reached their climax. On October 1, 1946, 19 of the 22 Nuremberg defendants were found guilty of war crimes. It had taken 315 days since the start of the trials for the International Military Tribunal that the United States, Great Britain, France, and the Soviet Union formed at the end of World War II to reach the decisions that still shape our views of international law. The chargesconspiracy to wage aggressive war, waging aggressive war, crimes against the conduct of war, crimes against humanitywere of such magnitude that only six of the Nuremberg defendants were convicted on all four counts, but the picture of Nazi Germany, based largely on German records, that the trials revealed was enough to horrify the world. Today, it remains important for us to remember the sentencing anniversary of the Nuremberg Trials. The precedents set at Nuremberg are often ignored. Thanks to his Russian protectors, Syrias president, Bashar al-Assad has, at present, has no fear of being brought to trial for the atrocities he has committed against his own people. But the Nuremberg Trials continue to offer us a unique example of how to deal with those accused of war crimes or genocide, and with the passage of time, it is easy to forget that in 1945-46 there was powerful opposition in America to the trials. The debate in America over the Nuremberg Trials was personified by the clash between Nurembergs most visible defender, Supreme Court Justice Robert Jackson, the chief prosecutor for the United States at Nuremberg, and the trials best-known political critic, Senator Robert Taft of Ohio, the leading Republican conservative of the 40s and the son of former president and former chief justice of the Supreme Court, William Howard Taft. Jackson and Taft never confronted each other directly, as Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas did in their 1858 Illinois race for the Senate. As a result, Jacksons and Tafts differences over the legitimacy of the Nuremberg Trials lacked the drama of the Lincoln-Douglas debates over the extension of slavery into the territories of pre-Civil War America. The stakes in the competing positions Jackson and Taft took with respect to the Nuremberg Trials were momentous, though. After Nuremberg, the excuse of following orders, even when used by military officers, could no longer be relied on as a defense for war crimes or genocide in a formal legal setting. Tafts opposition to the Nuremberg Trials gained national headlines when on October 5, just days after the trials verdicts were announced, he voiced his opposition to Nuremberg in a speech he delivered at Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio, for a conference on the heritage and responsibilities of the English-speaking peoples. Taft based his remarks on a speech he had delivered in February in Dallas, Texas, but the timing of his Kenyon speech made all the difference in the level of attention he got. Taft had no sympathy for Germanys leaders. He found them despicable. But he thought their trials at Nuremberg were a blot on America. They violate that fundamental principle of American law that a man cannot be tried on an ex post facto statute, he declared. The trial of the vanquished by the victors cannot be impartial no matter how it is hedged about with the forms of justice. Taft emphasized that his deepest objection was to what he regarded as an abuse of the justice system. He would, he confessed, have no problem with the Allies simply locking up the Nuremberg defendants for the rest of their lives on the grounds that they might stir up another war. That was the basis for the imprisonment of Napoleon, he wrote the syndicated columnist Westbrook Pegler. Jacksons worries were the opposite of Tafts. Punishing Germanys leaders without a trial only reinforced the idea that might makes right, he believed. As far as he was concerned, the Third Reich presented the United States and its Allies with a question they could not avoid: Must such wrongs either be ignored or redressed in hot blood? Jacksons answer was that the end of the war created an opportunity to put international law on new footing by building on old precedents. The idea that America and its Allies were only asserting victors justice seemed ahistorical to Jackson. Either the victors must judge the vanquished or we must leave the defeated to judge themselves. After the first World War, we learned the futility of the latter course, he observed in his opening statement at the Nuremberg Trials. There was, Jackson went on to say, legal precedent for judging Germany, if not for the actual Nuremberg Trials. In the Geneva Protocol of 1924 and the Kellogg-Briand Pact of 1928, wars of aggression had been outlawed. The laws about just and unjust wars had developed much as the Common Law, Jackson insisted. I am not disturbed by the lack of judicial precedent for the inquiry we propose to conduct, he concluded. It was enough for the Nuremberg Trials to show the law was not so laggard as to be utterly helpless to deal with crimes of this magnitude. Jacksons opening and closing statements at Nuremberg were not a perfect answer to all the issue that the trials raised, and a decade later Robert Tafts condemnation of the Nuremberg Trials received a boost when future president John Kennedy in his Pulitzer Prize-winning Profiles in Courage of 1956 praised Taft for his unhesitating courage in taking the stance he did over the Nuremberg Trials. But Jackson, like Lincoln in his debates with Douglas, turned out to have the enduring voice. Because of the Nuremberg Trials, Germany was forced to face its past in ways it otherwise might have avoided. Figures like air force chief Hermann Goring and foreign minister Joachim von Ribbentrop never got the chance to become martyrs in postwar Germany or hamper Germanys later integration into Western Europe. The Nuremberg Trials continue to offer precedents that can fill critical gaps in international law. Earlier this year, a United Nations International Criminal Tribunal convicted former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic for his role in the siege of Sarajevo and the slaughter of 8,000 Muslim men and boys in Srebrenica during the Bosnian War of 1992-95. Yet the Nuremberg Trials do not offer a clear precedent for how victorious nations should go about judging their own wartime deeds. This failing deeply worried Telford Taylor, who, after working alongside Robert Jackson, became chief prosecutor at the war crimes trials that continued at Nuremberg from 1946 through 1949. The laws of war do not apply only to the suspected criminals of vanquished nations. There is no moral or legal basis for immunizing victorious nations from scrutiny, Taylor observed in the conclusion to his 1992 memoir, The Anatomy of the Nuremberg Trials. Germanys wartime atrocities paved the way for America and its allies, especially the Soviet Union, to avoid self-scrutiny at the end of World War II, and the result was a lost opportunity. Had America and the allies been more willing to examine their own wartime actions, they would have ended up extending the spirit of the Nuremberg Trials, making them even more important to the present than they already are. Nicolaus Mills is professor of American studies at Sarah Lawrence College and author of Winning the Peace: The Marshall Plan and Americas Coming of Age as a Superpower. Italian liqueur Disaronno wears Etro Disaronno, the Italian liqueur, has a new look designed by fashion house Etro. The limited edition bottle is being launched at this years TFWA World Exhibition in Cannes on the Illva Saronno stand (Green Village, M52). Since 1968, the Italian luxury label Etro has made a footprint in the fashion world as one of Italys most celebrated houses. The paisley print, for which the fashion house is best known, transforms the Disaronno bottle, giving it a dressed up look perfect for gifting in travel retail. The Disaronno wears Etro design draws inspiration from the brands Autumn/Winter 2016 season, a continuation of the houses signature paisley collection that it began producing in 1981. The striking bottle is draped in a stunning variation of the swirling design made up of vibrant blue, orange and gold hues. The design will also be available in six mini bottles in coordinated looks. After three years of success, Disaronnos latest interpretation of its Icon project will continue to support the charity, Fashion 4 Development, sponsored by the United Nations. Following past partnerships with Italian fashion brands, Moschino, Versace and Roberto Cavalli, a portion of the proceeds from sales of the Disaronno wears Etro collection will be donated to the development of this project to develop the textile trade and fight poverty in Africa. The exclusive limited edition 50cl bottle is available from the beginning of October in major travel retailers globally, supported by activations and promotions including tasting bars There is always a huge amount of hype surrounding each years new launch, and its something our partners, retailers, and consumers get very excited about, says international sales director Domenico Toni. The Disaronno Icon bottles are perfectly suited for travel retail, with their strong shelf appeal , collectability factor and unique design all being key sales drivers. The previous three icon editions have all achieved better than expected results in travel retail and we anticipate another successful year for Disaronno wears Etro. 1 October 2016 - Felicity Murray The Drinks Report, editor Candidate has the leadership skills needed for College Station City Council I met Jeremy Osborne five years ago while attending Twin City Church of Christ. Jeremy is now a close family friend and I fully support his candidacy for College Station City Council. As a former teacher and now leadership development strategist, identifying and growing leadership skills has been a part of my profession for years. I have seen Jeremy function in many capacities as a Bible class teacher, presenter and small business owner, and in all of these areas I have seen him display leadership skills necessary to function in this role as a city councilman. Jeremy is someone who is willing to listen, an open communicator and someone who regularly asks for feedback from others in order always to grow professionally and personally. I have been a resident of College Station for 10 years and my husband and I have decided this is where we want to raise our family. As a mother of a small child, I am glad to support Jeremy. He believes in the importance of creating and maintaining safe and attractive neighborhoods and will work tirelessly to make sure College Station is a place all families would want to call home. Jeremy always has treated my family like his own, as well as many others in the community, and I believe when making decisions for the city he would keep the family first priority. Not only does Jeremy possess the qualifications for the College Station City Council but, more importantly, he possesses a heart of service. I am happy to vote for a candidate who thinks of others before he thinks of himself, and I encourage you to do the same in voting for Jeremy Osborne for College Station City Council, Place 3. CHRISTINE RAMSEY College Station Plan your week ahead in SE Iowa with these local events: music, art, more Your guide to getting off the couch and out the door this week in Southeast Iowa. Students who went thousands of dollars into debt to attend Corinthian Colleges have been targeted for delinquency by the Department of Education. A move by Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren may give these borrowers the reprieve they need. Warren's office has been in contact with the Department of Education and is working to halt the seizure of Social Security benefits, tax refunds, and other garnishments of the now-defunct Corinthian Colleges. The letter from Warren makes use of data provided to her office by the Department of Education. It states that almost 80,000 borrowers took out loans to attend the for-profit college after promises of excellent job placement rates. It was later revealed, though, that college officials inflated these numbers to bring in as many students as possible. Many of these students are now facing debt collectors and damage to their credit. Undersecretary of Education Ted Mitchell responded to the letter and echoed Warren's concerns. He said the Department of Education will work with borrowers to provide debt relief. It may be possible for many of the borrowers to have their loans discharged due to the fraudulent nature of the school while helping others to stop the garnishments or tax refund seizures. Several students have applied for the loan discharge program, and many more are taking advantage of it as they learn of its existence. The Department has fast-tracked many of these applications. Find out quickly at what rate you can refinance your student loan. NORWALK South Norwalk residents displaced by gentrification may be bumped to the top of waiting list for other housing in the city. But for many, the selection will rest with private developers with no guarantee of affordability. The problem is the city doesnt control those lists, said Margaret K. Suib, Norwalks fair housing officer. The properties are rented and leased by the property managers, so I dont see how that will work or how people displaced would then displace people on these lists. Suib added that displaced persons who dont meet the income requirements under the citys Workforce Housing Regulation theyre way over or way under would be left without a home. Materially improve Last Tuesday evening, the Norwalk Redevelopment Agency approved a transit-oriented development plan, which is intended to materially improve the areas around the South Norwalk Train Station by encouraging redevelopment of former industrial and other underused properties though infill development. Agency Executive Director Timothy T. Sheehan and Emily Keys Innes, senior urban planner with The Cecil Group, which prepared the plan, pointed out provisions within the plan that are intended to help residents who might be displaced. For example, the plan calls for dropping the income limits for affordable units to 50 percent of the state median income about $35,700 for a two-person household. More Information Workforce housing regulations require that 10 percent of the units in developments with 20 or more units be set aside affordable housing. Here are some of the larger developments in recent years, and the number units set aside. Grist Mill Village, Glover Avenue, 71 Workforce Housing Units, Occupancy 2018 Waypointe Midblock, 515 West Ave/Orchard, 37 Workforce Housing Units, Occupancy 2018. Highpointe East & West, Main St./High St., 29 Workforce Housing Units, Occupancy 2018 8 Norden Place, 8 Norden Place, 25 Workforce Housing Units, Occupancy 2013 See More Collapse In addition, the plan calls for developers to work with the city to provide displaced families priority accommodation within the citys regulated housing inventory. Sheehan identified that inventory as the growing number of units now 325 built or pending required under Norwalks Workforce Housing Regulation as well as deed-restricted, public housing and similar units that are compiled in a list submitted to the state. Sheehan said the Redevelopment Agency will work collectively with the citys Department of Planning and Zoning as well as developers to help persons displaced through redevelopment. He cited the regulation as the basis for such work. The city is supposed to be able to provide to the developer people that have already been lined up that need those units, Sheehan said. If somebody has a situation that meets the eligibility criteria for those units and theyre going to be displaced, we would work with them to move them up on the eligibility list for those units. The Workforce Housing Regulation, which was adopted by the city in 2007, requires that a minimum of 10 percent of units within developments of 20 or more units be affordable to households earning no more than 80 percent of the applicable median income. Under regulation, the units must go to existing tenants facing displacement by a proposed new development, or to the immediate past tenants who previously occupied the property. City and Board of Education employees would be given next priority. Various multi-family housing developments subject to the regulation have posted the income limits and monthly rents on fliers made available at the Redevelopment Agency and elsewhere. At The Quincy Lofts at Waypointe, for example, the income limit for a two-person household is $56,192 with the monthly rent for a two-bedroom affordable apartment running $1,368. The flier notes other monthly charges may apply. Waypointe developer Paxton B. Kinol said all 53 workforce housing units built so far as part of the larger Waypointe development are occupied or leased with waiting lists in place. He expects the pressure for such units to ease up as additional workforce housing units come online at Waypointe and elsewhere. What we saw in Stamford was there was a huge demand for them and then there was a building boom and they now build more below-market-rate units than they have demand for, Kinol said. The supply will start to catch up with demand. Could do better The Redevelopment Agency approved the transit-oriented development plan subject to the citys Zoning Commission acting upon the recommended zoning changes by Jan. 31. Adam J. Blank, chairman of the commission, indicated that gentrification will be part of the discussion. He said Norwalk is addressing the issue but could do better. I think we do a better job of most of the communities in the state in promoting workforce housing and actually having workforce housing units constructed, Blank said. But at the same time, I think it could certainly be improved. Developers may satisfy the Workforce Housing Regulation requirements, in whole or in part, through the payment of a fee-in-lieu cash contribution to a city of Norwalk fund, or other commission-approved, nonprofit or for-profit organization dedicated to affordable housing initiatives. Blank said such dollars can go further when used by nonprofit housing organizations, perhaps building two units where one was possible under a private developer. But he added that the fund must be properly run and not spent on study after study. For now, attention is on the transit-oriented development plan. The Redevelopment Agency has retained an attorney to represent the plan before the Zoning Commission. Suib continues to have concerns about the plan, which she says will drive minority and low-income residents from South Norwalk. In a letter to Sheehan in August, she recommended measures taken in other communities such as building more middle-income housing, reducing, freezing property taxes to protect long-term residents, vigorously marketing tax relief programs available to seniors, and producing more housing overall. She called for local government to use its regulatory powers to incentivize affordable housing and limit market-rate development. Without such constraints, for-profit developers will do whatever they can to maximize profit. This is their role, Suib wrote. It is government's role to protect her citizens. Lets do so and protect the valuable long-time residents of South Norwalks TOD area so that they too can enjoy the fruits of the long-awaited reinvestment and redevelopment of this part of South Norwalk. NORWALK Police said they had to fire a Taser stun gun at a man twice during a bar fight Saturday, because his girlfriend pulled the probes off of him the first time he was hit by them. Police were called to The Loft at 97 Washington St. at 1:34 a.m. on a report of a disturbance. When the first officer arrived, a security employee pointed out a customer who had allegedly struck him. The officer reported that in order to get to the man identified, he had to "remove from his path" a woman later identified as the man's girlfriend. The officer said when he confronted the man, identified as Ishwa Entzminger, Entzminger broke away and punched the security person a second time. The officer said he warned Entzminger he would deploy a Taser against him if he did not stop. The officer said Entzminger then approached him and appeared ready to strike him, so he fired his Taser. He reported Entzminger was subdued by Taser, but his girlfriend, identified as Diane LaClair, pulled the barbed probes off of him, and Entzminger again became aggressive. Another officer then fired his Taser at Entzminger, which brought him to the ground, and he was handcuffed. Entzminger was brought to Norwalk Hospital to have the probes removed while LaClair was taken into custody. The security employee told the officers the incident began when he observed Entzminger lift LaClair off the floor. He said he warned Entzminger to stop it, and Entzminger replied, "Yo, [racial slur], that's my girl. Get out of my face." The security employee said he then told Entzminger to leave and Entzminger punched him in the face. Entzminger, 38, of Taylor Ave., was charged with third-degree assault, second-degree breach of peace and interfering with an officer. He was held on $10,000 bond and given a court date of Oct. 11. LaClair, 23, of Charles Street, was charged with second-degree breach of peace and interfering with an officer. She was held on $500 bond and given a court date of Oct. 11. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate NORWALK Police in New York have arrested the second man sought for the Aug. 5 robbery of the Webster Bank branch at 402 Connecticut Ave. Rodney Rush was arrested late Friday night in The Bronx by NYPD officers, said Lt. Thomas Mattera, commander of the Norwalk Police Detective Bureau. Mattera said Norwalk Police obtained a warrant for Rush's arrest on Sept. 22 on charges of first-degree robbery, fourth-degree larceny, and conspiracy to commit those offenses. Mattera credited detective Daniel Fitzmaurice with tracking down Rush and his suspected partner in the robbery, 45-year-old Kevin Credle, who was arrested in New York City last week and is being held there on a parole violation. Both men will be jailed at New York's Rikers Island until they can be extradited back to Connecticut, Mattera said. Mattera said Rush, 51, is a former Stamford resident who has been staying in The Bronx. Credle lives in The Bronx, he said. Police were dispatched to the bank at 10:05 a.m. on a report of a robbery. Witnesses described the robber as a black man in his 50s, wearing glasses, with a medium build, approximately 5 feet, 6 inches tall. The suspect held a cane in his right hand and had a large gap between his teeth, police said at the time. The robber passed a note to a teller demanding money, police said. He mentioned having a weapon, but none was shown. Police said the suspect then fled across Connecticut Avenue to the parking lot of a Stop & Shop supermarket and sped away in a black sedan that possibly had New York plates. Mattera said Rush drove the getaway car. Upon his return to Connecticut, Rush will be held on $250,000 bond, Mattera said. Mattera credited information provided by the public in helping to connect Rush to the robbery. With reporting by Hour staff writer Leslie Lake James Jim P. James, 75, of Grand Island died on Thursday, Sept. 29, 2016, at CHI Health St. Francis. Services will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday at All Faiths Funeral Home. Dan Naranjo will officiate. Burial will take place in the Glenvil City Cemetery. Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Monday at the funeral home. Jim was born on July 20, 1941, in Honolulu, Hawaii. He is the son of William and Flora (Shade) James. His memory will be cherished by his children, Paul (Amy) James of Ashlane, Mo., Susan Heath of Clark, Mo., David (Sherri) James of Clark, Mo., Terry (Tiffany) James of Sturgeon, Mo., Tonya (Rae) Hershey of Gulf Breeze, Fla., and Brad (Joana) Pentlin of Moberly, Mo.; the love of his life, Janet of Grand Island; a brother, William James of Quincy, Ill.; a stepson, Mike (Vickie) Hinrichs; a brother-in-law, Don Sinsel; a sister-in-law, Eva Keen; 22 grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren; along with numerous extended family and friends. Jim was preceded in death by his parents; sister-in-law, Kay James; stepdaughter, Cheryl Hinrichs; and brother and sister-in-law, Betty (Earl) Yankten. Jim was raised in several small towns in Missouri and attended Hannibal Public Schools. For many years following school he was employed as a carpenter for local construction companies. One construction job brought Jim to Grand Island, where he met Janet and decided to move to be closer to her. He continued to work in carpentry and construction in Grand Island. His most recent employment was with Tri-Valley Builders. Jims passion was fishing and he loved to include his family on his trips to the lake. He also was an avid hunter. Jim had a great sense of humor and was always a jokester. Any time spent with friends and family was time well spent, whether it was at a BBQ or just back road riding. Memorials are suggested to Jims family to be designated at a later date. Words of comfort and kindness may be left for the family at www.giallfaiths.com Magnificent is a questionable term for the seven men who band together in The Magnificent Seven, but they certainly get the job done. This is a fun, shoot-em-up Western and nothing more. But having Denzel Washington cast as the leader of The Seven got me into the theater and made it a thoroughly enjoyable experience for me, even though hundreds of people have been killed by the end of the movie. Washington has the look as Sam Chisolm. Hes soft-spoken, but not one to be trifled with. When hes coming after you, youd best run. Diversity is what makes this movie stand out and shows it was made in 2016, not 1960. In the 1960 film, seven gunslingers protected a town from Mexican bandits. In this movie, the bad guy is Bartholomew Bogue, a greedy mining company owner who is bullying small ranchers into selling their land to him. The Seven includes a gambler, a Confederate sharpshooter and his Asian sidekick whos skilled with a knife, a Hispanic outlaw, a native-American who would rather use a bow and arrows, a guy who looks like the typical mountain man, and, all led by an African-American bounty hunter. And the person who hires them to take on Bogue and his army of 200-plus men is a woman, Emma Cullen, whose husband has been killed for standing up to Bogue. When asked if shes after revenge, Emma says she seeks righteousness, but shell take revenge. And revenge is what she gets, but more than 200 people die along the way, including several of The Seven. Denzel Washington has made so many much better movies than this one that I must list a few of my favorites. Actually, out of his close to 40 movies, most of them could be in this list, but Ive just picked five that are among my favorites. 5) Inside Man The story line on this 2006 movie, with a cop trying to stop a criminal, has been done over and over, but this is very well done, with twist after twist, and Washington is at his best as the determined detective called to the scene when robbers take control of a bank. Its just plain fun, trying to figure out along with Det. Frazier. 4) Unstoppable One of two 2010 movies in this list, this action thriller is a nonstop thrill ride, just like what Washington and Chris Pine go through as they try to figure out how to stop a runaway train carrying dangerous chemicals thats headed for a derailment in a Pennsylvania town. Just like I said with Tom Hanks when I wrote about Sully, Denzel Washington plays the character you would want to be in charge if you were in this situation. 3) The Book of Eli Also made in 2010, this is a post-apocalyptic tale in which one man, played by Washington, struggles to protect a book he believes could be the key to the survival of the human race. A movie about a man who will do anything to protect a book has me hooked all the way, but when I found out what the book is that he loves so dearly, it became one of my favorite movies of all time. 2) The Hurricane Washingtons portrayal of Rubin Hurricane Carter in this 1999 film is dazzling. The movie is about how people worked to get Carter, a top-ranked middleweight boxer, freed after hes imprisoned for murders he didnt commit. But the real hero of the film is Carter himself, as Washington shows how he survives for 20 years in prison. Its almost unbearable to watch what he went through and know that many more people are enduring the same loss of freedom for crimes they didnt commit right now. Washingtons amazing portrayal of Carter shows how he heroically refused to be a victim and protected himself from becoming bitter until he was finally released. 1) Flight This is my favorite Denzel Washington movie, even though he is playing a despicable character. Training Day, for which Washington won an Academy Award for playing a despicable character, doesnt make my list because I just didnt like seeing him play someone like that. But in Flight, Whip Whitaker is a good person at his core. Its his addiction thats despicable. And Washington takes us along on Whitakers journey through addiction, showing the lying, evasion and, most of all, self-deception that addicts go through. His character is deeply damaged but, thankfully, the movie shows that he does come to terms with his weaknesses. Senior editor Bette Pore spends her weekdays at The Independent, but if shes not at work or home, chances are youll find her at the movies. Email her at bette.pore@theindependent.com. A hearty Saturday Salute goes this week to the Harvest of Harmony committee of the Grand Island Area Chamber of Commerce and its army of passionate, enthusiastic volunteers who have made the 75th annual Harvest of Harmony a success. Each year, the Harvest of Harmony brings about 10,000 people to Grand Island for the pageant, parade and field competition. From band guides to staging to planning and implementation on the Harvest of Harmony committee, volunteers are key to making the events go smoothly and making a positive impression on all these visitors. Except for a few years during World War II, the Harvest of Harmony has been an annual celebration in our community since 1938, when chamber of commerce members decided to organize an event to promote goodwill among the areas small towns. That first parade featured eight bands and 13 floats. The Miss Harvest of Harmony Pageant was added when the Harvest of Harmony resumed after the war in 1946. The parade theme, Our Diamond Jubilee: An Illustrious Past and a Bright Future, celebrates this long history. We salute everyone who helps to make this an event that high school band members and their families from across the state look forward to every year. Parade marshals have long history with Harvest of Harmony We also salute Kent Boughton and Joe Wicks, this years grand marshals for the Harvest of Harmony Parade. Because this years parade is marking the events 75th anniversary, Boughton and Wicks were chosen in honor of their dedication to the continued success of the parade. Boughton has worked in broadcasting for 44 years and currently heads up NTVs First Alert Weather Team. He began his broadcasting career as a disc jockey for KRGI-AM in 1972. He has been a staple during the Harvest of Harmony. This year marks his 26th anniversary as the announcer for the field competition. Wicks was born in Grand Island and after attending the Elkins Institute of Technology in Colorado, he started working in radio. He returned to Grand Island in 1982 and resumed his radio career in 1991 at Platte River Radio, where he worked for 24 years. He currently works at Charter Communications. He became Harvest of Harmony stadium chairman in 1993 and only recently stepped down from that position. He also served as parade chairman in 1996, when 130 bands from across Nebraska converged on Grand Island to help the parade earn a place in the Guinness Book of World Records. Strike up the bands Thirdly, we salute all the high school band members marching through Grand Islands streets this morning, from the smallest band, from Wheeler Central, to the largest, from Lincoln East. Harvest of Harmony is a tradition for most of these bands that they begin preparing for every August. They look forward to the excitement of being in Grand Island with more than 100 other bands for this annual fall celebration. Some of them are powerhouses that are looking forward to shining in the field competition, while others are thrilled by the opportunity to make music and march through the streets while cheered by thousands of people. You all are a part of the Harvest of Harmony and we couldnt do it without you. Thank you for coming to Grand Island and sharing your gifts with us. The Glen Carbon Village Board approved a request from the police department to start a Facebook page, but not without discussion about what may happen when it is open to the public. Citing the social media tool as a tremendous outreach tool, GCPD Support Service Supervisor Coleen Schaller made the request at the last regular meeting of the board. We have had repeated requests from the community to open a Facebook page. After discussions with attorney Schrempf (Village Attorney Jim Schrempf) and Mayor (Rob) Jackstadt we have determined in order to meet the standards for Facebook the page would have to be open as a public forum and allow open commenting from any person deciding to comment good or bad as long as it wasnt libelous, slanderous or contained profanity, she said. With that said, there is absolutely no way through Facebook to be able to monitor all comments or delete comments and that would be violation of free speech. With the reality of the social media environment expressed, Schaller said the police department feels the positives outweigh the negatives. I feel this is a great way to reach out into the community. I feel we do small things in our community that often times need to get out into the community and this provides outreach with automatic accessibility to the residents, Schaller said. Issues such as road closures, water main breaks and boil orders were examples of the information that could be directly communicated to the citizens of Glen Carbon. Trustee Brooke Harmony said she was concerned the page may open up a Pandoras Box. Police Chief Todd Link agreed, but said he felt it would be a benefit to the community. This will not only help us get information out to the community but will also build community relations, he said. If it becomes a huge disaster, we take it down and say we tried. Trustee Micah Summers said his concern is the back-and-forth arguments that could occur between residents. Im all for the communication and the transparency, he said. But when the platform is used for people to argue and feud then Im concerned. Schaller said she did some research and talked to other communities that have Facebook pages and said the best way to quell arguments was, as moderator of the site, simply ask people to stop and take the debate elsewhere. The Edwardsville, Maryville, Collinsville, Troy and Highland police departments all have Facebook pages. Trustee Mary Beth Williams said one of her concerns was that people might start reporting crimes on Facebook instead of calling the police. Link said the department staff would make a point of communicating through Facebook how to report a crime, how to call the police department for both emergency and non-emergency situations. Jackstadt said he feels the village has missed opportunities to communicate with the public but as a lawyer feels the village should stay away from this because of the potential First Amendment issues. As long as we dont discriminate on the basis of speech - we can speculate that it will be full of hurtful stuff, but we cannot take that down, nor can we take down the good stuff, he said. Our chief has come here with a request and thinks this would help the community. As long as the village attorney is OK with it and the board approves it, I can live with it. The board approved the request unanimously. In other police business, Chief Link made a request to the board to approve a no-shave November for members of the Police Department. Link said the department will use the no-shave November as a way to raise funds for the family of former Glen Carbon Police Sgt. Douglas Boker. He died in June. Police officers would purchase the ability to either grow a goatee for $75 or a beard for $100 during the month of November. All the money will go to Doug Bokers family, Link said. Just letting his family know that we still care about them and help them out around the holidays. The request was brought to the trustees for approval because beards and goatees are not allowed in the GCPDs personal appearance standards. The board unanimously approved the request. A jury has awarded $7.5 million to an Edwardsville man who developed leukemia after years of handling creosote soaked railroad ties for Chicago & North Western Railway. They deliberated for about four hours on Thursday afternoon before ruling in favor of James Brown. Browns attorney, David Damick, had filed the suit six years ago against Union Pacific Railroad, for whom Brown worked for 13 years. Most of the exposure and alleged negligence, though, happened during the 18 years that Brown worked for Union Pacifics predecessor, Chicago & North Western Railway. Were here today because the railroad exposed James Brown to poison, Damick said in his closing arguments. Not occasionally, but repeatedly over a period of 18 years. CNW knew about the dangers of creosote and benzene exposure as early as 1986 when they received a notice from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that they needed to comply with certain safety regulations in order to continue using creosote. Damick referred to a memo from CNWs safety director saying this is what they needed to do to comply. But the company failed to do so, and did not provide employees with adequate protective equipment such as boots, gloves, respirators and goggles, he said. Brown began working as a laborer for CNW in 1976, frequently loading and unloading creosote-soaked railroad ties. Earlier in the week-long trial, Brown testified that he often returned home from work covered from head to toe in wet creosote. In the summer of 2008, he was diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome, or MDS. That developed into acute myeloid leukemia, or AML. Several medical experts testified that even the slightest exposure to creosote, benzene and carbolineum can cause AML. Several medical experts who testified for the defense found that Brown had not been exposed to those toxins in sufficient amounts to cause AML. One expert testified that in 90 percent of AML cases, doctors dont know what caused it. Attorney William Lamson also disputed Browns contention that as many as three times a week he returned from work covered from head to toe with creosote. Ive never met a nicer man, never met a nicer family, Lamson said of Brown. But Im asking you to put that aside and make your decision based on the evidence and not that he is a nice man. Im going to ask you to leave this court and not award him any money. Damick referred to defense experts as merchants of doubt who flourished charts and statistics in front of jurors in a dog and pony show designed to minimize Union Pacifics culpability. But Damick said Browns radiation treatment had caused him to develop cataracts. The disease had also left him with bad legs and feet, fatigue, memory loss, weight gain from his medication, and impotence. Late Thursday, jurors announced they were awarding Brown: $3 million for past and future medical expenses; $1.5 million for disability experienced, and reasonably certain to be experienced in the future; $1.3 million for loss of normal life experienced, and reasonably certain to be experienced in the future; $1 million for pain and suffering; $700,000 for lost earnings, and the present cash value of earnings reasonably certain to be lost in the future. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Agnes Anya and Callistasia Angguni Wijaya (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, September 30 2016 Amid public outcry over the recent forced eviction in Bukit Duri, South Jakarta, the Jakarta administration announced on Thursday that it would carry out more evictions in the near future to prepare the city for the 2018 Asian Games. The administration has decided to ignore protests from human rights activists who condemned Jakarta Governor Basuki Ahok Tjahaja Purnamas eviction policy as both illegal and inhumane. The governor said after Bukit Duri, he would conduct evictions in other areas, including the Krukut riverbank in Kemang, South Jakarta, which was recently hit by severe flooding. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, September 30 2016 Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti has expressed concern over the fate of hundreds of thousands of Indonesian crewmen who she said lived in slave-like conditions around the globe. We estimate there are about 300,000 Indonesian crewmen who are not officially registered [as sailors], she said on Thursday, as reported by the Antara news agency. Those unregistered crewmen were enslaved and forced to work hard in the global fishing industry, Susi said, adding that they faced threats of being thrown overboard if they refused to comply. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Panca Nugraha (The Jakarta Post) Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara Sat, October 1, 2016 The West Nusa Tenggara Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD NTB) has called on representatives of foreign countries in Indonesia to file a report with authorities if they have citizens still missing in the climbing area of Mount Rinjani in Lombok, NTB. The agency made such a request following reports that 44 tourists climbing Mt Rinjani had not yet returned after its sub-volcano, Mt Barujari, erupted on Sept.27. We ask all foreign embassies to file a report if there is any citizen still reported missing. We will follow it up, BPBD NTB head Muhammad Rum told journalists on Friday. He said the result of the latest data collection, jointly commissioned by the BPBD and the Mt Rinjani National Park (TNGR), revealed the number of trekkers and tourists registered entering Rinjani climbing trails from Senaru in North Lombok and Sembalun in East Lombok reached 464 people from Sept.25 to 27. They comprised 408 foreigners and 58 local tourists. As of Thursday evening, only 420 people were recorded to have returned through those two entrance points. So, 44 people have not yet been registered descending from Mt Rinjani, Rum said. He said it was possible that the climbers had returned, but had not yet been recorded. It is also probable that they have returned through small routes so their returns were not recorded at those two official entrances." When Mt Barujari erupted on Tuesday, it was recorded that 140 tourists, comprising 132 foreign citizens and eight local tourists, were climbing Mt.Rinjani. They are mostly from European countries, such as Bulgaria, France, Germany, the Netherlands and the UK, and others are from India. (ebf) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Mark Stevenson (Associated Press) Mexico City Sat, October 1, 2016 The sons of imprisoned drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman were likely behind a brazen ambush on a military convoy using grenades and high-powered guns that left five soldiers dead and 10 wounded on Friday, officials said. The attack in Mexico's northern Sinaloa state left two military vehicles completely burned out and dead soldiers scattered across a highway. It was apparently launched to free a wounded drug suspect being transported in an ambulance guarded by the convoy. "Up this point we are not certain about this group, but it is very probable that it was the sons of Chapo," said local military commander Gen. Alfonso Duarte. The pre-dawn ambush was the worst attack on military personnel since 2015, when drug cartel gunmen in the state of Jalisco shot down an army helicopter with a rocket launcher, killing 10 people. Friday's attack on the outskirts of Culiacan, the capital of Sinaloa state, was unusual for the Sinaloa cartel, which Guzman headed until he was re-arrested in January. Some believe his sons are now running the gang and have changed the rules of engagement long practiced by the father, who kept a low profile until last year. However others say "El Chapo's" longtime partner Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada is in control. The fierceness of the attack suggested that whoever was travelling in the ambulance escorted by the convoy was a high-ranking member of the cartel, or a person of interest to the gang. "These groups acted with cowardice, in a premeditated manner, and the carried out the attack with weapons, with grenades," while the soldiers had only automatic weapons, said Duarte. Duarte said the attack was launched to free the suspect, who he identified as Julio Oscar Ortiz Vega, though he acknowledged the name might be a pseudonym. Duarte said the wounded man had been picked up by soldiers following a gun fight in Badiraguato, Guzman's hometown. Duarte said that Guzman's brother, known by his nickname as "El Guano," has been fighting a turf battle against the Beltran Leyva cartel in the area "to control the means of drug production," which include opium poppy fields. The Defense Department said in a statement that an army patrol had been attacked in Badiraguato and returned fire; the wounded man was taken into custody when the rest of the attackers fled. Because local hospitals couldn't give him the care he needed, an army patrol was taking him to Culiacan when it came under attack. The attackers took the ambulance and the wounded suspect before fleeing. Among those wounded in the convoy were the ambulance driver and one soldier who suffered severe injuries. Meanwhile, authorities in Jalisco said Thursday they have found a total of nine bodies near a lake popular with tourists. Jalisco state Attorney General Eduardo Almaguer said the bodies of eight men and one woman have not yet been identified, in part because of the rural nature of the area and the lack of witnesses. The bodies have been found over the last few days in a river that leads out of the eastern end of Lake Chapala, near the border with the state of Michoacan. In 2013, 64 bodies were found in mass graves in area nearby. That is the opposite end of the lake from the town of Chapala, popular among tourists and American retirees. (ags) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Christian Razukas (The Jakarta Post) Sat, October 1 2016 LUXE ITALIAN JEWELER DAMIANI ARRIVES IN JAKARTA The pleasure of owning something gold with precious stones is from our ancestors in the caves. Even cavemen were decorating themselves with jewelry, says Silvia Damiani, in Jakarta to open a boutique for the 91-year-old high-end jewelry brand that boasts her familys name. Isabella Rossellini, Brad Pitt, Sophia Loren and Sharon Stone have collaborated with Damiani, which won an 18 Diamond International Awards, the industrys equivalent of the Oscars. Silvia, however, gives full credit for the success to the 100-or-so people who work in Damianis factory in Valenza, about 80 kilometers from Turin, in the Piedmonte district of Italys northwest, near Switzerland. OLD SCHOOL The tradition of making runs strong in Valenza. Bulgari and Cartier, too, have factories here, with craftsmen producing high quality pieces. While tools may now be powered, work at Damianimixing gold, making molds, polishing diamonds and setting gemstonesis still done by hand, Silvia, the firms vice president and director for style and communications, says. The head of the diamond-setting department has been at work for 52 years in Valenza, where craftsmanship depends on the eyes and ears of men and women who spend months working on the one-of-a-kind pieces for which Damiani is famous. For example, the tiara from the Romanov Collection that was display at Damianis boutique in Plaza Indonesia during its opening has returned to the firms archives; those wanting their own can place an order from Valenzaif theyre willing to wait six months. The challenge is to find the right stones to compose everything and put together gems of the same brightness and florescence, Silvia says. From Damianis Masterpiece Collection, the Plaza Indonesia boutique currently features the Shirodara, a stunning necklace of emeralds was crafted with 11.2 carats of diamonds. The one-of-a-kind piece is priced at Rp 1.261 billion rupiah. Of course, you notice the accuracy, the design, Silvia says. The design is really in the quality of construction. However, those with budgets in the millions, and not billions of rupiah should not despair: Damiani offers several price points, including wedding bands. BUSINESS OF LUXE Founded as a family business in 1924, Damiani went public in 2008; although Silvia says about 85 percent of the firm remains under her and her brothers. Sales are split almost evenly between Italy and other nations, such as Japan, Damianis next-largest marketand also a proving place for the brand, Silvia says. You cannot sell to Japan for so many years if you dont provide extreme service in every sense. They look for quality and thats what we do. Japan for us was a test. If you can pass that test, you can pass anything. On the global economic slowdown, Silvia says the fallout has been relatively minor, with Damiani launching 12 stores in China and two in South Korea in recent years. The change that affects us is with the one-of-a-kind pieces. The kinds of customer who choose us are people who know Damiani and want something unique. Maybe they stopped buying over a million Eurosbut under a million, there is still much to do. ENTERING INDONESIA Damianis local bow was made easier by the recent lowering of tariffs in Indonesia. These are some very interesting things the government is doing to open up, Silvia says. You can go anywhereyou can buy in Paris, you can buy here. We dont want the prices to be inflated by customs. In the end, however, Damiani is built on respect and loyalty. There is nothing worse than pressuring someone to buy, she adds. We are selling dreams. If you dont deliver dreams, your reputation is gone. A piece of jewelry is a piece of eternity, according to Silvia. We are not eternal. The only way to the eternal is to fix a moment so that it is for eternity. LUXE NOTES to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Richard Horstman (The Jakarta Post) Sat, October 1 2016 During an August seminar at Ubuds Neka Art Museum, a gathering of over 100 members of the Balinese art community paid homage to the legacy of the Dutch post-modern colourist Arie Smit (1916-2016). The iconic painter, who left a distinguished mark in the history of art in the region, passed away 23 March, only days short of his 100th birthday. Renowned for his vibrant landscape paintings and scenes of Balinese village life Smit is a much-loved artist; his work forms part of collections in Indonesia, and throughout the world. Characterized by rapid movements with dense mosaics of color, allowing only scenic images to emerge in abstract forms, Smits compositions resemble an impressionist-pointillist style, and have been dubbed Poems of Color. Drafted into the Netherlands army, sent abroad and stationed with the topographical service in Batavia, now Jakarta, Smit first set foot in the Dutch East Indies in 1938. Previously he studied art at the Academy of Arts in Amsterdam. In 1942 with the out break of World War II he was imprisoned by the invading Japanese army, later being shipped to Singapore, Thailand, and then Burma to undertake forced labor. In 1950 Smit returned when the Dutch acknowledged Indonesias sovereignty after the revolution of Independence (1945-1949), becoming an Indonesian citizen. He settled in Ubud in 1956. Enchanted by the tropical light and landscape he roamed throughout Bali, reputedly moving house 36 times. Smit became the most important stimulator of painting on Bali, post World War II. The Balinese trust more in their feelings than which meets the eye, said seminar speaker Suteja Neka, founder of the Neka Art museum, long time friend, and Smits art dealer. Smits unique skill was in capturing the potent invisible elements of Bali in his dazzling colorful verve. Smit had a different way of seeing Balis landscape compared with the other Western artists of the 1930s-1950s era, said art observer, Indonesian Art Institute (ISI) lecturer, curator and artist Dr. Wayan Kun Adnyana. Bringing a western perspective, similar to fauvism, through his personal interpretation colour became the language and entity to explore and communicate Balis tropical nature. In 1960 Smit began sharing art materials with, and teaching young boys in the village of Penestanan, near Ubud. This was the beginning of the Young Artists Style. At its height there was more than 300 practitioners, said international artist and ISI Iecturer Wayan Karja, who was born in Penestanan in 1965. He helped transform the village, and prosper economically; poor farmers turned into painters. Not only was he an art teacher, Smit was a father figure to the village as well. The Young Artists Style was fresh and exciting; 60s Balinese psychedelic pop art that emphasized colour, the denseness of pure decoration, with a strong graphic sense. Smit did not attempt to influence the style of boys work, only the subject matter of village life. At his home studio he was careful to keep his paintings out of sight so they were never copied. During the tourism boom of the 1970s the genre became enormously popular. Smits work comes in a wide range of formats, from small postcard sizes to works of 1.5 meters or larger. After the 2008-2010 Indonesian contemporary art boom that witnessed overinflated prices for up and coming artists, collectors shifted their focus to Indonesian modern art. Paintings by the old masters became popular, some of which were considered as undervalued. In 2011 the market realized a record price for the most expensive work sold at auction by Smit at the March Larasati Singapore sale. Balinese Village and Farmlands sold for close to 5 times its estimated price at a high of US $ 124,000. At Christies Hong Kong Asian 20th Century Art Sale May 2015 Smits Pura sold for just over US $ 207,000. Nowadays many of Smits works sell for modest prices within their estimates and under US $4,000. The Smit connoisseurs however, are very specific about their choices with some willing to compete bidding the prices up, determined to secure their desired trophy works. During Sothebys Hong Kong Autumn Sales 2016 in the Modern and Contemporary Southeast Asian Art Day Sale 3 October thirteen paintings by Smit, ranging through the decades from the 1970s 1990s, go under the hammer. They are sure to attract much attention from regional and international art collectors. Believing that a painters style was, in short, his personality, Smits oeuvre reinforced his claim, reflecting traceable changes and developments over time. His aesthetics created a greater position for Bali within the context of Indonesian art. Arie Smit spent his final days lying peacefully in bed at home in Ubud, despite his failing eyesight his mind remained clear. Famed for his broken colors style, his passing is a monumental loss to the canon of Southeast Asian art. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Tom Krisher (Associated Press) Detroit Sat, October 1, 2016 Another potentially deadly problem has surfaced with Takata air bags, this one forcing BMW to recall over 4,000 SUVs in the U.S. and Canada. The new problem was traced to improper welds, and it's separate from the trouble that has caused the largest automotive recall in U.S. history. The latest recall, unveiled Friday in documents posted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, affects certain BMW X3 and X4 SUVs from the 2015 model year, and X5s from 2014 and 2015. The driver's front air bag inflator can separate from a plate, shooting out metal and other debris. "This may result in injury or death to vehicle occupants," BMW said in the documents. No injuries have been reported, and NHTSA says the problem inflators from this manufacturing lot were not installed in any other vehicles made by BMW or other automakers. The agency says the inflators will be tested as a precaution to make sure there are no other problems. BMW says the inflators were not part of any earlier Takata recalls. "Indications thus far are that this issue is isolated to approximately 4,000 parts, and we are unaware of any injuries as a result of the issue," Takata said in a statement, adding that it continues to investigate and work with BMW to address concerns. It's a new problem for Takata in addition to the one that brought the recall of 69 million vehicles in the U.S. and about 100 million worldwide. In those vehicles, the ammonium nitrate used by Takata to inflate air bags can deteriorate when exposed to high heat and humidity. That can cause it to burn faster than designed, blowing apart a metal inflator canister and sending shrapnel into drivers and passengers. As many as 15 people, including 10 in the U.S., have been killed by exploding Takata inflators, and more than 100 have been hurt. According to the documents, Takata traced the problem to incorrect welds at a factory in Mexico. The defect was discovered after BMW was told of a July 22 crash in Georgia involving a 2014 X5 in which shrapnel from the air bag caused "unusual damage to the vehicle interior." Dealers will replace the driver's air bag at no cost, but parts aren't available yet. Until replacement parts are ready, BMW says its dealers will provide loaner cars to people who request them, provided they are available. BMW plans to start notifying owners on Nov. 11. (ags) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Zacky Khairul Umam (The Jakarta Post) Berlin Sat, October 1 2016 The political turmoil after a failed coup in Turkey has prompted some of us to wonder whether that country will revert to an absolute authoritarian regime. If so, does it mean Indonesia is the only hope for the future of democracy in the Muslim world? These two questions, I would think, need to be thoroughly perused from the analysis of the post-9/11 world, which presents a Western recipe for democracy in Muslim countries. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Stefani Ribka (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, October 1 2016 Private firms have been urged to adhere to good corporate governance as the countrys anticorruption body seeks to widen its sweeping coverage to include business entities. Multinational nickel miner Vale Indonesia applied for a forestry permit to open a new mining site in Soroako, South Sulawesi, in 2009. It completed the requirements according to the law, but has yet to obtain the permit. Vales hard time in obtaining the permit occurs on the back of rampant illegal mining activities on the island. Last month, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) even named Southeast Sulawesi Governor Nur Alam a suspect in a bribery case linked to the issuance of several questionable mining licenses. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, October 1 2016 South Korea emphasized the importance of Indonesia for the nation on the occasion of the South Korea National Day and its Armed Forces Day on Friday evening in Jakarta by citing records showing that Indonesia was the first country for South Korea. South Korean Ambassador to Indonesia Cho Tai-young said despite the distance between the two countries about 5,300 kilometers Indonesia and South Korea had maintained cordial relations for decades. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Prima Wirayani and Moses Ompusunggu (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, October 1, 2016 The government concluded the first phase of its roller coaster tax amnesty ride with flying colors despite gloomy repatriation realization. Tax officer Sigit Khamdani, 30, couldnt wait for the long line of people at the Directorate General of Taxations headquarters to disperse on Friday. It was the final day of the tax amnestys first phase and at least 2,750 people were queuing to apply for the tax pardon, higher than the 2,633 served the day before. Sigit has had to sacrifice his weekends since August as the government sought to serve applicants seven days a week. It is tiring, but because we [tax officers] are doing it together, it feels fun, he said. When it [the first phase] is over, I want to hang out with my friends, he added with a laugh. Among those queueing on the final day was tax consultant Ego Kurnianto, who arrived at the tax office with his nine colleagues at 8 a.m. to submit their clients documents. They even brought their own printer just in case they needed to print additional documents. Even though Fridays turnout was high, there were no crammed rooms such as were witnessed on Thursday, which forced the directorate general to announce an extraordinary situation at four tax offices, including at the tax offices headquarters. Super-long queues were seen occasionally, such as before officers began serving applicants in the morning. The tax office provided 1,300 seats and most of them were vacant by noon. On the last day, the government could finally take a breather with the programs first phase yielding higher-than-expected results after a slow start on July 18, as shown by several indicators. The amount of declared assets reached Rp 3.59 quadrillion (US$276.12 billion) at 9:28 p.m. on Friday, equal to almost 90 percent of the Rp 4 quadrillion target. Meanwhile, the penalty or redemption payments which are expected to help cover this years state budget deficit stood at Rp 88.5 trillion, more than half of the Rp 165 trillion target. A not-so-rosy outcome was recorded in the amount of repatriated assets, which hovered at only Rp 136 trillion, a far cry from the Rp 1 quadrillion targeted. During his visit to the headquarters on Friday evening, President Joko Jokowi Widodo reminded the public that two more phases of the program were still to come. There are still the second and third stages. Those who have not repatriated and declared their assets are welcome to make use of the program, he said. The second phase will run from October to December and the last phase will run from January to March. Jokowi refused to share the governments plan going forward, only saying that he needed to discuss strategic measures with Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati. Sri Mulyani expressed hope that the publics enthusiasm would remain high in the next phases, despite the higher penalty rates. Indonesian Employers Association (Apindo) chairman Hariyadi B. Sukamdani said the group had encouraged its members to repatriate their offshore assets under the program. Asset repatriation takes a long time because the amount of assets is usually large, he said. Meanwhile, the fact that the repatriation rate of the offshore assets is low will no doubt be snatched upon by skeptics to argue that the program has not been a success, OCBC economist Wellian Wiranto wrote in a research note. We beg to differ, however. To begin with, there is a suspicion that some of the offshore assets might have been repatriated before the onset of the program, to avoid the three-year lock-up period, he said. Given that capital flow checks and controls would have been porous enough for the money to flow out to begin with, that is not an inconceivable possibility. We should not forget that, having been declared in black-and-white terms now, the still-offshore assets could eventually return in formal ways depending on the risk-reward calculations of the owners. Ultimately, given the dire state of global returns, the appeal of investments in Indonesia will stand out more and more in relative terms. __________________________________ To receive comprehensive and earlier access to The Jakarta Post print edition, please subscribe to our epaper through iOS' iTunes, Android's Google Play, Blackberry World or Microsoft's Windows Store. Subscription includes free daily editions of The Nation, The Star Malaysia, the Philippine Daily Inquirer and Asia News. For print subscription, please contact our call center at (+6221) 5360014 or subscription@thejakartapost.com Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Suherdjoko (The Jakarta Post) Demak Sat, October 1 2016 Dozens of hectares of rice fields were flooded in Karangasem village, Sayung district, Demak regency, Central Java. Local residents said the flooding took place from Wednesday evening until Thursday noon, inundating rice fields and part of the village. The flood was due to the overflowing river in our village. Fortunately, it is not so deep and the main roads are still passable by motorcycles and cars, and I could still sell vegetables at the market, said Watini, a vegetable vendor at the Umbul market. The dozens of houses behind the market, however, were inundated and roads in the village turned into small rivers. Children seemed happy as they played in puddles of water while catching small fish. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Sat, October 1 2016 The Foreign Ministry on Thursday brushed off concerns that Indonesia had insulted no fewer than six Pacific Island heads of state, following a viral video of a junior diplomat trashing their allegations of human rights violations in Papua and West Papua during the recent UN General Assembly (UNGA). Social media users this week have been agog over the UNGA session where Nara Masista Rakhmatia, the second secretary at Indonesias permanent mission to the UN, responded to last Saturdays speeches of the heads of state of Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Nauru, Marshall Islands, Tuvalu and Tonga. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Bambang Muryanto (The Jakarta Post) Yogyakarta Sat, October 1 2016 The Sleman District Court has sentenced a couple, Eko Purnomo and Veni Orinanda, to two years and one year in prison, respectively, for abducting a physician and luring her to join the illegal group, Fajar Nusantara Movement (Gafatar). Eko and his wife Veni were active members of Gafatar. Eko Purnomo and Veni Orinanda abducted a physician, so we sentenced Eko to two years in prison and Veni to one year in prison, excluding detention, presiding judge Ninik Hendras Susilowati said, reading the verdict at the trial on Thursday. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Liza Yosephine (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, October 1, 2016 President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo discussed during a limited Cabinet meeting on government coordination to improve the quality of government spending after recent budget cuts. Finance Minister Sri Mulyani said meeting participants discussed changes in capital expenditure, which was expected to continue rising, especially in infrastructure spending. Topics included how to handle unproductive expenditure, such as work travel expenses for government officials, as well as how to urge ministers to study the comparative proportion between personnel expenditure and capital expenditure, she added. "So that it is truly tailored to government priorities to speed up the acceleration of infrastructure development, development expenditure, especially for economically disadvantaged groups," Sri Mulyani told reporters at the Presidential Office on Friday. She further noted that the meeting had also discussed in detail education and health budgets, which by law at least 20 percent and 5 percent, respectively, should be spent. "The question is not the amount of the budget, but how we manage a larger budget," she said. The government wants the education budget to improve education quality, as well as to assist students who could not otherwise afford a good education, Sri Mulyani explained. (ags) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, October 1 2016 Nearly a month after implementing an odd-even license plate policy to reduce traffic on thoroughfares of the capital, the Jakarta Police have ticketed 3,215 motorists for breaking the rule. The head of law enforcement at the polices traffic unit, Adj. Sr. Comr. Budiyanto, said on Friday that the police had seized 2,198 drivers licenses (SIM) and 1,016 vehicle ownership documents (STNK) from the violators. One motorist, he said, had neither an SIM nor an STNK. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Ina Parlina (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, October 1 2016 Since its establishment in 2005, the Judicial Commission has had most of its recommendations ignored by the Supreme Court, in what could be seen as an attempt by the latter to resist reforms. The commission, which was set up to oversee the judiciary, is hoping that the judge tenure bill, slated to be deliberated by the House of Representatives legal affairs commission in the near future, would change the situation. To be fair, the Supreme Court has made efforts to reform itself, but it has yet to produce substantial results, with several judges recently convicted of corruption. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin HS Dillon (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, October 1 2016 As is their wont, the media reported on the joyous celebrations of the 71st anniversary of Indonesian independence all the way from the village heads office to the State Palace. There was no lack of ingratiating columnists expounding all of the accomplishments of successive administrations. So overwhelming was the joy that it left no place in our thoughts for the millions of Indonesians mired in poverty. We conveniently forgot that by international standards, almost half of our brethren are still classified as poor. Most disturbing was the guesstimate of our foremost experts that at least 3 million families had never been independent all these years. Why a guesstimate and not an actual head count? It is because inter-generational transmission of poverty simply doesnt exist in our lexicon? to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Indra Budiari (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, October 1, 2016 Only days after being rebuked for breaking his promise to not carry out forced evictions in Jakarta, President Joko Jokowi Widodo visited the sites of the citys two major projects: the mass rapid transit (MRT) and the light rapid transit (LRT). When Jokowi served as Jakarta governor with his successor, Basuki Ahok Tjahaha Purnama, as his deputy, the president promised he would speed up the construction of crucial infrastructure projects, including the MRT, that could address the citys traffic congestion. On Friday, Jokowi, who once argued that his decision to run for president was to boost coordination between the city administration and the central government, praised the work of his former deputy. Accompanied by Ahok, Jokowi said the development of the MRT and LRT projects was very good, but added that what mattered was to have them completed on time. The MRT project, the groundbreaking ceremony of which was led by then governor Jokowi in 2013, a year before he was elected president, is divided into underground and elevated sections. The first phase of MRT construction will have Lebak Bulus station and depot on 31 plots of land in South Jakarta in the vicinity of Jl. Fatmawati, Jl. Haji Nawi and Jl. Cipete. The citys first rail-based project in recent years is expected to start operations in 2019. Based on the companys latest data, 65 percent of the underground construction for the route between Senayan in South Jakarta and the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle in Central Jakarta has been completed. I can say InsyaAllah [God willing], the Hotel Indonesia to Lebak Bulus route can be completed in 2019, Jokowi told reporters after he inspected the projects underground tunnel in Dukuh Atas, South Jakarta. The US$1.7 billion MRT project with a capacity of 153,000 people is claimed to be able to deliver passengers from one end to the other in less than 30 minutes. However, land procurement by the city administration was considered among the projects biggest challenges with talks still being held with land owners affected by the project. Besides the MRT, Jokowi also praised the LRT project, which was initially hampered by disagreements between the central government and the city administration. As it is being prepared to accommodate the 2018 Asian Games, the project is going to start soon as city-owned Jakarta Propertindo (Jakpro) will announce the tender winner in October. The Jakarta administration is expected to build 123.7 kilometers of intra-city LRT lines, which will be integrated with 142 km of LRT lines to be built by the Transportation Ministry from the capital to other regions in West Java. However, in the initial phase, the administration plans to set 83 km of LRT lines serving nine corridors. The routes that have been named as a priority will connect the Asian Games venues. Despite ongoing discussions with land owners, Governor Ahok emphasized there was no doubt that the contract would be signed on Oct. 17. I am also confident that the first LRT route will be ready in 2018, he said. Jokowi became a target of criticism after Ahok evicted the people living in the Ciliwung River banks in Bukit Duri, South Jakarta, on Wednesday, as Jokowi had promised he would not evict them. Ahok argued the eviction was necessary as the residents occupied the land illegally, a claim that has been strongly rejected by the evictees and several human rights groups. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Anton Hermansyah (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, October 1, 2016 Two conglomerate groups in Indonesia, Sinarmas and Alfa Group, the owner of Alfamart mini market network, are calling for taxpayers to join the tax amnesty momentum. Sinarmas Group chairman Franky Oesman Widjaja, who has been finished with his personal and corporate taxation since August, said that about 30 percent of his offshore assets are going to be repatriated and the remaining 70 percent are declared. "We see this as a good opportunity, and we have known about this program for a long time," he said at the Taxation Directorate General office in Jakarta. Meanwhile, founder of Alfa Group Djoko Santoso, who completed his tax amnesty application two weeks ago, said that he declared his assets, which were mostly kept in Indonesia and repatriated a small chunk of his abroad assets. "Our Alfamart franchises are primarily owned by small and medium enterprises (SMEs), we suggest for them to join the tax amnesty program," he said. (ags) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, October 1 2016 Siti Latifah Herawati Diah, the first Indonesian woman journalist to be academically trained abroad and co-founder of the English daily Indonesian Observer, passed away on Friday morning at the Medistra Hospital in Jakarta. She was 99 years old. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Marguerite Afra Sapiie (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, October 1, 2016 Sukmawati Soekarnoputri, the daughter of former president Soekarno, urges the government to push for reconciliation between survivors of the 1965 tragedy and non-victims. She requested a non-judicial process to settle the country's dark past because most of the leaders behind the 1965 failed coupblamed on the now-defunct Indonesian Communist Party (PKI)and behind the communist purge that followed are dead. "Reconciliation is important so that future generations will not be burdened by the need to resolve the 1965 tragedy," Sukmawati told the reporters in Jakarta on Friday. She said President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo should consider establishing an independent truth and reconciliation commission to speed up the process of granting justice for all people affected by the tragedy. Even though the government would insist to involve state institutions, such as the National Commission of Human Rights (Komnas HAM) and the Attorney General's Office (AGO), both of whom handled the 1965 case, the establishment of another independent team consisting of non-state officials would help promote comprehensive reconciliation, Sukmawati said. While the debate on the identity of the real perpetrators behind the 1965 coup, which led to a massacre of more than 500,000 people affiliated with PKI, Sukmawati, who is also the chairperson of Marhaenism Indonesia National Party (PNI Marhaenisme), asserted that the G30S/PKI incident was initiated by then commander Soeharto. (ags) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Sat, October 1 2016 Adidas x Italian Independent Sunglasses Teaming up with Italian Independent, Adidas Originals is set to release four chic sunglass styles! With vintage flair, the sunglasses feature bold geometric shapes and boast two models, each in two color styles. The first series, Blond Havana and Black and White Havana, feature oversized round glass with split lenses, while the second style, Black Havana and Brown Havana, feature a unisex square design. The collection will be officially exhibited at Milan Fashion Week before going on sale to the public. Check out the limited collection, as there are only 500 pairs of each at US$200. Philosophy by Lorenzo Serafini Check out the latest adorable Philosophy collection by Lorenzo Serafini. Inspired by The Blue Lagoon, mixed in with some Victorian style, the Philosophy collection offers artful disarray, as if Serafini didnt want his girl to look like she tried too hard. From the all-white breezy dresses, to Taylor Hills long floral print with pear buttons on the bodice and frayed denim outfits, the collection is certainly a charmer. Serafini operates at a price point similar to that of Isabel Marant, worth saving up for but not so extremely expensive that the clothes remain just a dream! Ferrari Turbocharged V-8 GTC4 Lusso T Ferrari recently revealed its latest speedy and versatile car. The Ferrari GTC4 Lusso T looks more casual than the usual superstar supercars and is set to be exhibited at the Paris Motor Show. With a maximum output of around 600 hp at 7,500 rpm, the 3.9-liter engine is suitable for daily driving. The elongated wheelbase also features an advanced infotainment system with 10.25-inch HD touchscreen inside its spacious cabin. For more info see ferarri.com. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Rizal Harahap (The Jakarta Post) Pekanbaru, Riau Sat, October 1, 2016 Environment and Forestry Ministry officers have arrested two residents of Batang Gansal village, Siberida district, Indragiri Hulu regency, Riau, for allegedly attempting to sell a Sumatran tiger skin, which is about two meters long. Security and Law Enforcement Agency official at the ministrys law enforcement directorate general Eduward said the wildlife trade case was discovered through information from a local resident, who reported that there would be a tiger skin selling transaction. An intelligence team investigated the report and managed to identify the two traders. The perpetrators, identified as Ayat, 51, and Niko, 38, were spied on for two weeks. In their operation, the team personnel disguised themselves as an interested buyer and contacted Ayat and Niko. They agreed to make a transaction in Simpang Granit, Batang Gangsal. Ayat and Niko were arrested in the raid, during which a Sumatran tiger skin was confiscated as evidence, Eduward said on Friday. Wrapped in a blue plastic bag, the tiger skin was still wet because it had been soaked in chemical liquid to prevent it from drying. All of the tigers bones had been removed, leaving only the soles of its feet and claws. It was suspected that the tiger was recently killed because it still looked fresh. The tigers skin is complete, from the head to the tail. The skin was removed from its body neatly. It seems that the procedure was executed by professionals, said Eduward. He said Ayat and Niko could be charged for violating Law No. 5/1990 on the conservation of natural resources and the ecosystem, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison and Rp 100 million (US$7,682.56) in fines. (ebf) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Associated Press) San Francisco Sat, October 1, 2016 Volkswagen has agreed to pay its U.S. dealers up to $1.2 billion to compensate them for losses they said they suffered as a result of the company's emissions cheating scandal, according to a settlement agreement filed Friday in federal court in San Francisco. Under the terms of the deal, dealers can choose to opt out and pursue their own lawsuits against Volkswagen. A judge still has to approve the settlement before it can go into effect. Volkswagen previously reached an agreement with attorneys for car owners. That deal calls for it to spend up to $10 billion buying back or repairing about 475,000 vehicles involved in its scandal and paying their owners an additional $5,100 to $10,000 each. Details about the vehicle repairs have not been finalized. Attorneys for vehicle owners said in a court filing on Friday that more than 311,000 people have registered for the deal and less than 3,300 people have opted out. "There is resounding support for this consumer class settlement and the substantial benefits it provides," Elizabeth Cabraser, lead attorney for Volkswagen owners, said in a statement. The settlement also includes $2.7 billion for unspecified environmental mitigation and an additional $2 billion to promote zero-emissions vehicles. U.S. District Court Judge Charles Breyer gave the deal preliminary approval in July, and he is expected to make a final decision on Oct. 18. The deal does not cover about 85,000 more-powerful Volkswagens and Audis with 3-liter engines also caught up in the emissions scandal. (ags) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Sat, October 1 2016 Words and Photos Erza S.T. Madrid Fusion Manila brought gourmands and chefs from around the world together for an experience that showed that fusion cuisine and innovation is the future of gastronomy. Launched in Madrid since 2003, this annual international gastronomy congress arrived in Southeast Asia and started collaborating with food lovers in the Philippines in 2013. Featuring food exhibitors, buyers, award-winning chefs and renowned food writers from around the world; Madrid Fusion Manila 2016 celebrated the 450th anniversary of the Galleon Trade that linked Asia with the western world. First-timers like me found the event exciting and overwhelming. In three days, we explored a great food trade expo, featuring some of the best produce from around the globe; delicious regional lunches featuring dishes and produce from the countrys three main islands of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao; and a congress filled with prestigious international chefs as speakers. Among the chefs assembled were Joan Roca of El Cellar de Can Roca from Spain, Yoshihiro Narisawa of Narisawa from Japan, Michael Aspiras of Le Petit Souffle and Scouts Honor from the Philippines to Indonesias Kevin Cherkas of Cuca in Bali. We were also exposed to the amazing flavors of the Philippines. Coming from Indonesia, where people lack exposure to the culture and food of the Philippines; I found that Madrid Fusion Manila gave me a whole vision of the culinary approach of our neighbors. Even Kevin Cherkas of Cuca appeared mesmerized by the powerful flavors of Filipino cuisine, saying that he might add them as a new influence to his cooking. Other chefs, such as Joan Roca and Yoshihiro Narisawa, agreed that Madrid Fusion Manila was an opportunity to learn more about Southeast Asia, and especially its various cooking traditions. Aside from demonstrations of some avant-garde cooking techniques, the chefs, including Narisawa, also spoke about food sustainability, especially of the importance of finding new types of seasonal food that can better help preserve the environment. My first trip to Philippines gave me an appreciation of a quintessential ingredient in Filipino cooking: vinegar, in particular coconut and calamansi vinegars. Our introduction to these vinegars was at Gallery Vask, founded by one of the Philippines most renowned chefs, Chele Gonzales, and the architect and contemporary artist Juan Carlo Calma. Chele used an exquisite coconut vinegar in his oyster dish called 5.6 to create tastes that burst with freshness. The dinner served that night at Gallery Vask was a collaboration between Narisawa and chef Virgilio Martinez of Central from Peru. Its a smart move by the Philippines government to use their historical background and relationship with Spain to make this fantastic event. Visitors learned about the Filipino food scene and the interesting culture and warm hospitality of the people of the Philippines. When will Indonesia have an international event of such scale? Chef Kevin asked. To have such similar event concept means that Indonesia could benefit incredibly from both welcoming international professionals and showcasing to the world what Indonesia has to offer, he said. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Ayomi Amindoni (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, October 1, 2016 Securities firm Mandiri Sekuritas, a subsidiary of state-owned lending giant Bank Mandiri, is ready to enter the Singaporean market in a bid to expand its distribution channel in the region. Mandiri Sekuritas president director Silvano Rumantir said the company had upgraded the status of its branch office in Singapore to become a subsidiary, namely Mandiri Securities Pte. Ltd. Mandiri Securities will provide non-rupiah denomination financing for companies in Indonesia, as well as expand the distribution of capital market services to global investors. "So in Singapore we will expand the offshore distribution center, mainly to institutional investors," Silvano said during a media gathering in Bandung on Friday. The decision was made after the company obtained a full license from the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) to provide underwriting services and securities brokerage last month. "We will be the only securities firm in Indonesia which has a license in Singapore," he said. Currently, Mandiri Sekuritas is used by more than 54,000 traders and investors in the stock market with total transactions of Rp 80.8 trillion and a market share of 3.9 percent in August. It recorded daily transactions of Rp 500 billion, with 55 percent of them being made by institutional clients and 45 percent by retail customers. (ags) (front page) Grito de Lares rally protests colonial status of Puerto Rico LARES, Puerto Rico Some 700 people converged on this small town in the mountains of western Puerto Rico Sept. 23 to celebrate the Grito de Lares, an annual rally in support of independence from U.S. colonial rule. This year the action reflected the growing anger at the government and Washington among broad layers of the population in response to the unprecedented economic crisis here. Fueling popular anger was the collapse of the electric power system that had plunged Puerto Rico into darkness for the previous two days. Most of the nations 3.5 million residents lost electricity, and many were left without running water or phone service. By Sept. 23, power had been restored in only parts of the island. U.S. colonial domination magnifies the impact of todays world capitalist depression on working people in Puerto Rico. The rally was held in the Plaza of the Revolution in downtown Lares, where an armed revolt against Spanish colonial rule the Grito de Lares (Battle Cry of Lares) was launched Sept. 23, 1868, less than three weeks before the anti-colonial uprising in Cuba known as the Grito de Yara. It was led by Ramon Emeterio Betances and other Puerto Rican revolutionaries fighting for independence and the abolition of slavery. While the rebellion was crushed, it became a symbol of the fight for liberation after Washington invaded Puerto Rico in 1898, seizing it from Spain and becoming the colonial master. This years Grito de Lares celebration was marked by growing opposition to the governments attacks on the living standards and rights of working people. A focus of this fight is the cynically named PROMESA (Spanish for promise) law, which the U.S. Congress has imposed on the island to force it to repay the colonial regimes $70 billion debt to bondholders. The law established a seven-member fiscal control board, appointed by U.S. President Barack Obama, with the power to sell Puerto Rican assets, lay off workers, enforce anti-strike legislation, reduce the minimum wage to $4.25 an hour for workers under 25, and jail officials who do not carry out its dictates. This comes on top of the tens of thousands of public employees who have already been laid off, as well as steeply raised sales taxes and slashed social services. These attacks have been enacted by both the pro-Commonwealth Popular Democratic Party (PPD) and the pro-statehood New Progressive Party (PNP) governments over the last decade. The debt isnt ours The debt is not ours, its imperialisms debt! declared Aleida Centeno, speaking for the Nationalist Party at the rally. Its we who should present the United States with a bill for 118 years of exploitation and plunder. Maria de Lourdes Santiago, the Puerto Rican Independence Party (PIP) nominee for governor of Puerto Rico, pledged that if the partys candidates are elected, they will refuse to abide by PROMESA and the fiscal boards orders, even if threatened with jail. Santiago said PIP supporters, who are canvassing house to house, have never seen such openness to their anti-colonial message in a nation that for decades had been polarized between supporters of the current commonwealth status, statehood and independence. Eduardo Villanueva, president of the Human Rights Committee, reported growing support for the fight to release Oscar Lopez Rivera, a Puerto Rican independentista who has been in prison in the U.S. for more than 35 years. He has resisted every effort to break him and make him renounce his views, Villanueva said. A major action calling for Lopezs freedom is set for Oct. 9 in Washington, D.C. Villanueva said organizations here are planning to send a delegation. A sister protest will take place in San Juan. Wilma Reveron, a co-chair of the Hostos National Independence Movement (MINH), also pointed to the importance of the fight to free Lopez. She had just returned from a summit meeting in Caracas, Venezuela, of the Non-Aligned Movement, where MINH represented the Puerto Rican independence movement. She said the summit demanded that Washington free Oscar Lopez. Protests are being organized in San Juan during a celebration of the 50th anniversary of the U.S. federal court in Puerto Rico planned for next week, Reveron said. The court has a decades-long record of frame-ups and repression against the independence movement. SWP presidential candidate speaks Alyson Kennedy, Socialist Workers Party candidate for U.S. president, told the crowd that she was on a nine-day visit to the island to support Puerto Ricos right to self-determination and to join your protests against the U.S. fiscal control board and other struggles by workers and youth to defend jobs, wages, health care, education and living standards. The fight for Puerto Ricos independence is also in the interests of working people in the United States because we face a common enemy, the imperialist ruling class and its government, she said. The SWP is actively building the Oct. 9 action in Washington for Oscar Lopez, she said. Her remarks were warmly received, and daily newspapers and TV news reported on her speech. Camila Sanchez-Longo spoke on behalf of young people who have maintained a permanent tent encampment in front of the U.S. courthouse in San Juan since June to protest PROMESA and the fiscal control board. Jose Rivera of the Socialist Front and Norberto Gonzalez Claudio of the Revolutionary Workers Party-Macheteros also addressed the rally. Gonzalez Claudio was imprisoned in the U.S. from 2011 to 2015 for his pro-independence activities. Other speakers included Miriam Montes Mock, cousin of Ana Belen Montes, who is serving a 25-year sentence in a U.S. prison for passing information to the Cuban government while she worked at the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency, and Jorge Farinacci Fernos, son of the late independentista leader Jorge Farinacci Garcia. Related articles: While Oscar Lopez is in prison, were all in prison Front page (for this issue) | Home | Text-version home (front page) Moscow, Assad bomb Aleppo as Washington seeks new deal Working people in Aleppo, Syria, have been pummeled since Sept. 22 in bombings by the government of Bashar al-Assad and by Moscow, which backs the regime, after a brief truce put together by Washington and Moscow came apart. Syrian army troops, joined by Iranian forces, Hezbollah troops from Lebanon and Shiite militias from Iraq, began a ground assault Sept. 27, attacking a number of entrances to the neighborhoods of Aleppo controlled by opponents of Assads regime. The imperialist rulers of the United States, France and the United Kingdom shrilly denounced the Syrian government and Moscow in a Sept. 25 meeting of the United Nations Security Council they demanded. They insisted the Russian government agree to some sort of new deal along the lines of the cease-fire that just collapsed. There are no prospects for political solutions, Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah told a Lebanese newspaper. The final word is for the battlefield. Hundreds of civilians have been killed in the bombings over the last several days. The airstrikes have included incendiary weapons and bunker-buster bombs designed to pulverize concrete. Ammar al-Salmo, head of the Aleppo branch of the volunteer Syria Civil Defense, said three of the rescue groups centers were bombed and emergency vehicles destroyed. On Sept. 23 the attacks damaged the pumping station that provides water to some 250,000 residents left in eastern Aleppo where rebels have control. In retaliation, government opponents shut off a pumping station that supplies 1.5 million people in the rest of the city. The population now has to rely on well water, which is most likely contaminated, according to UNICEF. Aleppo, which was Syrias largest city and the main commercial and industrial center, has been fiercely contested since the civil war began in 2011, after the Assad regime crushed mass protests for democratic rights. The strongest forces among government opponents there are jihadist militias loosely allied with the Army of Conquest, led by Syrias former al-Qaeda branch. The Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) controls the citys northern Kurdish Sheikh Maqsoud district. As the assault on Aleppo continues, Turkish troops and some Syrian militias allied with them continue to push into the area north of the city, seeking to prevent the PYD from unifying Syrias Kurdish areas to the east and west. Conflicting national interests among Washington, Moscow, Tehran, Ankara and other Mideast capitalist regimes keep scuttling all efforts to reach a deal. Washington whose power and influence has been weakened by its unending wars from Iraq to Afghanistan sees a bloc with Moscow as the only road to achieve some variant of stability to preserve its imperialist interests there. At the U.N. Security Council meeting, U.S. Ambassador Samantha Power said Moscow was engaged in barbarism in Syria. The French and British ambassadors joined Power in walking out when the Syrian ambassador addressed the council. Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin argued that Damascus has shown enviable restraint. He pointed out that groups Washington has backed in Syria, including in Aleppo, fight alongside al-Qaeda-linked forces, which the U.S. government agrees are terrorists. The truce came apart after U.S. bombers hit government troops in eastern Syria Sept. 17, a move Washington said was a mistake, and after Moscow denied considerable evidence it was responsible for an attack that destroyed a U.N.-organized convoy of humanitarian aid headed for besieged rebel areas near Aleppo. At a Sept. 22 congressional hearing, Defense Secretary Ashton Carter reiterated that Secretary of State John Kerry is trying to get the Russians to move toward putting an end to the civil war. More U.S. troops headed to Iraq Testifying with him, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Gen. Joseph Dunford stressed that the U.S. priority in Syria is to destroy Islamic State, saying, I do not have a military objective to remove Assad. Washington is moving to increase its ground troops in Iraq by 500 to 6,400 in an effort to hasten an assault against Islamic State in Mosul in concert with Iraqi army units. The U.S. rulers also plan to launch a major offensive against Islamic States self-proclaimed capital in Raqqa, Syria. But these efforts have been complicated by the sharp conflict between the Turkish government and Kurdish forces that would need to be centrally involved. The battle for Mosul has the potential to ratchet up sectarian divisions among the Sunni Arab tribes, who are the majority of the population in that area; the Shiite-led Iraqi government; and the Kurdish autonomous region in northeast Iraq. Kurdistan Regional Government President Masoud Barzani has reportedly suggested the partition of Nineveh province, of which Mosul is the capital, into Sunni, Shia and Kurdish sections, and that Kurds be allowed to vote on whether to join Iraqi Kurdistan. An estimated 2 million people remain in Mosul. Kurdish regional officials say theyve begun building refugee camps to house 500,000 civilians who might flee the fighting, but dont have the resources to finish them. The KRG interior ministry says its already overstretched as 1.8 million people displaced by the fighting in Iraq and Syria have already taken refuge in the Kurdish region. Related articles: Ankara escalates attacks on Kurds in Turkey, Syria Front page (for this issue) | Home | Text-version home (front page) Socialist Workers Party is workers party! Runs against capitalist rule Above, Militant/Mary Martin; inset, Reuters/Mike Segar Alyson Kennedy, Socialist Workers Party candidate for U.S. president, talks to truck driver David Wardle while on his doorstep in Manchester, England. Capitalist candidates Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, inset, before Sept. 26 debate for the two main bourgeois presidential candidates. The Sept. 26 presidential debate between Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump, and the discussion among workers and hysterical partisanship in the bourgeois media about it, shine a spotlight on the political crisis of U.S. capital. And why millions of workers are fed up with both capitalist party candidates. The Socialist Workers Party, the only party that speaks in the interests of the working class, was excluded, as were bourgeois candidates from the Libertarian and Green parties. Clinton credited President Barack Obama for bringing economic recovery after the 2008-2009 downturn, saying, We have come back from that abyss. This is not the world most workers live in. Trump gave a more realistic description of factory closings, the weakness of the vaunted recovery and the danger of another financial collapse. We are in a big, fat, ugly bubble, he said. Trumps remedy? Give capitalists incentives to build new companies or to expand by sharply cutting taxes on the wealthy and easing regulations. The debate demonstrates once again that the U.S. rulers have no solution to the historic crisis of the capitalist system, and the deepening disaster it means for working people, Alyson Kennedy, Socialist Workers Party candidate for president, told the Militant Sept. 27. Clinton denies the crisis, while Trump proposes to solve it by largesse for the bosses. My party has campaigned door to door and talked with thousands of workers who want to discuss the way out of this intolerable situation. We explain that the workings of capitalism lead to depression and war, and only the working class can solve it by unifying in struggle against the grinding depression conditions we face and organizing to take political power. Clinton and Trump vied to show their desire to serve as U.S. imperialisms commander in chief in its endless wars abroad. Clinton vowed to intensify our airstrikes in Syria and Iraq. She said she would continue Obamas assassination policy, pledging to take out Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. I was involved in a number of efforts to take out al-Qaeda leadership when I was secretary of state, she boasted. President Obama and Secretary Clinton created a vacuum the way they got out of Iraq, Trump said. Washington should have taken the oil from Iraq to stop the formation of Islamic State, he proclaimed. SWP opposes Washingtons imperialist wars The Socialist Workers Party calls for an end to Washingtons wars and all U.S. troops out of the Mideast, Kennedy said. U.S. imperialisms 25-year war in the region has meant death and destruction for millions of our fellow toilers in those countries. The debate took place against the backdrop of days of protest in Charlotte, North Carolina, over the Sept. 20 police killing of Keith Scott. Trump said the protests show the need for strengthening the cops for more law and order in our country. He announced he had just been endorsed by the Fraternal Order of Police and called for increased use of unprovoked stop-and-frisk cop searches. We have to work with the police, Clinton said. We have to make sure they respect the communities and the communities respect them. Trump reminded Clinton she had referred to African-American youth as super-predators in 1996, when she defended the draconian sentencing laws of her husbands administration. The Socialist Workers Party calls for charging Charlotte police officer Brentley Vinson for the killing of Scott, Kennedy said. My running mate Osborne Hart is in Charlotte today joining the protests and campaigning in working-class neighborhoods. Throughout the debate Trump painted Clinton as a corrupt insider. She said he was unfit to be president. The New York Daily News, which backs Clinton, interviewed several people the day of the debate. Im unimpressed, to say the least, Dylan Marshall of Weehawken, New Jersey, said. I dont believe that either party has a clean interest in running the country. Im not sure if Im even voting, said college student Amanda Velez. The elite people choose. We just vote to make it seem like were doing something. Socialist Workers Party campaigners heard similar comments campaigning in working-class areas across New York and New Jersey over the last few days. The Socialist Workers Party is part of the working class, Kennedy said. We back and build solidarity with any fights that break out today from Charlotte to the fight against the bosses lockout of Honeywell workers in Indiana and New York. But there is not yet any sustained labor resistance or mass social struggles, that is yet to come, she said. Whats happening is far-reaching discussion on all these questions on workers doorsteps and in their living rooms. The SWP is joining these discussions and finds an unprecedented openness to the revolutionary working-class program we put forward. And a growing number are responding to our invitation to join in campaigning with us, she said. (feature article) While Oscar Lopez is in prison, were all in prison NEW YORK Oscar Lopez Rivera is the spirit, the conscience, the symbol of the Puerto Rican People in their fight against colonialism, legendary independence fighter Rafael Cancel Miranda said at a panel discussion at El Museo del Barrio here Sept. 24. As long as Oscar is in prison, we are all in prison. The panel was one of three meetings here that honored Cancel Miranda and built support for the Oct. 9 protest in Washington, D.C., to demand freedom for Lopez. At a Grito de Lares event at La Marqueta Retona in East Harlem, 200 turned out to hear him, including many workers who live nearby. Now 73 years old, Lopez has been jailed in the United States for more than 35 years on frame-up charges of seditious conspiracy because of his actions to win independence for the U.S. colony. Also speaking were Lopezs daughter Clarisa Lopez, Hostos Community College professor Ana Lopez and Margaret Power, a professor at Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago. The panel was chaired by Felix Matos, president of Queens College. Cancel Miranda, 86, spent 25 years in U.S. jails, first for refusing to be drafted into the U.S. Army just before the Korean War, and later for carrying out an armed protest in the U.S. House of Representatives in 1954 together with Lolita Lebron, Andres Figueroa Cordero and Irving Flores. They carried out the action to answer Washingtons lie that Puerto Rico was no longer a U.S. colony. The veteran independentista described several high points of the struggle of the Puerto Rican people against Spanish and then U.S. colonialism. My father was a survivor of the Ponce Massacre, Cancel Miranda said, referring to March 21, 1937, when police attacked a peaceful demonstration demanding the freedom of jailed Nationalist Party leader Pedro Albizu Campos, killing 21 people. Cancel Miranda noted that when he joined the armed protest in 1954, his father was in jail for violating a gag law that prohibited speaking out or circulating literature with the intention of overthrowing the government, a law aimed at independence supporters. How can we work with those of our brothers and sisters who have been brainwashed to believe they need the United States? Cancel Miranda was asked during the discussion. We have to understand them, he said. In all colonies only a minority dare to fight the colonial power. They condition us since we are little kids and foster dependence. After 118 years of being a U.S. colony, the miracle is that there are still Puerto Ricans who believe in ourselves and are fighting, Cancel Miranda said. I am not fighting against any Puerto Rican, no matter how brainwashed he is. Im fighting U.S. imperialism. Thats the enemy. Clarisa Lopez read a letter from her father about Cancel Miranda. Lopez was born in Puerto Rico and moved to the U.S. when he was 14. Unlike Cancel Miranda, Lopez Rivera wrote, I allowed myself to be drafted by the U.S. Army and ended up participating in an unjust and criminal war in Vietnam. After Lopez returned, he learned about Cancel Miranda and the other nationalist prisoners and joined the campaign to free them, including knocking on doors and talking with community residents. After a decade they were successful and the last of the prisoners were freed Sept. 10, 1979. Cancel Miranda noted that he and Lopez passed through some of the same prisons. To this day, Lopez wrote, I still run into prisoners who spent time with him and ask about him. Cancel Miranda told the audience he met other political prisoners while in jail, including Native American activist Leonard Peltier and former Black Panther Herman Bell. Both are still in jail for fighting for their people, he said. The U.S. government couldnt break Lopezs spirit even after more than 12 years in solitary, Cancel Miranda said. At the infamous Marion prison the control units are 6 feet by 8 feet, the bars of the cell and the walls are all painted the same drab color, Clarisa Lopez said. When she and her daughter Karina visited her father there, they were separated by thick glass. We would dress with really bright colors, she said, so that his eyes could have happiness. My father is the freest man I know. For more information on the Oct. 9 protest and concert visit www.boricuahumanrights.org or www.freeoscarlopeznow.com. 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Healthinsurance.org reports most of the 224,208 individual market plans in Wisconsin will have 14 insurance options to choose from, which is down two from last year. Humana, Ambetter and UnitedHealthcare have said they are leaving the individual health plan market in Wisconsin, Healthinsurance.org reported. Health insurers that have left Wisconsins exchange and others around the country say they have been losing money despite receiving government subsidies for some of the plans sold through the exchange. In Dane County, insurers remaining in the exchange are seeking rate hikes ranging from 5.4 percent to 37.9 percent to help offset rising costs. Foley said an issue faced by insurers in the exchanges is that there were more people with illnesses signing up for coverage and using health insurance than healthy individuals simply signing up for plans. Its important to have a balance to control costs, she said. WPS said a majority of the individuals on the Arise plan purchased through the exchange were eligible for a government subsidy to offset premium costs. Foley said many exchange participants signed up for silver level plans, the most widely used, which cover about 70 percent of an enrollees medical costs. WPS sent letters Friday to those affected by the companys decision and will contact customers to help them with problems. Those affected will have health insurance coverage through Dec. 31 but will need to find a different health insurance plan during open enrollment. Foley said the government also has safeguards in place, which would automatically enroll those affected into similar-tier plans temporarily so that their health coverage would continue until they enrolled in another plan. In January, WPS announced it was partnering with Aspirus in Wausau to form Aspirius Arise Health Plan of Wisconsin. The plan will be participating in Wisconsins exchange but will only be available to residents in 16 counties in north central Wisconsin. Foley said in this case, Aspirus, which provides health care services, and Arise, an insurer, can work together to manage care costs, which can lead to better control of premiums. WPS and Arise will continue to offer ACA-compliant bronze level and catastrophic health plans but outside the exchange in 2017 and only in select counties. WPS plans will be available in Douglas, Bayfield, Burnett, Washburn, Sawyer, Polk, Barron, Rusk, St. Croix, Dunn, Pierce, Pepin, Eau Claire, Buffalo, Trempealeau, Jackson, La Crosse and Monroe counties. Arise plans will be available in Marinette, Oconto, Shawano (certain ZIP codes), Door, Kewaunee, Brown, Outagamie, Waupaca, Waushara, Winnebago, Calumet, Manitowoc, Marquette, Green Lake, Fond du Lac, Sheboygan, Dodge, Washington, Ozaukee and Waukesha counties. After being spotted in the Janesville area for two summers in a row, one bird species rare to the state seems to be calling Wisconsin its new home. The three Mississippi Kites, raptors typically found in the southeastern part of the U.S., have already packed up and flown south for the winter but one area raptor expert is confident theyll return to nest again. The Department of Natural Resources Wisconsin Breeding Bird Atlas has documented 11 new species of birds in the past 20 years, including the Mississippi Kite. The birds two adults and a chick were found to be nesting in the Janesville area and are most likely related to a Mississippi Kite that was recovered last summer. This is the first time a Mississippi Kite nest has been found in Wisconsin. In August 2015, a sick 6-week-old Mississippi Kite was brought to Hoos Woods Raptor Center, a raptor rehabilitation and education site. Hoos Woods founder and Executive Director Dianne Moller had never seen a Mississippi Kite, and it became the first one of its kind recovered in Wisconsin. That bird, named Wrong Way, now stays with the raptor center due to visual impairments that resulted from its illness last year, Moller said. In July, a pair of adult Mississippi Kites were spotted in the same area Wrong Way was found last summer, Moller said. The DNR was able to find their nest and found a chick living there. Moller said the Mississippi Kites have already headed south for the winter. Because they primarily eat dragonflies and cicadas, they had to follow their food sources to warmer places, she said. But Moller and the DNR are confident the Mississippi Kites will return to their nesting place next year and potentially bring more Kites with them. Because Mississippi Kites are colonial birds, Moller is hopeful that more Kites will fly back north to Wisconsin with the adult pair that nested in the Janesville area. Body in freezer likely east European BANGKOK: The foreign man whose dismembered body was found in a freezer during a passport forgery raid is believed to have hailed from the southern part of eastern Europe, according to Chulalongkorn Hospital forensic experts. crime By Bangkok Post Saturday 1 October 2016, 10:49AM The body parts of a foreign national wrapped in plastic bags are found in a freezer on the ground floor of a building after a raid on Sept 16, 2016. Photo: Tourist Police Udomsak Hoonwijit, the hospitals head of forensic medicine, said the body was an eastern European, possibly a Hungarian man, who was between 40-50 years old and 179.5cm in height. Their suppositions were based on the results of a dental examination, computerised tomography (CT) scan, a traditional autopsy, forensic genetics and forensic toxicology, he said. According to Dr Udomsak, the exact cause of death had yet to be confirmed by a forensic toxicology test but the victim probably died from a lack of oxygen and/or use of drugs. The forensic team could not determine when the man died because the body parts had been frozen for an extended period, he said, adding that test results were sent to police investigators at Phra Khanong station as part of their criminal investigation. The dismembered body was found on Sept 23 in a freezer at a shophouse on Sukhumvit Soi 56 during a police raid on a suspected passport forgery ring. Three Western men were arrested and later identified as American nationals Aaron Thomas Gabel, 33, Jame Douglas Eger, 66, and Herbert Craig La Fon, 63. According to the US Federal Bureau of Investigation, a federal warrant was issued for Mr La Fon in June 1979 in Baltimore, Maryland, in connection with credit card fraud but the case could not proceed after a key witness died. An initial investigation into the dismembered body revealed the freezer was bought in 2008 by Mr La Fon, which led to the assumption the corpse was put in it about seven or eight years ago. Pol Lt Gen Sanit Mahathavorn, the city police chief, said yesterday police believed the victim was part of the passport forgery operation run by Mr La Fon and it was highly likely he was murdered. Mr La Fon on Friday (Sept 30) was taken from Police General Hospital where he was treated for injuries received during his arrest to Phra Khanong police station for questioning. Police would seek the Phra Khanong provincial courts approval to detain him for further questioning. According to Pol Lt Gen Sanit, police are working with Myanmar authorities to locate a Myanmar woman who worked as a housekeeper for Mr La Fon when he lived in the Ekamai area. He said the woman, who had reportedly returned to Myanmar, may have information that would help investigators link Mr La Fon to the freezer. Mr La Fons ex-wife, who was not identified, has asked to postpone her meeting with police, he added. A source close to the police investigation said Mr La Fon had admitted to killing the victim over a debt and implicated a friend who died several months ago as an accomplice. Read original story here. Hanks and Eckhardt play it safe in Sully As its title suggests, Sully is squarely focussed on one person, Capt Chesley Sully Sullenberger (played by a silver-haired Tom Hanks), the US Airways pilot who famously ditched a commercial airliner on New Yorks Hudson River in 2009, saving the lives of all 155 people on board. By Mark Knowles Saturday 1 October 2016, 02:00PM Aaron Eckhart and Tom Hanks as pilots Chesley Sullenberger and Jeffrey Skiles in Sully. Photo: Warner Bros Because the story the movie is based on is true and received worldwide press coverage, Sully is a sort of disaster movie but without the disaster. We already know that everyone survives, and so it seems to struggle to find the dramatic tension integral to the genre. In fact, no spoiler alerts are needed in this review because you already know what happens. In contradiction to the audiences foreknowledge, the opening scene shows the stricken flight losing altitude as it weaves through the New York skyline and crashes into a skyscraper before Sully wakes, startled, to show us it was a dream. This imagined disaster seems like a cheap trick by Director Clint Eastwood, who tries to ramp up tension by withholding a blow-by-blow account of the actual event until the movies finale. Instead, repeatedly teasing us with Sullys imagined visions of just how badly it could have been. Eastwood is, for the most part, interested in the investigation Sully and his co-pilot Jeffrey Skiles (played solidly by a moustachioed Aaron Eckhart) endure after the landing. The officious head bureaucrat of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) (played by a smirking Mike OMalley) seems implausibly hell-bent on taking our hero Sully down, accusing him of errors in judgement and even asking if he is having trouble at home. This contrasts sharply with the reaction of the public we are shown a cab driver congratulates him, random strangers hug him, and he is lauded on national television. Further attempts to increase dramatic tension come from repeated phone calls to his wife Lorraine (played competently by Laura Linney, who isnt given much work) that touch on the couples financial troubles, which could lead to ruin if Sully is stripped of his wings by the NTSB. Finally, we are given the full sequence of events that led to the landing on the Hudson, and here Eastwood delivers. It is a claustrophobic and genuinely scary portrayal of the event from both the passengers and pilots views. The special effects are simple and realistic to the point that you feel as though you are experiencing the real thing. The culmination of the film is the public NTSB hearing in which Sully and his co-pilot have to defend their actions in the face of computer simulations that say they could have turned the plane around to land safely at La Guardia Airport. Hanks delivers his impassioned speech on how computer simulations cant account for the human factor and demands that more time be given to account for human decision making in the face of an unprecedented set of circumstances. Once re-calculated to account for reaction time, the simulations fail to land safely, and the NTSB board unanimously declare him a hero. Though its competently directed as you would expect from veteran film-maker Eastwood it seems he could have picked a story with more mystery about the outcome. Here, Eastwood (who is known for his support of the small-government championing Republican party) is forced to make a straw man of the NTSB before knocking it over with barely a whimper. Tom Hanks, who specialises in playing the stoic, work-a-day every-man cum hero (think of his recent turns in Captain Phillips and Bridge of Spies) is a safe pair of hands for Eastwood. Although convincing and likeable as ever, Hanks himself seems to be in autopilot mode with this latest role and it would be interesting to see him play a role with a bit more of a dramatic range. Head for a fiesta at Cariocas in Phuket Town The colours pop, the food sizzles, and the liquid stuff keeps you coming back. Cariocas Bistro & Lounge is the newest place in Phuket Town that you havent yet heard about and for good reason the locals are trying to keep it for themselves! By Jean-Pierre Mestanza Saturday 1 October 2016, 10:00AM The South American-inspired restaurant and cocktail lounge sits just a block south of Bangkok Hospital and, despite its funky colourful decor, this place is serious about its beverages. Co-owner Florian Niessings deep knowledge from his time as one of the top bartenders in Shanghai (in addition to his food and beverage managerial duties) is what makes Cariocas one of Phukets top spots for sipping and celebrating. The unique beverages are perfectly suited for the exotic atmosphere of the place, with Tiki mugs that come in different colours depending on your choice. Raisins infused with the good stuff sit on top of your drink as well. All concoctions are made with only premium, top-shelf choices, which makes all the difference for guests with a taste for the finer stuff. Each sip is out of this world and thats by design. As Co-owner Andreas Korf explains, Cariocas was meant to be a place originally meant for sitting and sipping but things took a slight turn. The idea in the beginning was to only do a cocktail bar, to show off the art of really putting together a great drink. But the space was too big, and plus, we had the kitchen fully-fitted and up and running, so we thought we might as well use it, said Andreas. With each sip, you nibble, and Cariocas has more than enough to satisfy any palate, especially with their Mexican fare, which goes perfectly with each drink. All of their tortillas are made fresh in-house, and it shows, as the crispiness of each bite only adds to the flavour of the dish. Of course, we had an array of tasty treats including their tacos, with choices of shredded chicken, ground beef or char-grilled prawns. Each is topped with the usual fare of fresh tomato, iceberg lettuce, cheddar cheese and an olive for good measure. For families looking to indoctinrate their children in the world of cheese, meat and fiesta, you cant go wrong with Cariocas quesadillas. Theyre available with chicken, slow-roasted beef or even vegetarian. Its the perfect snack to share while youre waiting for more food, or having a simple toast with friends! Nachos are always a big hit, and here its no different, the lashings of guacamole and refried beans were a beautiful touch. From the roasted corn to the jalapenos and ground beef, this was a dish that stood out, especially since the portion will last throughout your evening (unless you invite more hungry friends). Surprisingly, the highlight of the evening was their out-of-this-world pizza. Rarely do you go to a Latin restaurant the blue chairs, the salsa blasting and order pizza. But this pizza is exactly what will bring this reviewer back for more. We finished off our dinner with a Waffle Loco, that included chocolate, caramel, nuts, cream and marshmallow! Theres even a breakfast menu to get you going in the mornings. But Cariocas is more than just a restaurant and lounge, as Andreas and Florian are creating a community space for guests to learn and have fun. This is why theyre hosting two-hour mixology workshops, where Florian passes on his vast knowledge, every fortnight on Saturdays. The live music on Fiesta Fridays is also expected to become a big hit with the dancing community of Phuket which is on the rise. The space at Cariocas is perfectly-suited for the sounds of Salsa, Bachata and more. Guests can join either event by checking out their Facebook page. Caracas provides a colourful escape from the usual Phuket offering, its where fiesta and fun live! Carioca Bistro & Lounge. 371/22-25 Yaowarat Road, Phuket, 83000. Phone: 076 218 403 For more information visit: cariocaslounge.com or facebook.com/cariocaslounge Phuket motorbike mechanic, 28, nabbed with meth haul, Facebook handguns PHUKET: Police have arrested a 28-year-old motorbike mechanic on Koh Siray, east of Phuket Town after he was found in possession of more than 800 grams of crystal meth (ya ice), two handguns he said he bought on Facebook and 40 bullets. By Eakkapop Thongtub Saturday 1 October 2016, 02:16PM Apisek also told police that he bought the two guns via Facebook six months ago. Photo supplied by Phuket City Police Anti-narcotic officers led by Phuket City Polices Maj Rittichai Chumchuy moved in and arrested Apisek Sukmars at a motorbike repair shop in Soi Mali 9, off Thepprathan Rd, at 3:30pm on Thursday (Sept 29). Apisek was found in possession of several bags containing a total of 823.65g of crystal meth, two handguns a Colt 45 and a 9mm FN military-grade service pistol and 40 bullets. Police also seized drug paraphernalia and digital scales in the raid. Maj Rittichai said the arrested followed undercover officers monitoring Apiseks activities after they had learned that he was using his motorbike shop, where Apisek also lived, as a front for selling drugs. We searched suspects shop and found several bags of ya ice and guns in the bedroom, he explained. In Apiseks statement presented by police, he said that that he recently bought one kilogram of crystal meth from a man who he contacted by phone to place his order. The man delivered the drugs to Apisek near the Nimit Circle in Phuket Town 10 days ago, he said, though Apsiek claimed he did not know the mans name. Apisek also told police that he bought the two guns via Facebook six months ago. He paid B62,000 for the Colt 45 and B53,000 for the FN pistol. Apisak was taken to Phuket City Police Station and charged with possession of a Category 1 drug with intent to sell and illegal possession of firearms and ammunition. Phuket Vegetarian Festival begins with pole raising ritual PHUKET: The Phuket Vegetarian Festival 2016 began yesterday (Sep 30) with the raising of Lantern Poles at Chinese shrines, or San Jao, around the island to invite Nine Emperor Gods to the festival. By Eakkapop Thongtub Saturday 1 October 2016, 09:55AM The lantern pole is raised at Jui Tui Shrine in Phuket town to invite the gods to inhabit the shrine. Photo by Eakkapop Thongtub At 5pm over a thousand devotees, residents, and tourists dressed in white gathered at Jui Tui Shrine on Ranong Rd in Phuket town to participate in the raising of the Lantern Pole after it had been affixed with gold leaves. Phukets new Governor Chockchai Dejamornthan, who arrived on the island at noon, presided over the lantern-pole raising ritual at Jui Tui Shrine where Mah Song (spirit mediums) mortified their flesh with axes, maces, and a variety of artifacts inserted through cuts in their cheeks or hung by hooks from the chests or backs. Over the coming nine days the island will see scores of parades where a huge amount of firecrackers will be lit to welcome the Gods. Highlights of what is undoubtedly Phukets most unique festival include fire-walking, climbing on bladed ladders, and bizarre acts of disfigurement such as the piercing of faces and bodies with sharp objects. The street processions, which begin tomorrow and continue throughout the festival, also bring traffic to a standstill for unsuspecting motorists as devotees parade along the streets of Phuket. The first street procession will be tomorrow, October 2, at Choor Su Gong Naka Shrine in Wichit. The parade participants will begin to gather as early as 7am at Naka shrine and at 8am will start the procession which will pass Chao Fa Variety market to Phoonpol Rd before turning right onto Rattankosin 200 Pi and continue to at Saphan Hin. For complete schedule and more information please visit: phuketemagazine.com or see our previous story here. CHICAGO The man who got generations of hot dog lovers singing along to the Oscar Mayer Wiener Song has died. Richard Trentlage died Sept. 21 in Libertyville, Illinois, at the age of 87, according to an obituary posted online by a northern Illinois funeral home. With the words, Oh, I wish I were an Oscar Mayer wiener, Trentlage helped solidify the companys hot dogs as a piece of Americana. The jingle he wrote appeared in a 1960s television commercial featuring cartoon children marching along and singing. The tune remained a fixture for the next half a century. Trentlage was born in Chicago and began penning jingles as a high school student, starting with one about a fictional company he called Modern Plastic Brooms. The idea was to dream up a believable sponsor for a school talent show and sing the jingle during commercial breaks in a performance modeled after a radio program. The Modern Plastic Broom jingle was evidently so memorable that his former classmates sang it during a 50th reunion. Trentlage had worked for several ad agencies before starting his own jingle-writing operation in 1962. He transformed his living room into a makeshift recording studio, inviting his own children to sing on audition tapes. His children even recorded on-air sessions, including the famous wiener jingle in which his then-9-year-old daughter, Linda, performed. We were always getting out of school to hop a train and meet our dad at a Chicago recording studio, she recalled in his obituary. Trentlages brush with fame almost didnt happen. In a 2012 interview with the Wisconsin State Journal, Trentlage said he learned Oscar Mayer was holding a contest for a wiener jingle just a day before the deadline. He and his family brainstormed ideas that night, but nothing clicked until he remembered his son talking about a friend he called a dirt bike hot dog. I wish I could be a dirt bike hot dog, the boy said. But I dont even have a dirt bike. Trentlage typed out, I wish I were an Oscar Mayer wiener and finished in an hour, then recorded the song in the family living room. Trentlage was no one-hit wonder. He also wrote WOW! It sure doesnt taste like tomato juice for V8, Buckle up for safety, buckle up! for the National Safety Council and McDonalds is your kind of place! for the burger chain. Although Trentlage had no formal ties with Madison, his jingle has long resonated in the city that was the home to Oscar Mayer and its trademark Wienermobiles. 11AAA semis will be awesome and more from HS football quarterfinals This Madison Express editorial ran on Sept. 29, 1846, as delegates in Madison prepared to draft a state constitution. The Express became the Wisconsin State Journal in 1852: Some in the press are discussing adjourning the Constitutional Convention to Milwaukee, in consideration of the superior accommodations for the delegates offered by that city. We do not pretend to vie with our Milwaukee friends in this respect, yet we cannot admit that our accommodations are so notoriously insufficient as they suppose. Ample preparations have been made for the comfortable accommodation of even so large a body as the convention, and at much more reasonable rates than could be done, we presume, at Milwaukee, so that delegates and visitors need apprehend no difficulty in obtaining suitable quarters and good fare during the session. Besides, Madison is the territorial seat of government, and we hold that the Capitol, which has been recently fitted up at considerable expense for the express purpose, is the most appropriate and proper place for holding this convention. We do not believe the members will be so unwise as to agree to any adjournment be it to Milwaukee or elsewhere, thus wasting so much time, trouble and money. Residents are kept at a distance as police investigators examine the bodies of three suspects who were killed in a sting operation by the authorities in the continuing "War on Drugs" campaign of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte before dawn Friday, Sept. 30, 2016 in Caloocan city, north of Manila, Philippines. Duterte raised the rhetoric over his bloody anti-crime war to a new level Friday, comparing it to Hitler and the Holocaust and saying he would be "happy to slaughter" 3 million addicts. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez) One of the five Dalit students who had been expelled from the University of Hyderabad (UoH) decided to continue his agitation against what is now recognised as a discriminatory behaviour against Dalit students by the powers that be in the University. The student Velpula Sunkanna, refused to accept his doctorate during the 18th convocation of the University simply because it was being given by the Vice Chancellor Appa Rao. He reasoned that while he had not pre-planned this simple protest, he was not ready to accept his degree from the VC either. Assuming that they would be given their degrees by a chief guest, he attended the ceremony only to realise that it was to be given by the VC himself. "I decided not to take it from him," he said. But he was willing to take it from anyone else. After a small confrontation on stage in front of the guests, and a two minute stunned silence, the VC succumbed and the PhD degree in philosophy was finally handed over to Sunkanna by Pro-VC Vipin Srivastava. Five students had been expelled for a few months from the University of Hyderabad (UoH) and it was alleged that the reason was because they were dalits. Soon the issue escalated when their rooms were locked and they were forced to sleep in the open market area. A couple of days after this humiliation, Rohith Vemula, a PhD student committed suicide and though his suicide note did not accuse someone for the act, he did mention that he was frustrated and tired of all the discrimination. While there is a semblence of peace in the university, the issue is still simmering. In the wake of Rohith's suicide, the VC had been sent on forced leave in January this year and had also been booked under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocity) Act. But amidst much protest, Appa Rao resumed charge in March, leaving many students frustrated. With rumours flying thick and fast and refusing to die down on Jayalalithaas health, the Wikipedia page of the Tamil Nadu CM was edited several times on a single night, with many users declaring her dead. The edits began at around 6 pm in the evening on Friday and went on till 3 in the morning of Saturday. While many of the edits included a death column which claimed that she died on Friday, some suggested she passed away on Saturday. The unauthorised edits were reported to the Wikipedia admin, and they were corrected later on. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa was admitted to the Apollo hospital in Chennai for fever and dehydration on September 22, Thursday. According to medical bulletins and press statements issued by Apollo and the state government, she is recuperating and responding well to medicines. However, rumours are flying thick and fast, some of them alleging that the Chief Minister was critical and under observation. At the same time, the AIADMK cadres and Amma loyalists were seen performing special poojas in front of Apollo hospital on Friday, a no-moon day. Apart from this, several hundreds of cadres have been camping in front of the Apollo hospital on Greams road in Chennai, hoping to get a glimpse of their benevolent leader. Apparently, not even the cabinet ministers have had the opportunity to call on Amma, though statements have been issued by her from the hospital. Reportedly, Dr Richard John Beale, Consultant Intensivist at the London Bridge Hospital and an expert in treating multiple organ failures, had visited Apollo to examine the Chief Minister. Sources in Apollo say that, on Friday, after concerns about her health and in the face of spiralling rumours, the hospital had to fly down Dr Richard from UK to assess her condition. Richard, an internationally renowned specialist, arrived late on Friday night. After examining the chief minister, he said that she was receiving the best course of treatment at the hospital. Further, Dr Richard said that he would be available for the next couple of days for consultation, along with the team of doctors treating her. But rumours refuse to die down as a specialist had been flown down from London just to examine and assess her health condition. However government sources maintain she is being closely monitored, under continuous observation, and would go back home soon. On the other hand, Maharashtra Governor Vidya Sagar Rao, who holds additional charge as governor of Tamil Nadu, is scheduled to come down to Chennai on Saturday evening to visit the hospital and call on the Chief Minister. Union minister for urban development Venkaiah Naidu is also scheduled to visit along with the governor. As speculation on Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaas health grows, an AIADMK MP has said to THE WEEK that she is fine and recovering fast. Madam is absolutely fine. She is recovering fast. She will be discharged from hospital in 3 to 4 days, said J. Jayavardhan, South Chennai MP, to THE WEEK. Jayavardhan, 28, who is also a doctor, is one of the youngest MPs in the 16th Lok Sabha. Said Biju Ramesh, AIADMK leader in Kerala, to THE WEEK: I have not seen madam [Jayalalithaa]. But what I gather from my party sources in Tamil Nadu is that she is recovering fast and there is nothing to worry. Rumours, he said, should be ignored. Nothing will happen to madam. In a few days, she will be out of hospital for all to see. Ramesh said that Union minister Pon Radhakrishnan had sought an appointment to meet Jayalalithaa a few days ago, but it was denied. I suppose madam would not have been in a mood to see anybody at that time. Also, she doesnt know Radhakrishnan personally, said Ramesh. At least one person has sustained gunshot wounds after an armed perpetrator tried to break into a synagogue in central Moscow and threatened to set it on fire, local media reported. Police confirmed the incident. There was a conflict in one of the religious institutions between the guards and a man, who behaved inadequately, Interior Ministry spokeswoman Irina Volk said. As a result, the person fired several shots at the guards from a non-lethal pistol. After that he was arrested and delivered to a police station, she added. The attacker had a gun and a canister of gasoline with him, saying that he was going to burn the Moscow Choral Synagogue, Life.ru reported. The guard was hospitalized in critical condition after the bullets hit him in the head and chest, Mediazona news outlet reported. Police identified the attacker as a 40 year-old-resident of the Moscow region town of Korolev. His motives remain unclear. But according to Life.ru, the man has a clinical record and may be mentally unstable. The incident happened as Davening was ending, Viktor Rakhmilov, the deputy chairman of Moscows Community of Mountain Jews, told Life.ru. The perpetrator had been trying to enter the building for several hours prior to the event, saying that he wanted to see the rabbi, according to Rakhmilov. After the man shot the security staff member with the traumatic pistol, he reportedly attempted self-immolation, but was taken to the ground by the injured guard. The security guard was escorted to surgery, but I dont think that his injuries were serious. He got his cheek and tongue punctured, Rakhmilov said. The head of Russias Federation of Jewish Communities, Aleksandr Boroda, has called the attack a disgusting manifestation of xenophobia, pointing out the fact that it was attempted on Saturday, a sacred day for Jews. The Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia has urged Moscow authorities to boost security at synagogues ahead of New Year festivities. Unfortunately, this is not the first attack on the countrys main mosque and probably not the last. Youre all aware of the situation with these kinds of attacks around the world nowadays. Youre probably also aware we have holidays ahead we are not canceling any of the events. We will increase our security together with the police. We are not afraid of anyone, Aleksandr Kagno, head of Moscows Jewish religious community (MERO), told RT. The Moscow Choral Synagogue is the oldest synagogue in Moscow. According to the synagogues website, its visited by around 500 people on a daily basis. After complaining of not feeling well during Shabbos, the Seret-Vishnitz Rebbe Shlita was taken to the hospital on motzei Shabbos. There is no immediate report regarding his condition. It is not clear if the rebbe was transported by ambulance or driven in a private vehicle. The rebbe recently underwent cardiac catheterization at Carmel Hospital in Haifa and was released to return home on Monday, 23 Elul. (YWN Israel Desk, Jerusalem) K.M. writes: Following a cold call to my mobile phone, I received an email from Metro Options Limited about investing in binary options. The email says a realistic earning potential on a 10,000 investment is 1,000 to 2,000 per week. I believe this is an unrealistic promise and a misleading claim. I hope you can warn people. Mystery: Metro Options says disputes have to be dealt with in Anguilla (pictured) Binary options are a scandal and Metro Options Limited is a scam. The company advertises that Metro Options can boast some of the highest calibre of traders, analysts, risk management and technical support within the binary options sector. Really? According to Companies House, the business is owned by 27-year-old Kyle Snoxell, and has just one director, a 32-year-old Romanian named Miklos Attila. Both give their address as a business centre in Londons Docklands, and neither has ever been registered with the Financial Conduct Authority as any sort of broker or adviser. I invited both bosses to say who their high calibre traders might be, and where they gained all their experience. There was no reply. I also asked them about a little mystery in their companys terms and conditions, which say they were updated on January 17, 2014 a year and a half before their company even existed. Again, there was no explanation. In fact, their terms and conditions are a load of nonsense. They say disputes will be considered by a court in London, yet in the very next paragraph they insist that disputes will go to an arbitration process and not a court. Even more confusingly, they say that any legal action must be brought in a court in Anguilla, in the Caribbean. I suspect the whole set of rules is just a cut-and-paste job, lifted from other websites. Legal passages are said to come from a firm called RD-Law, but this is an Israeli firm, based in Tel Aviv. Its chief executive, Tal Itzhak Ron, told me he had never heard of Metro Options. He added: Probably they have stolen parts of terms and conditions they have found on the internet. The complex where Folkestone fruit wholesaler is based Like the Israeli law firm, I had never heard of Metro Options until you contacted me. Miklos Attila was unknown as well. But I have come across Kyle Snoxell before. His name has cropped up at two investment firms that have attracted the attention of the City of London Police. Neither firm is still operating. There are more question marks hanging over Snoxell and his business. If Metro Options is legitimate, why would some investors be asked to send their money to a separate company, Woolpack Brookland Services Limited, which describes itself as a fruit wholesaler based in Folkestone? I asked its boss, marketing consultant Theodoros Kouniaris, but he did not respond. Of course, Metro Options is just one company among many dozens that have climbed aboard the barely regulated binary options bandwagon. This is the fault of the people we all rely on to protect us from scams. The Financial Conduct Authority regards binary options as gambling, plain and simple, so it does not regulate this. The Gambling Commission only regulates binary options companies if they are physically based in Britain. Because some European Union countries treat binary options as investments, Brussels demanded that Britain falls in line. More than a year ago, the Treasury began an initial consultation on the European Union rules and stepped this up in March of this year. It now says: We are carefully considering the responses received to the consultation and will publish a response in due course. Fine, but meanwhile British investors, lots of them elderly or vulnerable, are being ripped off to the tune of many millions of pounds. It seems we are still in thrall to Brussels, despite Brexit. This is a mystery in itself. Belgium hardly a major financial centre has just banned binary options completely. Its financial watchdog says binary options are marketed aggressively and are extremely risky, often involving transactions over a short period and without any connection to the real economy. In other words, the spin of a coin. The countrys consumer affairs minister, Kris Peeters, announced: It will be clear to everyone that binary options and other speculative derivatives have no place on the Belgian retail market. So while our Government and our watchdogs faff about trying to turn gambling into a respectable, regulated investment, little Belgium has shown what can be done. How about it, Whitehall and Westminster whats holding you back now? The rise of NatWest continues as owner RBS completes the ring-fencing of its retail banking operations. The lender, which is still 73 per cent owned by the Government, must separate its investment banking operations from its High Street arm by 2019. As a result NatWest will become the company's main brand in England, Wales and Western Europe, while it will use RBS in Scotland. Reshape: Natwest,which is still 73 per cent owned by the Government, must separate its investment banking operations from its High Street arm by 2019 Its investment banking arm will be known as NatWest Markets. Chief executive Ross McEwan said: 'Our proposed structure under the ring-fencing legislation and our brand strategy are key elements of the bank we are becoming. The future ring-fenced structure of the bank is not only designed to be in compliance with the new regulatory requirements and objectives but will better reflect who we are and what we stand for: a bank that is focused on its customers.' Earlier this week RBS revealed it is to pay 845million to a US regulator to settle two claims over mis-sold mortgage bonds in the run-up to the financial crisis. Monarch Airlines was granted an 11th-hour reprieve last night in a battle to renew a crucial licence to fly package holidaymakers. Crisis talks between the budget airline, its biggest financial backers and regulators headed to the wire. The Luton-based firm, which flies more than 6million passengers every year, was forced to deny speculation which emerged last weekend that it was on the verge of going bust. Bumpy ride: Crisis talks between budget airline Monarch, its biggest financial backers and regulators headed to the wire Airlines which fly package holidaymakers have to renew their Air Travel Operators' Licence (Atol) every year. The licence offers passengers financial protection if the airline fails, ensuring that they do not get stranded abroad. The Civil Aviation Authority, which grants the licences, was understood to be concerned about the state of Monarch's finances. But it reached a deal hours before a cut-off yesterday evening which will give the firm an extension until October 12. The agreement was reached after owners, including London-based private equity firm Greybull Capital, pumped millions more into the company. Monarch said it was close to announcing the largest investment in its 48-year history putting it on secure footing for the foreseeable future. Without a valid licence, Monarch would have to immediately stop offering, booking or receiving payments from package holiday customers. This would be a devastating blow to the airline, which has been operating since 1968 and has around 2,800 staff. Package holiday customers who have already booked will be protected. If it loses its licence, Monarch would still technically be able to carry passengers who have booked only flights. This is because airlines are required to offer Atol protection only on package holidays, not flight-only purchases. Andrew Swaffield, chief executive of The Monarch Group, said: 'I am delighted that we have been able to come to an agreement with the CAA on the extension of Monarch's Atol licence and am excited about the additional capital coming into the group which will help us fund our future growth. Shares in ingredients business Treatt surged after investors were treated to a strong trading update. The manufacturer and supplier of flavour and fragrance ingredients said it expects pre-tax profit for the year to September 30 to be comfortably above expectations. Treatt said there had been encouraging signs of success in China and North America and in key beverage sectors. Tasty: Treatt said it expects pre-tax profit for the year to September 30 to be comfortably above expectations Treatt has also reached a final settlement in a dispute with the sellers of Earthoil Group, an essential oil business which it acquired back in 2007. There had been litigation concerning the earn-out of the business. Treatt will pay 900,000 as a full and final settlement. The firm said the relocation of its UK site is progressing well, with discussions with landowners at an advanced stage. It expects to provide a progress update in November. Shares soared 10.8 per cent, or 20.5p, to 210p. Elsewhere in the food sector Norish revealed revenue had climbed almost a third to 15.6million. The company, which provides storage, freezing, picking and order assembly services to food firms, said operating profit had risen to 490,000 in the first half, up from 380,000 a year ago. STOCK WATCH - INDEPENDENT OIL AND GAS Independent Oil and Gas plunged on a disappointing update. The firm got back the initial results from its Skipper North Sea oil project and samples showed the oil at the site was heavier than anticipated. Independent said the findings were not in line with what it had observed so far and determining the commerciality of the site might take several months. One oil expert said: 'If it weren't virtually impossible, it would look like something may have happened to the sample.' Shares fell 39.1 per cent, or 10.75p, to 16.75p. The business more than halved its net debt to 3.3million and has been investing in various divisions including to increase its blast freezing capacity at a site in Wrexham Norish owns two of only three cold stores in the UK licensed for the export of pork to China. Norish said investing in its cold storage assets should reduce costs and increase productivity. Shares advanced 3.4 per cent, or 1.5p, to 45.5p. LoopUp fell down despite an encouraging first set of results since listing on the stock exchange in August. The business, which operates a conference-call app for mobile phones and tablet computers, said revenue had climbed a third to 6.4million in the six months to June 30. The operating loss of 212,000 in the first half of 2015 has been turned into a profit of 520,000 in the same period this year, the business said. Some 76 per cent of users who signed up in the first six months of 2016 have already used the service. Chief executive Steve Flavell said profit in the second half of the year would be moderated by investment plans, but added that he is confident in meeting expectations. Panmure Gordon has a 'buy' rating on the stock with a target price of 150p. Shares fell 0.4 per cent, or 0.5p, to 122.5p. The outlook was worse for video broadcast service Vislink, which reported an operating loss of 32million in the first six months of the year, down from a loss of 800,000 12 months earlier. Net debt grew from 1.2million to 8.8million over the period, and revenue slipped from 26.6million to 22.6million. Vislink said there was a strong order pipeline for the second half of the year and the board has now initiated a business improvement plan. Shares plummeted 43 per cent, or 6.88p, to 9.12p. Property firm Sigma Capital took a tumble despite reporting that revenue had almost tripled to 2.8million. The business reported a pre-tax profit of 1.2million in the six months to June 30, compared to a loss of 410,000 in the same period last year. Sigma manages the planning, construction and letting of rental properties. The group said a critical shortage of homes meant the outlook for the business is very positive. It revealed a major funding agreement with the Homes and Communities Agency, which is sponsored by the Department for Communities and Local Government. Initial funding of 45million will be used by Sigma to scale up the delivery of new rental homes. But delays in the first half of the year mean the group is rebasing its expectations in the short term. Shares dived 13.2 per cent, or 11p, to 72.5p. The FTSE 100 finished the day 0.3 per cent, or 20.09 points, lower at 6899.33. Burberry climbed 1.9 per cent, or 26p, to 1379p as RBC upgraded the stock and added 200p to its target price, now 1400p. Capita was the biggest faller, still reeling from the previous day's profit warning which caused shares to shed more than a quarter of their value. Conman: Jonothan 'Jonny' Piper, 30, promised returns of up to 200 per cent A fraudster who claimed to trade in fine wines but instead conned investors out of almost 3million to buy fast cars and expensive trainers has been jailed. Jonothan 'Jonny' Piper, 30, pretended to be a wine broker and promised returns of up to 200 per cent to elderly investors who handed over their fine vintages. Piper, who pleaded guilty in court, sold the collections and broke off contact with investors, pocketing the cash which he spent on Bentleys and Mercedes. His criminal lifestyle saw him buy hundreds of pairs of limited edition trainers, go to One Direction concerts and live in an expensive flat in Wanstead, London. Sentenced yesterday at Snaresbrook Crown Court to five and a half years in prison, Piper admitted his 'trainer obsession' on Facebook, where he was pictured riding quadbikes and relaxing in hot tubs. Investors were mis-sold expensive collections and either did not receive the wine they were promised or were misled over the value of potential returns. Deutsche Bank shares bounced back after hitting a new low on rumours that it had negotiated down a crippling 10.8billion fine. Shares in the beleaguered German lender leapt 13.2 per cent after it appeared to strike a deal with the US Department of Justice over penalties for mis-selling toxic bundles of mortgage debt in the run-up to the financial crisis. It was feared the original fine could destroy the bank, which has lost more than half its value in the past year and is now worth just 13billion. But last night it was claimed that crisis talks had resulted in the amount being cut to a more manageable 4.2billion. Lifeline: Shares in beleaguered German lender Deutsche Bank leapt 13.2% after it appeared to strike a deal with the US Department of Justice The 6.6billion reduction will be a potential lifeline for the bank. The DoJ and Deutsche both declined to comment on the claims. But they still sparked a wild swing in Deutsche's share price, which had initially plunged 9 per cent to an all-time low in morning trading after ten hedge funds pulled money out of the stricken lender. Artur Fischer, head of the Berlin stock exchange, said markets had been 'playing with dynamite' by driving down the share price. 'Deutsche has to come up with some good news,' he said. 'The market has to be put at ease.' There are growing concerns for the European banking system. Fellow German firm Commerzbank is axing 9,600 jobs by 2020 and withholding dividends to pay for a 950million restructuring programme. And yesterday it was reported Dutch financier ING was preparing to announce thousands of job cuts as part of a restructure. The German government has repeatedly denied it would rescue Deutsche if it went to the wall, despite reports a secret bailout plan had been drawn up. Chief executive John Cryan who is said to be in America and locked in talks with US officials said the bank did not need state support and had not asked for it. Talks: Deutsche's British boss John Cryan The lender has been described by the International Monetary Fund as the world's most dangerous bank. If it were to fail, there are concerns that the eurozone and even the European Union might come crashing down with it. It would be the biggest shock to the financial system since the collapse of Lehman Brothers in 2008 and could set off a fresh crisis. But a taxpayer bailout would potentially deal a fatal blow to German Chancellor Angela Merkel's credibility ahead of next year's elections. Jeroen Dijsselbloem, president of the Eurogroup of finance ministers for countries in the single currency, yesterday said Deutsche must survive 'on its own'. A report on Thursday night that ten hedge funds had moved part of their listed derivatives holdings to other firms sent shares crashing. Investors feared it showed a dangerous loss of confidence in the bank, although most of Deutsche's more than 200 derivatives-clearing clients have made no changes. In a memo to staff yesterday, Cryan said that market reaction was overblown and the lender was on solid ground. He said the bank's fundamental strength was reflected in its 185bn of liquidity reserves. The worlds biggest infrastructure investors have called on Chancellor Philip Hammond to confirm the UK is open to foreign investment. It follows the delay in giving the go-ahead to the French and Chinese-backed Hinkley Point nuclear contract and the announcement of new rules on foreign investment in critical infrastructure. A review of the law is due in 2017. Andy Rose, chief of the Global Infrastructure Investor Association, told The Mail on Sunday the Government needs to clarify its intentions because international investors are concerned. Pressure: Chancellor Philip Hammond The GIIAs members control $300billion worth of assets and include the owners of Gatwick and the M6 Toll road. Rose, who once ran Treasury body Infrastructure UK, said: Its important some high-level clear statements are made about the intent of the Government to keep the UK as a place for public investment. On September 29, 1916, American oil magnate John D. Rockefeller became the world's first confirmed U.S. dollar billionaire - his wealth went on to peak at an estimated $336billion. And it appears 100 years on, the U.S. still reigns when it comes to wealth. Data released by Forbes reveals where today's billionaires live in the world, with almost a third of them residing in America. On September 29, 1916, American oil magnate John D. Rockefeller became the world's first confirmed U.S. dollar billionaire - his wealth went on to peak at an estimated $336 billion Money map: Data released by Forbes reveals where today's billionaires live in the world, with almost a third of them residing in America In the first quarter of 2016 the worlds billionaire population stood at 1,810 in 67 countries. Of that number 540 billionaires were found to be based in the U.S., more than any other country. Coming in at second place was China with 251 billionaires, followed by Germany with 120 people boasting ten-figure-plus bank accounts. India and Russia also made the top five, with the UK coming in at seventh, with 50 top-tier tycoons. WHERE THE WORLD'S BILLIONAIRES LIVE IN 2016 1. United States - 540 2. China - 251 3. Germany - 120 4. India - 84 5. Russia - 77 6. Hong Kong - 64 7. United Kingdom - 50 8. Italy - 43 9. France - 39 10. Canada - 33 11. Switzerland - 32 12. Brazil - 31 13. South Korea - 31 14. Turkey - 30 15. Japan - 27 16. Sweden - 26 17. Australia - 25 18. Taiwan - 25 19. Spain - 21 20. Indonesia - 20 Advertisement The Middle East and Africa was the region with the lowest concentration of billionaires, while Asia Pacific came out on top. Europe was shown to have the largest number of countries with cash-loaded citizens. With one of the largest economies in southeast Asia, Indonesia made it on to the list at 20th place, with 20 billion dollar residents. On the people front, Bill Gates topped the list of the worlds richest billionaires for the 17th time in 22 years. Though the 60-year-old Microsoft head is $4.2 billion poorer than 2015, his net worth of $75 billion has put him in the top spot of the spot on Forbes' World Billionaires list for the third year in a row, after overcoming Mexicos Carlos Slim Helu in 2014. Helu came in fourth in Forbes 2016 list of 1,810 billionaires, behind Gates, Zaras Amancio Ortega and business mogul Warren Buffett, respectively. With a net worth of $75billion, Microsoft head Bill Gates hit the top spot on Forbes' 2016 World Billionaires list for the third year in a row Zaras Amancio Ortega (left) is worth $67billion. Warren Buffett (right), 85, of Berkshire Hathaway came in third on the billionaires list, with a net worth of $60.8billion Mexico's Carlos Slim Helu (left) came in fourth on the list with $50billion, while Amazon.com's Jeff Bezos (right) took the fifth spot on the billionaires list with $45.2billion Others who made the top ten included Amazons Jeff Bezos (fifth), Mark Zuckerberg (sixth), Oracles Larry Ellison (seventh), Michael Bloomberg (eighth), and David and Charles Koch (tied at ninth). While 221 people fell off the billionaires list this year, 198 people joined the ranks. Twenty-nine from the 2015 list died, while another 29 rejoined the list after having fallen off. Noteable drop-offs included fashion designer Tory Burch, Sam Adams head Jim Koch and Dicks Sporting Goods chief Edward Stack. FIT FOR A BILLIONAIRE! THE BEST PRESIDENTIAL ROOMS IN THE WORLD REVEALED Intercontinental, Hong Kong Price per night: 9,607 ($12,468) Sold as Asias 'most spectacular' presidential suite, InterContinental Hong Kong's luxury five-bedroom space - complete with double height ceilings and floor-to-ceiling windows - spans 7,000 square feet. Among the amenities on offer is a round-the-clock personal butler service, a gym, a private sauna and steam room. Stepping outside, the suite boasts a 2,500-square-foot rooftop terrace decked out with an infinity swimming pool and Jacuzzi overlooking Victoria Harbour and the city skyline. Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo Price per night: 10,287 ($13,355) The Mandarin Oriental's presidential suite on the 36th floor in Tokyo has one large master bedroom with a king-sized bed swathed in Egyptian cotton linens. The giant master bedroom also boasts a walk-in wardrobe, while the adjoining white-marbled bathroom features a Jacuzzi bathtub positioned next to the window overlooking the cityscape. Additional accommodation includes a dark wood paneled dining room with seating for eight people, a separate study, living room, pantry, hall and powder room. Four Seasons Resort Hualalai, Hawaii Price per night: 10,287 ($13,355) Forget high-sky views. The Four Seasons Hualalai in Hawaii ups the ante with its Presidential Villa, where guests can breeze out from their three-bedroom bungalow to the beach. The tropical-feel suite includes a large outdoor deck overlooking the Pacific Ocean, complete with sunbeds and a hot tub. For a real Hawaiian experience guests can wash off in an outdoor lava-rock shower after a spot of swimming. The living room is also open air - perfect for a stargazing session. Mandarin Oriental, Washington D.C. Price per night: 11,473 ($15,000) Washington D.C. is the political hub of America, so the presidential suites in the city's top hotels scrub up pretty sharp. The five-star Mandarin Oriental doesn't disappoint with a three-bedroom penthouse complete with views of the National Cathedral, Lincoln Memorial and Potomac River. Features include giant four-poster king beds, a walk-in closet, 24-foot living room, an infinity edge bathtub and study with leather walls. The Beverly Hills Hotel Price per night: 13,094 ($17,000) The Beverley Hills Hotel has welcomed dozens of famous faces, from Elizabeth Taylor to Marilyn Monroe to the Duke of Windsor. And its one-bedroom presidential suite promises to make guests feel as pampered as possible. Featuring oak furnishings and candy-coloured velvet furnishings, amenities include a 'den' to hideaway in, a fireplace, a professional chef's kitchen, a piano and a 'luxurious' marble bathroom complete with an outdoor shower for two. Other room highlights include round trip LAX airport transfers, complimentary flowers, a fresh fruit platter and bottle of Krug champagne. Hotel Principe di Savoia, Milan Price per night: 17,716 ($23,000) The 500-square-metre Presidential Suite on the 10th floor at Hotel Principe di Savoia in Milan has welcomed celebrities, presidents and royalty from Queen Elizabeth to George Clooney. In the luxurious living room - stocked with a treasure trove of fine art and antiques - youll find a welcoming marble fireplace, while the dining room is furnished with French crystal. There are three bedrooms and the Pompeii-style spa has a large private swimming pool, whirlpool, Jacuzzi, sauna and Turkish bath. St. Regis, New York Price per night: 26,959 ($35,000) Located in the heart of Manhattan, the St. Regis New York's presidential suite on the 16th floor boasts stunning views over Central Park. The three-bedroom apartment comes complete with numerous balconies, a wood-paneled library, full kitchen and a spa-style bathroom with a Jacuzzi tub. Other perks include 24-hour butler service, a complimentary bottle of Champagne and free in-room movies. Ciragan Palace Kempinski Hotel, Istanbul Price per night: 27, 557 ($35,700) Formerly the palace of an Ottoman Sultan, the Ciragan Palace Kempinski is the jewel of Istanbul. Its presidential suite is certainly fit for sovereignty with two bedrooms, a library, powder room and views out over the Bosphorus strait. For those who like to arrive in style, there are boat and helicopter services available. Fans of the opulent five-star hotel include Prince Charles, Liz Hurley, Uma Thurman and Giorgio Armani. The Raj Palace, Jaipur, India Price per night: 41,248 ($53,550) The gold-encrusted Raj Palace offers guests a choice of two presidential suites: the Shahi Mahal and Maharajas Pavilion, the latter of which is a four-story, four-bedroom apartment. The roomy 16,000-square-foot abode includes a 'luxurious' private lounge and bar on the first floor, museum on the second floor, a library and dining room on the third floor, and a private rooftop terrace and spa pool on the top deck. One of the most impressive rooms is the double-height reception room, with a giant chandelier, topped off with lashings of red velvet and gold leaf furnishings. Hotel President Wilson, Geneva Price per night: 62,392 ($81,000) Where do the rich and famous stay when they're planning a getaway on the shores of Lake Geneva? Michael Jackson, Richard Branson, Rihanna and Bill Gates have all enjoyed stays here, the world's luxurious hotel suite - a snip at only 62,392 ($81,000) a night. The 12-bedroom Royal Penthouse Suite of the President Wilson hotel in Geneva, Switzerland, is believed to be the most expensive hotel suite in the world. Occupying the entire eighth floor of the hotel and spanning a massive 18,000 sq/ft, it boasts a gym, Jacuzzi, Steinway grand piano, private butler, chef and its own security team. Advertisement Baxter International Inc., through its subsidiaries, develops and provides a portfolio of healthcare products worldwide. The company offers peritoneal dialysis and hemodialysis, and additional dialysis therapies and services; intravenous therapies, infusion pumps, administration sets, and drug reconstitution devices; remixed and oncology drug platforms, inhaled anesthesia and critical care products and pharmacy compounding services; parenteral nutrition therapies and related products; biological products and medical devices used in surgical procedures for hemostasis, tissue sealing and adhesion prevention; and continuous renal replacement therapies and other organ support therapies focused in the intensive care unit. It also provides connected care solutions, including devices, software, communications, and integration technologies; integrated patient monitoring and diagnostic technologies to help diagnose, treat, and manage a various illness and diseases, including respiratory therapy, cardiology, vision screening, and physical assessment; surgical video technologies, tables, lights, pendants, precision positioning devices and other accessories. In addition, the company offers contracted services to various pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical companies. Its products are used in hospitals, kidney dialysis centers, nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, doctors' offices, and patients at home under physician supervision. The company sells its products through direct sales force, as well as through independent distributors, drug wholesalers, and specialty pharmacy or other alternate site providers in approximately 100 countries. It has an agreement with Celerity Pharmaceutical, LLC to develop acute care generic injectable premix and oncolytic molecules. Baxter International Inc. was incorporated in 1931 and is headquartered in Deerfield, Illinois. The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. was founded in 1869 by Marcus Goldman as an investment bank catering to institutions and businesses. Among the firm's first products are the revolutionary use of commercial paper for entrepreneurs which opened a new method of finance for business and industry. The original firm expanded to Goldman Sachs in 1882 with the inclusion of son-in-law Samuel Sachs and again in 1885 with a son and another son-in-law. The firm joined the New York Stock Exchange in 1896 expanding into trading of its own and in 1898 it was worth $1.6 million. The company began its work in the IPO market in 1906 with the initial public offering of Sears, Roebuck & Co., and then moved on to Ford and other prominent names of the time. The 1930s brings a change of leadership and a new direction for the firm. The company shifted toward a purer play on investment banking and embarks on a campaign of acquisition that lasted until the present day. The company doesnt go public itself until 1999 and from that point on it will change into a bank holding company that not only offers investment banking services but takes deposits too, and in 2016 the company added consumer banking to its list of services. Today, Goldman Sachs is a financial institution that provides a range of financial services for corporations, institutions, governments, and individuals globally. The company operates through four segments that include Investment Banking, Global Markets, Asset Management, and Consumer & Wealth Management. According to US banking regulations, it is systemically important to the financial health of America. The company is headquartered in New York, New York, and operates 6 regional headquarters as well. Regional headquarters are located in financial hotspots such as London, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Bangalore, and Warsaw. Among its many prominent CEOs are John Corzine and Hank Paulson who both went on to successful work in government. The company's Investment Banking segment provides a full range of financial advisory services as well as underwriting for the public markets. The financial advisory services include but are not limited to strategic advisory for mergers and acquisitions, divestiture, restructuring, and spin-offs. This segment is also engaged in middle-market lending and transaction banking. Underwriting services include IPOs, preferred stock, debt instruments, and bridge loans. Goldman Sachs Global Markets segment facilitates market transactions for institutions, banks, brokerages, corporations, and governments. Services include execution, derivatives, financing, clearing, settlement, and custody. The Asset Management segment manages client portfolios across the investment spectrum while the Consumer & Wealth Management segment provides advisory and banking services to consumers. Royal Bank of Canada operates as a diversified financial service company worldwide. The company's Personal & Commercial Banking segment offers checking and savings accounts, home equity financing, personal lending, private banking, indirect lending, including auto financing, mutual funds and self-directed brokerage accounts, guaranteed investment certificates, credit cards, and payment products and solutions; and lending, leasing, deposit, investment, foreign exchange, cash management, auto dealer financing, trade products, and services to small and medium-sized commercial businesses. This segment offers financial products and services through branches, automated teller machines, and mobile sales network. Its Wealth Management segment provides a suite of advice-based solutions and strategies to high net worth and ultra-high net worth individuals, and institutional clients. The company's Insurance segment offers life, health, home, auto, travel, wealth, annuities, and reinsurance advice and solutions; and business insurance services to individual, business, and group clients through its advice centers, RBC insurance stores, and mobile advisors; digital, mobile, and social platforms; independent brokers; and travel partners. Its Investor & Treasury Services segment provides asset servicing, custody, payments, and treasury services to financial and other investors; and fund and investment administration, shareholder, private capital, performance measurement and compliance monitoring, distribution, transaction banking, cash and liquidity management, foreign exchange, and global securities finance services. The company's Capital Markets segment offers corporate and investment banking, as well as equity and debt origination, distribution, advisory services, sale, and trading services for corporations, institutional investors, asset managers, private equity firms, and governments. The company was founded in 1864 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada. Duke Energy Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as an energy company in the United States. It operates through three segments: Electric Utilities and Infrastructure, Gas Utilities and Infrastructure, and Commercial Renewables. The Electric Utilities and Infrastructure segment generates, transmits, distributes, and sells electricity in the Carolinas, Florida, and the Midwest; and uses coal, hydroelectric, natural gas, oil, renewable generation, and nuclear fuel to generate electricity. It also engages in the wholesale of electricity to municipalities, electric cooperative utilities, and load-serving entities. This segment serves approximately 8.2 million customers in 6 states in the Southeast and Midwest regions of the United States covering a service territory of approximately 91,000 square miles; and owns approximately 50,259 megawatts (MW) of generation capacity. The Gas Utilities and Infrastructure segment distributes natural gas to residential, commercial, industrial, and power generation natural gas customers; and owns, operates, and invests in pipeline transmission and natural gas storage facilities. It has approximately 1.6 million customers, including 1.1 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee, as well as 550,000 customers in southwestern Ohio and northern Kentucky. The Commercial Renewables segment acquires, owns, develops, builds, and operates wind and solar renewable generation projects, including nonregulated renewable energy and energy storage services to utilities, electric cooperatives, municipalities, and corporate customers. It has 23 wind, 178 solar, and 2 battery storage facilities, as well as 71 fuel cell locations with a capacity of 3,554 MW across 22 states. The company was formerly known as Duke Energy Holding Corp. and changed its name to Duke Energy Corporation in April 2005. The company was founded in 1904 and is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina. Trinity Industries, Inc. provides rail transportation products and services under the TrinityRail name in North America. It operates in two segments, Railcar Leasing and Management Services Group, and Rail Products Group. The Railcar Leasing and Management Services Group segment leases freight and tank railcars; originates and manages railcar leases for third-party investors; and provides fleet maintenance and management services. As of December 31, 2021, it had a fleet of 106,970 owned or leased railcars. This segment serves industrial shipper and railroad companies operating in agriculture, construction and metals, consumer products, energy, and refined products and chemicals markets. The Rail Products Group segment manufactures freight and tank railcars for transporting various liquids, gases, and dry cargo; and offers railcar maintenance and modification services. This segment serves railroads, leasing companies, and industrial shippers of products in the agriculture, construction and metals, consumer products, energy, and refined products and chemicals markets. It sells or leases products and services through its own sales personnel and independent sales representatives. Trinity Industries, Inc. was incorporated in 1933 and is headquartered in Dallas, Texas. The following companies are subsidiares of Illinois Tool Works: A V Co 1 Limited, A V Co 2 Limited, A V Co 3 Limited, ACCU-LUBE Manufacturing GmbH - Schmiermittel und -gerate -, AIP/BI Holdings Inc., Accessories Marketing Holding Corp., Advanced Molding Company Inc., Allen France SAS, Alpine Engineered Products, Alpine Systems Corporation, Anaerobicos S.r.l., AppliChem GmbH, Avery Berkel France, Avery India Limited, Avery Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Avery Weigh Tronix, Avery Weigh-Tronix Finance Limited, Avery Weigh-Tronix International Limited, Avery Weigh-Tronix LLC, Avery Weigh-Tronix Limited, Avery Weigh-Tronix Properties Limited, Avery Weigh-Tronix Suzhou Weighing Technology Co. Ltd., Azon Limited, B.C. Immo, Beijing Miller Electric Manufacturing Co. Ltd., Berkel Ireland Limited, Berrington UK, Brapenta Eletronica Ltda., Brooks Instrument B.V., Brooks Instrument GmbH, Brooks Instrument KFT, Brooks Instrument Korea Ltd., Brooks Instrument LLC, Brooks Instrument Shanghai Co. Ltd, Buell Industries Inc., CCI Realty Company, CFC Europe GmbH, CS Australia Pty Limited, CS Mexico Holding Company S DE RL DE CV, Calvia Spolka z Ograniczona Odpowiedzialnosci, Capital Ventures Australasia S.a r.l, Capmax Logistica S.A. de C.V., Celeste Industries Corporation, Coeur, Coeur Asia Limited, Coeur Holding Company, Coeur Inc., Coeur Shanghai Medical Appliance Trading Co. Ltd, Compagnie Hobart, Compagnie de Materiel et d'Equipements Techniques-Comet, Constructions Isothermiques Bontami C.I.B., Crane Carrier Company, Denison Mayes Group Limited, Despatch Industries, Diagraph Corporation Sdn. Bhd, Diagraph ITW Mexico S. de R.L. De C.V., Diagraph Mexico S.A. DE C.V., Dongguan Ark-Les Electric Components Co. Ltd., Dongguan CK Branding Co. Ltd., Duo Fast de Espana S.A.U., Duo-Fast Korea Co. Ltd., Duo-Fast LLC, E.C.S. d.o.o., E2M Production B.V.., E2M Technologies B.V.., E2M Technologies Inc.., ECS Cable Protection Sp. Zoo, ELRO Grosskuchen GmbH, ELRO Holding AG, ELRO-WERKE AG, Elro Group, Eltex-Elektrostatik-Gesellschaft mit beschrankter Haftung, Envases Multipac S.A. de C.V., Eurotec Srl, Exhibit 21, FEG Investments L.L.C., Filtertek De Mexico Holding Inc., Filtertek De Mexico S.A. de C.V., Filtertek SAS, GC Financement SA, Gamko B.V., Gun Hwa Platech Taicang Co. Ltd., HOBART Gesellschaft mit beschrankter Haftung, Hartness International, Hobart Andina S.A.S., Hobart Belgium B.V., Hobart Brothers International Chile Limitada, Hobart Brothers LLC, Hobart Dayton Mexicana S. de R.L. de C.V., Hobart Food Equipment Co. Ltd., Hobart International Singapore Pte. Ltd., Hobart Japan K.K., Hobart Korea LLC, Hobart LLC, Hobart Nederland B.V., Hobart Sales & Service Inc., Hobart Scandinavia ApS, Hobart Techniek B.V., Horis, ILC Investments Holdings Inc., ITW AEP LLC, ITW AOC LLC, ITW Aircraft Investments Inc., ITW Ampang Industries Philippines Inc., ITW Appliance Components EOOD, ITW Appliance Components S.A. de C.V., ITW Appliance Components S.r.l.a, ITW Appliance Components d.o.o., ITW Australia Holdings Pty Ltd, ITW Australia Property Holdings Pty Ltd., ITW Australia Pty Ltd, ITW Automotive Components Chongqing Co. Ltd., ITW Automotive Components Langfang Co. Ltd., ITW Automotive Japan K.K., ITW Automotive Korea LLC, ITW Automotive Parts Shanghai Co. Ltd, ITW Automotive Products GmbH, ITW Automotive Products Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., ITW Bailly Comte, ITW Befestigungssysteme GmbH, ITW Belgium B.V., ITW Brazilian Nominee L.L.C., ITW Building Components Group Inc., ITW CER, ITW CP Distribution Center Holland BV, ITW CS UK Ltd., ITW Canada Inc., ITW Celeste Inc., ITW Chemical Products Ltda, ITW Chemical Products Scandinavia ApS, ITW China Investment Company Limited, ITW Colombia S.A.S., ITW Construction Products AB, ITW Construction Products AS, ITW Construction Products ApS, ITW Construction Products CZ s.r.o., ITW Construction Products Italy Srl, ITW Construction Products OU, ITW Construction Products OY, ITW Construction Products Shanghai Co. Ltd., ITW Construction Products Singapore Pte. Ltd., ITW Construction Services Manila Inc., ITW Contamination Control B.V., ITW Contamination Control Wujiang Co. Ltd., ITW Covid Security Group Inc., ITW DS Investments Inc., ITW DelFast do Brasil Ltda., ITW Denmark ApS, ITW Deutschland GmbH, ITW Diagraph GmbH, ITW Dynatec, ITW Dynatec Adhesive Equipment Suzhou Co. Ltd., ITW Dynatec GmbH, ITW Dynatec Kabushiki Kaisha, ITW EAE B.V., ITW EAE Mexico S de RL de CV, ITW EF&C France SAS, ITW EF&C Selb GmbH, ITW EU Holdings Ltd., ITW Electronic Business Asia Co. Limited, ITW Electronic Components/Products Shanghai Co. Ltd., ITW Electronics Suzhou Co. Ltd., ITW Epsilon Sarl, ITW Espana S.L., ITW European Finance Co. Ltd., ITW European Finance II Co. Ltd., ITW European Finance III Co. Ltd., ITW FEG Hong Kong Limited, ITW FEG do Brasil Industria e Comercio Ltda., ITW Fastener Products GmbH, ITW Fluids and Hygiene Solutions Ltda., ITW Food Equipment Group LLC, ITW GH LLC, ITW GSE ApS, ITW GSE Inc., ITW Gamma Sarl, ITW German Management LLC, ITW Global Investments Holdings LLC, ITW Global Investments Holdings Y Compania Sociedad en Comandita por Acciones, ITW Global Investments Inc., ITW Global Tire Repair Europe GmbH, ITW Global Tire Repair Inc., ITW Global Tire Repair Japan K.K., ITW Graphics Asia Limited, ITW Graphics Thailand Ltd., ITW Great Britain Investment & Licensing Holding Company, ITW Group France Luxembourg S.ar.l., ITW HLP Thailand Co. Ltd., ITW Holding Quimica B.C. S.L. Sole Shareholder Company, ITW Holdings Australia L.P., ITW Holdings I Limited, ITW Holdings II Limited, ITW Holdings III Limited, ITW Holdings IV Limited, ITW Holdings IX Limited, ITW Holdings Inc., ITW Holdings V Limited, ITW Holdings VI Limited, ITW Holdings VII Limited, ITW Holdings VIII Limited, ITW Holdings X Limited, ITW Holdings XI Limited, ITW ILC Holdings I Inc., ITW IPG Investments LLC, ITW Imaden Industria e Comercio Ltda., ITW India Private Limited, ITW International Holdings LLC, ITW Invest Holding GmbH, ITW Ireland Holdings Unlimited Company, ITW Ireland Unlimited Company, ITW Italy Holding Srl, ITW Japan Ltd., ITW Korea LLC, ITW LLC & Co. KG, ITW Limited, ITW Lys Fusion S.r.l., ITW Materials Technology Shanghai Co. Ltd., ITW Meritex Sdn. Bhd., ITW Metal Fasteners S.L., ITW Mexico Holding Company S. De R.L. de C.V., ITW Mexico Holdings LLC, ITW Morlock GmbH, ITW Mortgage Investments II Inc., ITW Mortgage Investments III Inc., ITW Mortgage Investments IV Inc., ITW Netherlands Administration BV, ITW Netherlands Beta B.V., ITW Netherlands Finance Alpha BV, ITW New Universal LLC, ITW New Zealand, ITW Ningbo Components & Fastenings Systems Co. Ltd., ITW Novadan Sp. Z.o.o., ITW PPF Brasil Adesivos Ltda., ITW Packaging Technology China Co. Ltd., ITW Participations S.a r.l., ITW Pension Funds Trustee Company, ITW Performance Polymers & Fluids Japan Co. Ltd., ITW Performance Polymers & Fluids Korea Limited, ITW Performance Polymers & Fluids OOO, ITW Performance Polymers ApS, ITW Performance Polymers Wujiang Co. Ltd., ITW Performance Polymers and Fluids Group FZE, ITW Peru S.A.C., ITW Poly Mex S. de R.L. de C.V., ITW Polymers Sealants North America Inc., ITW Pronovia s.r.o., ITW Pte. Ltd., ITW Qufu Automotive Cooling Systems Co. Ltd., ITW Real Estate Germany GmbH, ITW Residuals III L.L.C., ITW Residuals IV L.L.C., ITW Rivex, ITW SMPI, ITW SPG Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., ITW Simco-Ion Shenzhen Co. Ltd., ITW Slovakia s.r.o., ITW Spain Holdings S.L., ITW Specialty Film LLC, ITW Specialty Films France, ITW Specialty Materials Suzhou Co. Ltd., ITW Sverige AB, ITW Sweden Holding AB, ITW Test & Measurement Equipment Shanghai Co. Ltd, ITW Test & Measurement GmbH, ITW Test and Measurement Italia Srl, ITW Test and Measurement Services Industry and Trade Ltd., ITW Texwipe Philippines Inc., ITW Thermal Films Shanghai Co. Ltd., ITW UK, ITW UK Finance Beta Limited, ITW UK Finance Delta Limited, ITW UK Finance Gamma Limited, ITW UK Finance Limited, ITW UK Finance Zeta Ltd., ITW UK II Limited, ITW Universal II LLC, ITW Welding, ITW Welding AB, ITW Welding GmbH, ITW Welding Products B.V., ITW Welding Products Group FZE, ITW Welding Products Group S. DE R.L. De C.V., ITW Welding Products Italy Srl, ITW Welding Products Limited Liability Company, ITW Welding Produtos Para Solgdagem Ltda., ITW Welding Singapore Pte. Ltd., ITW de France, ITW do Brasil Industrial e Comercial Ltda., Illinois Tool Works Chile Limitada, Illinois Tool Works ITW Nederland B.V., Illinois Tool Works Inc., Impar Comercio E Representacoes Ltda., Industrie Plastic Elsasser GmbH, Inmobiliaria Cit. S.A. de C.F., Innova Temperlite Servicios S.A. de C.V., Innovacion y Transformacion Automotriz S.A. de C.V., Instron Brasil Equipamentos Cientificos Ltda., Instron Foreign Sales Corp. Limited, Instron France S.A.S., Instron GmbH, Instron Japan Company Ltd., Instron Korea LLC, Instron Shanghai Ltd., Instron Thailand Limited, International Leasing Company LLC, Isolenge - ITW Sistemas de Isolamento Termico Ltda., Itw Spraytec, KCPL Mauritius Holdings, Kester, Kleinmann GmbH, Krafft S.L., Loma Systems, Loma Systems BV, Loma Systems Canada Inc., Loma Systems sro, Lombard Pressings Limited, Lumex Inc., Lys Fusion Poland Sp. z.o.o., M&C Specialties Co., MAGNAFLUX GmbH, MEHB Holdings Limited, MGHG Property LLC, MTS 2 LLC., MTS 3 LLC., MTS China Holdings LLC, MTS Europe Holdings LLC, MTS Holdings France S.a.r.l., MTS Japan Ltd.., MTS Korea Inc.., MTS Systems China Co. Ltd., MTS Systems Corporation, MTS Systems Danmark ApS., MTS Systems Europe B.V., MTS Systems Finance C.V.., MTS Systems Germany GmbH, MTS Systems Holding B.V.., MTS Systems Hong Kong Incorporated, MTS Systems Limited, MTS Systems Norden Aktiebolag, MTS Systems S.r.l, MTS Systems., MTS Systems.., MTS Sytems Do Brazil, MTS Testing Solutions India Private Limited., MTS Testing Systems Canada Ltd., Manufacturing Avancee S.A., Meritex Technology Suzhou Co. Ltd., Meurer Verpackungssysteme GmbH, Miller Electric Mfg. LLC, Miller Insurance Ltd., NDT Holding LLC, NOVADAN APS, North Star Imaging Inc., Nova Chimica S.r.l., Orbitalum Tools GmbH, PENTA-91 OOO, PR. A. I. Srl, PT ITW Construction Products Indonesia, Pacific Concept Industries Limited Enping, Panreac Quimica S.L., Paslode Fasteners Shanghai Co. Ltd., Peerless Machinery Corp., Polyrey, Premark FEG L.L.C., Premark HII Holdings LLC, Premark International, Premark International LLC, Prolex Sociedad Anonima, QSA Global Inc., Quimica Industrial Mediterranea S.L., R&D Engineering A/S., R&D Prague s.r.o., R&D Steel ApS., R&D Test Systems A/S., R&D Tools and Structures A/S., RDGDK Engineering Private Limited, Ramset Fasteners Hong Kong Ltd., Rapid Cook LLC, Refrigeration France, S.E.E. Sistemas Industria E Comercio Ltda., ST Mexico Holdings LLC, Sealant Systems International Inc., Sentinel Asia Yuhan Hoesa, Shanghai ITW Plastic & Metal Co. Ltd, Simco Japan Inc., Simco Nederland B.V., Societe de Prospection et dInventions Techniques SPIT, Speedline Holdings I Inc., Speedline Holdings I LLC, Speedline Technologies GmbH, Speedline Technologies Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Speedline Technologies Mexico Services S. de R.L. de C.V., Stokvis Celix Portugal Unipessoal LDA, Stokvis Danmark ApS, Stokvis Holdings S.A.R.L., Stokvis Promi s.r.o, Stokvis Prostick Tapes Private Limited, Stokvis Tapes B.V., Stokvis Tapes Benelux B.V., Stokvis Tapes Deutschland GmbH, Stokvis Tapes France, Stokvis Tapes Hong Kong Co. Limited, Stokvis Tapes Italia s.r.l., Stokvis Tapes Limited, Stokvis Tapes Limited Liability Company, Stokvis Tapes Norge AS, Stokvis Tapes Oy, Stokvis Tapes Polska Sp Z.O.O., Stokvis Tapes Shanghai Co. Ltd., Stokvis Tapes Sverige AB, Stokvis Tapes Taiwan Co. Ltd., Stokvis Tapes Tianjin Co. Ltd., Stolvis Holdings II S.A.R.L., Subsidiaries, Technopack Industria Comercio Consultoria e Representacoes Ltda., Teknek China Limited, Teknek Japan Limited, Teksaleco Ltd., The Miller Group Ltd, Thirode Grandes Cuisines Poligny, Tien Tai Electrode Co. Ltd., Tien Tai Electrode Kunshan Co. Ltd., Unichemicals Industria e Comercio Ltda., VR-Leasing Sarita GmbH & Co. Immobilien KG, VS European Holdco BV, Valeron Strength Films B.V., Veneta Decalcogomme S.r.l., Versachem Chile S.A., Vesta, Vesta Global Limited, Vesta Guangzhou Catering Equipment Co. Ltd, Viltronics Soltec, Vitronics Soltec B.V., Wachs Canada Ltd., Wachs Subsea LLC, Weigh-Tronix Canada ULC, Weigh-Tronix UK Limited, Wilsonart International Holdings LLC, Wynn Oil South Africa Pty Ltd., Wynn's Automotive France, Wynn's Belgium BVBA, Wynn's Italia Srl, Wynn's Mekuba India Pvt Ltd, and Zip-Pak International B.V.. Read More ResMed Inc. develops, manufactures, distributes, and markets medical devices and cloud-based software applications for the healthcare markets. The company operates in two segments, Sleep and Respiratory Care, and Software as a Service. It offers various products and solutions for a range of respiratory disorders, including technologies to be applied in medical and consumer products, ventilation devices, diagnostic products, mask systems for use in the hospital and home, headgear and other accessories, dental devices, and cloud-based software informatics solutions to manage patient outcomes, as well as provides customer and business processes. The company also provides AirView, a cloud-based system that enables remote monitoring and changing of patients' device settings; myAir, a personalized therapy management application for patients with sleep apnea that provides support, education, and troubleshooting tools for increased patient engagement and improved compliance; U-Sleep, a compliance monitoring solution that enables home medical equipment (HME)to streamline their sleep programs; connectivity module and propeller solutions; and Propeller portal. It offers out-of-hospital software solution, such as Brightree business management software and service solutions to providers of HME, pharmacy, home infusion, orthotics, and prosthetics services; MatrixCare care management and related ancillary solutions to senior living, skilled nursing, life plan communities, home health, home care, and hospice organizations, as well as related accountable care organizations; and HEALTHCAREfirst that offers electronic health record, software, billing and coding services, and analytics for home health and hospice agencies. The company markets its products primarily to sleep clinics, home healthcare dealers, and hospitals through a network of distributors and direct sales force in approximately 140 countries. ResMed Inc. was founded in 1989 and is headquartered in San Diego, California. Fabrinet provides optical packaging and precision optical, electro-mechanical, and electronic manufacturing services in North America, the Asia-Pacific, and Europe. The company offers a range of advanced optical and electro-mechanical capabilities in the manufacturing process, including process design and engineering, supply chain management, manufacturing, printed circuit board assembly, advanced packaging, integration, final assembly, and testing. Its products include switching products, including reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexers, optical amplifiers, modulators, and other optical components and modules that enable network managers to route voice, video, and data communications traffic through fiber optic cables at various wavelengths, speeds, and over various distances. The company's products also comprise tunable lasers, transceivers, and transponders; and active optical cables, which provide high-speed interconnect capabilities for data centers and computing clusters, as well as Infiniband, Ethernet, fiber channel, and optical backplane connectivity. In addition, it provides solid state, diode-pumped, gas, and fiber lasers used in semiconductor processing, biotechnology and medical device, metrology, and material processing industries; and differential pressure, micro-gyro, fuel, and other sensors used in automobiles, as well as non-contact temperature measurement sensors for the medical industry. Further, the company designs and fabricates application-specific crystals, lenses, prisms, mirrors, laser components, and substrates; and other custom and standard borosilicate, clear fused quartz, and synthetic fused silica glass products. It serves original equipment manufacturers of optical communication components, modules and sub-systems, industrial lasers, automotive components, medical devices, and sensors. The company was incorporated in 1999 and is based in George Town, the Cayman Islands. The following companies are subsidiares of Procter & Gamble: "Petersburg Products International" LLC, "Procter & Gamble Services" LLC, "Procter & Gamble" LLC, 1837 LLC, Agile Pursuits Franchising Inc., Agile Pursuits Inc., Ambi Pur, Arbora & Ausonia, Arbora & Ausonia S.L.U., Avon - Giorgio Beverly Hills, Billie, Braun GmbH, Braun Shanghai Co. Ltd., Celtic Insurance Company Inc., Charlie Banana USA LLC, Corporativo Procter & Gamble S. de R.L. de C.V., DDFSkincare, Detergent Products B.V., Detergent Products SARL, Detergenti S.A., FPG Oleochemicals Sdn. Bhd., Fameccanica Data S.p.A., Fameccanica Industria e Comercio Do Brasil LTDA., Fameccanica Machinery Shanghai Co. Ltd., Fameccanica North America Inc., Farmacy Beauty, Fater Central Europe SRL, Fater Eastern Europe LLC, Fater Portugal Unipessoal Lda, Fater S.p.A., Fater Temizlik Urunleri Ltd STI, First Aid Beauty, First Aid Beauty Limited, Folgers Coffee, Fountain Square Music Publishing Co. Inc., Gillette Australia Pty. Ltd., Gillette China Limited, Gillette Commercial Operations North America, Gillette Diversified Operations Pvt. Ltd., Gillette Egypt S.A.E., Gillette Group UK Ltd, Gillette Holding Company LLC, Gillette Holding GmbH, Gillette India Limited, Gillette Industries Ltd., Gillette International B.V., Gillette Latin America Holding B.V., Gillette Management LLC, Gillette Pakistan Limited, Gillette Poland International Sp. z.o.o., Gillette Shanghai Ltd., Gillette U.K. Limited, Gillette del Uruguay S.A., Hyginett KFT, Industries Marocaines Modernes SA, Inversiones Plaza LLC, LLC "Procter & Gamble - Novomoskovsk", LLC "Procter & Gamble Distributorskaya Compania", LLC Procter & and Gamble Ukraine, Laboratoire Mediflor S.A.S., Laboratorios Vicks S.L.U., Lamberts Healthcare Ltd., Liberty Street Music Publishing Company Inc., Limited Liability Company 'Procter & Gamble Trading Ukraine', MDVIP, MERCK KGAA NPV, Marcvenca Inversiones C.A., Merck Consumer Healthcare, Modern Industries Company - Dammam, Modern Products Company - Jeddah, Native, Nature's Best Health Products Ltd., New Chapter Canada Inc., New Chapter Inc., Nioxin Research Laboratories, Noxell Corporation, OUAI, Olay LLC, Oral-B Laboratories, P&G Consumer Health Germany GmbH, P&G Distribution East Africa Limited, P&G Distribution Morocco SAS, P&G Hair Care Holding Inc., P&G Health Austria GmbH & Co. OG, P&G Health France S.A.S., P&G Health Germany GmbH, P&G Healthcare Zhejiang Limited, P&G Industrial Peru S.R.L., P&G Innovation Godo Kaisha, P&G Investment Management Ltd., P&G Israel M.D.O. Ltd., P&G Japan G.K., P&G K.K., P&G Northeast Asia Pte. Ltd., P&G Prestige Godo Kaisha, P&G South African Trading Pty. Ltd., P&G-Clairol, PG13 Launchpad Alpha Inc., PG13 Launchpad Beta Inc., PG13 Launchpad Gamma Inc., PGT Healthcare LLP, PT Procter & Gamble Home Products Indonesia, PT Procter & Gamble Operations Indonesia, Phase II Holdings Corporation, Pressbox, Procter & Gamble Algeria EURL, Procter & Gamble Amazon Holding B.V., Procter & Gamble Amiens S.A.S., Procter & Gamble Argentina SRL, Procter & Gamble Asia Pte. Ltd., Procter & Gamble Australia Proprietary Limited, Procter & Gamble Azerbaijan Services LLC, Procter & Gamble Bangladesh Private Ltd., Procter & Gamble Blois S.A.S., Procter & Gamble Brazil Holdings B.V., Procter & Gamble Bulgaria EOOD, Procter & Gamble Business Services Canada Company, Procter & Gamble Canada Holding B.V., Procter & Gamble Chengdu Ltd., Procter & Gamble Chile Limitada, Procter & Gamble China Ltd., Procter & Gamble China Sales Co. Ltd., Procter & Gamble Colombia Ltda., Procter & Gamble Commercial LLC, Procter & Gamble Czech Republic s.r.o., Procter & Gamble DS Polska Sp. z o.o., Procter & Gamble Danmark ApS, Procter & Gamble Detergent Beijing Ltd., Procter & Gamble Deutschland GmbH, Procter & Gamble Distributing New Zealand Limited, Procter & Gamble Distributing Philippines Inc., Procter & Gamble Distribution Company Europe BV, Procter & Gamble Distribution S.R.L., Procter & Gamble Eastern Europe LLC, Procter & Gamble Ecuador Cia. Ltda., Procter & Gamble Egypt, Procter & Gamble Egypt Distribution, Procter & Gamble Egypt Holding, Procter & Gamble Egypt Manufacturing Company, Procter & Gamble Egypt Supplies, Procter & Gamble Energy Company LLC, Procter & Gamble Espana S.A.U., Procter & Gamble Far East Inc., Procter & Gamble Finance Holding Ltd., Procter & Gamble Finance Management S.a.r.l., Procter & Gamble Finance U.K. Ltd., Procter & Gamble Financial Investments LLP, Procter & Gamble Financial Services Ltd., Procter & Gamble Financial Services S.a.r.l., Procter & Gamble Finland OY, Procter & Gamble France S.A.S., Procter & Gamble Germany GmbH, Procter & Gamble Germany GmbH & Co. Operations oHG, Procter & Gamble Ghana Trading Limited, Procter & Gamble GmbH, Procter & Gamble Grundstucks-und Vermogensverwaltungs GmbH & Co. KG, Procter & Gamble Guangzhou Consumer Products Co. Ltd., Procter & Gamble Guangzhou Enterprise Management Service Company Limited, Procter & Gamble Guangzhou Ltd., Procter & Gamble Guangzhou Technology Innovation Co. LTD., Procter & Gamble Gulf FZE, Procter & Gamble Hair Care LLC, Procter & Gamble Health & Beauty Care Limited, Procter & Gamble Health Belgium BV, Procter & Gamble Health Limited, Procter & Gamble Health Ltd., Procter & Gamble Health Poland Sp. z o.o., Procter & Gamble Hellas Single Member Ltd., Procter & Gamble Holding France S.A.S., Procter & Gamble Holding GmbH, Procter & Gamble Holding S.r.l., Procter & Gamble Holding Thailand Limited, Procter & Gamble Holdings UK Ltd., Procter & Gamble Home Products Private Limited, Procter & Gamble Honduras S de RL, Procter & Gamble Hong Kong Limited, Procter & Gamble Hungary Wholesale Trading Partnership KKT, Procter & Gamble Hygiene & Health Care Limited, Procter & Gamble Inc., Procter & Gamble India Holdings Inc., Procter & Gamble Indochina Company Limited, Procter & Gamble Industrial - 2012 C.A., Procter & Gamble Industrial S.C.A., Procter & Gamble Industrial e Comercial Ltda., Procter & Gamble Interamericas de Costa Rica Limitada, Procter & Gamble Interamericas de El Salvador Limitada de Capital Variable, Procter & Gamble Interamericas de Guatemala Limitada, Procter & Gamble Interamericas de Panama S. de R.L., Procter & Gamble International Operations SA, Procter & Gamble International Operations SA-ROHQ, Procter & Gamble International Sarl, Procter & Gamble Investment Company UK Ltd., Procter & Gamble Investment Holding B.V., Procter & Gamble Italia S.p.A., Procter & Gamble Jiangsu Ltd., Procter & Gamble Kazakhstan Distribution LLP, Procter & Gamble Korea Inc., Procter & Gamble Korea S&D Co., Procter & Gamble L&CP Limited, Procter & Gamble Leasing LLC, Procter & Gamble Levant S.A.L., Procter & Gamble Limited, Procter & Gamble Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Procter & Gamble Manufacturing Belgium N.V., Procter & Gamble Manufacturing Berlin GmbH, Procter & Gamble Manufacturing GmbH, Procter & Gamble Manufacturing Ireland Limited, Procter & Gamble Manufacturing Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Procter & Gamble Manufacturing SA Pty Ltd, Procter & Gamble Manufacturing Thailand Limited, Procter & Gamble Manufacturing Tianjin Co. Ltd., Procter & Gamble Marketing Romania SRL, Procter & Gamble Mataro S.L.U., Procter & Gamble Mexico Holding B.V., Procter & Gamble Mexico Inc., Procter & Gamble Middle East FZE, Procter & Gamble Nederland B.V., Procter & Gamble Netherlands Services B.V., Procter & Gamble Nigeria Limited, Procter & Gamble Norge AS, Procter & Gamble Operations Polska Sp. z o.o., Procter & Gamble Overseas India B.V., Procter & Gamble Overseas Ltd., Procter & Gamble Pakistan Private Limited, Procter & Gamble Peru S.R.L., Procter & Gamble Philippines Business Services Inc., Procter & Gamble Philippines Inc., Procter & Gamble Polska Sp. z o.o, Procter & Gamble Portugal - Produtos De Consumo Higiene e Saude S.A., Procter & Gamble Product Supply U.K. Limited, Procter & Gamble Productions Inc., Procter & Gamble RHD Inc., Procter & Gamble RSC Regional Service Company Ltd., Procter & Gamble Retail Services Sarl, Procter & Gamble S.r.l., Procter & Gamble Service GmbH, Procter & Gamble Services Company N.V., Procter & Gamble Services Switzerland SA, Procter & Gamble Singapore Pte. Ltd., Procter & Gamble Spol. s.r.o. Ltd., Procter & Gamble Sverige AB, Procter & Gamble Switzerland SARL, Procter & Gamble Taiwan Limited, Procter & Gamble Taiwan Sales Company Limited, Procter & Gamble Technical Centres Limited, Procter & Gamble Technology Beijing Co. Ltd., Procter & Gamble Trading Thailand Limited, Procter & Gamble Tuketim Mallari Sanayii A.S., Procter & Gamble UK, Procter & Gamble UK Group Holdings Ltd, Procter & Gamble UK Parent Company Ltd., Procter & Gamble Universal Holding B.V., Procter & Gamble Vietnam Company Limited, Procter & Gamble d.o.o. za trgovinu, Procter & Gamble de Venezuela S.C.A., Procter & Gamble de Venezuela S.R.L., Procter & Gamble do Brasil Ltda., Procter & Gamble do Brazil LLC, Procter & Gamble do Nordeste S/A, Procter & Gamble doo Beograd, Procter & Gamble-Rakona s.r.o., Procter and Gamble Lanka Private Limited, Procter and Gamble SA Pty Ltd., Progam Realty & Development Corporation, Recovery Engineering, Redmond Products Inc., Richardson-Vicks, Richardson-Vicks Real Estate Inc., Riverfront Music Publishing Co. Inc., Rosemount LLC, SPD Development Company Limited, SPD Swiss Precision Diagnostics GmbH, Series Acquisition B.V., Seven Seas Limited, Shulton Inc., Snowberry, Snowberry New Zealand Limited, Sunflower Distributing LLC, TAOS - FL LLC, TAOS Retail LLC, THIS IS L, TULA, Tambrands, Tambrands Inc., Temple Trees Impex & Investment Private Limited, The Art of Shaving, The Art of Shaving - FL LLC, The Dover Wipes Company, The Gillette Company, The Gillette Company LLC, The Gillette co., The Iams Company Inc., The Procter & Gamble Distributing LLC, The Procter & Gamble Global Finance Company LLC, The Procter & Gamble Manufacturing Company, The Procter & Gamble Paper Products Company, The Procter & Gamble U.S. Business Services Company, This is L., This is L. Inc., Thomas Hedley Co, US CD LLC, Vidal Sassoon Shanghai Academy, VitaminHaus Pty Ltd, Walker & Co. Brands Inc., Walker & Company Brands, Wella AG, Zenlen Inc., Zirh, and iMFLUX Inc.. Read More Cardinal Health, Inc. operates as an integrated healthcare services and products company in the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia, and internationally. It provides customized solutions for hospitals, healthcare systems, pharmacies, ambulatory surgery centers, clinical laboratories, physician offices, and patients in the home. The company operates in two segments, Pharmaceutical and Medical. The Pharmaceutical segment distributes branded and generic pharmaceutical, specialty pharmaceutical, and over-the-counter healthcare and consumer products. The segment also provides services to pharmaceutical manufacturers and healthcare providers for specialty pharmaceutical products; operates nuclear pharmacies and radiopharmaceutical manufacturing facilities; repackages generic pharmaceuticals and over-the-counter healthcare products; and offers medication therapy management and patient outcomes services to hospitals, other healthcare providers, and payers, as well as provides pharmacy management services to hospitals. The Medical segment manufactures, sources, and distributes Cardinal Health branded medical, surgical, and laboratory products and devices that include exam and surgical gloves; needles, syringe, and sharps disposals; compressions; incontinences; nutritional delivery products; wound care products; single-use surgical drapes, gowns, and apparels; fluid suction and collection systems; urology products; operating room supply products; and electrode product lines. The segment also distributes a range of national brand products, including medical, surgical, and laboratory products; provides supply chain services and solutions to hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, clinical laboratories, and other healthcare providers; and assembles and sells sterile, and non-sterile procedure kits. The company was incorporated in 1979 and is headquartered in Dublin, Ohio. Energizer Holdings, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, manufactures, markets, and distributes household batteries, specialty batteries, and lighting products worldwide. It offers lithium, alkaline, carbon zinc, nickel metal hydride, zinc air, and silver oxide batteries under the Energizer and Eveready brands, as well as primary, rechargeable, specialty, and hearing aid batteries. The company also provides headlights, lanterns, and children's and area lights, as well as flash lights under the Energizer, Eveready, Rayovac, Hard Case, Dolphin, Varta, and WeatherReady brands. In addition, it licenses the Energizer and Eveready brands to companies developing consumer solutions in gaming, automotive batteries, portable power for critical devices, LED light bulbs, generators, power tools, household light bulbs, and other lighting products. Further, the company designs and markets automotive fragrance and appearance products, including protectants, wipes, tire and wheel care products, glass cleaners, leather care products, air fresheners, and washes to clean, shine, refresh, and protect interior and exterior automobile surfaces under the brand names of Armor All, Nu Finish, Refresh Your Car!, LEXOL, Eagle One, California Scents, Driven, and Bahama & Co; STP branded fuel and oil additives, functional fluids, and other performance chemical products; and do-it-yourself automotive air conditioning recharge products under the A/C PRO brand name, as well as other refrigerant and recharge kits, sealants, and accessories. It sells its products through direct sales force, distributors, and wholesalers; and through various retail and business-to-business channels, including mass merchandisers, club, electronics, food, home improvement, dollar store, auto, drug, hardware, e-commerce, convenience, sporting goods, hobby/craft, office, industrial, medical, and catalog. Energizer Holdings, Inc. was incorporated in 2015 and is headquartered in Saint Louis, Missouri. Validus Holdings, Ltd. provides reinsurance coverage, insurance coverage, and insurance linked securities management services worldwide. It operates through three segments: Reinsurance, Insurance, and Asset Management. The Reinsurance segment underwrites property reinsurance products on a catastrophe excess of loss, per risk excess of loss and proportional basis; and aerospace and aviation, agriculture, composite, marine, technical lines, terrorism, trade credit, workers' compensation, and other specialty lines, as well as casualty and financial lines. The Insurance segment underwrites property, accident and health, agriculture, aviation, contingency, marine, and political lines insurance products; bankers blanket bond, commercial crime, computer crime, cyber- crime, professional indemnity, and directors' and officers' insurance products for various financial institutions and other companies; and commercial and institutional risks comprising general, professional, and product liability, as well as miscellaneous malpractice insurance products. This segment also underwrites marine and energy liability, and political risk insurance products, as well as insurance products for repair, maintenance, and upkeep of aircrafts and premises for small companies. The Asset Management segment manages capital for third parties through insurance-linked securities, and other property catastrophe and specialty reinsurance investments. Validus Holdings, Ltd. was founded in 2005 and is based in Pembroke, Bermuda. Sign up for our amNY Sports email newsletter to get insights and game coverage for your favorite teams By Frederick R. Bedell, Jr. Bombs have gone off in New York City and New Jersey. The one that blew up in the Chelsea section of New York City had injured 29 people and the other in Seaside Park in New Jersey failed to blow up in time ended up with no fatalities. The suspect in the bombings, Ahmad Khan Rahami, was captured while in a shootout with New Jersey police. Two police officers were shot in Linden, N.J. There are maybe more suspects out there after all is said and done. The capture, I feel, is due to excellent police work by New Jersey police, the NYPD, FBI and Homeland Security. We also had other agencies involved like the FDNY, AFT, Port Authority and EMS. Let me also point out there were reports by average people who saw something and said something. Our law enforcement cant do it alonewe are all in a war with these evil doers. These egregious and nefarious acts require all of us to remain vigilant. We are living in dangerous times but these terrorists must learn that they can run but cant hide. As Americans we will be constantly vigilant and be aware that there are those that desire to hurt us, but we will go on with our lives and refuse to live in fear. Remember this too: Evil thrives when good people do nothing. Frederick R. Bedell Jr. Glen Oaks Village Sign up for our amNY Sports email newsletter to get insights and game coverage for your favorite teams By Bill Parry The de Blasio administration has rolled out a new initiative to combat Islamophobia. The Mayors Community Affairs Unit, the Office of Immigrant Affairs, and the Commission on Human Rights announced a series of ongoing events and a new social media ad campaign in support of the citys more than half-a-million Muslims Monday. Now more than ever, it is important for every New Yorker to stand united as one city and reject hate and violence, Mayor Bill de Blasio said. In New York, everyone deserves to be treated with respect. Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Sikh, Hindu, Agnostic and Atheistit doesnt matter. We are all New Yorkers, and we all deserve to live safely and free from hate and discrimination. We will not tolerate discrimination or violence of any kind, and we will not rest until all New Yorkers, including our Muslim brothers and sisters, are treated with the dignity they deserve. Reports of attacks and threats against Muslims have surged nationally, most likely fueled by national and international terrorist attacks and political vitriol, according to researchers and law enforcement officials. The citys Commission on Human Rights, the agency charged with fighting discrimination, has increased investigations into discrimination based on race, national origin, and religion in New York City by more than 60 percent in the last two years. To combat xenophobia and Islamophobia, we must come together in solidarity to develop strategies against it, Commissioner Nisha Agarwal of the Mayors Office of Immigrant Affairs said. Our recent convening with Muslim community leaders, immigrant advocates, and refugee rights advocates is leading to the creation of a shared action plan. The campaign will feature a social media push that will direct people to the online hub NYC.gov/ iammu slimN YC , which contains a downloadable fact sheet about legal protections that are already in place to help Muslim Americans, such as laws that punish businesses and landlords who discriminate based on religion. The campaign will continue into 2017 and includes a series of educational programs aimed at building trust and awareness of Muslim New Yorkers rights. The diversity of this great City has made it the best in the world, and in order to make sure we continue to grow, embracing those of all backgrounds and religions will raise everyones quality of life, said City Councilman I. Daneek Miller (D-St. Albans), the sole Muslim member of the City Council. The initiatives that this administration has taken to embrace the Muslim community have not only benefitted those who believe in our faith, but everyone who lives here as well. SHARE Sarah Johnson/Times Record News Ronna Prickett, chairman of the board of directors of Floral Heights Community Food Pantry, sits on the foundation upon which a new food pantry building will rise starting Monday. The pantry, which became a nonprofit organization last year, was awarded a 4,000-square-foot building from Mueller Inc., which will send its Helping Hands construction crew to 903 Tyler this week to erect the pantry's new home. The building will face Floral Heights United Methodist Church, where the food pantry started as an outreach 40 years ago. Contributed photo Ira Littrell (left) and Ronna Prickett bag groceries at the Floral Heights Community Food Pantry. Littrell has been volunteering at the food pantry since 1979, when the church was a disaster relief center after the tornado. The food pantry serves an average of 2,200 clients a month and is open Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. Contributed photo Hunger has many faces, including men, women, grandparents, teenagers and children. After almost 40 years, the Floral Heights Community Food Pantry has grown to feed more than 26,000 people each year. Clients can come once a month to receive two large sacks of food and fresh produce. By Sarah Johnson It's the mother who walks several blocks with a baby on her hip to receive a sack of groceries. The family with four little mouths to feed. The father and son in threadbare clothes who haven't eaten since yesterday. Hunger has many faces, and the Floral Heights Community Food Pantry has seen them all in the almost 40 years it's been helping feed people from a small kitchen at Floral Heights United Methodist Church. What started as an emergency disaster relief effort after the 1979 tornado has grown into communitywide program that feeds more than 26,000 people each year. The food pantry took a giant step to secure its future when it moved from an outreach of the church to a full-fledged nonprofit in 2015. Then it was time to find a new location. "Honestly, we did a lot of praying," Ronna Prickett, chairman of the food pantry's board of directors and a member of Floral Heights, said. "The church began plans to renovate, so we needed to look for a new home. The food pantry was growing, so we needed more space. Becoming a nonprofit gave us opportunity to offer more services to the community." Prickett wrote a grant request her first to Mueller Inc., a company in Texas that fabricates and sells metal buildings. Mueller had a program that awarded a building each year to a deserving nonprofit. Out of almost 300 applicants, Floral Heights Community Food Pantry won and next week will receive the eighth building donated by Mueller. About 40 members of the company's Helping Hands volunteer group comprised of Mueller store managers will arrive in Wichita Falls Oct. 3 to erect the metal building at 903 Tyler in just three days. After the building goes up, the new home of Floral Heights Community Food Pantry will be dedicated at 11 a.m. Oct. 6, complete with a barbecue feast, bands and cheerleaders leading the celebration. The entire event will be televised by Bob Phillips of Texas Country Reporter. Prickett knows that without this donation from Mueller, the outlook for the food pantry was pretty bleak. "We had a deadline to vacate the church due to renovations and it would've been so expensive to buy and renovate an existing property," she said. "The church gave us the deed to the property on Tyler and that really helped get us going. Once Mueller was on board, other donations came flooding in. We were able to pour the foundation and lay the plumbing so the metal building could be put on top of it." Prickett said once the donation of the metal building was official, she received an email saying "welcome to the Mueller family." Mike Fry, marketing director for Mueller Inc., is excited to welcome Floral Heights Community Food Pantry into the family. "When we started this program, we didn't expect all of the internal benefits to our company," Fry said. "We came away from that first build eight years ago with a newfound respect and camaraderie among our employees. We have not only tremendous work friendships now, but also true friendships. Prickett, the board of directors of the food pantry and the entire congregation of Floral Heights are excited about the event, but more importantly, the number of people who will be helped in the food pantry's new space. "We are the largest food pantry in a 12-county area," Prickett said. "You just don't realize how much need is out there." Last year, with the help of its main partner, the Wichita Falls Area Food Bank, the Floral Heights Community Food Pantry served 26,531 clients, all of whom must meet an income guideline, which is listed in the Texas Emergency Food Assistance Program. The food pantry is open Monday, Tuesday and Thursday and is staffed by about 22 volunteers. They serve more than 215 families a week, which is about 860 people. Every month, the pantry averaged 785 children, 297 seniors, 22 veterans and 145 new clients, which totals 2,211 people. "One of the neatest things is when some of our regulars don't need food, they come anyway and volunteer," Prickett said. "It just shows how grateful people are for the food they receive." With its nonprofit status, the food pantry can go after more funding opportunities such as grants. With more room in the new building, it can offer more services like a resource section to dispense information on how to secure diapers and baby food as well as a coat closet in the winter. "It's simple," Prickett said. "We are here on this earth to do God's work. God works through us. It is best said in Proverbs 14:31 'Whoever oppresses a poor man insults his Maker, but he who is generous to the needy honors him.' " Prickett and her board are so excited about the new building, but the need for donations is ongoing. The fundraising goal is $589,000 to complete the interior, including heating and cooling. To donate, send your contribution to 2214 10th Street, Wichita Falls, TX 76309. For more information, call 867-3442. SHARE The behavior and hypocrisy of the religious leaders come in for some harsh treatment in Mark 12:38-40. Those who are condemned care nothing for true religion but are concerned only with their own position and how they appear. What is under attack is false piety acting as a cloak to injustice indeed, any form of ostentatious, hypocritical religion. The religious leaders are depicted as loving religious show and honors: long robes, public salutations, seats up front in public worship, and places of honor on social occasions. Jesus condemns them for parading their religion and wearing long robes to be seen and admired for their piety. Jesus also opposes their greed, its ugliness compounded by the hypocrisy of trying to hide their avarice behind ostentatious piety. The long prayers are an attempt to encourage defenseless people to entrust them with their property. The saying of Jesus ends with a hammer blow. God will judge hypocritical religious leaders with special severity (Mark 12:40). It's not difficult at all to find contemporary parallels of clergy who like to make a show of religion. You can find them among the clergy of the liturgical tradition as well as among the evangelical groups. In William X. Kienzle's series of Father Koesler novels, the Archbishop of Detroit does not care for the medieval practice of ring kissing. When people start to genuflect or bow as the beginning gesture to kiss the bishop's ring, Archbishop Boyle raises his hand slightly to indicate that a handshake is quite sufficient. Boyle regards the ring kissing as very anachronistic to the 21st century and sends the wrong message about the bishop who is not a pampered prince but a servant of the people of God. In contrast to pompous and self-righteous clergy who exploit poor widows (Mark 12:38-40), we have the poor widow who sacrifices all she has (Mark 12: 41-44). The true worship and generosity of the widow stands in sharp contrast not only to the rich who give large sums, but to the religious leaders for the ostentatious dress and elegant piety. The contrast is not lost on Jesus who carefully observes this woman. The gifts of the wealthy are probably calculated gifts, guided by the law of the tithe and a long tradition of how it is figured. But the woman's gift is different. She could have kept one of the coins. Jesus measures her offerings in terms of sacrifice. The text reminds us of how great and many have been the gifts which have come out of poverty. They have been gifts of life, of thought, of skill, of devotion. The support of the church throughout the world has come far more from the "two copper coins" of the poor than from the large checks of the rich. Mark 12:41-44 is the last scene in Jesus' public ministry, and it's importance emerges when we read it as an overture to the Passion Narrative. The woman's action is praiseworthy because without reservation she gives her whole living to God. Her gift foreshadows the one Jesus is about to make: his very life. We can also compare this woman to the one in Mark 143-9 who is praised for making a gift of a vastly expensive jar of perfume. Each woman makes an exceptional gesture of her gift, though in a different way. But in both cases, the issue is self-giving rather than self-seeking. SHARE By Christopher Collins of the Times Record News Another battle in the Texas lawsuit against the federal government's transgender bathroom guidance was fought Friday morning in Wichita Falls, though no additional rulings were made in the case. In May, Texas, joined by 11 other states school districts and individuals, sued the U.S. Departments of Justice and Education over directives the agencies issued to school districts on bathroom access for transgender students. Districts were told students ought to be allowed to use the bathroom that correlates to their gender identity, biological sex notwithstanding. Predictably, Texas and other conservative states struck back, winning the first round of the fight in August a federal judge in Fort Worth awarded them a temporary injunction against the U.S. government's guidance. Following that ruling, defendants argued the injunction is overly broad, and as it currently is worded, could prevent the Obama administration from participating in other, related litigation. The scope of the court order was the matter at hand in Friday's hearing, though arguments from attorneys only lasted an hour before the case recessed before noon. The most noteworthy case potentially affected by the injunction is United States v. North Carolina, the lawsuit that sparked a national debate on transgender rights earlier this year. Plaintiffs have argued in court filings that the court order has sufficient scope to block defendants from participating in that and other lawsuits. "I'll confess that this is a difficult issue, but it's being made more difficult because of the conduct of the defendant," argued Austin Nimocks, an attorney for the state of Texas. "(The U.S. government) seeks to undermine the ruling of this court." U.S. attorney Ben Berwick rebutted, asserting that Texas could not be "harmed" by federal actions in lawsuits that don't involve the state of Texas. "I just don't see how that would affect these plaintiffs," he said. In questioning the attorneys, District Judge Reed O'Connor posed a hypothetical: what if he arrived at a judgement in the case, thus allowing the Fifth Circuit Court to take it up? Berwick responded by saying that the Fifth Circuit may hear arguments on the matter if the federal government receives an adverse judgment from O'Connor. Plaintiffs also could appeal to a higher court if they get a verdict they feel is unfavorable. O'Connor appeared to agree that whatever his final ruling in the case was, his court will not be the last to hear arguments. "Everybody assumes it'll be appealed," he said. No timetable has been given for a ruling on the scope of the injunction or whether the U.S. government is allowed to proceed with other cases. On 22/09/2016, Aisha Baby